Corn Chowder with Chive Oil

Chowder

• 1 1/2 T. olive oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. new potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 t. smoked paprika
• Kernels from 6 ears of corn (3 1/2 c.)
• 4 c. vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1/2 c. coconut milk
• pepper

Chive oil

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 oz. chives, coarsely chopped
• salt

To make the chowder, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until barely tender, 4-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute.  Add the paprika and potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes.

Stir in the corn, broth, and salt and bring to a boil.  Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes, adding a bit more broth if the soup starts to resemble a thick stew.  Don't add too much broth, or the final soup will be too thin.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is about half pureed, with some texture and visible pieces of potato remaining.  Stir in the coconut milk, then season with black pepper.  Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired

To make the chive oil, put the olive oil and chives in a blender and process until smooth.  Season with salt to taste.

Serve the chowder with the chive oil drizzled on top.

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  I used water instead of broth and needed eight ears of corn to get 3 1/2 cups of corn kernels.  Possibly the water substitution left the soup a bit blander than it should have been, but I liked the crunch of the corn, and the whole soup tasted fresh and light.  Plus, chives!  Keep.

Double Barley Posole

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-oz.) bottle pilsner beer
• 3 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup chopped peeled butternut squash (about 4 1/2 oz.)
• 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (15-oz.) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 4 lime wedges

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and flour; cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Stir in beer; cook until liquid is reduced and glossy, about 7 minutes. Stir in vegetable stock, squash, barley, black pepper, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until barley is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in hominy and zucchini; simmer until zucchini is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes.

Divide soup evenly among 4 bowls; top servings evenly with diced avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  I had such high hopes for this--a vegetarian posole, and with an interesting use of beer--but it turned out oddly bitter and unpleasant.  Toss.

Cucumber, Feta, and Almond Salad

4 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce heart (about 1)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-in.) diced English cucumber (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine lettuce, cucumber, almonds, and feta in a large bowl; toss. Combine dill and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add dill mixture to lettuce mixture; toss to coat.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  Delicious and easy.  The almonds are the best part--roasty and toasty against the crisp green of the rest of the salad.  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.

Roasted Eggplant and Olive Pasta Salad

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾-in. pieces (about 6 cups)
• 1 cup pitted, drained kalamata olives
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces casarecce, fusilli, or other short pasta
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)
• 1½ cups (about 8 oz.) multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 475°F. Toss eggplant and olives with 3 tablespoons of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in a single layer until eggplant is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain well. Whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped oregano, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small bowl.

Toss together pasta, eggplant-olive mixture, feta, tomatoes, and dressing. Garnish with oregano leaves.

Serves 4; 521 calories.

VERDICT: Salty and delicious.  Good warm, but works as leftovers.  Keep.

Moroccan Lentil Salad

• 1 cup dried green lentils, sorted and rinsed 
• ½ tsp. fine sea salt 
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated 
• 2 cups loosely packed chopped kale, stems removed 
• ½ cup chopped toasted pistachios or almonds 
• ½ cup chopped dried Turkish apricots 
• ¼ cup pitted, chopped Kalamata olives 
• 1 Tbsp. Ras el Hanout (Moroccan spice blend) 
• 1 cup uncooked couscous, prepared according to package instructions 

Place the lentils in a medium pot, add the salt, and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Place the carrots, kale, nuts, apricots, olives, and Ras el Hanout in a large salad bowl. Add the couscous and lentils and toss until evenly combined. Add two-thirds of the dressing (recipe below), toss, and taste. Add more dressing to taste, if needed.

Cover the salad and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• ½ shallot, minced 
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.

Maple-Dijon Apple Cider Vinaigrette: Add 2 teaspoons maple syrup to the basic recipe. This sweet variation goes superbly with lentil salads. Try it on our Moroccan Lentil Salad with Cauliflower Couscous. Each variation makes ½ cup

Serves 6.

VERDICT: This seems like an odd assortment of ingredients--carrots, apricots, olives--but everything came together really nicely, and it holds up well over a few days for lunches. I added extra olives--my favorite part.  Keep!

Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole

• 1½ cups dried cannellini (white kidney) beans, soaked overnight 
• 1 Parmesan rind (about 2 ounces), plus shaved Parmesan for serving 
• 2 medium carrots, scrubbed, halved crosswise 
• 2 celery stalks, halved crosswise 
• 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise; plus 2 cloves, chopped 
• 6 sprigs parsley 
• 1 sprig rosemary 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 dried chiles de árbol or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more crushed for serving 
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes 
• ¾ cup dry white wine 
• 3 ounces dried lasagna or other flat pasta, broken into 1–1½-inch piece
• ½ small head of escarole, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces

Bring beans, Parmesan rind, carrots, celery, head of garlic, parsley, rosemary, bay leaves, chiles, and 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, adding more water as needed, until beans are tender, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and let sit 30 minutes. Discard vegetables, rind, and herbs.

Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium. Cook onion and chopped garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands, and cook, stirring often, until liquid is almost completely reduced, 12–15 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add beans and their liquid; cook until flavors meld, 12–15 minutes. Add pasta; cook, stirring and adding more water as needed, until al dente, 15–20 minutes. Add escarole and cook until wilted, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper.

Serve soup drizzled with oil and topped with Parmesan and more chile.

Serves: 4; 550 calories.

VERDICT:  This takes forever, but is really good--creamy, with deep, savory flavors.  I put way more shaved Parmesan on than strictly necessary, which probably didn't hurt.  Keep!