Summer Salad with Basil, Blue Cheese, Corn, and Heirloom Tomatoes

I am in denial that summer is basically over, and that is why I'm serving up a recipe today with some of summer's best produce--heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, basil, and arugula. Not to mention a hearty portion of blue cheese!

My friend A introduced me to this salad a few weeks ago. She stole the idea from her neighborhood salad/sandwich spot, and made it for me one night for dinner. I brought a big bowl of this salad to a potluck recently, and my friends devoured the salad quickly. Once you make it, you'll find yourself wanting it for dinner basically every night. Which isn't really a bad thing, since you'll only find these ingredients for maybe a few more weeks. So make this summer salad for dinner tonight.

As an adult, summer isn't quite as fun as it used to be. Living in the city means no friends with pools, working means no long summer vacations, and residing in San Francisco means piling on sweaters come June. Z and I will be escaping for a week to Hawaii very very soon, so we'll have to get our fill of warm weather, swimming, and vacation then, before the long grind to the holidays.

I'm thinking of fall recipes already--items for college football tailgates, Rosh Hashanah, and cozy Sunday night dinners. Before that though, let's make this salad over and over again, holding onto summer just a little bit longer.

Summer Salad with Basil, Blue Cheese, Corn, and Heirloom Tomatoes

2 ears of corn (white, yellow, bi-color--it doesn't matter!)

1/2 tablespoon of butter

4 cups of arugula, washed, rinsed, and dried

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

2 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

3 tablespoons chopped basil

Cut the kernels away from the corn cob. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the corn, and cook until just barely cooked (3-6 minutes, depending on the corn). You just want to lose the starchiness of the corn. 

Toss the arugula with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper according to taste. Add half the corn, tomatoes, blue cheese, and all of the basil. Toss and plate on a large serving platter. Top with the rest of the corn, tomatoes, and cheese. Enjoy!

Grilled Corn Salad

Corn is the epitome of summer foods for me. As soon as the weather starts to warm up (well, warm up everywhere but here in foggy San Francisco), you begin to see piles of corn at supermarkets and farmers markets, and it disappears almost as quickly. 

As a child, we stuck to the classic boiled corn on the cob; only three minutes in hot water and a final pat of butter was all corn needed. I didn't even know that people grilled corn until I was in college, when Z and I tried Mexican-style grilled corn.

These were no ordinary corn on the cobs. They were grilled to have a dark charred exterior, and then covered with cojita cheese, lime juice, and red chili pepper. It has great flavor balance-smoky corn exterior, sweet corn kernels, salty cheese, acidic lime juice, and spicy red pepper. 

Inspired by these corns on the cob, I've created a corn salad recipe here that uses the same flavor profile. We served it on the 4th of July, and it's a perfect meal to bring for summer dinner parties, pool parties, and picnics. 

Grilled Corn Salad

3 ears of corn

3 tablespoons mayo

1 lime

1/4 teaspoon of red chili pepper

4 tablespoons shredded cojita cheese

Prep corn for grilling by shucking the corn and lightly rubbing the outside with olive oil. Place corn in a hot pan or on an electric skillet. Turn every 5 minutes until the corn is dark and charred throughout.

Next, cut the corn off of the cob, and place the kernels into a bowl. 

In a small prep bowl, combine the mayo, lime juice, and chili pepper. Top the kernels with the dressing and toss. 

Add in cojita cheese and toss again. Feel free to adjust salad to match your taste--add more pepper for heat or more lime for acidity.

Minty Pea Soup

Pea soup reminds me of my father and my grandmother. My dad actually hates peas; he refuses to eat them. And my grandmother probably never made this soup.

Apparently, my grandmother would buy canned peas, boil them to death, and then serve the boiled pea mush to my dad. No wonder my dad hates peas.

If my dad ate this soup growing up, he would like peas. Because this soup is delicious, fresh, and slightly creamy. It's perfect for the spring!

Z liked this recipe so much that he actually suggested we make it for dinner one night. Any time Z recommends a particular recipe, instead of just saying, "I don't know what I want for dinner, Hilary. Make anything," means that we have found a winner.

This soup is easy enough to make for dinner on a weeknight, I promise! I'm including the recipe with frozen peas, because who really has time to shell fresh peas?

Enjoy!

Mint Pea Soup

from Ina Garten

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts only (about 2 leeks)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

4 cups chicken stock

2 10-ounce packages of frozen peas

2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, lightly packed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup creme fraiche

1/2 cup freshly chopped chives

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and the onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. 

Add the peas and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the peas are tender. Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper. 

Puree the soup in batches, one cup at a time, and pour the pureed soup into a large bowl. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives, then taste for seasoning. Serve hot! Top with additional creme fraiche if you would like. 

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

Since 2010, I have been eyeing Plenty, a vegetarian cookbook from Yotam Ottolenghi. Every time I went into a bookstore, I would flip through it, thinking to myself, "I NEED this book." Yet being a college student with little to no time for cooking, I refused to let myself buy it. I just couldn't justify buying a cookbook when I had no kitchen to even cook in.

This year I finally managed to get myself a copy of Plenty (thanks Dad!). I was pouring through the book, and I kept getting drawn back to the recipe on the front cover. Roasted eggplant, tangy sauce, and sweet pomegranate seeds...it sounded like summer dinner party heaven.

Ottolenghi calls this recipe "rustically elegant," and I couldn't agree more. Serve this with pita or bread as a starter for your next dinner party (whether its two or four people).

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

2 long eggplants
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp lemon thyme leaves, plus a few whole sprigs
Maldon sea salt and black pepper
Pomegranate seeds
1 tsp za'atar
9 tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, crushed
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, cutting straight through the green stalk. Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.



Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil--keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool down completely.

To make the sauce, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, olive oil, garlic and salt. Taste for seasoning, then keep cold until needed.

To serve, spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za'atar and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with lemon thyme. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Roasted Tomatoes

A few weeks ago, I went to see Philomena on a Friday night. I planned my night so that I had a few minutes to grab a sandwich from Taylor Gourmet, one of my favorite local sandwich shops. Turns out, Friday night is probably the worst time to go to Taylor Gourmet. Due to the Friday lunch rush, they completely ran out of bread by the time I showed up. 

While they offered to make a sandwich on regular grocery-store bread, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Instead, I opted for one of their salads, Society Hall, instead. Society Hall is a kale salad with Parmesan, walnuts, roasted tomatoes, and honey herb vinaigrette.  It was  one of the best kale salads I ever had--and I immediately wanted to whip up some roasted tomatoes to throw into my salads for work.  

These roasted tomatoes come together in about two hours, but require basically no work.  You toss the tomatoes with olive oil, thyme, and garlic, then throw them into the oven for two hours. I love throwing them into salads with some chickpeas and kale, adding them to my sandwiches, or serving them as a side at dinner with some roast chicken. I make a batch now on Sundays, and then I store them in the fridge over the week.  This recipe is perfect for early spring--when you are ready for fresh tomato salads, but the tomatoes aren't quite ripe yet.

Enjoy!

Roasted Tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced

Handful of thyme springs (7-10 sprigs)

Pinch of salt

Freshly cracked pepper

1 lb. of tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Pour the olive oil into a shallow baking dish, then add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.Cut the tomatoes in half, then toss the tomatoes with the oil and seasonings. Lay the tomatoes cut side down in the pan.Bake for two hours, until the tomatoes are completely soft and wilted. The tomatoes keep for about five days in the refrigerator. 

Roasted Asparagus

Grocery shopping in DC is stressful. Living in California, I used to love the peacefulness of grocery shopping, the trivial yet enjoyable nature of picking out food for the week. Here in DC, grocery shopping is quite the ordeal.

First, I walk about fifteen minutes to get to a grocery store. If I remember to go shopping before Sunday, there might be decent looking produce at Safeway, Harris Teeter, or Trader Joe's. At Trader Joe's, I have to prepare myself for the check-out line that wraps around to the entrance of the store and is at least twenty minutes long. And if I make the crucial mistake of shopping in the late afternoon on a Sunday, then I am definitely heading to Whole Paycheck Foods for produce. After filling my reusable bags with produce, dairy, and meat for the week, I begin to make my trek back home.

Back in California, grocery shopping was a chance for discovery--for uncovering new ingredients to add in to my repertoire. Here in DC, I just want to get into the grocery store and leave as soon as possible. I started following strict shopping lists so that I could get in and out as quickly as possible. Usually, I am pretty good about making a list and sticking to it. 

This past weekend though, I got distracted by some asparagus. It just looked so good, and I realized that I had not eaten asparagus in so long (probably because it's a spring vegetable, and it's currently only the beginning of March...). I decided to buy the asparagus, even though it wasn't on my list, and I wasn't quite sure how I was going to cook it. My family typically cooks asparagus out on the BBQ but due to the lack of warm weather (and a real BBQ grill) here in DC, I realized that wasn't going to be an option.  I decided to stick with a traditional roasted asparagus recipe--it was delicious, straightforward, and quick. 

Hope this inspires you to pick up some asparagus next time you are at the market--it's just the start of spring, so there will be lots of beautiful asparagus at the market over the next few months!

Roasted Asparagus

1 lb of asparagus

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut off the tough part of the asparagus (last two inches or so).

Place the asparagus on a sheet pan. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 25 minutes. The asparagus should be tender yet still crisp.

Thanksgiving with Ginger Candied Carrots

I hope you all had a wonderful day filled with family, laughter, and of course, delicious food!  There is so much to be thankful for that a one-day celebration does not seem to be enough.  Today, I am most thankful for being able to celebrate this holiday with a lot of food on the table and the people I love next to me.  

I spent most of the day cooking and cleaning before our guests arrived at 4pm.  While my dad was in charge of the turkey, I led the charge on side dishes.  We had a vegetarian dining with us this year, so we really tried to amp up our side dish offerings so she had plenty to eat.  

My sister specifically requested this Ginger Candied Carrots recipe.  The festive orange carrots and gingery sauce lend itself to a unique side dish that eaters of all ages will love.  My dad made these for us when we were kids, and they are still our favorite today!

Ginger Candied Carrots

From The Silver Palate Cookbook

Serves 6 

12 medium-size carrots, peeled, and cut into 1-inch lengths

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1. Place carrot pieces in a saucepan and add cold water to cover.  Cook carrots until tender, 25-30 minutes.  
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan.  Add brown sugar, ginger, and caraway seeds. Mix and set aside. 
3. When carrots are done, drain and return to the pot.  Pour butter mixture over them and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately. 

Late Dinner & Lemon Zest 101

My boyfriend Zachary came out to visit this weekend, and we spent Saturday exploring Alexandria, VA.  There was perfect fall weather-crisp and sunny.  We spent the day drinking coffee, exploring boutiques in Old Town, and walking along the harbor.  Zach and I stopped by Virtue Feed & Grain for some nachos, which were delicious, but left me wanting  a lighter, healthier dinner to recover from the delicious queso covered nachos from earlier in the day.

I was drawn to this recipe form Bon Appetit's November issue for a few reasons.  First, the bright flavors of the lemon and parsley sounded delicious when contrasted against a more hearty vegetable like cauliflower.  Secondly, I love any roasted vegetable recipe--they are always straightforward and delicious.

This recipe calls for lemon zest.  Lemon zest is the grated rind of a lemon--the oils in the rind smell and taste delicious, and the zest can add even more lemon flavor than fresh lemon juice can.  I provided some tips on grating a lemon below!

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parsley Dressing

from November 2013 Bon Appetit

2 lb. cauliflower florets

6 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt 

Fresh ground black pepper

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place cauliflower on a pan.  Toss with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.  
3. Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Cauliflower should be tender.
4. When the cauliflower is baking,  pulse parsley, lemon juice, and two tablespoons of olive oil until smooth in a small food processor.  
5. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
6. Toss cauliflower with dressing, and then top with lemon zest. 

Lemon zest tips:  Clean your lemon thoroughly--you don't want wax in your lemon zest!  Using a micro plane or zester, grate the outside of the lemon.  Zest should only include the very top layer of the lemon rind, not the white pith.  Rotate the lemon once you see the pith.  

Crispy Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

I have a love/hate relationship with leftovers. Part of me loves the fact that I can cook a delicious meal once, and then eat it the next day and maybe even the day after that. However, I also want to eat fresh food, particularly fresh produce, with my meals. This means I typically end up putting together some easy side dishes when I am reheating my leftovers. In my opinion, there are few vegetable dishes easier than Steamfresh, but these balsamic Brussels sprouts are. I dump all the ingredients on a pan, use my hands to toss, and put them in the oven for 40 minutes. Even though they take a while to cook, they are so easy, and so delicious, that I don't mind the wait. I love the taste of the syrupy balsamic vinegar on the Brussels sprouts, but feel free to just roast the Brussels sprouts plain.

Crispy Balsamic Brussels Sprouts (makes approximately 2 servings)

1.5 cups Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts. Pull off any yellow leaves.  Cut the Brussels sprouts in half.  Place the sprouts on a baking sheets.

Pour the olive oil, salt, and pepper over the sprouts.  Toss with your hands to evenly coat.

Place Brussels sprouts in the oven for 30 minutes.  Periodically toss to ensure even cooking. 

After 30 minutes, pour balsamic vinegar over the Brussels sprouts.  Toss with a spatula.

Continue cooking for 10 more minutes or until Brussels sprouts are crispy.  Enjoy!