Everybody's favorite: strawberries and then there's chard

Okay, it's that time of year again, very berry time.

And here's how I've celebrated for decades before others thought of this: cookie dough pie crust slathered with mascarpone (which acts as a paste holding the berries in place) and topped with strawberries, blueberries and homemade whipped cream flavored with rosewater and nutmeg.

Basic cookie dough is a 4 oz stick of unsalted butter, 2 c unbleached white flour, 2 tbsp turbinado or light brown sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, pinch of ground cinnamon all combined in a food processor and processed into coarse meal.  Add one extra large egg and 1 tbsp milk and process into pieces of dough. You don't need a full ball.  Butter a cookie sheet and then playing pattycake you press the dough into a large rectangle and bring up the sides about 1/4" max. Slather this with a thin but even layer of mascarpone (Italian cream cheese). 
     Sort a quart of strawberries by size and make stripes with the same size, leaving an empty square on the top left. Warm 1/4c strawberry jam to loosen it and using a pastry brush brush it over the strawberries so they shine. Spread whipped cream in equal size stripes between the rows. Arrange 1 c blueberries in a single layer in that empty corner and top with small daps of whipped cream representing the stars.

Strawberries can be frozen so you can enjoy them midwinter. Hull them, wash and very carefully dry them. You don't need to lay them out on a baking sheet first. Carefully put them in freezer bags without crushing them in and put those bags in the freezer without crushing them. I often use the snack size baggie for 6 big berries. 

Strawberry jam, everybody's favorite, is not hard to make. It's just annoying because strawberries are the fruit that takes longest to congeal without commercial pectin. You can speed the process with a bit of orange zest.  The June 30, 2015 post offers complete instructions with photos.



And now to interesting recipes that celebrate chard, the fan like leaf that's green or reddish and green or rainbow. It's very nutritious and lends itself to many different preparations. Some of these I've posted before because they're keepers to pull out every time you see gorgeous bunches of chard at the market. 

Southern Italian Chard Torte

This easy crustless pie is in my cookbook Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking, because it's nutritious, delicious, gluten-free and unusual. You can eat it warm or room temperature which means you can pack it up for a picnic or boat ride or camping trip. Serve it with gazpacho, cheeses and crusty bread for a summer lunch. Serve it with grilled meats for dinner. Its place at the table is infinite. 
 serves 6

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1½ lbs Swiss chard (you can mix red and green, for you need two bunches)

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 jumbo egg (or two small eggs)

1 cup grated Pecorino, Parmigiano or Asiago or Pecorino cheese

¼ cup unbleached flour

2 tbsp balsamic or Jerez vinegar

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400º.  Oil an 8” spring form pan or quiche dish.

 Wash the chard and trim away all the thick stems, even up the back of the leaves.  Chop the leaves into small ½” pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the chard, reduce heat to medium, and sauté, stirring until the chard has wilted, 2-3 minutes.  Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg. Blend in the cheese and flour. Stir in vinegar and nutmeg.

Combine the cheese mixture with the greens, carefully blending so everything is evenly distributed. Spoon everything into the oiled pan or dish, spreading it evenly, leveling the top.

Bake at 400º 10 minutes until it is firm. (You might want to put a cookie sheet underneath to catch leaks.) Remove from the oven and cool two minutes before undoing the springform ring. 

To serve, cut into wedges and garnish with pitted black olives.
Palestinian Black-eyed Peas with Chard

not my photo

Some of us grew up hearing "Swiss chard" so it was a surprise to learn chard is a staple of Palestinian cooking. This is a very traditional, nutritious, vegan stew that goes with anything you want it to, especially grilled lamb. To stay vegan serve it with maftoul or bulgur.

Serves 4

For the beans

1 leek

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves

¼ tsp chilli powder or chopped dried chilli

2 cans black-eyed peas

1 cube vegetable soup powder

pinch of ground nutmeg

½ unwaxed lemon

½ lb bunch Swiss or rainbow chard

For the herb smash

lg bunch fresh cilantro

2 green chilies

2 garlic cloves

¼ c shelled walnuts

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

2 tbsp good quality olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

Fill and boil a kettle and get all your ingredients together. Put a large saucepan on the stove.

Wash and finely slice the leek. Add to the saucepan with a tablespoon of olive oil and cook for a couple of minutes until soft and sweet. Finely slice the garlic and add with the chili powder or dried chili and cook 2-3 minutes, until the garlic begins to brown. Add black-eyed peas with their liquid, the cube or powdered soup and 1 c boiling water from the kettle. Bring to a simmer. Add nutmeg, squeeze in the juice of half the lemon, add the squeezed lemon half to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, strip the leaves from the chard stalks. Finely slice the stalks and add them to the pan, then finely shred the leaves and put to one side.

Put all the ingredients for the herb smash into a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth grassy paste. Season well with salt and pepper.

Once the peas are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick soup-like consistency, stir in the chard leaves, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Scoop into deep bowls and spoon over the herb smash.

Turkish Boreks with Chard

This is an elegant way to put a lot of seemingly disposable greens  in a pretty package you can eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A borek is a stuffed fillo/phyllo triangle: this particular one contains greens with feta, herbs and a dash of olive oil. You can actually use any mixture of greens with the chard but keep in mind that kale will require a bit of pre-cooking to soften it. 

If you make these ahead, you can reheat/recrisp them with a short sauté in olive oil. They can be served at room temp or hot.


Makes 8

1¼ lb chard, spinach, dandelion greens, beet greens,

 Tuscan or curly kale


5-6 oz feta (or manouri), crumbled

3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

¼ c fresh dill, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1/4 c olive oil or melted butter, plus an extra drizzle

Salt and freshly ground black pepper


8 sheets phyllo/fillo pastry

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp pomegranate molasses

Remove long stems from the greens. Put the greens in a colander, and pour just-boiled water over them, so they wilt a little. (For kale, remove the stems, wash, put them in a lidded pan on a high heat and steam, covered, for two minutes, then drain.) Once cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then finely chop. You can use a food processor. Add the cheese, sesame seeds, dill, mint and a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Heat a baking sheet in the oven set to 400º. Lay out a sheet of fillo on a work surface, keeping the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel. Brush all over with olive oil or melted butter and fold in half lengthwise to create a long strip. Spoon about 3 tbsp of the greens mix into the bottom left-hand corner of the strip, leaving a border. Take the right-hand corner and fold it up over the  filling to seal it into a triangle shape. Continue folding the pastry over the filling until you reach the top of the pastry strip. Seal the edges and lightly brush with more oil or butter. Set aside and work quickly to make the rest.

Transfer the parcels to the hot baking sheet, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

While they bake, whisk together the tahini, honey and pomegranate molasses. If it is very thick, add 1 tsp water or rose water.  

When the golden crisp boreks come out of the oven, lightly brush them with the honey mix and sprinkle on a few more toasted sesame seeds.

Chard Chickpea Dolmas

The Eastern Europeans stuff cabbage leaves, the Greeks and Turks grape leaves. This vegetarian special of stuffed chard leaves comes from Lebanon/Syria/Palestine where it's known as Mishi Waraq Sili.  It needs more fuss and focus than the Turkish boreks but the end dish rewards with color, taste and nourishment. Perfect for summer eating. 

Serves: 6

2 bunches fresh chard (no torn leaves)

2 c coarse bulgur

1 medium onion, chopped

½ c chopped tomatoes (not juice if you can help it)*

1 1/4 cups canned chickpeas

¼ c chopped fresh mint leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

zest of one lemon

4 cloves garlic, mashed

¼ c lemon juice

salt and black pepper to taste

1 large onion, sliced

To make the stuffing:

Soak the bulgur well covered in water 30 minutes. Drain carefully in a sieve to get it as dry as possible. Put in a med bowl and add the onion, tomato, chickpeas beans, half the chopped mint, lemon zest, olive oil, pepper and salt. Blend.

Prepare the chard by cutting off the stem at bottom edge of the leaf. (Save those stems.) Bring lightly salted water to a boil. Dip chard leaves for a second and remove immediately so they don’t tear. Drain and cool. Place each on a flat surface, spoon a heaping tablespoon the stuffing at the stem end, and lightly spread it a little bit up the stem. Fold in the sides of the leaves over the stuffing, then from the stem end roll the leaf like a jellyroll or cigar. 

Cover the bottom of heavy cooking pot with those chard stems and top them with slices of a large onion. Arrange the stuffed chard rolls tightly over the onion slice. Repeat if you need to make layers. Place a pot lot of flat china plate over the rolls to hold them down and put some sort of weight on top for good measure. Pour enough water into the pot to cover the top of the plate. Bring the water to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 25 minutes.

While that’s happening, in a food processor or chopper or mortar, mix the mashed garlic with lemon juice, little salt and remaining mint leaves into a sauce.

With potholders, remove the weight and the plate. Using a spatula, carefully remove the chard rolls, place on a large serving platter. Pour the garlic sauce over the cooked rolls. Cover and allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.

 

Salad Days

As summer sets in and the kitchen needs to lighten up--or as some would say "get enlightened", salads take over. And usually your local farmers' market has all the ingredients you need.  So eat fresh, feel fresh as all that summer sunshine slides into your stomach to brighten your way.  Here's the second batch of glamorous full meal salads you can indulge in.

Curried Chicken Salad

not my photo

This is not the stuff of sandwiches but a full plate full meal salad. Chicken salads are among summer's most popular so you can't have too many versions. Serve this with toasted garlic naan and a bowl of cherry tomatoes.
serves 6

2 whole chicken breasts (try for plump ones)
1 c walnuts, halved or coarsely chopped (you can buy "baking pieces"
2/3 lb red seedless grapes or 1 c white raisins, plumped in rose water
4 lg scallions 
1 lg Granny Smith apple, washed and dried
1 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

for the dressing
1 lg garlic clove, minced 
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger or 1/2" fresh ginger peeled and grated
pinch of ground cayenne pepper 
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 c plain Greek yogurt (low fat is okay)

(You can do this ahead.) Poach the chicken breasts in a large saucepan or stockpot, covered completely with water. Cover the pot and cook on high heat 15 minutes or until the juice runs clear when they are punctured. Remove from broth and refresh by running cold water over them. Remove skin and bones. Chop the meat into bold chunks.

While chicken poaches, toast the walnuts at 300º 5-8 minutes or until they are slightly golden and crisp. Remove from heat and cool.

In a large serving bowl, combine chopped chicken, toasted walnuts, cilantro leaves, chives and grapes or drained plumped raisins. Cut the scallions into 1/2" long pieces up to 2" of the top of the green. Blend into the salad. Core the apple and half it. Half each half lengthwise. Cut these quarters into big bite sized pieces. There is no one right way to do this. Blend into the salad. Toss the salad.

Make the dressing: put all ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to blend thoroughly.  You should have a gold flecked mustard color mixture.  Spoon over the salad as much as you want and serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves.  

Chinese Bean Sprout Salad

This is vegan delight if you omit the eggs. It's also very light so you can enjoy rich ice cream afterward. If it's too light, you can plate it with a serving of Chinese peanut butter noodles. 
 serves 6

14-16 oz crisp fresh bean sprouts
2 celery stalks, cut in thin strips
1/3 c dry roasted peanuts or soy nuts
6 scallions, halved lengthwise, then halved horizontally
1/2 lb broccoli florets, blanched
1/2 lb water chestnuts, sliced into thin disks
1/4 lb snow peas, cleaned and dry
1 sm red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin long strips
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered 
1/4 lb bamboo shoots
6 button mushrooms, rinsed, dried, sliced thin lengthwise and sauteed 2 minutes in 2 tsp sesame oil
2/3 c Chinese cabbage (aka Napa cabbage) shredded
1/4 lb firm tofu, cut in thin strips
2 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 1/2 oz chow mein noodles (they come in a can)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

for the dressing
1 lg garlic clove, minced
1" fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 c corn, soy or safflower oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients except sesame seeds, chow mein noodles and cilantro. Toss to blend everything.

In a small bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to blend. Then distribute the crunchy chow mein noodles evenly around. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and chopped cilantro on top and serve. 

Panzanella

In Italian, this literally means bread salad and it's a glorious way to get rid of yesterday's fresh bread, sending it off encased in the famous flavors of la dolce vita. It's colorful, nutritious, thrifty, and tasty. Plus it has crucial body needs in summer: salt and oil. Perfect for vegetarians.

Serves 6

6 thick slices Tuscan, French or Levain bread (any very crusty, dense bread)

2 sm red onions, sliced into thin rings

1 lg green bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces (about 1” sq)

4 med/lg freshly ripe tomatoes (these are the star of this show), chunked

½ cup shredded Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese

12 black olives, pitted

1 tbsp capers

½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ cup best quality olive oil + 3 tbsp more

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Put 3 tbsp olive oil in a shallow bowl. Cut bread into bite sized chunks and soak in the oil. Toast the bread at 400º for 5 minutes or until crunchy and browned.

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, salt, vinegar and olive oil to make a dressing.

Put toasted bread into the bottom of a large serving bowl. Add the onion rings, chunked tomatoes and diced pepper. Add olives, cheese and herbs. Pour on the dressing and blend everything. Season liberally with black pepper freshly ground and serve. (You might not want salt because of the olives, capers and cheese but taste test and add if you like.)

Mexican Corn and Avocado Salad

I created this not only to use all the gorgeous corn on the cob coming from our farms in August but also the wonderful Mexican ingredients in my kitchen including spectacularly nutritious toasted pumpkin seeds. The original was vegetarian but you can "beef" it up by adding chunks of pepperoni or chorizo, chicken or pulled pork. Serve this with a big bowl of tortilla chips.

Serves 6-8

1 lb cooked corn kernels (6-8 fresh ears or one bag of frozen)

1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup green Spanish olives stuffed with pimento

18-20 cherry tomatoes, cleaned

1 lg avocado, peeled and diced

¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced

8 baby potatoes, roasted and halved

2 oz queso fresco (farmer's cheese or crumbled feta)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Optional: ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

for the dressing

3 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil

dash of Jerez or balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper

pinch ground chipotle pepper

pinch salt

In a large serving bowl, combine corn, beans, olives, tomatoes, avocado, pumpkin seeds, bell pepper, potatoes and cheese (queso).

For the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil and vinegar. Whisk in the oregano, black pepper, chipotle and salt. Pour over corn salad and gently toss. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and optional red pepper flakes.

Tuna bean (tonno e fagioli)

I owe an ocean of apologies to the Italians for overly simplifying their glorious summer antipasto: freshly poached tuna with white beans and olive oil. This itself is a beautiful simplification of the Provencal Salade Nicoise: poached tuna with baby potatoes, green beans, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes and black olives. In my catering business we whipped up this ridiculously easy version daily calling it among ourselves in the kitchen "two can salad" which sounded exotically to the people ordering like "toucan salad." There you have it: this is a masterpiece made with two cans so it's a handy recipe to have.  You just have to remember that each of the four main ingredients here is as important as the others, so you can't skimp on the parsley or red onion. They are the taste and color assets. The parsley is also a breath and mouth cleanser after the fishy tuna. 

To make a complete meal, serve this with a focaccia or fougasse and sliced fresh tomatoes with basil, olive oil, sea salt and fresh pepper. You can serve it on a bed of arugula too.
serves 4

2  14 oz cans of cannellini (white kidney) beans drained and rinsed 
   or 3 c. cooked from dry
2  7 oz cans tuna in olive oil (must be in olive oil)
1/2 sm red onion or 4 red scallions, minced
1/2 c fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1 tbsp capers, drained
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinches of salt (those capers are salty)

for the dressing
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 c best quality olive oil 

Put the beans in your serving bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the tuna with its olive oil, onion, parsley, capers and black pepper. Add a pinch of salt and toss to blend everything. Be certain you have as much parsley and onion and beans and tuna. 

In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad to serve

Club Sandwich Salad

This is another one of my catering and cafe creations: a salad based on the ingredients of a traditional club sandwich including croutons to represent the toast.  It's a cinch to throw together and looks glamorous especially with the creamy garlic dressing that represents mayo on the sandwich.
 serves 6

1 lb white meat turkey breast, cooked and chunked
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored
1/2 lb bacon, cooked to crisp and drained thoroughly
10 inner leaves of romaine lettuce, washed and dried 
1 sm red onion, peeled and finely diced
1 1/2 c croutons (garlic croutons will add flavor)

for the dressing (making your own mayo*)
1 extra lg egg
1 c corn or olive oil
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c Dijon mustard 
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
 *alternative below

Slice tomatoes into thin wedges, then cut wedges in half.
Break bacon into large pieces.
Break the lettuce leaves with your hands as though making salad.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl or platter and toss to combine.

Dressing with your own mayo
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, whir the egg until it's very light and fluffy. Don't underdo this because you can't overdo it.)
Still whirring, gradually but constantly add the oil in a steady stream. They two should emulsify quickly and the mixture thicken. Add the remaining ingredients and keep processing until smooth and thick. Chill if not serving immediately on the salad.

Alternative dressing with jar mayo
1/4 c jarred mayo
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard 
5 garlic cloves, minced

Whisk all these ingredients together and pour over the salad.

 Part three coming soon: ham and potato salad, Portuguese salt cod and chickpea salad, Moroccan couscous salad, all cheese salad....

The Onion Family, Part 2

So, more on those most vital boosters of your immune system, the onion family aka alliums: onions, leeks, chives, garlic, shallots and scallions. Also the most vital boosters of great taste. Don't let a day go by without some. Here are a few more ways the world eats up the onion family (French onion soup is always good but it's so obvious you can find recipes everywhere of every sort):

British Pork Fillets with Leek Sauce

With two pans and two hands, you can whip this pretty dish up in about 20 minutes. It looks and tastes complicated but it's actually a cinch. While you're doing it, you can roast baby potatoes or asparagus spears with olive oil and salt at 450º 10-12 minutes and make a complete meal. Just add green salad.
serves 4 

2 thick pork loin chops
1 egg
1 tsp dried sage
3/4 c breadcrumbs, panko or if you have Celiacs at the table cornmeal or chickpea flour
2 medium leeks (1" diameter)
5 tbsp olive oil (it will be divided)
4 tbsp unsalted butter (it will also be divided)
4 gherkins and 1/2 tsp brine, chopped
scant 1/2 c heavy cream (under 1/2 c by 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp green peppercorns (if you don't have them use a lot of freshly ground black pepper)
Salt to your taste
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Lay the pork chops flat on a cutting board and with a very sharp knife, halve them lengthwise into two thinner portions. Cover these four fillets with wax paper or the butcher paper they came in and with a rolling pin or heavy weight flatten and widen them into thin fillets. 

Halve the leeks lengthwise, wash them carefully and cut each half in half again. Then slice into small pieces removing the thick green as you go. In a medium frying pan, over low heat, melt 2 tbsp butter into 2 tbsp olive oil. Stir in the leeks and cook on low heat so they don't brown 5 minutes, stirring to keep them coated.  When they are soft, stir in the chopped gherkins. Stir in the gherkin brine, cream and peppercorns or pepper. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir everything and leave the pan on the lowest possible heat until pork is ready.

In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with the dried sage. Put the breadcrumbs in a very shallow bowl or on a plate and add salt to your taste.  Dip each  pork fillet into the egg being careful to coat both sides. Then roll each fillet in the breadcrumbs until each is covered. 
In a large frying pan, over low heat, melt 2 tbsp butter into 3 tbsp olive oil and when it starts to sizzle add the pork fillets in one layer. Fry over low heat about 3 minutes until the side in the oil is beautifully brown. with tongs flip the fillets and cook another 2-3 minutes to brown that side equally.

Remove the fillets to a serving platter and top with the leak mixture. 
 Garnish with chopped chives and serve at once. 

 Pissaladiere, the Provencal Onion "Pizza"

In my catering days, this was the must have for summer afternoon weddings. It later became a picnic favorite: sharp, salty and filling. It feeds a crowd. Traditionally, this is made with anchovies but I am not mentioning them here. If you like anchovies you put them on in a crisscross pattern just before baking. The recipe here is for a family size round but if you double everything you will have a sheet cake size for a crowd.

dough
(this is going to be for a sheet pan size pie so use what you need and use the rest for another pizza or double the onion recipe for a sheet pan size pie.)

For the dough

1-1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 packet active dry yeast (rapid-rise is ok)

1/3 c warm water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large egg, must be at room temperature

Whisk flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, stir the yeast into the warm water and, when it’s dissolved, whisk in the olive oil and egg (make sure the egg is not cold). Using your hand, a sturdy rubber spatula, or a wooden spoon, make a little well in the center of the flour, then pour in the yeast mixture and mix until you have a rough dough, 3-5 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for until smooth, maybe 5 minutes. Rinse out the bowl, rub it lightly with oil, and turn the dough around in it until it glistens with oil. Cover the bowl, set it aside in a warm place, and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about an hour. 

filling
1 1/2 lb onions (feel free to mix red, white and yellow)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried basil 
1 lg garlic clove, minced
freshly ground black pepper to your taste
5-6 plum tomatoes from a can so you don't have to bother poaching and skinning fresh ones)
pinch of salt
10 pitted black olives
8 fresh basil leaves

Peel the onions and slice into thin rings. 
Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a large lidded skillet. Add onions and then garlic. Cover the pot and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower heat if onions look to be burning. They need to be soft and translucent with slightly golden color.

While onions cook, squeeze the tomatoes to eject seeds and excess juices. Chop coarsely. Add them with the dried basil, black pepper and a pinch of salt to the onions. Stir to blend. Cover the pot and cook another 12 minutes. 

While that happens, preheat oven to  425º. Lightly butter a 10" removable bottom tart pan or baking sheet or pizza stone.
Either halve the olives or cut them into disks--your design choice. 

On waxed paper, roll out the pizza dough into a 12" circle and fit it in the tart pan, stretching it as you go to keep it as thin as possible without breaking it. Bring it up the sides of the tart pan and use a rolling pin over the top to remove excess evenly. 

Fill the dough with an even layer of the onion mixture. Top with the olives evenly dispersed in a decorative pattern of your choice, remembering the pie will be cut in wedges. Add anchovies now if you like them. Put in the center of the oven, drop heat to 400º immediately and bake 20 minutes. Now reduce heat to 350º and bake another 15 minutes or until the crust is very crisp.  Garnish with the fresh basil leaves whole or chopped.

Chinese style chives and shrimp dumplings

 I am fond of Chinese chive dumplings as they are made in San Francisco's best dim sum restaurants but they seem a reach in a home kitchen especially when the sumptuously plump Chinese chives at the core of the recipe aren't easily available to most of us. So I've reworked these into regular dumplings you can make with store bought wonton or gyoza skins and lots of garden chives--something else altogether but tasty nevertheless and not that difficult to achieve for something very nutritious and light in hot weather. 
probably 30-36 dumplings here

1 package wonton or gyoza wrappers
8 oz bamboo shoots (come in a can), drained
3 oz fresh pea shoots
1 bunch scallions
2 c chopped fresh chives
1/2 lb cooked or smoked shrimp (not giant prawns, try for smallish shrimp)
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Chinese roasted sesame oil
2 tsp Tamari or good quality soy sauce
1 tbsp corn or other vegetable oil

 You can create your own dipping sauce. Options include tamari/soy, chili oil, rice wine vinegar...

 Fill a large steamer with water and get it boiling over high heat.

Chop the bamboo shoots, pea shoots and scattions into small pieces. In a medium bowl, combine them with the chives. Chop the shrimp into small bite-sized pieces and stir them into the vegetables. Season the mix with a pinch of pepper flakes, sesame oil and soy sauce.

Unwrap the wonton/gyoza skins and separate at least 1 dozen to start. Put a small bowl of water next to them. Put a tablespoon of filling into each one. Dip a finger into the water and lightly wet the entire inner rim of each filled wrapper. Then one by one pick them up and fold in half, stuffing the filling down. Starting on the right seal and pinch the dough as you work left--or you can reverse direction if it's easier. Seal hard and pinch hard to entirely close the dumpling. Keep working until all the filling is used up.  

Oil the bottom of the top of the steamer where you will place the dumplings in a single layer. You may have to steam in batches, that's okay.  Once the water is boiling away creating steam put the top part with the dumplings in place, snap on the lid and steam 8-10 minutes until the wrappers are soft and whiter.  Remove and flip the pot over to release them onto a plate. Continue re oiling and single layering until all dumplings have been steamed. Arrange dumplings to be served.

Serve hot with a dipping sauce of your choice. 

BTW: you can also pan fry these on one side after they are steamed for a different effect. Or you can pan fry the leftovers the next day.








Leek and Cauliflower Soup

This is a light, delicately flavored summer soup garnished with fresh chives and seasoned with fresh dill. It's best served with melted cheddar or havarti cheese crostini, second best with garlic croutons. (The pictured soup has a reddish cast because the commercial broth I used had some tomato in it.)
serves 4 in bowls or 6 in cups

3 medium leeks (1" diameter)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2-21/2 lb cauliflower, leaves and core removed
4 cups (1 qt) vegetable broth 
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste 

Cheese crostini for garnish too

Remove the coarse green layers of the leek. Split the white part in half and rinse carefully. Chop the leeks roughly. In a medium/large lidded pot, on low heat, melt the butter into the olive oil. Add the leeks, stir to coat and cover the pot. Simmer on low heat until leeks are soft, 10-12 minutes. Don't brown them on higher heat. 

While they simmer, cut the cauliflower into thick slices. Add it to the soft leeks, stirring to blend. Pour in vegetable broth, salt and bay leafs. Bring to a boil, immediately lower heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes. Everything should now be soft. Remove bay leafs right away.

Remove from heat. Add parsley and dill and freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Using a blender/immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup to a little bit chunky, not totally smooth. Stir in the nutmeg. Check for salt and adjust if necessary. 

Serve hot sprinkled with chives and a melted cheese crostini floating in each bowl.  

Central Asian Scallion Pancakes (Galmana)
These have more "cake" than the Korean scallion pancakes I posted earlier and are meant to be eaten with soup or stew. This is a very handy winter recipe.
makes 8 pancakes

1 1/2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 c water
1/2 c sour cream
8 scallions, minced
2/3 c corn or other vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Slowly pour in the water and knead to form a dough tat does not stick to your hands. Add flour if necessary to firm up the dough. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside 15 minutes.

On a floured board or large piece of waxed paper on your counter, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle to1/4" thick. Cut out squares of 5".  

Brush each square thickly with sour ceam. Sprinkle each with scallions. Now fold the top half over the bottom to form a rectangle and pat this lightly to close. Don't worry about tightly sealing.  

In a large flat frying pan, over medium heat, get the oil very hot. Carefully lower in the pancakes in a single layer. (You may have to do this in batches.) Fry on each side until stiff and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. You can keep them warm in a 325º oven if it will take time to finish all batches.

Cheese Onion Apple Tart from the Auvergne

this is the photo that came with the recipe

I am translating this from a French recipe I found at my French "sister's" house. It features over a pound of the local cheese, tomme d'Auvergne, which research indicates can be replaced by tomme de savoie, cantal or in a pinch gruyere. Some of the flavor sensation brought by the Auvergne cheese will be missing but who will know? It's not a quiche and not the usual flat onion tart. It's more like grilled cheese with onions. 
  serves 4

get a pre-made pie crust or puff pastry for one
1 1/4 lbs cheese (see above for what kind)
8 onions, peeled and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste
pinch of ground nutmeg (I'm adding this)

 Heat oven to 475º.
Grease a 9" high sided pie plate and fit the pie crust into it and up the sides. Cover the interior with the onions and apple mixed together. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Chop up the cheese. Distribute it over the onion/apple mix and top with the olive oil and butter. Sprinkle nutmeg around the top.  Bake at 375º 12-15 minutes  until the tart is firm and the crust golden.