Fresh Tart

I'll just cut to the chase - there is no better way to eat leftovers than atop a chickpea flour pancake.  The pancake itself is so flavorful, it could breathe new life into almost any topping.  It also takes 3 minutes to make - chickpea flour, stirred with some water, fried in a tiny bit of olive oil, done.

Depending on what I'm topping it with, I might stir in a dash of seasoning, say curry powder or cumin.  But I often don't even bother.

Today's topping was a spoonful of leftover spaghetti meat sauce, sauteed with a handful of spinach.  After it landed on the pancake, I added a crumble of feta cheese.  It was, hands down, one of the best meals I've had all week.

You could add a spot of last night's pork roast, sliced thin and quickly sauteed with the two florets of stir-fried cauliflower sitting next to the milk.  That dash of curry might be really nice.  Include a spoonful of chutney and you'll forget your name for a minute.

Of course you don't need leftovers to enjoy a chickpea flour pancake.  Stir one up, fill it with cheese and a sprinkle of fresh thyme, fold it over quesadilla-style.  Nice.

Or - you know what I'm going to say next, because it's what I always say - top it with a fried egg.  Fry your egg in olive oil with a dash of smoked paprika.  Nestle the egg gently on the pancake, drizzle the reddish oil from the pan over the top, sprinkle with coarse salt.

I'm so having that for lunch tomorrow.

Chickpea Flour Pancake
Makes 1 pancake

Chickpea flour is gluten-free and low carbohydrate.  Find it in many grocery stores or online at Nuts Online or Amazon.

1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. chickpea flour
2 Tbsp. water (perhaps a bit more)
pinch of salt

Heat olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.  While the pan heats, stir together the chickpea flour, water, and salt - the batter should be the consistency of thin pancake (or crepe) batter.  When the pan is hot, add the batter.  Swirl the pan so the batter covers the bottom of the pan.  Cook until set and a little browned at the edges, about 2 minutes.  Flip pancake and cook for another minute.  Serve hot.

Nathan and I enjoyed the most delicious cold cucumber soup while in East Hampton.  It was dairy-free, yet smooth and creamy in texture, a bit frothy even, tasting of little more than pleasantly salty cucumbers and dill.  We couldn't stop talking about it and I promised that I'd attempt a version at home.

This soup requires a blender to become truly "creamy" and frothy - a food processor alone won't do the trick.  A generous drizzle of olive oil, emulsified with the cucumbers, is what gives the soup its smooth, dreamy texture.

In addition to its addictive deliciousness, cucumbers are nicely de-puffing, a marvelous benefit after two weeks of vacation eating (ahem).  I could blame my doughy eyes on the allergy/sinus issues I'm having right now (it turns out that I'm quite allergic to the dried grasses in late-summer Wyoming/Montana).

But I suspect a core sample of my eyelid tissue would reveal microscopic slices of white bread, shakers of salt, and glasses of wine floating around my eyes.  Pass the green tea, please.

I grilled a pile of shrimps to enjoy with this soup.  Hot shrimps alongside cold cucumber soup made a really light, lovely dinner.  It's nice to be home.

Cold Cucumber Soup with Dill
Serves 4

2 lbs. cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 c. cold water (perhaps more)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (perhaps more)
1 large shallot, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped dill (or more, to taste)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. honey (or 1/2 tsp. sugar for vegan)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Place half of the cucumbers in the bowl of a blender.  Add cold water and blend on high speed until cucumber is pureed.  Add remaining cucumber, shallot, garlic, and dill and blend until pureed.  With the blender running, slowly add olive oil, blending on high until the soup becomes quite creamy.  Blend in the honey and salt and pepper to taste.  Add more vinegar, dill, honey, or water to tweak consistency and flavor to your liking.  Chill for a few hours for best flavor, although it's delicious right away as well.

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.

Behold the world's most perfect side dish.  I'm not talking about the photo, which is meh (sorry, I was rushing this out to our National Night Out block party), but the dish itself, which is delicious and flexible and adaptable and easy and do-ahead.

No lie.

Serve it warm or serve it at room temperature.  Stir in shredded chicken or lamb, or serve it alongside a roast of either.  Add tomatoes, or corn, or peas, or any vegetable, really.

I never make it the same way twice and love all my iterations.  Perhaps narcissistic, but I don't think so.

I spy roasted cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, okra, pine nuts, scallions, kalamata olives, red onions, and feta cheese studding this version.  The soft, fluffy couscous pulls together all the lovely textures and flavors.

The basics are below - improvise away!  Include a combination of raw and cooked vegetables for the biggest flavor punch.  I bring this dish to almost every potluck I'm invited to - it actually improves as it sits there, looking pretty.

Couscous with Vegetables, Olives, & Raisins
Serves 4-6

1-10 oz. box plain couscous
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into matchstick pieces
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly into 1-inch pieces
3 oz. white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. raisins (or golden raisins, or currants), softened by heating in a microwave, with 1 tsp. of water, for 30 seconds
1/4 c. chopped scallions
1/4 c. chopped Kalamata olives
salt and pepper

Prepare couscous according to package directions.  Spread hot couscous out on a baking sheet, breaking up any clumps, and allow to cool to room temperature.  (Skip this step if you're going to serve the couscous warm.)

Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Stir in pepper, onion, and mushrooms and sauté until starting to wilt, about 8 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cumin, then garlic and raisins, and sauté for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer couscous to a bowl.  Stir in scallions and olives, then sautéed vegetables and any oil from the pan.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve warm or at room temp.

Optional stir-in ideas:
¼ toasted pine nuts
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ c. canned, drained chickpeas
¼ c. chopped fresh mint leaves
½ c. crumbled feta cheese
1 c. cooked, shredded chicken or lamb

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 mint over-runneth your garden - chives too, for that matter - then this pesto is for you.  It's surprisingly mild, luscious with toasted almonds and olive oil (no cheese).  It makes a quick, lovely dinner, especially tossed with fresh tomatoes (as written) or a handful or two of your favorite lightly sauteed vegetables.  (My tomatoes were just meh, so I added English peas, asparagus, and spinach instead.  Very un-meh, as in tasty.)

This recipe hails from Lynn Rosetto Kasper's The Italian Country Table, one of my favorite cookbooks.  She suggests a combination of toasted almonds, pistachios, and pine nuts for maximum nuttiness.  But if you're pinched for time (and ingredients), almonds alone are fabulous too.  I used garlic scapes in place of garlic, because I had them, but I'll print the original recipe below and you can riff away.  Seriously, if you do have tons of chives, throw some in.  And if you like, add more olive oil than called for.  This pesto is less oily than others, which works because you toss it into the pasta with plenty of pasta cooking water (a great trick for getting by with less oil).  But if you like an oilier pesto, then add it.  That's the cool thing about pesto (other than being completely delicious) - it's pretty hard to screw up.

While you contemplate your pesto ingredients and wait for your water to boil, crush several mint leaves in a glass with a wooden spoon, then fill the glass with ice, add a shot of gin (or vodka), and a shot of grapefruit juice.  Top it all off with tonic water and give a little stir.

So pretty, right?  Pure summer.

Ahhhh...

Linguine with Pistachio-Almond Pesto
Adapted from The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rosetto Kasper
Serves 8 as a first course; 4-6 as a main dish

Note: I added 1/2 c. of shelled peas, 1/2 c. of chopped asparagus, and 1 c. of chopped spinach to the version in the photo.  While the pasta cooks, saute the vegetables in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, with a sprinkle of salt, for a few minutes until spinach is wilted and peas and asparagus are just tender-crisp.  Add to the serving bowl along with the pesto, tomatoes, and olive oil, per below.

1/2 c. unblanched whole almonds, toasted
1/2 c. shelled salted pistachio nuts, toasted
1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted
1 large clove garlic
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1/4 c. fruity extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste, plus extra for drizzling
40 large mint leaves
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. linguine, spaghetti, bucatini, or other string pasta
1 lb. good cherry tomatoes, quartered

Mix the cooled toasted nuts.  Coarsely chop about one quarter of them and set aside.  Add the garlic, hot pepper flakes, olive oil, remaining whole nuts, and 2/3 of the mint leaves to the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the mixture looks like very coarse meal.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Tear up the remaining mint leaves.

Cook the pasta in fiercely boiling water, stirring often, until tender yet firm to the bite.

As the pasta cooks, gently blend the pesto, tomatoes, and a drizzle of the oil in a deep pasta bowl.  Skim off 1/2 to 3/4 c. of the pasta cooking water just before draining, and drain the pasta in a colander.  Add the pasta water to the bowl.  Add the sauce, pasta, chopped nuts, and salt and pepper to taste and toss.  Then toss in the reserved torn mint.  Taste for seasoning, adding extra oil, mint, salt, and/or pepper if needed.  Serve hot or warm.  No cheese is used here.

This salad - Potato Salad with Morels, Asparagus & Basil Vinaigrette - hails from the fantastic blog, Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef.  Potatoes with morels, a killer combination, right?  (Anything with morels...)  I noticed right away that the recipe is wonderfully adaptable to whatever is in season, so when I spotted the first batch of sugar snap peas at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, they became part of the salad too.  Oh look, two artichokes in the cooler, better steam them, slice the hearts, and toss them in as well.  You can riff endlessly on this concept, all summer long, knowing that just about anything would be improved by that gorgeous basil vinaigrette.  Chill leftover dressing and spoon over fresh greens or tomatoes or fish or chicken...

We enjoyed the salad alongside barbecued pork ribs and grilled whole chickens - a feast, in honor of all the guests who came to Minnesota to celebrate my husband John's 50th birthday.  (Yes, his birthday was in April, but we held the party this past Sunday.  More on that later.)  We groaned our way through a few bites of pots de creme for dessert, via the excellent Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz (a-ma-zing book).  I'll post that recipe later in the week too.  You'll want that recipe, yes you will.

After the guests and parties, we're winding down.  Tidying up, sorting through photos, getting to bed early.  I'm all about the parties, but I love the quiet afterward too.

Potato Salad wth Morels, Asparagus & Basil Vinaigrette
Adapted from a recipe by Gluten-Free Girl
Serves 10

2 lb. new potatoes, scrubbed not peeled
1 large bunch asparagus, tough ends discarded, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, ends and tough strings removed
1/2 lb. morel mushrooms (or whatever mushroom is in season), halved and carefully cleaned
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large shallots or 1 small sweet onion, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put potatoes in a large soup pot and cover with several inches of generously salted cold water.  Put pot over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil.  Uncover and continue to boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a sharp knife.  Drain potatoes and spread on a baking sheet to cool.  Cut potatoes in half (or quarters if they're large) and add to a large salad bowl.

While the potatoes cook, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil.  Have access to a slotted spoon and prepare a large bowl of ice water and place near the pot.  Add the asparagus to the boiling water, leave it for 1 minute (no more), then using the slotted spoon, scoop it out and into the ice water.  When the water boils again, add the pea pods, leave for 1 minute, and scoop into the ice water.  Discard boiling water.  When the vegetables are cool, drain and transfer to paper towels to dry.  Add vegetables to the potatoes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, then mushrooms and a light sprinkle of salt.  When the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Add mushrooms to the potatoes and vegetables.

Top with shallots and vinaigrette (you won't use all of the vinaigrette).  Toss gently, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.  (Can be prepared one day ahead; chill.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Basil Vinaigrette
Makes about 1.5 cups

1 c. basil leaves, packed firm
1/4 c. Italian parsley leaves
1 shallot, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
3/4 c. mild olive oil or half canola/half extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt, several grinds of black pepper

Put all ingredients in a blender except the oil.  Turn on the blender to begin pureeing everything.  Drizzle in the oil slowly.  (Can be made one day ahead; chill.  Leftovers keep for about one week.)