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.

Weekend Reading

Happy Friday! I will be spending the weekend catching up with friends, playing tennis, and trying to enjoy as much time in the sun as possible. 

Here's a round up of interesting food-related things from the week.  Enjoy!

I love this NYTimes interactive cocktail generator--it's making me want a Paloma!{Link}

A look at Fenton's Creamery, a Bay Area ice cream classic. {Link}

7x7's Big Eat Live event is this weekend! Basically, it's an all you can eat event from some o of the best restaurants in the city. If I lived in SF, I would definitely be there! {Link}

An interesting piece from NPR on throwing out leftovers and it's impact on the global food supply. {Link}

Why it's okay to share food at a restaurant, from Bon Appetit. I totally agree! Why eat one meal when you could try two (or more)? {Link}

Important PSA: Uber is delivering ice cream today in DC between 1pm and 5pm. You're welcome. {Link}

And since I can't be at the 7x7 event in SF, I will definitely be at this ice cream tasting event in DC! {Link}

Lemon Thyme Chicken Breasts

Life sure has been busy lately! I have some BIG news coming your way soon. My to-do lists keep getting longer and longer, but I am excited for the changes coming my way. I promise I will share soon!

When days are busy, I want the easiest of easy dinner recipes. I need a recipe that I can throw together quickly, but is filling and delicious. Bonus points if it gives me delicious leftovers to bring for lunch the next day.

This lemon and thyme chicken recipe is a perfect post-busy day meal. The chicken breasts turn out perfectly roasted with a delicious lemony pan sauce that takes less than 10 minutes of active cooking time. Just add some brown rice and a salad, and you have an essential weeknight meal.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Breasts

Recipe from Ina Garten

Serves 4

1/4 cup good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Warm the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat, and add the garlic and cook for 1 minute (but don't allow it to brown). Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Pour the sauce into a 9x12 baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon into 8 wedges and and tuck them in among the chicken.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't golden enough, you can put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Favorite Finds: Food52's Provisions

It should come as no surprise that I love Food52. It's a wonderful community for home chefs that provides so much inspiration through delicious recipes and contests.

Recently, they launched an online store, Provisions, filled with all sorts of new and vintage goodies. From linens to bakeware to specialty foods, they have it all! Their sourcing is impeccable--everything looks clean and simple, but incredibly well-designed. My particular favorites are their vintage finds. I love the idea of having one-of-a-kind serveware or glasses to place on my own table.

Below are some of my favorite pieces from Provisions!

1. Vintage Pie & Cake Server {http://bit.ly/1kVDXTb}

2. Vintage Menu Print: Cliff House {http://bit.ly/1rbiltx}

3. Vintage Champagne Coupes {http://bit.ly/1maHPPT}

4. Parisian Hard Candies (perfect for Basille Day!) {http://bit.ly/1yhsky7}

5. 52 Stripes Tea Towel {http://bit.ly/1zBMvIv}

6. Ice Cream Bowls {http://bit.ly/1kUNpLb}

All-American Peach and Sour Cream Pancakes

Happy 4th of July! I will be spending the day with friends here in Washington, DC. Though the District gets so crowded this time of year with tourists, it is such a magical and wonderful place to be. I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing three-day weekend.

To kick off my long weekend, I wanted nothing more than a luxurious breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day (probably because it's socially acceptable to eat sugary, dessert-like things in place of a meal), but during the week I rarely have time to eat a hot breakfast.

I was reading the Smitten Kitchen cookbook (thanks Dad for the great birthday gift!) when I saw this recipe for Peach and Sour Cream Pancakes. Though my favorite pancakes are typically thin, Swedish-inspired ones, these fluffy and thick peach pancakes were calling my name. I knew they would make a perfect for a perfect three-day weekend breakfast!

Like all recipes I feature here on Hilary Stone Soup, this one is quite easy to make and takes very little prep time. It's a great dish to impress house guests who are visiting for the weekend. No need to tell them how simple the recipe is!

Enjoy the 4th, and these delicious pancakes!

Peach and Sour Cream Pancakes

from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

1 large egg

1 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Butter, for pan

1 peach, halved, pitted, and sliced very thinly (about 1/8-inch slices)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Whisk the egg, sour cream, vanilla, and sugar together in the bottom of a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold dry ingredient into wet, mixing until just combined and still a little lumpy.

Heat your skillet or sauté pan to medium-low. Melt a pat of butter in the bottom of the pan, and ladle in 1/4 cup batter at a time, leaving at least 2 inches between the pancakes. When the pancakes are dry around the edges and you can see bubbles forming on the top, after about 3 to 4 minutes, flip the pancake in one quick movement.

Cook for another 5 minutes, until the pancakes are golden brown on both sides and the peach slices are nicely caramelized. Transfer the pancakes to a tray in your warm oven as they cook, which will ensure they fully set and stay warm until you are ready to eat!