Nectarine Blackberry Bars

CRUST :

• 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds 
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal 
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 cup sugar

FILLING

• 12 ounces plums (about 6), preferably Italian prune, cut into a 1/2-inch dice (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup blackberries (4 ounces) 
• 2/3 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup, if plums are very sweet) 
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 cup blackberries (4 ounces) 
• 2/3 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup, if plums are very sweet) 
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch cake pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment. Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet; toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then coarsely chop. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt.

Beat butter with sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture; beat until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 3 cups of dough mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Stir almonds into remaining dough mixture.

Filling: Stir together plums, blackberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Pour into crust. Crumble remaining crust mixture over top, squeezing to create clumps. Bake until bubbling in center and crust is golden, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent with foil after about 50 minutes). Let cool 1 hour. Remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.

Serves 16.

VERDICT:  The recipe suggested that nectarines would be a nice substitute for plums, and they were.  A rare egg-free baked good that is actually good, especially served with ice cream.  Keep.

Warm Lentil and Potato Salad

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• 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!  

Tempeh Gyros with Tzatziki

• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. tempeh
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup water1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 3/4 cup silken tofu (about 6 oz.)
• 1/2 cup peeled and grated English cucumber
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 (1.9-oz.) whole-grain flatbread wraps (such as Flatout Flatbread Light Original)
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

Slice tempeh lengthwise into 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Place tempeh slices in skillet, and cook until golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, stir together 1/2 cup water, minced onion, soy sauce, rosemary, oregano, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl.

Add soy sauce mixture to tempeh in pan. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Braise tempeh, turning occasionally, until liquid has mostly evaporated and tempeh has absorbed the flavors, about 10 minutes.

Process silken tofu and remaining 2 garlic cloves in a high-powered blender until smooth. Place in a bowl. Stir in cucumber, lemon juice, dill, vinegar, salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

Serves 4; 333 calories.

VERDICT:  I found these delightful, perhaps because John did all the work--I think I ate three of the four servings all at one.  We used regular pita instead of creepy flatbreads, and plain yogurt instead of silken tofu.

Broccolini and Olive Skillet Pizza

• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 12 ounces store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 teaspoons sliced garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 6 ounces sliced low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces fresh broccolini, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup pitted black olives, halved lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F. 
 Sprinkle the cornmeal in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Place the dough in the skillet; press gently to cover the bottom and 1 inch up the side. Cook over medium, 8 minutes, 
until the dough bubbles and the bottom begins to brown.

Top the dough while it cooks with the tomatoes and garlic. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon 
each of the salt and pepper. Top evenly with the mozzarella. Toss the broccolini with the oil and the remaining salt and pepper; arrange over the mozzarella. Top with the olives.

Bake in oven until the crust 
is golden and the cheese begins to brown, about 18 
 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with the red pepper.

Serves 4; 421 calories.

VERDICT:  I made this while Dad, Connie and John were gardening--super-easy and better than it had any right to be--kind of a non-goopy deep-dish.  The broccolini got crispy and delicious, and the olives were delicious and salty and savory.  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!

Rhubarb Gin and Tonic

For rhubarb syrup:

• 1 pound rhubarb
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water

For 1 cocktail:

• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 1 1/2 ounces rhubarb syrup
• 3 ounces tonic water
• ice
• lime wedge

To make rhubarb syrup:

Cut rhubarb into 1-inch chunks, making sure to discard any leaves. Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then cook until rhubarb is soft and beginning to break down, about 3 minutes.

Strain through a mesh strainer and reserve solids to make jam or a pie. Chill syrup in the refrigerator until ready for use.

To make cocktail:

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add gin and rhubarb syrup, then fill the glass with tonic. Stir, garnish with lime wedge and enjoy immediately!

VERDICT:  Delightful!  I tossed a couple of strawberries in while I was cooking the syrup to get a pretty, pretty pink syrup.  An excellent, slightly fancy G&T.  Keep!  From Mario Batali.

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.