Chunky Fava Bean, Parmesan and Preserved Lemon Crostini
Some of my chef friends are Hors D’oeuvres Aficionados. They love nothing better than dreaming up gorgeous little masterpieces of multi-layered chips, tuiles, shmears, tartares, phyllo’d, puff pastry’d creations, garnished with micro-sprouts, micro-herbs and dots of pureed you-name-it. On forks. In spoons. Skewered and impaled on toothpicks, rosemary stems or whittled lemongrass. And these hors d’oeuvres are beautiful. Gorgeous. Hours of work, usually accomplished with tweezers in hand and a steady eye. I have made many of these myself, in search of that perfect morsel to start the evening with or as part of a grander cocktail party spread. But, I often...
Read MoreEye of the Goat Beans with Salsa Verde and Feta
It’s hard to believe something as simple as a dried bean can make you swoon with pleasure. But that’s just what happens to me when I cook up yet another variety of Steve Sando’s Rancho Gordo beans. Pre-Steve, beans were beans. They took hours to cook, even after soaking. More often than not, many of them floated to the surface, wrinkled and sad, never cooking at all. Who knows how long those beans had been sitting on the shelf, much less how long it had been since they were harvested and dried? It could have been years…. So, what a revelation to cook and eat dried beans that are “fresh”. This year’s crop – harvested, dried and packed with no time to...
Read MoreGarnet Yam Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Cilantro and Lime
My relationship with yams has matured through the years. As a child growing up in the 60s, I ate yams once a year, at Thanksgiving. They showed up, fresh from the can, as a casserole layered with margarine, brown sugar and pecans, topped with the obligatory marshmallows. I loved that this was considered a vegetable and wished I could eat more of them slathered in sugar and melted marshmallows. When I moved to California, I had my first fresh yam. The first time, it was baked, split and served with a large melting pat of sweet butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. Whoa. I had had no idea what a yam really tasted like and this was a revelation. Just sweet enough, nutty,...
Read MoreThe All-Purpose Wine-Friendly Snack Mix
I came across this Spanish-inspired mixture a few years ago and since then have used it not only for my own parties, but for winery and wine bar clients looking to provide a bite to go with all kinds of wines. This is it. The briny olives, tangy cheese and rich-sweet almonds marinate overnight with lemon zest, garlic and bay leaves. By morning, they are infused with an addictive citrus-herb flavor that manages to taste equally great with a light rose or a spicy syrah. The best thing is that it takes just a few minutes to put together, once you have all the ingredients in front of you. It’s just fine with one night of marinating, but can be put together a couple of...
Read MoreSummer Beans and Corn with Basil
Is it terrible to confess that even more than the first tomatoes of summer, I look forward to the first shelling beans and the trifecta of tender romano, yellow wax and slender french beans? Don’t get me wrong. I will still slurp down a ripe tomato, mayonnaise and white bread sandwich at some point this summer over the sink, if not several times. But it’s these colorful, tender beans that I miss most when the summer ends and it’s back to the stringy old substitutes that languish in the produce department the rest of the year. Growing up in the South, the ritual of shelling fresh beans and peas in the summer was a given. You settled yourself in on the porch or...
Read MorePeach Almond Frangipane Tart
Last year’s crop of peaches was a disappointment. Meager and small, they were done in a flash and I never got my fill of them. For this Southerner, that was a sacrilege. But, fortunately, this season they are in full swing and tasting sweeter and juicier then ever. I had my first ones last week from the market, then made my favorite tart with them using almond frangipane. Almonds and peaches have a natural affinity and I play with variations of these two flavors throughout the summer. Baked peaches with almond ice cream. Warm peach crisp with an almond streusel topping. Peach shortcakes with almond scented whipped cream. The possibilities are endless. But this tart is...
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