We started the day by visiting the farmer's market and picked up crunchy macoun and macintosh apples, sweet potatoes, zucchinis, and basil.  We then found the most amazing gourds to decorate the table and a little festive pumpkin to sit on the window sill.

Our shopping expedition took us to the butcher, several grocery stores, and then on a quest to find the little buns for our mini sliders.  We stopped by The Little Owl to find out where they got the perfect little buns and it turned out they made them themselves.  So we continued on our way to find a bakery that might have something we could use (passing Harold from last season's Top Chef along the way!).  We stopped in at the sister restaurant to The Little Owl called Market Table and met Mike who was the chef there and to our extreme delight he offered us some of the dough that he'd already prepared for the buns.  We were so excited to be able to feature the 'real deal' along with our sliders.  

The spread we made included the sliders, roasted vegetables, cheese plate with a fig cake, olives stuffed with almonds, and to finish – apples dunked in caramel sauce with a light sprinkling of sea salt.  

Here is the recipe for the mini sliders as featured in the September issue of Bon Appetit:  

Meatball Sliders 

Makes 18 little meatballs

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup water
8 Tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspooon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 14.5-oz can whole peeled tomatoes

Arugula leaves (optional)

18 small soft rolls, split horizontally (toasted lightly if desired)

1) Make the meatballs by mixing all of the meats, panko breadcrumbs, water, 6 tablespoons of cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl.  Mix together with your hands just until combined and form into 18 2 inch meatballs.

2) Heat vegetable oil over med-high heat in a large skillet.  Working in batches fry the meatballs until brown all over.  Transfer to a plate.  Meanwhile pour off the excess oil from the pan and reduce heat to medium.  Add the olive oil and then the onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds.  Saute the onion until the onion begins to brown – approx. 5 minutes.  Add all the tomatoes with juices and bring to a boil scaping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Reduce heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. 

3) Puree the sauce in a food processor until almost smooth and return to the skillet.  Add the meatballs and cover the lid lightly and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through – about 30 minutes.  

(Because I only had a really small food processor to work with I instead opted for already crushed tomatoes rather than the whole ones and then skipped the step of pureeing.)

4) Take a bun, slice it open horizontally and layer a few leaves of arugula on the bottom, top each with a meatball, drizzle meatballs with some sauce and sprinkle with remaining parsely and cheese.  Cover with the top of the bun. (You can use a toothpick here to hold them together if necessary).

Enjoy! 

Well, after the delicious risotto that Kareem and I enjoyed I already had in mind what I would do with the leftovers.  I'd seen Giada De Laurentiis do it once on her show and I had the luxury of enjoying them in Italy too: arancini.  These are crispy golden orbs that are filled with the creamy risotto of your choice (in this case mushroom) and nestled in the center a gooey surprise of fresh mozzarella.  The Italian name for these, 'arancini' means little oranges – something that these treats loosely resemble in appearance.  These are incredibly easy to prepare and they make for a delicious snack or appetizer.

Enjoy!

Arancini
 

• Leftover risotto (you can make as many or as few as your leftovers will allow)
• 1 egg (This was enough for 5 balls that fit into the palm of my hand – about the size of a small clementine)
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I used plain panko bread crumbs – panko are the Japanese-style crumbs and they are available at most grocery stores now)
• 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed into small 1cm sized pieces
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

1)  Take some of the risotto and form a small ball in the palm of your hand – roughly the size of a clementine.  Insert a piece of the fresh mozzarella into the center of the ball and roll the ball so that it's uniform in shape and the mozzarella is hidden in the center.  Make as many of these balls as your leftovers allow.

2)  Crack the egg in a dish and whisk well – add a tablespoon of water.  Prepare another dish with the bread crumbs.  Now taking each ball one at a time dip them into the egg mixture – allow the excess to drip off and then roll into the bread crumb mixture so they are evenly coated.

3)  Heat a sautee pan over medium to high heat and add the olive oil.  When the pan is hot add the balls and rotate them once each side turns golden brown.  Once they are done let them rest for a few minutes on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. 

I love summer rolls.  The cold chewy texture of rice paper wrapped around a little package of refreshing flavors is so fun to eat and pleasing to the palate.  There are endless combinations and the fun is in creating rolls that match your tastes.  I was inspired to make these vegetable rolls after I enjoyed my friend Meghan's version.  They make such an impressive presentation when using vibrantly colored vegetables.  I used the vegetables that I had in my refrigerator and I also took the liberty of adding some tempeh that I sauteed in olive oil.  The process for making these is very straight forward – once all of the ingredients are prepped it's just a matter of assembly.  One tip that Meghan shared with me is wrapping each roll twice with the rice paper.  This makes for a chewier roll that stays wrapped more readily.  The dipping sauce that I used was my all-purpose peanut sauce but you can use whatever dipping sauce that you like.  Feel free to experiment with your favorite fillers too!

Veggie Roll-ups

• Rice paper wraps
• Tempeh
• Purple cabbage
• Rice vermicelli noodles
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Cilantro

1)  Begin by cutting the tempeh into small cubes.  Heat a sautee pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  When the pan is hot (I sometimes just flick a little water on the pan and when I hear a sizzle I know it's hot) add the tempeh and stir regularly to lightly brown all the sides.  Once the cubes of tempeh are lightly golden set aside on a plate to cool to room temperature. 

2)  For the vermicelli rice noodles just follow the instructions on the box – typically you just soak them in hot/warm water until they transform into delicate limp strands.  Set aside.

3)  Meanwhile – prepare all of the vegetables that you'd like to include in your summer roll.  I used:  purple cabbage (added great color), carrots, and cucumber.  For the cabbage just remove the outer most leaves and cut the head in half – then when its rested firmly on a flat surface cut thin slices to produce the shredded cabbage effect – use a quarter of a head of cabbage (chop some more if needed).  For the carrots and cucumber I just cut them into long thin strips.  I washed the cilantro and left a bunch of it along with the prepped veggies.  Once everything has been prepped it's time to assemble the rolls.

4) Prepare a shallow baking dish with warm/hot water for dipping the dry rice paper sheets. The rice paper, as you'll discover, comes packaged in dry and brittle sheets and you'll need to dip it into very warm water for a few seconds to allow it to soften and become malleable. You'll do this dipping step only when you're ready to assemble the rolls and you'll want to do each one individually. Take a piece of rice paper, dip it in the warm water until it's softened enough to work with, place it on a clean flat surface, place a few leaves of cilantro along the bottom, add some cabbage on top then the carrots, cucumber, and tempeh – all in a narrow row along the bottom part of the rice paper.  Finally add the vermicelli rice noodles. Now for the rolling part, you basically want to wrap it as you would a burrito. There is more than one way to do this but to help guide you I found a great site that explains this very well. This part can be a little tricky but after a roll or two you'll get the hang of it. As you get used to rolling you'll also find out the best way to layer ingredients so that they look nice through the translucent rice paper (which is why I recommended starting with the cilantro but you may find a preferable arrangement once you try a few rolls).  Now that you have your little roll – take another sheet of rice paper – soften it in the warm water and then re-roll your original roll so that it's double-wrapped.  This extra step really helps the rolls stay together and also adds more of that great chewy texture I find so enjoyable in summer rolls.  When all of your rolls are done I either leave them in the fridge or on the counter well wrapped for about 20 minutes before serving – this gives them time to slightly firm up and they'll hold together better when you cut them.  

For the peanut dipping sauce:

• 4-6 Tablespoon water (this is to thin out the sauce, I use 6 for a very runny sauce but if you prefer it a little thicker use less)
• 1/4 Cup Peanut butter (My favorite kind of peanut butter is the all natural kind so that's what I used here – there's no sugar added. If you use the kind of peanut butter that already has sugar added then go light on the brown sugar that I add later or maybe omit that ingredient all together – you'll have to go by taste…)
• 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoon Tamari soy sauce, low sodium (use whatever kind of soy sauce that you have on hand)
• 2 Tablespoon Rice vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon freshly grated or finely chopped ginger (I got a microplane for Christmas and I LOVE to use it for grating ginger – you'll find that the ginger blends into the sauce very easily when grated)
• 1 Teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Clove garlic finely chopped

Instructions:

1) Mix all the ingredients together except for the water – I recommend adding the water slowly at the end so that you can control for how viscous you'd like your sauce to be – (because this sauce is so flavorful you can add quite a bit without compromising taste).  As you'll see, the peanut butter "melts" when you start stirring it with the soy sauce and other ingredients.  Stir very well until everything is combined.

Enjoy! 

A few months ago Kareem and I joined our friends Dan and Alicia for brunch in their neighborhood.  Since Kareem and I had never really explored that 'hood Dan, a fellow foodie, gave me a tip on a good gourmet market in the area.  On our way back from brunch we stopped in and spent some time meandering the aisles and checking out all of the goodies.  One of my purchases was Spanish smoked sweet paprika.  I have played with it a little here and there but I must admit that I have really not given it a fair try.  Little did I know that it would be by accident that I would discover the powerful flavor potential of this beautiful red spice.

In an attempt to de-clutter my refrigerator I decided to make some hummus with the bowl of chickpeas that were left over from a salad I had made the day before.  I poured them into my blender, added a clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, a few squeezes of lemon juice, and then out of no where came the idea to add a 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika.  A few whizzes and whirls of the blender later I gave the hummus a taste.  Yum!  The cool chickpeas were the perfect host to the sweet yet spicy paprika and the hint of smoky flavor in the background rounded out the flavors perfectly.  Enjoy this with your favorite crackers, toasted pita bread, or crostini.

I should also note that I usually add tahini (sesame paste) to my hummus but didn’t add any this time and I actually preferred the taste – I find that the tahini easily overpowers the chickpeas.  Omitting the tahini also makes this a much lighter dip.

Hummus That Makes You Go Hmmm… 

• 1 15 oz. can chick peas – rinsed and drained
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2-3 Tablespoons water (I used 2 Tablespoons but you can add another if you want a smoother consistency)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt (add more to taste)
• 1 Teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1)  Add all of the ingredients into a blender/food processor and blend.  I add just 2 tablespoons of water but to get an even smoother consistency you can add more.  Once blended taste it to adjust the flavors of salt, lemon juice, etc. 

2)  Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika atop the hummus and serve!

I had made gazpacho a few times in the past but was never entirely thrilled with the finished product.  I perused a few recipes online and did a little mixing and matching until I came up with something that looked like it would work.  I dashed out to my local grocery store to pick up a few items that I'd need such as a serrano pepper and avocado. 

Any recipe that involves a serrano pepper is macho in my books.  (I should add that I happen to be a complete wimp when it comes to hot foods but I'm trying to improve my tolerance.)  The rule of thumb with chili peppers is that the smaller they are, the more heat they pack.  Well, the serrano pepper that I bought at the store only cost 2 cents after it was weighed if that is any indication as to how small it was! 

What resulted from my gazpacho "experiment" was, in my opinion, a complete success.  The different ingredients that were inspired by a few different recipes really added great flavors – the avocado which was something I'd never experienced in a gazpacho before was delicious and the chick peas which I added for the sake of protein were as good for texture as they were for flavor. This soup can be made a day in advance as it will intensify in flavor the longer the ingredients get to hang-out together.  You can pair this gazpacho with some sandwiches, eat as is, or serve as a starter.

Macho Gazpacho

1 28 oz. can of whole fire roasted tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of chick peas, drained and rinsed with water
1 fresh vine-ripened tomato, cut into a small dice
1 red pepper, cut into a small dice
1 red onion, cut into a small dice
1/2 English cucumber, cut into a small dice
1 Avocado, cut into a small dice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Small handful of cilantro, chopped
Small handful of basil, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3 Cups of free range organic chicken stock
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon finely minced serrano pepper (feel free to add more than this if you like things hot)
1 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
1 Teaspoon sea salt, add to taste 
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Since gazpacho conveniently doesn't need to be cooked you are essentially just adding all these ingredients together, stirring, chilling in the fridge, and then eating!  So this is super simple to prepare!

1) Begin by setting aside a large bowl in which to mix this soup. I started with the messiest and more labor intensive things first, i.e. those things that required chopping.  I opened the can of fire roasted tomatoes and you can either chop them on your cutting board or just use your (clean) hands to squish them into the bowl so that they are crushed.  Add all of the liquid from the canned tomatoes and add it to the bowl as well.  Next chop the fresh tomato and add that in the bowl.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them in the bowl.  I learned that by rinsing the canned beans you remove about 40% or more of the sodium.  Also, you remove that syrup in which they are preserved. 

2)  Go ahead and chop all of the next listed ingredients and as you could probably guess, add to the bowl.  (I told you this was simple).  The only ingredient that I want to comment on is the serrano pepper.  Now, you're going to feel like a surgeon doing this but I highly recommend that you wear latex gloves if you happen to have a pair around.  The reason being is that these peppers have natural oils that are difficult to wash off completely and if you accidentally rub your eyes etc. you aren't going to be a happy camper.  I saw Nigella Lawson do this once and I adopted this method and found that it worked quite well.  Slice the pepper length-wise and scrape out the seeds and the white fleshy parts which is where most of the heat is – then finely mince the pepper.  I only added a 1/2 teaspoon because as I mentioned before, I'm a wimp.  Feel free to add as much or as little pepper as you like.  Also, taste to add more salt or pepper as needed.

3)  When all the ingredients have been added, stir and place in the refrigerator for about a half hour so that the flavors have a chance to intensify.  I like to take the gazpacho out a little bit before serving just to remove the chill.

Enjoy!

There was one meal that was so simple yet has stood out in my memory.  The hostel where I was staying had a pizza night and had ordered several types of pizza.  I made a concerted effort to try a rectangular slice of each flavor while also keeping in mind that there was also a dessert pizza of Nutella and powdered sugar to try.  The potato and rosemary pizza was one that I'd never seen before nor have I encountered since my trip to Certaldo, and it was one of the best pizzas that I'd ever tried.  It was so simple yet so flavorful and fragrant from the rosemary.  It was light and perfect for a hot summer's eve.

Now let me digress for just one moment.  My friend Cathy at A Blithe Palate invited me to partake in an event called "Cookbook Spotlight".  She would send me a copy of Mitchell Davis' new cookbook, 'Kitchen Sense' , and I would choose a recipe and blog about it.  I was delighted to be asked to participate, and you can imagine my surprise when I came to page 102 of Davis' book and found a recipe for potato and rosemary pizza, which Davis calls Potato Focaccia.  I knew immediately that this was the recipe that I was going to try. 

There are two dough recipes to choose from, one taking 1h 15min and the other 8h 30 min.  If you don't feel like making dough, you can buy some fresh dough from your local pizza place.  I wanted to make the dough because I think of yeast as being fickle and I was intimidated by it.  I just followed the 1h 15min dough recipe very closely and to my surprise, there were no problems.  I left the soft dough in an oiled bowl by my stove to rise and lo and behold it did just that!  I was ecstatic!  

A small quibble with the cookbook at this part of the pizza-making process: the section on pizza requires that you flip to a different page to learn how to roll out the dough, and determine the temperature to bake the pizza.  I found that a little confusing.

Once you have the dough however, the rest is a cake-walk.  Dealing with the toppings was a breeze since they require a few simple ingredients. When I took the pizza out of the oven it was golden brown around the edges and easily slid off the baking sheet onto my wooden cutting board so that I could slice it into rectangles.  The pizza looked beautiful.
So did the pizza live up to the revered memory I have from my trip to Italy? 

Absolutely! 

This is such a fantastic combination – the crust is light and crisp, the potatoes soft, and the rosemary fragrant.  The coarse sea salt that I used added a nice surprising burst of flavor while the extra-virgin olive oil was a discrete but a noteworthy flavor on this pizza.  While this pizza is a departure from the typical tomato and cheese-based variety it has strong flavors that are complimentary and it is extremely versatile.  This pizza can be served as hors d'oeuvres, alongside a filet mignon, or as is with a simple salad of mixed greens.

I should also mention that this pizza recipe is consistent with my theme of simple meals – the dough is the only element that could require a little extra time to prepare (if you choose not to buy it), but it makes such a terrific crust that I highly recommend that you try it once.  This is also a very inexpensive recipe that can easily be made for a large number of people.

Quick Pizza Dough from Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis

Ingredients: 

• 4 Teaspoons (1 1/2 packets) active dry yeast or 3 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water (110F) – I used very warm tap water
• 6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the bowl
• 4 Cups all-purpose flour or a combination of 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons kosher salt – I used coarse sea salt because that's what I had on hand

To make by hand:

Place the yeast in the bottom of a large bowl and add the lukewarm water.  Stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to dissolve and then add the 6 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 cup of flour – whisk until smooth.  Add another cup of the flour and the salt and mix well.  Add the rest of the flour and stir with the spoon to incorporate as much of the flour as you can – then transfer onto a clean surface – all of the dough, flakes of dough, and flour.  Begin kneading the dough with both hands – folding the dough over and pressing it out – turn and fold again.  Incorporate all of the flour into the dough.  After about 10 minutes of kneading the dough should have a soft, smooth texture, and it won't be sticky.  Shape the dough into a ball.

To make with an electric mixer:

Place the yeast in the bowl of the mixture fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the lukewarm water and stir with the paddle on low to dissolve the yeast.  Add the 6 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 cup of flour and beat on medium-low speed for a minute or so until smooth.  Switch to the dough hook.  Add another cup of flour and the salt and mix well.  Add the last 2 cups of flour and put the machine on low until the dough forms a mass around the hook.  Let the machine knead the dough for 2 minutes.  Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and scrape out the bowl.  Knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Shape the bowl into a ball. 

Place a teaspoon of olive oil in the bottom of a large, clean bowl.  Place the ball of dough in the bowl and move it around to coat with the oil – this will prevent the dough from sticking and make it easy to remove from the bowl after it's risen.  Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm place such as near a preheating oven, or in an oven with a pilot light.  Leave the dough to rise – it should double in size after about 45min to 1h.  Punch down the dough and divide in half or quarters depending on how large you want your pies.

This recipe will make 2 1/4 pounds of dough, enough for making two 14 inch pizzas or 4 10 inch individual ones.

Potato Focaccia from Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis

Ingredients: 

• 1 Large Red Bliss or Yukon Gold potato (12 oz) – I was using half of the pizza dough and found that one large Yukon Gold was just barely enough to cover the pizza – just to be safe I'd suggest using 2 large potatoes
• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – I used coarse sea salt here

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Bake the potato for about 35 to 40 minutes – it should give ever slightly when pressed, but still be firm.
3. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.  Then peel and slice it very thin.  You can use a mandoline to get the super thin slices.
4. Meanwhile adjust the oven rack to the highest setting and preheat oven to 500F.  Prepare the dough on your baking sheet or pizza pan – you can either roll it out with a rolling pin or use your hands to stretch out the dough – you want a thin evenly distributed crust.  I used half of the dough to make this pizza as I was only cooking for two.  Davis offered information on storing ready made dough – either in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to two months.
5. Arrange the potato slices in an attractive pattern on the crust – spoon or brush half of the olive oil evenly over the potato.  Sprinkle with the rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Bake for about 25 minutes until the potatoes and crust are nicely brown and crisp.  Remove from the oven and brush or drizzle with the remaining olive oil.  Enjoy!

Thoughts on the cookbook:

I appreciate Davis' philosophy about cooking:  all one needs is a little common sense.  I find that the way Davis writes and how he explains things are very easy to follow and encouraging.  There are many recipes, like the pizza recipe, that offer different versions allowing one to explore and try out different flavors.  Davis also includes practical advice on how to store things and prepare them in advance.  I would love to see photos of his dishes as that is often what entices me to try a particular recipe in the first place.   Looking through each page though, I am intrigued by many of the dishes I came across and I've ear-marked them for future reference.  Next on my list to make: peach galette (peaches are in abundance at the local market), and charmoula sauce to accompany grilled fish.    

I am very excited to share the first ever video segment on my blog. I hope to make this a regular feature on my site. As you'll notice when watching I'm a total newbie at the whole cooking on camera thing. (Most notably, I was so overly concerned with prepping my area that I completely forgot to get myself camera-ready!) My aim is really to help share tricks, techniques, tools, and recipes in way that will be useful to people. I am open to any comments or suggestions! When brainstorming about a yummy, easy recipe to prepare for my debut on camera I quickly came up with the idea of guacamole. It wouldn't require me to turn on a stove so that meant that we could easily stop and restart without interrupting the cooking process. Guacamole is always a welcome addition to any gathering. There is so much to love about this dip: the creaminess of the avocado, the zing from the lime juice, the freshness from the cilantro – all of this pairing so nicely with a salty, crispy tortilla chip. I hope that you'll enjoy this!

Guacamole

2 Ripe avocados
1 Lime
1/2 Clove garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons red onion, chopped
1 Pinch coarse sea salt
5 Grape tomatoes chopped or 1/2 tomato diced
1 Small handful chopped cilantro (if you're not a cilantro fan you can omit this)
Jalepeno - optional

1) Mince the garlic – when finely minced sprinkle with the coarse sea salt and mince together with the knife using the side of the blade to help mush the mixture into a paste. Creating a paste will help to incorporate the garlic flavor without overwhelming anyone with a bite of sharp fresh garlic. (This is a great technique to use when making tzatziki too.) Add to a small/medium size bowl.

2) Chop the red onion and add to the bowl. When choosing avocados make sure they are ripe – they will give in to the pressure of your thumb when ready. Prepare the avocados by sliding your knife through the top of the fruit until you reach the center pit, then run your knife around the fruit so that it breaks open revealing two halves, one with the large round pit. To extract the pit whack your knife into the pit so that it sticks and then turn the knife to losen it – it should come right out. Just whack the knife against your cutting board if the pit remains stuck to your knife. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the avocado and give it a quick chop before adding to the bowl.

3) Slice the lime and squeeze the juice from the entire lime into the bowl – the acidity from the limes will help prevent the avocado from turning brown. It also adds fantastic flavor. I like to use a fork to help extract the juice from limes – twisting it in the lime as I'm squeezing is very effective I find. (The limes that I used on the video clip had no seeds but if there are seeds in your limes you may want to squeeze the juice into a bowl to make it easier to remove the seeds.)

4) Now, here's the fun part: with a fork "mush" the avocado while also mixing in the garlic, onion, and lime juice. You can make this guacamole as chunky or mushy as you please!

5) Chop the cilantro and tomatoes and add those in – stir to combine. If you want to add some heat to your guacamole you can add some finely minced jalepeno at this point. Be really careful when dealing with the pepper though because the oils from the pepper are what irritate your eyes and cause them to sting! Also, be sure to remove the seeds and ribs of the pepper as that is where a lot of the heat comes from – the rib is that white part that holds the seeds to the flesh on the inside of the pepper. I've seen some people use rubber gloves when dealing with hot peppers – you can use whatever method you feel most comfortable with! Just make sure to wash your hands really well afterwards.

Enjoy with some tortilla chips!

So how did the salad turn out? Well for starters since it was just Kareem and myself who were going to be enjoying this salad it didn’t make sense to prepare the recipe to exact specifications. The recipe calls for an entire watermelon so while I imagine this would be a great thing to bring to a summer potluck or BBQ – it’s not ideal as a starter for two. Also, I wanted to preserve some watermelon for snacking (obviously).

I used the same ingredients that Paula outlines in her recipe and I prepared a smaller portion of the dressing. I assembled individual salads and drizzled with the dressing. I switched out the mint for basil since the basil that I have growing on my balcony was looking a bit fresher than the mint. I found the flavors worked very well together and this is a perfect light starter for any summer menu.

Here’s the recipe by Paula Deen taken from the Boston Globe (I add my version below):

Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves

1 watermelon (I’d recommend getting the seedless kind)
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion (I used red onion)
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint and some whole leaves for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper

1) Cut watermelon into bite sized pieces – discard seeds (or go with a seedless watermelon) and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings.

2) In a small bowl combine the vinegar, salt, pepper – whisking until the salt is dissolved. Quantities of salt weren’t provided in the recipe – I used less than a 1/4 teaspoon – just a pinch but just taste and season it to your liking. Slowly whisk in the olive oil then add the chopped mint.

3) In a large bowl combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish the salad with mint sprigs.

Yield: 6 servings

My version:

Watermelon – factor 2 slices of watermelon per person, slice them 1/2 inch thick and cut them into either squares or triangles for the presentation – the length of each side should be approximately 3-4 inches (this is how I made mine but of course you can take liberties here as to how you want to prepare yours)

A few thin slices of red onion
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt/Pepper to taste (just a pinch of each will do)
Fresh basil leaves or mint – either one will work really well, since my basil was looking a lot more vibrant I went with basil and it offered a refreshing note to the sweet watermelon and zingy dressing
1/8 – 1/4 cup crumbled feta – as you can see in the photo I just added some crumbled feta in between the layers of watermelon – I’m not sure exactly what precise amount I used so just use your judgement

1) Mix the dressing in a small bowl – whisking together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2) Prepare the watermelon slices, the red onion slices, crumbled feta.

3) Assemble the salad by first laying out a slice of watermelon on the plate, add crumbled feta on top, arrange a few thin pieces of the red onion, and then a basil leaf. Follow by adding the other slice of watermelon on top of that and repeat the same arrangement: crumbled feta, a few slices of red onion and then a basil leaf. Taking a spoon drizzle some of the dressing over and around the watermelon tower – I cracked some black pepper to finish as it was a nice stark contrast to see the little flecks of black against the soft pink hues of the watermelon salad. As far as the dressing is concerned I found that less is more so just add a spoonful or two as you drizzle each plate.

The amount of dressing I made would have been enough for 4 salads. This dressing is light and simple and I was thinking it would also work lovely in the tuna and cannellini bean salad I wrote about in my last post.

Enjoy!

The common method for cooking mussels is to create a flavorful broth in which to toss the mussels. The steam from the broth will cook and gently open the little shells so that they can bask in the savory aromas. They only take about 5 minutes!

These tasty mussels along with a warm crusty loaf of French bread to soak up the delicious broth and a fresh salad of mixed greens in a light vinaigrette is a meal that has all the “muss” with no “fuss”. Oh, and don’t forget the frites!

I serve the mussels in a large bowl, broth included, in the center of the table and I provide each participant with their own little bowl for placing discarded shells. What I love about serving the mussels this way is that it creates a shared experience – one that’s laid back, comfortable, and slightly messy but in a good way.

Moules et Frites (Mussels and Fries)

For the Moules (Mussels):

Factor about 1 lb. of mussels per person (that’s about 12-15 mussels)

1 Large shallot or 2 small shallots finely chopped
2 Cups of white wine – any kind that you like to drink (I like to have about an inch or two of wine on the bottom of the pot so if your pot is wider you can add more wine as you see fit)
2 Cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Anchovy fillets (optional but I think they add great subtle flavor here)
1 small handful of fresh basil chopped
A few turns of the pepper mill (freshly cracked black pepper)

For the Frites (Fries):

Potatoes of your choice, I like Yukon gold or Sweet Potatoes for this – the quantity will vary depending on the size of potatoes you find, just get enough for a sheet pan full of sliced potatoes. Factor 1 potato per person.

Olive oil
Salt/Pepper

1) Prepare the mussels according to the description above (rinse with water, remove any beards, discard any open mussels that won’t close with prompting), if not using right away be sure to open the bag that the mussels came in and leave in the fridge.

2) Begin preparing the fries since these will take the longest – if using the pre-frozen kind follow the directions on the package. If making fresh then set oven to 425F and cut the potatoes into fries-like shapes – toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in the pre-heated oven. They will need about 30-40 minutes. Give them a gentle toss halfway through the cooking process to allow even roasting. They will be done when they are tender and soft on the inside while slightly crispy on the outside.

3) When the fries are about halfway done you can begin preparing the mussels. Heat a big pot (one that has an accompanying lid to be used later on) over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. While they are heating up chop the shallots and garlic and add it to the pot. Allow the shallots and garlic to saute for a while until translucent. Add the anchovies during this time so that they have time to melt into the olive oil and butter. Add a little freshly cracked black pepper and after everything has sauteed for about 5 minutes or so add the white wine. Allow it to all cook together, make sure to stir well in case there are any flavorful bits on the bottom of the pan.

4) When the wine comes up to a simmer (soft rumbling along the surface) add the mussels give them all a good stir and place the lid on top. When the lid is on give the whole pot a little shuffle and leave alone for about 3-5 minutes – I usually find it takes 5 minutes. You want to see all the mussels opened when you lift the lid. If you lift and see that most aren’t opened continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes longer. When done sprinkle in the fresh basil and stir. I then pour everything into a huge bowl to serve at the table family-style.

Bon Appetite!

Tuscan White Bean Dip with Basil and Lemon

1 15 oz. Can of cannellini beans (rinse well with cold water in a colander before using)
1 small handful of fresh basil leaves (I used about 6-8 big leaves)
1/2 Garlic clove
2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 pinches of lemon zest
Sea salt/ Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1) In a dry pan I add the pine nuts over medium heat. Make sure to keep a watchful eye when toasting nuts because this takes very little time and it’s super easy to burn them. Gently shuffle the pan a little bit from time to time so they get a nice golden color evenly on more than one side. You’ll begin to smell the nutty aroma of the nuts and you’ll notice they start to glisten as the oils begin to emerge from them – these are signs that they are just about ready. When they look slightly golden or toasted remove from heat and allow to cool before adding them to the rest of the ingredients in the food processor.

2) While the pine nuts are cooling begin by rinsing the beans to rid them of the syrup in which they are preserved and add them to a food processor along with the garlic clove, olive oil, basil leaves, lemon juice, lemon zest (this is best removed using a microplane or super-fine grater that will just remove the zest – avoid getting the white part known as the pith which is very bitter). Also add the toasted pine nuts which have cooled. Pulse these ingredients together in the blender – before it’s completely blended together add a pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Blend it and then taste – if you think it needs more salt or pepper add a little bit at a time. I try to blend the mixture so that it’s all combined but still has a little bit of texture meaning it isn’t completely perfectly smooth – blend it to your desired consistency though.

Enjoy with crostini which are just toasted pieces of baguette – I slice pieces of bread about 1/2 -1 inch think and line them on a baking sheet. Stick them under the broiler in the oven for about 5-10 minutes until they are toasted.

It’s so easy to make a lot of this dip so it’s great for parties and entertaining! It holds up very well in the fridge too so you can make it the day before.