Caprese Salad with Lemon-Basil Ice Cream

As July rolls around, my porch is practically exploding with greenery and I am finally in the privileged position of trying to find a wide range of uses for the enthusiastically bushy basil plant. My thoughts turned to David Lebovitz's excellent recipe for basil ice cream, which I've made numerous times and is fabulous on its own (or with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and macerated strawberries!), but for this post I decided to put the ice cream in a different context and paired it with rounds of fresh mozz and a juicy tomato for an especially refreshing caprese salad. I quite liked it! It certainly makes for a fun spin on a summertime classic.

Caprese Salad with Lemon-Basil Ice Cream
Ice cream recipe produces a quart; salad recipe is for two people

Ice cream recipe adapted from David Lebovitz's basil ice cream from The Perfect Scoop

*1 cup packed basil leaves
*3/4 cup sugar
*2 cups heavy cream
*1 cup whole milk
*5 egg yolks, lightly whisked
*The zest of 1 large lemon (optional, but I like the citrus zip)

*1 large heirloom tomato per two people
*8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
*Freshly cracked black pepper & pinches of sea salt
*Fruity olive oil
*Splashes of balsamic vinegar, if you please
*Palmful of small basil leaves, to garnish

To make the ice cream: blend the basil leaves with the sugar and 1 cup of the cream in a small food processor until the leaves are finely minced. Put half of the basil mix in a large bowl with the other cup of cream and chill. Meanwhile, warm the rest of the basil mix with the milk and salt in a pot until steaming, then slowly temper the egg yolks by pouring the hot liquid into the eggs, whisking all the while - then scrape everything back into the pot and continue to cook over medium, stirring constantly. Cook without bringing to a boil just until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

At that point, remove from heat and pour through a sieve into the chilled cream mix. Add the lemon zest. Stir until cool, then pop in the fridge to chill thoroughly for a least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. Churn the mix in your ice cream maker, then store in an appropriate container to ripen further until you're ready to assemble the salad.

Drape slices of tomato over rounds of cheese and adorn with basil leaves. Sprinkle some salt and pepper across the salad, and add splashes of any oil/vinegar you'd like to use as well. Scoop out two or three little pats of lemon basil ice cream and serve!

Joe Beef's Lentils Like Baked Beans

I can't believe it has taken me this long to write up a post about Joe Beef's lentils! Joe Beef is an incredible (world class, really) restaurant in Montreal in which my husband and I have been lucky to dine a few times, and once I realized there was a Joe Beef cookbook a few years ago, I immediately got my hands on it. Of course most of the dishes in the book I leave to the experts in the JB kitchen to tangle with, but the recipe for lentils like baked beans has become a mainstay in my rotation. In the summer, it's one of my go-to dishes for any and all cookouts, backyard parties, potlucks; in winter, it's one of our favorite comfort foods. The lil' legumes are absolutely delicious, boasting big notes of mustard, maple, and cider vinegar, and when you top a heaping ladleful with a fried egg you've got a masterful breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I tweaked the recipe in the cookbook to fit my palate; for example, they had listed two TABLESPOONS of powdered Coleman's mustard, which I have tried and think is just...way too much... but feel free to add more or less of any ingredient to suit your personal tastes!

Joe Beef's Lentils Like Baked Beans
Makes 4 entree-size servings

*3 slices good bacon, diced
*1 small onion, finely diced
*4 cloves garlic, minced
*2 cups brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
*4 cups water
*Heaping 1/4 cup ketchup
*1/4 cup maple syrup
*1 tablespoon sweet BBQ sauce (I use a maple BBQ sauce, naturally)
*1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
*1 tablespoon dry mustard (Coleman's)
*1 heaping teaspoon freshly ground pepper
*1 bay leaf
*Salt, to taste

Heat the oven to 350. In a dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium until it's nearing crispness, then add the onions and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more, then stir in everything else besides the salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in the oven. Bake 45-60 minutes (until the lentils are tender - timing depends a lot on their age). Taste for seasoning and then serve hot, ideally topped with an egg.

Herbed Pearl Couscous Salad

Cold pasta salads are ubiquitous during high summer, but for good reasons - they're excellent vehicles for summer produce, they're delicious, and can be made in advance and left to loiter in the fridge (or in the cooler toted to a picnic) until needed. This is one of my absolute favorites to make; the pearls of Israeli couscous deviate from the well-trod rotini rut, and it is superlatively tasty and cooling on a hot summer day. It's a nice way to showcase all the herbs that are exploding on my porch, too - the basil, parsley and cilantro provide a rich green backdrop for the mint to accent in refreshing little flourishes.

Herbed Pearl Couscous Salad
Makes 5-6 servings

*1 1/3 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous

*1 cup water

*3/4 cup vegetable stock (or, just use 1 3/4 cup water)

*1 small onion, thinly sliced (or, about a half cup of caramelized onions)

*2 packed cups of assorted herbs: my breakdown is 1 cup parsley, 1/2 cup cilantro, a palmful of basil leaves and a couple sprig’s worth of mint leaves, maybe 7-8. Mint is essential, but don’t overdo it!

*1 clove garlic                        

*1/4 cup olive oil

*S&P

*Handful of pistachios, toasted and chopped

*Handful of arugula or nasturtium leaves, chopped

*Healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice
*1/2 teaspoon citrusy hot sauce (I love Chile Spot's Fatalii Fantasii Sauce for this)

In a pot over medium heat saute the onions in some evoo until translucent if you're not using caramelized onions. Remove the onions and add the couscous; saute a few minutes while you bring the water and stock to a boil. Add the boiling water/stock to the couscous, stir well, cover, and cook on low for about 11 minutes. Make the herb pistou by blitzing the herbs along with the oil, garlic and pinches of S&P in a small food processor.  Add the pistou, nuts, onions and greens to the couscous, mix everything together well, and then season with the hot sauce, lemon juice, and S&P to taste. Serve at room temp or chilled.  

Brussels Sprout Hash

I was ambivalent towards Brussels sprouts for a long time, thanks to that certain sulfurous smell of boiled sprouts that issued forth from the kitchen whenever my old roomie would cook them (sorry Meg!!). I recently had an amazing dish of a roasted sprout salad, and decided it was high time to try to experiment with them. This recipe was adapted from a couple found on Epicurious and has worked itself into my regular rotation. It's tasty, pleasingly crunchy, and makes for an excellent side for just about anything. Nix the bacon, and it's a great vegetarian dish too.

Brussels Sprouts Hash
Makes 4 servings

*EVOO

*1 tablespoon butter

*4 shallots, thinly sliced
*S&P
*Pinch sugar

*2 scant teaspoons apple cider vinegar

*10 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

*Small palmful of toasted pecans or almonds, slivered
*1/2 small Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks

*2 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces (optional)

Melt a tablespoon of butter with a drizzle of evoo in a skillet over medium-low. Add shallots, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar, and caramelize for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scoop out the shallots and set aside.

Then, fry the bacon and mince; set aside. Cut the halved sprouts into very thin ribbons and add to the skillet, turning the heat up to medium. Saute about two minutes and then splash in the vinegar. Continue cooking for a minute or so then add the shallots, apples, nuts and the bacon. Toss well and season to taste.

Roasted Garlic & Cannellini Bean Dip with Basil Oil

With all the office gatherings, potlucks, picnics, porch parties and BBQs that come along with summer, I thought I'd share my cheapest, quickest and easiest, yet still terrifically tasty, recipe for a perfect please-'em-all offering to bring along to any of the above. It's great in a pinch when I remember I have to make something a little too late to devote hours to my favorite potluck dish, baked lentils (the recipe for which, eventually, I'll post to the blog!). This dip is delicious, dirt-cheap to make, will appease nearly any dietary restrictions, and is easily doubled (or tripled, etc). You can even nix the pretty basil oil topping if you're really pressed for time.

A note about the garlic: I am gonzo for garlic, so I put 4-5 cloves into my dip if it's just for me and my garlic lovin' spouse/friends/family. However, if this dip is making its way towards an office function, or set in front of a group of people I don't know that well, I usually tone it down to 2 or 3 so there's just a hint of garlic, not an all-out assault (the way I like it). Find your happy medium!

Roasted Garlic & Cannellini Bean Dip with Basil Oil
Makes about 2 cups - approx. enough for 10-12 people in a potluck setting

*1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
*2-5 cloves garlic
*Juice + 1 teaspoon zest from one lemon
*Scant 1/4 cup evoo
*A pinch of dried oregano
*S&P

Basil Oil

*Equal amounts of basil & evoo (I usually go with 1/4 packed cup to 1/4 cup)

Rub the unpeeled garlic with a little oil, wrap in foil and toss in a 400 degree oven to roast for about 30-40 minutes - I suggest popping in a few extra cloves while you're at it, because the temptation to slather some roasted garlic all over toasty bread when it's done will be too great to resist. While the garlic is roasting, puree the basil and olive oil in a small food processor, and then pop into a mason jar and set in the fridge. No need to rinse the processor, just toss all the dip ingredients in it when the garlic is done. Pulse everything until pureed, and season with S&P to taste. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve, and then drizzle some of the basil oil over top. Any leftover oil can be re-purposed in myriad ways.

Blackened Shrimp Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette

The other day I stopped at my beloved local dairy farm, Baily's, to pick up a little pint of buttermilk for weekend pancake dreams. No pints to be found, but the avuncular Mr. Baily sent me packing with a quart for the same price. So, saddled with a largess of buttermilk (a problem anyone should like to face!) I noodled around on chowhound for ideas, and came across the notion of a buttermilk dressing. Instantly I imagined it luxuriously poured over a spinach salad, and the rest came together from there. The buttermilk made for a very tasty, pleasantly sour and tart vinaigrette, which mingled well with the smoky and piquant flavors of blackened seafood. I'm kind of in love with this salad.

Blackened Shrimp Salad
Makes 2 entree size salads or 4 side salads

*8 oz fresh spinach
*A couple slices of stale crusty bread
*1 ear corn, shucked, washed and kernels cut off cob
*A handful of thinly sliced red onion crescents
*10-12 shrimp, shelled and deveined
*2-3 tablespoons blackening spices (you may find my mix recipe here)
*High smoke point oil
*Leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme

Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Loosely adapted from Frank Stitts' Southern Table
Makes about 1/2 cup

*1 tablespoon cider vinegar

*1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

*1 teaspoon minced shallot

*1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

*1/2 teaspoon minced thyme leaves

*1/4 cup buttermilk

*1 heaping tablespoon sour cream

*1 tablespoon evoo
*S&P

Wash and dry the spinach, and prep the croutons. Remove the crusts and then cut the bread into modestly sized cubes. Toss with some sea salt, pepper and olive oil and bake at 300 for about 10-15 mins, flipping once. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the blackening spices and set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette.

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, minced shallot, zest, thyme and pinches of S&P and slowly whisk in the buttermilk and sour cream. When combined, slowly emulsify the evoo within and season to taste. Set aside and heat a cast iron skillet over medium high. When it starts to smoke add a glug of canola oil, swirl around, and then set the shrimp in. Blacken about a minute and a half per side or until cooked through. Beware - there will be smoke! Make sure your exhaust fan is on high or you've got some windows open in the joint.

Throw the spinach, red onions, corn, shrimp, and croutons together, fleck with thyme leaves and then drizzle the dish with the vinaigrette. Freshly cracked pepper and some grains of sea salt to complete.

Fennel & Celery Salad

Well, hello again! Finally disengaging from the vacation mode in which I've been coasting for nearly a month now. Montreal me manque, but after spending 6 days indulging in the most obsenely decadent fare this side of Greco-Roman bacchanalia, I'm in desperate need of a cleanse, a broom to the system. Other household half and I brought back a trunkful of fine, fine Québécois beer, maple products, a whole frozen duck (!), and other edible souviners, but for the time being I'm on a pretty stripped-down, heavy-on-the-green-stuff diet so as to shed the couple extra pounds I also brought back from over the border. Luckily, there are meals like this delicious Fennel & Celery Salad to make the diet not just palatable, but enjoyable. I've loved this combination ever since reading Mark Bittman's recipe for it a long while back, and make it frequently - it's simple, but the flavors marry brilliantly. Whether you're on a similar diet (summer's a'coming), or not, this'll go over well with your mouth.

Fennel & Celery Salad
Makes 2 servings

Adapted from Mark Bittman, recipe here

*1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, some fronds reserved and chopped
*3-4 celery ribs
*2 tablespoons EVOO
*1 tablespoon lemon juice, more to taste
*S&P
*Mica-like shaves of Parm-Reg

Cut the fennel bulb in quarters and toss the outer layer if it's too tough or leathery. Remove the leafier parts and core from inside and discard. Use a mandoline to slice the fennel thinly into a bowl. Slice the celery into the bowl as well. I alternate between shaving down the length of a piece of stalk, and slicing thin crescents. Toss the celery, fennel and fennel fronds together; if the salad seems a little wet, I usually dry lightly with a paper towel before dishing out. Emulsify the lemon juice and EVOO, adding a big pinch of salt and pepper, and drizzle over each portion of the salad. Accent with flakes of parm, a spangling of pepper, and more fennel fronds.

Jambalaya with Creole Sauce

When my husband called to say he'd be bringing home some Cajun Kate's crawfish mac for dinner, my mind starting spinning twangy strains of a Hank Williams tune and my attention turned to Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen cookbook sitting on my shelf. Because what goes better with cajun food than more cajun food? It just so happened that I had all the fixings for jambalaya, so I consulted PP's section on the delicious rice dish. There were as many different ways to make jambalaya as there were recipes in the section, so after reading each one for guidance I struck off on my own, and am thrilled with the final result. I paired it with Prudhomme's recipe for "creole sauce", although it would be absolutely perfect on its own. Made for a great side with the fried mac (and will be a delicious lunch for the next few days!)

Jambalaya with Creole Sauce
Makes 5 servings

Jambalaya

*3 tablespoons bacon fat or butter
*3 bay leaves
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon cayenne
*1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
*1 teaspoon black pepper
*1 teaspoon dried oregano
*1 medium yellow onion, diced
*1 1/2 cups diced green bell pepper
*1 cup diced celery
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size pieces
*1 1/2 cups diced tasso (or other smoked ham)
*1/2 cup tomato puree
*1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
*1 1/3 cup chicken stock
*1 teaspoon chipotle Tabasco
*1 cup medium-size raw shrimp, shelled, de-veined and cut in half

Melt the fat in a large dutch oven over medium heat and stir the seasonings together; set aside. Combine the diced vegetables in a bowl and mix well; add two cups of the "trinity" to the pot and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and the spice mixture in the last couple of minutes. Add the chicken, and saute for a few minutes before throwing in the tasso. Cook for another few minutes and then add the tomato puree, rice, stock and Tabasco. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for about 25, 30 minutes. Uncover partially and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the lid off altogether and bury the raw shrimp pieces in the mixture; cook another 6, 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the shrimp are done. At this point you can serve immediately, or leave it on the stove over very low heat for a while longer. Remember to take the bay leaves out before serving!

Creole Sauce

*3 tablespoons bacon fat or butter
*2 bay leaves
*1/2 teaspoon oregano
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon black pepper
*1/2 teaspoon cayenne
*1/2 teaspoon paprika
*1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
*The rest of your chopped veg trinity (about 1 1/2 cups)
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 1/4 cups chicken stock
*1 cup tomato sauce (or puree)
*1 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste

Melt the fat in a medium saucepan and mix the seasonings together. Add the vegetables and saute for 10 minutes, adding in the garlic and seasonings towards the end. Stir in the stock, tomato sauce, and Tabasco. Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and then blend partially with an immersion blender to thicken the sauce. Simmer until jambalaya is ready to serve. To assemble, ladle creole sauce into a shallow dish and then top with a portion of jambalaya. Dust with chopped parsley, if you wish.

Perfect Guacamole

No one seems to agree on the "perfect" guacamole. There are the pro-tomato and anti-tomato camps, the factions that insist on adding diced onion or raw garlic, the cumin crusaders, and then there are the Zen-like guac'ers that insist only on avocado, salt and lime. Although I don't draw a hard line about anything but tomatoes (noooo tomatoes in guac. Come on.), my version does skew rather traditional and clean, with just a soupçon of nonconformity. It is perfection to me, and hopefully it will be to you as well.

 Perfect Guacamole
Makes 2-3 servings

*2 large ripe avocados, halved and pitted
*1 finely chopped Serrano pepper, seeded
*Juice from one small lime
*Small palmful of chopped cilantro
*Plenty of salt, to taste
*Teensy splash of tequila (1/4-1/2 teaspoon)
*Paprika (optional)

Roughly mash the avocados with a fork and add in the rest of the ingredients, stirring and mashing together until nicely melded. I serve mine with blue corn chips that have been dusted with paprika, but if you'd prefer to add a dusting of paprika on the top of the finished batch, well you go right on ahead.

Chilled Sichuan Cucumber Salad

This incredibly simple dish is inspired by one of my favorite appetizers at Han Dynasty -  cucumber batons and dried chilis, slippery with fragrant oil and flecked with coarsely cracked peppercorn, briefly heated and then served room temperature or slightly chilled. It lends to a crisp and refreshing mouthful, with just a touch of the tell-tale Sichuan "ma la" tingle. I took direction from Fuschia Dunlop's recipe for Spicy Cucumbers but lessened the oil and added a pinch of sugar to heighten the slight sweetness that I love so much about the dish when I have it at Han's. 

Sichuan Cold Cucumber Salad
Makes 2-3 appetizer/side servings

*2 cucumbers
*Salt
*Peanut oil
*A handful of dried red chilis
*Healthy pinch of coarsely ground Sichuan peppercorns
*2 teaspoons sesame oil
*Big pinch of sugar

Cut the cucumbers into halves and then, taking care to cut around the seedy, pulpy center, cut the cucumber halves into batons roughly the size of French fries. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with salt to draw the moisture out, and drain for at least 30 minutes. Pat them dry with a paper towel.

Heat the wok over high and swirl a glug of peanut oil around the sides. Add the chilis and peppercorns and stir-fry for a few seconds before throwing in the cucumbers. Toss well for about 10 seconds or so, and then remove the wok from heat and add the sesame oil and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Best when served chilled.

Update: I've lately been mincing a clove of garlic to throw in with the chilis in the initial quick stir-fry. I think it a very nice addition to the salad.

Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is a voluptuously soft and boldly flavored eggplant & tomato dish...baba ghanoush's flashier curried cousin, let's say. When I decide to have a thali/tapas-style Indian dinner, it's a perfect addition among small plates of yogurt-marinated chicken skewers, samosas, naan, and crocks of lentil soup. Madhur Jaffrey's recipe in An Invitation to Indian Cooking provided me with the loose framework for this delicious dish.

Baingan Bharta
Makes 3-5 servings as a side, or part of a tapas-style dinner

*Neutral oil
*1 medium eggplant, between 1-1 1/2 pounds
*1/2 onion, minced
*1 small nub of ginger, a little less than an inch, grated
*2 cloves of garlic, minced
*1 hot green chili pepper, minced
*2 teaspoons ground coriander
*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to personal taste
*1 juicy tomato, chopped
*Scant 1/3 cup water
*1 tablespoon of lemon juice
*1 teaspoon garam masala
*Kosher salt, to taste
*A pinch of amchur powder (optional - you can add a touch more lemon juice in its place)
*Plenty of warmed naan

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the eggplant in half and brush the surfaces of each piece lightly with oil. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast for about an hour. When done, set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat a bit of oil in a medium-size pot over moderate heat. Saute the onions for a few minutes, and then add the ginger, garlic, and chili pepper. Continue sauteing for another 5 minutes or so, then add the coriander, cumin and cayenne, and lower the heat just a touch as you stir the spiced mix around the pot for another minute or so. Add tomatoes and water; bump the heat back up and cook for a few minutes before scooping the flesh from the cooled eggplant halves into the pot. Stir in the lemon juice, garam masala, and salt to taste. Bring down from a boil to a slow simmer, and let it sit on the stove for about 20-30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. About 10 minutes before serving, add a pinch of amchur powder, if you're using it. Serve with lots of warmed naan to scoop it up.