i found this recipe in Sunset magazine and altered it a bit, as i had only dried chickpeas, rather than the canned variety, and didn’t have enough time to cook the peas and eat them in the same evening. (the original title is, “Chicken with Tomatoes, Apricots, and Chickpeas.”)

instead of chickpeas, i opted for a cup of brown rice, which may end up being the starch future servings require. the apricots and the seasonings offered a smoky sweetness that was both unusual and savory. next time i’ll experiment with more sauce–it was thick and delicious, but needed about half as much more to really soak into the brown rice.

ingredients:

• 4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs. total)
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (15.5 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed (i substituted a cup of brown rice, cooked separately)
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry, and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, then add cumin, coriander, and cayenne; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on underside, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until brown on other side, about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Stir in tomatoes, apricots, sugar, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and return chicken to pan. Cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and parsley, and cook until heated through.

This is soup is one of the most delicious I’ve eaten. Even David, who is not a big fan of soups, declared this one a winner. This recipe is from the Herb Farm Cookbook.

“Food is said to have umami when it is at its peak of perfection, at the height of its season, handled with respect, and simply presented–a sublime, ripe peach, an impeccably fresh oyster, a bowl of sugary green peas cooked straight from the garden.” Jerry Traunfield, The Herb Farm Cookbook

And so this soup with its carrot-y goodness evokes umami, especially when the carrots are fresh and at their most ripe and delicious. The addition of mint tea is genius. You can’t discern it, but that’s the stuff that makes this soup special.

2 medium leeks (about 1.5 lb)
1 1/2 T dried whole coriander seeds
3 T unsalted butter
1 lb large sweet carrots (about 4), peeled and cut into 1/4 slices
1/2 C dry white wine
2 t finely chopped fresh ginger
3 C fresh carrot juice (i used 1 1/2 odwallas, but i hope to get a juicer soon)
1 t salt
2 C water
1 large bunch fresh spearmint (about 2 oz)

2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more if needed (i didn’t need it)

garnish: tiny mint leaves or thinly sliced mint leaves (while pretty, i liked the soup without the added mint garnish. the mint tea is SO subtle, that the garnish forced the minty flavor too forward.)

1. leeks
cut off and discard the tops of the leeks at the point where they turn from light to dark green. split them lengthwise in half, keeping the roots attached so that the layers will not fall apart, and wash thoroughly. thinly slice the leeds into half circles discarding the roots.

2. toasting the coriander
put the coriander seeds in a small dry skillet and place in over medium heat. shake the pan contstantly until the seeks begin to darken in color and smell wonderfully fragran and tasty’ be carful not to overcook. pour them out onto a paper towel to stop the cooking. using the towel as a funnel, transfer them to a spice mill and grind very fine. if you don’t have a spice mill, use a mini processor or blender. (i used a molcajete, which cooled them down well.)

3. vegetables
melt the butter in a medium (3 qt) heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. add the carrots, wine, and ginger. cook uncovered until all the liquid has boiled away, about 15 minutes, then continue to cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly browned, about 10 minutes. don’t rush the step, for it allows the natural sugars to slowly caramelize. as the vegetables cook, keep scraping the bottom of the pan iwth the spoon to gather up andy brown bits. (i cooked much longer than 10 min; it took a while for the veggies to turn color. the moment a leek or carrot turned a bit brown, i proceeded to the next step.)

4. soup.
add the carrot juice, coriander, and salt. bring to a boil, cover and gently simmer over heat until the carrots are very tender, 20-30 minutes.

5. mint tea.
meanwhile bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. submerge the mint in the water, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let steep for about 20 minutes. strain the tea, squeezing all the liquid out of the leaves.

6. finishing the soup.
put half of the soup in the container of an electric blender (you can use a food processor instead, but the soup will be as smooth). hold the lid down with a dry towel and turn the blender on at a low speed so that the soup doesn’t splash up, then gradually increase the speed to high. add half of the mint tea. blend the soup until is is creamy and very smooth. pour the pureed soup into a second saucepan and repeat with the remaining soup and tea. when all of the soup is pureed, add the lemon juice and gently reheat. taste and add the additional salt or lemon juice if needed. ladle the soup into warned small bowls or demitasse garish with tiny mint leaves.

best when served with fresh bread baked by david. enjoy!

when summertime comes, i reach for basil.

gobs of it. and i make pesto from memory, and freeze it immediately (unless i’m serving it that night). pesto is best made with fresh and vibrant basil; once it becomes a bit black around the edges, the flavor diminishes. if you’re making a bunch for later, freeze it in ice cube trays.  pesto cubes thaw easily and are a  decent serving gauge–a cube per person is about right

Pesto, from sarah’s brain:

a bunch of basil
olive oil
clove of garlic (some peeps like more, but i’m not a fan of over-powering garlic)
salt
pine nuts
parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not that creepy green can of non-cheese)
food processor or blender (fp works best)

1. if you have a food processor with a grater blade, grate about a half cup or so cheese. leave it in the fp bowl.
2. wash and pluck the basil leaves from the stems.
3. toss the basil, garlic, a pinch of salt, and a handful of pine nuts in the food processor.
4. with the food processor running, pour olive oil in the bowl until the pesto starts to bind together, yet is still coarse. some people like a super oily smooth pesto, but i like a pesto with character.

mix in to hot, just-made pasta, or make pesto-crusted chicken, or spoon into an ice cube tray, cover with plastic wrap, and save it for a rainy–or non-basil season–day.

my buddy brenda commented recently on my dried up savannah of a cooking blog.

the blog isn’t a reflection of a lack of creativity in the kitchen, just competing priorities, i guess.

i’m going to change that.

maybe tomorrow. i’m a bit too tired to chronicle tonight’s go-to meal (e.g., “go-to” when i’m plum outta ideas), one of david’s faves: pesto crusted chicken with carmelized onion pasta and tonight’s surprise nebraskan guest: corn on the cob. mm mmm.

soon.

experimentation is almost limitless when it comes to pizza–fun, too. tonight i tried a completely new combo that took advantage of fridge contents and remainders from earlier pizzas (we made 3):

1. tomato sauce
2. a few kalamata olives 
3. a few carmelized onions
4. cheese (a blend of some sort, shredded)
5. stir-fried-until-brown leeks
6. chopped almonds, also stir fried with the leeks

ooooo—eee! i love me some nuts on pizza. and the leek/almond combo is the piece de resistance, a fave creation of the past 24 hours.

yum. 

update: here’s proof of the deliciousness.

our lovely csa box offered up a real surprise a few weeks ago: agretti, a long and sinewy green, that when cooked just right, resembled seaweed salad.

and that’s precisely what i did: i followed a recipe from the kind csa folks (below) and then conducted many more delicious experiments.

Agretti-i-wish-i-were-seaweed salad

the csa recipe instructed that this was a cold salad. i tried both hot and cold, and both were yummy. check out #5 for directions.

1. wash, trim, and cut agretti into 6 inch or so lengths.
2. heat up a skillet, wok, or some such pan with some olive oil in it.
3. toss in the agretti, stir fry a bit until cooked and bright green.
4. while cooking the agretti, toast some sesame seeds in a pan on the stovetop until they turn brownish and begin to pop.
5. cold salad: let cool, and refrigerate over night. the next morn, follow the hot salad part…

    hot salad: stir a few drops or more of sesame oil into the agretti, and toss the seed on top. you’re done! 

yesterday i noticed we had some kind of ground beef in the freezer, so i placed it in a bowl on the counter and left it, expecting it would turn into dinner one of these first nights.

tonight was the night, and as one of david’s students mentioned making tacos for a future trip, the idea was planted firmly in my head: tacos. beef. guacamole. something green.

beef taco

serves one, easily

beef, tortillas, chile powder, cabbage, cheese, avocado, salt, cilantro, onion, jalapeño (if tomatoes were in season, i would’ve added some).

1. brown the beef, adding chile powder. set aside in bowl when done.
2. place tortilla in the hot pan (on low) to thaw (i keep tortillas on hand in the freezer–they freeze and separate great). flip when sides get brownish, but not so long that the tortilla becomes stiff.
3. sprinkle cheese on one half to melt. add beef.
4. once cheese and meat are melted, turn off heat, and set aside to stop cooking.
5. quacamole: this is a larger discussion. i’ll add my fave recipe soon, and wax poetic about my molcajete.
6. chop cabbage or some other green. add to meat and cheese, along with the guac.
7. fold tortilla in half, and voila: dinner for one!

i always keep some on hand, and whenever i eat them, i dream of italia…
(found on saveur.com and first published in Saveur in Issue #46)

Florentine-Style Baked Beans

(Fagioli alla Fiorentina)
SERVES 6 – 8

1 lb. dried zolfini or cannellini beans
5 oz. prosciutto, cut into short, thick strips (i used peppered, nitrate-free bacon)
1⁄4 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
2 canned Italian plum tomatoes, quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Sprig fresh sage (from the garden!)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put beans in an earthenware casserole, cover with cold water, and set aside to soak at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain, and add cold water to just cover beans.

2. Preheat oven to 375°. Add prosciutto, oil, tomatoes, garlic, and sage to beans, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and bake until beans have absorbed all the liquid and are tender, about 2 hours.

pattie requested i share my favorite bread starter recipe, so here it is. i like this starter because it infuses a sour-y flavor without nourishing the starter over time. this one is a classic italian starter that has a shelf life of 2 weeks in the fridge. (you can also freeze it, but i don’t trust in that process) i usually cut the recipe down considerably, because i usually make as many as two loaves in two weeks, but typically just one.

Biga

1/4 t active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 cups cool water

In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set is aside until it is creamy, about 15 minutes.

Measure the flour into a large bowl. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, form a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture and cool water to the well. Using the spoon, stir together all the ingredients until sticky and difficult to stir but nevertheless thoroughly combined. Cover tightly and allow to ferment slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To use, rinse a measuring cup in cool water, scoop out the amount of starter needed, and bring to room temperature.

Makes 5 cups

(fave bread recipe to come)

the other day david caught me eating breakfast over the sink. he was a bit appalled by my hovering position, and tried to coax me toward the table. he’s a fan of eating like a civilized person, and normally i’m right with him. in fact, i’m usually the coaxer, not the coaxee. but this day i was in a hurry, and i wanted to get some food inside me before running out the door for work.

what the sink hovering lacked in the civilized department, my breakfast choice made up for it in ease and nutrition. what did i eat? a soft boiled egg. here’s the deal:

soft boiled egg, with or without sink

1. place to cover in a pan of water, one egg. heat the water to an easy, not roiling, boil.
2. once the water is boiling (not too heavily, or the egg will crack), and if eating at a table and you desire toast (i usually do), stick a piece of bread in the toaster.
this is the sopper-upper and the timer for the egg. (if no toast, it takes about 2 minutes or so)
3. when the toast is done, but not burnt, use a slotted spoon to rescue the egg. run cold water over the egg to stop it from cooking.
4. find an egg cup, a shot glass, or your hand, and tap the fat side of the egg, gently. pull off the shell in a circle big enough for a teaspoon, and either scrape the contents onto your toast, or if you’re in a hurry and near the sink, eat out of the shell and voila! a protein-rich breakfast in minutes.