Fresh Tart

If you love cookbooks, and don't own Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin, add it to your list.  Everything in it is delicious, fresh, approachable.  Some of the recipes are longish, but not terribly complicated, and hey, sometimes greatness takes a little effort.  I'm down with that.

Like this bean gratin.  It's quite simple, really, it just requires a bit of forethought.

The recipe is written for flageolet beans, the traditional cassoulet bean.  If you're organized, and planning ahead, put your hands on flageolets because I've made this gratin with them, and by substituting navy beans, and honestly, the flageolets have it.  Their texture is firmer, their flavor more pronounced.  That said, the gratin is awfully delicious made with navy beans as well.

This gratin is meatless, and could be easily made vegan (use olive oil for the breadcrumbs), but is so loaded with flavor that you'll wonder...hmmm...are you sure there's not a spot of duck fat in there somewhere?  A smidge of lamb?  Baaaaa?  The crusty top is the perfect foil for creamy beans, and the caramelized onions scattered on the bottom are as delightful to discover as your high school crush on Facebook.

Bonus.

I apologize for the rather lame pics - I made this dish for a group of lady food blogger friends, and was chatting and sipping bubbles and not very focused (pun!) on my camera.  In addition to the beans, I made a mess of pork ribs - pork-n-beans! - but the rest of the meal was gorgeously filled out by my guests.

Here's a tip: Invite food bloggers to your next potluck dinner.  Wow the deliciousness.

Kale Salad with Apples, Pecans & Smoked Cheese from Kelli Abrahamian of I Had a Delicious Time.

Homemade baguette from Shaina Olmanson of Food for My Family.

Sweet-and-Salty Honey-Cheese Spread from Brenda Score of A Farm Girl's Dabbles.

I did not photograph (insert head slap, then see above chatting and sipping) the bounty of olives, almonds, and cheeses brought by Kate Selner of Kate In the Kitchen.  I also forgot to snap pics of the Cheesecake in a Jar brought by Amanda Rettke of I Am Baker, gorgeously labeled and filled with creamy-dreamy heaven (check out the pics on her site - swoon).  Amanda also shared her darling new Baby Eddie!  Seriously yum, both the cheesecake and Eddie.

Thanks ladies!

White Bean Gratin
From Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin
Serves 6

7 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small sprig rosemary
1 chile de arbol, crumbled (substitute a pinch of cayenne)
1/2 c. diced onion, plus 5 c. thinly sliced onions
1/2 c. diced fennel
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. thyme leaves, divided
1 1/2 c. dried flageolets (or navy beans)
5 Tbsp. butter
2 c. fresh breadcrumbs (I used gluten-free bread)
2 tsp. chopped parsley
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Heat a medium pot over high heat for 2 minutes.  Pour in 4 Tbsp. of the olive oil, and add the rosemary sprig and crumbled chile.  Let them sizzle in the oil a minute.  Add the diced onion, fennel, garlic, 1 Tbsp. thyme, and the bay leaf, sitrring a minute or two, until the onion is wilted.  Add the flageolets, and cook a few more minutes, stirring to coat the beans with the oil.

Cover the beans with water by 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn the heat down to low, and place a paper towel over the beans to keep them under the surface.  Simmer for 30 minutes, then add 3 tsp. of (Kosher) salt to the beans.  Continue cooking on a low simmer about 1 hour, until the beans are tender.  As the beans cook, add water as necessary (but don't add too much - you want these juices to be rich and a little starchy, since they will be an important part of the finished gratin).  Remove the beans from the heat, discard the paper towel, and let them cool in their juices.  Taste for seasoning.

While the beans cook, caramelize the sliced onions.  Heat a large saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat for a minute.  Swirl in the remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil, and add the sliced onions, 2 tsp.thyme, 1 tsp. salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.  Cook 6 minutes, stirring often.  Turn the heat down to medium, and stir in 1 Tbsp. butter.  Cook 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping with a wooden spoon, until the onions start to caramelize.  Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are a deep golden brown.  Spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x9-inch (or equivalent) gratin dish.  Spoon the flageolets into the grain dish with a good amount of their cooking juices.  The beans will expand a little as they bake, so fill the gratin dish only three-quarters full (reserve any extra beans for use in another dish).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl with the remaining tsp. of thyme and the chopped parsley.  Melt the remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook about 3 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty.  Pour the brown butter over the breadcrumbs, let cool a minute or two, and toss to combine.

Sprinkle the brown butter breadcrumbs over the beans, and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the gratin is bubbling, nicely browned, and crispy on top.

The Perennial Plate creator/chef Daniel Klein's recipe for Chilled Carrot Soup with Coriander Yogurt & Daylilies (yes, daylilies, delicious!) at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Are you still with me?  It's been a lot of beans this last week, I know, but keep in mind that any of these dishes can be frozen for a future warm dinner.

This version is sort of dal meets chana masala - two of my two favorite bean dishes.  I've had the chana masala recipe - via the always awesome Smitten Kitchen - on my mind for quite awhile.  I substituted my black lentils for the garbanzos for a ridiculously delicious result.

Just try to save yourself enough for lunch the next day (when it will taste even better).  I predict failure.

The whole comes together quickly (most of the ingredients are easily measured out spices) and delivers Indian take-out heaven without the take-out hassle.  When it's 5 degrees outside, that's worth something.  Pair with basmati rice or warm naan and finish with a dollop of thick yogurt.

(Also see Using a Pot of Beans Part I: Poached Egg Over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage; Using a Pot of Beans Part II: Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup; and Using a Pot of Beans Part III: Lentil Hummus.  Click here for the whole series.)

Curried Lentils (or Any Beans!)
Adapted from Chana Masala recipe by Smitten Kitchen
Serves 2

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 c. tomatoes, chopped small (fresh or canned)
1/3 c. water
2 c. cooked beans (lentils or chickpeas)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lemon (juiced)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, paprika, and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spices for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Eat up or put a lid on it and reheat it when needed. Curries such as this reheat very well, later or or in the days that follow, should it last that long.

This is the same Creamy, Fluffy Hummus - The Way It's Supposed To Be recipe I posted a few months ago, except substituting black lentils for the garbanzos.  That's the thing with hummus - you can make it with whatever bean you have on hand and it will always be lovely.

As true as it was when I first posted it, the secret to fluffy hummus is to emulsify the tahini with the lemon juice before you start whipping in the beans.  I give a basic outline for the seasoning, but you can adjust it to you suit your own favorite flavors.

Make a meal of it by serving with warm pita bread and a big salad.  Spread the hummus on the pita, pile some salad on top of that, take huge bites - serious yum.  For those of you avoiding grains, the creamy garlicky goodness that is a properly prepared hummus makes a delicious dip for radishes, cauliflower, and peppers.

You could even saute the vegetables in a bit of olive oil first until tender-crisp, pile the warm vegetables on top of a simple green salad, finish with hummus.  You'll get an incredibly satisfying warm/cool, crunchy/creamy, sweet/salty thing going on.

(Also see Using a Pot of Beans Part I: Poached Egg Over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage and Using a Pot of Beans Part II: Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup.)

Creamy, Fluffy Lentil (or Any Bean!) 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
2/3 c. cooked lentils (or other beans)
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 (if using) and garlic and blend until pureed.  Add some of the the olive oil and lentils, 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.)

This is a variation on a recipe from Jacques Pepin's fabulous cookbook Fast Food My Way.  If you like the idea of easy, fast, flavor-packed, healthy dinner ideas - yes, it delivers all of those things - I can't recommend the book highly enough.

As the name implies, this light-yet-filling soup is on the table in less than 10 minutes.  Jacques refers to it as "fridge soup."  I think of it as "a bowlful of health."  It is delicious.

Though the ingredients are few, the flavor is big.  Punch it up even more with a generous grating of cheese to finish.  If you happen to have anchovy or herb butter on hand, float a teaspoon or so on top (or drizzle with seriously fruity olive oil), grind plenty of black pepper over the whole, and be glad for fast, hot soup on a cold Minnesota day.

Riff on this basic concept to your heart and stomach's content: Add neatly diced leftover roast, a shower of fresh herbs, a fried egg, cubes of firm tofu, a spoonful of kimchi, leftover rice, a squirt of sriracha, toasted croutons...if you can imagine it, it can be yours in mere minutes.

(Also see Using a Pot of Beans Part I: Poached Egg over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage.)

Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup
Serves 2 (double or more as you like)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. grated vegetables (any combination of cauliflower, cabbage, shallot, carrot, fennel, broccoli, celery, radishes - whatever you have/like)
1/2 c. cooked beans
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese (or another that you have/like)
anchovy butter, herb butter, or extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir in grated vegetables to coat with oil, then add water and salt.  Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.  Ladle into bowls and top with plenty of grated cheese, a pat of butter or drizzle of oil, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.

I posted Melissa Clark's Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles & Pecorino recipe this week at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

These homemade crackers couldn't be easier or faster to make.  Who knew that nothing but seeds, water, and salt could make such a lovely, crisp cracker?  These have an intense and rich sesame taste, which I love, and which is particularly delicious with savory and cheese spreads.

I'm particularly enjoying them with cottage cheese for a late-afternoon snack.

I found the recipe on Mark's Daily Apple via Girl Gone Primal, who also provides a recipe for shrimp pâté to serve with the crackers, mmm.  I'll be bringing these around for various upcoming holiday parties, oh yes.

Sunflower Sesame Crackers
From Mark's Daily Apple via Girl Gone Primal

Note: Girl Gone Primal provides directions for soaking the seeds first if you're so inclined.

1 c. raw sunflower seeds
1 c. raw sesame seeds
1 tsp. coarse salt plus more for sprinkling
3-4 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a food processor, process the sunflower seeds for 2-4 minutes or until very finely ground and flour-like.

Add the sesame seeds and pulse a few times, then slowly add the water (note: start with 3 Tbsp. of water, add more if necessary) until seed flour comes together in a thick dough.

Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the dough to 1/8" thick (cracker thickness).  Remove the upper piece of parchment.  Lightly score the dough into desired cracker shapes.  Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt (and/or other herbs/seasonings).

Bake until golden and crisp, about 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool thoroughly before gently breaking into pieces along score lines.  Store in an air-tight container.

You might have passed right by celery root (also known as celeriac) at the store, thinking it looked anything but edible.  I admit, it freaked me out the first time I shopped for it, but I trusted the description I'd read (pleasantly mild celery taste, texture similar to a potato, overall effect of savory, delicious with cream and/or cheese) and went for it.

I've been very, very glad ever since.

Despite its gnarly appearance, celery root is quite easy to peel, revealing a pale green interior and a lovely, celery-meets-tarragon fragrance.  Slice it thin and layer it into a gratin.  Or chop and simmer with leeks to make this creamy, luscious soup.

In addition to being delicious, celery root just happens to be a very low carbohydrate vegetable, making it a lovely stand-in for potatoes if you're mindful of such things (I am).  I topped the soup two ways for the pics - above, with sliced scallions and crispy bacon; below, with a drizzle of walnut oil and toasted walnuts.  If you're thinking cheese could be happy here, you're so right...

Did you notice that this recipe provides one more option for using creme fraiche?  Given that it's 1) magical with eggs, 2) dreamy with fruit, 3) heavenly as a pan sauce, and now 4) divine swirled into soup, let's make 2011 the Year of Creme Fraiche!

Celery Root & Leek Soup
Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

3 Tbsp. butter
1 leek, pale green & white parts only, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
2 celery roots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
6 c. water or chicken broth
1/4-1/2 c. creme fraiche
freshly ground black pepper

garnish ideas:
crispy bacon & sliced scallions
toasted nuts & a drizzle of nut oil (i.e. hazelnut, walnut)
shredded Gruyere cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Add leeks and garlic, with a light sprinkle of salt, and saute until leeks are becoming tender, about 8 minutes.  Add celery root, nutmeg, and dried thyme.  Stir in the water and 1 tsp. of salt (if using chicken broth, add less salt, to taste).  Bring soup to a simmer, then turn heat to low and cover.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until celery root is very tender.  Puree soup in batches in a blender, then stir back into the pot.  Stir in creme fraiche.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Serve with your favorite garnishes.

I hated applesauce as a kid.  (I realize how many blog posts I begin by mentioning a food I hated as a kid.  I do it to reassure you, and myself, that picky children often become enthusiastic cooks and eaters.  So hang in there if you're feeding the seemingly impossible.)

I hated its grainy, watery texture. I hated its unappetizing pinky-grey color.

I hated that it didn't taste like apple pie, which I loved.

And then I made homemade applesauce and like many things homemade, it blew my mind a little bit.  Smooth and almost creamy, thick and not-too sweet, scented with cinnamon and tasting fully of apples.  Like apple pie, in fact, warm and comforting.  Yes.

It's the only applesauce I'll eat.  Bonus: It's one of my son's favorite foods, especially alongside pork (in particular, no-fail barbecued ribs, tonight's din).

I feel like I'm cheating calling this a recipe, since it's nothing but apples, a splash of water, and cinnamon.

So I'll give you this rough outline, and then say this: Make some immediately.

For another twist on the pork & apple theme, check out the Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Apple Salsa recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago at the Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine blog.

Homemade Applesauce
Makes several cups

About 20 apples (I picked up two bags at the farmers market, one of Cortlands, one of Honey Crisps)
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Sugar (maybe, but you likely won't need it)

Peel, core, and slice apples, tossing them into a stock pot or Dutch oven as you go.  When all the apples are sliced, add water and cinnamon to pan and cover.  Bring to a simmer, turn heat to low, and stir occasionally, recovering, until apples break down into a thick sauce, about 20 minutes.  Taste applesauce and add 1-2 Tbsp. of sugar if needed (I didn't need to add sugar, but it does depend on 1) how sweet you like your applesauce, and 2) how sweet the apples are that you're using).  When the apples are dissolved, continue simmering over low heat, half-covered, sitrring occasionally, until sauce is quite thick, about 20-30 minutes.  Serve warm or cool.  Store remaining applesauce in the refrigerator for up to one week.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine, plus I've written about this dish here before too.  What can I say?  It's one of my favorites.  I thought I'd better put it out there one last time before lovely cherry tomatoes say good-bye until next summer...

If you like tomatoes and bread - which of course you do - then you'll love this simple summer gratin.  Cherry tomatoes and bread are tossed with garlic, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and olive oil, then baked until the bread is crusty and the tomatoes are tender and just starting to burst.  I could sit down with the pan and call it dinner, but that's not very friendly, so instead I make a big salad and split it with my family.  It makes a terrific, easy dinner party dish, especially alongside grilled lamb chops or a whole roasted chicken.

If you manage to save a smidge for leftovers - and that's no small feat - the gratin is fantastic the next day, reheated until hot and crunchy and topped with a poached egg.  Add a shower of more fresh herbs, plenty of salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a killer brunch.

Cherry Tomato & Bread Gratin
Jacques Pepin
Serves 4

One 6-oz piece of day-old French baguette with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (although fresh bread works nicely too)
1 1/2 lbs. small cherry tomatoes
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil a 10-inch ceramic quiche dish.  In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the tomatoes, olive oil garlic, parsley, 1/2 c. Parmesan, and salt and pepper.  Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the bread cubes are browned and crisp and the tomatoes are very tender.  Serve warm or at room temperature.