Years back, during a visit from Morocco, my oldest friend whipped this up in my tiny Brooklyn apartment. I was told it is a popular side dish or snack that Moroccans will dig into with their hands – they pick up each delicate eggplant slice, dust it with cumin and salt, and take a bite. It doesn’t need a recipe. Slice an eggplant into rounds, grill (or sauté) until tender and then plate it next to two piles of cumin and salt. Then, it’s every man for himself to season each bite as they wish. Smoky, savory and delicious. Who needs chips?
Baingan-less Bharta (or One Pot South Asian Zucchini)
I struggled to fit yet another arm load of zucchini and squash from my CSA weekly farm share into the vegetable drawer. Something needed to be done about this and fast. I knew that, before I could blink, Saturday’s CSA pickup would roll around again and I’d have no choice but to build a fort made of vegetables and fruit. Continue reading
Avocados and a Dream: “Greek”-amole
The bag of avocados had ripened. I didn’t have a room full of hungry people, but it didn’t matter. I dropped all my plans and did what any self respecting person would do. I made guacamole. And, I knew I could experiment a bit with this Mexican staple without worrying about disappointing a purist. I worked with what I could find in the fridge. I had lemons, not limes. Leftover cilantro. A chile pepper. And some greek yogurt… Hmmm.
Virtuous Comfort Food: Soba Noodle Soup with Miso and Veggies

I decided to make a hot, soba noodle soup. It would have a flavorful but light broth and lots of veggies. And, soba noodles are made from buckwheat which sounds awfully healthful to me.
Rags to Riches: Summer Squash Salad with Basil and Chilies

Much has happened since my last post. Work has taken me to Asia multiple times (I’ll be sure to share my noodle soup recipe once the weather gets cold…but let’s not talk about the cold yet), the dog is properly house trained but has developed a fear of anything on wheels, and the cats have begrudgingly accepted this 4-legged intruder isn’t leaving any time soon.
Anyway, let’s talk about summer squash. I know, it’s getting crazy.
When Life Hands You Lemons…Make Lemon Parsley Pasta
Kiwi Kwiki: Croque-Madame
Cute to Cunning: Grilled Peach and Ricotta Salad with Arugula, Walnuts and Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette
My arms were full but they were so cute. Perched on the edge of a table at the farmers market, you couldn’t walk passed without giving at least an endearing glance at the little cartons of donut peaches. They would become dinner.
I love salads with oomph. It’s hard to accomplish without bacon, but it’s possible if you have cheese and grill marks. Both were at my fingertips.
I started with the cheese. The thought of creating it yourself in your own kitchen is extremely exciting. What’s fantastic about homemade ricotta, is that it’s delicious and incredibly simple to make. I’m not joking. I’d never tried it before because I hadn’t taken the 3 minutes to buy cheesecloth (the only specialty item required). That’s actually the hardest step, buying the cheesecloth. So, once that laborious process is over, you can get into comfy clothes, make ricotta and drizzle the leftover (nutritious) whey on your dog’s dinner. (Yes whey.)
Kiwi Kwiki: Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata
Some things don’t need a long explanation, they just deserve a “kwik” acknowledgement. Farm fresh heirloom tomatoes with burrata, basil, a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil, a dusting of salt and pepper…and Bob’s your uncle.
note: If you haven’t heard of burrata, it is a purse made out of solid mozzarella filled with mozzarella and cream. It is as good as it sounds.