Fresh Tart

We just returned from visiting my in-laws' home in the Hamptons, one of the prettiest places in the world.  With lush flowers, towering trees, white beaches, and sprawling "cottages," there is always somewhere picturesque to rest your eye.

The food is lush too, spilling over onto quaint farm stands and into local markets.  Berries, melons, tomatoes, peaches, fresh fish, and corn, corn, corn.  I say this every year, but the Silver Queen-esque variety of east coast sweetcorn - white, small-kerneled, poppingly crisp - is always a summer food highlight.  There's nothing like it in Minnesota, so we really savor it while we're there.

My father-in-law made his famous crab cakes with tomato sauce.  To.  Die.  For.

He gave me his recipe, below, lalalaaaa! If you can put your hands on fresh crab meat, you are in for a treat.  The light tomato sauce is the perfect complement to the rich crab.  This night we had silky beef shortribs as well, but I started eating crab cakes and drinking wine and chatting with my sister-in-law and...no more pictures.

I could not get enough of Esther's plump shrimp dumplings.  Little pillows of heaven.

The painting in the picture above is by our friend Maud Bryt.  It's of the whole gang at one of our annual beach barbecues.

Thank you to Maud's husband Bartley and my brother-in-law Tom for this year's barbecue: Grilled shrimp with peach salsa, guacamole, burgers & dogs, and s'mores.

Perfection.

One of the best parts of the trip was getting a break from the heat and humidity.  Warm sun, cool breeze, dry air, ahhh. I've not much enjoyed sweating on my own deck this summer, so it was particularly lovely to sit on the porch to sip coffee and read in the morning...

...and to sip wine and chat in the evening.

The tree above is my favorite in a landscape forested with beautiful, unusual trees.  This photo doesn't do it justice - it's hard to see the ivy skirt that swirls up its trunk, or appreciate its stunning asymmetry against perfectly symmetrical surroundings. I guess I'll just have to go back and try again...

Home now, gearing up for Part II: Westward Ho!  I'll be back soon, but until then, I leave you with crab cakes.  Yeah.

My Father-in-Law's Crab Cakes
Makes 12/14 medium crab cakes

2 lbs. fresh, carefully picked over crab meat
1 cup minced onion
2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 c. minced fresh parsley
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/4 c. heavy cream
2 c. finely crushed saltine crackers
1/2 stick butter (or more)
1/4 c. oil (or more)

Put crab meat and onion in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, cayenne, Old Bay, parsley, eggs, mayonnaise, and heavy cream.  Pour mixture over crab meat and fold together carefully with a rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the crab too much.  Form into hockey puck-sized cakes.

Spread crushed saltines in a pie plate.  Coat crab cakes with saltines, setting them on a sheet of waxed paper as you go.  (Can be made up to 2 hours ahead; cover with waxed paper and chill.)

Heat butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Fry crab cakes until browned and crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve hot with tomato sauce pooled generously around each cake.

Light Tomato Sauce

1/4 lb. butter
28 oz. chopped tomatoes (Pomi or other Italian brand)
2 c. concentrated chicken stock (from cubes)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. good (imported) white truffle oil

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then stir in tomatoes and chicken stock.  Simmer, breaking up tomatoes, until sauce is lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then stir in basil and truffle oil.  Serve immediately.  (You can make the tomato sauce one day ahead, up until adding basil and truffle oil; cover and chill.  Reheat, then stir in basil and truffle oil to serve.)

My family is more than a little obsessed with the eggplant spread - or melitzanosalata - at It's Greek to Me.  The creamy eggplant is perfectly balanced with lemon, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt.  Nathan and I could sit down with just that, and a mountain of pillowy, hot-off-the-griddle pita bread, and stuff ourselves like fat little dolmades.

Yeah.

Needless to say, when I saw a pile of gorgeous eggplants at the farmers market, I greedily snagged several, with eggplant spread fully on my mind.  I used this David Lebovitz eggplant caviar recipe, because 1) David Lebovitz recipes are always fantastic, and 2) I loved the idea of the seared, blackened eggplant skins imparting a subtle smokiness to the spread.

Always go for the smoke, right?  Perhaps a rule to live by.

One note - definitely don't forget to poke a few holes in the whole eggplants before setting them on the hot grill.  If you don't, you'll learn that eggplants explode rather loudly.

When the skins are blackened, finish roasting the eggplants in the oven, until they're falling-apart tender.  Scrape the flesh into a bowl, mash with plenty of garlic & herbs, drizzle with olive oil, and smear generously on warm, grilled bread.

Commence stuffing yourself.

Recipe for Eggplant Caviar at www.davidlebowitz.com.

Thanks to reader Michael G. for the following email:

Stephanie, I make my own hummus but I can't get it as creamy as others. I add a good amount of olive oil & lemon juice, but I want it creamier. Thanks, Michael

Have you had the same problem - homemade hummus that seems more like chickpea sludge than a really good, buttery hummus? I certainly have, and since I despise store-bought hummus (I find the stale garlic taste and smell offensive, no matter the brand...), I tend to just eat it in Middle Eastern restaurants (where it can be divine...) and really savor it.

But Michael's question got me thinking, and doing a little research, and thanks to Google and a million food blogs (seriously, it's a miracle anyone reads this blog given the competition - thanks for being here!), I pieced together the secret to authentic, home-made hummus...

It's the tahini!  Not just adding tahini, because you've probably done that and still ended up with sludge.  The trick is emulsifying the tahini with liquid (lemon juice and water), creating a whipped, fluffy, buttery-textured base into which you then puree the chickpeas and seasonings. (Think homemade mayonnaise or aioli.)

The result?  Smooth, creamy hummus.

Very excellent.

Toasted cumin and minced preserved lemon add lovely flavor.  (If you've not yet discovered the addictive deliciousness of preserved whole lemons, buy a jar immediately; they're fantastic on everything.)  Good olive oil is a must-have, since the olive oil flavor really comes through.  Plus, it looks pretty drizzled on top, with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.  Hummus tastes best at room temperature, particularly slathered on a small mountain of warm, grilled flatbread.

Creamy, Fluffy Hummus
Makes about 2 cups

1/4 c. tahini
juice of one lemon, about 1/4 c.
1/4 c. water or more
1/2 of a whole preserved lemon, seeds discarded (I find jars of whole preserved lemons at Whole Foods), minced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 14-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder (optional, if you like spiciness; if not, skip it)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Add tahini, lemon juice, and water to the bowl of a blender.  Blend on high until the tahini becomes very fluffy and pale colored.  Add the minced preserved lemon and garlic and blend until pureed.  Add some of the the olive oil and chickpeas, a little bit at a time of each, blending until completely pureed before adding more.  Add a little bit more water at any point if hummus seems too thick.  You want it to be creamy and the consistency of mayonnaise.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Add cumin and toast for a minute or two, just until fragrant and toasty smelling.  Do not burn it.  Remove from heat and immediately scrape it into the hummus.  Add smoked paprika and chili powder (if using).  Blend to incorporate.  Taste and adjust seasonings and salt (you'll need less salt if you used the preserved lemon).  Grind in some pepper.  Blend again.

Scrape hummus into a serving bowl.  Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  (Can be made ahead; cover and chill, bring to room temperature before serving.)

If you've eaten at Barrio Tequila Bar lately (and if you haven't, you should...), you'll recognize this guacamole presentation, with sliced jalapenos and radishes.  I copied it because I'm absolutely smitten with the extra crunch and heat of the raw vegetables - as if I needed yet another reason to love guacamole.

Or anything at Barrio.

(I knocked back a soft-shell crab taco last night.  Lordy.)

I'm a bit promiscuous with my own guacamole concoctions - jalapenos, tomatillos, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemon, lime, chipotles...they all make appearances, in various combinations.  This version features garlic and smoky chipotles.

I would have added a chopped tomato, but I heaped this particular green glory on a grilled, open-face burger, along with a big ol' slice of tomato.

Be aware - I like it hot, so start with a smaller amount of chipotle if you need.  And taste your jalapeno before eating big slices - their heat varies widely!  (You can tell that I blog from Minnesota with all of those spicy! heat! uff da! warnings...)

Smoky Chipotle Guacamole
Serves 4

1 ripe avocado (gives lightly to pressure when pressed)
sea salt
1 chipotle chili from a can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, minced to a paste (note: if you are sensitive to heat, start with 1/2 of a chipotle chili, taste the guacamole, and add more to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced to a paste
juice of 1 lime
1 ripe garden tomato, seeded & chopped

1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper
2 thinly sliced radishes

Cut avocado in half.  Remove pit and discard.  Spoon flesh from the skin and add to a medium bowl.  Season with salt (1/2 tsp. to start), then mash avocado with the chipotle, garlic, and lime.  Gently stir in the chopped tomato.  Correct seasoning.  Garnish with sliced jalapenos and radishes.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Here's a new twist on an old favorite, turning this lovely 101 Cookbooks tomato tart into little tomato tart canapes.  Don't worry, I didn't mess with that perfectly buttery, cheesy crust.  Oh no.  I just baked it in a flat rectangle instead of in a tart pan, then cut the still-warm crust into bite-size squares.  I used ripe cherry tomato slices to fit the diminutive bites, then topped it all with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a generous grind of black pepper.

A mini replica of the original.  (Which makes a fantastic dinner, by the way, the original.  Add a light salad.)

Pretty, right?  Easy too.  And so damn delicious, you'll be a little bit blown away. The contrast of soft, ripe tomato bursting through the shatteringly crisp crust is just...whoa.

Scene stealing.

Expensive tasting (but not expensive).

Party making.

Especially since you can make the crust ahead (yes!) and salt and dry the tomatoes in advance too.

Quickly assemble them right before your guests arrive.  Eat a couple while they ring your doorbell.  Don't forget to wipe your mouth!  You're golden.

(Those are skin-on marcona almonds above, by the way.  I snagged them in the Whole Foods cheese section and you should too.  The toasted skin adds another addictive layer of salty, oily crunch and nuttiness.  Good.)

Bite-Size Tomato Tarts on a Parmesan Crust
Slightly adapted from a recipe by Heidi Swanson on www.101cookbooks.com

1 pint in-season, ripe cherry tomatoes (great tasting!), cut into thick slices
1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1/2 c. butter, well chilled + cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
4-oz. chunk of good fresh Parmesan, microplane-grated (you should end up with about 2 cups loosely packed grated cheese. Save any leftover grated cheese for sprinkling on the crusts when they come out of the oven)
2 Tbsp. ice cold water
2 Tbsp. best quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. slivered basil
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prep the tomatoes:
To avoid a soggy crust later on, you need to rid the tomatoes of some of their liquid.  Clear a space on your counter and put down a double layer of absorbent paper towels.  Place the tomatoes in a single layer on the paper towels and sprinkle them with about 1 tsp. fine-grained sea salt.  Top the tomatoes with another layer of paper towels and press gently.  Let the tomatoes sit until you are ready to use them.

Make the tart crust(s):
Place the butter, both flours, and Parmesan in a food processor and pulse quickly about 25 times.  You are looking for a sandy textured blend, punctuated with pea-sized pieces of butter.  With a few more pulses, blend in the 2 Tbsp. of ice water.  The dough should stick together when your pinch it between two fingers.  Pour the dough onto the baking sheet.  Working quickly, press the dough uniformly into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle.  Place in the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes.

Bake the tart crust:
Pull the crust out of the refrigerator and poke several times with the tongs of a fork.  Cover the tart with aluminum foil and cover generously with pie weights, or alternatively, lay a second baking sheet on top of the foil.  Slide the crust onto the middle rack in the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes, pull the shell out of the oven and remove the pie weights or second baking sheet, then gently peel back the tinfoil.  Place the uncovered tart back in the oven, weight free, and allow to cook for another 10 minutes, or until it is a deep golden brown in color.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan (this will act as another barrier to the tomato liquid).  Using a pizza cutter, cut the still-warm (and therefore slightly soft and easier to cut) crust into bite-size squares.  Place the pan on a rack and let cool to room temperature before filling.

Assembling the tarts:
Just before serving, arrange two tomato slices on each square.  Drizzle with your best quality extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with the slivered basil.  Grind black pepper over the bites.  Serve at room temperature.

I'll confess a deep, dark secret.  I love...Cheez-its.  I don't want to know what cheez is, and I endeavor to not eat the things (I forbid them from the house...most of the time), but I'm moved by their flaky, tangy, processed perfection.  Addictive little beasts, grrr.

But as tasty as they are, I'm obviously not bringing them to a party, at least not in this century.  (I've brought much worse to parties, including little cocktail pumpernickel slices spread with herb processed cheese and topped with slices of Oscar Mayer salami cut into Christmas-tree shapes.  It took me forever to free-form all those little salami trees.  I...yeah.  That was a long time ago.)  These better days, I think it's nice to bring a host/ess something I've actually made myself, mad scissor skills aside.

Like blue cheese shortbread crackers.  They're cheesy (no Z!) and crisp.  Tender and tangy.  Addictive little beasts.  Perfect nibbled alongside a glass of wine.  And blessedly un-orange.  In other words, a lovely thing to take to a party.

Blue Cheese Shortbread Crackers
Adapted from Bon Apetit November 2002
Serves 6

3 1/2 oz. crumbled blue cheese (about 1/2 c.)
3 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 c. walnuts, finely chopped

Blend the blue cheese and butter in a processor until creamy.  Add flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.  Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add walnuts and process just until moist clumps form.  Gather dough into ball.  Roll out dough between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness.  Transfer wrapped dough to a baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes (they're much easier to cut out and handle when chilled).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.  Using a small biscuit cutter (or other shape cutter), cut out crackers.  (You could also free-hand cut them into squares and skip the cutter altogether.)  Transfer cutouts to prepared baking sheets.  Gather dough scraps and reroll (and chill); cut out additional crackers.  Transfer to prepared baking sheets.  Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to racks and cool.  (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

I'll admit, this is a bit similar to the post below (grilled cheese with baby artichokes), as in, "How to Make a Meal from a Baguette," but hey, a baguette makes a lovely meal, as do artichokes and eggs, so stay with me.  Just like in Caesar salad, the anchovy adds a punch of salty-savory, without being overwhelmingly fishy.  A squeeze of lemon brightens the whole, and a swipe of garlic across the crostini ties it all together.  Finish with a shower of minced chives and freshly ground pepper, alongside a simple salad, and I promise, a light, lovely dinner.  Or appetizer (minus the salad), definitely a great appetizer - pair with a tart Sauvignon Blanc.

Funny thing about that chive garnish - it's from a pot on my deck!  In March, in Minnesota!  How is that possible?  One, my supreme laziness in not clearing out my herb pots at the end of the fall.  (Chives are perennial, apparently even in tiny pots.  The other pic reveals the evergreen tree tops that I never put in the not-cleared-out herb pots before they were buried in snow.  Proof of my laziness everywhere, sigh.)  Two, it's been a crazy-hot March, no snow for the first time in more than 100 years - likely foreboding, but for now I'll take it.

Oh, here's another funny thing about that chive garnish - the spreader to the right of the egg salad (above) says...chives!  How cool is that?  I picked up a couple of these old, smashed-n-stamped spoons from Hunt & Gather in Minneapolis.  They're meant to adorn herb pots, but I think they're awfully sweet as spreaders.  Right?

Egg Salad with Lemon, Anchovies, & Crostini

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 3-4 as a main course with a salad

6 large eggs

1/4 c. mayonnaise

2 anchovies (more for garnish, if you like)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

1/2 baguette, cut into 1/4-inch slices

olive oil

1 garlic clove, split in half

minced chives

Hard-cook the eggs - put the eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water plus 1 inch, and set uncovered over high heat.  Bring to a rolling boil, turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 11 minutes.  Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water.  When the timer goes off, transfer the eggs to the ice water and let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the anchovies in a medium bowl.  Whisk in lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, and a few grinds of black pepper.  Crack and peel the eggs, dice them, then stir into the mayonnaise mixture.  (Discard two of the yolks if you'd like to lighten things up a bit.)  Cover and chill the egg salad until ready to use.

Toast the bread - drizzle olive oil all over a baking sheet.  Press the baguette slices into the oil, flip them, and press the other side into the oil.  Sprinkle the slices with coarse salt and either grill them or toast them in a hot oven until golden at the edges.  Rub them lightly with cut garlic and let cool.

To serve, mound egg salad on crostini, sprinkle with minced chives, lay anchovies over the tops (if desired), and serve.

Rishia & Andrew Zimmern brought us an incredible dinner tonight.  Chinese drunken chicken - fragrant, sticky, tender, and sweet - with rice to soak up the insanely addictive sauce.  (The pic doesn't do it justice, sorry, lost my light...)  We four put away an impressive amount of rice, blame that damn sauce.  I'm going to wake up in the morning craving it.  And you know what?  I'll indulge my craving, because what precious little remains is in our fridge.  My fridge.  Yes indeed.

I roasted some crispy kale to snack on while Andrew cooked.  (I LOVE having someone else cook in my kitchen.  While I munch and chat.  So relaxing!  I really should have myself over sometime.)  I sprinkled the kale with some black sesame seed salt that Andrew gave me - delicious together.

I also made a pineapple upside down cake for dessert, which we were all too full to really appreciate.  I suspect it will be better loved tomorrow.  I'll pop the recipes in later, so tired.  For now, sleep tight!

OK, back with recipe for kale, below.  The pineapple upside down cake recipe I'll put in my next post.  I'll double-check with Andrew on the recipe for drunken chicken and post if it's cool.  Apparently still a post-in-progress...

Crispy Kale

Adapted from www.steamykitchen.com and www.kalynskitchen.com

4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 lb.)

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

sea salt or kosher salt (optional: toasted sesame seeds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Dry kale thoroughly in a salad spinner and/or on paper towels - moisture will cause the kale to steam and not crisp.  Put kale in a large ziploc bag and drizzle with the oil. Close the bag and gently rub the oil into the kale leaves, coating them thoroughly.  Spread leaves evenly on the baking sheet (make sure they're not piled on top of each other).  Bake for 12-20 minutes (15 min was the mark for me).  When the leaves are dried and crackly, but not browned, the kale is done.  If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt (and sesame seeds, if desired).