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Tri Color Bean Salad with Lemon, Mint & Parsley

27 May

I know I talk a lot here about my love of France, and really what isn’t there to love about that place?  But my husband and I also fell in love with a place closer to home: a small town in Eastern Washington called Walla Walla.  Now, if you know anything about wine you have probably at least heard of Walla Walla, and many of the best wines from this state are grown there.  It also happens to be an adorable town with a charming main street, dry weather (something that is a wonderful reprieve from the wet weather we have here in Seattle), and it happens to be perched at the foot of the Blue Mountains, which makes for stunning scenery all around you.

The vineyards at Abeja Cellars in Walla Walla

Needless to say, we spend a lot of time in this town.  We know the area well, love the restaurants, and just plain enjoy the slow pace of small town life.  One of our favorite things to do while visiting is head over to the Farmer’s Market that happens weekend mornings.  On a recent trip with some friends we ended up trying some new things at the market, and my husband went crazy for a bean salad we had.  While eating it I tried to decipher the ingredients so that I could make it for him again at home, and it seemed to me most like tabbouleh with beans instead of couscous.

And so, here is my re-creation, inspired by the woman from Walla Walla.  It is the perfect accompaniment to summer grilling, or just alongside a sandwich.  Beans are super healthy, and so are herbs (which happen to be little antioxidant powerhouses).   I like my tabbouleh the traditional way, which is heavy on the herbs. These are a nice reprieve from the same old potato salad or coleslaw that show up at every summer event.

The version in the picture below is one I made with basil instead of the Tabbouleh dressing, so it is less green and herby than it usually looks. It tasted great, though, so feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand.

Tri Color Bean Salad with Lemon, Mint & Parsley
LaFemmeCooks

15 oz can each: black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans
1 tomato, diced
3-5 green onions, diced
2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
Juice from one large lemon
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Will last in the refrigerator for about a week.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus & Balsamic Butter

21 May

A big thank you to everyone who has been reading this blog, especially for being so patient these last few months while I haven’t published anything.  The death of my mother combined with the darkness of winter have made these last few months trying, to say the least. I haven’t felt like doing anything, let alone cooking or writing.  But the sun has (finally!) come out in Seattle, and it has brightened my mood considerably. I am feeling slightly more human, at any rate, and thought this recipe the perfect way to welcome spring, and me, back into the world.

Penne & Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter
From Food & Wine Magazine

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Slow-roasted Tomatoes

17 Mar

I don’t eat “fresh” tomatoes in winter. I just don’t. I much prefer to hold out for the very first heirlooms from these guys, as a signal that summer is in full swing and all is right with the world. Winter tomatoes are merely holograms of their summer selves, and hardly worth the time or effort. But this week my CSA included them in my delivery, and I had to make the best of it.

I have been playing around with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches at home, to my husband’s delight. I have used rosemary bread and potato bread and pain au levain; muenster cheese, chevre, roquefort and gruyere. I love to vary the ingredients, and have found that both of us prefer a vegetarian version, with grilled onions, avocado, and any kind of cheese or bread.

 

When the tomatoes arrived, I decided they would best be put to use slow-roasted to increase the flavor that I knew would be lacking this time of year. And it turned out to be a great idea, especially added to a grilled cheese sandwich! I also roasted some balsamic onions for a tart punch, and paired it all with a sheep’s milk cheese from Spain. I am pretty sure that if there is a Heaven, everyone there is eating this sandwich.

Slow-roasted Tomatoes
From Daniel Bouloud’s Tomato Confit recipe

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled, split, germ removed and finely sliced
10 basil leaves, torn
4 sprigs thyme, leaves only
2 bay leaves, broken
20 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil evenly over the pan. Sprinkle the oil with salt and pepper. Strew a little of the garlic, basil, thyme, and bay leaves over the oil.

Cut each tomato lengthwise in half and carefully, with your fingers or a tiny spoon, remove the seeds. Lay the tomato halves cut side down in the pan, wiggling the tomatoes around if necessary so that each tomato has a floss of oil on its cut side. Using a pastry brush, give the tops of the tomatoes a light coat of olive oil.

Season the tops of the tomatoes with salt and pepper and a little sugar, and scatter over the rest of the garlic, basil, thyme, and bay leaves. Slide the pan into the oven and bake the tomatoes for 2 1/2 hours, or until they are very tender but still able to hold their shape; turn the tomatoes over at half-time and open the oven for just a second every 30 minutes or so to get rid of the moisture that will build up in the oven.

Cool the tomatoes to room temperature on their pan. When the tomatoes are cool, transfer them to a jar, stacking them neatly. Pour whatever oil remains in the pan over the tomatoes and then, if you plan to keep the tomatoes longer than 1 or 2 days, pour in enough olive oil to cover and refrigerate.

Curried Lentils with Coconut Milk

9 Mar

I just returned from a weekend in northern California, where I visited my friend Jen (the same lovely woman who accompanied me to Paris, in October).  We had quite the time wine tasting, shopping, and just hanging out and catching up, and I am hopeful that we can plan another European adventure in the near future.  The weather there was fine and warm, and now that I am back in Seattle I just can’t seem to heat up in this chill.  The only solution I can think of is good, warming comfort food like dal.

My favorite dal recipe comes from Deborah Madison. Her Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone is probably my most used cookbook, and I recently lent it to a friend who has decided to become vegetarian. There are so many recipes, which are simple and lovely, and is a great entreé into the world of meat-free eating.  Madison has two different recipes for dal, and I love them both. The recipe below is adapted from hers, but I have added a few more spices that I love with lentils.  This dish is warming and hearty and super easy to make, and is healthy too.

Curried Lentils with Coconut Milk
Adapted From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

1 cup red lentils
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
1 tbs freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter (I use organic virgin coconut oil instead)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tbs garam masala
1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
Salt
2 shallots, sliced
1 dried red chile, broken into pieces, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
cilantro for garnish

Wash the lentils in several changes of water. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the onion, ginger, garlic, spices and chile in 2 tablespoons of the ghee for 1 minute. Add the lentils and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Add the coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Taste for salt and remove from the heat.

Heat the remaining ghee in a small skillet over high heat. Add the shallots, red chile, bay, and mustard. Fry until the mustard seeds begin to turn grayish, about 1 minute. Stir this into the lentils and serve.

It’s delicious served with basmati rice. Makes about 2 cups.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Apples

24 Jan

I have never met anyone who doesn’t like butternut squash soup.  Really, I never have.  Even picky eaters will happily gobble it up.  I happen to love it, too, and there is nothing like the smell of carmelizing squash to make your stomach rumble.

The thing that is great about this soup is that it is so versatile– it can be a starter for an Autumnal-themed meal, or can be the main dish itself.  You can spice it up with anything you like, (omit the curry powder, perhaps, or add  mint or cilantro or even thai basil).  You can make it vegan by using just the coconut milk and some water, or you can add chicken stock if you like.  You can use pears instead of the apples, or acorn/kubota squash.  So many possibilities! And of course it is delicious just as is.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Apples
Adapted From Ina Garten

2 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs good olive oil
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water  (or coconut milk, which is what I used)
2 cups good apple cider or juice

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, ginger, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Rumkirschen

10 Jan

Every year  my husband and I go to my parents’ house to help them trim the tree.  This was, of course, the first year without my mom there and we tried to make as much merry as possible, hoping to lift my dad’s spirits as much as our own.  Even though it was still November (we got an early start on the tree this year!), we lit a fire in the fireplace, cued the Ella Fitzgerald Christmas station on Pandora, and Dad made us festive cocktails.

Kona loved playing with the lights

The cocktail Dad made me this year had black-strap rum in it, which I had never had before.  This set off a tiny rum obsession on my part, which has been a lot of fun “researching.”  When my friend Emma gave me a great book for Christmas with a recipe for Rumkirschen in it, I was over the moon.

In case you have never heard of it before, Rumkirschen is an eastern European liqueur made from tart Morello cherries and rum.  I adore Morello cherries, and Trader Joe’s just happens to sell them.  If you don’t have a TJs near you, you can find the cherries at eastern European markets or online.

For the rum, any dark rum will do here (anything but white).  I used a black-strap rum that I really enjoy, and it worked amazingly well for this recipe.  Once you have combined the rum and cherries, simply refrigerate for at least 3 days (though the longer it sits the more the flavors will develop).  The infused cherries are fantastic eaten alone, but the sauce is wonderful too and I like to pour them both over ice cream or pound cake.  You can also cut the liquid with soda water or cola to make a fun, light cocktail.  I like to put a cherry or two, plus about a tsp of the syrup into champagne for a fun twist on a kir royale.  Put into individual jars and sealed, this makes a great unique hostess gift.

Rumkirschen
From Jar It, Pickle It, Cure It

1 20 ounce jar Morello cherries
About 1 cup of amber or dark rum

You’ll need 2 clean, odor-free, wide-mouthed glass jars with tight-fitting lids for the infusion process (you can reuse the jars the cherries came in, if you like).  However, if you plan to give this as a gift or serving it at your next party, consider pouring the infusion into an attractive bottle with a tight-fitting cap.

Drain the cherries into a bowl, reserving the syrup.  Pour the syrup into a measuring cup; you should have about 2 cups.  Pour half the syrup into each of the 2 jars and divide the strained cherries evenly between the jars.  Pour 1/2 cup of rum into each jar.

Cover the jars tightly, label and shake gently to combine.  Refrigerate for at least 3 days, though the flavors develop more fully the longer you let it sit.  Kept refrigerated, the syrup and fruit will last almost indefinitely.

Roasted Sunchoke Soup

21 Dec

My husband and I (well, mostly me) submitted an application for a rescue French bulldog last week, and now I am trying to be patient while they start the process.  The entire process can take 4-6 weeks, and includes interviewing our current vet and a home visit, to make sure that we are suitable candidates.  I am a little worried because I have never owned a dog before and I’m afraid that might count against us.  In the meantime, I have ordered several books from the library, including Dog Training for Dummies and How to care for your French Bulldog. I am hoping to do plenty of research while our application is processing so that we will be prepared for the questions they might throw our way.

The particular Frenchie we want to adopt is a female brindle, and she is the most beautiful ugly dog.  In fact, she reminded me of Frida Kahlo, for some reason, and so if we get her I will name her Frida.  This got me on the subject of pretty ugly things, and thus the inspiration for this soup: sunchokes.

What in the world are sunchokes? you might ask.  They are also called jerusalem artichokes and are a strange-looking little tuber.  They taste sort of like a water chestnut, I would say, and have that same sort of texture as well.  They are delicious simply cut up and added to salads or used for dips, with a good fresh crunch similar to jicama.  When I got a bushel of them in my last farm share, I knew I wanted to make the soup that I have had (and adored) many times in France (where they are quite popular).

So, fingers crossed that Frida is going to be a part of our family in 2011~!  And cheers to all that is pretty and ugly at the same time.

Roasted Sunchoke Soup
From Return to Tradition

4 lbs sunchokes, scrubbed clean
2-3 tbs olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 lemon, zest and juice
2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F.  Cut the cleaned sunchokes in half lengthwise.  Toss with salt, pepper and a 2 tbs of olive oil. Place sunchokes cut side down on a baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The sunchokes should be tender and the bottoms should be caramelized. Reserve for later.

Put the sliced onion and garlic into a non-reactive stockpot with the wine, and a heavy pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Add the vegetable stock, roasted sunchokes, and bring to a simmer again for 20 minutes.

Using a blender, puree the soup in small batches, adding a bit of the olive oil and the lemon juice/zest to each batch, adjusting the seasoning as you go. Pass the soup through a strainer to remove the fibrous sunchoke skin.

Garnish with crème fraiche and fresh chives/scallions.

Charred Fava Bean Salad with Lemon and Tarragon

20 Aug

I do love beans.  Any kind of bean, really.  I could eat beans every single day of my life, and practically do.  Because we eat a mostly vegetarian diet, beans are the stars of many of our home-cooked meals.  Fava beans happen to be my favorite of them all, and I never can wait until they are in season.  When they are, I am always looking for recipes that are different and creative like this one.

Be warned that it takes some time to prepare fresh fava beans, but they are well worth the wait.  First, you must remove the beans from their exterior pods.  Then, each bean is encased in a white-ish, secondary pod that should be removed.  This is most easily accomplished by boiling the beans and slipping them out of their secondary casing.  Then voila!  Perfect bright green beans that are incredibly versatile.

This recipe comes from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, via Food and Wine Magazine.  I make several variations of it, depending on what I have on hand (this time I used mint and basil because I have so much of both in the garden), but it tastes best when made exactly how Vongerichten describes.

If you have never tried fava beans, I highly suggest trying out this recipe the next time you come across some fresh ones.  My local grocer has been long out of them, but my farm share delivered them to me just last week.  I have never used frozen ones, but if that is all you have, experiment and let me know how they turn out.

Charred Fava Bean Salad with Lemon and Tarragon
From Food and Wine

3 lbs fresh fava beans shelled (2 1/2 cups)
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
salt
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs finely grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 tbs chopped tarragon

Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch the fava beans for 1 minute. Transfer to the ice water, drain, then peel them.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the jalapeño and cook for 1 minute longer. Season with salt.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the fava beans and cook over moderately high heat, without stirring, until blackened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving bowl and season with salt.

Add the butter to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until it just starts to brown, about 30 seconds. Add the shallot and cook over low heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.

Add the garlic-jalapeno mixture and warm shallot vinaigrette to the beans along with the cheese and tarragon and toss well to coat. Season the salad with salt and serve.

Basil-Crusted Breakfast Tomatoes

14 Jul

Today was a glorious day at my local farmer’s market, because my favorite vendor, Billy’s, has finally arrived.  It is not truly summer in Seattle for me unless I have stopped at Billy’s stand and purchased as many heirloom tomatoes as I can possibly carry.  Billy has been growing vegetables since 1972, and his dedication and experience are evident in the incredible finished product.

My bounty from today's market outing

Last summer I waited patiently until Friday, when Billy and his #2 tomatoes showed up at my neighborhood market.  I filled my basket with big fat heirloom tomatoes, fresh parsley and basil, deep lavender bell peppers and sweet onions, and carried them all home to make gazpacho.  Every week.  Neither my husband nor I ever tired of that gazpacho.

I have a feeling I will be making more of that soup this summer, but this week I came across a recipe in my Edible Seattle magazine that looked too good to pass up.  If you aren’t yet familiar with  Edible Communities I do hope you will pop over to their site and take a look around.  I love their podcasts, which encompass many food-related topics, as well as author interviews and more.  The local magazine that I get from them is beautiful, well-written and for sure the one magazine I can’t wait to arrive.

This recipe makes use of the glorious tomatoes in season now, as well as the herbs crowding each other for space in my garden.  The magazine suggested this dish as a breakfast recipe and I am sure it would be lovely served with eggs scrambled with mascarpone and chives, but I served it with lunch alongside grilled baby Walla Walla sweet onions and the last asparagus of the year.

Basil-Crusted Breakfast Tomatoes
From Edible Seattle

2 large beefsteak (or similar) tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped basil
2 tbs chopped fresh thyme
2 tbs chopped fresh chives
about 1/3 cup olive oil
(I also topped mine with a little shredded gruyere)

Slice the tomatoes into 1/2′” slabs and season on both sides with salt and pepper.  Mix the breadcrumbs and the herbs together in a shallow bowl.

Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a large, heavy pan (cast iron works well) over medium heat.  Press the tomato slices into breadcrumb mixture one at a time, coating both sides of each slice well.  Fry about 4 at a time for 4-5 minutes per side., until the breadcrumbs are well browned on each side.

The crust won’t stay intact if you fuss with them, so be patient and dont try to turn them too early.  Repeat with additional tomatoes, adding more oil as needed.  Serve immediately.

Almond and Mint Cream

9 Jul

Tonight I am having a little soiree at my real job.  I am ridiculously excited to have Dana, from danatreat.com, catering the event.  She is one of my favorite food bloggers, and I have made more things from her site than from any other food site out there.  All of her recipes are vegetarian and many of them are sweets, and if you can’t already tell, I have a major sweet tooth.  To have her cater an event for me is pretty much like having your favorite rock star come sing at your birthday party.  I am very happy today.

When it comes to throwing parties, there is something in the Seattle DNA that pretty much precludes folks from RSVP’ing.  I have no idea why, but folks around here cannot be counted on to say whether they will bother to show up at your event or not.  I don’t know if this is because many people here don’t entertain and don’t know all of the planning and calculating and preparation that go into party planning, or if folks here just have a fear of commitment.

So, I gave Dana the catering numbers last week and what do you know, many folks have just called today to say they can make it after all.  While I am excited to have them come, I am also now nervously biting my nails over whether or not there will be enough food.  There isn’t time for Dana to make more– she has already been working hard (in 90 degree heat, no less) to get things ready.  And lord knows I do not want to turn on my oven in this heat.  So, I have decided to supplement my little soiree with an incredible dip/spread that comes from a cooking class I took in Paris with Susan Hermann Loomis.  Trust me when I tell you this dip is amazing.

This dip is a great way to use up some of the mint that might be growing wild in your garden, as it is in mine right now.  This recipe has only a few ingredients, comes together in less than a minute in the food processor, but can also be made by hand.  I have served it to all kinds of people for all kinds of occasions, and it is always a hit.  I like it best served with fresh veggies (cucumber, radishes and celery make particularly nice pairings) but it would be lovely served on top of any kind of fish or chicken.

Almond and Mint Cream
From Susan Hermann Loomis

2 tbs fresh lemon juice
fine sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (a nice fruity one if you have it)
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/3 cup warm water
1 bunch (about 1 cup) fresh mint

Place the lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl and add a generous pinch of salt.  Whisking constantly, add the olive oil.  Whisk in the almonds, then whisk in the warm water.  Mince the mint and then whisk it into the olive oil mixture.  Season to taste and serve immediately.

This can also be made in your food processor if you have one.  I grind the almonds in it first, then the mint, then add the liquids.

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