It feels strange to be writing about eggplant in February, but at the grocery store, there was a beautiful purple stack of them with a sticker from a local grower — Lady Moon Farms. Or so I thought. I bought them without giving it much thought, reasoning that they must have been grown in an enormous, magical Pennsylvania greenhouse. A few days later, though, reason and reality had set in, so a bit of sleuthing led me to the truth: Lady Moon has land in Florida, which is surely where my magical eggplants originated. Although I do try to buy food in season when possible, I can be susceptible to temptation…but at least this time, the weakness was directed towards a product from a family farm that started (and still produces food) in PA. How’s that for self-absolution?

So even though my eggplants didn’t have a supernatural provenance, they did star in this almost-supernaturally-good eggplant salad. It’s from Claudia Roden’s cookbook, Arabesque, which features recipes from Turkey, Morocco, and Lebanon — three cuisines that certainly know their way around an eggplant. In this salad, they are roasted in the oven until meltingly tender, then combined with some cooked tomatoes (canned ones work fine), lots of garlic, parsley, cilantro, olive oil, and a little bit of cumin. The result is a luscious vegetarian puree that would be terrific as part of a Middle Eastern-themed meal, if you can manage not to gobble it all down before your guests arrive. Summer might be far yet, but I’m already thinking of all the picnics to plan, just so this salad can join me.

Mashed Eggplant and Tomato Salad - Zaalouk
Adapted from Arabesque by Claudia Roden

2 pounds eggplants
juice of half a lemon
1 pound fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped (or 6 canned plum tomatoes with their juice, chopped)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
pinch of crushed Aleppo or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
black olives, for garnish

Heat the oven to 475ºF.
Prick the eggplants with a fork several times to keep them from bursting, then place on a baking sheet covered with foil. Roast for 40-50 minutes, or until the skin is wrinkled and they are very soft. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the eggplants and drop them in a bowl of water with a few teaspoons of lemon juice added to keep the flesh pale.

While the eggplants are roasting, cook the tomatoes with the garlic and some salt over low heat for about 20 minutes, until reduced to a thick sauce. Set aside.

Drain the eggplants in a metal colander, pressing out as much water as possible. While still in the colander, chop the flesh and mash it with a fork, letting more juice escape.

Combine mashed eggplant with tomato sauce and the rest of the ingredients, and add salt to taste (I needed a lot, so don’t be too sparing).

Spread on a plate or shallow bowl and garnish with olives. Serve at room temperature. Serves 3-4 as a first course or mezze.

Salads & Sides, Savory Dips & Extras | 13 Comments »

I did it, too. Those blasted éclairs, I mean. You must have seen a thousand or so flood the blogosphere a few weeks ago, didn’t you? Mine just happen to be a little late. Oh, I baked them on time and everything, but there was only one little snapshot that made it. It was getting kind of silly to delay any longer in hopes of taking more, so here we are.

Overall, the recipe went well. I think I need to work on being confident enough to let the éclair shapes stay in the oven a bit longer than for chouquettes. I’m always afraid of scorching their little bottoms, so some of the ones in this batch ended up a little too soft. Still, the recipe was a great classic and will be used again. You can find it at hosts Meeta K or Tony’s blogs or in the book Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé.

As much fun as I had making this recipe, I think this will probably be my parting post as a Daring Baker. I love the concept and cheery enthusiasm of the club, and the recipes chosen are always interesting, but I have such little free time to bake that I’d rather pick my own recipes for now. Once a month isn’t much of a commitment, to be sure, but once I realized I was stressing out about whether the recipe could be made in time and if I could find enough people to eat it…you know the story. Perhaps Pee-Wee Herman said it best: “I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel.”

Well, maybe not enough of a rebel to ignore a great idea when I see one! With the end of tomato season drawing nigh, it seems the posts about roasted tomatoes are threatening to overtake the Daring Baker ones. I can’t deny that I’ve been doing the same with my own overflow of tomatoes. Between the CSA box, my mom’s garden, and the irresistible cavalcade that trots out at every farmer’s market, it’s a jolly game of eat-as-many-as-you-can-before-they’re-all-gone around here.

So, conform a little, why don’t you? Roasting tomatoes can’t be easier, and the smooth, concentrated flavor is a great accompaniment to cooler-weather meals. I like to sprinkle them with fresh oregano and smear them on bread with some creamy Bulgarian feta. It’s about as perfect an end-of-summer lunch as I can think of.

Simple Roasted Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
a few leaves of fresh oregano
salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Core tomatoes and slice 1/2 inch rounds, arranging them in a shallow baking pan or casserole dish. It’s fine if they overlap a little bit, but try to keep them in one layer. Slice the garlic thinly over the tomatoes, and pour the olive oil over everything. Roast tomatoes until skins are wrinkled, about 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and torn oregano leaves.

Baking, Daring Bakers, Salads & Sides | 3 Comments »

Have you ever eaten purslane? This wild green is a bit of a vagabond in the plant world: a weed to some, a welcome friend to others, and can be found just as often propagating comfortably in the yard as looking handsome at the farmer’s market. It might be a pest, but it’s certainly a tasty and refreshing pest, not to mention terrifically healthy with vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids. Also, unlike some wild greens such as dandelion or sorrel, purslane is free of much of that earthy bitterness and doesn’t demand an “acquired taste”. Think of it as a cousin to baby spinach - mild and slightly juicy, ready to leap gracefully into summer salads.

The salad I had for dinner last night was a cheerful mix of purslane, parsley, green bell pepper, and a few chopped tomatoes, dressed in a bowl-licking mixture of olive oil, lemon, and lots of fresh dill. I was so smitten by the fresh flavor and happy green hue that I couldn’t help but snap a few photos despite being laid up with a skull-splitting migraine. Ouch. Now that’s devotion, eh?

I later had the idea to toss a few roasted potatoes on top, which made the salad a little heartier and more of a meal. If you can find the purslane, do give it a try. I look forward to finding more of it before the summer’s end, and if you like it, too, well, it sure beats lemon balm for usefulness of invasive plants. And if you throw in some lemon and dill, I can personally vouch for its mood-(if not migraine)-improving qualities.

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Salads & Sides | 4 Comments »

Rainbow Chard. Say these two words to anyone who loves leafy greens and you’ll find yourself listening to praise in the sort of excited tones usually reserved for arguably more deserving foods, like ice cream. But if you’ve seen the beautiful chard sauntering around the CSA boxes and farmer’s markets recently, you’d be smitten, too. With its striking red, orange, and yellow-hued stems dipping into deep-green ruffled skirts, this is one good-looking vegetable that deserves to be treated well.

It seems like I just can’t get enough of chard these days, and as I searched for different ways to prepare it, paused on this recipe for a chard-filled yeasted tart. It looked quite appealing, with an inner texture reminiscent of a frittata or Spanish tortilla: a silky mixture of egg and chard, with herbs and cheese to suit your fancy. The presence of a yeasted crust, much lower in fat than a typical tart dough made of buttery pâte brisée, was the real clincher for me. I suppose I could have made a crustless quiche, but I really do love a nice crust…it’s just the richness of pure-butter ones seems a bit much for everyday eating.

I was pretty pleased with the recipe overall, although I tried to make it in a 9-inch tart pan and the filling did overflow a bit - an 11-inch pan is definitely the way to go (if you only have a smaller one, it might work to cut the milk by perhaps half to avoid wateriness). Actually, I might cut the milk anyway, as one friend found it slightly “wet” for his taste. The yeasted crust is pleasantly chewy and rather pizzalike. Do make sure to spray or grease your pan well, though, as it tends to stick a bit otherwise. This tart would make a lovely brunch item or light lunch (with some salad greens on the side if you’re a greens fiend, too). Although it’s good both warm and room temperature, I preferred it warm.

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Main Dishes, Salads & Sides | 3 Comments »

I’m so glad it’s finally Spring…eating is starting to feel much more effortless now. No recipe is needed for a spring salad like this one, of baby arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and some pecorino cheese flavored with saffron and black pepper. The greens are at their most tender and delicious, so only a little enhancement is needed. Although I do love my winter stews, it’s such a lovely, easy feeling to just let the food speak for itself. And did you know a local farmer’s market starts on Saturday? You better believe I’ll be there!

Salads & Sides | 1 Comment »

I’m such a nasty hypocrite - just the other day I was singing the praises of locally-grown food, and here I am eating mangos that were flown in from Chile or some other distant land. What can I say? It’s too early for much produce here in the Northeast, and I looooove love love mangos. Trust me, if there was a way to grow them fresh here, I’d have transformed my entire rooftop into a small mango forest.

Quinoa is a super-healthy but slightly obscure grain that many people seem to be on the fence about, if they’ve heard of it at all. Truth be told, the first time I tried it, I dismissed it pretty quickly. The flavor was okay, and although it was quick and easy to cook up, I couldn’t really find a place for it among all the pasta, rice, couscous, bread, bulghur, and other carbs I usually eat. Did I really need to make room in my life for another grain? Even one with an impressive amino acid profile, a surprising source of protein, and a rich mineral content?

Well, quinoa and I got back together recently, and I’m really glad to have given it another chance. While we’re not exactly inseparable (hey, all those other grains need my attention, too!), it does have a regular place in a jar on my pantry shelf. I like it best as an ingredient in salads or stuffings, since it adds an intriguing, couscous-like texture and is able to pair up with many different flavors. It can also be used in place of bulghur in dishes like tabbouleh or even as a hot breakfast cereal.

I really like the textural play in this salad with the firm beans, crunchy quinoa, and silky slivers of mango in a tart and slightly spicy dressing. It’s great by itself for a healthy lunch or as quick dish to whip together for a picnic or potluck. Note that the measurements for the salad are approximate, since I usually taste as I go along, so feel free to adjust to your own preferences!

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Grains & Pasta, Salads & Sides | 8 Comments »