Corn, Chard and Tomatoes: Late Summer Farm Fresh Lunch

Fresh from the farmers' market for a guest lunch: sliced heirloom tomatoes with basil and chives, diced cucumbers with red onion rings, dill and cider vinegar, and as the centerpiece a galette (free form pie) of chard, corn off the cob and red peppers held together by fresh ricotta and made magical by mint. Richer than you can imagine! A memorable feast of colors, textures and tastes accompanied by a bottle of dry Rosé. With a fresh blackberry clafoutis for dessert.

Here's some how-to:

Corn and Chard Galette
serves 6 because it's rich

 Dough
1/3 c cornmeal
1 1/2 c all purpose white flour
1 stick unsalted butter, in pieces
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
3-4 tbsp bubbly water

In a food processor or mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, butter and olive oil. Whiz or blend with a mixer until the mix looks like coarse meal. Add the vinegar and 3 tbsp bubbly water and whiz or blend to make a dough. Add the extra tbsp of bubble water if you need it. (This, the vinegar and the olive oil make a very flaky crust.)

Put the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, lightly flour the bottom one and the top of the dough, and flatten into a disk about 1" think. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.  (You can do this a day ahead.) Remove 10-15 minutes before you want to use it.

Eventually you will also need 1 egg and 1 tbsp whole milk.

Filling
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 lg sweet onion, minced
1 bunch chard leaves (removed from stems), chopped
4 ears of big kernel corn, corn off the cobs
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 sm fresh red chile, seeded and minced
6 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced thin
pinch of ground cinnamon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1 lg egg yolk
9 oz fresh ricotta
3/4 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400º.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté stirring until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add chard and continue to cook until it's tender, maybe another 3 minutes. Add the garlic, corn, chili, olives 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir once and remove from heat. Add 1 tbsp mint.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 c Parmigiano, cinnamon, 1 1/2  tbsp mint, egg yolk, 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend well. Add the chard mix in the skillet and blend everything together. Set aside and make the crust.

The dough should have been on the counter for at least 10 minutes. Add a little flour to the bottom piece of parchment and the top of the dough. Cover the top with parchment again and roll the dough into a round about 12-14" wide.  Make sure it isn't sticking to the parchment. Add cornmeal if it is.

Slide the dough from the bottom piece of parchment onto a lightly buttered baking sheet. If you can't get it off just put it on the parchment onto the baking sheet. Discard the top sheet of parchment.
Spread the filling thickly on the dough leaving a 2" perimeter. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmigiano and chopped mint leaves.  Fold the edge of the dough up and over the filling about 1 1/4". If it's too sticky, refrigerate the whole thing 5 minutes.

In a small dish, whisk an egg into 1 tsp whole milk and paint this "wash" all over the exposed dough. Bake the galette at 400º until the crust is golden brown, 40-50 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, sprinkle sea salt on top and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving.  It's also fine at room temperature.

BLACKBERRY CLAFOUTIS for 6-8

3 cups blackberries                 1 tbsp vanilla

1¼ cup milk                             1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar                           2/3 cup sifted all purpose flour

3 extra large eggs                    1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 7-8 cup pie plate or baking dish. Put all ingredients except blackberries in a blender or food processor and make into batter. Spread blackberries all over the buttered baking dish and pour the batter evenly over them.  Bake 1 hour or until the clafoutis is puffy and brown and a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.  Eat the leftovers for breakfast
Cucumber Salad
for 4

Peel and chop 2 big slicing cucumbers into a medium bowl. Cut a small fresh red onion into rings and half rings if they are large. Combine with the cucumbers. Add 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Season with 3 tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil.  Like that more or less.

Chard: this wallflower can shine

Even with a vivid rainbow of stems and leaves as big as ancient Egyptian fans, chard gets overlooked in favor of its heartier green cousins: kale and collards. That's a frying shame. Those fooled by its plain Jane appearance won't get the nutritional wallop that propels chard right to the top of any must-eat list. Those enormous leaves are packed with Vitamins K, A and C, full of manganese, potassium, iron, calcium, Vitamin E and dietary fiber. It seems particularly effective in preventing digestive tract and lung cancers. It helps keep calcium in the bones, regulates muscle tone, strengthens eyes, and preliminary animal research also suggests chard may protect the kidneys of diabetics. How can you pass this up?

Well, so you don't, here are a few simple, tasty ways to prepare those big green leaves:

SPANISH STYLE CHARD WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS 
for 4

3 tbsp dark raisins                     3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb chard, stems off                  2 tbsp minced onion

3 tbsp fruity olive oil                   3 tbsp pine nuts

Soak raisins in warm water (add a dash of rosewater if you dare). Put chard into boiling salted water 5 minutes. Drain well.  Return to the pot with just enough water to cover, a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Bring to a boil on medium heat, lower heat and cook 10 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop the chard.

Drain raisins. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté garlic and onion until soft. Add chard, drained raisins and pine nuts. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Sauté 5 minutes. (You can make this ahead because it will be tastier when reheated.)

Gratin of Hearty Greens
Enough extra-virgin olive or butter to generously cover the bottom of a large pan
3 medium onions, halved and sliced thin
3 bunches of hearty greens such as kale, chard or collards (try one each or two kale and one chard if collards aren’t available)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
Sea salt
1 pint heavy cream
4 ounces grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gruyère
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Place a large heavy-bottom pot over low-medium heat, add the onions, and let them sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft.
Meanwhile, prep the greens. Remove the stems that run down the center by holding the leaf in one left hand and slicing down each side of the stem with a knife. By the time you're done, you'll have two piles: one of stems and one of leaves. I apply a whole-beast ethos to vegetables, and consider greens stems to be highly flavorful. So bunch the stems in a pile and slice them finely, crosswise. Set aside. Now chop the greens and set them aside, too. The point of separating them is to give the stems a head start cooking, as they take a little longer.
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Now the onions should be soft. Add the chopped garlic and stir for a minute or so, until it has released its fragrance. Add the chopped stems and a pinch of salt, stir to mix them with the onions and garlic, and cover the pot. Let them cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the greens and another pinch of salt, using tongs to carefully mix in with the sautéed veggies in the pan. Add about a half cup of water (or stock) to the pan, and turn heat to high until the water begins to boil. When it does, turn heat down a little bit, and let the greens simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until they're nearly tender but still a little al dente. At that point, remove the lid and let them cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
Turn off the heat, taste, and add a little salt if necessary. Arrange the cooked greens in a casserole dish large enough to comfortably fit them all. Pour the cream over. Sprinkle the cheese all over the top. Give it a vigorous lashing of black pepper. Bake until the top is well-browned (30-45  minutes). Serve hot. This dish can be made a day or two in advance and reheated in a 350 F oven just before serving. Better yet, cook the greens until they're tender and then store them in the fridge until the big day, when you bake them off with cream, cheese, etc.
Vegan variation: Replace the cream with coconut milk and replace the cheese with bread crumbs (or slivered almonds) .

Swiss Chard Torte

  Serves 6-8

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 
1/8-1/4 tsp (to your taste) red pepper flakes 
1 jumbo egg (or two small eggs) 
1 cup grated Pecorino, Parmigiano or Asiago cheese 
¼ cup unbleached flour 
2 tbsp balsamic or Jerez vinegar 
pinch 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. 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 10 minutes at 400º 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 spring form ring. To serve, cut into wedges and garnish with black olives.

Chard and Sorrel Bakeserves 6-8

1/3 c olive oil
1½ tsp caraway seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2+ lbs plum tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
1¼ lb chard, washed, leaves and stems separated, leaves roughly chopped, stalks finely sliced
Salt
4.5 oz (roughly ½ c) sorrel, roughly shredded**
1 ½ tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 ½ tbsp. dill, roughly chopped
8 spring onions, cut into ½” pieces
8 0z feta, roughly crumbled into ¾” pieces
¼ c pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 c Greek yogurt
2 ½ tbsp parmesan, finely grated
5 ¼ oz coarse polenta (fine polenta will do, if you can’t find coarse)

**if you don’t have sorrel use 1 tbsp lemon zest

Heat the oven to 400º. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid, then fry the caraway and garlic over a medium-high flame for a minute, stirring most of the time. Add tomatoes, chard and ½ tsp salt. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the chard has wilted and the tomatoes have broken down. Remove from heat and stir in the sorrel, mint, dill, spring onions, feta and olives.

Put the eggs, yogurt, parmesan, remaining oil, polenta, ¾ c water and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl and mix to a thick batter. Pour half the batter into an 8 x 12” ovenproof baking dish, so it completely covers the base, then spoon the greens evenly over the top. Pour over the remaining batter – it won’t completely cover the greens, but that’s OK. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until risen and dark golden-brown on top, leave to stand for 10 minutes, and serve hot.

Palestinian black-eyed peas with chard

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 lemon

½ lb bunch chard

For the herb smash

1 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 to make 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.

Height of the Harvest Farm to Table Fundraiser

for 100:
Armenian Vegetable Roast
Carrots, celery, fennel, cauliflower, cabbage, purple onion, yellow squash and red peppers roasted til they char and release their sugars, topped with tomatoes, roasted, then topped with fresh dill and mint. Colorful, picturesque and very tasty nourishment. Just add a pinch of cinnamon.

Go Fish

It's hot and everybody's tired of cooking, making the kitchen hotter. We're smart enough to be eating watery melons, berries and vegetables like cucumbers we don't have to cook, to replenish the water our body loses sweating. So how about something else watery, that doesn't need long to cook? How about fish! 

It just so happens they're most plentiful in summer, drawn by the warmer waters of the northern hemisphere. They're quick and easy to cook. Digesting them won't overheat our metabolism and make us perspire even more. Plus they're less caloric than meat. So go get fish. There are often vendors at your local farmers' market.

Here are a few ways the rest of the world enjoys hot weather fish. You can too, making a whole meal by adding a cucumber salad or cold soup.

Crete's Fisherman's Soup

Serves 4

2 1/4 lbs medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 turbot (around 4 lbs), scaled, gutted and cut into 5 pieces, including the head
1 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
2 celery sticks
4 bay leaves
Salt
1 2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 c water
Juice of 2 lemons
Parsley leaves
4 langoustines or prawns
 

 Use a lidded saucepan that will fit the potatoes snugly in a single layer at the bottom of the pan. After adding the potatoes, add the fish, followed by the tomatoes, celery, bay leaves, salt, olive oil and water. The liquid will only partly cover the fish. Put the saucepan over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and continue to boil another 20 minutes. Shake the pan every so often, but never stir the contents. Before you turn the soup off, make sure the potatoes are soft. Add the lemon juice and parsley leaves, then give the pan a final shake. Turn off the heat, add the langoustines or prawns and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the fish to shallow bowls. Divide the soup and potatoes into bowls. Add a langoustine or prawn to each  Serve with toasted baguette or warm pita.

Three Chili Fish with Tahini
 serves 4

4 halibut steaks, on the bone (or halibut fillets, skinless and boneless)
Salt
¼ c olive oil
2 mild red chilies, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and cut into ¼” pieces
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 dried ancho chili, trimmed, seeds discarded and torn into ¾” pieces
½ tsp Aleppo chili flakes
2 1/3 lbs plum tomatoes, blanched, skins removed and then flesh roughly chopped into 1/4” dice
4 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed, to serve
cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, to serve

For the tahini sauce
4 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice

Lightly season the fish with 1/3 tsp of salt.

In a large sauté pan with a lid on, heat oil over medium-high flame. Add the fresh chili and fry for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, caraway, ancho and Aleppo chili, and fry for a minute more until the garlic starts to turn golden-brown. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt. When the mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to medium and simmer 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the sauce is thick. Lay the fish in the sauce, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the tahini and lemon juice with ¼ c water and large pinch of salt.

Gently lift the fish out of the pan and keep warm. (It may have released a lot of liquid during the cooking, turning the sauce runny, in which case increase the heat and let it bubble away until thick again.) Divide the tomato sauce between four shallow bowls, top with a piece of fish, dribble over a generous helping of tahini sauce, sprinkle with the cumin and cilantro leaves, and serve.

Mexican Snapper Veracruz, easy version
serves 4

4 white fish filets (haddock, cod, snapper, pollock)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, diced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
14 0z box/can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp capers
2/3 c chopped pitted black olives

 Preheat oven to 350º.
Wash and dry the fish. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with olive oil. Put half the garlic and onion on top.
Lay on the fish filets. Cover with the tomatoes and rest of garlic and onion. Blend into the tomatoes the spices, capers and olives.  Cover the pan with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 minutes. Test to see that fish flakes, that it's done.  Serve topped with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.





 
Moroccan Trout stuffed with Dates
serves 4

4 medium trout, boned but whole
3/4 c chopped dates
1/4 c cooked rice
1 onion, finely diced
1/3 c chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 c blanched almonds, chopped
3 tbsp butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350º.
Rinse the trout and pat dry. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine dates, cooked rice. 1/2 onion, cilantro, spices, almonds and 1 1/2 tbsp softened butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend well.
Spoon this stuffing into the trout. Heavily oil or butter 8 sheets of foil. Double up to make four and lay one trout on each one. Brush the remaining butter over the trout and season it with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Top each fish with some of the remaining chopped onion. Close up each foil packet tightly, sealing the edges.  Place on a large baking sheet and bake 20 minutes. Remove fish to serving plates and dust each with a pinch of ground cinnamon.

Cantonese Steamed Fish

Serves 4
 1+ lb firm white fish fillets like sea bass or cod, or a whole fish like turbot

1 tsp coarse sea salt or plain salt

2 “ fresh ginger  finely shredded
5-6 spring onions finely shredded
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp peanut, canola or corn oil
2 tsp sesame oil
fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish

If you are using a whole fish, remove the gills. Pat the fish or fish fillets dry with kitchen paper. Rub with the salt on both sides and set aside 30 minutes. This helps the flesh to firm up and draws out any excess moisture.

Set up a steamer, or put a rack into a wok or deep pan, and fill it with 2” of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Put the fish on a heatproof plate and scatter the ginger evenly over the top. Lower the plate of fish into the steamer or on to the rack. Cover the pan tightly and gently steam the fish until it is just cooked. Flat fish will take about 5 minutes to cook. Thicker fish will take 12-14 minutes.

Remove the plate of cooked fish from the pan and sprinkle with the spring onions and the light and dark soy sauces. Heat the two oils together in a small pan. When they are hot and smoking, pour the hot oil on top of the fish and garnish with the coriander sprigs. Serve at once.

Turkish Fish with Harissa and Olives
serves 4

1/4 c flour for dusting
1/2 c olive oil
4 white fish fillets (cod, perch, snapper)
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
14 oz box/can chopped tomatoes
2-3 tsp harissa
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 c pitted black olives
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 c chopped flat leaf parsley

 Season the flour with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and dredge the fish filets in it.
In a heavy, large frying pan, heat 1/4 c olive oil. With heat on medium, add fish filets and brown 2 minutes on either side. Remove to a platter.

Add remaining olive oil, heat and then add onion and garlic. Cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes, harissa, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Cook 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Return the fish to the pan, add olives, then cover the fish with the sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes so fish is thoroughly cooked. Remove cinnamon stick. Add lemon juice and parsley. Serve.

Cucumber Cool

Now is the time to eat watery foods. In the sweltering heat of summer, when the body sweats like mad, the universe sends out foods full of water to refresh us: cucumbers, zucchinis and other summer squashes, melons of all kinds and berries.  So it's medically correct to indulge!

Did zucchini, so here comes cucumber recipes to keep you well watered. Hot climates offer lots of them. And the best news is you don't need to turn on your stove to heat up the place for something good to eat.

Vietnamese Cucumber Salad
serves 4

1/3 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp water
2 English cucumbers or 4 slicing cucumbers,
1 sm yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moon rings
10 large mint leaves, chopped
1 Serrano chili very thinly sliced into strips (seeded first)
6 sprigs cilantro, finely shopped
2 tbsp roasted chopped peanuts

Half cucumbers lengthwise and then thinly slice into disks.
Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt and blend well.
Add cucumbers, onion, mint, chili and cilantro and toss to blend.
Let the salad sit 15 minutes to marinate.
Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve.

Lebanese Fa'atoush
This is the ordinary salad on every table every day in the Levant, including Israel. 
There are as many recipes for it as there are cooks making it, so you don't have to stick to this one. It's actually a tad idiosyncratic in that the bread isn't fried first and it uses a buttermilk dressing. The most basic recipe is simply chopped cucumbers, radishes, scallions, tomatoes and fried day-old bread dressed with olive oil and maybe sumac.

scant 1 cup Greek yogurt and 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tbsp whole milk—or instead 1 2/3 cups buttermilk

2 large stale flatbreads or naan (9 oz bread in total)
3 large tomatoes, cut into 2/3” dice
3 oz radishes, thinly sliced
3 Lebanese or Persian cucumbers peeled and chopped into 2/3” dice

2 scallions, thinly sliced
1⁄2 oz fresh mint
scant 1 oz flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dried mint
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
3⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sumac or more to taste for garnish

If using yogurt and milk, start at least 3 hours and up to a day in advance by placing both in a bowl. Whisk well and leave in a cool place or in the fridge until bubbles form on the surface. What you get is a kind of homemade buttermilk, but less sour.

Tear the bread into bite-size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add your fermented yogurt mixture or commercial buttermilk, followed by the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and leave for 10 minutes for all the flavors to combine.

Spoon the fattoush into serving bowls, drizzle with some olive oil, and garnish generously with sumac. 

Cold Cucumber Soup 

2 large European cucumbers (2 1/4 pounds), halved and seeded—1/2 cup finely diced, the rest coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 small shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup loosely packed dill

1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons loosely packed tarragon leaves

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Salt

Fresh ground white pepper

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

In a blender, combine the chopped cucumber with the yogurt, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, dill, parsley, tarragon and the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Season the soup again just before serving. Pour the soup into bowls. Garnish with the finely diced cucumber, red onion and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Chopped Middle Eastern Salad with Tahini and Za'atar

A variation on fattoush from Ottolenghi

serves 4

6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice
2 mini-cucumbers, trimmed and cut into 1cm dice
1 red pepper, seeds, stalk and pith removed, cut into 1cm dice
5 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
15g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
200g feta, cut into 4 rectangular blocks (optional)
4 tbsp tahini
2 tsp za’atar

Put the chopped tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl for 20 minutes. Discard the resulting juice and put the tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, spring onions and coriander in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil and half a teaspoon of salt, and stir gently to combine.

To serve, arrange the feta (if using) on four plates and spoon the salad on top, making sure some of the feta remains visible. Pour a spoonful of tahini over each portion and finish with a sprinkle of za’atar.

Bhutanese Hogay

A salad without dressing. 

Serves 4

1 English cucumber (the long skinny ones wrapper in cellophane)

1 sm red onion, peeled and finely diced

½ cup crumbled Feta or farmer’s cheese or Ricotta salada

½-1 small hot red pepper, seeded and minced (depending on your preference)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Peel cucumber and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and cut the halves in half.  Cut crosswise to make bite-sized pieces. Put into serving bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Add salt to your taste. Serve.

Creamy Cucumber Salad (with sour cream)
serves 5

1½ lbs cucumbers (2 English cucumbers or 7-10 small ones)
½ medium purple or yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fresh or frozen dill, chopped
¾ cup sour cream (reduced fat is ok)
½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from ½ small lemon)
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed
½ tsp sea salt and pinch black pepper, or to taste

In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup sour cream, ½ Tbsp lemon juice, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp dill, 1 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir and set aside while prepping salad.

Slice cucumbers into thin rounds or half rounds if using large cucumbers. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add thinly sliced onion. Just before serving stir sauce into the salad and mix to coat cucumbers. After adding sauce, the salad will stay fresh for about 2-3 hours if refrigerated.

 

Cucumber Salsa 

 2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

Off to cataract surgery so no posting for a week. To fill in, here's a few quick recipes for the produce at high tide in farmers' markets right now.

Cauliflower Couscous with Lemon Basil Sauce

For the basil-lemon sauce

10 large (about 1 cup loosely packed) fresh basil leaves

Zest and juice of 2 lemons, preferably Meyer

1/2 c fruity extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp honey

For the couscous

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

1 medium cauliflower, stalks and stems discarded, florets finely diced

1/4 tsp chili flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c Basil-Lemon Sauce

2 tbsp fresh basil in chiffonade

For the sauce

Combine basil, lemon zest and juice, oil, and honey in a blender. Purée and transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about 7 to 10 days.

For the cauliflower couscous

Over high heat, melt butter with the olive oil in a sauté pan or wok large enough to hold all the cauliflower. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and chili flakes. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Blend everything. Cook until cauliflower is soft and looking like couscous, maybe 10 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp of the lemon sauce and cook another 10 minutes. Adjust salt to your taste. Add 2 tbsp. of the lemon sauce and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.

Top with the basil chiffonade.

More on Zucchini because there's always more zucchini

Here are four more worldly-wise and ridiculously recipes to make ten, number of perfection. 
Also to show that zucchini is everywhere. Lots of cooks know how to make it tasty.

Korean Cod and Zucchini Fritters

These are separate fritters served in the same bowl.



1 1/2 lbs firm white fish fillets (cod, snapper, sole), skinned and boned
1 1/2 lbs zucchini, cut into thick rounds
1 c plain flour or for a crunchier taste chickpea flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Corn, canola or peanut oil, to fry
Sea salt and ground white pepper
For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1½ tsp rice wine vinegar
½ tsp toasted sesame seeds

Slice the fish into ½cm-thick slices, about 6cm long. Spread them out on a plate and season. On a separate plate, do the same with the sliced courgette.
Put the flour and beaten egg into two separate bowls and position beside the stove top.

Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to a large pan warm over a medium heat. In batches, coat the fish and zucchini slices in flour, then dip into the egg mixture, and transfer to the hot oiled pan. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden, remove to a heatproof dish and keep warm while you fry the rest. Add more oil as you go, if needed. (Keep the heat at medium: if it is too high it will burn the outside before the inside is cooked; if the heat is too low you will end up with soggy fritters.)
In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve immediately with the fritters.
 
Italian Verdure al Forno (roasted young vegetables)
Absolutely farm fresh vegetables are a must for this, and the reason for it.. Baking slowly causes them to release their natural sugars, making the dish heavenly. Trust Italians to perfect simplicity.
Serves 4

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ lb baby carrots (about 8), peeled, trimmed slightly, leaving on a bit of their stem

¾ lb fingerling potatoes (about 4) or new Yukon Gold potatoes about the size of a golf ball, halved

1 lb small red onions (3-4, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

1 lb young zucchini (about 5), split in half lengthwise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 tbsp dired

Pinch of saffron crumbled in a mortar with ½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

¾ lb ripe tomatoes, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Lightly oil a 9 x 12" or similarly sized baking casserole. Arrange the carrots, potatoes, onions, and zucchini in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and the garlic, basil, oregano, saffron, salt, and sugar. Stuff the rosemary sprigs in between the vegetables. Lay the tomatoes on top and season again with salt and pepper. Pour the remaining olive oil over the vegetables or oil to taste.

Bake about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hour until the tomatoes look melted and the potato and carrot can be pierced easily by a skewer but are not breaking apart. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with a roasted chicken, grilled butterflied leg of lamb or a rich rice pilaf.

Nepali Mixed Vegetable Curry 
serves 4-6

6 small (new) or 3 medium potatoes (not bakers)

1/3 cauliflower or 1 stalk broccoli with florets

2 onions, peeled

½ lg. carrot or daikon, peeled

1 japanese or small italian eggplant

 1 zucchini

2 green chilies or ½ lg. pastilla chili pepper

3 roma tomatoes

1 cup peas or corn (frozen is okay)

1 bay leaf

3 cloves garlic and

1” ginger

½ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. coriander seeds

2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

3 tbsp. cooking oil or ghee

¼ bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only

1 cup water

 

Coarsely chop the onion and tomatoes separately. Finely chop the chilies, leaving seeds in. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized cubes. Slice the carrot or daikon and eggplant or squash into thin disks. Cut the cauliflower into small florets or if using broccoli, slice the stalk into thin disks and cut the florets apart. Mince the garlic and ginger.

In a medium saucepan or casserole, heat the oil or ghee. Fry the onion until it’s soft and golden. Add the cumin and coriander seeds, chilies, garlic, ginger and turmeric, stirring to combine. Add potatoes and stir fry until they are slightly brown.  Add all remaining ingredients except the cilantro leaves. Cover and simmer on low until all vegetables are tender—10-12 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.  Chop the cilantro leaves and put on top to serve.

French Ratatouille with Variations

This is arguably the quintessential Provencal summer dish, an olive oil stew of onions, peppers, zucchini and eggplant seasoned with basil, parsley and oregano. Here's the basic recipe, followed by my southwestern variation that uses smoky poblano and bright red bell peppers instead of green ones, red onion instead of yellow, adds tomatilloes and uses peppery cilantro instead of basil.

Classic recipe from Julia Child

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled and seeded (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper to tastePeel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long, and 1 inch wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends, and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.
One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in the hot olive oil for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.
In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.
Slice the tomato into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.
Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini, and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.
Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time, or serve cold.

Variation: Serves 6-8
1 lb firm eggplant (any kind will work except the small Thai egg-like eggplant)
1 lg Poblano pepper, roasted and skinned 
3 lg tomatilloes, roasted 
½ cup olive oil 
1 tsp cracked or freshly ground black pepper 
1 tsp dried oregano 
1 bay leaf 
Optional: pinch ground chipotle pepper (for smoky flavor) 
1 lg red onion peeled and cut into thin disks 
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips 
1 tsp salt 
¼ tsp ground coriander 
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 
¾ lb zucchini (2-3 sm/med), cut into ¼” thick disks 
1¼ cup chopped tomatoes with juices (boxed is ok
(Roasting here means in a toaster or regular oven at 450 degrees for 5-8 minutes (less time in the smaller toaster oven) until the skin cracks and starts to char.)

Wash the eggplant. Slice it into thin disks and if the disks are much larger in diameter than 1”,cut the disks in half. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with ¼ tsp salt and 2 tbsp olive oil. Cover and roast 10 minutes at 425º. Seed the peppers and cut into thin strips, nothing longer than 2".

In a medium heavy gauge casserole or large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat.  Add black pepper, ½ tsp oregano, optional ground chipotle and bay leaf. Sauté 30 seconds. Add onion disks in a layer and top with garlic, poblano and red peppers. Do not stir. Continue to sauté 3-5 minutes until onions are soft. Sprinkle 1 tbsp chopped cilantro on top.

Lower heat to simmer. Add eggplant as a layer. (Pieces might be two deep if the pot is not wide.) Sprinkle on ½ tsp oregano, ground coriander and ¼ tsp salt. Add 2 tbsp chopped cilantro. Cover pot and simmer 2-3 minutes. Add a layer of zucchini and half the remaining chopped cilantro. Pour tomatoes into the pot. Sprinkle ¼ tsp salt over the top layer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until zucchini starts to soften.

Slice roasted tomatilloes into thin disks or any small pieces you can manage. Add to the pot as the top layer. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes until zucchini is soft (not mushy) and the juices are bubbling. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf. Add remaining salt if desired.

Serve hot, at room temperature or cold, garnished with the remaining chopped cilantro leaves. To make this into a full meal, serve over squares of fried polenta.