Addendum. Is that the right word?

So, when I served the apricot soup I just posted (boasted) about I served it with a refreshing crunchy little salad. I hesitated to blog about it only because I hesitated to make it in the first place- enough time to throw it together before the soup is done? no. yes! save it for later. Toss it (in the dressing, not the trash) and serve it! umm...

Ok so I went through with it and was glad I did. The soup and roasted vegetables are fine alone, but a little refreshing salad bite between warm savory bites is good too. I could have served it as a first course but my timing was off.

About Chinese black radishes- first of all, if you can't find them in your local international grocery you can substitute daikon or regular red radishes. I find black radishes to be less spicy and more bitter than the

 red radishes you are used to getting at the grocery or farmer's market. They are considered to be medicinal by many Asian cultures and are said to treat gall bladder and liver problems. Hungry yet? Just know that black radishes are crunchy, spicy/bitter like a good strong mustard and very refreshing. Salt mellows their flavor, and I mix them with shredded apple and orange juice in this salad to tame them a bit.

This salad would also be delicious on top of crostini spread with ripe avocado.

Black Radish and Apple Salad with Orange-Sage Vinaigrette

2 black radishes, peeled*

1 apple, cored and quartered (choose a sweeter, firm variety)

1 orange, washed

1 tbs fresh minced sage

2 tsp honey

olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Zest 1-2 tsp of the orange into a large bowl. Cut the orange in half and squeeze about 1/4 cup of the juice in to the bowl, discarding any seeds. add honey and sage and a sprinkle of salt. Stir until the honey and salt are dissolved. Add 2 tsp. olive oil and stir.

2.Using a box grater or hand held grater, shred the radish and apple onto the vinaigrette and toss. Taste for sweetness, adding a little more honey if desired. (Best if made a couple of hours prior to serving so the flavors can come together)

*note: if you are using conventional radishes you do not need to peel them or shred them; you can simply cut them into thin slices, as they are much more tender than the black radishes.

A persistent challenge, a quiet call to arms.

Such was the presence of a package of dried apricots in my pantry. They were a little drier and more leathery than the dried apricots I prefer to snack on, but a little too orange in the dark of my pantry to ignore. I had a thought: a warm savory soup. I googled "apricot soup" and found a few recipes, mostly armenian in origin, that paired said dried apricots with red lentils and a few spices, some adding a lemon squeeze or dollop of yogurt at the end. I wanted to use buttermilk, thinking how nice the mellow tang would be with the rich sweetness of the meaty apricots. If it were summer I would probably have made an apricot-buttermilk sorbet but I'm glad for the winter's-lure of the soup pot, because this dish is a winner. 

Also on hand that night was a head of cauliflower, some eggplant rescued from the produce bargain-bin, and a jumbo-sized can of chickpeas. And some Chinese black radishes, which I may get to later...

Anyhow, the roasted vegetables (tossed with cumin, toasted 'til crunchy) were the perfect sidekick for the smooth, mellow soup. Don't be afraid of a little fruit in your soup bowl, it's better than a little soup in your fruit bowl, right?

Ha!

Apricot-Buttermilk Soup for a Thursday, for Sharing.

(adapted from The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups by David Ansel)

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 small carrots, peeled and chopped

2-3 tsp. dried cumin

1 1/2 cups red lentils

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

6-8 ounces dried apricots, chopped

1 cup buttermilk

salt!

1. Heat olive oil in your favorite soup pot. Add onion and carrot and cumin and saute 8-10 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Cover and cook for ten minutes.

2. Add the broth, water, lentils and all but about 1/2 cup of the apricots. Bring to a boil and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. (Put the vegetables in the oven as the soup comes to a boil if you are making them.) Add the remaining apricots and remove from heat.

3. Puree the soup in batches in a blender, being careful not to puree more than 3 cups at a time so the consistency stays smooth, and pouring the pureed soup into another large pot. Add buttermilk and stir, taste for salt. reheat gently to serve. Top with roasted chickpeas or homemade pita crisps/croutons for garnish and crunch factor.

Then,

You must make these roasted vegetables! So easy, so tasty! Eat with couscous and a dollop of yogurt, on a spinach salad with orange-cumin vinaigrette and feta, or as a simple side.

Cumin-Roasted Vegetables (especially cauliflower)

1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into 1 inch florets

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

olive oil

ground cumin

salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 375. Put vegetables and chickpeas in a large bowl and drizzle with 1-2 Tbs. olive oil. Sprinkle with cumin, a good dose of salt, and freshly ground pepper. Toss until oil and spices are well distributed over vegetables.

2. Spray a baking sheet or two with nonstick spray and pour on the seasoned veg. Spread the vegetables around the pan evenly, making sure they aren't piled on top of each other (the more surface area of the vegetable that is on the searing hot pan, the more caramelization and crunch you'll get). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cauliflower is browning on the pan-side and chickpeas are tanned and toasty. Serve warm. 

Winter Fruit Salsa

For those of you fortunate enough to be in attendance at the Bead for Life Party hosted by Lisa Tobias last Sunday, I am making a special post with a recipe for the oh-so-popular fruit salsa that was a "hit" at the party! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the dip as I was surprised by its popularity and wasn't expecting to record and publish it! Anyhow, here it is, a refreshing healthy salsa with almost too much flavor to be supported by your average corn chip!

Winter Fruit Salsa

6 navel oranges, sectioned, with white pith removed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

4 small avocados, semi-soft, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 red bell pepper, chopped rather small

juice of one lemon or lime

zest of one of the navel oranges

1/4 cup each minced fresh mint and parsley

2-3 tsp honey

salt and pepper

1. in a large bowl, toss all ingredients except avocado at least 3 hours before serving. 

2. Taste for sweetness. Add avocado and toss very gently. Serve with corn chips or on top of fish tacos to good friends and family!

Get Your Ud-on!

Sometimes inspiration is found in unlikely places. Or perhaps it is most often found in unlikely places, making unlikely places more likely...? Anyhow, inspiration was found in my nearly empty vegetable drawer in the form of some 8 or 10 shiitake mushrooms cowering under their saran wrap, fearing the creeping moldy slime that sneaks up on fresh mushrooms found outside of their natural  subterranean habitat. I thought about the fate of those mushrooms as I worked up a sweat at the Y, mentally browsing my fridge at its end-of-the-week sparseness, making a little list of possibilities and flavor combinations. Oranges. Fresh spinach (wished it were watercress but this is reality). Udon noodles in the pantry. Tofu. Sesame seeds. Ginger. Oh yes. We are on our way. Off with the elliptical and into the kitchen!!

I think I would classify this dish as a warm noodle salad. The dressing is warmed and tossed with the ingredients, some of which are cooked, some of which are fresh. Don't skip the fresh orange sections. Their sweetness and subtle tart flavor really goes well with the ginger, soy, and meaty mushrooms and spinach. Soooo California, no?

(caveat: since this dish was assembled from a fridge scrounge the amounts are approximated)

Warm Udon Salad with Sesame Crusted Tofu:

for the tofu:

10 - 12 oz firm tofu, pressed to remove excess water

sesame oil, vegetable oil

untoasted sesame seeds

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cut the tofu in to 3/4 inch cubes and place in a bowl. Drizzle with equal parts sesame oil and vegetable oil (about 1 Tbs each). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 2 Tbs sesame seeds. Toss to coat. 

2. Spread the tofu cube evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little extra sesame seeds to make sure the tops of each piece are coated evenly (only if you are particular!).

3. Bake without stirring for 20 -25 minutes. The tofu will be golden on the edges when done (it is hard to overcook it so if you lie it a little more crusty leave it in a few minutes longer).

for the salad:

1/2 package udon noodles (but I was cooking for one!)

6 - 8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms

2 cups fresh spinach

1 ripe navel orange, cut into sections, pith removed

1 tsp. fresh grated ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

2 - 3 Tbs tamari

1 Tbs brown sugar

3 Tbs rice wine vinegar

sesame oil

olive oil

1. Set a pot of water to boil. Drop in the noodles once the water is at a nice steady boil and check after 5 minutes for tenderness. Drain when done.

2. While water is boiling and tofu is toasting remove the stems from the mushrooms and slice about 1/8 inch thick. Heat 1 tsp. vegetable oil over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet. Add mushrooms and let saute until you are convinced they might be burning. Stir with a spatula and let them cook until you are again convinced they might be burning. Once the mushrooms have released their water and are nicely browned on the edges remove them from the pan. 

3. In the mushroom skillet heat 1 -2 Tbs olive oil over low to medium heat. Add the garlic and ging

er, cooking gently and stirring frequently. once the garlic is soft and translucent add the tamari and rice wine and brown sugar, adding more rice wine if it seems too thick. Simmer 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasoning. 

4. Add the cooked udon noodles, chopped spinach, mushrooms, orange sections, and tofu to the pan, stirring to coat with the dressing. 

5. Serve immediately in bowls, topping with and extra sprinkling of sesame seeds and a side of chile paste for a little spicy kick!

flight of the concords

So I didn't make it to the farmer's market last Saturday to see if concord grapes are still available but I'm betting there are a few clusters to be found and they probably won't be around for much longer so make plans to get yourself a couple pounds the next time you have a chance. Hit the ATM ahead of time, don't forget your little canvas tote thingy, and enjoy this short-seasoned treat while it can still be found. 

When I taste a concord for the first time in a while I am always stunned by the true grape-y-ness of the flavor. The food scientists who invented the chemical formula for "grape" flavoring definitely used concords for their flavor profile, which was smart, because true concord grapes are hard to enjoy as a snack due to the presence of the many annoying seeds in each innocent-looking orb. Do not fear. You don't have to give up and head to the gas station in search of grape Bubbalicious or "drink" to enjoy the honest-to-grapeness flavor of concords. Home cooks are a smart and capricious breed and we've got a method for everything!

After you extract the seeds from the grapes you will be left with pulp and skins. Not a snack exactly, but with a little more time in the kitchen you can turn that fruit soup into something worthy of being served to guests, given as a gift, or hoarded for your own private enjoyment. Just bear with me.

Spiced Concord Grape Butter.

 As good an excuse to make (or buy) crusty homemade bread and a tub of mascarpone as I've ever found. 

2# Concord Grapes (equal to 2 1/2 cups prepared pulp)

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. brandy

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground clove

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

2 c. sugar

(makes 3 jam jars)

1. Prepare the grapes. Wash them, then pluck them from their stems and squeeze each one over a small saucepan, popping out the insides. Keep the skins in a separate bowl. Simmer the grape innards (if I may use the word) for 10-15 minutes or until they have broken down and are soft enough to release their seeds. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve until only the pesky seeds remain. Discard the seeds. Add the strained pulp along with the reserved skins to a medium saucepan. 

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over low-med. heat. Stir occasionally. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Test for thickness by dropping a spoonful of the mixture onto a plate. If it is ready it will be thick when cool. This part is subjective. For a fruit butter I simmer the mixture for quite a while to make sure it is nice and thick: thicker than jam, darker and glossier too. 

3. Carefully ladle mixture into sterilized jars and process to seal. (refer to canning methods for this step. Alternately, you can skip the canning process but just make sure you keep it in the fridge)

I served this supertreat with a whole grain baguette and a healthy smear of mascarpone, which was a bit of an homage to one of my favorite childhood lunchbox treats: Smuckers grape jelly and cream cheese on Roman Meal wheat bread. Yes, my childhood food memories are that acute. 

Carrot Soup and a Big Shiny Spoon

The first whiff of fall on the breeze sends me running for a cozy sweater and soup spoon. Leg warmers and tea kettles more your thing? A hand-knit scarf and a casserole dish? Sure. Fine. I prefer a hot bowl of homemade soup and a hunk of crusty bread. Throw some cheese on that plate and you've got yourself a meal. Well, I should say, I've got myself a meal. You might still be waiting for that casserole to heat through.

Time for the recipe. This carrot soup is sweet and rich, the drizzle of balsamic vinegar actually highlights the sweetness of the carrots and momentarily confuses your mouth, to a happy effect (the Japanese call it "umami"). At the time I made the soup I happened to have some oven-dried roma tomatoes on hand. If you lack said tomatoes you could use rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, just use a few less and make sure they are well-blended. Or you could make a batch of oven-dried tomatoes (recipe below). Its really simple and you won't mind having a few left over!

Balsamic-Carrot Soup with Oven-Dried Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
6 cups vegetable broth
10-12 oven-dried tomatoes, more for garnish if you wanna be all fancy
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle garlic cloves with olive oil and wrap tightly in foil, put in the oven to roast until soft (about 10 -15 min). Meanwhile, toss carrots in 1 Tbs vinegar and 1-2 tsp olive oil, place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and put in the oven alongside the garlic packet. Roast carrots 15 minutes, or until they are starting to brown on the edges. (The vinegar will burn a little but don't be alarmed, that's why you lined the baking sheet with foil)
2. While the carrots and garlic are roasting bring the broth to a simmer in a large stock pot. Once the carrots have browned, carefully slide them (along with any browned bits you can scrape up) off the pan and into simmering broth. Do the same with the garlic and the oil it roasted in. Continue to simmer until the carrots are soft when pierced with a fork (about 25 minutes).
3. Time for blending. Using a measuring cup, place 2 cups carrots into a blender along with 4-5 tomatoes, 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, and about 1/2 cup broth. Puree on low speed until smooth (you may need to add a little extra broth to achieve the desired consistency). Pour pureed soup into a medium sauce pan. Repeat this step until all the carrots have been pureed. Taste for seasoning. You may end up with 1/2 - 1 cup of left over broth, but you don't want your soup to be too thin, so just save the extra broth and use it later in the week or freeze it for the next time you make soup.
4. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, top with an oven-dried tomato, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, using a butter knife or toothpick to pull the vinegar through the surface of the soup and create pretty swirly patterns, if that's your thing. Another nice touch is to heat the bowls before you fill them with soup by filling them with super-hot water. Just don't forget to empty them before you ladle in the soup!

Oven-Dried Tomatoes

roma tomatoes
garlic, thinly sliced
fresh thyme leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place on an oiled, rimmed baking sheet cut side up. Place a slice of garlic on each tomato half. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Bake for 4-5 hours at 200 degrees or until the tomatoes have shrunk to about 1/4 of their original size and the edges are crinkly. Once cooled, layer between wax paper in an air tight container.
*delicious on just about everything! with fresh mozzerella, in pasta, chopped and tossed with arugula and balsamic on crudite, smeared on bread, or just straight up!

Like a good rug ties a room together...

... so should a good dressing tie your salad together! 

While there are a few good bottled salad dressings out there (Annie's Naturals made a few tasty drizzlers last time I checked) there is really nothing more simple than whisking together a little vinegar or citrus juice, a good quality oil, and a little something extra (more on that later) to toss or top your salads with. 

I know summer is winding down but if you're like me, you eat salads year round, it's just the toppings that change. Roasted squash or sweet potatoes in the winter, fresh tomatoes in the summer (and ONLY in the summer), grilled apples in the fall... you get the picture.  Oh I could go on and on with increasingly poetic and flowery speech for the love of salads but I'll gently remind myself to stop thinking about the sweet citrus meat of a grapefruit in January as it pairs with the smoky creamy chartreuse of a ripe avocado drizzled with honey, sherry vinegar and olive oil... Dressing! Right! Back on track. Here are two super simple recipes for vinaigrettes I use almost daily and sometimes twice daily.

Citrus-Shallot Vinaigrette

1 small shallot, minced finely

2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice 

2 Tbsp. red wine or sherry vinegar

2 - 3 tsp. orange zest

1/3 cup good quality olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil. Let rest (resting the shallot in the vinegar mellows out its flavor, which is a good thing) while you prepare your other salad ingredients. Return to whisking the mixture when you are ready to serve the salad, slowly drizzle the oil into the whirling mixture to the oil becomes emulsified and the dressing looks viscous and slightly creamy. Taste for seasoning. Alternately, you can also put all ingredients together in a small jar and shake it like crazy. Then you have it all in a container ready to save for leftovers, if there are any!

Salad suggestions: My favorite (and the one pictured here) is a combo of roasted beets, chickpeas, feta, orange sections, and avocado. This dressing works well with slightly sweeter salad ingredients: fresh corn, cucumbers, raspberries, goat cheese, radishes, sugar snap peas, watercress, etc.

Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Whisk together ingredients, as above. Taste for seasoning. If it is too acidic (perhaps you are a miser like me and you buy the cheaper option of balsamic which is often unbearably tangy) you can add a pinch or two of brown sugar or a little squeeze of honey to mellow out the flavors.

Salad suggestions: fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, roasted squash, sweet potatoes, peppers, baby potatoes, spinach with strawberries and almonds, kalamata olives, green beans, etc. This dressing is a nice contrast to savory ingredients with a little more heft. Try it on a salad of spinach, albacore tuna, roasted red peppers, feta and olives.