Four Cheese Eggplant Gratin

Eggplant is one of the most gorgeous vegetables out there, seducing me every time I see it at Farmers' Markets - that radiant purple, that glossy exterior. How can you resist!

Sadly so many people admit they don't know what to do with it. Here's the recipe which turns that beautiful vegetable into a happy meal for all. Yes, it is full of cheese, so save up for it if you are trying to reduce your dairy intake, trust me it's worth it!

This dish originates in Sicily, where cooking with anchovies is part of the regional character. For those of you claiming you don't like the little fishes, please trick yourself into leaving them in the recipe. They melt into the cheese and give the whole dish the finishing touch that is essential. You will thank yourself in the end.

Squash Fritters with Tomato Jam

It happens to the best of us, and the longer you cook, the more often it pops up...you start to feel guilty about dreading summer's bounty.

There, I said it, out loud.

We all have these moments when we can't look at another tomato or cucumber or heaven forbid, the dreaded summer squash. It's like they're haunting us, screaming at us,

        "But I'm so fresh! and ripe! and Local! Why don't you want me anymore??"

So we begrudgingly buy them and allow them to rot in our crisper and turn a blind eye when we have to toss them in the compost bin, making some lame excuse that we just didn't get to them in time. Well, here's the cure, really. This recipe will eat up all of those squash because not only are they delicious, but they cook down 3-4 of those buggers!

These are pretty basic in the flavors, but feel free to add spices - paprika, cumin, coriander would all be good. Or just keep them simple and add fun condiments like the Tomato Jam pictured above. Go wild! Summer's almost over!

Tomato Jam - DIY Pantry

Tomato jam came into my life about 10 years ago when a Minnesotan asked me if I made it. Made it? I'd never heard of it! It took several years more before I met someone who's cooking I trusted enough to give her recipe a go. Wow! too many years wasted without tomato jam!

Combine four ingredients - tomatoes, cider vinegar, rosemary and brown sugar - and presto! You have a savory sweet delicious condiment which you will find a multitude of ways to slather on anything within reach.

If you remember that tomatoes are actually fruits, this jam idea doesn't seem that far fetched. It may take a little prompting to get people (especially kids) to try it, but you'll be rewarded for your efforts!

We've eaten it on squash fritters, latkes, chickpea flour pancakes and swirled into frittatas and scrambled eggs. If you're a meat eater I would  imagine it would be great on steak, brined pork chops or even with hash browns. Really, the sky is the limit!

Tomato, Basil and Olive Salad

Tomatoes are undoubtedly the stars of summer - juicy, fragrant and toothsome. And when they first appear in the farmers market or your grocery store or better yet in your garden, they need no dressing up. Popping the little ones in your mouth or biting into them like peaches is one of life's great pleasures. Adding fresh basil is simply crowning all that glory with the next best thing.

This dish hardly deserves a recipe but really is just a reminder of how delicious a plate of sliced tomatoes with basil leaves can be. A few sprinkles of salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and you have one of the greatest "salads" of all time. Slip a few slices of fresh mozzarella between the tomatoes and you have the classic Caprese salad that is almost de rigor on summer menus at most restaurants. But don't let its commonplace fool you into thinking this is a boring ole salad. There's a reason that it is ubiquitous because it is one of the best ways to enjoy this gorgeous fruit!

For me, basil, tomato and olive oil salads always include olives, usually oil-cured Moroccan olives as pictured above, but that's just my palate. While many people love the beefsteak or Jersey tomatoes that are starting to make their appearance right about now, I am partial to the roma or plum tomato. Slice up three or four of those, add some bread and my dinner is done!

Plato - Greek Greens Pie with Cornmeal Crust

Do you ever wonder what "Necessity, the Mother of Invention" looks like? I do. Sitting somewhere in a treehouse, built of odds and ends that people have thrown away, like a throne in the sky, she smiles graciously down on all of us who her thank her with wooden spoons held high as we discover wonderful food based on necessity. This dish is dedicated to her.

Last trip to the farmers market I scooped up loads of fun looking green things - savoy cabbage, dandelion greens and Russian kale - which have been languishing in my veggie bin waiting to be cooked. Thinking to use up some defrosted phyllo dough I pulled all the greens out. But alas, I waited too long on the phyllo and it had molded. But still wanting a greens pie Greek style I searched the web for another way to encase the greens. Voila, this post appeared and I knew it was a match made in heaven.

Purslane aka Pigweed Salad

Purslane aka pigweed is an edible weed. At least here in the U.S. we call it a weed since it seems to appear full grown over night in your garden beds. Sadly I was ignorant of its edible potential while it covered my garden in Minnesota like a spiderweb. Now I buy it at the farmers' market, oh the irony!

It is a succulent which gives it a more juicy bite than other greens. It has a slight lemony taste which explains why it pairs well with typical Mediterranean ingredients. Upon searching the web I came across the following description on a comment on Simply Recipes left by Peter of Kalofagas:

"In the southeastern part of Turkey where purslane salads are very common, they use pomegranate syrup (molasses) to season this kind of salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. Delicious"

Since pomegranate molasses is one of my favorite exotic ingredients I couldn't resist. Adding in red onions and red bell peppers made it even more colorful and fun.

Roasted Fingerlings with Fresh Thyme and Oregano

Ahh potatoes. In the Midwest they are considered their own food group, as in dinner consists of meat, potatoes, vegetables and a starch (bread, rice, etc). At least that's how it was in my family growing up and living in Minnesota for four years confirmed it. Unfortunately, the lowly potato has gotten a bad rap for its carbohydrate count. But if you still indulge, this is a simple, easy and fantastically delicious way to make the fingerling potatoes that are in the Springtime Farmers' Markets.

Toss potatoes with fresh herbs, salt, and olive oil and bake until achingly tender and crisp on the outside. Then eat, many of them, without guilt. They're actually little powerhouses of nutrition, full of potassium, magnesium, and manganese (good electrolytes) as well as nearly half of your daily vitamin C and several B vitamins. Folate is also high on the list (important to pregnant moms) and each serving has some protein. Really, how can you say no to that with how amazing they taste!

Farmers' Market Bounty - Cinqo de Mayo

Spring has Sprung! At least according to my understanding of spring. Here in Southern California, frequenters of the farmers' markets deem Fall the "second Spring" since locally grown veggies look like spring veggies and last through to the real Spring. But finally there are ramps and morels at the market, the true harbinger of spring for me.

You really know Spring has arrived when your farmers' market looks like someone simply grabbed anything green and brought it to market. There are sweet lettuces, cooking greens like the kale and spinach I have pictured above, as well as Swiss chards in every color! The dandelion greens (far left) are great cooked with some pancetta or similar meat and they may ended up as a side dish or in a pasta, not sure about that just yet. Herbs are popping up now and then we get the treat of the "young" things like young or green garlic, baby leeks (pictured to the left) and baby squash - coming to this space soon.

I already posted about a ramp and morel recipe; had to publish it before Friday for Presto Pasta Night. Still musing about what to do with the leeks, please send your favorite ideas if you like. I think the kale will become a raw kale salad my sister just made after spending a week at the Esalen Institute. For those of you waiting on a stuffed squash blossom recipe, it will come soon, I promise! 

Hope markets in your area are off to a great start!

Hugs!

Farmers' Market Bounty - April 28

What a gorgeous bunch of fruit and vegetables, and all for the bargain price of only $24!

Of course I went to the market thinking all I was going to buy was sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes) but I was foolish enough to bring 24 dollars with me. Silly girl. When I am near fresh produce money just flies out of my hands. No sunchokes to be behold but I found squash blossoms (look for stuffed blossoms soon) and lots of gorgeous radishes, multi-colored as well as Tokoyo turnips (the white ones, also known as salad turnips because you eat them raw similar to radishes).

Since it is Southern California, the tomatoes are out along with the last of the citrus. The lemons are actually sweet lemons, or Persian limes and they are sweet! Can't wait to make Kombucha with them. The knobby dirty looking root to the left is celery root and that will replenish my jar of marinated Sicilian carrots and celery root.

Farmers' Market Bounty - April 7

It's been a few weeks since I, a) remembered to bring my camera to the market and, b) went to the market. The flowers look amazing and so vibrant!

Here's what's new and exciting in the market.

Baby artichokes are here with a vengeance. I held off on buying them just yet because I still have so many from marinating them a couple of weeks ago. Fava beans also made a first appearance and I will post what I do with them in the coming week.

I'm still tempted by the squash blossoms, but the price here was just too high. Here's hoping that will come down as the season continues, $8 is just too much for my limited budget!

I finally allowed myself to sample some of the freshly made cheeses. I've been giving this stall a wide berth knowing that I couldn't resist if I tried some. I went home with some fresh ricotta and smoked mozzarella. I'm not sure if I'll make a stuffed pasta - ravioli, tortellini - or just take the easy way out with a pizza. Stay tuned!

Hugs!

Farmers' Market Bounty - March 24

I forgot to bring my camera to the market yesterday so this photo at home will have to suffice. I am planning on grilling the asparagus and green garlic (what looks like extra large spring onions) and will post that recipe later.

The herb bunch is Persian mint, which is similar to spearmint (my favorite of the mints) but has a somewhat citrusy flavor, which is why it was paired with the kumquats and other citrus fruits in a salad that will show up in a few days.

But my most exciting find was the fresh lemongrass (to the left of center) which I will use in a Thai soup or curry to appear in a future post. There is absolutely nothing like that flavor and I can't wait to make that recipe!

Hugs!

Farmers' Market Bounty - March 3

I am still getting used to the fact that I live in Southern California. Our "winter" is nearly over, and it was considered a dousy because of the tremendous rain we have received in the past two months (almost the entire year's rainfall in that time). And while I know my friends in the four season climates are probably tired of me moaning about the sunshine and heat (as they brace for another couple of feet of snow) I still feel a little like Alice in Wonderland when I'm finding local oysters, mussels and clams at the Farmers' Market alongside winter squash, zucchini blossoms and baby purple eggplant. Incredible!

I quartered and roasted the artichokes in order to marinated them in garlic olive oil, recipe forth coming.

Stuffed squash blossoms are something I've always wanted to attempt but was too intimidated. If these are at the market next week, I'm charging through that fear!

This picture makes me think of October and November on the east coast, waiting for the leaves to drop and decay, one of my favorite smells in the world.

Do you understand my climatic confusion?

Hugs!

Farmers' Market Bounty - February 24

Take a gander at some of the lovelies available at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market this week. Gorgeous carrots that come in orange, purple and white, alongside of red and golden beets

Hubbard and kabocha squashes side by side with butternut and spaghetti squash.

I bought some strawberries to couple with the rhubarb in a simple preserve (look for the recipe soon.)

These chanterelle mushrooms are huge, like forest coral.

Greens are going strong and celery root has finally made an appearance as well. I'm pickling it with carrots in a traditional Sicilian way.

Enjoy!

Farmers' Market Bounty - February 17

For the past couple of weeks my day off happens to fall on Wednesdays which is the day of the best Farmers' Market in Santa Monica. Since I've been going I've loved discovering what is really local and in season. Even though I'm in Southern California we still are getting typical winter veggies like lots of roots - carrots, parsnips, turnips and beets. But it is also citrus season so coupled with the rhubarb and cauliflower we got beautiful blood oranges. Unfortunately I forgot my camera for the trip to the market so this time the photos were taken at home, but next week that will change.

Enjoy!

We went a little overboard in our shopping (which happens too often at the market!) But we walked home with: snap peas, cauliflower, romanescu cauliflower, celery root, rhubarb, blood oranges and navel oranges, brussel sprouts and a chermoya.

Hugs!