coconut curry

I made this meal for friends last week and enjoyed it for lunch for a couple of days afterwards.  Many curries have a complex mixture of spices behind them, but not this one; instead it has a nice clean flavor and lovely delicate fragrance from the lemongrass. Still the curry is warming and soothing and contains enough heat to clear your head, but not overwhelm your pallet.

lemongrass, ginger and garlic

cooking them

I like to make my own coconut milk because the flavor and texture is so much lighter than the canned versions. I use dried organic coconut, because it’s easier to find than fresh organic coconuts are here in New York.  If you have fresh available then by all means blend some up. If you want to use canned coconut milk, I would use one-third water, as it can be very rich and heavy.

The whole meal ended up with a great Thai flavor. If I had had Kefir lime leaves, I would have definitely added them, although on second thought, I didn’t miss them. I had some limes on hand to squeeze over each portion but at the last minute decided that it was perfect as is.

Since I wanted to make the curry a bit more special than an every day meal, I sautéed some red peppers and stirred them in at the end, definitely not necessary but it added a lovely bust of color.

lunch from above

One last thing…you could make this with or with out the chickpeas or add any kind of cooked bean you have on hand. I have made a delicious version with French lentils too. Please don’t be put off by the length of this recipe, it really is quite easy to make and a sure crowd pleaser!

small bowl of curry

Coconut curry

The jalapenos I used where not at all hot, so I decided to add some cayenne pepper. Make sure you taste your curry before adding the cayenne.

6 cups filtered water

3 cups dried coconut

2 stalks lemon grass, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil or coconut butter

1 onion, sliced

Sea salt

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 ½ inch piece ginger, minced

1 red jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 green jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 small bunch cilantro

1 small leek, sliced

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 red turnips, cut in ¾ inch wedges

4 cups kabocha squash, cut in ¾ inch pieces

3 small carrots, cut in ½ inch pieces

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (optional)

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced

Large handful baby spinach leaves

Cayenne pepper to taste

veggies

To make coconut milk pour the water and coconut into a blender and blend on high speed for at least 2 minutes. You can do this in two batches if you have a smaller blender.

Place a strainer over a medium sized pot and line with a thin kitchen towel or nut milk bag. Pour the coconut milk into cloth or bag and gently squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Compost the pulp and place the pot over high heat. Add the lemon grass and bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer while you make the curry or for up to 30 minutes. Remove lemon grass with small strainer and discard. Set milk aside.

water and coconut blended

straining coconut milk

milk and pulp

Warm coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt, the garlic, ginger and jalapenos and cook for another couple of minutes. Finely slice the cilantro stems and add to the pot along with the leeks. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and set aside.

Stir in turmeric then add the turnips, squash and carrots. Pour in homemade coconut milk and bring to a boil. Stir, lower heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower raise heat to bring back to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and continue cooking for a few minutes. Slowly drizzle in arrowroot and gently stir until mixture thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper if you want it spicier.

Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add peppers and a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes or until they begin to brown in parts. Remove from heat and add to the curry. Stir in cilantro leaves and spinach until wilted. Remove from heat and serve.
Serves 6 to 8 people

Brown jasmine rice blend

If you like you can reduce the amount of jasmine rice and increase the red and wild rice. I just wanted it to be flecked with some color and contrasting textures. Pre-soaking wild rice is of course a great thing to do but it becomes very soft and open and doesn’t look as pretty.

soaked and washed rice blend

1 ½ cups brown jasmine rice

1 tablespoon red rice

1 tablespoon wild rice

3 cups filtered water, plus more for soaking

3 bay leaves

Pinch sea salt

In a small pot with tight fitting lid, combine jasmine and red rice.

Cover with at least 2 inches of filtered water, cover and soak overnight.

Drain, rinse and drain again. Return to pot and add wild rice, water, bay leaves and salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and cook for 50 to 60 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4 to 6 people

morning tea with pumpkin bread

I think you will love this pumpkin bread; it has a lovely light and moist texture, and a perfectly sweet flavor from the winter squash and hint of maple syrup. The cranberries add a nice burst of color and tangy flavor to the batter too. This bread is very different from the overly sweet cake-like breads I often come across and it could be served as special breakfast treat. Or, you could bake it to accompany morning tea, as I did for my mother the other day while she was busy knitting us cozy winter scarves.

Since this bread is made with sprouted spelt flour, my new favorite ingredient from Shiloh Farms, it bakes up lighter than regular whole spelt flour and digests easily. The spelt berries are sprouted first so they actually digest as a vegetable, which would explain why we felt so good afterwards.

mashed kabocha squash

If you steam the squash and get your ingredients ready the night before, the bread comes together quite quickly. If there’s any left over, it’s great toasted the following day.

This bread tastes delicious strait up but my mother highly recommends spreading it with butter, while it’s still warm!

with butter!

Spelt pumpkin pecan bread with cranberries.

This recipe contains one egg which helps keep the bread moist for a couple of days. If you would like to make a vegan version, replace the egg with ¼ cup of filtered water mixed with a tablespoon of ground flax seeds.  Allow the mixture to thicken while you prepare the other ingredients.

2 cups sprouted whole spelt flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ cups mashed winter squash, I used ½ a large red kabocha*

6 tables extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten or flax and water mixture

¾ cup pecans

½ cup fresh cranberries

ingredients

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread pecan on a baking sheet and roast for 6 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool and coarsely chop. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly oil a (9 1/2 inch by 5 inch) loaf pan and line with a piece of parchment paper. (This is not necessary; I just like to be on the safe side!) Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a medium size-mixing bowl, stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside. In another bowl whisk the mashed squash, oil, maple, sea salt and vanilla.

wet and dry ingredients

add the pecans and cranberries-don't over mix!

Fold into dry ingredients, just before mixture is combined, add the pecans and cranberries. Stir a couple of times and scrape into loaf pan. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, rotating half way. Test the center with a toothpick; it should come out clean, maybe with a clinging crumb or two. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out.

warm pumpkin bread and the begining of a scarf

learning to knit!

fall vegetable soup

I am usually not so undecided when it comes to what to cook but I want to make lots of different things for my mother while she’s here visiting, to be sure she tries at least a good sampling of my favorite dishes, and I some of hers. The truth is that my mother and I, more often than not, spend much of our telephone conversations talking about food and what we are currently making. The challenge is that we live in opposite hemispheres and so while I’m making cozy winter stews, she’s craving cooling summer salads.

cherry tomatoes, fennel, red turnips and celery root

While I was planning dinner last night, I had soup in mind but I wanted something brothy and fragrant that could use all the fall vegetables that are filling the markets. Finding a last pint of colored cherry tomatoes threw me off for a moment; that is until I decided to add them to the mix. They gave the soup a lovely brightness, which helped balance all the sweet tasting roots. I think this soup is a wonderful combination of ingredients and is surprisingly, both hearty and delicate. It’s such a treat to have her here in my kitchen with me to exchange recipes and have the opportunity to feed each other and our friends.

soup for lunch as well

Fall vegetable soup with saffron broth and white beans

I recommend prepping the vegetables for the soup at the same time as making the broth, that way you can use the trimmings as I have mentioned below.

We enjoyed this soup with smashed and roasted potatoes and a garlic parsley yogurt dip (will post soon!). I also passed around a wedge of Parmesan cheese and a grater for anyone who wanted top their soup. It was a warming meal for a crisp evening that paired perfectly with a glass of red. I must note that the soup is also delicious strait up, so no need for anything but parsley to add some green.

broth ready to be cooked

Broth

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, left whole

2 stalks celery with leaves, roughly chopped

½ cups cherry tomatoes

3 bay leaves

1 large pinch saffron

2 cups chopped fennel greens

1 bunch parsley stems

Peelings from celery root, from below

Squash seeds, from below

8 cups of filtered water

Put all vegetables in a large pot and add the filtered water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, then remove lid and raise heat until broth boils rapidly and cook for another 15 minutes. Stain and discard vegetables, you should have about 5 cups broth.

prepped veg waiting for soup

Soup

1 cup white beans, navy or great northern, soaked over night

2 inch piece kombu

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, cut in quarters and sliced

Sea salt

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon minced rosemary

1 teaspoon minced thyme

1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut in ½ inch dice

2 medium carrots cut in ¾ inch irregular shapes

1 stalk celery cut in ¾ inch irregular shapes

½ medium celery root, peeled and cut in ¾ inch dice (1 ½ cups)

1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut in 1 inch irregular shapes

½ medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in 1 inch dice

(3 ½ cups)

2 medium turnips cut in 8 wedges, I used red skinned turnips

5 cups broth, see recipe below

2 large pinches saffron

1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, if you have them!

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Black pepper

Chopped parsley to garnish

Drain beans and rinse well. Place in a pressure cooker and cover with 1 inch of filtered water, add kombu and bring up to high pressure. Reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat; allow pressure to release and strain beans reserving cooking liquid. Set aside.

Warm a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil and onion, sauté for 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook another few minutes. Stir in carrots, celery and fennel, add 1 cup bean cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Cover pot, lower heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add all remaining vegetables, except tomatoes, 5 cups broth, saffron and another pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat, simmer for 10 minutes and add tomatoes and beans.

soup cooking

Return lid to pot and simmer for another 30 minutes or until flavors are rich and vegetables are cooked. Add remaining bean cooking liquid to get desired consistency, stir in balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley.

Serves 6 people as a main course.

the dinner table

kale and marinated red cabbage salad

This salad is actually a amalgamation of things you have seen here before, but since it is such a delicious and tasty combination, I thought it would be nice to share the recipe.

all in the bowl

I made this salad the night my mother and Aunt arrived from Australia. We ate it with a creamy, celery root-cauliflower soup. I always think a nourishing vegetable soup is the perfect meal after that long flight. I also served some crispy whole wheat flat bread accompanied by Frankie’s olive oil for dipping, pomegranate seeds for sprinkling and olives I brought back from my trip to Turkey.

dinner table

One of the best things about this salad is that you can make it ahead of time and it will keep fine; I like to add the nuts and cheese right before serving. Since I already had cooked chickpeas, toasted almonds and marinated red cabbage in the fridge, all I had to do was roast some squash, slice kale and shave a little goat cheese. The cheese can easily be left out if you would like a vegan salad.

view from above

Kale and marinated red cabbage salad with roasted squash and chickpeas

For the squash:

1/3 medium kabocha squash cut in ¼ inch thick slices about an inch wide. 3 cups total

1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

cutting squash

For the red cabbage:

2 cups finely sliced red cabbage

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons umeboshi vinegar

Sea salt

red cabbage

The other components:

2 cups sliced Lacinato kale, in ¼ inch slices

Juice of half a lemon

1 ½ tablespoons flax oil

Sea salt

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Shaved goat cheese

ingredients

Preheat oven to 350 degrease Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place squash on it. Drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning tray around half way through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Place the red cabbage in a medium to large salad bowl and add vinegars and salt. Toss well, squeezing cabbage for a few minutes or until it begins to wilt. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes or up to a few hours.

marinated cabbage and kale

Add kale to the bowl of cabbage and drizzle with lemon juice, flax oil and a pinch of salt. Toss everything together and mix well.

Add the chickpeas, almonds and roasted squash and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Toss again and taste for seasoning. Top with shaved goat cheese and serve, sometimes I stir some cheese through the salad as well. You can pass the cheese around the table too if you like.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

nishimi kabocha squash

Nishimi is a cooking style, that means long cooked with little water. I think of it as the opposite to oshitashi, which is vegetables that are briefly cooked in lots of water, like the blanched watercress you may have eaten in Japanese restaurants. Nishimi is best suited to the cooler months and for root vegetables or winter squash.

It has been years since I prepared squash this way and I’d forgotten how sweet and meltingly smooth it becomes. This cooking method is perfect for dense squash, like kabocha or buttercup that have a tendency to become dry when baked.

You can prepare any vegetable Nishimi-style. Some recipes layer 3 types in the same pot; what ever vegetable you use, you will end up with a depth of flavor that is hard to believe came from such simple ingredients.

snug in pot

When I worked at Shizen a Japanese restaurant in Amsterdam, Bastian, one of the gifted chefs who worked there, would trim the edges and carefully cut a decorative design in each wedge of squash before it was cooked. This became one of the many dishes in the beautiful, daily bento box.

Nishimi squash

The cooking liquid that you are left with when the squash is done is deliciously sweet and can be poured over the squash when serving.  Or, you can drink it, as I love to do.

½ a medium winter squash, use either butter cup or kabocha

2 inch piece Kombu

1 cup filtered water

1 teaspoon mirin

1 teaspoon tamari

Pinch sea salt

Toasted black sesame seeds to garnish

Remove seeds from squash and cut into 1 ½ inch wedges. Cut each wedge in half so you have triangular shape pieces. Place the kombu in a heavy bottomed pot, one that will snugly fit all the squash. Pour in water and lie the squash skin side down over the kombu.

cutting squash and pot with kombu

Add the mirin, tamari and a pinch of salt to the center of the pot. Place over a high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until squash is soft all the way through. The cooking time will depend on how thick the flesh of your squash is. Remove from heat and gently life squash into serving bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serves 6 as a side dish.

nishimi squash

Selimiye, Bozburun Peninsula

Here are some photos of what I got to see of Turkey’s south western mediterranean coast.
We picked up a boat in Marmaris and wound our way around the craggy coast of the Bozburen Peninsula to Palamat on the Daçta Peninsula. Some of the secluded bays we anchored in were accessible only by boat and populated with one building, which was usually a restaurant. The owners would greet us by row-boat as we entered their harbor and help us moore or anchor; then they would ask us what time we would like to reserve for supper. Our routine was to arrive in the afternoon and alternate between swimming and sipping wine on deck until dark.  We would then head in to shore for dinner. Our meals consisted of  mezze and if you ate fish or meat, then the catch of the day too, which was sometimes wild goat. The mezze gave me plenty of choice: mashed fava beans, purslane in thick yogurt, marinated beets, stewed eggplant and tomato, sea beans and antep ezme which became a favorite on the sandwiches we made for lunch. It’s like tomato salsa but paste-like made with a special pepper called aci pul biber.

our first night on the boat in Ciftlik

arriving in söğüt

early the next morning

breakfast, i loved buying yogurt in a jar!

pomegranates

lunch with Rhodes in the distance

arriving in Palamut

The Daçta Peninsula is know for olive oil and almonds. We arrived near the tip in a place called Palamut. There I had two of my favorite meals since being at sea; both were in a restaurant called le jardin de Semra.  Semra, the owner, grew up in the proud stone building that the resturant surrounds. She cooks from her organic garden out the back, is passionate about food and a warm host. After a late dinner we wandered the main street, which was lined with people shelling almonds and selling bay leaves, honey and wild oregano. The next morning back at le jardin de Semra I had my first real Turkish breakfast, which we ate under a big old mulberry tree. Semra laid out crisp cucumbers, tomatoes and olives along with homemade quince and peach jams, and freshly baked bread with sesame and cinnamon on one of the long tables.

Wild basil or Mediterranean basil? a mystery...anyone?

bozukkale

Bozukkale has three resturants, wild donkeys and goats everywhere, and an archeologist living in a tent out the back of the restaurant we choose to eat at on our last night at sea.
The hills surrounding the bay are covered with ancient cemetaries and littered with pieces of pottery dating back to 395 B.C. This place is a hidden treasure, with no land access, you feel like it has never changed, but there are many facinating layers to it’s rich history and so much to learn.

view from the Sailor's House restaurant

wild donkeys

evening view from our boat

breakfast on deck before sailing back to Marmaris

soup for 4

Before I post more pictures of Turkey, I wanted to squeeze in a soup recipe. Warming soups and stews are all I can think about since the weather’s cooled and firmly planted its foot in fall. I love the way this season brings everyone closer to the stove. Even if you don’t cook, there is a change in focus and a desire to nourish, warm and ground yourself. This soup does it all and although most vegetables will work for this recipe, the sweetness of winter squash really enhances the flavor of the spices.

Here I used 3 types of lentils, they all play a different roll in creating a delicious texture: the red lentils almost completely dissolve and thicken the soup; the green add a creamy texture; and the French lentils remain intact and keep the soup looking pretty.

green and red lentils

soup for dinner

Curried 3-lentil vegetable soup with rainbow chard ribbons

I used my own curry powder; you can find the recipe here. I thoroughly recommend making your own curry powder. Store brought doesn’t even compare with the fragrant, clean and layered flavor you get from making it yourself.

This recipe makes quite a bit of soup. It keeps well for at least 3 days and you will be happy to have it on hand for a cozy lunch or dinner.

buttercup squash and curry powder

1 cup green lentils

1 cup French lentils

1 cup red lentils

2 inch strip kombu

3 bay leaves

2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

1 medium onion, minced

Sea salt

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

4 teaspoons curry powder

1 large carrot cut in ½ moons

1 large stalk celery, sliced

2 ½ cups winter squash, cut in1/2 inch pieces

2 ½ cups diced cabbage, I used Savoy

4 cups water

5 large rainbow chard leaves

Chopped parsley, cilantro or scallions to serve

washing lentils

Place green and French lentils in a medium to large pot, cover with plenty of water to wash and then drain well. Add 8 cups of filtered water, kombu and bay leaves, place over high and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for half an hour or until lentils are soft. In a separate bowl wash red lentils, drain and add to the pot. Raise heat until lentils return to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside.

Warm coconut oil in another large pot, over medium high heat; add the mustard seeds and sauté until they begin to pop. Stir in onion and a pinch of salt and cook for about 4 minutes, add garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in curry powder until onions are coated and mix begins to stick to pan. If mixture is sticking to the bottom of pot, add a splash of water and continue cooking.

Add carrots, celery, squash, cabbage and another pinch of salt, stir well and then pour in 4 cups of filtered water and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft but not falling apart.

vegetables

Add lentils, raise heat to bring to a simmer, lower again and continue cooking for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to marry. Cut tough ends off chard, slice down the middle of each leaf and then thinly slice leaves across, creating thin ribbons. Add to pot and cook for a couple of minutes longer. Season with salt to taste.

Serves 6 to 8 people

today's lunch

fresh figs

Here are a few pictures from my recient trip to Turkey, very hard to choose photos that show just how rich and beautiful the country is. When I stepped off the plane at Istanbul airport and took my first breath, I knew I would love the city. What I didn’t know was how beautiful and untouched the south west coast is and how much I would like exploring by boat. Sleeping on deck under the full moon in secluded bays and listening to wild goats on the surrounding rocky headlands was just what I needed!

But first there were 5 amazing days in Istanbul.

outside our hotel/appartment in Galata

entering the Grand Bazaar

cat under chair

I loved this peaceful little court yard, we came across it following a rug seller to his warehouse.

In the Bazaar we spent hours talking to antique watch sellers, jewelers and towel specialists. I loved the way tea would appear on a tray as if out of nowhere and be handed out in shaply glasses with bright saucers. After many  glasses we pulled ourselves out and walked through winding streets to the spice market.

empty tea glasses on the street

dried fruits stuffed with nuts at spice market

Turkish delight

turkish delight made with honey

drawers of spices and teas

button shop

mosque by Istanbul Modern

street in Kababöy

Turkish coffee (and more tea) with a friend in Osküdar on the asian side of the city

quiet shady street in Osküdar

The day I spent on the Asian side of Istanbul was one of the most interesting and inspiring, eating breakfast (with fresh pomegrante juice!) at a local cafe on the Bosphorus, walking the peaceful streets and then discovering çiya. çiya, a restaurant  in the midst of a market that sells everything from olives and vegetables to fish, sweets and herbs. The chef, Musa Dagdeviren owns three restaurants all in a row, I ate at çiya Sofrasy. The food at this branch is based on traditional cuisines of eastern and southeastern Anatolia. The chef is a food historian using regional herbs and vegetables I have never heard of and creating hundreds of delicious vegetarian dishes from almost forgotten peasant recipes. There is so much to learn from his cooking, the meal I ate there was one that will stay with me for a long time. Thank you Sila!

dried stuffed eggplan, yogurt with wheat berries and delicious greens

the best lentil soup and more delicious grains and vegetables

more figs layer with fig leaves at the market in Kadikoy

view from Aya Sofra

street in Beyoğlu

I loved exploring Beyoğlu, especially the antique shops with their wares pouring out onto the winding cobblestone streets. On our lastnight we ate at Mücver, a tiny restaurant that serves simple traditional Turkish home cooking. it was the perfect soothing meal to end our last day in Istanbul.

Pictures from the boat to follow!

I have made these lovely little stuffed squash a couple of times over the summer to rave reviews. This is a great way to take advantage of any shape of summer squash you may find at the market or have growing in your garden. I loved stuffing the round, 8-ball and avocado squash as the larger ones are a perfect main course size, but large patty pan also work well and you can use more small squash per person if that’s what you have on hand.

beautiful summer squash and a purple pepper

I hesitated to post the recipe because I haven’t measured the amounts of quinoa, tomatoes and pesto needed to fill squash – it does really depend upon what size your squash are. I found everyone was happy to have left over components anyway, so I’ll do my best. But, please think of this recipe as more of a guide to the last of summer’s abundance.

cherry tomatoes

Stuffed summer squash with pesto infused quinoa and roasted cherry tomatoes

This is a great dish to prepare for a dinner party as it can be made in advance and then warmed in the oven for 20 minutes or so. It goes really well with an arugula salad and balsamic dressing.

I made the pesto for this batch with Parmesan, for a vegan version go here.

Any leftover pesto can be stored in jar, just cover with a layer of olive oil and keep in the fridge, it will last a few weeks or longer.

1 cup quinoa, soaked over night in filtered water

½ cup pine nuts, divided

Extra virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, cut in ¾ inch cubes

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 cups grape or cherry tomatoes

2 cups basil leaves, lightly packed

2 cloves garlic

Parmesan cheese, about 2oz

Juice of half a lemon

Variety of large round summer squash; like 8 ball, Avocado or patty pan.

Drain and rinse quinoa, place in a small pot and add 1 ½ cups of boiling water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add half the pine nuts. Shake pan and reduce heat to low. Stirring nuts constantly until they are fragrant and golden. Remove pine nuts from pan and set aside.

Return skillet to medium heat; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and onions. Stir every minute or so until onions begin to soften and brown in parts, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar and continue cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes or until onions are caramelized and very soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

roasted cherry tomatoes

Pre-heat oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place cherry tomatoes on a parchment lined baking tray. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, large pinch of sea salt and pepper. Toss well and place in the oven. Roast until tomatoes are bursting and beginning to collapse. Set aside.

making pesto

In the bowl of a food processor, place basil, remaining pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan, if using. Drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, taste for salt and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Blend again, if it’s too thick add a little more olive oil.

hollowed out squash

Lie squash on its side on a cutting board, slice stem end off to create a lid for the stuffing. Sit squash upright, use a small spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/3 inch around the edges and bottom. Repeat with remaining squash. Place them all on a parchment lined baking tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Rub oil evenly over and inside each squash and top. Place tops and bottoms cut side down on tray and roast for about 20 minutes or until squash is beginning to brown around edges and flesh is soft but not falling apart. Remove from oven and set aside.

roasted squash

Place cooked quinoa in a bowl and break apart any clumps with your fingertips. Put pine nuts on a cutting board and gently crush, either using a pestle or rolling pin; you could also roughly chop them.

Add to quinoa along with the caramelized onions and a few spoons of pesto; mix well and taste for seasoning. Add more pesto until you get a good green looking quinoa, which should taste delicious. If you have a lot of remaining juice from roasting the cherry tomatoes, then add it to the quinoa, it has so much flavor!

quinoa, pesto, pine nuts and caramelized onions

Once the squash are cool enough to handle. Hold each one in the palm of your hand and fill half way with quinoa mixture, gently packing it in. Spoon in a few cherry tomatoes. Add more quinoa to fill squash to the top. Place in a baking dish and repeat with remaining squash.

without their tops on

Before I put their little tops on I like to evenly distribute the remaining roasted cherry tomatoes, you can also pour over any left over juice from tomatoes. Pop their tops on and they are ready to go back into the oven to warm through, about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also store them in the fridge or on a warm day enjoy them at room temperature.

Makes about 8 large stuffed squash.

different shaped squash

potato salad

I rarely make potato salad, but when I saw these lovely little colorful potatoes, I couldn’t resist bringing them home from the market. They sat on the counter for a few days, looking like lovely river pebbles and I thought I’d taken their picture at least once; now realize that I had not.

This salad tastes like a garden to me as it reminds me of eating freshly dug potatoes for dinner as a child. We would eat them simply steamed along side a big, well-dressed salad, with lots of chives and parsley of course. I always loved the combination of the creamy potatoes and the tangy salad dressing.

garlic chives

This has got to be the fastest way to make potato salad. You don’t even make a dressing and all the ingredients can be tossed while the potatoes are still warm. I find they absorb more flavor that way too. Of course you can use any size or shape of potato, just cut them after you’ve boiled them.

potato salad

Herbed baby potato salad

4-5 cups baby potatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup chopped dill

¼ cup chives, I used garlic chives

3 dill pickles, cut in half and sliced. I used organic kosher dills

pickle brine to taste.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until a sharp knife glides easily through them.

Drain and cut the larger ones in half. Place in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss well and let sit while you chop the herbs and pickles. Add the remaining ingredients to the potatoes and a good splash of the pickle brine. Mix well and taste. I usually add a little more oil, vinegar and salt as the potatoes tend to absorb as they sit. This salad is best served room temprature.

Serves 4-6 people.

enjoying the last of it