Vidalia Onion Soup with Wild Rice

• 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 pounds (about 4) Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions, quartered and very thinly sliced
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• Herb bundle (see Note)
• Salt and pepper
• 8 slices baguette
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces Maytag or other young, not too sharp, blue cheese, at room temperature

Note: This soup calls for an herb bundle that’s roughly 3/4 cup of your favorite fresh herbs, chopped. (He calls for 3 tablespoons chopped chives, basil, flat-leaf parsley and 4 tablespoons chopped tarragon, though I don’t think you need to be overly rigid in adhering to a formula.)

Cook the wild rice in a small saucepan according to package directions.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to real low and let them slowly steep for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and season the onions with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for another 15 to 25 minutes, until they are tender, limp and sweet. Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Wrap the herbs (see Note up top) in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string. Trotter suggests you drop the bundle into the broth for one minute, then remove it, but after going through such an effort to make one, I decided to leave mine in a little longer; it made me feel better. Adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with oil. Bake on a baking sheet until light golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. While the croutons are still warm, spread them with cheese.

To serve, divide the rice among four bowls, and ladle broth and onions on top. Float two croutons in the center of each bowl, and sprinkle with more pepper. Eat immediately.

Serves 4.

VERDICT: I took some liberties.  Instead of chopping herbs, tying them up and floating the bundle for ONE MINUTE, I grabbed a bunch of un-chopped chives, tarragon, and flat-leaf parsley with tongs and floated them in the soup for a few minutes.  I also added chopped tarragon, parsley, and chives to the soup and left them there, which was pretty and delicious.  I also somehow neglected to buy either baguette or cheese, so there were no croutons.  But, it was still good--slightly sweet, with a really nice note of tarragon.  It's relatively cheap to make, especially if you have millions of chives in the garden.  Keep.

Warm Lentil and Potato Salad

Post navigatiIS

• 2 large shallots, 1 halved, 1 finely diced,
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 cup dry small green lentils (see Note up top for varieties)
• 1 small bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed to a paste (I use less)
• 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup of your favorite olive oil
• 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed if salted, drained if brined, and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Cook lentils: Pick over and rinse lentils. Place them in a small/medium saucepan with the halved shallot, thyme branches, bay leaf, some salt and 4 cups of water. Simmer the lentils over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender. Drain (discarding shallot, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes: In a separate saucepan, cover potatoes with 1 to 2 inches cold water. Set timer for 15 minutes, then bring potatoes to a simmer. When the timer rings, they should be easily pierced with a toothpick or knife. Drain and keep warm.

Make the dressing: Place the chopped shallot and red wine vinegar in the bottom of a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in minced garlic, dijon, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and olive oil. Stir in chopped capers, cornichon and scallions.

Assemble salad: Slice potatoes into 1/2-inch segments and place in serving bowl. Add lentils, dressing and all but 1 tablespoon parsley and combine. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Scatter salad with remaining parsley.

Serve alone, with a soft-cooked egg on top, or as a side to a larger roast, chop or sausages. Reheat as needed. If you plan to make this at the outset of several meals and would like to eat it warm, I’d keep the dressing separate, warming only the lentils and potatoes and stirring in the cold dressing to taste.

Keeps in fridge for up to 5 days.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  I made this to use up a mish-mash of leftover potatoes.  I also used up shallots and garlic from the Jen's CSA, scallions from the farmer's market, parsley from Jen's garden, and thyme from mine.  Yay! I didn't want to buy a whole thing of gherkins for two tablespoons, so I left it out.  The dressing is nice and tangy, and it has survived well in the fridge.  Keep!  

Red Kidney Bean Curry

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large green chili, chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce or 8 ounces of one of your choice
• 3 cups boiled red kidney beans or 30 ounces canned red kidney beans, undrained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)

Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for one minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili, and let sizzle for one minute. Add the tomato sauce, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the kidney beans with water or canned red kidney beans (undrained) plus one additional cup of water, and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve over rice or with naan. A dollop of plain yougurt on top is heavenly.

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  A fast, not fussy curry.  I had leftover parsley, so I used that and topped with lots of yogurt, and liked it just fine.  Keep!

Punjabi-Style Black Lentils

• 2 tablespoons oil, butter (regular or ghee)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional but traditional)
• Ground chile powder, to taste (start with 1/2 t.)
• 1 cup finely chopped or pureed tomatoes, fresh or from a can
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup dried black lentils
• 4 1/2 cups water, plus more to taste
• 4 teaspoons butter (salted is lovely here)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Handful chopped fresh cilantro

Make the dal: Heat oil (or oil and butter) over medium. Once hot, add onion and cumin seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion browned in spots. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute more, then the rest of the spices and tomato and cook for 3 minutes more, scraping up any stuck bits. Add water and salt, then lentils. Bring to simmer, then reduce to low and cover and cook until lentils are tender, between 35 and 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. For a looser dal, you can add more water. Adjust spices and seasonings to taste.

To finish as shown: Ladle into four bowls. Place a 1-teaspoon pat of butter in the center of each, letting it begin to melt before swirling in 1 1/2 teaspoons cream and finishing with cilantro.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  Excellent with naan on the side.  Keep.

Whole Wheat Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Streusel

• 1/4 cup (31 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (28 grams) white whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (38 grams) light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Muffin

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) light or dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons (38 grams) granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
• 3/4 cup (177 ml) sour cream
• 1 cup (approx. 120 grams) white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (see Note)
• 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup diced rhubarb, in 1/2-inch pieces (from about 6 to 8 ounces of stalks)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 12 muffin cups.

Make streusel: In a small dish, stir together flours, sugars, spices and salt. Stir in butter until crumbly. Set aside.

Make muffins: Whisk egg in the bottom of a large bowl with both sugars. Whisk in butter, then sour cream. In a separate bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir them into the sour cream mixture, mixing until just combined and still a bit lumpy. Fold in rhubarb and 1/3 (feel free to eyeball this) of the streusel mixture.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with remaining streusel, then use a spoon to gently press the crumbs into the batter so that they adhere. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean. Rest muffins in pan on cooling rack for two minutes, then remove muffins from tin to cool them completely.

VERDICT:  These were very good the day they were made, slightly less good thereafter.  I would also add more rhubarb.  Still, a nice first-rhubarb-of-the-season recipe, with a whiff of healthiness from the whole wheat flour.  Keep.

Roasted Leek and White Bean Galettes

For the pastry:

• 1 1/4 cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces or 115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) plain yogurt or sour cream
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water

For the filling

• 6 small-to-medium leeks, dark green tops discarded, white and light green parts halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2/3 cup grated gruyère cheese, divided

Glaze:

• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Make dough: Stir the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

Meanwhile, prepare filling: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange leeks cut-side-up in a large (9×13-inch) baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flip the leeks so that their cut sides face down, add 3 tablespoons of water to the dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Uncover and continue roasting the leeks for 10 to 15 minutes, or until caramelized. Leave oven on. Let leeks cool slightly, then chop into segments and place in a large bowl. Toss with beans, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble galettes: Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a floured counter, roll the first piece dough out into a roughly 8-inch round, although it really doesn’t need to be perfectly shaped. Transfer to a large parchment-lined baking sheet; I like to fold my dough gently, without creasing, in quarters then unfold it onto the baking pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the prepared filling into the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the remaining cheese. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, making 4 small galettes.

Bake the galettes: For 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Or, if you’re planning ahead, let cool completely and refrigerate until needed. Gently rewarm before serving in a low oven.

Serves: 4.

VERDICT:  These were fairly time-consuming to make, what with the dough-chilling and the roasting, and then still having to bake them.  They were really good, though.  Keep for having people over.

Mushroom Bouguignon

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 pounds portobello mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (save the stems for another use) (you can use cremini instead, as well)
• 1/2 carrot, finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup full-bodied red wine
• 2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional but vegetable to make it vegetarian; it works with either)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)
• Egg noodles, for serving
• Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.

Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.

Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender. Add the pearl onions and simmer for five minutes more.

Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.

To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with chives or parsley.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  I wanted to use up a little red wine, and this sounded good.  (Also, I had a mysterious half-bag of pearl onions in the freezer.)  It's a nice winter-y, but still vegetarian dish.  I served it over polenta instead of egg noodles.  Keep.

Purple Plum Torte

• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder (the aluminum-free kind, if you can find it)
• Large pinch of salt
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar plus 1 to 2 tablespoon (depending on sweetness of plums)
• 1/2 cup (115 grams or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 12 smallish purple Italian purple plums, halved and pitted
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon or tablespoon ground cinnamon (either one apparently works)

Heat oven to 350°F. Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color. Add the eggs, one at a time and scraping down the bowl, then the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Spoon batter into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan (but if you’re worried, you can always lightly coat it first with butter or a nonstick spray) and smooth the top. Arrange the plums, skin side up, all over the batter, covering it. Sprinkle the top with lemon juice, then cinnamon, then remaining sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into a center part of the cake comes out free of batter (but of course not plum juice), about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on rack.

Once cool, if you can stand it, and I highly recommend trying, leave it covered at room temperature overnight as this cake is even better on the second day.

VERDICT:  I made this to use some plums from Therese.  It is apparently a well-know plum cake recipe from the NYT, via Smitten Kitchen.  I don't think it was better the second day, but it was quite good the first.   Keep.

Cabbage Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 1 pound Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise (4 cups)
• 6 radishes, diced
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced diagonally

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, shallot, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved, then whisk in chives.

Toss cabbage, radishes, and celery with dressing.

VERDICT:  It's nice to have a salad without a million ingredients, and these ingredients are sturdy enough to hold up for a while without completely rotting in the refrigerator.  The dressing was a little watery--perhaps a bit less buttermilk.  Lund's didn't have Napa cabbage, so I used Savoy, and it seemed fine.  Keep.

Crackly Banana Bread

• 3 large ripe-to-over-ripe bananas
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) virgin coconut oil, warmed until it liquefies, or olive oil
• 1/3 cup (65 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60 to 80 ml) maple syrup (less for less sweetness, of course)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• Salt
• 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) white whole-wheat flour (or flour mixture of your choice)
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) uncooked millet

Preheat your oven to 350°F and butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan. In the bottom of a large bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until virtually smooth but a few tiny lumps remain. Whisk in egg, then oil, brown sugar, syrup and vanilla extract. Sprinkle baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves over mixture and stir until combined. Stir in flour until just combined, then millet.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool loaf in pan on rack.

Do ahead: Loaves keep well in the freezer, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for a month or more. Ours kept at room temperature for a record week, becoming more moist each day.

Yield: 1 loaf

VERDICT:  I was skeptical about the raw millet, but the crunch is delightful--we've been eating big hunks of this at a time.  I also love that it's made in one bowl.  This might be our new go-to use-up-bananas recipe.  Keep!  (Note: I used half white and half whole wheat flour.)

Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

• 1 large (mine was just over 1 1/4 pounds/570 grams) eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 celery stalk, in a 1/4-inch dice
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces (225 grams) orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) vegetable stock
• 1 to 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or more to taste, up to the zest of a whole lemon
• 4 ounces (115 grams) mozzarella, firmer is better here, cut into 1/3-inch dice
• 1 1/2 ounces (a generous 1/2 cup or 45 grams) parmesan, grated
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced 

Sprinkle your eggplant generously with salt and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. I used this time to get the rest of my ingredients ready. After 30 minutes, rinse it well and pat it dry on towels.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring pieces occasionally. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer them to paper towels to drain. Add celery and carrots to remaining oil and cook for 3 minutes before adding onion and garlic. Cook together for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for two minutes more. Off the heat, add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon table salt, many grinds of black pepper and the stock and mix well.

Transfer mixture to an 8×11-inch (about 2 quarts) ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then bake 20 minutes without the foil. (You can increase the ration of foil-on to foil-off time if you don’t like a crunchy pasta lid.) Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6ish.

VERDICT:  I went on the high end of both lemon and oregano and still found this bland.  Toss.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces, or 115 grams) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup (125 grams) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
• 1 1/2 cups (120 grams) rolled oats
• 3/4 cup (120 grams) raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts (65 grams), chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick. Either way, heat oven to 350°F (175°C) before you scoop the cookies, so that it’s fully heated when you’re ready to put them in.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Yield: about 2 dozen.

VERDICT:  I put some craisins (successful) and some leftover chocolate chips in these (not so successful) in these along with the raisins.  No walnuts!  The recipe makes a nice, not-overwhelming, number.  Keep.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

• 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
• 1 large (57 grams) egg
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 cup (5 ounces or 140 grams) fresh raspberries 

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter (see Note) raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

Serves 8.

VERDICT:  I made this to use up some buttermilk and some sad blueberries from Cooper's.  It was very good warm, with a crunchy sugar top, but not so good the next day.  Toss, or make when people are coming over.  (It is nice in that it doesn't require any difficult ingredients--the original recipe called for raspberries, but notes that the fruit is flexible.)

Frozen Coconut Limeade

• 2 1/2 cups crushed or small ice cubes
• 1 cup coconut milk, well-shaken if from a can
• 1/3 cup lime juice (from about 3 limes)
• 3 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar (more or less to taste)
• Lime slices for garnish

Blend every thing until it reaches your desired consistency — almost smooth, for a crunchier effect, or fully smooth, for a milkshake/creamier effect. Pour into glasses, garnish with lime.

Serves 4 (8 oz).

VERDICT:  Tart and refreshing--keep.

Greek Salad with Lemon and Oregano

• 1/2 a large, seedless English cucumber (about 6 to 7 ounces), chopped
• 1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup (about 6 ounces) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives (you can also serve these alongside)
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 to 3 ounces feta (Bulgarian or French, if you can find them, are my favorites), in thick slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 sprig oregano, leaves minced

Toss cucumbers, pepper, tomatoes, olives (if using) and onion in a shallow bowl or deep plate. Squeeze half a lemon over it. Arrange feta slices on top. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Serve with a slice of feta on top of each serving, and the second half of the lemon for those that like their salads punchier.

Serves 2 generously.

VERDICT:  Just the thing you want when it's hot and humid and you can't stand the idea of turning on the stove or washing dishes.  Also when you have oregano growing in your garden.  Keep.

Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Tahini

Lentils

• Scant 1 cup dried green lentils (Puy or Casteluccio, if you can find them) lentils, picked and rinsed over
• 2 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
• 2 fresh sage sprigs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dressing and salad

• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground (1 tsp. ground)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground (1/2 tsp. ground)
• 1/2 large garlic clove
• Salt (Maldon or another flaky sea salt if you’ve got it)
• 2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini paste
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 and 3/4 cups drained chickpeas (from a 15-ounce can), low sodium if you can find them
• 1/2 small preserved lemon, pith and flesh discarded, rind finely diced (optional)
• 1 very small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
• A handful of small, delicate cilantro or flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• A scant 1/4 cup feta (goat’s milk if you can find it, otherwise use what you can get)
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan until a shade or two darker

Make the lentils: Put the lentils, garlic, sage, and olive oil in a small pot, along with 2 cups cold water, and set it over medium heat. Let the water come to a simmer (not boiling), then turn the heat to low and cook the lentils in a very gentle simmer just until they are tender — 25-35 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the lentils cool a bit before draining them. Pick out and discard the sage and garlic. You’ll have about 2 cups cooked lentils.

Make the dressing: Mix together the ground coriander and cumin in a small bowl. Mash the garlic clove to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt (use half as much Kosher salt, even less table salt) on a cutting board or in a mortar. In a small bowl for your dressing, combined the mashed garlic, tahini, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the ground coriander-and-cumin mixture and 2 tablespoons water. Stir well, then taste. Add more lemon if desired.

Assemble the salad: Place onion slices in a medium bowl and break them up with your fingers. Sprinkle in two good pinches of salt, then two teaspoons of lemon juice, two remaining teaspoons of olive oil and the cilantro or parsley. Toss well, then crumble in the cheese and gently toss again.
Toss the lentils with the drained chickpeas, preserved lemon rind (if using), and 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (use half as much Kosher salt, even less table salt) in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the tahini dressing and toss it all together really well, then stir in the onion-feta mixture.

Arrange the salad in bowl or platter. Sprinkle the mixture with the sesame seeds and some of the remaining spices.

VERDICT:  Smitten Kitchen adapted this from April Bloomfield's book.  It wasn't too fussy, and was delicious--toasty and satisfying, good warm or cold.  I didn't use the preserved lemon, and used pre-ground spices and non-flaky kosher salt.  Keep.

Winter Fruit Salad

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 star anise
• 1/2 of plump vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 8 dried Turkish apricots, cut in half
• 4 dried figs, quartered
• 4 2" pieces lemon zest (peeled with vegetable peeler) from a Meyer lemon if you can find one
• Juice of the zest lemon
• 3 firm Bosc pears
• 1 firm tart apple
• Seeds from half a pomegranate

Fill a medium saucepan with 4 cups water. Add the sugar, star anise, vanilla bean and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, and cook until all the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool for just a few minutes (it should still be hot) and then stir in the dried figs and apricots. Let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, peel and core pears and apple. Slice thinly lengthwise and place in a large bowl, and toss with the lemon juice.

Once the syrup with dried fruit has cooled, pour it over the apples and pears. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it overnight in the refrigerator.

The next morning, using a slotted spoon, ladle the fruit into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and serve. Remove the vanilla beans (you can rinse and save what is left of them for another use) and lemon peels if you wish, or leave them in for decoration.

Do ahead Syrup can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a day or two. Hot syrup can be poured over the dried fruit and kept in the fridge for a day or so. Prepared salad keeps in the fridge for a day or two, but is best fresh.

VERDICT:  I suspect it was the kind of apricot and lemon I used, but I didn't really care for them.  Apart from that, a lovely winter salad--the flavor was deemed "intriguing," but in a good way.  Keep.

Apple-Herb Stuffing

• 6 cups torn chunks French, sourdough or country loaf, torn into bits (I use 2 7-ounce demi-baguettes)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish or sweet onion, chopped small
• 1 large or 2 small stalks celery, diced small
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large or 2 small firm, tart tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced small
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 sage leaves, minced
• 1/2 to 1 cup cup turkey, chicken or vegetable stock or broth
• 1 large egg

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread bread cubes in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool in pan while you prepare the other ingredients.

Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish (a 9×5-inch loaf, 8- or 9-inch square dish, etc.) with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, thyme, salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper and cook for 2 minutes, until becoming translucent. Add celery and cook for 2 more minutes. Add apple and saute until a bit tender, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Place bread in large mixing bowl. Scrape contents of skillet on top. Whisk egg and 1/2 cup broth or stock together and pour over. Stir in parsley and sage. Spoon into prepared pan. If mixture looks a little dry, pour remaining 1/2 cup broth over it. [This is a good place to pause, if needed. Nothing bad comes of the stuffing absorbing the liquids for longer.] Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until brown on top and no liquid appears if you insert a knife vertically into the center of the stuffing pan and turn it slightly. Serve immediately, or reheat as needed.

VERDICT:  Of the two stuffings I made for Thanksgiving this year, this was the lesser.  It was good, but the rye bread stuffing was better.  I will probably not make it again, as I'm on the quest for the perfect stuffing, but it's not the recipe's fault.  Toss.

Raisin-Apple Bread Pudding

• 1 pound bakery white or challah bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup (6 ounces) golden raisins, plumped in hot water for 15 minutes
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a bowl and add the apple and raisins.

Generously butter either a 9×13-inch deep baking dish or six 8-ounce ramekins. If using ramekins, set them on the baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer or whisk, beat the eggs with the sugar. Beat in the ground spices, vanilla and salt.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with the molasses until just warm to the touch. Gradually beat the warm milk into the egg mixture, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl.

Spread bread mixture out in your large baking dish, or distribute it among ramekins. Pour the custard over the bread mixture, nudging the bread around a bit to make sure it soaks all of the pieces. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes, until puffed and set, with the tops lightly browned. Let the bread pudding(s) rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

VERDICT:  To be completely fair, I didn't do almost anything according to the recipe.  I wanted to use up some wheat sandwich bread, so I did.  I also didn't have whole milk, so I added some melted butter to skim and used that.  I also didn't have molasses, so I used maple syrup.  I used two apples and didn't peel them.  I also used a mix of golden and dark raisins.  Still, it was really good, both warm and cold, so keep.  

Zucchini Bread

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup olive or vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. (See those pictures of the cakes inside their non-stick pans? Yup, they’re pretty much hanging out in there for the time being.) Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Serves 32; 288 calories.

VERDICT:  Not bad.  The loaves did, indeed stick inside the pan, but the thing itself is pretty good, standard zucchini bread.  We opted for both raisins and walnuts.  Raisins=genius.  Walnuts=eh.  It's possible there is no better zucchini bread out there, but toss.  I can think of a lot of things I'd rather make.