Recipe: Lime Tarragon Cookies with White Chocolate Topping

Putting basil in my buttercream was apparently just a gateway drug into the depraved and unhinged world of herb-infused baking.

You can all look back on that moment and say, with your eyes cast downward and a definite "tsk tsk" in your voice, "She was such a sweet girl, just so...normal.  Sane.  A totally rational human being.  I'd never have thought...." 



But there were signs.  Definite signs.

First basil, then tarragon.

And next...who knows?  Kale.  Peas.  Mustard greens.

A certain other "herb" that is most certainly not legal at all in any ways but that I hear goes splendidly in boxed brownie mix.  Not that I would know much of anything about that firsthand, but I have friends.  Who have friends.  Who know people.  Who bake with boxed brownie mix.  Among other things.  



I'm digging myself into a very large hole here when really what I meant to say is BAKE THESE!

With caution.

Because even though they may not have our little aforementioned "herb" friend in them (or do they??) (no, but really, they don't)...they will have you going back for cookie after cookie.

Waking up in the middle of the night craving that combination of lime and white chocolate with just the slightest hint of licorice.

Not really sure why, just knowing that you need it.  Want it.  Can't live without it.



Don't say I didn't warn you.



Lime Tarragon Cookies with White Chocolate Topping
Makes 12-20, adapted from Baked Elements

Ingredients
For the Lime Tarragon Cookies:

• 8 oz unsalted butter, softened 
• 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp minced fresh tarragon
• 1 tbsp lime zest (about 1 lime)
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the White Chocolate Lime Topping:

• 3.5 oz good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• grated lime zest, about 1 1/2 limes worth

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the salt, tarragon, lime zest and lime juice and beat on high speed for 30-45 seconds or until the zest is speckled throughout the dough.  Add the flour and beat on low until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl again and use a spatula to mound all of the dough in a ball in the center of the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Using a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tbsp) scoop out the dough into 1 1/2 tbsp-size balls (or measure using a tablespoon).  Place the dough balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.  Bake, one sheet at a time, for 13-15 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and just starting to darken (they won't look quite done yet but don't worry...they are!).
4. Place baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes.  Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely.  Repeat until all dough has been baked.
5. Place the white chocolate in a glass measuring cup.  In 10-second bursts, microwave the chocolate at 100% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  
6. Using an offset spatula, spread a dollop of white chocolate on the top of each cookie, then sprinkle with a little bit of lime zest (I grated the limes over the cookies so that as the zest fell, it fell on them!).  Allow the chocolate to set completely before serving.

For more herb-infused sweet treats, check out these recipes:
Chocolate Cupcakes with Basil Buttercream Frosting
Meyer Lemon Rosemary Sticky Buns
Blueberry, Lime and Thyme Pound Cake Muffins
Thai Basil Ice Cream
Strawberry Shortcakes with Balsamic and Black Pepper Syrup

Recipe: Tomato, Squash and Red Pepper Gratin

Did I ever tell you guys about the time that joining a CSA almost killed me?

No?  Really?  Hmmm.  You would think that's something I would have mentioned seeing as how I divulge every other inappropriate detail of my life.



Okay, well, better late than never! 

The story goes like this. 

Hi, my name is Joanne and I am a control freak. 

(I asked The.Boy. about this the other day and he said "Well, only about your cookbooks.  And your spices.  And running.  And going to bed before 11.  And your stand mixer.  And did I mentioned your cookbooks?"  Um, yeah. I'm kind of overprotective of my cookbooks. What's your point.)

I'm especially bad when it comes to food.  I menu plan like a crazy person and when things don't go quite the way I intend...well. Let's just say it's not pretty.



So being part of a CSA was pretty much torture for me. 

Our pick-up day was Tuesday so Wednesday through Friday I was fine because I had my food, I knew what I was making, no problem. 

Then came Saturday.  Grocery shopping day.  Also known as hair-pulling-out-of-severe-stress day in the Eats Well With Others household.

Because....how does one grocery shop without a menu plan?  And how does one menu plan when one has NO IDEA what vegetables one is going to be graced with on Tuesday?  And really, the ultimate question, how does one go a WHOLE 24 WEEKS LIVING LIKE THIS?!?!?

It was like being on an episode of Top Chef where, yeah sure, you know what the challenge is going to be but you also know that as soon as you go to Whole Foods, get back to the kitchen, and start prepping, Padma is going to inform you that the rules have changed and everything that you've bought is totally useless.  Except, unlike in Top Chef, there is no money prize nor do you get to stare at Tom Colicchio's adorable bald head for hours on end.

And all you get is dinner.  Whooptie do.



That's not to say there weren't things I loved about my CSA.

I loved the satisfaction I got from polishing off an entire share that was meant to feed a family of four.  All by myself.

I loved knowing that all of the veggies I was eating had been pulled from the (organically fertilized) ground just hours before.

But mostly...I loved all the heirloom tomatoes.  We got pounds and pounds of them and, even though I know I paid for the CSA at some point, by the time tomato season rolled around it felt like I was getting them for free (especially when I saw the price of heirlooms at the farmer's market. Eep!). 

Sigh.  I do miss those tomatoes.  They were almost worth the nervous breakdown.  Almost.



Which is why I was eternally grateful when I saw that this year, Trader Joe's started selling local heirlooms by the box!  At a reasonable price!!  Major win.

So I still get all the satisfaction of walking home with my little cardboard box chock full of local farm fresh tomatoes.  But I get to do it on my time, on my terms, when I want to.  No hair pulling required. Totally menu plan friendly. 

Nice.

Probably my favorite thing I've made with those tomatoes this summer...is this gratin.  I didn't have super high hopes for it but I have to say, it was amazing.  It tastes exactly the way that summer feels.  Bright and fresh and full of sunshine and happiness.  And really, you just can't go wrong with that.



Tomato, Squash and Red Pepper Gratin
Serves 4-6, adapted from Cooking Light August 2012

Ingredients

• 5 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cups chopped red onion
• 2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 lb yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup almond milk or 2% reduced fat milk
• 3 oz aged gruyere cheese, shredded
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 oz French bread baguette, torn
• 12 oz heirloom tomatoes, seeded and sliced thinly

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 4 tsp oil and swirl to coat.  Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the squash and garlic and cook for 4 minutes.  Place the veggie mixture in a large bowl.  Stir in the quinoa, basil, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper.  Taste for seasoning.
3. Combine the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, milk, cheese and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add the milk mix to the veggie mix, stirring until just combined.  Spoon into a 9x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
4. Place the bread in a food processor.  Pulse until coarse crumbs form.  Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tsp olive oil to the pan, swirling to coat.  Add the breadcrumbs.  Cook, stirring, 3 minutes or until toasted.  
5. Arrange tomatoes evenly over the veggie mixture in the pan.  Top evenly with the breadcrumbs.  Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until topping is browned.

For more light and healthy recipes that use summer tomatoes, check out Cooking Light's tomato recipe round up here!
Also, here are some oldie but goodie recipes of mine that use summer tomatoes:
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Red Onions, Dill and Feta
Homemade Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes, Capers, Anchovies and Chile
Cannellini Beans with Fresh Basil, Tomatoes, Capers and Zucchini over Polenta
Spelt Berries with Roasted Pepper Sauce
Pasta with Tomato Peach Sauce
Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Tapenade Pizza with Goat Cheese

Recipe: Summer Fusilli with Zucchini and Heirloom Tomatoes

If you're finding yourself in a zucchini rut this week, then head on over to Marcus Samuelsson's blog to check out my recipe for Summer Fusilli with Zucchini and Heirloom Tomatoes!  Although it may seem like a plain Jane zucchini pasta, I promise it's anything but!

Recipe: Vegetable Fried Rice {food matters project}

After almost six months of eyelash batting, hand holding, and smiling coyly while being berated about my "excessive coffee intake", I finally passed the ultimate security clearance. 

Meeting The.Family.

And in case you happened to think that The.Family. included no more than The.Mother, The.Father, The.Sister, and The.Brother.  Well, you were highly wrong because, when you're Greek, The.Family. actually also includes cousins thrice removed, grandmothers, at least six aunts and uncles, and friends of the family who no one is actually related to at all, except in spirit.

It was epic.



So on Saturday morning, with a 13 mile run behind me and a batch of rainbow cookies in tow, The.Boy. and I hopped aboard a bus to New Jersey so that I could meet, well, everyone. 

And strangely enough, it was a lot like going home.  The differences between a big Greek family gathering and a big Italian family gathering are mostly non-existent.  At both there is enough food to feed at least six armies and while you're there, you're family.  (Especially if you come bearing rainbow cookies.) 

Even so, on Friday morning, before this all went down, I was a bit of a stress maniac.  And so when I went to make this week's Food Matters Project recipe, which involved shaping cooked rice into patties and then frying them, I cracked.  The rice just would not stay together and while I could have spent an inordinate amount of time finagling with it to get it to form something cohesive that you could actually drop into a pan of hot oil without it crumbling into a thousand kernels in the process...I decided it was best not to bother.  And thus this vegetable fried rice was born.  It's a totally easy, no-fuss meal that is adaptable to just about whatever you have on hand.  Throw in everything but the kitchen sink and I'm sure it will still taste good.  And if you happen to not be meeting your boyfriend's family this weekend and have enough patience and time to deal with finicky, totally non-sticky rice...then check out Small Kitchen College for the original recipe! 



Vegetable Fried Rice
Serves 4, adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients 

• 1 cup brown basmati rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 12 oz extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into small squares (or 12 oz meat of your choice)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 lb zucchini, chopped
• 12 oz broccoli florets
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• juice of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the cooked rice with salt and pepper and stir in the sesame oil with a fork.  Set aside.
2. Put 1 tbsp of the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When it's hot, add the tofu and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Let it sizzle for a couple of minutes before stirring for the first time, then cook and stir until the tofu is browned on all sides.
3. Remove the tofu from the pan.  Add in the onion and garlic.  Cook for 30 seconds or so.  Add the carrots and zucchini.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli and cook until tender but still crunchy.  Stir in the soy sauce, a few tbsp water, the lime juice, the tofu, and the rice.  Cook until everything is heated through.  Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Recipe: Millionaire's Bars (Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars)

Here's the real deal about commuting in New York City.

Unless you have some sort of armpit fetish (no judgment) or are so abnormally tall that you are the armpit that someone else's nose just happen to be at smell-level with (if so. DEODORANT. worthwhile investment.)...it's really just not as fun as it looks on tv.  Or in this video my brother (he's the one in the blue cardigan) and his colleagues made for a work competition.

They really unjustly glorified the whole situation for me, don't you think?



You see, I commuted from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side for the first time EVER yesterday. Never mind that The.Boy. and I have been dating for almost six months and in this time I've stayed at his apartment on a weeknight more times than I can even remember let alone count on two hands.  I guess...somehow a cab has always magically appeared right outside his building at the exact moment that I was exiting.  Every time.  Funny how that happens.

But for some reason, this time, hopping in a taxi just seemed a little...dirty. Kind of walk of shame-esque.  And not quite as real and permanent and official as commuting.

Although I can now officially tell you that commuting is much much dirtier. In many ways.

Unfortunately, though, my credit card just can't handle the $20 ride from his apartment to mine once a week (at least!) so I think riding the 4 train up the east side is going to be the new normal.  At least until I'm a millionaire.

It's too bad that trading these bars as currency isn't a thing because I was rolling in these babies a few weeks ago.  I made them for our lab picnic and ended up taking home a fair amount of them which The.Boy. proceeded to devour within 24 hours.

Seriously, though.  Layers of caramel, chocolate, and shortbread all topped with a sprinkling of sea salt?  Totally viable cab fare, in my opinion.  And at the least...perfect for emotionally eating after you've had your personal space and smell receptors invaded for 40 minutes at an hour of the morning that is far too early for such things.

Not that I know that from experience or anything.           



Millionaire's Bars
Makes about 3 dozen bars, adapted from Baked and Annie's Eats

Ingredients
For the shortbread:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar

For the caramel:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate:

• 8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• fleur de sel or sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

1. To make the shortbread, preheat the oven to 325.  Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, blend in the flour mix until just incorporated.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
2. For the caramel, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Continue simmering and stirring until the mix turns an amber color and thickens a bit.  Pour over the shortbread layer as evenly as possible, and allow to cool completely and set by chilling in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
3. For the chocolate layer, in a double boiler, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter over simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth,  Pour evenly over the caramel layer and use an offset spatula to smooth it out.  Allow to cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle on the fleur de sel.  Chill, covered, until ready to slice or serve.

Recipe: Summer Potatoes Stewed with Eggplant, Peppers and Olives

If you don't have something nice to say you really shouldn't say it at all, but if I abode by that life rule, my roommate and I would have nothing to gossip about between the hours of 10 and midnight every night and, well, all of you who are expecting a recap of the Carnival cruise I went on this past weekend would be sorely disappointed when the only purely apathetic point I could muster on the subject was "I went."

So instead you're going to get outrage and disgust.  Lucky you.



(Before we kick off this roast of epic proportions, I feel compelled to remind everyone that I did not go on this cruise by choice.  Every year as per our Medical Scientist Training Program grant stipulations, our MD/PhD program must go on a retreat.  Think of it part weekend away, part bonding experience, and part science conference.  People present on the work they're doing in their PhD's, there's a poster session, and alcohol abounds.  Generally these are a day and a half long, a weekend at most, and take place in Tarrytown, New York.  Until the summer of 2010, that is, when our program's administrator discovered it was actually cheaper to go on a Carnival cruise for five days than for us to trek it to almost-upstate New York for a day and a half.  So now we're switching off between the two.)

Let's start off on a happy note, shall we?  Possibly the only mildly okay thing about the trip was our room.  My roommate and I roomed together on the boat and after having to endure living in a circadian rhythm-disrupting, constantly pitch black room with no windows last year (if you want to induce seasonal affective disorder early, this is the way to do it), decided to upgrade this year to a room with a balcony.  There was sunlight and a couch and room to actually walk from one end of the cabin to the other.  Worth every extra penny.

That, and the science talks given by my classmates (and then being able to gossip about them with Anu afterwards) were definitely the highlights of the trip.

Which brings us to everything else.  Ugh.

Let's start with the food, shall we?  I actually don't think I've ever encountered anything more inedible in my life.  And I know you're thinking, well Joanne, you're kind of a food snob...but my darling roommate who happily eats pizza and Chipotle and Chinese take-out every day couldn't eat it either.  I really can't even explain why it was so awful other than that everything was either deep fried, dripping in some kind of low quality oil for no apparent reason, or covered in about 2 inches of American cheese.  Now I like American cheese in some very appropriate instances, like on grilled cheese or in mac and cheese.  But on a fajita wrap?  Or layered on top of polenta?  Not so much.  The vegetables were also all really wet.  And had this strange musty taste to them.  So Anu and I didn't eat for four days.  We tried, we really did.  But after approximately three bites of everything, it was either forge ahead and hurl or go to bed hungry.  And, um. We chose the latter.

Then there was the "coffee".  I'm pretty sure that actually they just took 1/4 cup of dirt, swirled it around in a pot of hot water and added some brown food coloring for good measure.  At least that's what it tasted like to me.  So not only was I starving, but I also had a caffeine headache the entire time.  FUN. Definitely.  If you think I didn't spend our entire day in St. John (New Brunswick) in Starbucks with an americano being IV dripped into my veins...you'd be wrong.  Very wrong.

Did I also mention that this boat also entered a time warp as soon as it set sail such that there was no Wifi, 3G, 4G OR cell phone service on board?  Well, they claimed there was Wifi, actually (at a totally reasonable cost of $94 for 240 minutes!!!) but I have yet to encounter anyone who actually got it to work.  So...so much for that.   



I could probably go on endlessly about how tacky all of the decor and entertainment was.  How frustrating it was for me (a mostly non-drinker) that everyone's plan of action for the night, all four nights, was to end up drunk in the boat's only dance "club".  But I won't.  No one likes a Debbie Downer, even if she comes bearing food.

So to sum up...I just didn't have fun.  Which is kind of the opposite of the point of going on a cruise.  It was a waste of a perfectly good weekend.  And I almost cried of happiness when I got home.

Anu and I booked it off that boat as early as possible (seriously, I'm pretty sure we were the third people to disembark), cabbed it home and brewed ourselves the largest most delicious cup of coffee.  Ever.  It was glorious.

Then I headed to the grocery store.  Because if there was one thing I couldn't live without for a second longer, it was food.  And vegetables.  Many vegetables.  None of which were covered in any amount of weirdo slime.  Win.

This stew was really the perfect welcome home dish because not only was it rife with the fresh flavors of summer but it was hearty enough to make up for the fact that I'd barely eaten for four days.  And to fuel some serious brainstorming as to why I'm going to be inexcusably busy this week two years from now when someone tries to coerce me into going on the cruise again.  It'll be my parents' 32nd anniversary? My 27th half birthday?  Hmm. I'll work on it.

Speaking of groceries....those living on the Upper East Side, did you know that TOMORROW a new Whole Foods location is opening up on 57th and 2nd???  I got to go on a pre-opening tour of the store yesterday and let me tell you,k it is going to be gorgeous.  Just gorgeous.

The official opening "bread breaking ceremony" will take place on Thursday morning at 8:30 if anyone wants to attend! Not only will Whole Foods be celebrating their opening but they will also be donating 57 salad bars to schools throughout the five boroughs.  This donation will be made in partnership with the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market foundation dedicated to improving childhood nutrition through increased access to healthy foods.  In addition, even if you can't make it to the opening ceremony itself, 5% of the total sales from opening day will also go to the school salad bar donation so stop by, spend some money and check out the new digs. I know I will!



Summer Potatoes Stewed with Eggplant, Peppers, and Olives
Serves 4-5, adapted from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 1 lb new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thinly
• 2 large bell peppers, red and yellow if possible, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1/3 cup black olives, pitted
• 1 14 oz can cannellini beans, drained

Instructions

1. Using a peeler, remove strips of skin from the eggplant to give it a striped effect, then slice it diagonally, about 1/4-inch thick.  Toss with salt and set aside for 20 minutes or longer.  Rinse and pat dry.  Heat half the oil in a wide skillet, add the eggplant and turn it right away.  Cook over medium heat until golden on the bottom, then turn and cook the second side, about 10 minutes.
2. While the eggplant is browning, heat the rest of the oil in a large pot.  Add the onion, potatoes, and peppers.  Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 6-8 minutes.  Lower the heat.  Season with 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the tomatoes and 1 cup water.  Add the garlic.  
3. Add the eggplant, olives, and cannellini beans and gently mix everything together.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook slowly until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes or longer if time allows to really let the flavors meld.

 

Recipe: Carrot Cake Ice Cream

August may be almost over but that means we just have to stuff as much ice cream into the next few weeks as is physically possible!  To help us do that, Brandy over at Nutmeg Nanny has been hosting an Ice Cream Social!  Two weeks of absurdly delectable ice cream concoctions. I know, right?

I was absolutely THRILLED when she asked me to participate and just knew I had to come up with something ridiculous to contribute.  Enter this carrot cake ice cream!!! Because what better way is there to enjoy your favorite cake than in ice cream form?  For the recipe, check out my post!



And if that isn't enough dessert for you for one day, check out my post about Dorie's Cardamom Crumb Cake on Marcus Samuelsson's blog!

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Capers and Mozzarella

Every summer as mid-August starts to roll around, I wake up in the the middle of the night in cold sweats, not from some kind of dormant tuberculosis (though that would be a symptom), but from the nightmarish feeling that the season has passed me by and I have not made good enough use of it's bounty.



That I haven't plucked enough corn kernels, still raw, from their cob.


That I haven't bitten into enough green zebra tomatoes, straight from the farmer's market stand, as if they were apples.


That I haven't complained enough about the overabundance of zucchini that is sure to be terrorizing us all.


Somehow, no matter how much I stuff my fridge to the brim with graffiti eggplants, pattypan squash, and fresh-from-the-farm butter lettuce...

...it just never feels like enough.  Please tell me I'm not alone in this feeling of summer produce inadequacy.



So to try to combat this creeping fear that summer will be over before I know it and will take with it all that is ripe and good in this world (it is so bountiful when it rolls in, but so selfish when it leaves, no?).

I've made salad.  A twist on a caprese, if you will, with caramelized heirloom tomatoes made even more rich by a good roasting, the fresh crisp leaves of butter lettuce, and a nice crunch from some slivered almonds.  Each bite more reassuring than the last that, at least while you are eating this, it will all be okay. 



Heirloom Tomato Salad with Capers and Mozzarella
Serves 3-4, adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

• 2 lb tomatoes (a mix of small heirlooms and cherry tomatoes, cut into wedges if the former, halved if the latter)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• fine grain sea salt, to taste
• 2 small eggplants, cubed
• 1/3 cup toasted almond slices
• 2 tbsp capers
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 1 head butter lettuce
• 1 bunch chives, minced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, brown sugar, and a few pinches of sea salt.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Toss the eggplants with another pinch of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil.  Place in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes or until tomatoes shrink a bit and start to caramelize and eggplant is cooked.
3. When ready to serve, toss the tomatoes (and juices from the pan) and eggplants together in a large bowl.  Add in the almond slices, capers, fresh mozzarella, butter lettuce leaves and chives.  Toss to combine.

Recipe: Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

Yesterday morning before I left for the cruise.

I stress ran 8 miles.

Stress bought five jars of peanut butter to take with me (the Carnival Glory may cap the amount of alcohol you can take aboard at 1 bottle but they have not a single policy on peanut butter! They obviously don't know who they're dealing with.).

Stress made myself seasick (nausea, lightheadedness, orthostatic hypotension...I had it all).



Stress called my parents. 

Both of them. 

Separately.  (That's how you know it was bad.)



And stress wished that I hadn't left the remains of this pie at their house this past weekend because, wouldn't you know, it would have made the perfect thing to stress eat!

(This was all while I should have been stress packing, mind you. You can see I have my priorities straight.)



So then I decided to spend an ordinate amount of time stress daydreaming about it's creamy lemony cheesecake insides and it's melt-in-your-mouth blueberry topping.  You should do the same.

Or really, you should stress make it.  Because at least one of us should be stressing out in an efficient way.



Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie
Makes 1 deep dish 9-inch pie, adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Ingredients
For the Crust

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4-7 tbsp ice water

For the Pie 

• 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• pinch or two of salt
• 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (don't thaw if using frozen)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp heavy cream or milk

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Add in the in the butter and pulse until butter chunks are the size of peas and mixture looks like coarse sand.  Add in the ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing in-between each, until dough just comes together.  Gather it into a ball, divide it into two equal parts, flatten each into a disc, cover each with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400.  On a floured surface, roll one of the pie crust discs into a 12-inch circle.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish and cut off the overhanging edges.
3. Lightly prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork all over.  Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with baking beans or pie weights.  Bake 12 minutes.  Remove pie weights and bake an additional five minutes.
4. While pie is cooking and cooling, work on the braid around the edge.  Check out Martha Stewart's site for this tutorial that makes it easier than I ever could!
5. Lower oven to 350.  In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add in the sour cream, sugar, one of the eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt.  Mix until combined.  Spread evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.
6. In a large bowl, toss together the blueberries, cornstarch, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice until well combined.  Drop the berry mix over the top of the cream cheese mixture as evenly as possible. 
7. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tsp heavy cream or milk.  Brush over the top of the braided pie crust.  Bake 40-50 minutes until top is set.  Remove to wire rack to cool about 2 hours.  Refrigerate for 4-6 hours before serving.

Recipe: Barley Salad with Roasted Summer Vegetables

These are the things that are not, I repeat NOT under any circumstances, happening in my life.

In 80 days, 12 hours, and 4 minutes, I will not be waking up at a thoroughly ungodly hour, heading on a bus to Staten Island and running 26.2 miles around the 5 boroughs of New York City.



In 46 days, 10 hours, and 2 minutes I will not be handing in a proposal that defends the thesis I plan on working on for the next three to four years.  I will not have abandoned all of my current experiments (and sanity) to work on it for the next month and sixteen days.

And in 1 day, 8 hours, and 1 minute, I will not be getting aboard a boat that will whisk me away to Canada and back for four and a half days.  I will not spend my days this weekend listening to scientific talks by my fellow MD/PhD students.  I most certainly will somehow avoid spending my nights evading the compulsion to get plastered to the point of oblivion because there is nothing else to do when you are on a boat to Canada with exactly one bar and not a single other person (other than your classmates) who falls somewhere between the ages of 10 and 45 and because, well.  Everyone else is doing it!

I can't.won't.

WILL.NOT.



Sigh.  Denial Kool-Aid.  I've been wading in it.  Can't you tell?



So, yes.  Our MD/PhD retreat is this {extended} weekend and so from Thursday afternoon through Monday morning I will be aboard a boat, counting down the seconds until I get back.  I have been dreading it so much that I have somehow convinced myself that it isn't really happening, but alas, there are only so many survival mechanisms your mind can muster before you either go insane or finally have to admit defeat.  I'm going and there's no amount of mental trickery that can change that.

If you've been a longtime reader, then you know we went on the same cruise retreat two years ago, which is why I know to hate it with every fiber of my being.  Bad food, lots of science, awkward conversation, and nights filled with people who feel it is their life's mission to tell you that if you're not drunk you can't possibly be having a good time.  I'd rather be running 17 miles (in one morning).  Which is what I'd be doing on Saturday if not for this ridonkulousness.

Anyway, one of my coping mechanisms has been to eat as healthy delicious food as possible before I go.  That's where this barley salad comes into play.  It's utterly simple and yet utterly tasty, filled with all of my favorite summer veggies that have been roasted to the point of sweet/savory caramelization.  You just can't go wrong with that.

(And if you don't feel like turning on your oven, I highly suspect a grill would have the same delicious-ifying effects!)



Barley Salad with Roasted Summer Vegetables
Serves 8-10, adapted from Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

• 400 g barley (about 2 cups dried)
• 3 summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut into half moons
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into half moons
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 red bell peppers, halved, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 2 small eggplants, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• large bunch of basil
• juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Cook the barley according to package directions in well-salted water.
2. While the barley is cooking, preheat the oven to 400.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spread the summer squash, zucchini, red onion, bell peppers, eggplant, and garlic over them so that they are as close to being in a single layer as possible.  Drizzle each pan with 1 tbsp olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.  Stir to combine.  Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10  minutes, until vegetables are tender and starting to brown.
3. Toss the vegetables with the barley.  Add in the balsamic vinegar to taste.  Stir in the basil and lemon juice. Taste again for salt and seasoning.

Recipe: Cranberry Beans with Artichokes, Zucchini, and Pasta

If you've ever found yourself picking up pounds of beans at the grocery store just because they are so darn pretty, then you should head over to Marcus Samuelsson's site to check out my post and recipe for cranberry beans with artichokes, zucchini, and pasta!

Speaking of Marcus, he recently wrote a memoir called Yes, Chef! that is truly one of the best memoirs I've ever read.  I couldn't put it down when I was on vacation in Florida a few weeks ago.  While I'm going to write a full-fledged review at some point in the near future, Whole Foods recently contacted me to invite me to a book signing he is doing on Thursday, August 16th at their Bowery location in NYC from 6:30-7:30pm.  Unfortunately I won't be able to attend, but I thought I'd spread the word so that anyone in NYC who wants to go, has the opportunity!

Recipe: Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce {food matters project}

No offense to Mr. Bittman, but his original recipe for these summer rolls, which I thoroughly manhandled to the point of unrecognizability (totally a word, by the way), is, well. 

A misnomer.

How can one call something a summer roll when it is not even slightly stuffed full of zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, corn and all the best that this season has to offer...and still sleep at night?



Seriously, Mark.  I had expectations.  Tsk tsk.

So being the stickler for literal interpretation that I am, when I saw that Alyssa had chosen these summer rolls for this week's Food Matters Project pick, I knew some reinvention of the recipe was going to have to occur to make these more seasonally (and nominally) appropriate.



Out with the carrots and cucumbers, and in with some sweet chili sauce-roasted zucchini and eggplant.  Add a smattering of peanut sauce on the side for dipping (because that is timeless) and you've got yourself a set of summer rolls that you can feel good about eating.  Not only are they delicious, but they're good for you and you haven't misled any poor unfortunate impressionable souls by calling them one thing and stuffing them with another.  Definite win, in my opinion.



Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Serves 4-8, adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 4 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
• 2 small graffiti eggplant, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp thai red curry paste
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded 
• 8 sheets rice paper, 8 to 10 inches in diameter
• hot water, as needed

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 375.  
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the 3 cloves minced garlic, red pepper flakes, honey rice vinegar, and salt.  Toss together in a large bowl with the zucchini and eggplant matchsticks.  Place on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and and roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
3. Process the peanuts, coconut milk, lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, curry paste and garlic in a food processor until fairly smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Set out a bowl of hot water and a clean kitchen towel.
5. Put a sheet of rice paper in the water and let it soak for about 15-20 seconds, just until soft.  Lay it on the towel.  
6. Place some cabbage and some of the roasted veggies on the bottom third of one rice paper.  Don't use more than 1/2 cup per roll.  Roll up the rice paper to enclose the filling, then tuck in the sides as you would a burrito.  Keep rolling, then press the seam to seal.  Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.