Oven Crisped Polenta Fries

I was talking to another mom today about how easy it is to rejoice when things seem to be going well and, for a few minutes or days, you feel like you've got this. And how, inevitably that feeling quickly gives way to disaster, confusion, and chaos. It is probably best to take it moment to moment without relaxing into a false sense of security and success, but that can be hard to do.

So I won't even hint at the sense that, at home, we've fallen into a pretty good routine. But I will enjoy the sense of accomplishment, however tiny, that comes from getting most of the dishes and laundry put away, getting the process of dinner started, and managing to encourage and help Amos to clean up the variety of blocks, pom poms, trucks, at kitchen utensils that he has spread out over our house. And then, sometime between four and five o'clock, it's bath time.

We recently got an actual bathtub installed in the bathroom of the apartment we rent and my water loving child has taken to spending a good long while plunked in there. While he pours, mixes, scrubs, and squirts water, I take four steps and I am in the kitchen. My own mixing, pouring, scrubbing and chopping is done in small spurts, punctuated by frequent visits to the bathtub and always with one ear listening to Amos. The other ear is usually listening to NPR and the rest of me is relaxing into the small luxury of a few minutes of uninterrupted cooking.

There are plenty of times when Amos helps me make dinner. He's not bad at chopping vegetables, if I cut them into small pieces first he can slice them smaller with a butter knife. He loves to mix ingredients together. If I don't have something practical for him to mix he will find or ask for anything available to make into what can only be called an inedible concoction but, no matter, Amos pours it into a jar and puts it in the fridge.

I know there will be so much more cooking together tomorrow, next week and next year. I love that he enjoys spending time in the kitchen with me, but it can be so challenging. Even a few minutes of uninterrupted progress toward a meal borders on luxury.

The recipe I want to share today can be a chance to slow down and do some meditative stirring if, like me, quiet uninterrupted stirring is sometimes just what you need. Constant attention is certainly not required as long as you can keep and eye on the pot while you do other things.

In addition to occasionally allowing me to stand in one place and stir, I find polenta to be such a comforting food. I love a bowl of soft polenta topped with roasted vegetables, it makes a fabulous gratin or lasagna alternative, and I've recently been perfecting my recipe for crispy polenta fries. I served these to a group of friends a few weeks ago. That batch wasn't as perfectly crisped as I had hoped but they disappeared fast. Polenta is a great dairy and gluten free option, although it certainly does not hurt to lace it with butter and cheese, and crisping it in the oven with olive oil it will appeal to almost everyone. To clarify, this polenta is not actually fried and it can easily be made a day or two ahead of time and crisped in the oven before your meal.



Oven Crisped Polenta Fries
I discovered the technique for crisping polenta in the oven in Amy Chaplin's At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen. She cuts it into triangles, crisps them with olive oil in the oven and serves them with a delicious black bean stew. Polenta goes well with so many things. I served these with a homemade ketchup, cheese sauce, or pesto for dipping.

4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 cup italian style coarse cornmeal (uncooked polenta)
Olive oil for the pan and for brushing the polenta
Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add salt. When the water is boiling, pour in the polenta and whisk to make sure that it is smooth with no lumps. Reduce heat to medium low so that it simmering but not bubbling too much. Cook, stirring the polenta every few minutes (or constantly if desired, but it is certainly not necessary), for about 25 minutes or until the polenta is tender and no longer has a slight soapy taste. It will become thicker as it cooks. Taste and add more salt if necessary. 

While the polenta is cooking, grease a half sheet pan with olive oil. When the polenta is done, spread it evenly over the prepared pan. Let it cool until it is solidified and not too hot to cut or cover and refrigerate it for up to two days. 

When you are ready to crisp the polenta, preheat the oven to 400' F. Cut the polenta into small rectangles or your desired shape. Divide the sliced polenta evenly between two half sheet pans, brushing both sides of each piece with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Use a spatula to flip each piece over and bake for another 20 minutes or until they are crispy on the outside. Enjoy while they are hot.

Serves 2-3 people with a meal and more people for snacking.

Pizza Night For Everyone + Gluten Free Pizza Dough Recipe

Homemade pizza is one of my favorite things to make, I've written about it several times. There are unlimited possibilities for topping the flat expanse of dough and it is always delicious. On Friday nights, we usually make two pizzas, enough to have some leftover for lunch the next day and an opportunity to have two (or sometimes three) different combinations of cheese, vegetables, and sauce or no sauce. A few years ago I learned that canned whole tomatoes make the absolute best sauce. I just crush them right on the dough with a sprinkle of salt and sometimes minced garlic or dried oregano. I love pizzas without sauce, too, topped with goat cheese, sweet vegetables (like beets, red peppers, or squash), and, sometimes, balsamic reduction. I adore caramelizing onions and I make them almost every time we have pizza.

I love sharing our pizza nights with friends whenever possible. When we have people over, I don't want anyone to feel left out and do my best to cook and bake things that people with dietary restrictions can enjoy, too. There are plenty of pizza doughs, with and without gluten, that you can buy ready to stretch or already shaped for baking. Obviously I prefer to make my own and it is one of the easiest things you can make with flour water and yeast.

Gluten free pizza dough is only slightly more difficult. I am not a gluten free pizza expert but I enjoy this crust. My brother is a gluten free pizza afficianado and both he and my friend Emily, who also does not eat gluten, gave this their seal of approval.

Gluten Free Pizza Dough
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
I definitely recommend pre-baking the crust before you top it. The original recipe suggests baking it until the crust is dark brown which will give you a really crispy crust but I don't think it is necessary to bake it quite that long. I prepare my pizza dough on a piece of parchment paper and then slide it onto a pizza stone, this works well for the gluten free crust too.

My flour/starch blend is based on this recipe and I use a mixture of what I have on hand such as brown rice flour, white rice flour, teff flour, sorghum flour, cornmeal or others. For the starches I have most frequently used potato starch, corn starch, or arrowroot.

Makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. The dough freezes well and can be used the same way once thawed.

12 ounces of gluten free flours (see above)
5 ounces of gluten free starches (see above)
2 1/2 ounces almond flour
1 1/2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 cups warm water

In the bowl of a stand mixed fitted with the dough hook attachment add the flours, starches, almond flour, flax seed, baking powder, salt, yeast, and olive oil. With the mixer running on low, pour in the water 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to come together into a ball. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides to make sure that the water reaches all of the flour. When the dough can be kneaded in a large soft ball, cover it and let it rise for about 1 1/2 hours. It will not rise much.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the ball of dough in half and shape half of it on a sheet of parchment into a round thin disk. Olive oil on your hands will keep it from sticking. Place the parchment on a baking sheet or directly onto a pizza stone. Bake for 15  minutes or until the crust begins to turn golden brown. While the crust is baking, prepare your toppings. Remove the crust from the oven and top with sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like. Return the pizza to the oven until the cheese is melted and baked to your liking, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

This is the dough recipe I use most often when my pizza is not gluten free.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Every time I sit down to write here I come back to the same thing. Most of the time I just want to write about the way that I try to appreciate and be in the good moments, the often fleeting minutes, hours or days when things are almost just exactly right. The times when I feel even a little bit of balance between the tasks of daily life and finding a little bit of time for my creative work. But it's not just these times, it's the contrast between the good and the hard and the way that I have learned to so much better appreciate the moments knowing how quickly they will pass.

I guess I just can't help but return to these thoughts again and again. I have recently been asking myself how I can possibly do everything I want to do creatively along with everything else in my life that I need and want to accomplish. I have been wondering if I should let go of some of the many directions that my creative pursuits pull me towards but I can't yet imagine losing any one of them. So I continue to wobble and circle and wander the way that feels and works best. Some days I feel accomplished and fulfilled, most other times I feel like I have no idea what I am doing.

Returning to the kitchen, as I do daily, is a way to feel more grounded and focused on the basic tasks at hand. For the most part, standing at the counter, I do know what I am doing. There is room for endless creativity but my endeavors in the kitchen are straightforward and mostly practical and I always appreciate the results. I can't let go of the other ways that I want to create but I am so glad to return to cooking again and again. 

I've been wanting to share this butternut squash gnocchi recipe for a while. When I came across a recipe for ricotta gnocchi this fall, I had to try it. I was amazed at how easy it was to make these soft pillows of pasta and I hoped they could be made with squash, too. I know that in the blogging world this recipe should appear in October when squash is on everyone's mind but squash is still delicious in January and usually still available from local farms even when everything else outside is frozen.







Butternut Squash and Ricotta Gnocchi
This recipe makes about 4 servings but you can freeze the uncooked gnocchi until you are ready to eat it, just take it out of the freezer and add it to the boiling water. The gnocchi is best when tossed with garlic butter and sage just before serving (instructions for the butter etc are below). I also enjoyed adding a handful of arugula to the pan when I was tossing the gnocchi with the garlic butter.

8 ounces ricotta cheese
7 ounces butternut squash, cooked and pureed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (+ more for serving)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Butter
minced garlic
dried or fresh sage

Mix all the ingredients together to form a wet dough. Scoop a heaping teaspoon of dough onto a floured surface and shape the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough on a floured baking sheet. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 5-6 minutes (6-8 minutes if cooking from frozen). 

While the gnocchi are cooking, place a saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter for every serving of pasta you are cooking. Add 1 clove of minced garlic for every serving of pasta and about a teaspoon of ground dried sage or chopped fresh sage per serving. Reduce the heat as needed to keep the garlic from burning. When the gnocchi are done cooking, gently remove them from the water and place them in the saute pan. Toss to coat with garlic butter and sage. Serve immediately topped with grated Parmesan if desired.

Cheddar Corn Pancakes

When I was in middle school, my sister, one of our friends, and I all decided to be vegetarian. I know we were not the only teenagers to choose to eat this way but as far as I can remember it was an arbitrary decision, something that seemed different and interesting.  At my mom's house we were mostly vegetarian anyway and we were regular cooks at my dad's house. I'm sure it was inconvenient for my step-mother, especially once we learned that my brother couldn't eat gluten, but she made lots of good meals that everyone enjoyed.

Earlier this week I cooked some of the last of the frozen summer corn and it reminded me of a recipe that we used to make when were trying to find vegetarian meals that everyone would enjoy. It came from a small cookbook which was titled something just like that, vegetarian meals that everyone will enjoy or easy vegetarian meals. It might still be on a shelf in their kitchen, but I can only remember one recipe from that little book, Cheddar Corn Pancakes.

I hadn't thought of them in years, but I do love pancakes and savory cakes of all kinds always appeal. I have made so many cakes for dinner, from veggie burgers to mung bean fritters, I am always tempted by this kind of recipe but they don't always yield the delicious mouthfuls that I have hoped for. Fortunately these pancakes do not disappoint. They are light and crisp like the best buttermilk cakes and the savory additions add layers of flavor and texture. Unlike my favorite fresh corn fritters, these work perfectly with frozen corn. They pair very well with black beans and salsa for dinner but leave out the onions (and maybe the cheese) for great breakfast cakes, too.



Cheddar Corn Pancakes
Adapted from my favorite pancakes and Sunlight Cafe by Mollie Katzen
In addition to breakfast or dinner, this would make an excellent appetizer for a party if you made very small pancakes and topped them with guacamole or fresh salsa.

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a teaspoon of cider vinegar)
2 eggs
2 cups corn kernels
1/4 cup minced onion
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Butter or oil for the pan

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat the buttermilk and eggs until smooth then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir to combine, add the corn, onion, and cheese and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of butter or oil to coat the pan. Pour in 1/2 cup batter (or less for smaller cakes). When bubbles form on top of the batter without popping (about 1-2 minutes) flip the pancake and continue cooking on the other side. 

Makes 10-12 four inch cakes.

A Plan

I'm not very good at planning meals ahead of time, unless it's a recipe that I really want to try. I love the process of putting together something delicious from whatever is in the refrigerator and cupboards but I usually dream that up a few hours before the meal. This week I found myself with a very busy schedule and five nights that I would actually be at home for dinner. I decided to plan out which meals we would eat during the week. From my menu plan, I made a list and bought groceries. We live really close to the co-op where I do our shopping so it is not unusual for me to stop in there to pick things up as I need them, but not this week. It's kind of fun to have a plan and a menu on the chalk board.

Maybe this is really obvious to you. Do you plan your meals ahead of time or wing it? Which do you prefer?

Strawberry Focaccia Bread

As you might have guessed, I've been eating piles of strawberries. In fact, aside from the two bags in my freezer last week's strawberries are almost all gone. I was quite content to eat them straight from the bowl, not an extra flourish needed, until I read this. Aside from the lovely details of a trip to New York, what caught my eye and whetted my appetite in Tara's story was the mention of pickled strawberries on fresh mozzarella.

I wasn't sure how to pickle strawberries and wasn't ready to commit too many of my precious berries to a bath in vinegar but the idea lingered, especially since I knew there was a ball of fresh mozzarella resting just inches from the strawberries. It seemed only right that they should be more closely acquainted. I started with an open face sandwich of sliced strawberries, fresh mozzarella, a leaf of basil gently torn and sprinkled on top and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. The sweet tart berries contrasted with the salty cheese and the balsamic vinegar gently echoed the berries acidity. Basil was a natural with all of them.



Over the weekend I made another sandwich (and maybe one more) and then thought about the best way to present this combination. Crusty bread, juicy berries, salty, creamy cheese.... I had strayed from the pickle, but the balsamic reduction was still essential to this combination. Maybe throwing these ingredients on top of dough is taking the easy way out -- mozzarella, basil, and balsamic have proven they work wonders together. But the strawberries bring it all together. They melt into the dough, leaving juicy pockets in the chewy bread that make the mozzarella taste creamier and complements the balsamic vinegar perfectly. Make some strawberry lemonade and you have a picnic ready whenever you are.



Strawberry Focaccia with Mozzarella, Basil and Balsamic Reduction
This is very nice served warm, but I think I like it best at room temperature. This is the same focaccia recipe adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum that I used here. This recipe includes my method for making balsamic reduction. If your strawberries are large, cut them in half or into quarters. You can certainly adjust quantities of strawberries, mozzarella, basil and balsamic.

If you can't leave the dough rising for four hours, let it rise in the refrigerator overnight and take it out an hour or two before shaping the dough. As always, you can use just all purpose flour, but I like the added texture and flavor that comes from the whole wheat. I used my stand mixer to mix this, but I think it would work fine to stir by hand.
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour  
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/8 teaspoon yeast (active dry or instant)
2 cups minus two tablespoons room temperature water 
3/4 teaspoon salt 
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt for sprinkling on top
10-15 smallish strawberries (or more if you like)
1-2 ounces of fresh mozarella cheese
2-3 large leaves of fresh basil
1-2 tablespoons balsamic reduction

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl) place the flours and yeast. With the paddle attachment running on low speed, combine the flour and yeast. Keep the mixer running and slowly pour in the water. Mix until the dough comes together and then increase the speed to medium. Mix until the dough becomes smooth and shiny, about 15-20 minutes. If stirring by hand, stir until the dough is smooth and shiny, ideally for 15 to 20 minutes (the stirring helps develop the gluten). Add sugar and salt and mix well to incorporate. Oil a bowl or container with olive oil and pour the dough into it. Cover so that it is airtight and let rise for about 4 hours, or at least until it has doubled. 

About an hour before you are ready to bake the dough (around the time you put the beans in the oven) coat a sheet pan with olive oil (parchment paper may also be helpful to keep the bread from sticking while it bakes). Pour the dough onto the baking sheet and gently stretch it until it covers the pan. Let the dough rise for about an hour. Preheat to 475' while the dough is in its final rise. Place a rack on the lowest level in the oven and put your baking stone (if using) on the rack while preheating.

Just before you get ready to put the dough in the oven, place the strawberries on top of it, evenly spaced apart. Too many strawberries, too close together can make the bread soggy, but I like to make sure that when it is cut each piece will have a few berries. Bake the bread for 12-14 minutes or until the top is golden brown. While the bread bakes, slice or rip the mozzarella into small pieces. When you remove the focaccia from the oven, spread the cheese evenly over the top (at this point you can put the bread back in the oven with the heat off for a minute to melt the cheese a bit). Then gently rip the basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle over the focaccia. Drizzle on the balsamic vinegar.

Serve while hot or once cooled to room temperature. 



Strawberry Lemonade
Adjust to your taste.

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups strawberries, hulled
water

Mix the lemon juice, sugar and strawberries in a small bowl. Mash the strawberries a few times with a fork. Leave the mixture to macerate for at least 30 minutes. Stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved. You can puree the mixture for a lemonade without whole fruit, mash it a bit more or leave it as it is. Pour the mixture into a half gallon container and fill the rest of the way with water. Garnish with more strawberries, basil or mint as you wish.

Drink in the Warmth

This month has been quite a jumble of plans set aside, unexpected interruptions, and the need for extra days of rest. I've been doing most of my cooking with whatever I can find in the cupboards, pantry, and refrigerator. I haven't been cooking a lot, but I've appreciated whatever chance I get to return to the stove. The meditation of chopping, sauteing, and stirring provides nourishment even before we sit down to the meal. It the midst of a hectic day or a stressful situation, soup is a chance to sit calmly, pause for a moment and to drink in the warmth.

I'm picky about soup, but I've had a couple of carrot soups at restaurants that I loved. They were flavorful, rich, satisfying but seemingly simple and straight-forward. I did my best to replicate those bright orange bowls with this roasted carrot ginger soup.




Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup
I started this soup by taking the carrot peels (and some I had saved from other carrots) an onion and some garlic and made a carrot stock to use for the soup (for stock making, check out this post). That is entirely optional, but a nice way to use some carrot peels for a broth which compliments the flavor of the soup. The carrot is roasted with the seasonings, but you may want to add more once the soup has been pureed if you like it more gingery, etc.


2 lbs carrots
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 cups vegetable stock (see above)
2 cups water
milk or cream

Preheat the oven to 400' Peel the carrots and cut across the carrot into rounds of about the same thickness. Toss the carrots with the garlic, ginger, cumin seeds, salt and pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Spread the carrots on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven. Stir them occasionally, to ensure even cooking. They are ready when they are slightly caramelized and tender when pierced with a fork. Place the roasted carrots in a soup pot and add the broth and water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion or regular blender, until very smooth. Add milk or cream if you wish and adjust seasoning to taste.


Serve topped with creme fraiche and a pinch of grated carrot. Makes about four servings.

Two Bean Chili

All summer I dreamed of making this chili. Well, not this chili exactly or any chili actually. But as I was canning and freezing as many vegetables as I could get my hands on, this was what I was waiting for. Remember all those posts I wrote about preserving food this summer? And how during those hot sweaty evenings, humid from the air outside and the large pot of boiling water on the stove, I would think about how my hard work would pay off during the bleak months of winter?

Well, hello winter. Although I wasn't snowed in and the temperature was actually above freezing on Sunday, I was determined to make a pot of what seemed like an ideal hearty winter meal. It would be even better on a day that was frozen with snow and wind, when leaving the house seems like a terrible idea and staying inside near a bubbling pot of chili is the right place to be. I had nearly all the ingredients in my pantry or freezer. Tomatoes, tomato paste, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and jalapenos were all canned, frozen, or stored from the farm and farmers markets. I usually have dry beans in a jar in the cupboard. The only think I had to buy was the chili powder and since I was at the store, I picked up some cilantro and cheddar cheese for garnishing.

Of course even in a blizzard I probably could make it to the store, which is a block away, but happily my time in the kitchen this summer is providing for us now. In 2011 and I could get by without working for anything but dollars to buy my beans, tomatoes and chili powder. Instead I chose to put in all that time preserving because it is work that is more satisfying to me than swiping my debit card and carrying the groceries home.

When filling jars and our freezer this summer, I didn't anticipate finding a recipe that used so many of the things we already had preserved. I flipped open to this very chili in Cook This Now, Melissa Clark's newest book. I made her cornbread for Thanksgiving and I love reading her beautifully written recipes notes that give a bit more insight into the origins, taste, and place of each one. In describing her three meat chili, Melissa Clark mentions that she tries her best to avoid meat-less chili. I felt bad going against the author's taste, but I adapted her recipe to make a chili with beans instead of meat.

The recipe makes a lot of very hearty chili. I know that you are probably busy planning holiday meals and activities and the thought of a day with nothing to do but cook chili and stay warm inside is far away. Save this one for January (when you can dream of the summer preserving you will do for next year's chili making). Or make a pot of chili now for all of the times in the next few weeks that you won't have time to cook so you can feed your family and friends when they stop in for some holiday cheer.

Two Bean Chili
Adapted from Three Meat Chili in Cook This Now by Melissa Clark
You can use a variety of beans, I just happened to have black and red beans, so I made two bean chili. You can, as always, adjust the spiciness to taste by adding more or less jalapenos and chili powder.

2 cups dried beans (I used black and red, but you could use kidney, pinto or others)
3 teaspoons salt
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
1 to 2 jalapenos
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quart jars (or 2 28-ounce cans) of whole or crushed tomatoes 
2-3 tablespoons chili powder

Cook the beans: place the beans in a dutch oven or other oven-proof pot with a lid. Cover the beans with plenty of water add 1 teaspoon of salt. Put the lid on the pot and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour. After an hour, check the beans to see if they are completely soft (but not mushy). If they are not fully cooked, add more water if needed and continue cooking until they are soft. OR cook the beans using your preferred method. When the beans are cooked, drain them.

Seed and dice the bell peppers. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Seed and finely chop the jalapenos. Place your soup pot over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste turns golden brown. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and jalapenos. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the chili powder, stir and cook for about a minute. Pour in the tomatoes, beans and the rest of the salt. Add 1-2 cups of water for your desired thickness. Let the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with a side of brown rice or cornbread and the garnishes of your choice such as chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, chopped scallions, sour cream or grated cheddar cheese. Serves 4-6 heartily.

Irresistible Bounty

Its taken months, but finally it feels like summer is here.  After a couple of months of rain, and then some pleasant sunny days, it has gotten hot enough for people to start complaining about the weather again.  I love having some real summer weather, perfect for swimming as much as possible and sitting up on the roof deck enjoying the cool breezes.  This is also the best time of year for fresh delicious food.

I went to the farmer's market today with a strict budget and simple list of things I wanted to find. I love walking through the market to see everything that is there before I decide which vegetables and fruits will come home with me.  Once I saw everything there was to choose from, I began selecting ears of corn, potatoes and cucumbers.  When I started looking at tomatoes and fruit I realized that my budget wouldn't allow for all the irresistible bounty at the market to make it to my kitchen.  Its not unusual that I find myself in this situation, like a woman with a credit card and a thing for fancy shoes, I just can't live without the blueberries and the peaches and one quart just won't be enough.  I slip some of the tomatoes I bought into my handbag so they won't get squished and think, don't tell my husband I bought all of this.

Of course he won't mind when it becomes dinner, and really, I know that my dollars are going to a good place and I get to come home with some of the jewels of the season.  All of the fresh, glowing produce is completely inspiring.  It hardly needs to be cooked or transformed in any way, but its hard not to think about combinations and additions that would be a delicious meal.

Along with perusing the farmer's market, I have been perusing the gorgeous pictures and recipes in Deborah Madison's Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmer's Markets.  It is full of great ideas for using seasonal produce from all parts of the country.  Its the kind of cookbook that I drool over in summer and winter alike, but this time of year I can find a lot more of the ingredients that I want to use.  I've been buying a lot of corn on the cob with the intention of freezing some, but before it gets to the freezer it is all gone.  I've been making some succulent salads which I will share but first a simple recipe for great corn fritters.

Corn Fritters, adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison.

These are crunchy on the outside and make for a light, delicate bite full of sweet juicy corn.  As always, when featuring fresh vegetables and fruit, the end result will only be as good as the ingredients you use.  Make sure the corn is fresh and not starchy.  I served these as part of a meal with other salads, she recommends serving the fritters topped with arugula leaves.

6 ears sweet corn (about 3 cups kernels)

2 eggs, beaten

4 scallions, finely sliced

1/2 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons shredded basil

1 cup grated cheddar

1/3 cup whole wheat (or whole spelt) flour

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

butter or oil for frying

Slice off the tops of the corn kernels then use the back of the knife to press out the milk.  Mix the kernels and scrapings with the eggs, scallions, herbs, cheese, and flour.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Heat butter or oil to generously cover the bottom of a skillet.  Divide the batter into sixths and drop into the skillet.  Fry over medium heat until golden, then flip and fry the second side.  Serve right away.  

Friday Night

There was a time in my life when I hated pizza. It was childhood ignorance and the fear of trying new things, but by the time I was in third grade this had changed, which is fortunate since many years later I find myself about to marry a serious pizza lover. While I wouldn't eat pizza for every meal, as I'm sure Ray would if he had the chance, I do really enjoy a slice or a few.

Drawing on childhood traditions we've established a Friday-night-Pizza-night at our place. With some frequency we make pizza the focus of our dinner on Friday night. Last week Ray managed to pedal up the hill with a pizza from our favorite local place. While bringing an entire pizza home on a bicycle is a sure way to impress me (especially if you bring beer and gelato as well) I also delight in making pizza from scratch in our own oven. I'm not sure what is so satisfying about making pizza dough, probably the simplicity of mixing and kneading and then watching the combination of flour, water, salt, oil and honey expand as the yeast greedily eats and grows. This alchemy is further transformed and when the smell of crisping dough and bubbling cheese reaches well outside the kitchen, there is the anticipation of opening the oven to see a meal that is almost ready.


There are so many recipes out there for pizza dough. Its possible to get quite complex in the quest for a fabulous home made pizza. For a friday night dinner at home, though, I rarely feel compelled to agonize over making the perfect dough. The one that I have been using recently is one of the is straightforward, fairly simple and really quite good. Its really hard to go wrong when you take part in this process and end up with something so crisp, chewy, melty and flavorful that comes steaming hot out of your oven, no matter what day or night of the week.

This recipe is adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone. It calls for some whole wheat flour which can be optional if you aren't a fan. I always add at least some whole wheat flour to my dough because I find the flavor more interesting and I often try to make things a bit more wholesome.It makes enough dough for two 12-14 inch pizzas. I usually divide it in half and make just one pizza, saving the rest for another pizza, cinnamon rolls, or foccacia. If you like a thicker dough you may only make one pizza or two smaller ones. Since I like a thinner, crisper crust, I make sure that the dough is on the wetter, tackier side.

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 cup whole wheat flour (add more or less as you like)
3 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour (adjust depending on how much wheat you add)

Pour the water into a mixing bowl and add the yeast, leave this until the mixture is foamy (about 10 minutes). Add the olive oil, then the whole wheat flour and salt. Stir until combined, then add enough white flour to form a shaggy dough. Knead until smooth, adding a little more flour to keep the dough from sticking. For a lighter, crisper crust keep the dough moist and slightly tacky.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 40-60 minutes (If your kitchen is as chilly as mine this time of year, warm the oven slightly then turn it off. Leave the dough in here to rise in a warm, draft-free spot). Turn the dough onto the counter and divide it into the number of pizzas that you want to make. Let these rise for another 20-30 minutes, if you can wait that long to assemble your pizza. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Begin shaping your dough into circle and roll or stretch it into a circle until it is 1/4 inch thick (or the thickness you desire). Dust a peel with cornmeal, or lightly coat a pan in olive oil and lay the dough onto it. Cover with your choice of sauce, cheese and other toppings. Bake in the oven until the cheese is golden brown and the dough is crispy (about 15 minutes).

Some of my favorite topping combinations include: mozzarella, goat cheese, delicata squash and caramelized onions; fresh tomatoes, fresh spinach and ricotta; broccoli, pesto, red peppers and mozzarella. Yum.