Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Chickpeas & Herbs

Niece Slone arrived at the boat weighted down with Portland Chef Joshua McFadden's amazing new cookbook, Six Seasons: a new way with vegetables. This treasure presents nearly 400 pages of interesting commentary and appealing recipes for vegetables raw and vegetables cooked; a chapter of go-to recipes for tasty sauces and accompaniments to enhance fresh vegetables; a scattering of tempting recipes that incorporate meat, sausage and/or seafood; plus an occasional dessert. All of that and photos for most dishes. 

Co-author Martha Holmberg adds considerable talent and experience to this cookbook. An award-winning food writer and editor, former publisher and editor of Fine Cooking magazine and most recently food editor of the Oregonian newspaper, her guidance is felt throughout. I would love to hear this team share the back story of creating this book.   

The six seasons title reference acknowledges the overlap and variability of our Pacific Northwest growing seasons. McFadden notes "summer is where the action is", emphasizing different vegetables for early summer, midsummer and late summer. I flipped through the Late Summer chapter, waiting to see which photo drew my tastebuds' attention. Oh my, how to choose between sweet corn, peppers, chiles, tomatoes and more?! 

Ingredient availability made the decision an easy one. I went with a modified, ship's galley version of McFadden's 'Israeli-Spiced Tomatoes, Yogurt Sauce, and Chickpeas.' Six just-picked, garden-fresh cucumbers sat on the countertop, recently shared by a dock neighbor. Local markets offered mounds of fresh, in-season tomatoes and herbs, and my pantry held za'atar. Olive oil and vinegar substituted for the yogurt sauce, changing the flavor blend and consistency somewhat. A topping of feta cheese added to our second servings restored the savory edge quite nicely. I'll use yogurt and feta next time.     

The Seattle Times included the same recipe in their review of Six Seasons; "A menu for all seasons - and then some." Obviously, a popular choice. We agree! Thank you, Slone, for the inspiration. 

Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Chickpeas & Herbs

from a Joshua McFadden recipe in Six Seasons

For the tomatoes:
4 medium tomatoes, cored & cut in fat wedges
1 rounded tsp za'atar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 rounded tsp garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

For the cucumbers:
1 or 2 cucumbers, cut in fat wedges
1 handful each of fresh basil, mint & Italian parsley leaves; rough chopped; divided
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or substitute oil & vinegar mix)
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the chickpeas:
1 cup cooked chickpeas (I used canned)
1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin (or use green onions)
2 TBS red wine vinegar (or white balsamic)
Splash of extra-virgin olive oil
Sprinkle of the mixed fresh herbs from above
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Optional: crumbled feta cheese to sprinkle on top.

Directions:

1. Place the tomatoes in a wide, flat-bottomed bowl. Add the remaining 4 ingredients, toss to coat, and let sit at room temperature while preparing the cukes and chickpeas.
2. In another bowl, add the cucumbers, fresh herbs, yogurt, salt and pepper. Toss gently together, taste and adjust seasoning. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the chickpeas.
3. In a third bowl, add the chickpeas and remaining ingredients. Toss, taste, and adjust seasoning.
4. Spread the tomatoes and their juices on a serving platter; layer the cucumbers plus any juices over the tomatoes; scatter the chickpeas and their dressing evenly over all. 
5. Sprinkle feta, if desired, over the top and serve. OR toss and serve in individual bowls.

McFadden suggests serving with warm "Slightly Tangy Flatbreads" - sounds good to me!

Soba Noodle Salad with Chicken and Vegetables

Buckwheat soba noodles plus chicken and assorted vegetables equals a whole-meal salad with an abundance of tastes and textures. Yum!

A new medication has radically changed my tastebuds, making cooking and meal planning a whole new adventure. Citrus bites, too harshly acidic. Shrimp tastes metallic and no longer pleases. My favorite chile peppers and sriracha sauce now burn my mouth. Even coffee seems too bitter to enjoy. Aaaargh! So I'm playing with different spices, fearlessly swapping out ingredients in recipes old and new, and occasionally have to resort to a bowl of cereal for dinner when the new approach does not work. RL  hasn't complained yet, so the process continues. What a perfect time to work my way through my new Patricia Wells cookbook, Salad as a Meal: fresh ingredients, healthy eating, and an opportunity to tailor a new recipe to my taste.

I skimmed the chapters, glanced at the index and found many tempting choices. Buckwheat soba noodles and chicken sounded interesting, so I began with my own version of Wells' "Chicken and Soba Noodles with Ginger-Peanut Sauce". Swapping peanut sauce for peanut butter and adding 3 cups of chopped raw vegetables were the major changes. Cilantro has now joined parsley on my new list of Not-So-Good herbs, so I will omit it in the future.

 Visually interesting, this colorful Asian noodle dish rated two thumbs up today at lunch. The sauce pleasantly surprised my tastebuds with layers of flavor; sweet, sour, salty, faintly bitter and perhaps even a hint of umami (savory/meaty) as well. Smooth buckwheat noodles contrasted nicely with the assorted vegetables and peanuts for crunchy, toothsome bites, and it all came together quickly with ingredients already on hand. Win! It might even be healthy, but today it was all about the taste.

Half a package of noodles filled two bowls at lunch with enough left for another meal, or to use as filling for Asian pancakes or Thai spring rolls.

Slivered chicken, cilantro, onion, red pepper, cucumber, and cabbage are ready to go.  

4-minute noodles plus vegetables and an Asian sauce 

One lunch noodle bowl and a platter of leftovers to enjoy a another meal.

Soba Noodle Salad with Chicken & Vegetables

Adapted from Salad as a Meal by Patricia Wells

yields about 4 servings

Sauce:

6 Tbs tamari or other Japanese soy sauce

2 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs sweet Thai peanut sauce (optional)

4 Tbs seasoned Japanese rice vinegar

1 Tbs grated fresh ginger (or Gourmet Gardens ginger in a tube)

1 Tbs Gourmet Gardens lemongrass (optional)

2 cloves garlic, peeled & pressed or minced

1+ Tbs mirin (optional)

1 Tbs lime juice, more if needed as a finish

6-oz soba noodles (about ½ a package for me)

1 cup shredded cooked chicken (about 4 small thighs)

3 fat scallions, green and white parts, sliced thin

2-3 cups sliced raw vegetables of your choice (cabbage, carrots, cucumber, peppers, etc.)

2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds, white or black

handful of salted peanuts, chopped

handful of fresh cilantro leaves 

1. Whisk together the sauce ingredients; taste and adjust as needed (RL added lime juice to his bowl). Place in a large, shallow bowl and set aside.
2. Add the soba noodles to a large pot of salted, boiling water; stir to prevent noodles from sticking. Cook according to the package directions until tender, about 4 minutes – keep an eye on the pot and adjust heat to avoid foaming and boiling over! Drain in a colander, then rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. Rinsing is important, keeping the noodles from sticking and clumping. Drain thoroughly.
3. Add the drained noodles to the bowl containing the sauce. Toss to coat evenly and thoroughly. Add the chicken, scallions and sliced raw vegetables; toss to mix and distribute the sauce.
4. Garnish with the sesame seeds, peanuts and cilantro. 

Notes: 

1. Any leftovers will incorporate well into an Asian pancake/omelet or make a great filling for rice paper spring rolls.

2. Serve with lime wedges for an added pop of flavor.

Update: June 9, 2016
Spring rolls are the way to go with leftovers. The Asian omelet was edible, but nothing to get excited about.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

"So let the whole damn world go by

'Cause I just want to testify

From now on it's me and my

Sweet Potato Pie Fries" - with apologies to Ray Charles

Sweet potato fries are a recent addition to my favorite food list. Not too many years ago you wouldn't find sweet potato anything as my favorite, no way! Just mention sweet potatoes and my taste buds would recoil at the thought of another cloyingly sweet Thanksgiving casserole topped with brown sugar and mini marshmallows... but that's history. I have since learned to enjoy baked Hasselback sweet potatoes, nuked sweet potatoes mashed with a bit of butter, sweet potato wedges roasted with a hint of honey and cinnamon, and of course the ubiquitous restaurant-prepared sweet potato french fries. Sigh. if only I could replicate those crisp-on-the-outside fluffy-in-the-middle sweet potato batons, but baked in the oven and not deep fried. Baked seems so much healthier than fried, but the secret to a crisp exterior remains elusive. 

A Food52 recipe offered a promising start with a recipe that won Community Pick status. A spicy Southwest seasoning mix hit all of the right flavor notes, but the fries refused to crisp up enough to suit us me. We cheerfully ate almost the entire batch anyway. A remaining handful of baked fries were a tasty addition to the next morning's breakfast hash.

Hilary's new spiralizer was no match for two largish, unpeeled sweet potatoes so she cut most of the sticks by hand. The few shreds that came off the spiralizer hit a hot, lightly oiled skillet and proceeded to wilt more than crisp and taste too strongly of peel rather than tater. Forget the pan-fried approach for skinny shreds!  

The hand-cut, oven-baked method produced such tasty fries that we voted to give it another kitchen test... soon. Perhaps more time in the oven will do the trick; we'll be more patient in the future. I just can't get enough of those spicy sweet potato fries.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Chili Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce

recipe closely adapted from the Food52 cookbook

serves 3-4

2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut in large sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoky chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon smoky paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, more or less to taste
Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Use your hands and toss the sweet potato sticks and olive oil in a large bowl.
3. Add the salt, cumin, chile powder, paprika, pepper and cayenne to a small bowl and stir to mix.
4. Add the spices to the potatoes and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Arrange the potatoes in one layer on a baking sheet.
6. Bake in preheated oven on the lowest rack until the undersides are browned, about 15 minutes. Flip potatoes with a large spatula and bake an additional 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and serve on a warmed platter. Offer Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream as an optional topping.

Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon  lime juice

lime zest (optional)
2 teaspoons sweet Thai chili sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon chopped cilantro

Combine all the ingredients except the cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stir in cilantro. Chill until ready to serve.

Braised Kale and Ham Bits with Grits

There is no such thing as too much leftover holiday ham, not when this dish is so delicious and so easy to prepare. You won't think of it as leftovers, I promise. It was Monday, the traditional day to cook up a pot of Red Beans and Rice, and I was tempted in that direction. But that big bag of kale in the fridge made the decision for me; forget the RB&R and work with the pork and kale instead. Savory, salty, tangy, richly flavored and vibrantly gorgeous to look at - what's not to like about Braised Kale and Ham over Grits?! It's even healthy with a ton of nutrients: vitamin B6, dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, iron, magnesium, vitamin B1, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, protein, folate and niacin. See, healthy... healthy enough to balance the not-quite-so-healthy Cheese Grits that shared the plate.  

This dish might be reason enough to bake more ham than you need, just to have some leftover meat. Or you could buy some smoked pork or turkey parts, boil to remove some of the saltiness, and use the smoked meat instead. Substitute bacon or sausage? Of course you can, and it will still be delicious. 

One bunch of kale yields a mountain of raw greens when chopped, but cooks down into a fraction of that volume. Initially the ingredients look sufficient to feed a crowd, but will reduce to enough for 4 ample portions (unless you have are feeding some really big appetites). Serve the kale and ham over a mound of grits and it will feed 6 or more.   

Ingredients:

two-count swirl of olive oil to coat pan
1 onion, chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
2 cups cooked ham bits (or smoked pork bits, smoked turkey bits, chorizo, bacon etc.)
big pinch of salt (optional) & freshly ground pepper 
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup tamed jalapeño rings (Mezzetta's)
1 large bunch curly kale, cleaned & chopped
splash of chicken broth (as needed, optional)

Cooked Cheese Grits and some hot sauce to accompany 

Directions:

1. Use a large heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven; lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the chopped onion for 2 - 3 minutes to soften; add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. 
2. Add the cooked ham pieces, salt & pepper, vinegar and kale; stir to mix. Cover, lower the heat and cook until until the kale is tender, roughly 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash or two of low-sodium chicken broth if the pan grows too dry.
3. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Serve over cooked grits with your favorite hot sauce available on the side.

  

Quick Pickled Vegetables

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers...

A peck?! well I only pickled a few pints.  

I have already shared the results of my first Bread & Butter Quick Pickle efforts (link), an instant success that prompted many more batches. Then I got carried away and brewed too much hot brine, enough for two quart jars of cucumber slices plus a bonus pint each of carrots, radishes and mushrooms. The sliced radishes were day-one additions to our lunchtime tacos, disappearing before any photo op thoughts. The remaining pickled vegetables lasted only two days - clearly they were a hit as well. I have played around with the spice combination, adding some new flavors and even omitting the premixed pickling spice, and haven't had a failure yet.  

I have put up (canned) case after case of Dilly Beans and Pickled Asparagus over the years, especially during the early married period when we had a large garden. Then we moved, gave up the big garden, and boating filled up our summertime hours. Somewhere, somehow, along the way my pickling and canning efforts slowed and finally stopped. Now I'm refocused and can't wait to try pickling everything in sight; Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet peppers, hot peppers, cauliflower, green beans, celery, small onions...

Quick pickled vegetables add a welcome pop of color in addition to a tangy burst of flavor - a party on a plate! They make great appetizers and snacks, tasty side dishes, and zesty additions to pasta salads and antipasto platters. Change up the spice mix, play with new flavor combinations; add a little heat with some red pepper flakes. It's fun to experiment with pickling.    

Quick  Pickled Vegetables 
(the Bread & Butter Quick Pickle version)

 Adapted from “Your Classic Bread-and-Butter Pickles”, in Quick Pickles by Schlesinger, Willoughby and George, 2001

6 small pickling cucumbers (less than 5 inches long), sliced crosswise

1 medium onion, halved & sliced thin

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons pickling spice

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Trim both ends of the cucumbers, peel the onion and cut both into ¾ inch rounds. Add the cukes and onions to a glass jar or non-reactive bowl; toss them with the salt, cover and hold in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. Drain, rinse well and drain again, then set aside.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a microwaveable container and nuke to bring to a boil. Remove to stir and dissolve the brown sugar. Reheat in micro to return to a boil, and then pour the liquid over the cucumbers and onions. The cucumbers should be covered or slightly afloat, if not add more heated vinegar and brown sugar using the same proportions. 
3. Allow to cool to room temperature; then cover and refrigerate. The pickles will hold for several weeks.

For the carrot version:

carrots: peeled & sliced crosswise into coins or short, uniform lengths. 
garlic cloves, peeled (2 per jar)

Skip the curry and turmeric; add cumin, fennel, dill or anise seeds instead

Blanch in boiling water for a minute  or two to soften; plunge into a bowl of ice water to chill and set the color. Drain and pack into clean jars. Prepare the brine as above.

For the mushroom version:
small button mushrooms or larger pieces of wild mushroom: cleaned, stems trimmed

Skip the curry and turmeric: add garlic, lemon rind, red pepper flakes and sweet or smoked paprika instead.

Directions:

Pack the blanched carrots, cauliflower, radishes or raw mushrooms into small glass jars. Cover with the boiling brine and allow to cool to room temperature; then cover and refrigerate.

Pickled vegetables hold well in the refrigerator for a month or more. For longer storage use a water bath process.

Note:

I "wing it" when changing spices and haven't settled on measured quantities for these changes yet. Call it a work in progress.

Smoky Kale and Beans

It's been windy and rainy all week, it might snow on Saturday, there are still a gazillion football games that will need a half time snack... and those are reasons enough to cook up a mess of greens. As if I needed an excuse to combine smoked turkey parts, fresh kale and white beans with garlic, jalapeño slices and a splash of red wine vinegar. Those six flavorful ingredients plus a hit of hot sauce came together into an irresistible bowl of comfort food for lunch today. A small portion would be perfect as a side dish, but we went with a large bowl apiece for a filling, one-dish meal. Tomorrow I'll add some chicken broth to the leftovers for a tasty souplike version of the recipe. 

This dish was inspired by a recent Food Network Thanksgiving special, something I had turned on as background noise to keep me company. It stayed in the background until a preparation for Southern collard greens grabbed my attention. Forget the featured turkey, cornbread dressing and sweet potato something, I craved those smoky greens! Using the Michael Symon recipe as a base, I made a few changes. We prefer kale to collard greens, and I always have some on hand, so that accounted for the first change. A jar of Mezzetta's Tamed Jalapeño Rings substituted for a fresh chili pepper. The dish needed more substance, so a can of cannellini beans joined the party. Green Tabasco sauce added a final pop. Oh, baby, those were some good greens! 

I have half a dozen other kale posts, all recipes we enjoy, but this is the first kale dish that RL has requested as a repeat. That's a good sign, those must have been some good greens!

Smoky Kale and Beans

adapted from a Michael Symon recipe 
Yield: 4 large servings

Ingredients:

2 bunches kale, stems and center-ribs removed (I used 1 bunch each of curly kale and dinosaur kale)

Olive oil, to coat pan

1 pound smoked turkey parts (wings, thighs, or tails)

1 cup diced red onions

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced

Kosher salt

1 jalapeno, sliced into rings 
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 can Cannellini (white) beans, drained & rinsed

Hot sauce, such as Green Tabasco or your favorite

Directions:

1. Roughly chop the kale into 1/2-inch pieces. Wash well under cold water. Drain and set aside.
2. Add a film of olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven; use medium heat and sear the turkey pieces on all sides until crisped, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add the onions, garlic and a large pinch of salt; heat until the vegetables are softened and you can smell the garlic, about 3 minutes. 
4. Add the rinsed kale, jalapeño rings, vinegar, sugar and 1 to 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook until the greens are wilted, 20 to 30 minutes. 
5. Add the drained and rinsed beans, stir to combine and cook briefly to heat. (Add some chicken broth if you like your greens soupy.) Remove from the heat and check the seasoning, adding additional salt and vinegar to taste.
6. Remove the turkey pieces and pull the meat off the bones, discarding any large chunks of fat. Shred some of the turkey meat and toss with the cooked greens. Add hot sauce to taste and serve.

Notes: 

* Next time double the amount of greens, or use larger bunches of kale, equal to roughly 2 pounds.
* Garbanzo (ceci) beans would be a good alternative to cannellini beans, providing more crunch to the dish.