Here’s one more idea for a salad using many of the things in this week’s box. You want to make it ahead so the vegs have a chance to marinated. It’s perfect for a potluck – just take all the containers of vegs, then assemble onsite.
I’m hoping yesterday’s was the first of many sweet potatoes.. They are my favorite vegetable of fall. So versatile. Bake them whole. Roast them in pieces. Saute them with apples and sausage. Bake them and then use the puree in any number of recipes, like the one below from Prevention magazine. I give it to you because a certain coffee chain has just started serving its pumpkin spice lattes. Are they rushing the season? Well, pumpkins (and sweet potato) and spice are certainly a winning combination so who’s to say we can’t enjoy it in August?
Here’s one more idea. I found it in a post at Food 52. The recipe is from Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell, who notes that these “hot little balls make a nice snack or appetizer, but are also good later, to eat at room temperature out of hand on the go.” Sort of spanakopita but no filo. I’m making these tomorrow with a mix of mustard greens and kale.
You’ll find two dozen or so eggplant recipes there, but I’m going to try this one from “Chinatown Kitchen” by Lizzie Mabbott. Just basically browned eggplant with herbs and my favorite Vietnamese dipping sauce. Perfect summer dish. You could use a little habanero in place of the bird’s eye chile. Not traditional, but still delicious. Lizzie’s recipe calls for making the nuoc cham in a mortar and pestle. Full disclosure – I’ll be doing this in a food processor.
This week my tomatoes are going into a tomato pie. I could have sworn I shared this recipe before. It’s from Zeb Stevenson when he was the exec chef at Watershed. We ran it in the AJC three years ago.
Best. Tomato. Pie. Ever.
Stevenson has created a tomato pie with a biscuit-like crust and a layer of cheese that keeps the crust crisp but doesn’t overwhelm the bright tomato flavor. It’s a far cry from the soggy, mayonnaise-filled pies you may have tried before.
The recipe basically has you creating your own self-rising flour. This is perfect if, like at the restaurant, you don’t want to take up room storing something that isn’t often used. Instead of stocking up on self-rising flour, just make your own. Of course, if you have self-rising flour in the pantry, substitute 2 cups of that for the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
We ran this recipe for spaghetti squash in the AJC last year and it’s absolutely delicious. Probably you’re already doing something like this, but this might inspire a small tweak in your own recipe. I’m making this tomorrow, but using the slicer tomatoes from the box. They’ll work fine, just be a little more “saucy” than Romas.
And here’s a fun recipe that looks more complicated than it is. Basically they’re making a big pot of chili (using their barbecued brisket) and then serving it out of individual bags of Fritos.
David Larkworthy demoed this recipe at the Morningside Farmers Market in 2010 and I still remember it every year when okra arrives in season. It looks a little complicated because it’s a riff on Brunswick stew, a mixture of lots of flavors, but it really goes together pretty quickly and will surprise anyone who thinks okra can only be served cooked.
Recipes for Brunswick Stew are some of the most frequent requests we get at the AJC. Here’s a delicious summer variation, adapted from a recipe Chef David Larkworthy of Five Seasons Brewery as demonstrated at the Morningside Farmers Market this July. The okra in this recipe is raw, and it’s delicious. But here’s a tip: don’t expect this salad to keep. The okra is fresh and crisp when first cut, but after a day in the refrigerator, it starts to exude that sap that makes it such a great thickener, and that’s not a texture you want in your Brunswick Salad.
And because I love old-fashioned food around the Fourth of July, this congealed blueberry-peach salad recipe from Whole Foods.
Their note: “Fresh with juicy summer fruit and cooling mint, this juice-based gelatin fruit salad is a delicious throwback to childhood. Make it ahead for backyard barbeques, and feel free to substitute grapes or nectarines for the peaches and blueberries. (Note: Using vegan gelatin, the finished dessert will be less firm than with traditional gelatin.)”
We picked up a bunch of peaches that are just ready to enjoy, so this is on the menu for tomorrow.
First an adaptation of a cocktail from “Clean Cocktails” by Beth BRitter Nydick and Tara Roscioli ($24.95, The Countryman Press).