Refresh

Well, yesterday got away from me.  I didn't quite manage to get to posting that promised recipe, because, you see, important things needed attending to.  Important things including such responsibilities as:  a sunny day, an afternoon swim with the gals and our kiddos, and yoga, also with the gals.  But I'm here now, although the sun is no longer, with a summery recipe to refresh and revive.

Perhaps it'll encourage that sunshine to come back, and stay awhile...

This is one of those last minute, "hmmm...what have I got around here to throw together, quickly?" sort of dish.  I made some veggie sushi last night, to celebrate the somewhat reluctant appearance of the sun, and needed a little something fresh and easy to go with it.  The veggies were all those left over from sushi prep (I really prepped far too many veggies, but who's complaining?), the rice noodles have been lurking in the back of my pantry for eons, and the fresh herbs came from our CSA box.  Add a squirt of this, a squeeze of that...and away we go.  Dinner in five.

Summery Rice Noodle Salad with Lime and Sesame Oil Vinaigrette
-serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side

Ingredients*
Approximately 200-250 gram package thin rice noodles
1 1/2 to 2 cups julienned or finely sliced vegetables:  carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, spring onions, cucumber, green peppers
1/2 to 3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, stems included
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Vinaigrette
6 Tbs soy sauce
juice of 1 1/2 limes
2 to 3 Tbs sesame oil
4 to 6 Tbs mirin (if you don't have mirin, substitute 1 to 2 Tbs of honey)

*Note*   The ingredient amounts are approximate.  This is one of those recipes you make to suit your tastes.  If you prefer a sweeter vinaigrette, use more mirin.  If you like it saltier, up the soy sauce.  Use more or less sesame oil, depending on how aggressive you want the dressing.  Taste as you go, substitute another ingredient if you feel like it, and be creative!

In a large bowl whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together.  Set aside.

Cook your rice noodles according to package directions.  If you picked up your package at an international market, like I did, and it has no discernible directions, other than such ever-so-helpful gems as:  "Cook a little while, then it completes." Or:  "After stirring, put it in a dish, then you can have it"...If these are the extent of your directions, then just boil the noodles, and check every minute or two (mine took about 3 1/2 minutes), then drain, and run under cold water.  Allow to drain for a few minutes in a colander, gently squeezing the excess water out of the noodles.  (If you leave them too wet, your dressing will be diluted.  Thin rice noodles are pretty springy once cooked, and can handle a bit of a squeeze.)

Toss the noodles with the dressing, then throw in the veggies and herbs, and top with peanuts.  Serve with some thinly sliced green chili, or a few dashes of Sambal.

There you have it.  Couldn't be simpler, or more refreshing.  A wonder of a salad for a hot day, when you cannot be asked spending much time inside, away from that precious sunshine.

Here's hoping it returns soon!

A Delight

I have in my hot little hands, my friends, an absolute score of a cookbook:  Tessa Kiros' Falling Cloudberries.  This book is divine, full of beautiful family recipes and remembrances, and stunning photographs.  I own another of her books, Venezia:  Food and Dreams, and it too is a work of art.  Falling Cloudberries is, for me, a little more accessible though, with recipes I can easily make, and ingredients to which I have ready access.

For dinner last night, I made one of Kiros' recipes, for Chickpea, Feta, and Cilantro salad.  A perfect salad.  The huge amount of fresh herbs; parsley, scallions, cilantro, and mint......the bright acidity of lemon...the salty creaminess of feta...a bit of heat from chiles...What else needs to be said?  In short, this salad was an utter delight.

I did some minor adapting, as you do.  Rather than one can of chickpeas (garbanzos), I used two, and therefore squeezed an additional lemon over it.  I didn't bother increasing the amount of herbs or feta, and it didn't suffer one bit.  And, I must admit, I cut the amount of olive oil by half.  I couldn't quite wrap my head (hips) around a whole entire cup of olive oil.  Delicious or not, it is getting on to summer, people, and these curves don't need any extra padding.

Without further ado, a simply delightful salad:

Chickpea, Feta, and Cilantro Salad - Adapted from Falling Cloudberries
 - serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side

Ingredients

*Note*  I have adapted the salad somewhat from the original.  That's what you do with cooking.  Especially salads.  Get inspired, and adapt a recipe to meet your needs.  Go for it.

2 - 14 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup olive oil, plus 3 Tbs for cooking onions and garlic
1 1/2 red onions, chopped
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
pinch of red chili flakes, to taste (or fresh red chili, chopped finely)
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
4 large scallions (green onions), chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
juice of 2 lemons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet, over moderately low heat, and gently sauté the onions with a sprinkle of salt, until they are soft, translucent, and golden.  Don't fry them over a high heat, you don't want to brown them, but rather sweeten and cook them slowly.  This took about 10 or 12 minutes for me.  Now add the chopped garlic and chiles and cook for a few seconds longer, just until you can smell the garlic.  Add the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the chickpeas.  Leave to cool completely.

Once cool, add your chopped herbs, feta, lemon juice, and olive oil, and stir gently to combine.  Taste for seasoning, remembering that the feta will add quite a bit of saltiness to the salad.

Serve at room temperature.  This will keep for a day or two in the fridge, but after that, the herbs will darken and go mushy.  To eat leftovers, let the salad come back to room temperature before serving, and perhaps add a little drizzle of olive oil if the chickpeas have absorbed it all.

Have a delightful day!

Out of The Box

As you may be aware, food takes up a rather large part of my day, week...life, whatever.  Thinking about the next meal, reading cookbooks and blogs, preparing a healthy (and hopefully tasty) meal, and best of all, of course, eating.  And since we are just lucky enough to be taking part in Helsing Junction Farm's CSA program, that means I'm getting even more stoked on food these days.  For not only are we blessed to be eating delicious, organic food...we get to look forward to the box arriving every Tuesday.  It's like my birthday happening every week!  Who could ask for more than a surprise in a box each week?  And said surprise is of the food variety?!  Well, needless to say, this gal is fairly content.

Now, I'm not making any promises here.  I mean, I'm rather shockingly terrible on follow-through, people.  But, I will try my very best to post a recipe, all summer long, from Out of The Box.  (Everything in me screams against even mentioning such a commitment.  I shall try, though, that much I can promise you.)

So, this week, from Out of The Box:

It was a beaut, fine people, let me tell you.  Having been off to enjoy Whidbey Island for a couple of days with friends, I found myself, from the moment I awakened yesterday, looking forward to making dinner when we arrived home. 

Being a rather grim day, at least for summer, something warm and homey seemed in good order.  Fresh carrots, baby turnips, sugar snap peas, fresh garlic, green onions, bunches of herbs...and from my pantry, some new potatoes, onions, fennel, yellow pepper, and a lemon.  What's cooking, you ask?  Why, a Baby Vegetable Braise, of course!

Baby Vegetable Braise with Lemon and Fresh Herbs - serves 4

1 small bunch new carrots (about 6 or so carrots), scrubbed and cut in half
1 small bunch baby turnips (4 to 6 turnips), blanched for 5-7 minutes, then halved
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 head fennel, cored and sliced, fronds saved for garnish
6 new yellow potatoes, blanched for 10 minutes, then halved
half a medium onion, sliced
6 cloves fresh garlic, or 3 regular cloves, sliced thinly
1 yellow pepper, sliced
juice from one lemon
4 Tbs unsalted butter
white wine, or chicken or vegetables stock, or a combination of the two

Herbs for Garnish
1 or 2 green onions, sliced thinly
small bunch of parsley or cilantro, chopped
fennel fronds, chopped

In a Dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot, melt 2 Tbs butter over medium low to medium heat.  Add onion, fennel, and garlic and cook until translucent, but not browned, about 5 minutes.  Add potatoes, carrots, and turnips, a hefty splash of white wine (about 1/4 cup), and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Turn heat to the low side of medium low, and cover.  Cook until vegetables are easily pierced with a fork, but not over-soft, about 20 - 30 minutes, checking often to ensure the pan doesn't dry out.  If it does look dry, add another glug of white wine, or chicken or vegetable stock.

Add sugar snap peas and yellow pepper, check seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.  The peas and pepper should still have a nice snap and retain their bright colors.  Squeeze the juice of a lemon over all the vegetables, add the remaining 2 Tbs of butter, and the fresh herbs.

Now that is one tasty dinner.  Bright, fresh, colorful...a feast for the eyes, and the belly.

Enjoy!