For those that know me well, I tend to be inspired by recipes, but go off the rails in the execution. In the kitchen, I'm a bit of a rebel ... I like to do my own thing, add my own spin, etc. Inspired by the corn-and-tomato-pie recipe I linked to a couple of weeks ago, I took its essence and flipped it on its head. Instead of a chunky, hearty filling, I made a simple corn custard that was poured over caramelized onions that covered the bottom of a pre-baked tart shell. Then I added some unadorned, but glorious-in-their-own-right, sungold and candy tomatoes to the pool of custard. Baked for 40 minutes, the pie came out of the oven slightly puffed and golden. We ate it at room temperature with super-sweet muskmelon, but it would be great served warm as well. After an afternoon at the pool, it definitely hit the spot.

Corn Custard and Tomato Tart
serves 2 hungry bambini and mom and pop, too

Ingredients:
1 basic pie or tart crust recipe; I used the 9-inch pie crust recipe from Cook's Illustrated
1 large sweet onion, sliced into half moons
1 bunch of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ears sweet corn,
1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pint assorted cherry/grape tomatoes -- I used sungold and baby candy, but feel free to use any grape or cherry tomatoes you have!

Directions
Pre-bake the tart shell according to your recipe. Set aside to cool.
Adjust the heat of your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil and thyme until fragrant. Add the onions, with a large pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper and cook low and slow until the onions are caramelized and sweet -- about 20-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While the onions are cooking, make the corn custard. Cut the kernels from the cob and place ikernels in a blender with the 1/4 cup milk or cream. Puree until smooth. Pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve or chinois. To the strained puree, whisk the creme fraiche, egg yolks, salt and pepper until incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Layer the cool onions on the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the custard over the onions (don't pour the custard to the rim of the tart; leave about a 1/4 gap). Nestle the tomatoes in the custard and carefully transfer the tart to the oven (I place on a baking sheet first). Bake for 40 minutes, until golden and puffed adn the custard to set, but still wobbly.

Cool until warm or leave at room temperature.

Happy eating, -s.

My baby got sauce
Your baby ain’t sweet like mine
She got sauce
Your baby ain’t sweet like mine
She got sauce...

Sorry, couldn’t resist a little G Love and Special Sauce reference here.

James is currently experience one heck of a bout of separation anxiety. Poor little guy; Chris and I need to carry him constantly or he screams. He screams and wails and flails his arms and doesn’t breathe for 5 seconds. It’s a pretty rough scene, but soon he won’t want us to hold him at all, so I try to empathize while I do everything with one hand, like cooking and buttoning a shirt and putting on make-up — you get the picture; so dinner prep needs to be minimal and all done with babe on hip. Hence, stir-fries.

I have been working on and perfecting my go-to stir-fry sauce. We try to have some stir-fried greens (mustard, Chinese broccoli, kale, arugula, spinach) and a lean protein with brown rice (or my favorite pure-white, no-whole-grain-here jasmine rice) once a week. This is in no way authentic, but it is complex, crowd-pleasing and pantry-friendly.

 

Sarah’s oh-so-special sauce

enough for one stir-fry that serves 4 hungry bambini or adults

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon raw sugar or brown sugar
½ a lime, juiced
½ tablespoon roasted red chile paste
2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
1 thumb-sized knob of ginger, grated on microplane
½ teaspoon cornstarch (optional)

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, whisk to break down sugar and chile paste.

Pour onto stir-fry ingredients once they are browned and fully cooked. Cook for 1 minute, until slightly thickened and glossy.  Serve hot.

Happy eating, -s.

Our little family's favorite lunch spot is Pizza Brutta. Pickle will eat an entire pizza Margarita (minus the crust, which is my favorite part, so it works). He loves watching them assemble the pizza, place it in the 700+ degree wood-fired oven and cut it and serve it to us ("here it comes, momma!").

So, it was only natural that I try to re-create a version of their pizza Margarita at home -- minus the stunning wood-burning oven. Okay, I admit the crust is so not the same, but the essence is true and Pickle loves it just as much.  

It's simple as can be to make, especially if you have the dough for the crust already made. Peter Reinhart's recipe is impeccable -- a must try. I typically free-form this on an aluminum baking sheet.

This is a great, after-work pizza, since there is little to prep. Walk in the door and, before you even take your coat off, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.  Pour a glass of wine, put on some music and start making the pizza! I serve this with an apple-celery salad with raisins and toasted almonds. More on that another time.

Pizza Margarita
serves 4 adults or 1 hungry bambino

Ingredients
1 large ball of pizza dough
2 cups shredded, whole-milk mozzarella
28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes, drained
1 small clove of garlic, sliced
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 fresh basil leaves,torn into large pieces.

Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place a rack on the lowest level of the oven.

On a floured surface, roll or press out dough to the desired size -- about 14-inches round or a 11 x 14 inch rectangle. Place on your baking sheet.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil. Process until the sauce it smooth and voluminous. Take for seasoning and adjust as needed. This sauce is enough for two pizzas, so stash one part in the freezer for next time.

When the oven is good and hot, sprinkle with cheese, uniformly covering the surface. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Take the pizza out of the oven and spread the sauce all over the cheese, covering completely. Place back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before cutting into pieces. Scatter with basil leaves. Serve while piping hot.

Happy eating, -s

What I love most about cooking (besides filling up my tummy), is that many recipes can take on a new persona with just a simple ingredient swap.

Take, for example, one of our favorite, make-it-almost-every-week meals from my wonderful sister, Holley: sautéed greens on ricotta bruschetta.

The recipe first started with baby mustard greens that Holley found at the farmers’ market. All summer long, that’s how we ate it; come fall, kale switched places with the mustard greens. And now that spring is here, I found beautiful Chinese broccoli at the farmers’ market and thought that its slight bitterness and the leafy/floret combo it has going on, could work well as another incarnation.

Well, I have to say, this might be my favorite version yet, so I had to share the recipe with you. What’s even better – it’s easy; the perfect weeknight meal. One caveat, I made mine using Holley’s homemade no-knead bread that definitely elevated it to something really special, but a good artisanal, crusty, chewy, flavorful country loaf will do just fine.

Sautéed Chinese broccoli and fresh ricotta bruschetta
Serves 2 hungry adults

Ingredients
1 bunch Chinese broccoli, washed and ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated on a microplane grater
½ teaspoons red chile flakes
4-6 oz. of fresh ricotta
4 slices of crusty bread, toasted

Directions
In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When smoking hot, add garlic and red chile flakes and sauté for 30 seconds; add broccoli, quickly tossing to coat with the garlic-and-chile-infused oil. Sauté until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Thickly smear ricotta onto the bruschetta, topping each with a small mound of the cooked broccoli. An optional drizzle of really, really good extra virgin olive oil is always nice. Eat promptly. A glass of rosé or prosecco would be a welcomed accompaniment.

Happy eating, -s.

Sarah's Chicken Saag Curry served with basmati rice and wholegrain flatbread
Serves 2 adults, 2 hungry bambinos with leftovers for lunches
This is my lightened-up version of Chicken Tikka Masala. While butter and heavy cream make everything taste better, your backside doesn't need it on a weeknight. I used four split chicken breasts in making this originally, but since chicken breasts come in only double-D size now, I think three should suffice.

Ingredients
3 split chicken breast
Olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper

¼ cup sliced almonds
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
A small pinch of dried chili flakes
1-28 oz. can of whole plum tomatoes with their juices
1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves

2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3-4 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional, but really lovely)
1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted, to garnish (optional, but again, lovely)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Accompaniments:
Basmati rice
Fabulous Flats wholegrain "tandoori naan": This is not the naan you get at an Indian restaurant, but it's pretty darn good. Whole Foods carries this brand and their own version. Both work.

Directions
The night before: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place chicken breast on the baking sheet and lightly coat skin with olive oil and generous pinches of kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes (depending on the size of the breasts. Let cool 15 minutes. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces and store covered in the refrigerator.

The day of: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground. With machine running, add the ginger and garlic cloves until finely minced. Add cumin, coriander, paprika, chili and tomatoes, yogurt, honey and salt and blend until smooth. Set aside.

*Start cooking your basmati rice now and preheat your oven to 400 degrees for heating the flatbread.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the whole spices; cook 30 seconds to a minute. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook them until softened and lightly browned, but stir often, to avoid sticking. Raise heat to medium high and add spinach and sauté until wilted and some of its water has been released, about 3-5 minutes. Pour in the puree, and cook everything until it begins to boil and thicken slightly, about 5-10 minutes. Fold in the shredded chicken and golden raisins. Sprinkle the garam masala and salt over the mixture; stir to combine. Cover and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld and chicken to reheat. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Scatter with the toasted almonds and cilantro. Spoon over mounds of fluffy basmati rice. Serve with flatbread.

*Follow the directions on the package for cooking rice, but generally it is a 2-to-1 ratio of water to rice; bring to a boil, turn to low and cook covered for 15-20 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, I place a kitchen towel over the pot, put the lid back on and let the rice sit off the heat for 5-10 minutes. This yields very fluffy rice. For the flatbread, I throw them in the oven directly on a grate and let them crisp up a bit, about 3-5 minutes. Once out of the oven, brush with melted butter or olive oil.

Happy eating, -s.

Panko-crusted American farm-raised tilapia tacos with avocado crema and a black-bean salad

Fish Tacos
You can pretty much use any fish you’d like for this. I love whole-wheat panko, but for some reason the crumbs are a bit more robust in size that the white panko, so I crush them ever-so-slightly for more uniformity when coating.

Serves 2 adults and 2 hungry bambinos

Ingredients
4 tilapia fillets
¼ cup flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk (preferably whole or 2%)
¾ cup whole-wheat panko (slightly pulverized with a rolling pin)
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

8-10 corn tortillas (heated just before dinner in oven or microwave)
Optional (but yummy) garnishes: sliced radishes, microgreens or sprouts, cilantro leaves

Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a Ziploc bag, add flour and a generous pinch of salt. In another Ziploc bag, add panko and gently roll with a rolling pin a few times to break of the really big pieces of panko. In a flat dish, whisk the egg and milk together, season with a pinch salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Season each fillet with salt and pepper and place in the flour bag, shaking it gently to evenly coat the fillets. Dunk each fillet in the egg mixture and then one at a time shake in the panko. Place coated fillets on a plate while you coat the rest.

Preheat a large skillet. Add olive oil and when hot add two fillets. Cook 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip carefully and cook an additional 3 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and pop into the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining fillets. Serve immediately in warm corn tortillas or keep warm in the oven while you prep the other components.

Avocado crema
In our house, avocado is king. Click here for a mind-blowing list of stats on why avocado is oh-so-good for you. This creamy fruit is loaded with fiber, filled with good fat and packed with B vitamins.

Ingredients
1 avocado, ripe as hell
½ cup sour cream or Mexican crema
Zest and juice of half of a lime (zest first, juice second)
1-2 tablespoons tap water
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Few grinds of black pepper

Directions
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all of the ingredients. Pulse a few times to get things going and then process until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning; add more salt, lime juice, cumin as needed.

Black-bean salad
This recipe is great because it can be changed to what you have in the pantry and to what cuisine you are cooking. This version is great with Mexican, Latin and Tex Mex flavors. It’s simple and easy to execute. Enough said.

Ingredients
15 oz. of cooked black beans, either canned or homemade, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, finely diced – rinsed in cold water for a few minute and drained
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fruity olive oil
Kosher of raw vegetable of your choice: halved grape tomatoes, diced cucumber, chopped roasted red peppers, grated carrot
Cilantro, a large handful, chopped

Directions
In a large bowl, add the onion, the lime juice and a large pinch of salt. Stir to combine. This will slightly “pickle” the onion and kill some of oniony-ness. Prep everything else and then add to the bowl, stirring to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Note: if you are making this a day ahead, don’t add the cilantro until right before serving.

Happy eating, -s.

Pickle recently found Chris’s very old copy of Of Mice and Men and has been carrying it around because it has a bunny on it (his latest obsession). It’s really quite cute: he’ll sit in one of our living-room chairs and open the book and peruse the words on the pages for a little while and then close the book, point at it and say, “Bunny.”

How does this relates to cooking or getting him to eat his dinner, you ask? It doesn’t really, but it does remind me of the verse that the title is derived from: “the best laid plans of mice and men,” which Steinbeck snagged from a Robert Burn’s poem (I digress).

Day to day; week to week, we all have good intentions — plans set out in our mind of things to accomplish, meals to make, laundry to fold, bills to pay, but sometimes those things don’t go off as planned, which is why everyone should have a solid back-up plan — especially when it comes to weeknight dinners.

From one of my menus a few weeks ago (week of 3 January to be exact), we were to have lentil salad with curry spices and yogurt. Well, that day we got slammed with a foot of snow and once I got home from work, I realized that I did not have the lentils for the salad and was not going to venture out again just for some French lentils. As Pickle would say, “uh-oh.”

Enter my go-to, failsafe, always-have-the-ingredients dinner: Turkish Poached Eggs with Yogurt and Spicy Sage Butter. The recipe is from a 1995 issue of Bon Appétit and whoever was the genius who thought to make it and print it in the magazine, thank you! The recipe is simple: poached eggs, Greek yogurt with some minced garlic and salt in it, a few crispy sage leaves and a very sexy-looking paprika-and-chile-infused butter to drizzle on top. I serve it with some multi-grain flatbread and dinner is served.

It’s perfect for dinner alone; for all three of us; for a first-course of a Middle Eastern-themed dinner party. Pickle loves it – I make sure his eggs are poached until the yolks are firm. He says, “Mmmm,” when he eats it and that makes me smile, which then makes me very happy that my plans were waylaid …and and isn’t that what makes life great?

Happy eating, -s.

Last Tuesday night was carry-out night, which gave me time to prep my squash and mushrooms for Wednesday and Thursday's dinners: squash and mushroom tacos and gingery squash soup, respectively.

This combo of dishes was a little less time-consuming to execute than Dinners 1 and 2, but equally satisfying. We may make this a regular duo in our weekly repertoire.

I had two medium-sized butternut squash, one that I peeled and cubed into 2-inch pieces and the other I just halved and removed the seeds. For the cubed squash, I mixed up a spice-infused olive oil to provide a boost of flavor. I roasted everything at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Then I added cleaned mushrooms to the cubed squash and roasted it for another 15 minutes. Everything came out caramelized and yielding to the touch. I let everything cool and then stored it in the fridge for the next night.

The tacos were great; the spice oil, smoky from the cumin, Spanish paprika and ancho chile powder, was a perfect counterpoint to the inherent sweetness of the squash. To serve, I heated a little olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat to reheat and recrisp the edges a little. I served the filling with warm corn tortillas, local goat’s cheese and crunchy scallions, which added a burst of freshness. Each taco was topped with a tuff of micro greens.

We had leftovers from both meals, allowing Pickle to eat cold mushrooms (I know, weird) and squash as supplements to his other meals and for all of us to have a lovely and warming soup lunch after spending a very cold Sunday afternoon outside looking for bunnies (Pickle’s latest fixation!).

Here’s my recipe for the tacos … the soup is again from Ethan Becker’s revision of his grandmother and mother’s famous tome, The Joy of Cooking.

Winter Squash and Mushroom Tacos

Serves two adults, one hungry bambino, with some leftovers

Ingredients
2 medium winter squash — butternut, Hubbard or kobucha are my favorites — one peeled, deseeded and cubed into 2-inch pieces; the other just halved and deseeded
16 oz. button or crimini mushrooms, cleaned and large stems trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 scallions, cleaned and sliced thinly on the bias
A large handful of micro or baby greens
6-8 corn tortillas
3-4 oz. goat cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the halved squash, cut side down, on half the baking sheet.

In a large bowl combine the olive oil, cumin, paprika, chile powder and salt; stir to combine. Toss in the cubed squash and coat evenly with spice oil. Spread out on the other side of the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, fold the mushrooms in with the cubed squash and roast 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven to cool slightly. If not using right away, store in the fridge over night. Reserve the halved squash for making the soup.

To reheat: heat a large sauté pan over medium-high and add ½ teaspoon each of olive oil and butter. When hot, add the squash and mushrooms in one layer and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden and crisp along the edges. Use a spatula to turn the filling and cook the other side in the same manner. Serve warm with toppings.

Happy eating, -s.

I am honestly not a huge fan of leftovers, except a post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and my mom's stuffing. Nothing can beat that. Well, maybe some things can, but that's a top five in my book. To me, leftovers should be relegated to lunch or they get a little boring, but I have to say that they do help in getting through the week without having to actually cook every night.

Magazines like Fine Cooking and Cookie (so sad they are shuttering this sophisticated guide to parenting) have recently focused a lot of their editorial real estate to this endeavor, but their focus is mainly meat. I like to look at vegetables for my leftover inspirations. So, this weekend, take a little time to cook ahead and see how much easier your weeknights are!

Here are some tips and recipes to stretch your efforts throughout the week:

No. 1: Roasted Vegetables
In a 425-degree oven, roast two trays of cleaned and trimmed carrots, onions, parsnips and winter squash (I slice into 1-inch thick half-moons) lightly coated with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper until soft and caramelized, roughly 30-45 minutes. Throw in a couple of heads of garlic, cloves separated but still in their skins. Here's how to use them:

As an entree: Roasted carrots, parsnips and squash in a cumin-shallot vinaigrette with chickpea-walnut hummus and whole-wheat flatbread;

As a side dish: serve alongside any protein, such as sautéed chicken cutlets, pork chops or turkey sausages

As a pasta accompaniment: cook pasta according to package; drain. Meanwhile heat 1/4 cup of heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat; squeeze two cloves of the roasted garlic into the cream, season with salt and pepper and whisk to incorporate. Cut up the roasted veggies into pieces the same size as your pasta (penne, rigatoni, farfalle and ziti are great for this). Reheat over medium-low heat, using the same pot you cooked the pasta. When warmed through, add the pasta and the garlic-infused cream. Toss to coat. Top with grated parmigiano reggiano.


No. 2: Spinach
Do not try this with pre-washed baby spinach, please! Use at least 2 lbs of "real" spinach, the kind that needs washing and has stem you need to remove. Once you do that, steam until wilted. Drain in a colander or sieve. Squeeze out excess water and be amazed at how much it cooks down! Here's how to use it:

As a side dish: serve hot, just-steamed spinach with butter and salt and pepper.

As a filling for a puff-pastry tart: Chop 1 cup of spinach, toss in 3 tablespoons of golden raisins, 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, 1 tart apple, diced into 1/4-inch cubes and a 1/4 cup grated gruyere. You could add some diced prosciutto as well. Fold in a beaten egg. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Follow the directions for assembling and baking the tart here.

As a pasta sauce: In the bowl of a food processor combine 3/4 cup of spinach, 4 oz. goat cheese softened, 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, 2 tablespoons half-and-half (whole milk works in a pinch), 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Blitz in the food processor until smooth. Cook pasta according to package and coat hot pasta with the sauce.

As breakfast for dinner: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté a small yellow onion until soft and translucent. Add 1/2 cup chopped spinach to pan to warm through. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche — whatever you have on hand — and 1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup grated cheese — gruyere, aged white cheddar, whatever you have in your fridge. Butter 4 ramekins and place in a shallow baking. Divide spinach mixture evenly among them. Make a "well" in the center of each and carefully crack an egg into the indentation. Bake in oven until whites are set, roughly 15 minutes. Serve with toast or warm, crusty bread.

No. 3: Beans and other legumes
I love beans. These versatile little numbers have it all: protein, fiber, complex carbs, B vitamins and iron. Make a big pot of beans or lentils on the weekend — use the method of your choice (I like an over-night soak and a slow simmer in a Dutch oven) and have a bean-filled week. Here's how to use them:

As a salad: Toss any cooked bean (rinsed and drained) with finely diced red onion (I rinsed these too), fresh herbs, a splash of vinegar or citrus juice, olive oil, salt and pepper taste. A diced apple is a lovely addition in the fall.

As a veggie burger: In the bowl of a food processor, blitz 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or almonds into a fine meal. Add 2 cups beans and puree until slightly chunky. Remove mixture to a large bowl. Fold in one egg, juice from half a lime or lemon, 1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs, 1/4 cup minced onion, chopped parsley or cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon of both cumin and coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using 1/2 cup portions, form into six patties and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook for 4 minutes per side, using caution when turning them as they are fragile. These are bun optional, so top with sprouts, mixed greens, avocado slices, salsa, Greek yogurt, etc. whatever you fancy.

As a soup base: For any soup you will need:
2 cups of cooked beans
4 cups stock — chicken or vegetable
A classic mirepoix: carrots, celery and onions (leeks work too); sauté until soft.

Add seasonings: it all depends on what you use for your herbs and spice.
Tex-Mex version: to the mirepoix, add some cumin, dried Mexican oregano and minced garlic and sauté for a minute until fragrant.
French version: toss in some fresh thyme, a pinch of herbes de Provence and minced garlic.
Italian version: could include some pancetta with the mirepoix and some rosemary and sliced garlic at the end of the sauté.
Indian version: could include some curry powder or garam masala
Once your seasonings become fragrant — usually after a minute of sautéing — add 2 cups of cooked beans, 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and simmer for 30-45 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. At this point you can either puree the mixture or leave it chunky; it’s up to you.
For enrichments, toppings and garnishes: Add cream (French), coconut milk or plain yogurt (Indian version). Top with crème fraîche, fresh chopped herbs, a drizzle of really good extra virgin olive oil, croutons, the list goes on and on.

Happy eating, -s.

Here's what we ate last Sunday — a great use for all those potatoes we have from our CSA! Note: we added the red pepper flakes after baking so Pickle could eat it too.

Potato and Rosemary Pizza

Serves 2 adults, one hungry bambino, with leftovers

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces (roughly 2 medium sized potatoes) unpeeled, scrubbed-clean Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into very thin rounds — I used a mandoline
1 recipe Sarah's pizza dough
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 cup grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add potato slices in single layer (you will have to do several batches). Sauté until just tender, about 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towel to cool briefly.

Once your dough is rolled out to your preferred size, place on a cornmeal-dusted pan. Then, layer potato slices, leaving 3/4-inch plain border. Sprinkle with rosemary, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with cheeses to cover.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheeses melt, about 15 minutes. Using metal spatula, loosen crust from sheet, if needed. Slide onto a board and cut into pieces; serve.

Happy eating, -s.

Growing up, Friday night was pizza night. My mom would make a half-sheet-pan-sized pizza with lots of veggies and pepperoni. It was the only night that we got to have a juice-glass filled with Coke. A pretty magical evening, as you can imagine. Talking to friends, they too had pizza nights as kids. At the park recently, Chris, Pickle and I met a little girl who was quite the conversationalist; as we pushed Pickle on the swing, she inquired about many things including what we were going to be for Halloween (she was going as a witch or a mermaid) and what we were having for dinner. She told us that, "as she was Italian," her family had pizza night every week and that her favorite was sausage and pepperoni. So, the trend continues (Italian or not!) decades later, which makes me happy.

I've been working on a whole-wheat crust recipe lately; trying to make eating pizza a more healthful endeavour. Using 100% whole-wheat flour has not been working for me; the texture is just not right. So, with Heidi Swanson's white whole-wheat crust recipe in one hand and the Cook's Illustrated classic in the other, I set about making a big batch of dough that would crisp and chew in all the right places, while still containing a good ratio of whole-wheat flour to white. Our potato pizza on Sunday was my first go and I have to say — and I'm not exaggerating* — it was the best dough I've made. The exterior was crispy while the interior had a satisfying chew.

This recipe makes two large rectangular pizzas (the goal is to have leftovers); freeze one ball or refrigerate it for pizza later in the week — yes, two pizza nights in one week is okay!

Sarah's whole-wheat pizza dough

makes enough for two, 11x14-inch pizzas or four, 12-inch round pizzas

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour — I used King Arthur

2 cups white bread flour — again, King Arthur

1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 3/4 cup room temperature water

1/4 cup olive oil and more for oiling the bowl

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, add both flours, salt and yeast; pulse to combine (the bowl will be really full). Measure the water and oil in the same cup and with the machine running, pour the liquids into the dry ingredients. Once the dough creates a cohesive ball, let the machine run for 30 seconds.

Remove to a floured board or counter and knead with your hands for 5 minutes (a good upper-body workout). The ball should be smooth and supple. Cut into two equal piece. Place one in a Ziploc bag and the other in an oiled bowl. Place the bagged dough in the fridge or freezer for later use. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 2-3 hours, until double in volume.

When you are ready to assemble the pizza, slowly stretch the dough by hand, letting it rest if it is not yielding. Once it is the size you need, place on a cornmeal dusted pan and adorn with your choice of sauce and toppings. Bake on the bottom rack of a 450-degree, preheated oven for roughly 15 minutes.

Happy eating, -s.

*I am a known and admitted over-exaggerator, coming from a long line of overreactors, hypochondriacs and drama-queens. If it happened once or twice, to me it's happened a million times. If you have a cough, you are dying and should rush to the doctor. If I love something or someone, it L-O-V-E, love, so watch out! But, that just means I'm passionate about everything that matters. :)

I often reminisce about one of my favorite restaurants from our Milwaukee days, Taqueria Azteca. Before it expanded threefold and lost some of its deliciousness, it was this charming, albeit tiny, tiny restaurant with brightly printed oilcloth tablecloths, little painted chairs hanging from the walls and Mexican wedding flags draped from the ceiling. My entire family was obsessed with this place; with the chalkboard daily specials oohed and aahed over, especially any of chef-owner Frank Sanchez's molés (I could really go for some puerco en pasilla right about now!).

Anyway, Frank's chilaquiles were comfort in a bowl. This classic dish comprised of stale tortillas fried to "revive" them, green or red salsa, eggs (scrambled or fried) and cheese is a Mexican breakfast staple. Whenever they were on the special board I would get them. They varied in ingredients, sometimes with shredded chicken, other times with seasonal vegetables, but they always included a fragrant salsa, queso fresco, crema Mexicana, avocado and copious amounts of cilantro. Yum.

Pickle is in love with any kind of red sauce, be it Mario Batali's classic or my fresh-tomato jam I make for grilled cheese sandwiches, so I thought he may like a toned-down version of chilaquiles.

Now I wanted to make it somewhat healthful and less sodium packed, so I started with spelt tortillas that I did not fry ... I know, I am already straying from the original. And since I was pressed for time after work, I used ancho chile powder (Penzy's carries it) instead of toasting, soaking and pureeing dried ancho chiles. Another cheat, but time is of the essence these days.

I also wanted to get some fresh vegetables in the sauce, so onion, grated zucchini and diced tomatoes were sautéed before the ancho chile powder and a little cumin were added to fragrance the sauce. I used Muir Glen tomato puree for the sauce base, plus a little tap water to thin it. I didn't have crema Mexicana (I wish!) or crème fraîche, but I did have some heavy cream which was added to the whisked egg. I topped it with aged Cedar Grove cheddar, cilantro and voila! Pickle didn't let me down; he scarfed it right up and "signed" for more. Hope you all do the same.

Recipe: Flash-in-the-pan Chilaquiles
Serves 4 hungry bambinos

You can make this carnivorous with the addition of some shredded chicken. Just add it when you stir the tortillas into the sauce.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
Two spelt tortillas cut into 1-inch pieces – corn or white flour ones would work as well
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 medium zucchini, grated
6 Juliette tomatoes, diced
1/2 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
6 oz. tomato puree
4 oz. water
1 extra-large egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes, add zucchini and tomatoes and sauté until softened, about 1 minute. Add chile powder and cumin and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée and water and bring to a hard simmer. Stir in the tortillas and cook until they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a bowl with the heavy cream and season with a pinch of salt and some pepper. When the tortillas have softened, stir in the egg mixture and cook until the egg starts to scramble.

Add the cheese and cilantro and stir to incorporate.

Happy eating, s-

Anthony Bourdain visited Vietnam on a recent No Reservations and it got me hankering for a banh mi. I love the one at Mermaid Cafe, but they are not open for dinner (but should be!) so I had to come up with my own. It's definitely not what you would get in Vietnam, but it's vaguely reminiscent and sometimes that's just as good.

A traditional banh mi has julienned daikon in its "slaw," but since I’m trying to eat what is seasonal and local, the slaw in my recipe is comprised of carrots and broccoli stalks from our Driftless Organics CSA. The meats, both fresh and cured, vary from region to region and cook to cook, so I use roasted chicken breasts, as Pickle loves them, and took an idea from Gourmet’s recipe and use liverwurst instead of the traditional paté. This sandwich is all about assembly, so have everything prepped and ready to go before you start making the sandwiches. As the French say, "mise en place"… everything in its place!

Banh Mi
Serves 2, easily doubled

Ingredients
For the Slaw
1 small carrot, julienned
1 small broccoli stalk, julienned
Juice from ½ a lime
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cane sugar

For the chicken
1 whole chicken breast, split – you will have leftovers, which I use for Pickle's dinner the following night, but it also makes great chicken salad.

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil

For the sandwich
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ cup cilantro leaves and some stems
4 large or 8 small basil leaves, preferably Thai basil
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ inch disk of liverwurst, about 2 oz.
2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixed with one teaspoon Sriracha chile sauce
1 demi baguette or half a full-size baguette

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

On a foil-lined cookie sheet, place the chicken breast halves. Coat with olive oil and then sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, salt and pepper. Rub mixture into the skin to help penetrate. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool while prepping the other ingredients. When cool enough to handle, discard skin and shred meat into bite-size pieces and set aside.

Julienne carrot and broccoli stalk using the julienne blade on a mandolin or by hand. Stir together lime juice, vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss with vegetables. Let slaw stand, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Then, drain slaw in a colander.

Meanwhile, split the baguette and trim ends if overly bulbous and heat baguette cut-side-down on rack in oven until crusty, about 5 minutes.

Mix together sesame oil, fish sauce, and soy sauce and brush on cut sides of bread. Spread liverwurst on bottom layer of bread and top with chiles, onion, basil and cilantro and lettuce. Spread top layer of bread with chile mayonnaise.

On top of the other fillings, arrange chicken, then slaw. Top with the other half and cut sandwich into two servings.

Happy eating, -s

My husband Chris is obsessed with eggplant. During football season he makes numerous batches of Marc Bittman's delicious eggplant dip from How to Cook Everything. A new football-watching favorite is from his boss who is Italian; he shared his recipe for breaded eggplant "cutlets" that he serves hot with wedges of lemon – pretty divine, too. Well, we had an eggplant in our CSA box and it was just staring at me every time I opened the fridge. Since Chris LOVES eggplant, I thought I would showcase it for our lunch last weekend. Taking the simplicity of flavors in Bittman's dip with the crispy-creamy ying and yang of the cutlets, I came up with these "napoleons." I got two thumbs up from my eggplant connoisseur, which in my book is a success. I hope you like them too!

Eggplant, Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Napoleons

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, peeled – cut one end off
1 medium-sized eggplant, sliced into ½-inch disks
1 large slicing tomato, sliced into ½-inch disks
1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into ½-inch disks
¼ cup whole-wheat flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4-8 basil leaves
Sea salt for garnish

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the pan is preheating, rub each eggplant cutlet with the cut end of the garlic clove. Add flour, a large pinch of salt and pepper to a Ziploc bag and shake the eggplant disks to lightly dust them with flour. Shake off excess flour and add a layer of eggplant to the pan – don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until dark golden brown and the interior yields gently to pressure. Drain on paper towels and cook other batch of eggplant in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

Layer the eggplant with a tomato slice (season with a pinch of salt and pepper), then 2 basil leaves and topped with mozzarella. Repeat layers once more and then drizzle with really, really good olive oil and pinch of flakey sea salt. Eat post haste.

This is inspired by the BLT pizza currently on the menu at Lombardino's – a fabulous local Italian restaurant that's one of our favorite haunts. For the crust, I use Marc Bittman's basic pizza dough recipe. The "sauce" is just a head of roasted garlic, mashed with salt and pepper and a tablespoon of olive oil. I roast the tomatoes and bacon in the oven ahead of time and use Cedar Grove's Organic Mozzarella. Once it's out of the oven, I top with fresh baby arugula and let it wilt slightly before cutting. Chris is pretty generous with the compliments when he eats my food, but this has received more oohs and aahs than anything I have made in a long time. I must say, it's pretty good.

BLT pizza
serves 4 adults, generously or 2 with leftovers

Ingredients:
1 batch of homemade pizza dough
1 pint of cherry, grape or Juliette tomotoes (I halve them if they are really big)
1 head of garlic, roasted until soft and caramelized
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to lightly coat the tomatoes for roasting
4-5 slices of bacon – I use uncured, nitrate-free bacon
2 cups baby arugula , long stems removed
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a foil-lined sheet pan, toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. On the other half of the pan, place the slices of bacon. Roast for 10 minutes, until bacon starts to crisp and tomatoes are wilted. Remove from oven to cool slightly. Drain bacon on paper towel and when cool enough to handle, chop bacon into 1-inch pieces.


In a small bowl, mash roasted garlic with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.


On a flour-dusted board, roll or press out dough to a rough 14 x 17 inch rectangle. Transfer to an aluminum sheet pan. Spread roasted garlic mixture on the dough. Layer with cheese, then tomatoes and bacon. Cook on bottom rack of oven until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with arugula. Let wilt for 2-3 minutes. Cut and serve.

One of Pickle's favorite things to eat at Café Soleil is their herbed chevre croissant. While I wish I could craft these gorgeous, cheesy, roasted tomato-stuffed delights at home, I am not a pastry chef, but I am a mom who loves to recreate beloved foodstuff while simplifying the process. I've replaced handcrafted croissant dough with frozen puff pastry and swapped the oven-dried tomatoes with sauteed ones. It is a spot-on rendition in taste, but not shape.

Market Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted in the fridge
1 large, in-season tomato or 3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or grated on a microplane
1 tablesppon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
4 oz fresh goat cheese, at room temperature – I use the fabulously creamy DreamFarm chevre
4 oz, grated nutty, aged cheese, like Pleasant Ridge Reserve or Marieke Gouda
1 egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat oil over medium heat until shimmery. Add tomatoes and saute until juices start to run.
Add garlic and thyme and cook another minute.

Remove from heat to cool.

On a flour-dusted counter or board, roll out puff pastry until its roughly 14 inches by 11 inches. Chill for 15 minutes it if gets too soft. Cut pastry in half. Score a 1/2 border on one piece of pastry. In the inside rectangle, spread goat cheese over entire surface. Place back in the refrigerators until the tomatoes are ready.

Spread tomatoes over the goat cheese and then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Egg wash the border left on the puff pastry and then top it with the other piece. Press and seal edges together, then use a pastry wheel to cut the egdes so they look uniform. if you don't have a pastry wheel, a knife will work too. Cut three small slits on the top to allow steam to escape. Egg wash the entire tart and place in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.

Cut into individual portions.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oh, summer, how I love thee! let me count the ways: tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!

On Saturday, we had a CSA delivery and we hit the Dane County Farmers’ Market, too. There’s just so much in season right now that we want to enjoy it fully since our growing season is so short!

Tomatoes and corn carry the menu this week. I’ve got some great recipes that will be posted soon, including:
Market tomato and goat cheese tart – a Pickle-tested, Pickle-approved recipe
Eggplant, tomato and fresh mozzarella napoleons
BLT pizza

In our CSA Box/At the Market:
Arugula
Blueberries
Carrots
Cucumbers
Cilantro
Edamame
Eggplant
Garlic
Jalapeños
Sweet peppers
Green leaf lettuce
Purple green beans
Red onions
Sungold Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Tomatillos
Tomatoes – heirloom and slicers
Zucchini

Menu: week of 16 August 2009
Sunday: BLT Pizza – roasted Sungold tomatoes, bacon, arugula and roasted garlic
Monday: Sautéed zucchini and Monterey jack enchiladas with roasted salsa verde and an avocado salad
Tuesday: Mahi Mahi kebabs with lemon-scented, herbed Greek yogurt, naan and roasted sweet corn
Wednesday: out to dinner
Thursday: Fish tacos with shredded Napa cabbage and avocado crema
Friday: BLTs with green beans vinaigrette
Saturday: Date night

We were out of town on Saturday, so no market trip this week. We still had some veggies leftover from our CSA delivery, so I was able to scrape together a menu for the week. I’ve also included a recipe that has been a favorite of ours for a while – originally a recipe from Marc Bittman’s Minimalist column in the NY Times, but has slowly morphed into something vaguely reminiscent. It’s a quick and satisfying dish ... Pickle scarfed it down in record time, including some from his dad’s plate.

Menu: week of 9 August 2009
Sunday: Eggs poached in tomatoes served crusty bread
Monday: Sautéed greens and potato tacos with green chile salsa and goat cheese
Tuesday: Zucchini, sweet corn and bacon pasta with caramelized cippolini onions … mmm, bacon and corn.
Wednesday: Chris is cooking … hopefully BLTs with the first tomatoes of the season with green beans vinaigrette
Thursday: Grilled sausage and peppers … on a bun or tossed with pasta – TBD
Friday: BLT pizza with tomatoes, bacon and arugula with a roasted garlic aioli – can't get enough BLTs!

Rhys’s dinners:
Sunday: Eggs poached in tomatoes served crusty bread
Monday: Sautéed greens and potatoes with shredded cheese and six-grain toast.
Tuesday: Ricotta frittata with zucchini, corn and bacon with six-grain toast
Wednesday: Leftover frittata
Thursday: Four-cheese ravioli with a winter squash sauce (recipe coming soon!)
Friday: Leftover ravioli with sautéed peppers


Eggs poached in tomatoes
Serves two adults; one hungry bambino

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ a large red onion, diced
2 sprigs of rosemary
2-3 chile de arbol, broken into pieces
1-2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
1, 28-oz. can organic San Marzano tomatoes; blitzed in food processor until chunky
6 extra-large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Crusty bread, warmed in oven

Directions:
Over medium heat, warm oil in large sauté pan with lid until shimmering; add chiles, rosemary and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onions and a large pinch of salt and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring; reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook 10 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium and add tomatoes a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until sauce is bubbling. Crack eggs over sauce and season with salt and pepper; cover pan. Cook until whites are set and yolks are still slightly runny, about 5 minutes. Serve in a bowl with bread for scooping up the sauce.

I think just about every cuisine has a meatball recipe — albóndigas (Spain), koftë (Turkey), polpette (Italy), frikadeller (Finland), bakso (Indonesia), gehaktbal (Netherlands), bola-bola (Philippines), Fleischlaibchen (Austria), köttbullar (Sweden), faggot (UK, seriously), pulpety (Poland), just to name a few.

My favorite ball of meat is the koftë – those wonderful spice- and herb-filled delights that hit the spot every time. While my favorite method of cooking koftë is to grill them, I live in Wisconsin so the grilling season is a short one and I want these puppies all year round. Because of this, I have come up with a baked version that, while lacking in that glorious charred exterior, is still juicy and flavorful.

I serve them with a lemon-scented, herb-flecked Greek yogurt sauce, grilled/roasted veggies (asparagus; Juliette tomatoes – can’t wait till they are in season; zucchini; eggplant, etc.) or some crisp cucumbers, and grilled naan or pita. I could eat about 20 of them, but I restrain myself to about six or eight. Here’s the recipe:

Oven-baked Koftë
Serve 4-6 adults

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (preferably whole-milk, but 2% would suffice)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Juice from ½ a lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ freshly ground pepper

Koftë:
1 cup firm white bread, torn into small pieces
1 small onion (about 1 cup)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1 lb ground lamb (from shoulder) – ground chuck or turkey thigh work well, too.
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (I've also used pistachios)

Special equipment: If grilling, you will need 6 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes or 6 metal skewers (no soaking needed).

Directions

Make the sauce:
Stir together yogurt, mint, cilantro, garlic, lemon zest and juice and salt in a small bowl and chill.

Make the meatballs:
Cover bread with water in a bowl and soak 15 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of bread to remove as much excess water as possible, and then transfer to a bowl.

In a food processor, pulse onion, herbs and pine nuts until finely chopped, then add to bread along with lamb, salt and spices. Mix with your hands until well blended. Using a small ice cream scoop, form lamb mixture into balls (a scant tablespoon each).

Assemble and cook koftë:
Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal or preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To grill:Thread 6 meatballs ¼-inch apart onto each of 6 skewers. Grill koftë on oiled grill rack, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.

To bake: On a Silpat-lined baking sheet, roll meatballs in extra virgin olive oil until lightly coated. Place them ½-inch apart and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown, flipping once during baking.

Serve piping hot with yogurt sauce.

We try to go meatless at least twice a week. It definitely makes you a little more creative during those dreary winter months when all that is in season is winter squash, onions and maybe some overwinter spinach, but now that the Dane County Farmers' Market is in full swing, veggie dinners are super easy, super satisfying and super good for you and the planet!

Before Pickle was born, Tuesday nights were often spent with friends at the Old Fashioned for their boozy Taco Tuesday – the fish and pork tacos rocked; so did the margaritas; the next morning was not so rocking. Needless to say, Pickle is not digging that scene too much just yet, so Taco Tuesday is more of a home affair.

Last Saturday, we picked up some amazingly gorgeous baby beets (we'll be roasting them later in the week) from Jones Valley Farm, one of my favorite stands at the market.

People often discard one of the best parts of the beet – the greens. Similar to Swiss chard in flavor and texture, beet greens are wonderful sautéed and piled on a taco. What makes them even better are some crimini mushrooms, sautéed until golden with some garlic. Yum. Add to that some DreamFarm chevre and you got yourself one heck of a taco.

Pickle loves greens (I know, we’re lucky) and he really gobbled up the greens on our first Taco Tuesday of the season! The mushrooms were tolerated and the goat cheese was thrown on the floor. He’s on an anti-dairy kick this week.

P.S. I like a “fresh” component to garnish these tacos. Some thinly sliced scallions, microgreens, radishes or pea shoots add a crisp top-note.

Here's the recipe. Bon Appétit ... or, rather, Buen Apetito!

Tacos of sautéed beet greens and crimini with goat cheese ... Serves two adults and one Pickle

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 bunch beet greens, roughly chopped and washed
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, wiped clean, if necessary, small ones left whole, larger ones halved or quarter depending on size
1 half of a red onion, halved and then sliced thinly 1 clove garlic, grated on microplane, divided
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 oz. chevre
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8-10 corn tortillas*
Hot sauce

Garnishes: thinly sliced scallions, microgreens, radishes or pea shoots

Directions:
Heat 12-inch sauté pan until smoking hot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and then add mushrooms. Do not touch them. When they start to whistle (yes, whistle), they are ready for a flip or a stir. Let them go a little bit more, until their juices start flowing a little. Add red onion, half the garlic, a good pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onions are nicely browned and soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove to a serving dish; keep warm in the oven or tented with foil.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add greens and cook, stirring occasionally until wilted. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar and let it reduce down until greens a just coated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a serving bowl.

Top each taco with chevre and some of the garnishes noted above.

*Heating corn tortillas
A great way to consistently and easily heat corn tortillas without over-steaming them (and having them glued to the kitchen towel they were wrapped in) is to heat them in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and, on a foil-lined baking sheet, place one layer of tortillas. Brush very lightly with olive oil. Repeat with a second layer on top of the first. Brush with oil and repeat again, if needed. Heat in oven for 2-4 minutes — keep an eye on them; overheating will make them disintegrate. Pile them up in a towel-lined basket. Eat fast.

Note: this method is also great for assembling enchiladas.