Summer in the Pacific Northwest is a wonderful time to be alive. The weather is sunny and warm, the forests are bright green, the plants in the garden are heavy with fruit—there’s just an abundance of life exuding out of every living thing, and it is absolutely glorious. Once the weather gets warm, my favorite place to go is the coastline along northwestern Oregon. The ocean is still too cold for swimming, but you can lay out in the sand, soaking up the sunshine, and get a little campfire going on the beach for some tasty woodfire cooking. I have a delicious and summery cookout menu for you below, and while doing cookouts in the great outdoors is super fun, this menu tastes just as good at home on the patio as it does kickin’ back on the beach.
Fig, Prosciutto, and Spinach Salad with Chèvre and Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
Mussels in Tomato and White Wine Broth
“Ô, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.”
—ROMAN PAYNE
You are ready to transplant your seedlings to their permanent home when their little roots are poking out of the bottom of the containers. I recommend using a soil mix that meets the needs of the specific type of plants you’re trying to grow. If you’re container gardening (growing things in pots rather than in the ground), a general potting soil mix should be fine for most fruit and vegetable varieties (I recommend Black Gold). You can add organic fertilizers, as needed.
While there are many minerals and nutrients that help plants grow, fertilizers provide three basic nutrients that are critical to plant health: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), or potash. Nitrogen is necessary to create chlorophyll, which helps plants grow faster and have healthy green leaves. Phosphorus helps with root and flower development, and potassium helps plants distribute water and nutrients evenly throughout the plant (it basically helps keep their circulatory systems running smoothly). When you look at fertilizer blends, there are usually three numbers listed, and each number corresponds to a percentage. So, in a fertilizer labeled 20-05-10, the fertilizer is made up of 20 percent nitrogen, 5 percent phosphorus, and 10 percent potassium, in that order.
I recommend shying away from the chemical fertilizer blends, because these contain harsh ingredients that will build up in the soil over time. This can have really damaging long-term effects on water runoff, which is harmful to beneficial insects, like earthworms, and the animals who eat those insects or drink that water, like birds and deer. Instead, I suggest using natural fertilizers, like compost, blood meal, bone meal, earthworm casings, chicken manure, and/or kelp meal. I talk in more detail about making your own compost on this page, but compost basically is a nutrient-rich substance that contains all three of the main nutrients, as well as healthy bacteria, insects, and micronutrients that promote biodiversity within the soil and provides overall nourishment for plants. Blood meal is really high in nitrogen and makes a great fertilizer for nitrogen-loving plants like lettuce and rhubarb. Bone meal is high in phosphorus and is perfect for plants like tomatoes that rely on healthy and prolific blossoms to create fruit. Kelp meal is high in potassium and is useful for most types of plants, but be careful with acid-loving plants like blueberries and hydrangeas, because adding too much phosphorus or potassium can make the pH of the soil too alkaline for these guys.
As long as you keep in mind the nutritional needs of the plant that you’re trying to grow, you’ll be fine. A quick Internet search about soil requirements should yield the information you need, and there’s no harm in investing in a good gardening encyclopedia, too. So get out there and start growing your own—your stomach and taste buds will thank you! And the following tips on transitioning your seedlings to their permanent home should help make the process simple.
TOOLS
Gardening trowel
Kneeling mat (optional)
Watering can
Plant stakes (Popsicle sticks work great)
Organic fertilizer
Compost
—If you are transplanting a young seedling, prepare the soil and then dig out an area that’s wide enough and deep enough to accommodate the existing root ball of the seedling, plus about 4 inches (10 cm) around it and 3 inches (7.5 cm) deeper. If you are transplanting a larger, more-mature plant that’s in a container about 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter, you’ll need to dig out twice the diameter of the root ball of the plant around it, and 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) deeper than the root ball of the plant (depending on how large the plant is—a larger plant should have a deeper hole).
—To remove the plant from its current container, gently squeeze the sides of the container. If it is a small seedling, slowly and gently turn the container to a 45-degree angle and tap it against your hand until the seedling and its root ball of soil begin to slide out of the container. Pull it out holding the soil ball and not the stem. Seedling stems are very fragile and can snap easily if you pull on them. If it is a larger, more-mature plant, also hold the stem and pull on it gently to help get the root ball and soil to come out of the container.
—Hold the seedling by its root ball or adult plant by its stem over the hole, positioning it so that the top of the root ball of the plant is just below the soil surface. Add just enough of the prepared soil underneath the plant so that it touches the roots. Remove the plant, water the hole thoroughly, and place the plant back in the hole by its stem if it’s a mature plant, and by its soil ball if it’s a delicate seedling. Gently fill in the hole around the plant’s roots with the prepared soil until it is even with the surface soil. Pat the soil down gently around the stem of the plant to secure it in place, but don’t press down hard, otherwise you can damage the roots of the plant. Use your trowel to mound the ground soil to create a raised ring of soil 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter around the plant. This will help keep the water near the plants’ roots when you water it. Water the area around the plant very thoroughly.
—It’s best to water either in the early morning or late evening to reduce the amount of water that evaporates due to direct sun exposure. As you’re watering, try not to splash the leaves, especially in hot weather, otherwise you risk fungus latching on to the wet leaves and infecting the plant. Water as needed for your plant variety, and enjoy your harvest!
I love using red mini bell peppers from my garden for this recipe—they’re about 1½ inches (4 cm) in diameter and length and make for the perfect little bite-size pepper snack. I stuff these little guys with a mixture of garlic, rosemary, bread crumbs, and delicious grated Manchego cheese. Manchego, a firm, aged Spanish sheep’s milk cheese, has a wonderfully mild, almost hazelnutty flavor that makes an ideal complement to the sweet and juicy bell pepper flesh. Please note that if you use a different variety of pepper that is larger, you will not have enough stuffing for twenty-four peppers.
— Makes about 24 —
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
24 petite red sweet bell peppers (about 1 pound/455 g)
2½ cups (287 g) Manchego cheese, grated
½ cup (40 g) panko bread crumbs
1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
—Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
—In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring every minute or so, until fragrant and lightly golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
—Cut the caps off the tops of the peppers, reserving them for later, and remove the seeds. Arrange the peppers in a small roasting pan or casserole dish so that the tops are facing up. Set aside.
—In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bread crumbs, rosemary, garlic, and any oil from the pan. Use a small spoon to stuff the filling inside each pepper. Replace the tops.
—Roast until the cheese has melted and the peppers have deepened in color and some of them have slight char marks on the top, 25 to 30 minutes.
My parents sold ajvar, a Slavic sweet pepper and eggplant spread, at their deli, and the eastern-European immigrants of Portland would buy the jars in bulk. I was always very curious about the bright red-orange paste, but I never actually tried it until I went to Croatia, where it was absolutely everywhere. When I took my first spoonful, I completely understood what the fuss was about. A smooth, creamy blend of caramelized sweet peppers, savory garlic, and rich olive oil hit me full force, and it was love at first bite. I became so obsessed with the sweet pepper flavor that I ended up omitting the eggplant entirely in my subsequent versions of the dish, and so it has just become a simple but very delicious sweet pepper spread. I personally am a big fan of ajvarski peppers, but any would work well here. Just note that if you use small sweet peppers, the cooking time will be shorter, so keep a close eye on them while they’re roasting and place them on a separate pan from the onions, since the onions will likely take longer to cook.
— Makes about 1½ cups (360 ml) —
2 pounds (910 g) ajvarski or other sweet bell peppers
1 large yellow onion, cut into eighths
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1½ teaspoons flake kosher sea salt
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Bread or crackers, for serving (optional)
—Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
—Lightly brush the bell peppers and onion with the oil and place them on a baking sheet. Roast until the pepper skins are very soft and have light char marks, and the onion slices turn golden brown around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes, turning the peppers once halfway through. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
—Peel and discard the skin from the peppers; remove the stems and seeds. Place the peppers and onion mixture, garlic, salt, paprika, sugar, and black pepper in a food processor or blender and blend on high speed until completely smooth.
—Serve with bread or crackers, if desired, or use as a condiment on sandwiches, wraps, and burgers. Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Squash plants are studded with large yellow blossoms beginning in early summer and sometimes keep them all the way into early fall. They are easy to find in farmers’ markets and can vary in size, depending on the squash variety, but tend to be just a slight bit bigger than a tulip blossom. The ease with which their petals can be gently pried apart and stuffed makes them a perfect natural vessel for other delicious foods, which, in this case, is a mixture of feta cheese, cream, and paprika. This is a very rich appetizer—Jeremy aptly likened it to mild jalapeño poppers in squash blossom form—and it pairs really well with a light and fresh snack like lightly salted sliced cucumbers or tomatoes with olive oil.
— Makes 12 —
STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS
18 ounces (510 g) feta cheese
1 cup (100 g) plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 eggs, beaten
12 squash blossoms
Canola oil, for frying
BREAD CRUMB COATING
¾ cup (75 g) plain bread crumbs
1½ teaspoons paprika
¾ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
1 egg
—For the stuffed squash blossoms, combine the feta, bread crumbs, and cream in a blender and blend on medium-high speed until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container with a spatula, as needed. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl, add the eggs, and stir until combined.
—Fill each squash blossom about two-thirds full with the feta mixture. Fold the last third of the petals over the filling and press down gently to seal. Set the stuffed squash blossoms aside on a plate.
—For the bread crumb coating, in a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, paprika, and salt. In another small bowl, beat the egg. Dip the stuffed blossoms in the egg, then roll them in the bread crumbs until evenly coated.
—Fill a large skillet with 2 inches (5 cm) of oil; be sure there is at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the top of the pan and the top of the oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F (175°C) on a deep-fry thermometer.
—Working in batches, add the squash blossoms to the oil using a slotted spoon, leaving at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space around each blossom. Fry until they are golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.
—Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.
My tomato plants are the most prolific things in my garden, and as a result, I’ve come up with a wide variety of uses and preservation methods. I originally tried slicing plum tomatoes in half and roasting them to make a pureed tomato spread, but then I started using cherry tomatoes, since my cherry tomato plant had essentially exploded, and I couldn’t eat the little buggers as quickly as it was producing them. When I pulled the first batch out of the oven, the tiny tomato halves had cooked so quickly that they were a bit too dry to puree into a paste, but instead had turned into these amazing little papery tomato chips that had concentrated all the sweet, tangy, and savory flavors of a rich tomato sauce into one tiny sliver of heaven. It was one of the best mistakes I’ve ever made, and I’ve been whipping up big batches of these ever since, enjoying them in place of potato chips and popcorn as a flavorful and summery snack.
— Makes about 2 cups (100 g) —
1 pound (455 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
—Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
—In a medium-sized bowl, gently toss the tomatoes with the olive oil to coat. Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet cut side up, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes, watching them closely, until they have reduced by half, have released most of their moisture, are very wrinkled, and are golden brown around the edges, 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes.
—Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before enjoying as a snack. Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also place them in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze them, and then transfer them into an airtight jar in the freezer to toss into soups and stocks for concentrated tomato flavor throughout the fall and winter months.
My mother makes zucchini fritters every summer, and there’s just something about their crunchy exterior and smooshy squash-filled interior that makes me drool a little bit at the thought of them. I like my fried goodies dipped in other spreadable goodies, so I pair them with one of my all-time favorite dips, my father’s tzatziki recipe. It is so cooling and refreshing in the summer and goes incredibly well with anything rich or bold in flavor (think proteins like beans, lamb, and beef, or fried foods like these fritters or calamari). If you’re having a party, these can make great appetizers for the group, or you can enjoy them as a main dish for a few people.
— Serves 4 —
CUCUMBER TZATZIKI
1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
1¼ cups (300 ml) plain whole Greek yogurt
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon minced fresh dill
¾ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
½ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
SUMMER SQUASH FRITTERS
3 large eggs, beaten
2 large grated summer squash (about 4 cups/480 g)
⅔ cup (165 ml) sour cream
½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons flake kosher sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped peppercorn preserved lemon rind (this page), or 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Canola oil, for frying
—For the cucumber tzatziki, grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater or use the large-hole grating blade (¼-inch/6-mm diameter) of a food processor.
—Place three medium bowls out on your work surface. Fill one bowl with the grated cucumber. Grab a handful of it and squeeze it between your hands over the second bowl, expressing as much liquid from the cucumbers as you can. Place the compressed grated cucumber in the third bowl. Repeat until all the cucumber has been compressed. You can either discard the cucumber water, or refrigerate it and enjoy it as a refreshing beverage.
—Add the yogurt, garlic, dill, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the cucumber and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
—For the summer squash fritters, in a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, squash, sour cream, Parmesan, basil, salt, preserved lemon rind, and garlic powder until combined. Set the batter aside to rest for 20 minutes.
—Fill a large skillet with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil. Heat over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F (175°C) on a deep-fry thermometer. Add ⅓ cup (75 ml) of the batter to the pan and use the back of a spoon to help flatten it into a disk shape. You can cook several fritters in one batch, as long as you leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between the fritters in the pan. Cook until golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked fritters to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately with the cucumber tzatziki.
This is a summer staple at the Kosmas-Flores household. We have incredibly delicious oysters from Netarts Bay here in Oregon, and when I first put one to my lips, it started a long and delicious addiction. A good oyster should be meaty, have traces of brine from the sea, and have the slightest almost-mineral taste to it. Their flavor is actually quite mild, and that’s why they hold the light smokiness from hot coals so well. It’s also why they pair so wonderfully with bold flavors like sherry vinegar, shallots, lemon juice, and fresh basil in the bright and piercing mignonette that tops them here. Best of all, this recipe is super-quick and easy to make. The oysters take less than five minutes on the grill at the right temperature, and the mignonette takes about five minutes to toss together. It’s the perfect meal for those lazy summer days when all you want to do is hang out on the deck with an ice-cold beer and really, really good food.
— Makes 24 —
⅓ cup (75 ml) sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
24 oysters
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 lemon, cut into eighths
—In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, lemon juice, oil, and salt until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
—Heat a charcoal grill until the coals are pale gray and glowing orange, or heat a gas grill to medium.
—Wipe down the oysters with a towel and place them on the grill rack with the deepest side of the shells on the bottom. Close the grill lid and cook until the oysters start popping open, checking after 3 to 4 minutes.
—Immediately remove them from the grill using gloves or tongs and place on a serving platter. Shuck the oysters, removing the top shell, and drizzle a spoonful of the mignonette over each one. Garnish each one with a small pinch of the chopped basil and serve immediately with the lemon wedges.
These tacos are a great use of fresh summer broccolini. My favorite method of cooking broccolini is by either roasting or grilling it just until the ends of each floret get crispy and the stems turn bright green. If you can’t find broccolini, you can use broccoli instead, but you will need to make sure that the broccoli is broken into individual florets about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, since broccoli heads are much more tightly packed. You get a wonderful crunchy and lightly charred flavor from the florets and a meaty denseness from the stems. When you pair that with a roasted tomatillo salsa, sliced avocadoes, cotija cheese, and purple cabbage, you have a really rockin’ taco on your hands. And if you’re considering just going out and buying salsa to put on these rather than making your own, I’d highly encourage you to give this one a try because it is really easy (basically just roast the ingredients and pulse them in a blender) and it is super-duper delicious, too. My friends John and Jessie tried out some recipes for this book, and this salsa was the recipe they couldn’t stop gushing about. Seriously, go make this.
— Serves 2 to 4 —
ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
10 ounces (280 g) tomatillos, papery husks removed, rinsed well
½ large onion, cut into thirds
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
CHARRED BROCCOLINI TACOS
1½ pounds (680 g) broccolini
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
8 (6-inch/15-cm) corn tortillas
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
4 ounces (60 g) crumbled cotija cheese
½ cup (45 g) shredded purple cabbage
—Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
—For the roasted tomatillo salsa, place the tomatillos and onion on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown spots appear on the tomatillos and the onion is dark golden brown at the edges, about 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through with a pair of tongs to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
—In a food processor or blender, combine the tomatillos and onions, the garlic, pepper, lime juice, and salt and puree on high speed until the desired consistency is reached. For a chunkier salsa, blend for a few seconds; for a smoother salsa, blend for up to 30 seconds.
—For the charred broccolini tacos, cut the stems of the broccolini into pieces that are 1-inch (2.5-cm) long. If the floret end is larger than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, cut it in half vertically to make two smaller florets. Toss the broccolini and oil in a large bowl, massaging the oil into the florets to turn them a slightly deeper shade of green. Add the salt, garlic powder, cumin, and chile powder and toss until the broccolini is evenly coated in the spice mixture.
—If you are baking the broccolini, spread the florets out on a baking sheet in one even layer and place in the oven. Roast until the stems turn deep green and the ends of the florets are slightly crisp and light brown, about 15 minutes. If you are grilling the broccolini, heat a charcoal grill until the coals are gray on the outside and glowing orange. Place the florets in a grill basket and grill, stirring the florets gently with a pair of tongs every 3 minutes, until the floret ends are lightly charred and the stems are a deep bright green, 10 to 15 minutes.
—Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and lightly toast each of the tortillas, about 1 minute per side.
—To assemble, place a few broccolini florets in a line down the center of a tortilla. Evenly distribute the avocado, cotija cheese, cabbage, and salsa among the tortillas. Serve immediately.
Farro is a type of wheat grain that was originally popularized in Italy and is great in stuffing and salads. It has a firmer texture than most grains and holds its shape really well when tossed around with other ingredients. Covered in a slightly waxy husk, the interior is soft and meaty with a wonderfully nutty flavor. Its mild, pleasing taste makes it the perfect complement to the bold flavors of this Mediterranean-inspired dish. We used to have a version of this recipe growing up, but the vessel would always change depending on what we had on hand. Sometimes, it was hollowed-out eggplants, sometimes large tomatoes, and sometimes sweet bell peppers. You can feel free to change up the vessel depending on what fresh ingredients you have on hand, but I love the creamy texture the eggplants have after roasting. The eggplant flesh absorbs all the oils and flavors of the filling as it roasts, so I highly recommend taking your spoon and scraping every little bit of eggplant off the skin after you go through the filling—there’s nothing quite like ending a meal on the tastiest note!
— Serves 6 —
2 cups (400 g) farro
4 cups (960 ml) Vegetable Stock (this page)
3 large eggplants
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 pound (455 g) ground lamb
¾ pound (340 g) cherry tomatoes
¼ cup (35 g) raisins
¼ cup (40 g) freshly crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons flake kosher sea salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
—Rinse the farro. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the farro and cook, uncovered, until soft but slightly chewy, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain through a sieve set over a bowl and set aside, reserving the farro and the stock separately.
—Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
—Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise down the center. Scoop the center out of the eggplants and cut any scooped-out eggplant pieces without a large amount of seeds into roughly ½-inch (12-mm) cubes.
—In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and the oil becomes fragrant, about 5 minutes.
—Add the lamb and chopped eggplant and cook, stirring every 2 minutes and breaking the lamb up with your spoon as it cooks, until the lamb is nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes.
—Add the tomatoes and raisins and cook, stirring, until the raisins soften and a few of the tomatoes begin to burst. Remove from the heat and stir in the farro, feta, salt, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and pepper. Place the bottom half of the eggplants in a casserole dish. Fill them generously with the farro mixture. Spoon the remaining farro mixture into the pan around the eggplants. Place the top halves on top of the eggplants and drizzle ½ cup (60 ml) of the reserved farro cooking liquid over the farro mixture in the pan.
—Bake until the tops of the eggplants are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
This recipe is incredibly basic in its ingredients and execution, yet the flavor is so incredibly layered and rich that it proves that, sometimes, the best foods are the simplest foods. All you need are good-quality ingredients for this one, the ripeness of the tomatoes being especially important. If you can get them from the farmers’ market to ensure that they’re slightly soft to the touch, that is ideal. You want the skin of the tomato to give a little when squeezed gently, but you also want it to bounce back after squeezing. If it stays indented from your fingers, it is overripe. When you have a perfectly ripe tomato, the wonderful array of sugars inside will concentrate down and caramelize when cooked, making for an incredibly flavorful stock. If you use unripe tomatoes, you miss out on most of that process, and the stock won’t be quite as magical. If you’re making this outside of tomato season, I recommend using canned or jarred crushed tomatoes because those are packaged when the tomatoes are ripe.
— Serves 4 —
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3½ pounds (1.6 kg) tomatoes, chopped
1¾ cups (420 ml) dry white wine
2 pounds (910 g) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2½ teaspoons flake kosher sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
—In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and shallot. Cook until softened slightly, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, uncovered, stirring every 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have disintegrated completely, about 20 minutes.
—Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the mussels open wide, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard any mussels that have not opened. Stir in the salt and thyme, and serve immediately.
I love recipes that are flexible and can be adapted to use ingredients you have on hand, and this one definitely falls under that umbrella. You can really use any whole fish for this recipe—just stick to a smaller one (around 1 pound/455 g) and the rest of the ingredients will be properly proportioned to it. If you want to go crazy and use a really big fish, just multiply the ingredients in proportion to the additional pounds of fish, and know that the cooking time will be longer. This recipe calls for Thai ingredients, most of which should be fairly easy to find in the fresh produce section of your grocery store. If you can’t find them there, I recommend calling around to your local Asian markets to see if they have them. Just a word of note: Lemongrass is similar to bay leaves in that you use them for flavoring but don’t actually eat the piece itself. It has a rough texture that is hard to chew, but it releases a delicious aromatic flavor when cooked along with other ingredients. Lemongrass comes in a long stalk and you don’t need much for this recipe, but it does freeze very well. I recommend cutting the whole stalk into pieces that are 4-inches (10-cm) long, slicing what you need for this recipe, and tossing the other pieces in a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag to pull from, as needed, for future cooking adventures. If you’re not sure what to use lemongrass for, think vibrant soups, curries, and even really refreshing herbal tea. It’s the best!
— Serves 1 or 2 —
1 pound (455 g) whole fish of your choice, cleaned
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1½ teaspoons flake kosher sea salt
1 lime
1 (1-inch/2.5-cm) piece fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced
3 sprigs Thai basil
1 medium tomato, cut into slices ½-inch (12-mm) thick
2 large fig or grape leaves
—Soak a length of kitchen twine in a bowl of water. Get a wood or coal fire going and allow it to burn down until the logs/coals are white and ashy around the edges, are glowing red, and have a nice low flame.
—Rub the interior and exterior of the fish with the oil, then rub the interior with the pepper and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cut the lime in half and cut one of the halves into slices that are ¼-inch (6-mm) thick. Set the other half aside.
—Arrange the lime slices, lemongrass, and basil inside the fish (it’s all right if they’re sticking out a little). Place the tomato slices on the outside of the fish, then wrap the outside of the fish in the fig or grape leaves over the stuffing opening and the tomatoes. Tie the fish to a sturdy stick using the soaked twine. Hold the fish over the fire, adjusting the distance as necessary, to ensure that the fish is cooking but not burning (a little char is okay, but you don’t want it to catch on fire). You can also grill the stuffed and wrapped fish over medium-low heat, flipping it several times during cooking to ensure that it’s cooked evenly on both sides.
—Cook until the fish is completely cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Remove it from the stick, discard the wrapping and stuffing, and flake the meat off the bones using a fork. Squeeze the remaining lime half over it and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Serve immediately.
Roasting tomatoes is probably one of my favorite things about summer. Roasting a tomato is similar to caramelizing an onion, in that it completely alters and intensifies the flavor of the ingredient. A raw tomato is juicy, slightly sweet, and mildly tangy. A roasted tomato, however, is velvety, crispy around the edges, incredibly tangy, and sweet in a way that is simply unforgettable. The only way to describe it is savory sweetness, which is slightly contradictory, but if you’ve ever had a roasted tomato on its own, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I particularly love roasting San Marzano and Costoluto Genovese tomatoes for sauces and fillings, because they roast down and have more flavor and more meat, since they’re not mostly juice and seeds inside.
I started making this ravioli as a way to preserve tomatoes from the summer, since ravioli freezes really well. I like having a lot of filling in my ravioli, but it can be hard to get enough filling in there without it coming out through the edges when you’re pressing down to secure the two pieces of pasta dough together. So, to overcome this hurdle and satisfy my filling demands, I started freezing the filling in heaping teaspoons on a baking sheet for a couple of hours beforehand; that way, the filling is solid when I assemble the ravioli and won’t seep out everywhere, breaking the seal. So, not only does this result in a ravioli that’s less likely to spring a filling leak when cooking but it also means you get more filling in each one. And who doesn’t love more filling?
— Makes about 60 2-inch (5-cm) square ravioli, about 2 pounds 3 ounces (990 g) —
ROASTED TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE FILLING
6 large Roma (plum) tomatoes, halved (1 pound 2 ounces) (550 g)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup (125 g) full-fat ricotta
5 ounces (68 g) goat cheese
PASTA DOUGH
3½ cups (475 g) bread flour
½ cup (90 g) semolina flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
—Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
—For the roasted tomato and goat cheese filling, lay the tomatoes flat on a baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle them with the oil, rubbing it in with your fingers or a pastry brush to make sure the entire exposed surface has a thin layer of oil on it. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt and pepper.
—Roast until the tomatoes have shrunken slightly, wrinkled, and are a very deep red, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes. They should have lost a lot of height and should be very aromatic. Allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer the tomatoes to a food processor or blender, add the ricotta and goat cheese, and puree, working in batches, if necessary.
—Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease a teaspoon with oil. Take a teaspoon of the filling and place it on the parchment paper, trying to keep it in a relatively domed shape. Repeat until you have 60 domes. Cover and refrigerate any excess filling, reserving it for another use (it’s great spread on sandwiches or with crackers). Place the pan in the freezer until the individual scoops of filling have frozen slightly, 1 to 2 hours.
—Meanwhile, for the pasta dough, in a large bowl, mix together the flours, basil, salt, and garlic powder. Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and form it into a mound. Make a large well in the middle of the mound and put the eggs, egg yolks, and oil in the well. Using a fork, gently start to swirl together the eggs, yolks, and oil, slowly incorporating the flour into the wet ingredients and taking care not to break the walls holding in the liquid ingredients. Continue mixing until the center is thick enough that you can stir in the flour walls without the mixture spilling out everywhere.
—Stir until the dough comes together enough that you can begin to knead it. Knead the dough until it is very smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. Separate the dough into four equal balls. Pat one of them down into a long oval shape, then roll out the dough until it is about ¼ inch (12 mm) thick.
—You can either roll the dough out by hand, which is more physically demanding and time consuming, or you can use a pasta machine to roll out the dough, which is easy, fast, and more precise. To roll the dough out by hand, roll it until it is about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to roll it, cover it and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes before attempting to roll it out more. To use a pasta machine, begin passing the dough through the rollers starting at level 1, working down to level 7, passing the dough through the machine at each level in between (i.e., once at level 2, once at level 3, etc.). Repeat the rolling process with another dough section so that you have 2 sheets of dough.
—Lay the sheets of dough out flat next to each other. Use a 2-inch (5-cm) square ravioli cutter to gently press squares into one of the sheets, just leaving the shape of a square but not cutting through the dough.
—Use a pastry brush or your finger to lightly brush the edge of each square with water. Place a frozen filling dollop in the center of each square. Slowly lay the second sheet of pasta over the one with the filling, using your pointer and middle fingers spread apart in a peace sign to help shape the second sheet around the filling and press out any air. Press down a bit firmer around the filling with your fingertips to secure the sheets together. Use the cutter to cut out the filled ravioli. The ravioli can be cooked immediately or transferred to a baking sheet, frozen, then stored in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
—To cook, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the desired amount of ravioli, taking care not to crowd the pot. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes (if frozen, cook for 7 to 9 minutes), or until cooked through. I recommend serving these with garlic and olive oil or a light tomato or an Alfredo sauce.
My favorite cheeseburgers are the ones that combine the tanginess of blue cheese and the sweetness of caramelized onions, so I decided to meld the two together in my own delicious burger concoction. This burger also has quick-pickled grapes on it, which pop out an amazing burst of sweet and simultaneously tart juice when you bite down on them, helping to cut through the richness of the burger and cheese. Also, did I mention that these onions are caramelized in cream sherry? You’re welcome, friends.
— Serves 4 —
PICKLED GRAPES
1 pound (455 g) red grapes, rinsed clean
⅔ cup (165 ml) red wine vinegar
⅔ cup (135 g) sugar
⅓ cup (75 ml) distilled white vinegar
¼ teaspoon whole cloves
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 star anise
SHERRY CARAMELIZED ONIONS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, diced
3 tablespoons cream sherry
BLUE CHEESEBURGER
1 pound (455 g) ground beef
1 egg
1½ teaspoons Garlic and Bay Leaf Salt (this page) or 1 teaspoon flake kosher sea salt and ½ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 brioche buns
Extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing the grill
4 ounces (115 g) Stilton blue cheese
1 cup (30 g) chopped fresh spinach
4 tablespoons (60 g) mayonnaise
—For the pickled grapes, cut off the tips of the grapes where they attach to the stems and discard. Cut the grapes in half and set aside.
—In a medium saucepan, combine the red wine vinegar, sugar, white vinegar, cloves, peppercorns, star anise, and ⅓ cup (75 ml) water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved completely, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the grapes and cook for 3 minutes more, then remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer them to a mason jar, seal, and refrigerate.
—For the sherry caramelized onions, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring every few minutes, until softened and transparent, about 10 minutes. Add the sherry and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes, until the onions have turned a deep gold color and smell sweet, 20 to 30 minutes.
—For the blue cheeseburgers, in a medium bowl, mix together the beef, egg, Garlic and Bay Leaf Salt, thyme, and pepper until thoroughly combined. Form into 4 equal-sized patties.
—Heat a gas grill to medium, or heat a charcoal grill until the coals are white on the outside and glowing orange on the inside. To cook on the stovetop, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium heat. Lightly toast the buns for 1 to 3 minutes per side.
—Use a pastry or grill brush to lightly brush the grill grate with oil (this helps keep the burgers from sticking to the grate). Place the patties on the grill and cook until the desired doneness is reached, sprinkling 1 ounce (30 g) of the Stilton on each patty during the last few minutes of cooking.
—Place a cooked patty on each bun bottom. Top with the caramelized onions, pickled grapes, and chopped spinach. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise on each top bun and place on the burger. Serve immediately.
When I was twenty-eight, I went back to Aegina, the small island in Greece where my father is from. It was the first time I’d been there since I was eleven years old. I have lots of family on the island, and being able to see them for the first time as an adult and feel that connection to them, the earth, and the food was really special to me. I spent some of the afternoons on my trip cooking with my cousin Evi and talking with her about food and our family, and how it all blended together. She made this braised octopus in tomato sauce for me while I was there; it was one of the recipes my yiayia (grandmother) would make for my father and his siblings growing up. The octopus is boiled alone in water to help tenderize it a bit, and the resulting stock is then used in the tomato sauce (freeze the excess stock and use it for seafood dishes, like shellfish risotto). I recommend using my recipes for roasted tomatoes and my go-to tomato sauce, but if you want to use store-bought sources for those, try using San Marzano marinara sauce as a substitute for the tomato sauce and rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes instead of the roasted tomatoes. To rehydrate them, place them in a large bowl and cover them with hot liquid, such as water or Vegetable Stock (this page), so that they are completely submerged. Cover the bowl and let them rest until the flesh is soft and the skin is very easily pierced with a fork, ten to fifteen minutes, then drain. Once they are rehydrated, you can weigh them to match the quantity called for in the recipe.
— Serves 4 —
1 small adult octopus (about 2½ pounds/1.2 kg)
Flake kosher sea salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1¾ pounds (800 g) Roasted Tomatoes (this page)
3 cups (720 ml) Tomato Sauce (this page)
1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
8 ounces (225 g) dry hollow pasta, such as hand-formed penne, elbow macaroni, campanelle, or rigatoni
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
—Cut the head off the octopus and discard it. Fill a large Dutch oven with water and a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the octopus, reduce the heat to low, and cover, with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer for 30 minutes.
—Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and remove the octopus from the pot, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Transfer the cooking liquid to a large bowl and set aside. Cut each leg off the body of the octopus, leaving the legs whole, and cut the body into roughly 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes. Set aside.
—In the same Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring every minute or so, until softened and fragrant and the onions are slightly transparent, about 5 minutes.
—Add the roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, 2 cups (480 ml) of the reserved octopus cooking water, the wine, and the octopus pieces and bring the mixture to a boil.
—Bake, uncovered, until the octopus is tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened, about 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes and making sure to keep the octopus submerged in the liquid after stirring. If there isn’t enough liquid for the octopus to be submerged, add a little water.
—Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the octopus mixture. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
I love grilling whole chickens because it gives you the option to enjoy both the dark and light meat, as well as the presentation value of taking an entire golden, glistening, and slightly charred chicken off the grill. The best way to ensure that the chicken cooks evenly and quickly in its whole form is to spatchcock it. When you spatchcock a chicken, you’re essentially just cutting out the backbone with a pair of kitchen shears and then opening it like a book to lay the whole bird out flat. This recipe also calls for the chicken to be brined, which I highly recommend doing. It will make the bird juicier and help keep it from drying out on the grill. There’s also a delicious peachy marinade that you brush on the bird as it cooks, and once the chicken is done, you can dress it with a slightly sweeter peach and basil glaze. The end result is smoky, salty, bright, and sweet—everything you’d want from a summer barbecue. As far as the grill goes, I’m very partial to coals because they impart a delicious smoky flavor to the meat that you just don’t get from a gas grill, but to each her own. You’ll enjoy the bird no matter what you choose.
— Serves 2 to 4 —
GRILLED CHICKEN
3 tablespoons flake kosher sea salt
1 whole roasting chicken (4 to 5 pounds/1.8 to 2.3 kg)
3 sprigs fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the grill
PEACH-BASIL GLAZE
3 large ripe peaches (about 1 pound 10 ounces/735 g)
¼ cup (10 g) coarsely chopped fresh basil
¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
—For the grilled chicken, in a small saucepan, bring 1 quart water and the salt to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and place in a poultry or brining bag along with the chicken and the basil. Tie or seal the bag, place it in a small pan, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
—For the peach-basil glaze, in a blender or food processor, combine the peaches, basil, soy sauce, oil, honey, and vinegar and blend until smooth. Pour half the peach mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the sugar, and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
—Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. To spatchcock the chicken, lay it on its breast so that its back is facing up. Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut along each side of the backbone and remove it from the bird. Flip the bird over so that the breast is facing up and the back muscles are splayed out on either side of the breast. Use the heel of your hand to press down firmly on the breast until you feel/hear a small snap, which is the breastbone breaking.
—Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the nonsugared glaze. Transfer it to a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.
—Remove the chicken from the bag and push two long wooden skewers through the chicken so that they form an X shape, inserting each one into a leg quarter and exiting through the opposite upper corner of the chicken’s breast.
—Heat a charcoal grill until the coals are pale gray and glowing orange, or heat a gas grill to medium-low heat. If using a charcoal grill, push the coals to one side of the grill. Lightly brush the grill grate with oil to keep the chicken from sticking.
—Place the chicken, skin side up, on the opposite side of the grill from the coals. Cook until the juices run clear and the interior temperature of the chicken thigh joint reaches 165°F (75°C), 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, flipping three times and brushing the chicken with the nonsugared glaze every 15 minutes during cooking.
—Once done, carve the chicken and drizzle with the sugared glaze. Serve immediately.
I love this salad because it basically involves taking all the delicious fresh fruits of summer and combining them in a catchall salad with some bitter spinach, rich prosciutto, aged goat cheese, and an insanely vibrant and refreshing preserved lemon vinaigrette. You can feel free to swap out some of the berries, depending on what you have around, but I definitely recommend keeping the fresh figs as a part of the dish, since they pair so well with the prosciutto. Besides, what’s an all-encompassing summer salad without fresh figs?
— Serves 4 —
PRESERVED LEMON VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon finely chopped vanilla bean preserved lemon peel (this page)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1¼ teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
SALAD
4 cups (80 g) packed baby spinach leaves
½ cup (70 g) almonds, toasted
1 pound (455 g) fresh figs, quartered
4 ounces (115 g) cherries, about 1¼ cup
4 ounces (115 g) blueberries, about 1 cup
4 ounces (115 g) crottin or other chèvre cheese, crumbled or cut into ¼-inch (12-mm) cubes
2 ounces (55 g) prosciutto, thinly sliced
—For the preserved lemon vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon rind, oil, honey, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl until completely combined. Set aside.
—For the salad, in a large bowl, toss together the spinach, almonds, figs, cherries, blueberries, crottin, and prosciutto until the components are evenly distributed throughout the salad. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.
I had a huge green bean harvest two summers back and was racking my brain for tasty ways to use them up. Eventually, I decided to try my hand at soup. I wanted it to be hearty but refreshing, and the “soupspiration” that came to mind was avgolemono, a Greek chicken soup made with eggs and lemon. I decided to attempt it with green beans instead, and the result was a much lighter and brighter version of the traditionally cold-weather soup. The lemon really brings out the fresh flavor of the green beans, and the eggs ensure that it will be a filling meal. It’s perfect for any temperate summer day.
— Serves 4 —
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
1 bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
1 pound (455 g) green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
½ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 cups (480 ml) Vegetable Stock (this page)
1 egg
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons heavy cream (optional)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
—In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, bay leaf, and peppercorns and cook, stirring about every 3 minutes, until the shallots are lightly golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the green beans, salt, thyme, and rosemary and cook, stirring every 3 minutes, until the beans have softened significantly, about 10 minutes more.
—Remove from the heat and carefully transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender (if necessary, work in batches). Add the stock. Blend on high speed until a smooth puree forms.
—Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
—In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and lemon juice. While whisking continuously, slowly add 1 cup (240 ml) of the green bean broth to the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the green bean broth and stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
—Divide the soup among four bowls and garnish each one with 1 teaspoon of the cream (if using) and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, if desired. Or, allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
This is the best way I have found to cook trout. I’ve made it like this at least a half-dozen times, and the fish always comes out perfectly cooked, flavorful, and moist. The ingredients are very simple, too, so it’s one of those recipes that you just start to memorize after the third time and eventually don’t even need to look up. So, what’s the deal with baking fish in salt? Well, the salt is combined with beaten egg whites and a bit of olive oil until a crumbly mixture, similar to sand, forms. After you stuff the fish with goodies and place it on the pan, you encase the outside of the fish in the salt mixture and then bake it. As it cooks, the salt hardens into a shell that simultaneously steams the fish, moderates its temperature, keeps it from overcooking and drying out, and seasons it. Then, at the end you get to crack open the hard, salty shell and serve everyone a super-impressive-looking fish. It’s pretty much a win all around.
— Serves 2 —
1 medium trout (about 1 pound/455 g), cleaned and scaled
4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
⅓ cup (35 g) thinly sliced seeded bell pepper
½ lemon, thinly sliced
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 egg whites
3 cups (800 g) flake kosher sea salt
—Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
—Rub the inside of the trout with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the black pepper. Stuff the bell pepper in the trout, then lay the lemon slices in the trout in a single layer on top of the bell pepper. Stuff the rosemary sprigs in the trout, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
—In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Fold in the salt and then the remaining 3 tablespoons oil until completely combined and the texture resembles wet sand.
—Spread some of the salt mixture over a baking sheet so that it is roughly the length and width of the trout. Place the trout on the salt. Pack the rest of the salt mixture around and atop the fish. Use a thin, sharp knife to poke a hole through the salt mound into the thickest part of the fish (usually near the head) to allow steam to escape. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the fish reads at least 145°F (65°C).
—Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Crack the salt crust with the back of a spoon and break it off in large chunks, discarding the crust. Peel the skin off the trout and cut out the fillets, discarding the skin, spine, bones, lemon, and rosemary. Serve immediately along with the peppers.
There are few things in the world that can relieve the heat of summer as well as a juicy slice of watermelon. This past summer, I grew two heirloom varieties, Chris Cross, a pink-fleshed melon whose exterior is striped light and dark green, and Small Shining Light, a red-fleshed melon with a skin so dark green that it looks nearly black. I ended up harvesting more than 100 pounds (45 kg) of watermelon from the garden, so I started experimenting with all the ways I could prepare it. After using it in dozens and dozens of recipes, I am sharing my absolute favorite one here. If you’ve never had granita before, it’s a frozen treat that has the fluffy texture of freshly fallen snow. You don’t need a fancy ice-shaving machine to make it, either—just a rimmed baking sheet, a freezer, and a fork. I use mint blossom to flavor the simple syrup that forms the base of the recipe, but feel free to substitute an equal amount of fresh mint leaves if you don’t have blossoms on hand. It will still add a wonderfully minty flavor to the dish, just without the floral notes that fresh-cut blossoms bring.
— Serves 4 —
1 cup (200 g) sugar
¼ cup (13 g) fresh mint blossoms or mint leaves
1¾ cups (420 ml) pureed watermelon
—In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups (480 ml) water and the sugar to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved completely, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the mint, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature for the mint to infuse the syrup.
—Strain the syrup and discard the mint. Whisk together the syrup and pureed watermelon until combined.
—Pour the mixture out onto a large rimmed baking sheet; the liquid should be 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep or less in the pan. Carefully place the baking sheet in the freezer, taking care not to spill the liquid.
—Freeze for 30 minutes, then remove the pan and scrape the watermelon mixture with a fork to break up any ice crystals that are forming.
—Place the pan back in the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes more, then remove it and scrape the watermelon mixture with your fork again. Repeat this process four more times; you will have scraped the mixture a total of six times over a period of 3 hours. At this point, the granita should have the consistency of snow.
—Serve immediately, or freeze for up to 24 hours more before serving. If you wait 24 hours, you may need to scrape again to break it up before serving it.
My mother and father have a knack for convincing me that Jeremy and I can go through a huge amount of produce in several days’ time. Twenty pounds of tomatoes? “No problem, you’ll make sauce,” they’ll say. Ten pounds of cucumbers? “Just make tzatziki,” my father will say with a dismissive wave of his hand. The ease with which they answer somehow always convinces me, and that’s the roundabout way I ended up taking home 15 pounds of Italian plums. They sat there in my refrigerator for a week while I figured out what to make with them. In the end, I made these lovely little pies by combining the plums with some extra pluots (plum-apricot hybrids) I had lying around from the farmers’ market (and then continued to make pickled plums, roasted plum butter, vanilla plum jam, and a caramelized onion and plum spread). If you’ve never cooked with Italian plums, you’re in for a real treat. Their dark skin is full of flavor and color that seeps into the yellow flesh when cooked, creating a little ombré from gold to purple. They’re the go-to plum for drying into prunes, but they taste just as delicious baked into sweets. Also, this recipe calls for the pies to be baked in little 5-inch (12-cm) pie plates, so make sure you grab four of those before diving in.
— Makes 4 —
CRUST
3 cups (405 g) bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks/225 g) unsalted butter, frozen
6 to 10 (90 to 150 ml) tablespoons ice water
FILLING
1 pound (455 g) plums and/or pluots, pitted and cut into 16 pieces each
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground allspice
—For the crust, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. Grate the frozen butter over the bowl, stirring it every 30 seconds to help coat the individual shards of butter in the flour mixture.
—Add the ice water to the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring, then kneading, until the dough just comes together. Grab a handful of the dough in your fist and then release it. If it generally sticks together when you let go, it is fine. If it completely crumbles apart, it needs another tablespoon or two of water.
—Once the dough holds its shape, divide it into eight balls: Four of them should be slightly larger than the other four. Roll out one of the larger balls to ⅛-inch (3-mm) thickness on a well-floured surface. Transfer it to a 5-inch (12-cm) mini pie plate about 1¼ (3 cm) inches deep, and center it so that an even amount of crust hangs over the sides. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan so it is nice and snug (you don’t want any air bubbles appearing), still allowing the extra crust to hang over the sides. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining three larger dough balls. Cover and refrigerate the pans, and cover and refrigerate the smaller balls of dough.
—Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
—For the filling, in a large bowl, toss together the plums and/or pluots, sugar, flour, and allspice until the fruit is coated. Set aside.
—Remove the small balls of dough from the refrigerator and roll each of them out into a circle. You can either cut a decorative hole out of each of them with a cookie cutter or you can cut them into strips to make a lattice pattern, or cut shapes out to use as the topping. You must have some kind of hole, though, for the steam to escape as the pies cook.
—Evenly distribute the filling among the four pie plates, and place the top sheet of dough, cut shapes, or lattice on top. Seal the edges together with your thumbs and trim off any excess dough hanging over the edge. If you just have a decorative shape on top, use your thumbs to press thumbprints along the edge of the crust.
—Place the pans on a large baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crusts are deeply golden and the exposed portions of the fruit filling have deepened in color, wrinkled slightly, and are very fragrant. Remove and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
There’s nothing like the cool breath of fall that starts to seep in on late summer mornings, letting you know that relief from the sweltering heat and searing sun is on its way. I love waking up snuggled under the blanket nice and cozy-like with a pup on either side of me—a delightful contrast to the usual wake-up call of sweat-soaked pajamas and deep panting that plagues our non-air-conditioned attic bedroom during the height of the summer. It’s during this summer-to-fall transition that I begin to crave pie morning, noon, and night. This pie is one of my favorites because of its simplicity and deep, ripe flavor, relying on an effortless filling of wild huckleberries. Several varieties of huckleberries grow wild in the forests of the northwestern and eastern United States between mid-August and mid-September. They look like tiny blueberries, ranging in color from black to blue to purple and red. If you can’t find wild huckleberries at your local farmers’ market, you can easily substitute blueberries or even blackberries. Really, almost any type of berry would taste good here (I feel like this statement applies to any berry-based recipe). And the crust in this thing is heaven. Delicious spices are combined with he butter, and if you follow the directions about the chilling, you’ll end up with an extra-flaky and unforgettable crust. The filling itself is basically sweetened, spiced stewed berries, and you really can’t go wrong with that. There are bread crumbs sprinkled at the bottom of the filling (a little trick I learned from Dorie Greenspan, cookbook author extraordinaire) that help absorb the excess juice from the berries and keep it from being too watery when you slice it for serving. I like serving dark-berried pies à la mode, but feel free to serve it however you’d like. It’s your pie now, after all!
— Make one 9½-inch (24-cm) pie —
SPICED CRUST
3 cups (405 g) bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon flake kosher sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks/225 g) unsalted butter, frozen
6 to 8 (90 to 120 ml) tablespoons ice water
FILLING
4 cups (580 g) huckleberries
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of flake kosher sea salt
3 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs
—For the spiced crust, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Grate the frozen butter over the bowl, stirring it every 30 seconds to help coat the individual shards of butter in the flour mixture. Add 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring, then kneading, until the dough just comes together. Grab a handful of the dough in your fist and then release it. If it generally sticks together when you let go, it is fine. If it completely crumbles apart, it needs another tablespoon or two of water.
—Once the dough holds its shape, divide it into two balls, one just slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger ball to ¼-inch (12-mm) thickness on a well-floured surface. Transfer it to a 9½-inch (24-cm) pie plate and center it so that an even amount of crust hangs over the sides. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan so it is nice and snug (you don’t want any air bubbles appearing), still allowing the extra crust to hang over the sides. Cover and refrigerate the pan, and cover and refrigerate the smaller ball of dough.
—Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
—For the filling, in a large bowl, toss together the huckleberries and vanilla until coated. Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and toss until combined. Set aside.
—Remove the small ball of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into an 8 by 12-inch (20 by 30.5-cm) rectangle. Cut it lengthwise into 10 roughly ¾-inch (2-cm) -wide strips.
—Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and evenly distribute the bread crumbs over the bottom. Pour the filling over the bread crumbs.
—Arrange the dough strips in a lattice pattern over the top of the pie. Once the lattice is in place, fold the overhanging crust back over the ends of the lattice strips and pinch with your thumbs to seal.
—Bake until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling and thick, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the edges with foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Last spring, I stopped into a little French restaurant in Portland called Maurice. It’s run by the incredibly kind and talented Kristen D. Murray, a savant of sweets and all things pastry. Her dessert menu is something to aspire to, including goodies like crème brûlée pops and birdseed nougatine, but what she’s best known for (and just so happens to be my favorite) is her black-pepper cheesecake. I knew I had to try my hand at something similar at home, so off to the kitchen I went. After several attempts, I found the perfect marriage of spicy black pepper, silky cheese filling, and sweet-tart berries in this decadent, swirly cheesecake. The crust is a traditional graham cracker one, but with browned butter instead of the plain melted stuff. This adds a toasty and slightly nutty element that will kind of blow your mind. Even though the filling is so good, everyone who has tried this always immediately remarks on the crust first, so you may even want to double the crust portion and use it as a topping on other sweet summer goodies, like ice cream, pie, and panna cotta.
— Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cheesecake —
BROWN-BUTTER CRUST
1¼ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs
⅓ cup (75 g) packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (½ stick/55 g) unsalted butter
BLACKBERRY–BLACK PEPPER COMPOTE
1 pound (455 g) ripe blackberries
⅓ cup (65 g) sugar
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 packet (0.3 ounce/7 g) unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
BLACKBERRY–BLACK PEPPER CHEESECAKE
⅔ cup (165 ml) heavy cream
2 (8-ounce/225-g) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
⅓ cup (35 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon honey
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (35 g) frozen blackberries
—Line the sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan with strips of parchment paper.
—For the brown butter crust, in a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
—In a small shallow skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Swirl the pan around a bit every couple of minutes to help it cook evenly. Over a period of several minutes, you’ll notice the foam at the top of the butter start to change from a light yellow to dark tan. Once it reaches the dark tan stage and the butter looks light brown and golden, smell it. It should smell nutty and similar to toffee. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
—Stir the brown butter into the bowl with the graham cracker crumb mixture. Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
—For the blackberry–black pepper compote, in a small saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, black pepper, and cinnamon and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, then uncover and cook until the sugar has melted and the blackberries are very soft and have partially disintegrated, about 5 minutes more. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
—In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside for 1 minute to bloom. In a small saucepan, combine the gelatin mixture and the blackberry puree. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the gelatin mixture dissolves completely. Remove from the heat and set aside.
—For the blackberry–black pepper cheesecake, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on high speed until it holds soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.
—In the clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, honey, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the blackberry compote and mix until completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the whipped cream with a spatula. Pour the filling over the crust and even the surface with a spatula. Tap the pan down on the counter several times to help release any air bubbles in the cheesecake and flatten its surface.
—Pour the remaining blackberry compote in concentric rings on top of the cheesecake so it looks like a target symbol. Use a toothpick to drag across the compote, creating swirling patterns on the surface of the cheesecake. Cover, taking care not to let the covering material touch the surface of the cheesecake, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Remove the springform pan ring, garnish with the fresh blackberries, slice, and serve.
I always thought panna cotta was one of those desserts that was incredibly temperamental and difficult to make, like macarons, but it’s actually quite the opposite. True life: Panna cotta is just fancy Jell-O. Sure, there’s cream and sugar and fruit in there, but there’s gelatin, too, and if you’ve ever made Jell-O before, the same concepts apply here. The trickiest part of making panna cotta is unmolding it from the ramekin. You want to place the ramekin in a bit of hot water to warm up the sides just enough to soften the exterior so that the panna cotta will slide out when you flip it upside down, but still maintain its shape and doesn’t turn into a sad blob of melted panna cotta glorp. I highly recommend following the directions for straining the raspberry puree, since removing the seeds will keep the texture of this sweet, creamy dessert smooth and luxuriously silky. This is also a great make-ahead sweet, since you can keep the ramekins in the fridge right up until serving time, and then unmold each one just before plating them. If I know the weather is going to be miserably hot, I’ll make a batch of these and keep them in the fridge to enjoy at the hottest part of each day. It’s like air-conditioning for the soul.
— Makes 7 —
8 ounces (225 g) fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon cold water
1 packet (0.3 ounce/7 g) unflavored gelatin
1¾ cups (420 ml) heavy cream
¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
⅓ cup (65 g) sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup (80 g) mascarpone cheese
4 ripe figs, cut vertically in half
7 teaspoons honey
—Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds, using a pestle to help pass the juice and puree through. Discard the seeds.
—Stir the water into the raspberry puree. Sprinkle with the gelatin and allow to soften for 5 minutes.
—Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, milk, and sugar. Cook, stirring every minute, until hot but not boiling and the sugar has dissolved completely, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla and mascarpone, and stir until the mascarpone has melted completely, about 3 minutes.
—Pour through a sieve to ensure no stray seeds are in the mixture, then divide the mixture among seven ½-cup (120-ml) ramekins. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
—When you’re ready to serve them, dip the bottoms of the ramekins one at a time into a bowl of hot water for 3 seconds, taking care not to submerge them (you don’t want the hot water getting inside the ramekin, only touching the exterior of it). Remove from the water and run a small, thin knife around the inside edge of each ramekin, then invert it onto a small serving plate. Garnish each panna cotta with a fig half and 1 teaspoon of the honey. You’ll have a fig half leftover to enjoy on its own! Serve immediately.
My mother is from Indiana, where corn is king, and we still have family back that way around Gary, South Bend, and Gaston. A couple of years ago, one of my mother’s cousins sent her some corn seeds, saying they grew the sweetest corn they’d ever come across. And they weren’t kidding. My parents gave some to me, and I watched wide-eyed as they grew to more than 8 feet (2.4 m) tall. There’s something almost shocking about the intense sweetness that a fresh ear of summer corn has. I decided to ue the harvest in an ice cream, made by grating fresh sweet corn and using the corn juices and pulp to flavor the rich custard base. Silky smooth in texture, with a comforting warmth from the cinnamon and a hint of sweet richness from the corn, its familiar flavor is pleasing to every palate.
— Makes about 2 pints (960 ml) —
4 ears sweet corn
4 egg yolks
½ cup (100 g) sugar
1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream
1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of flake kosher sea salt
—Remove the husk and silk from the sweet corn. Stand a box grater in a bowl and use the large hole setting to grate the corn off each ear into the bowl. Discard the cobs and set the corn aside.
—Bring water in the bottom of a double boiler to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Put the egg yolks and sugar in the top of the double boiler. Whisk vigorously without stopping until the mixture turns a very pale yellow, a steady ribbon of yolk falls from the whisk when you lift it above the pan, and you don’t feel any sugar granules when you pinch the mixture between your thumb and forefinger, 2 to 3 minutes.
—Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the corn, cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and blend until completely smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the ice cream into an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for 4 hours or overnight before serving.
The heat of summer can make any sort of oven-related cooking in our non-air-conditioned house an intensely sweaty and unpleasant experience. This, coupled with the fact that I plant an absurd amount of tomatoes every year, means that I end up eating caprese salad at least once a day. But even with the juiciness of a fresh tomato, on especially hot days, the heat still gets to me, and I find myself cursing at the sky, just angrily staring out the window at the sun, stuck inside avoiding heatstroke instead of actually enjoying the summer like I should. On days like those, even water doesn’t quench my thirst, so I lean on my old friend agua fresca. It’s one of the simplest things to make and the most refreshing drink ever.
— Serves 4 —
5 pounds (2.3 kg) summer melon, any variety
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Ice (optional)
—Seed the melon. Cut the flesh off the rind into roughly 2-inch (5-cm) chunks. Discard the rind.
—Place half the melon flesh in a large blender or food processor and add 1 cup (240 ml) water, ½ tablespoon of the honey, and ½ tablespoon of the lime juice. Blend on medium-high speed until smooth, then transfer the mixture to a large pitcher. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and add the desired amount of ice to the pitcher before serving.
—If you’re not serving it immediately, the agua fresca can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will separate as it sits, so make sure to give it a stir before serving.
My first foray into entrepreneurship began with an attempt at a lemonade stand when I was about five years old. I had drawn up a whole plan about how I was going to build it (using the leftover wood scraps from my father’s greenhouse project) and where I was going to place it (curbside to get the most foot traffic, obviously). Before diving into the building process (I envisioned it to be an exact replica of Lucy’s psychiatry stand from Peanuts), I made a test batch. I juiced a ton of lemons into a pitcher, dumped some sugar into it, stirred it up, and drank it. It was probably the sourest thing I’d tasted in my life at that point. Since the juice was cold, the sugar didn’t dissolve and instead pooled at the bottom of my sad little pitcher, leaving me with a mouthful of lemon juice and some unpleasant grainy sugar granules stuck at the corners of my mouth. I begrudgingly admitted that maybe I wasn’t ready to for a lemonade stand yet and quickly moved on to putting together a camping adventure for Samantha, my American Girl doll. Luckily, I’ve learned a lot more about making citrus-based beverages since then, and I can proudly say that I make a pretty mean lemonade. This has the perfect balance of sweet, fruit, and tart—plus the thyme adds a little herbal element that gives an extra-refreshing quality to the drink.
— Serves 4 —
1¼ cups (250 g) sugar
1 ripe peach, pitted and cut into eighths
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 cup (240 ml) fresh lemon juice
—In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, peach, thyme, and 7 cups (1.7 L) water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture smells strongly of peaches, about 20 minutes.
—Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the lemon juice and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
The first time I had habanero in a cocktail was on Jeremy’s and my five-year anniversary. We went out to a nice now-defunct restaurant in Los Angeles called Waterloo and City, and since it was our anniversary, I ordered a cocktail. At that point, we had just graduated college and were both extremely poor, so ordering a drink with dinner was a big deal. I don’t recall the name of the drink, but I remember that it contained strawberries, tequila, and a house-made habanero simple syrup, and that I loved it. Over the years, I ended up creating something similar, albeit even more tasty, with this spicy take on a classic strawberry daiquiri. I make a habanero simple syrup with sugar, water, and habaneros (Pretty simple, right? . . . Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.). And, just as an FYI, habaneros are very, very hot peppers, so it’s a good idea to use rubber gloves or disposable gloves when cutting them to keep the oils from getting on your hands. Then pure, fresh strawberry juice is extracted by shaking sliced fresh strawberries in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. The ice smashes against the strawberries, squeezing out their juices while mixing them together with the lime juice, rum, and simple syrup. This technique results in the purest, most vibrant strawberry flavor and creates my favorite daiquiri of all time (and I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be yours, too!).
— Serves 4 —
HABANERO SIMPLE SYRUP
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
1 habanero pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
STRAWBERRY-HABANERO DAIQUIRIS
2 cups (330 g) sliced strawberries
2 cups (480 ml) crushed ice
⅔ cup (165 ml) fresh lime juice
1 cup (240 ml) spiced rum
—For the habanero simple syrup, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, habanero, and ¾ cup (180 ml) water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup into an airtight container and discard the habaneros. Refrigerate the syrup until ready to use.
—For the strawberry-habanero daiquiris, in a cocktail shaker, combine 1 cup (165 ml) of the strawberries, 1 cup (240 ml) crushed ice, ⅓ cup (75 ml) of the lime juice, ½ cup (120 ml) of the rum, and ¼ cup (60 ml) of the habanero simple syrup. Secure the lid and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into two glasses. Repeat to make two more servings.
