Fresh Tart

My son Nathan and I spent our summer Sundays eating our way through Kingfield Farmers Market. We did it last summer too and got in such a fun groove of eating together, visiting with friends, and stocking up on all of our favorite treats for the week.

It's worth noting that it was a much less expensive endeavor last year, when Nathan was around my height and was satisifed with a Chef Shack hot dog. Uh, not this year, not at 6'4" and counting, when he still ate a Chef Shack hot dog, but added their soft-shell crab sandwich, mini-donuts, and Arnie Palmer; Gai Gai Thai curry; Cafe Palmira iced coffee; Foxy Falafel curry falafel with a load of perfect pickles, extra hummus to go; Sun Street Bakery turnovers and sourdough loaf; and Bogart Loves maple-bacon donuts.

I scored plenty of bites, of course, and a good portion of it all we brought home to share with John...but I'm telling you, Sunday became a day for feasting.

So damn cool.

One of my favorites toward the end of the season was Gai Gai's Thai omelet served in a curry broth. On a chilly morning, perhaps after being out too late the night before, that crispy omelet in creamy coconut broth tasted spicy-sublime.

I was out too late last night, in fact - hey! - and could think of nothing but that omelet around lunchtime today. So I made up a fast one, nowhere near the beauty of Kris' lovely coconut curries, but flavorful enough to feed the beast. I made one for John for dinner. His conclusion: I'm dying.

See you in the spring, Kingfield.

Thai Omelet in Coconut Curry Broth
Inspired by Gai Gai Thai
Serves 4

1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. Thai green curry paste
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. + 4 tsp. Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
handful of finely chopped vegetables, optional (I had cabbage and mushrooms on hand)
juice of 1/2 lime
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. chopped scallions
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro or basil
4 Tbsp. peanut oil

more chopped scallions & herbs for garnish
hot rice (optional)

Open the can of coconut milk and spoon some of the fat off into a medium saucepan set over medium heat. When the fat is hot, stir in the Thai curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rest of the can of coconut milk, chicken broth, 2 Tbsp. of the fish sauce, brown sugar, and vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Set aside and keep warm.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with 4 tsp. of fish sauce, scallions, and cilantro. Set a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp. of oil. When the oil is very hot, add 1/2 c. of the egg mixture to the pan. Swirl the egg around in the pan and when the edges start to brown, which will be pretty quickly, use a spatula to fold the omelet in half and then in half again. Cook for a few more minutes then transfer to a bowl. Ladle some broth over the top.

Repeat the process with the remaining egg mixture. Serve hot, with rice if desired, topped with more chopped herbs.

It's chowder season, yay! I'm a bit maniacal about chowder and all its briny, creamy glory.

Recipe for Montauk Oyster & Scallop Pan Roast at Food & Wine Magazine/Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures.

Recipe for Pan-Roasted Cornish Hens with Calvados & Apples at Food & Wine Magazine/Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures.

This dish is inspired by a roasted squash dish I had at 112 Eatery a few years back.

If you love butternut squash as much as I do, I suggest planning to have this as an entree, perhaps with a salad. It is not a light dish, although it doesn't have to be heavy if you go easy on the duck fat and blue cheese. Ha! I loved writing that sentence.

Or go for broke and serve it alongside a braised roast for a cold night's hearty fare. It definitely works both ways.

Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash with Blue Cheese & Sage at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Sticky. Glossy. Sweet. Tender. Easy. Addictive.

Recipe for One-Pot Sticky Chicken Wings at Food & Wine Magazine/Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures.

You might think of sangria as a summer drink - which it is - but this autumn version just might be the best I've ever had. The pretty jug in the photo was stirred together by my friend Molly McNeil, a cocktail minxtress if ever I've met one, based on a version by the talented Leslee Miller of Amusee.

I tell you, the number of ladies out there with interesting, adventurous palates is just endless!

Thank goodness.

Recipe for Autumn Sangria at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

When I started asking food friends what they think makes a great meatloaf, three separate people said ask Chef Stephen Trojahn of Gastrotruck, because his smoked meatloaf sliders are amazing.

So I sent him a note, and he kindly shared the following tips!

1. Start with excellent, grass-fed beef.
2. Test & taste your mixture (by frying off a bit first), adjust seasoning as needed.
3. If you don't have a smoker, add a few slices of smoked, finely diced & rendered bacon to the mixture.
4. Let it rest. It's even better if you let it come to room temperature then chill overnight.

I took those ideas and incorporated them into a recent favorite recipe by Chef Damon Wise. Both Trojahn and Wise endeavor to add layers of flavor to their meatloaf, with Trojahn adding the killer touch of cooking his in a smoker. If you have a smoker, do that! Absolutely delicious.

(Gluten-free note: I substituted gluten-free bread with excellent results.)

Recipe for tender, smoky Meatloaf at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

This pillowy gnocchi is so easy to make! And delicious tossed with brown butter and crispy sage.

Recipe for Winter Squash Snocchi with Brown Butter & Sage at Food & Wine Magazine/Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures.

I have some pretty exciting news...

I'm working with my friend Andrew Zimmern on his new endeavor for foodandwine.com, Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures. If you only know Andrew from his Travel Channel series Bizarre Foods, you might not realize that Andrew is an incredible chef, home cook, and entertainer. His recipes are not only approachable and fun, but packed with fresh flavor. I know this because I'm preparing and photographing them all for the series!

There will be a new recipe featured each week, so be sure to check back for his delicious ideas and tips.

Recipe for Thai Hot-n-Sour Coconut-Chicken Soup at Food & Wine Magazine/Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures.

I've had my eye on this recipe ever since I acquired the lovely cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. If you're looking for mouth-watering ways to add vegetables to your life, this is your book. Not only are the recipes clever and inspired, the photography is simply stunning. Earlier this summer I took a cup of coffee out on the deck, into the morning sun, and decided to affix post-it notes to the dishes I wanted to try. My husband watched me from the kitchen window for a bit, then popped his head out to say that perhaps I should mark the recipes I wasn't interested in.

Truly, I was tagging the entire book.

This rustic dish is basically a ready-to-eat spread: Melting eggplant, creamy yogurt, zippy za'atar spices, and tangy-crunchy pomegranate seeds. Nothing less than a flavor-texture explosion, it's also is a breeze to make and eat, just simply roasted eggplant drizzled with a little of this and that.

Serve with a pile of grilled bread and attack right off the baking sheet. Recipe for Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.