Finding the time for these Sunday Dinner posts is harder than I would like it to be. Perhaps part of the problem is that I tend to choose rather elaborate menus that take all afternoon to prepare and shoot, but that’s also part of the fun. When we finally did another Sunday Dinner a few weeks back, its origins were mixed – it grew partly out of the feeling that it had been far too long, partly out of the need to use up the huge stacks of garden produce in our fridge, and partly out of a desire to celebrate that same summer produce at its very peak.

This Sunday Dinner is the first we’ve done that is entirely vegetarian, but with gorgeous stacks of Eggplant Napoleon as a centerpiece to the meal, meat was not missed in the slightest. I’ve been eyeing this particular eggplant recipe since early spring, when I reviewed Olives, Lemons, and Za’atar. Back in March, the bright stacks of fried eggplant layered with baba ghanoush and pesto seemed impossibly summery, products of a season that felt like it might never come. But come it has, and now the sun-soaked afternoons and baskets of tomatoes are too quickly fading into cool breezy evenings and the first ripe pumpkins. We do still have plenty of nice weeks ahead of us – it won’t do to get nostalgic prematurely – and we’re still cooking up a storm with the weekly haul from the garden. Our homegrown eggplant was the star of the show in this meal, and we rounded things out with piles of maple-roasted cherry tomatoes on ricotta-slathered crostini and a gorgeous pie made with the last of our blackberries.

Eggplant can be a little labor intensive to prepare well, and this recipe was no exception. A lengthy process of salting, drying, marinating, breading, and frying may feel a little like overkill, but results in an incredibly flavorful and tender eggplant. There are a number of other components to the recipe as well – the pesto marinade, the baba ghanoush, and a tomato and pesto salad that gets served on top of the final dish. The recipe calls for about seven lemons – we felt that using three was sufficient – and the acidity of the final dish is powerful, but works nicely with the savory crunch of the eggplant slices and the smokiness of the baba ghanoush. I’ve written the recipe here with a few shortcuts to save time and effort, but the end result should be equally flavorful and elegant as the original.

On the other end of the labor intensive spectrum are the super easy crostini we had as an appetizer. We make a big batch of maple-roasted cherry tomaotes pretty much every week during August and September, roasting them the day they’re picked then using them on top of pastas and meats and eggs throughout the week. Once the oven is on, I sometimes throw another vegetable or two in to avoid heating up the house more than once – the week I made these crostini, that other vegetable was a few heads of our freshly harvested garlic, roasted into a sweet paste. The roasted garlic got mixed into some good thick ricotta, slathered on hot baguette, and topped with the candy-sweet tomatoes. It was so good and so easy.

The final element of our dinner was a big slice of mixed berry and maple syrup pie, which I wrote about in detail a week or so ago. It was a pie that I had been dreaming about since the first blackberries ripened, and it exceeded all my expectations for it. A big slice of the juicy pie, supported with a flaky buttery crust and topped off with a melting scoop of vanilla bean ice cream was the perfect close to our late summer dinner feast.

The Menu

Roasted Garlic, Ricotta, and Maple-Roasted Cherry Tomato Crostini – see recipe below
Eggplant and Pesto Napoleons – see recipe below (adapted from Olives, Lemons & Za’atar)
Maple Mixed-Berry Pie

Past Sunday Dinners:

May 26, 2013: Coffee-and-Chile Rubbed Strip Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce; Charred and Smoky Belgian Endives; Oven-Roasted Potatoes; Strawberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream

July 1, 2013: Strawberry-Lime Agua Fresca; Smashed Pea, Dill, and Feta Crostini; Chilled Asparagus Soup with Meyer Lemon Yogurt; Mustard Spaetzle with Mushrooms; Ricotta Bavarese with Red-Wine Poached Rhubarb

October 28, 2013: Braised Lamb Shanks with Gremolata; Creamy Polenta with Fresh Corn and Blue Cheese; Roasted Brussels Sprouts; Classic Apple Pie

March 31, 2014: Fried Halloumi with Spring Veggies and Strawberry-Basil Gastrique; French Gnocchi with Watercress Sauce; Strawberry-Rhubarb Meringue Pots

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Roasted Garlic, Ricotta, and Maple-Roasted Cherry Tomato Crostini

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer.

• 1 recipe of maple-roasted cherry tomatoes
• 3 heads of garlic
• 1 c. of ricotta
• 1 baguette
• olive oil
• sea salt and pepper

1. Prepare the maple-roasted cherry tomatoes. While they are roasting, roast the garlic as well: slice the tops off the garlic heads so the cloves are partially exposed. Place the heads in a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt. Close the foil into a pouch, and roast until soft, about 45-55 minutes at 350°F.
2. Remove the garlic from the oven, and let cool until comfortable to handle. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the papery shells into a bowl, and mash with a fork. Mix the roasted garlic with the ricotta, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat the broiler. Slice the baguette into thin rounds, then place on a baking sheet. Brush the tops and bottoms lightly with olive oil. Broil the toasts until golden brown, about 5 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. To serve, spread the ricotta mixture onto the toasts and top with a spoonful of roasted cherry tomatoes.

Eggplant Napoleon

Recipe adapted from Olives, Lemons, and Za’atar. Serves 4-6.

Note: This version of the recipe is slightly simplified. The full original recipe is available on Epicurious.

For the baba ghanoush:

• 2 medium eggplants (2 lbs total)
• 1/2 c. tahini paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 TBS pomegranate molasses
• 3 TBS olive oil

For the fried eggplant:

• 2 medium eggplant, cut into rounds
• sea salt to taste
• 1/4 c. basil pesto
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• juice from 2 lemons
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 c. panko
• 2 TBS grated parmesan cheese
• 2 TBS dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

For the tomato salad:

• 4 plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. of finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 c. basil pesto
• juice from 1 lemon
• 3 TBS olive oil
• sea salt to taste

1. Prepare the baba ghanoush: Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork and place on the baking sheet. Roast until skin is blackened all over, turning the eggplants with tongs every 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice in half lengthwise, and scoop the soft eggplant flesh out into a large strainer. Let drain for 20 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Mash the eggplant with a fork, then stir in the tahini, garlic, lemon, pomegranate molasses, and olive oil. Adjust seasoning to your taste.
2. Prepare the fried eggplant: Place the eggplant rounds on two large baking sheets and salt liberally. Set aside for 30 minutes, then pat the slices dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl, whisk together the pesto, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. Add the eggplant slices to the bowl, toss to coat, and let marinate for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
3. To bread the eggplant, prepare your workspace: place the flour on a large plate, whisk the egg whites together with 1 cup of water in a shallow bowl, and mix the panko, grated parmesan, dried parsley, and black pepper together on a large plate. Set a piece of waxed paper to the side of your workspace. Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dredge the marinated eggplant slices in the flour, gently shake off the excess, dip it in the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko on both sides. Set on the waxed paper and repeat with all of the eggplant slices.
4. Heat a large frying pan filled with 1/4 inch of vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices in batches, frying 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown all over. Remove to a paper towel lined platter and repeat until all eggplant is fried.
5. To prepare the tomato salad: mix together the chopped plum tomatoes, chopped red onion, pesto, lemon, and olive oil in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt.
6. To serve, place one slice of the fried eggplant on a plate, then spread with a few tablespoons of baba ghanoush. Repeat twice more, building a layered stack of eggplant, then top with a few large spoonfuls of the tomato salad. Serve immediately.

The post Sunday Dinner // Ricotta and Cherry Tomato Crostini, Eggplant and Pesto Napoleons, and Blackberry Pie appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Saturday was our first harvest, the first of many moments that I’ve been longing for since burying our seeds in tiny pop-up pots in the depths of February. The moment I daydreamed about while stabbing at still-frozen ground with my turning fork in March. The moment I finally believed might happen this year when the first tender sprouts poked their heads out of the ground at the end of April. Summer is really coming.

This week’s haul was modest – a few handfuls of the sweetest green peas, a world away from the starchy peas that even the best grocery stores carry; the twisty turny garlic scapes that shot up in a matter of a few days; and 3 pounds of the most beautiful bright red strawberries, the result of two years of patience as the plants developed their roots and spread across the ground. This week we came home with a few snacks, but from here it only gets better, until it’s the end of August and we’re hauling home more tomatoes than we can even imagine eating, begging friends to take our extra cucumbers and squash, and sweating over the stove as we can jar after jar of tomato paste and pickles, trying to save it all to brighten our winter shelves.

I’m saving the strawberries for next week (hint hint), so this week we’re talking scapes. For those of you who have never seen one, they look like curly, flexible scallions that come out of the middle of garlic plants. If you let them grow, they eventually flower, but most farmers and gardeners clip them to send the energy that would otherwise be used to create flowers into creating bigger bulbs. Since the scapes themselves are edible, trimming them off seems like a win-win. The most common thing to do with them is make pesto, although pickling them, grilling them, and using them in soup come in as close seconds. Since there are already tons of recipes for those things out there, I decided to try something less common – giving the scapes a quick dip in a seltzer batter and frying them to make garlic scape tempura. Even a little bit of heat mellows out the garlicky bite in these, so don’t worry that munching on them whole will be too intense. There are two tricky parts to making tempura – one, getting the consistency of the batter just right, and two, keeping the oil at a temperature that is not so hot as to burn your tempura, but hot enough to cook it quickly and keep the coating airy. After a little trial and error, I got the hang of it, and you will too. I served these with a goat cheese and sour cream dip flecked with chives – it was intense and delicious, but it overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the tempura a little bit. Go light with the dip, or try something thinner or less salty if you’re looking to change it up.

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Garlic Scape Tempura

Serves 3-4 as an appetizer.

• 8-10 garlic scapes
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 2/3 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 c. + 2 TBS seltzer
• sea salt, to taste

1. Wash your scapes and cut into 3-4 inch pieces. Some people choose not to eat the flower bulb end, but if your scapes are young and tender and the bulb is small, it won’t make much difference.
2. Pour vegetable oil into a wide heavy-bottomed pan, filling to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium heat, to a temperature of 375°F.
3. Whisk together the flour and baking soda. Immediately before you begin frying (i.e. when your oil is hot enough), whisk the seltzer into the flour until a light smooth batter forms. Dip your scapes into the batter to fully coat, then carefully place in the hot oil. Only put as many scapes as can fit with plenty of room between them in each batch – you don’t want to crowd them. Fry for 1-2 minutes, until just beginning to color, then remove from the oil with a skimmer and let drain on a paper towel. Immediately shake sea salt over the hot tempura. Repeat until you have used all the scapes. Serve immediately.

Goat Cheese and Sour Cream Dip

Makes about 1/2 cup.

• 2 oz. goat cheese
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh chives
• salt, to taste

1. Put the goat cheese in a medium bowl and beat with a fork until mostly smooth. Add the sour cream and mix together until evenly combined. Stir in the black pepper and chives. Taste, and season to your liking.

The post The First Harvest // Garlic Scape Tempura with Goat Cheese Dip appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Last summer, in our wild, overly ambitious garden, we planted a few handfuls of beans. After seven varieties of tomatoes, three eggplants, four types of peas, and six melons, the beans were kind of an afterthought. We planted green beans in two neat rows, then poked a handful of seeds of mixed varieties in a circle around our bean pole, and proceeded to ignore them for the rest of the summer. Towards the end of August the pole beans began to reward us despite our negligence. Two “Gold Marie Vining” plants produced dozens of 8-inch long yellow pods, the sweetest fresh bean I’ve ever tried. We liked them so much that it took us a little while to notice that the less tasty, less prolific green pods hanging on the same pole were slowly turning a beautiful mottled pink. They still didn’t taste great, so we continued to leave them. And then, just like that, it was the first frost, so we pulled the now dried and wrinkled pods from the vines and tore the plants out of the ground. We shucked the pods open to reveal gorgeous cranberry beans, threw them in a jar for later, and continued to clean up the garden.

That jar of beans, which we have since determined must be the “Good Mother Stollard” variety, has been sitting patiently on our counter all winter, waiting for its time to shine. Stacked next to the slowly dwindling supply of jarred tomato puree and pickled green beans, they’ve served as a quiet reminder that summer will come again, with its bounty of food that will take us through yet another winter. A few weeks ago, we finally decided it was time to cook those beans, so we soaked them overnight, then dumped them in a pot with a few aromatics, a hunk of parmesan, and some chicken stock and let them simmer away. A few hours later, when we lifted the lid from the pot, we had the most amazing bowls of beans. The parmesan had completely melted, infusing the whole thing with a deep, rich, cheesy flavor. The beans themselves had a bite to the skin but were creamy and soft inside. Topped with a  provolone-laced crumbled Italian sausage, they were winter comfort food perfection.

That humble jar of almost-forgotten beans turned into one of the best meals we’ve had this winter. Simple but so satisfying, I’m already looking forward to next year’s jar of beans. That small handful of beans I grabbed from the jar and set aside will soon be buried in the earth, ready to turn into another reminder of summer for another winter.

Parmesan Beans with Kale and Sausage

Serves 3-4.

• 2 c. dried cranberry beans or other medium-sized white bean, soaked overnight
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely minced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 3/4 tsp red chile flakes
• 2 parmesan rinds
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 2 c. chopped kale
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

1. Take soaked cranberry beans and rinse several times; they should have doubled in size. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the chile flakes and saute for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the parmesan rinds and cook until they begin to melt, stirring occasionally, another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the beans and the chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer the beans until they are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the lid and simmer liquid until it is reduced to 1 cup. Add the chopped kale and  cook for another 8-10 minutes until tender.
4. As soon as you add the kale to the pot, heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and use the back of a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Cook fully, stirring frequently until sausage is browned and crispy.
5. Spoon the beans into serving bowls and top with the crumbled sausage. Serve immediately.

The post Another Garden Season // Parmesan Beans with Kale and Sausage appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

The Book: When I first heard about Melt, I was pretty skeptical about the concept of a book written entirely about macaroni and cheese. I love a cheesy bowl of pasta as much, if not more, than the next girl, but I had a hard time thinking of more than 5 interesting versions of it. Then, I met Garrett, one of the authors, during an afternoon of wine tasting at IFBC, and since he was toting around a copy of the book, I took a peek, and was genuinely impressed. Not only are all 78 recipes sufficiently interesting, the book is well thought out, well written, and packed with detailed information about dozens of different cheeses. The cheeses covered here go way beyond swiss, cheddar, and mozzarella – be prepared to be introduced to cheeses like Red Hawk, a mellow triple-creme; Idiazabal, a smoked Spanish sheep’s milk cheese; and Meadowkaas, a smooth, young Dutch cheese. For that matter, the concept of mac’n’cheese also goes way beyond what you might expect, and any dish that has both pasta and cheese qualifies – from light, fruit-filled pasta salads, to classic stovetop macaroni dishes, to a baked pumpkin stuffed with noodles, sausage, and, of course, lots of cheese. As might be expected, most of the dishes are quite rich, and you probably won’t be able to resist cooking them, so consider yourself warned. I should note, I love a cookbook where the introductory chapter actually teaches me something, and this one passes – from the differences between cow, goat, and sheep’s milk, to how different cheese types are produced, I learned a lot (and we make cheese). And I kept learning as I flipped through the book, since every recipe includes a list of alternative cheeses, wine pairings, and food pairings for the featured cheese in that recipe. I’m so glad that I didn’t let my initial skepticism keep me from this book – it’s a good one.

The Food: In general, mac’n’cheese is a pretty likable food, but I’ve had a lot of sub-par homemade versions. The Petit Basque with Roasted Garlic, Shallots, and Gemelli is not one of them. In Trevor’s words, it’s not “punch-you-in-the-face cheesy,” but it’s incredibly rich and thick and flavorful. The sweet, slightly burnt flavor of the roasted garlic cuts the tang of the cheese and makes for a very satisfying, very indulgent lunch. Trevor sounded like he was getting the best massage of his life while eating it, if that helps you imagine how tasty it is. The only downside? This mac’n’cheese is not cheap. The 10 oz. of Petit Basque set me back $16, which is more like what I expect to spend on two nice steaks, but if you treat it like the indulgence it is, I think it’s totally worth it. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Humboldt Fog with Grilled Peaches and Orzo; Asparagus Salad with Ricotta Salata, Fava Beans, Mint, and Farfalle; Penne with Etorki Cream Sauce and Asparagus; Mexican-Style Macaroni and Cheese; Lincolnshire Poacher with Cotija, Chorizo, and Penne; Pastitsio with Kefalotyri and Lamb; Three Cheese Macaroni Casserole with Broccoli, Pancetta, and Sweet Pugliese Topping

The Craft Beer Cookbook

The Book: Jackie Dodd, the woman behind the genius blog, The Beeroness, knows how to cook with beer, arguably better than anyone else, ever. It may sound like an exaggeration to claim that, but every single recipe on her three year old blog has beer in it, and every single one looks amazing. If I were her, I would have run out of creative ideas after about two months, but her three most recent recipes – Chocolate Stout Candy Cane Cake, Salted Beer Caramel Sauce, and Beer-Brined Paprika Chicken – prove that creativity is not a problem for Jackie. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to see that she was releasing The Craft Beer Cookbook, a cookbook full of her clever beer-infused recipes (and Trevor was excited that we were going to buy more beer). It’s a cute little book, unassuming and accessible, with dozens of recipes starring bold, rich flavors. Some of my favorite guilty pleasures are included – chipotle cream, cheese sauce, carbonara – all somehow imbued with beers ranging from pale ales to chocolate stouts. A lot of the recipes are for what might be considered “football food,” and they certainly tend toward the indulgent, but the occasional lighter choice, like IPA Watermelon Ceviche or Strawberry Pale Ale Popsicles, mixes things up. Since I’m not much of a beer-drinker, I like that this book forces me to think about beer at a deeper level – what flavors are present, how heavy is it, how carbonated is it? – in order to successfully incorporate it into food. And I think it would be a perfect gift for anyone you know who loves beer and is mildly interested in cooking, as the recipes are pretty straightforward and highly craveable.

The Food: Although it was hard to choose whether we wanted to indulge in Chorizo Stout Sloppy Joes or Croque Madames with Beer Cheese Sauce to review this book, we went with the Croque Madames. Croque Madames are a simple French sandwich of ham, swiss, and a fried egg, often served with bechamel sauce. Jackie turns the bechamel sauce into a rich beer and cheddar sauce that gets drizzled over the sandwiches, and takes the whole thing over the top. I loved how easy these were to make – you just whiz the cheddar, milk, flour, and cornstarch in a blender with your choice of blonde ale, then heat with melted butter until thickened and spoon over your grilled sandwich. The beer gave the cheese sauce a noticeable and pleasant tang, making it far too easy to eat a few extra “test” spoonfuls, and I would absolutely make it again… I have the feeling it might be the recipe we turn to the next time we had a few too many beers the night before. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Pale Ale Corn Waffles with Scrambled Eggs and Smoky Beer Cheese Sauce; Drunken Carbonara Couscous; Porter Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cilantro Cream; Mushroom Stout Sliders with Chipotle Cream; Beer-Braised Pulled-Pork Tacos with Beer-Corn Tortillas; Stout and Stilton Beef Empanadas; Stout and Cheddar Pot Pie; Chocolate Porter Fudge Cookies; Chocolate Stout Mousse with Stout-Soaked Cherries

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of these cookbooks from Little Brown and Company and Adams Media free of charge, but was not otherwise compensated for writing this review.

Recipes

Petit Basque with Roasted Garlic, Shallots, and Gemelli

Recipe from Melt. Serves 4. 

Note: Alternate cheeses for the Petit Basque include Barinaga Ranch, Abbaye de Bel’loc, or another caramelly Basque-style cheese.

• 2 whole heads of garlic
• 4 TBS olive oil, divided
• 8 oz. gemelli or rotini pasta
• 1/2 c. diced shallots (2 bulbs, peeled and roots removed)
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS flour
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 10 oz. Petit Basque, shredded
• 1 TBS chopped fresh chives

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel off most of the outer paper of the garlic heads, but leave the heads in one whole piece. Trim off the top 1/4 inch of the garlic with a sharp knife, slicing to reveal the tops of the cloves. Place the heads in a small baking dish, drizzle with 2 TBS of the olive oil, and cover with tinfoil. Roast for 1 hour, or until garlic is soft. Once garlic is cool enough to handle, remove from the oven and take the cloves out of the skins (they should separate easily, or you can squeeze them out). Mash the garlic cloves up and set aside in a bowl.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the diced shallots and cook until golden-brown, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the saucepan and add to the bowl with the garlic. Add the milk to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until it just begins to steam and bubble, then pour into a bowl and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until nutty-smelling and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, stirring the whole time. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking to incorporate as you do. Cook the milk, still whisking, until is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic and the shallots. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the shredded cheese until completely melted. Toss with the cooked pasta and serve immediately, sprinkling each bowl with chives.

Croque Madame with Beer Cheese Sauce

Recipe from The Craft Beer Cookbook. Serves 6.

• 1 c. blonde ale
• 2 c. shredded white cheddar
• 1 c. whole milk
• 2 TBS flour
• 2 TBS cornstarch
• 2 TBS butter
• 6 focaccia or ciabatta buns
• 1 pound cooked ham, sliced
• 7 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
• 6 large eggs

1. Add the beer, cheddar, milk, flour and cornstarch to a blender, and process until smooth. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the blended cheese mixture to the pot. Cook, whisking continuously, until the cheese sauce has thickened to a spoonable consistency, which should take about 6-8 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Split the buns in half and evenly divide the ham and Swiss cheese between the sandwiches. Close the sandwiches and cook on a panini press or bake in a 375°F oven until the cheese has melted (about 5 minutes in the oven). In the meantime, fry the eggs over medium heat in a frying pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, removing the eggs from the heat when the whites have set but the yolks are still runny.
3. Slice the sandwiches in half on the bias, then place on a plate and serve topped with generous spoonfuls of the beer cheese sauce and a fried egg. Serve immediately.

The post Book Club: Melt + The Craft Beer Cookbook appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence, the folks behind The Chubby Vegetarian, do some seriously creative things with vegetables. Think Baked Potato Skins with Smoked Coconut Bacon, BBQ Eggplant, Tomato Pie and Pimento Cheese, and  Italian-Style Eggplant Sausages to get your mind moving in the right direction. The Chubby Vegetarian was one of the first blogs I stumbled upon back in the day and it is continually a source of inspiration, so when I saw that they were publishing a book, The Southern Vegetarian, I knew that I’d have to check it out.

The food served up in The Southern Vegetarian is loaded with classic, All-American appeal. Not every recipe is particularly Southern – sloppy Joes, meatballs, and bran muffins all fall pretty solidly into the general American food category in my mind – but the ones that are bring me straight back to the rich, saucy, flavorful dishes I enjoyed while living in North Carolina. Except, all the meat has disappeared – and I don’t think you’ll miss it. Need proof? How does this menu sound to you: Bourbon with Basil and Lemonade Granita, Okra Fritters with Creole Mushroom Sauce, Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Eggplant, and Grilled Peach Ice Cream? Southern through and through, packed with spice and flavor, and fruits and vegetables are doing all the hard work. Plus, as you flip through the book thinking about whipping up a menu like this, you’ll find a photograph with every single recipe – always a good thing!

Unlike many of the vegetarian cookbooks I find myself gravitating toward, The Southern Vegetarian is not about keeping vegetables raw or barely processed and making them the only thing on the plate – i.e., you’re not going to find a lot of veggie and whole grain salads or gluten-free vegan raw breakfast bowls. Much more frequently, you’ll find that vegetables have simply infiltrated a dish where you would be expecting meat, and all the other rich flavors are still in play. In some cases, this means using tofu, seitan, and other meat substitutes as a replacement for the main component of a classic dish, like using seitan in a Vegetarian “Chicken” Pot Pie. Since I’m not a vegetarian, but simply enjoy cooking with vegetables, this is not my favorite type of recipe – if I want chicken pot pie, I’m just going to have chicken pot pie. However, other times, the way they accomplish meat replacement is genius, like using sausage spices to give eggplant that same smoky flavor, or using liquid smoke, hot sauce, and Worcestershire to make a convincing vegetarian gumbo.

Although they aren’t particularly Southern, I made these crispy eggplant sandwiches as a test recipe and they were seriously delicious, in a very satisfying, comfort food sort of way. I also made some (much more Southern) savory cheddar-pecan cookies with spicy pepper jelly, which were great as well, but for now let’s focus on the sandwiches. I chose to go the super homemade route with these – homemade tomato sauce, homemade breadcrumbs, even homemade ricotta (out of necessity!) – and they came out amazing, but I have the feeling they’d be just as good using mostly store-bought ingredients. And if that were the route you chose, you’d have an easy, satisfying, flavorful and balanced dinner to serve in under forty minutes. The eggplant really does get quite crispy, and the roasted garlic and ricotta spread makes the meal feel richer than it really is. As a bonus, making this recipe taught me a new, quick way to roast garlic – dry roast individual cloves in a hot skillet while still in their papery skins. Worked like a charm!

A quick note about the ricotta – when I opened the fancy high-end ricotta I had in the fridge while making this recipe, I gave it a whiff and quickly tossed it in the trash. Going back to the store wasn’t an option, but I happened to have all the ingredients you need to make ricotta (milk, heavy cream, vinegar, and salt) on hand, so I decided to go for it. It came out better than the cheap stuff I get at the store but not as good as the expensive stuff I get out the store – it was sweet and mild but a teeny bit rubberry. Although making ricotta from heavy cream and milk feels a little bit wasteful (ricotta is usually a byproduct of making a different cheese – it is made from the leftover acidified whey), it was definitely a great quick fix.

The bottom line: The Southern Vegetarian turns vegetables into serious omfort food. The recipes included here are rich, saucy, and flavorful, and will be definite crowd pleasers, especially in true vegetarian households. Non-vegetarians looking to increase their vegetable intake will also find recipes of interest, but they may not appreciate the classic meat recipe “re-dos” as much as vegetarians will.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of The Southern Vegetarian from Thomas Nelson. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.

Crispy Eggplant Sandwiches with Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread

Adapted slightly from The Southern Vegetarian. Serves 4-5.

• 3 c. torn pieces of fresh French bread
• 1 TBS Italian seasoning mix (or 1 tsp dried parsley + 1 tsp dried oregano + 1/2 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp salt)
• 1 medium globe eggplant
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• olive oil
• 4-5 ciabatta rolls
• 1 c. arugula
• 1 c. warm tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 c. roasted garlic and ricotta spread (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place French bread pieces and Italian seasoning in a food processor and pulse until the bread has broken down into fine crumbs. Pour onto a dinner plate and set aside.
2. Wash the eggplant and remove the stem ends. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper.
3. Set up two bowls next to the breadcrumb plate – one with the flour and one with the beaten eggs. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off the excess, then dip in the eggs, then coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray. Drizzle with a small amount of oil (about 1/8 of a teaspoon per slice).
4. Bake eggplant for 15 minutes, then flip each slice over and drizzle the opposite side with olive oil. Bake for another 15 minutes then remove from the oven. Coating should be golden brown and crispy.
5. To assemble the sandwiches, place a handful of arugula leaves on top of the bottom bun, then cover with 2-3 slices of eggplant. Drizzle a spoonful of the warm tomato sauce on top of the eggplant and sprinkle 2 TBS of parmesan cheese on top. Spread the garlic and ricotta mixture on the top bun, then close the sandwich and serve.

Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread

Recipe adapted slightly from The Southern Vegetarian. Makes about 1 cup.

• 5 cloves of garlic, skin left on
• 1 c. whole milk ricotta, homemade (see below) or store bought
• 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Place the garlic cloves with their skin on in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, flipping occasionally, until skins have started to blacken and garlic is fragrant, about 10-15 minutes. Let them cool, then remove the skins – the inside of the clove should be soft and roasted.
2. In a small bowl, mash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork, then mix with the ricotta and the parmesan. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Easy Homemade Ricotta

Adapted from Anne Burrell via The Food Network. Makes about 1 cup.

• 2 c. skim milk
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 TBS distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

1. Mix the milk, heavy cream, vinegar, and salt together in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring infrequently just to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom or sides of the pot. Once the milk has reached a simmer, simmer for 1-2 minutes – curds will form continuously as you simmer the milk.
2. Place a sieve or strainer lined with damp cheesecloth over a large bowl. Pour the curds and whey into the strainer, and let drain for 15 minutes. After it has drained and cooled to a point where it is comfortable to touch, gently squeeze out any remaining whey from the ricotta. Unmold from the cheesecloth and serve, or store in the fridge.

The post Book Club: The Southern Vegetarian // Crispy Eggplant Sandwiches with Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I don’t want to scare anyone off… but it’s getting to be kale season.  I got some in my CSA last week, and it’s one of the few veggies still flourishing in my garden.  For some, this is great news.  I happen to love kale in all its forms, and prefer it to almost any other green – I’d forego spinach for kale any day of the week.  For others, though, this is not such a good sign.  For them, the beginning of kale season signifies the descent into a long winter of root vegetables, cold-hardy greens, citrus, and the occasional guilt-inducing trip to Wholefoods to pick up that so-not-local-but-oh-so-good Chilean peach.  Fear not, we’re not at that dark time quite yet – we’ve still got time for end-of-season corn, butternut squash, chestnuts, figs, plums, apples, and a myriad of pumpkin-flavored baked goods.  But still, kale has arrived, and why not start showing it a little love now?

Kale salad was a super-trendy restaurant dish last year.  Andrew Knowlton even wrote about the ubiquity of kale salad for Bon Appetit last month, when sharing this recipe for his favorite version.  If you’re not a natural kale-lover, an entire salad composed of the stuff might be a hard sell, but I urge you to give it a try.  A little cheese, lemon, and olive oil can go a long way in transforming this green into a tender, tasty salad that even Romaine-purists might grow to enjoy.  In fact, after I had finished this bowl I almost harvested the rest of my kale right then and there to make another bowl.  Give it a try – it’s simple, healthy, and zesty.  Head on over to Greatist for the recipe.

Other tasty kale recipes from here…

• Portuguese Kale Soup
• Creamy Chevre and Kale Pasta
• Lemon Cream Spaghetti with Kale and Peas
• White Bean, Kale, and Pesto Soup
• Raw Kale and Avocado Salad with Apples, Almonds, and Nori
• Baked Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Garlicky Kale

… and around the blogsophere

• Creamed Kale with Caramelized Shallots – from Food Network
• Parsley, Kale, and Berry Smoothie – from Bon Appetit
• Crispy Baked Kale with Gruyere – from Ezra Pound Cake
• Kale and Cranberry “Crackers” – from House and Home
• Coconut Quinoa and Kale with Tropical Pesto – from Cookie and Kate
• Kale and Ricotta Galette – from My Fair Baking

The post Greatist Collaboration: Raw Kale and Pecorino Salad appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

It’s a wine at 4:30 sort of day.  Nothing really bad happened, but I just can’t seem to get today right.  I forgot my umbrella and had to walk home in the rain without it.  I tried to heat up some leftover gnocchi for lunch but accidentally put uncooked gnocchi in the sauce which resulted in cheesy dough.  Duh.  I dropped a pile of sage on the floor along with pretty much every kitchen utensil I used.  The vacuum cleaner actually expelled dirt instead of sucking it up.  You know, that kind of thing.  I need to snuggle.  But since snuggling is not an option until next Friday when I get to go home again (for eleven whole days!) I will go with the next best thing – soup and my king-sized fleece blanket and maybe a movie.  And another glass of wine?  Wow, I’m really living it up for a Monday.

I think I eat too much soup.  Yesterday I had 3 bowls of kale soup in between the hours of 5 and 9.  It was just one continual dinner.  And I still have half a batch of vegetarian chili in the freezer yet I’m making another tomato based soup tonight.  It’s just that soup is so great.  It’s quick.  It has a tremendous range of flavor.  It’s the best way to get vegetables.  It’s warm.  It’s comforting.  And you can slurp it.

Tonight’s soup is roasted red pepper and (roasted) tomato.  The only other ingredients are garlic (also roasted), onion (yep, roasted), and vegetable broth.  Plus a little kosher salt and oil but I’m not sure those really count as ingredients.  The last time I made this was over Christmas vacation, when I spent 5 blissfully peaceful days in Maine with my family and Trevor.  Trevor and I got the green light to plan a meal, which is always super fun but also undoubtedly a production, and this was our first course.  I’m not really a tomato person, so I was surprised that I liked this so much – enough to eat the leftovers within 24 hours.  It was inspired by 101 Cookbooks, one of my absolute favorite food blogs, but I seriously adjusted the ratios to get more sweet red pepper flavor.

Making this soup is easy – just roast and blend.  If the veggies by themselves are too mild for you, a little kosher salt goes a long way towards punching up the flavor of the soup, but that’s really all it needs.  Mmm, veggie goodness.  Okay I lied, I also put a little gorgonzola on top but it doesn’t really need it, I’m just kind of a cheese addict.  And the final perk of this soup – spending a few hours roasting vegetables can really improve a Monday.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

• 3 red peppers, whole
• 3 tomatoes, quartered
• 5-10 cloves garlic
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1-2 c. stock (vegetable or chicken)
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• paprika and gorgonzola for garnish

1. Roast peppers – Place clean peppers whole on baking tray under broiler (on high).  Keep a close eye on them, turning them frequently with tongs.  They are done when the skins are blackened all around the pepper.  Remove from oven and place immediately in an airtight container – a covered bowl or plastic bag – for 15 minutes to allow steam to loosen skins.  When cool, peel skins from peppers.  Then, cut off stems and remove seeds.  Cut peppers in half and drizzle with oil.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place quartered onions and tomatoes in pan.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Roast for 45-55 minutes.  Tomatoes should be on the verge of falling apart.  Onions should be starting to caramelize – turn them halfway through to prevent burning.
3. Once tomatoes are in oven, place garlic cloves, unpeeled, in tinfoil.  Drizzle with a small amount of oil and close foil over top.  Place on oven rack next to roasting pan and roast for approximately 30 minutes.  Cloves should be soft inside peels.
4. When all the veggies are ready, blend them together in batches with a small amount of stock.  Place blended ingredients in saucepan over medium heat and add stock, salt, and paprika until the consistency and flavor are as desired.  Garnish each bowl with gorgonzola and paprika.

The post Red and Roasted appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.