Warning: This stew is somewhat time consuming, but you could do some of the steps ahead of time, or even in parallel, such as roasting the eggplants and cooking the lentils. Don’t skimp on the final long simmer, otherwise the flavors won’t mesh together as well as they could.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown lentils (unhulled masoor), picked over and rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 3/4 to 2 pounds (before being roasted) of roasted eggplant, sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• salt, to taste; I used about 1/2 teaspoon
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• (optional) 1/4 teaspoon red Indian chili powder
• 3/4 pound tomatoes, roughly chopped; a 14-ounce can of tomatoes could also work.
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 sweet (mild) red chili peppers, seeds removed and roughly chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons mint leaves, minced
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup garlic-infused olive oil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (depending on your tomatoes’ flavor) + 2 tablespoons water
• optional garnishes: roasted pine nuts or almonds, crumbled cheese, more mint, parsley, etc.

Method

1. In a small sauce pan, cover the lentils with about an inch or so of water, about 3ish cups. Toss in the bay leaf, and bring to a boil and cook covered until tender; make sure the lentils don’t go dry — it’s okay if there’s a bit too much water. Depending on how desiccated the lentils are, this could take from 20 to 40 minutes. When done, discard the bay leaf and drain off any excess water, then set aside.
2. In the meantime, sauté the onions in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat, until barely translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the salt, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, allspice, cloves and chili powder, if using, until they become fragrant. Lower heat to medium. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and chilis, and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes until those become a slightly (but not completely) softened.
4. Transfer the tomato-onion mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the mint.
5. Coat the bottom of a large pot (a Dutch oven would work) with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Evenly spread a scant cup of the tomato-onions on the bottom.
6. Layer in half the eggplants, followed by spreading a layer of half the lentils. Drizzle half of the garlic oil (2 tablespoons).
7. Add half of the remaining tomato-onions, and repeat the previous step with the remaining eggplants and lentils, then ending with the last of the tomato-onion mixture.
8. Drizzle the top with the rest of the garlic oil, plus an additional tablespoon of olive oil. Then drizzle the pomegranate molasses and water. Bring the stew to a gentle boil, and simmer covered over low heat for 1 hour.
9. Add garnishes, if desired. Serve with flatbread, basmati rice, a mild, crumbly cheese (e.g., paneer, or even queso fresco!), or simply by itself.

But to answer some questions (or remarks) you might have lingering:

1. Yes, I enjoy both dark and milk chocolate. I’ve had excellent versions of both, as well as yucky ones best reserved for the trashbin.
2. Why pay for a beta program? (Aimed especially at those who get free TCHO tastings: Hey! Not all of us have that opportunity.) Well, I consider this on par with eating food that, like a restaurant, someone has shopped for (ingredient-wise) and produced — more so than with software betas. For example, a software beta might have big, annoying bugs worth tolerating. But food betas need to be free of big issues such as, oh, parasitic or toxic contaminants, or being spoiled. And unlike software which can be delivered online for free, food shipments do carry the cost of transportation.
3. Also, TCHO is one of the few (remaining) independent Californian chocolate producers, as opposed to confectioners. So far I don’t mind contributing to their efforts.
4. Moreover, I’ve already enjoyed several of their chocolates — an even stronger reason to support them. Of the four dark chocolates they offer, I recommend “Fruity v2.0″ (plum-y and round, like a good port) and “Chocolatey v1.0″ (lush, spicy coffee).

On to the results…

Milk results

Batch Milk C0.2A: Ick. In spite of its strong caramel flavor, this one was almost painfully sweet. It hardly had any chocolate flavor. It did have some creaminess. Even though texture shouldn’t be considered, one of its few redeeming features is that it lacked the waxiness that cheap chocolates (especially milk ones) have.

Batch Milk C0.2B: Slight improvement over (A) by being not as sweet. Still rather sweet, and low on the chocolately side of things. It did, however, have an interesting salty note which eased off during the finish.

Batch Milk M0.2A: About the same as the C0.2 batch, but perhaps more caramel in tone. Still too sweet, too little chocolateyness. Simon thought he tasted some spicy notes, but I didn’t sense any at all.

Batch Milk M0.2B: Ditto, although perhaps a slightly nicer, maltier finish than (B). So far I’ve not been impressed with any of the four samples I’ve received.

Batch Milk K0.2.MB (A): Still too sweet, inferior to (B), although it had an interesting hint of saltiness. Didn’t care much for MB, which while having more caramel notes than (B), had an annoying bitter finish, almost like an unpleasant licorice.

Batch Milk K0.2.CB (B): Best batch so far. Rich, deep chocolateyness. Spicy, gingery notes, with a deep chocolate flavor. Definitely a (near) winner!

Batch Milk C0.4A. Slight spicy smell. Nice subtle flavoring, combining caramel with cardamom, with a bit of toastiness. This batch and K0.2.CB have been the best to date.

Batch Milk C0.4B. Rich malty flavor, but that’s about it. A bit sweeter than (A), though not nearly as interesting.

Batch Milk M0.8A. Very sweet, milky and somewhat malty. Maybe slight hint of cardamom? Mild, but rather unremarkable in flavor.

Batch Milk M0.8B. Like (A) this one has a milk flavor reminding me of Cadbury’s. Not that Cadbury’s is bad, but a great milk chocolate should stand out, not just appeal to the masses. However, (B) does have a near perfect level of sweetness and creaminess. Maybe there was a slight coffee-like finish, but again M0.8 just lacks the spice and fruit aromas that the previous batches (i.e., K0.2CB and C0.4A) had.

Batch Milk K0.8A. Deep and bitter, yet creamy, with tones of coffee and roasted nuts. Not bad!

Batch Milk K0.8B. Sweeter than (A). Definite caramel and cardamom notes. Also quite creamy; very good.

Overall

The best batches were K0.2.CB and C0.4A, and perhaps K0.8B. It’ll be interesting how v1.0 will turn out, and what if any aspects of those batches will exist there.

Citrus

I missed the beta period for TCHO’s “Citrus” dark chocolate. However, I bought a packet of version 1.0. I kept expecting some citrus aromatics, but hadn’t sensed any. Midway through tasting, a pleasant tartness arose and lasted to the finish with an added fruitiness. Good, but more like a general fruity tanginess rather than anything specifically citrus. To my senses, there were no hints of lemon, lime, orange or tangerine. I think I’ll just stick with Fruity v2.0, unless another Citrus version comes out.

During the cold months I develop a serious hankering for this purple fruit that it got me thinking of a way to preserve this summer’s generosity. Actually, I don’t know whether there’ll be eggplants left over, because I’ve been eating them up soon after cooking them. But just in case, roasting then freezing them turns out to be an easy way to create eggplant insurance.

The nearly black ones are the Japanese “Oriental” variety; the lighter magenta ones with the green sepals are “Pingtung Long,” a Thai variety

The eggplants I’ve used are the thinner Asian varieties pictured above. The larger globe style eggplants would take longer, I’d imagine (30 to 60 minutes, perhaps). Following the advice from this Washington Post article, I didn’t bother pre-salting the fruits. I think I’ve been lucky enough so far to have fresh, young enough fruit that haven’t yet developed bitterness in the seeds or skin. (I might change my mind with the fruits at the end of the season!)

Oh, here’s another encouraging eggplant article with more suggestions.

Before roasting, stems trimmed, fruit poked and sepals removed.

Ingredients

• a bunch of eggplants
• extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF to 425ºF degrees. I used the “convection roast” setting at 400ºF. Line a roasting pan or dish with a non-stick silicone mat, or with parchment paper.
2. Rinse off the eggplants, and trim down their sepals and stems. Poke each one several times with a sharp knife or fork, so they don’t explode while cooking.
3. Lightly coat each eggplant with the oil. A little goes a long way — I’ve used less than 1 tablespoon for over a dozen eggplants. The oil helps prevent sticking and scorching. Place them on the prepared pan, then put it in the oven.
4. Roast for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until quite soft. Midway through roasting, turn over the eggplants with a pair of tongs, in order to cook evenly and reduce the chance of burning the skin.
5. Serve(*), or cool to room temperature and freeze. You can also store them in the fridge for a few days.

(*) I’ve yet to go beyond the “cut in half, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with garlic oil and balsamic vinegar” scenario for consuming them. So simple and tasty! But I bet they’d be great in sandwiches, pizzas, dips or stews.

After being roasted, they’re more mustard yellow and brown than purple!

If you have a large enough pot, it’s easy to double this recipe.

If you can find the spiced clarified butter nitr qibe (a.k.a., nitter kibbeh), do use it, as it adds a more flavorful dimension to this dish. But a vegetable oil, or ghee, will suffice.

Another variation uses green string beans instead of cabbage, which is also yummy. Hmmm, since the zucchini are coming in now, I wonder how they’d work here…

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup nitr qibe, ghee, or canola oil, or a mix thereof.
• 1 large onion, diced into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 to 3/4 inch of ginger root, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound round cabbage (about half a head), cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
• 3/4 pound boiling-style potatoes (Yukon Golds are fine), peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 3/4 pound carrots, cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
• salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat the nitr qibe or oil in a large pot over high heat. Sauté the onion until translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir for a minute or two until fragrant.
3. Stir in the turmeric, tomato paste, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and salt. Cover, lower heat to medium-low, and cook until the thick vegetables have become tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir every 5 to 10 minutes so that bits don’t stick and burn at the bottom of the pot.
4. Adjust salt levels, if desired. Serve with basmati rice, or a flatbread like injera.

Yedoro tibs on (yep, store-bought) injera.

Yedoro tibs might be a bit time-consuming to prepare, but the process is actually rather straightforward. Other than chopping, sautéing and simmering, the trickiest aspect us finding two key ingredients: the berbere spice mix and nitr qibe (nitter kibbeh), the spiced clarified butter. I recently discovered an Ethiopian grocery within reasonable driving distance (Abadir Grocery in Santa Clara, for the curious), so I was glad to have a chance to make this at home.

Berbere makes me think it’s an Ethiopian equivalent to India’s garam masala, but also containing LOTS of chilis. For nitr qibe, a bunch of herbs and spices are steeped in the butter for a long time while it clarifies. You could use ghee, or just oil, but the dish would lack complexity.

There’s a bone-in Ethiopian chicken stew, yedoro wat, which adds hardboiled eggs — something I’d like to try in a future version of this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 2 to 3 tablespoons nitr qibe
• 1/4 to 1/3 c white wine (something dryish and fruity, but not too acid) plus 2 teaspoons honey; but if you’re able to find Ethiopian tej, or even mead, use that instead of the white wine + honey combination.
• 1 tablespoon berbere powder; this yields a mild, yet warmingly tingly dish, but feel free to adjust the amount to taste.
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1 whole black cardamom pod
• 1/8 teaspoon ground (green) cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup water
• salt, to taste

Method

1. Slice the chicken breasts into small, bite-sized pieces; set aside.
2. In a large pot, sauté the onion in the nitr qibe until browned. This could take 20 to 30 minutes, but the onions really need to become caramelized for this dish.
3. Stir in the wine and honey, followed by all of the spices, chicken, and water.
4. Stir in salt, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until the chicken becomes tender. If the sauce seems too thin, thicken it by leaving the lid ajar during the last 10 or so minutes.
5. Serve with basmati rice, injera, or other flatbreads.

My version uses a rice cooker, because, well, it’s an appliance I frequently use.

Adapted from Daksha Mehta’s kesar, kaju bhaat (Gujarati saffron and cashew rice).

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1/3 cup slivered and blanched almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 whole black cardamom pod
• a tiny pinch of saffron threads
• 1 tablespoon ghee, or vegetable oil
• salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups water

Method

1. Rinse the basmati in water until the water is no longer cloudy. I do this by putting the rice in a seive over a bowl, pouring water over the grains, swishing them around for a few seconds, then pouring out the water from the bowl; repeat 3 or 4 times. Drain and set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, roast the almonds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, black cardamom pod and saffron, until the almonds become golden and the spices fragrant. This takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the ghee (or oil) to the spices, and sauté for a minute or two.
4. Add the basmati, and sauté for another minute or two.
5. Pour the rice’n'spice mix into the rice cooker, add salt, and pour in the water. Cook according to your cooker’s instructions for white rice.
6. When the the rice is done, loosen the grains a bit (rice fluffing) with a large spoon before you serve it.

§

Here’s another way to make use of both the zucchini and tomato piles! This soup has a gentle curry twist. If you want a sweet touch, add in the raisins. Otherwise, if your tomatoes are naturally quite sweet, you can omit them.

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds zucchini, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small to medium onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or olive oil
• 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1-inch ginger root, roughly chopped
• 2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder; I used Penzey’s Hot Curry Powder (Madras style).
• 1/2 pound tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 to 3 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup cashews
• a small pinch of saffron threads
• (optional) 1 to 2 tablespoons raisins
• salt and pepper, to taste
• garnishes (optional): yogurt, cream, etc…

Method

1. In a large pot, sauté the zucchini and onion in oil (or ghee or butter) over medium high heat until the onions become translucent. It’s okay if the zucchini fall apart or become somewhat mushy — they’ll get puréed in the end.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger and curry. When those become fragrant, add the tomatoes, stock, water, almonds, cashews, saffron threads, and raisins, if using.
3. Bring to a simmer, set the heat to low, cover and cook until the tomatoes soften (fall apart) — about 15 to 25 minutes.
4. Purée the soup; I used a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with a dollop of yogurt or cream, if you want.

Ingredients (pretty similar, eh?)

• (reduced) 4 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• (reduced) 1/2 ounce rice flour
• 1 1/2 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (added) 1 3/4 ounces hazelnut meal or flour
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• (added) 3 to 4 teaspoons nut-flavored liqueur, like Frangelico
• extra sugar for sprinkling

Method

Basically the same as the whole wheat shortbread, except that I don’t sift the hazelnut meal with the other dry ingredients; I just add that separately to the processor bowl. Because the hazelnuts make the dough drier, I add liqueur at the end of the mixing phase, after the butter.

For another experiment, I might pan roast the hazelnut meal to deepen the nut flavor!

Adapted from Curries Without Worries, by Sudha Koul.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds eggplants, sliced into 1/2-inch thick discs
• olive oil, or garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
• 2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 inch ginger root, grated
• 1 to 3 paprika chile peppers (fresh or dried), chopped; substitute with serranos (perhaps fewer since they’re hotter than paprikas), plus 1 teaspoon dried sweet paprika.
• 1 tablespoon dried curry leaves
• salt, to taste
• (optional) chopped cilantro and yogurt, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF degrees. In a large bowl, toss the eggplant slices with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly coated. Arrange the slices in single layer on a non-stick baking pan, and bake until golden brown and softened. This takes about 20 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven; in the middle of this period, flip the slices so the other side also browns.
2. While the eggplants bake, sauté the onions in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot, over medium high heat until translucent.
3. Stir the turmeric, coriander, cumin and mustard seed into the onions until they become fragrant. Then stir in the tomatoes, ginger, chiles and curry leaves. Bring to a simmer covered, and set the heat to medium low.
4. When the eggplants are done, stir them into the pot. Keep covered and simmering, but over low heat, for about 20 to 30 more minutes. In the middle of this period, salt to taste.
5. Serve with chopped cilantro and yogurt, if you want. Basmati rice goes well with this dish, as you could imagine.

This recipe symbolizes the intersection solution of two issues: What to do with the never-ending volume of cherry tomatoes, and what would make a comforting soup.

Enough to generously serve one person. To make this as a starter for two people, use 2 eggs (optionally), and increase other ingredients by a factor of 1.5.

You can also jazz up a can of chicken noodle soup, or a bowl of leftover homemade chicken (or another brothy, non-creamy) soup this way.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (about a dozen) cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
• 1 cup broth; chicken highly recommended
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon flavored oil, such as garlic oil
• (optional) 1 egg

Method

1. Place all ingredients except the egg (see step 3) in a small sauce pan.
2. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer covered over medium low heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.
3. (Optional) Lower the heat to the smallest flame (or lowest setting). Crack the egg into the sauce pan. Cover and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the egg white has set.
4. Serve in bowls, with toast or crusty bread.

Possible uses: With cheese, on eggs, or in sandwiches. A ketchup substitute. Or even a tomato paste substitute, if you want something with more perk.

This recipe made about 2 cups, enough to fit into an ex-honey jar. I didn’t go through the sterilization procedure for such a small amount; I’d advise doing so for much larger batches that would sit around, though. Our jar is in the fridge now, and will hopefully last a month or three.

Fruits & vegetables

• 1 1/4 pounds fresh tomatoes
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated ginger root
• 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 to 3 paprika chile peppers (fresh or dried), seeds removed and roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons dried curry leaves
• 1 small to medium onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

Spices & other flavorings

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (black or yellow)
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/4 c + 2 tablespoons white vinegar, more or less, depending on acidity of tomatoes
• 1 1/4 ounces palm sugar, more or less, depending on sweetness of tomatoes
• salt, to taste

Method

1. Peel the tomatoes. One way is to blanch them: Make a cross-cut on the bottom of each tomato, then dunk them in boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds. Cool until easy to handle, then with a paring knife remove as much of the skin as possible.
2. Chop the tomatoes into a small dice, then place them in a bowl. Stir in the ginger, garlic, paprika, and curry leaves. Set aside.
3. In a large sauce pan (or stock pot, for large batches), sauté the onion in the oil over medium-high heat until translucent.
4. Add to the onions the cumin, turmeric, coriander, mustard, garam masala, and fenugreek. Stir until the mixture becomes fragrant.
5. Pour the tomato mixture into the onion pot. Stir in the vinegar and palm sugar.
6. Allow to simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes until thickened to chutney consistency. It might take longer for larger batches. Stir every 5 to 10 minutes so that the chutney doesn’t burn or stick. Midway through the simmering, check the seasoning by adding salt (I used 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt). Also test the level of tartness and sweetness. Stir in more vinegar and/or sugar if the flavor isn’t bright enough for your tastes (e.g., for blander tomatoes).
7. Store in covered jars in the refrigerator.

This makes enough for 2 generous or 3 smallish servings. Go ahead and double it.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons medium or long grain rice
• 2 tablespoons glutinous (sweet) rice
• 1 bouillion cube + 3 cups water, or, 1 cup broth + 2 cups water
• a few pieces fresh ginger root; roughly 1 teaspoon chopped into 2 to 4 chunks.
• garnishes: garlic oil, scallions, cilantro, sesame oil, soy sauce, etc.

Method

1. Rinse both rices a couple times, drain, and place in rice cooker bowl.
2. Add the bouillion or broth, and water. Add ginger.
3. Set rice cooker to the “porridge” setting, and wait ’till it dings completion.
4. Stir, serve in bowls, garnish as desired.

This recipe is highly influenced by a book sent over by my mother-in-law, Best-kept Secrets of the Women’s Institute: Cakes & Biscuits, by Jill Brand. I made some semi-sweeping changes: Used whole wheat pastry flour (yields a nutty flavor, yet not heavy), exchanged rice flour for corn starch (avoiding the raw, grittiness from corn starch), and vanilla sugar for some of the sugar.

Two lessons I learned: First, place a sling made of parchment paper in the pan, to ease lifting shortbread from the pan. Second, wait about 10 to 20 minutes before attempting to remove the shortbread from the pan. By ignoring these steps, the shortbread suffered from horizontal fissures. The taste or texture weren’t affected, of course, but the end result looked kind of wonky.

Next time I might add lemon or orange zest. Although as it is, it’s quite delectable, especially with tea or coffee. Update (15 Sept 2009): The zest and juice from 2 medium-smallish Bearss limes worked out quite tastily.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 ounces rice flour; flour based on medium or long grain rice is fine, but don’t use sticky (sweet, glutinous) rice flour.
• 1 1/2 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• extra sugar for sprinkling

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF degrees (unless you do step 5). Grease a small pan (e.g., 8 inch round, or 9 inch by 6 inch rectangular), then line it with parchment paper with some excess paper hanging out — to grab in two places afterwards to lift out the shortbread more easily.
2. Sift both flours, both sugars and salt into a food processor bowl fitted with the plastic blade. Pulse for a second or two a couple of times to mix the dry ingredients.
3. Add the butter, and pulse (10 to 20 second increments) a few times until a crumbly but slightly moist mass forms.
4. Pour into the prepared pan, and pat flat with your fingers or the back of a large spoon.
5. (Optional) Allow to sit for 2 or more hours. This hint comes from Smitten Kitchen, where the resting period helps relax the dough so the shortbread ends up tender. If you do this, start preheating the oven near the end of the resting period.
6. Bake in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes; less for thinner cookies, more for thicker ones. When done the edges will have developed the barest hint of brown.
7. Allow to cool for 10 to 20 minutes. Lift shortbread by its parchment paper sling and place on a board; slice into 1ish inch pieces.
8. Sprinkle with sugar, then place on rack to cool and firm up. If you’ve managed not to inhale them all, pack them away in a container after an hour or two of cooling.

My recipe is an adaptation of Deborah Madison’s Zucchini-Cilantro soup from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I added spicing to make it more Mexican-like in flavor, and took the liberty of using chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. (But by all means use veggie stock if you’ve got some good stuff on hand; I didn’t at the time.)

Garnish with queso fresco, or a bit of yogurt or cream or sour cream, if you want.

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds zucchini, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 small to medium onion, chopped
• 1 bunch (about 1/4 pound) scallions, both pale and green parts chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons ghee, or butter, or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 cup cooked basmati rice; if you don’t have leftover rice, use 2 tablespoons raw rice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3ish cups hot water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• lime juice, to taste

Method

1. Sauté the zucchini, onions and scallion in the butter over high heat in a medium-to-large pot.
2. When the onions have become translucent, and the zucchini somewhat softened, stir in the cumin and coriander. When those spices become fragrant, lower to medium high heat, and stir in the rice, chicken stock and water.
3. Bring to an energetic simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes.
4. Season with salt, turn off the heat, and stir in the cilantro.
5. Purée with hand-blender. Add more hot water if it’s too thick for you.
6. Season with freshly ground pepper and lime juice, to taste. Serve with optional garnishes.

A remedy: Perform the summer version of the tuberous pancakes! The recipe is basically the same, but because summer squash are less starchy than sweet potatoes, you’d need a touch more flour and eggs. For example, for 5 3/4 pounds of zucchini, we used 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups flour, and 6 eggs. I should also note that this dish’s existence was encouraged by the fritter recipe at Simply Recipes!

Magic is not only green, but also deep-fried.

Perfect accompaniments: A bit of something creamy (yogurt, sour cream, crème fraîche, mayo, mustard, etc.), with a side of something tart for contrast. Like pickled beets, sauerkraut or curtido.

So what do you do with several pounds of zukes or other summer squash? You make a gratin, with the help of rice and cheese!

Some words about the rice: Make sure it isn’t clumpy before you mix it with the other ingredients. I ran into this when using a medium grain like Thai Jasmine. Break it apart with your fingers, where needed. I’ve also used basmati rice, which separates nicely; but in that case, don’t skimp on the liquid materials. You might even need to add another tablespoon or two of buttermilk when using a drier long grain rices.

Some words about the cheese: Don’t skimp. I made the mistake of using about half (around 3 ounces), and the rice portion turned out far too dry. As for the cheese variety, make sure at least half of it is of the melty orientation, like Monterey Jack or Gruyère. Also make sure at least half is of the strong-flavored orientation, since both rice and zucchini are otherwise bland characters in this dish. For example, good flavor and texture resulted when I used 1 ounce Manouri, 3 ounces Gruyère and 1 ounce Parmigiano Reggiano.

Some words about the herbs: If you don’t have fresh basil, feel free to substitute a (much) smaller amount of tarragon or thyme, fresh or dried.

Possible future variation: Add the zest of a lemon to the cheesy-rice mixture, and its juice at the end of cooking the onions.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch disks
• 2 cups onion, diced into small pieces
• olive oil for sautéing; garlic-infused oil is recommended, if you have it.
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• (optional) 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 eggs
• 5 ounces cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup cream
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or yogurt
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped finely
• 1/4 to 1/2 ounce Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF degrees, and lightly oil a 3-quart casserole dish.
2. Sauté the zucchini in the oil over high heat until lightly browned. Season with a little salt while cooking. Set aside.
3. Sauté the onion and coriander in oil over medium-high heat until the onion bits are golden brown. Season with a little salt while cooking. If you have some white wine, add it near the end, and bump up the heat a bit to boil off most of the moisture. Set aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine and thoroughly mix the rice, cooked onions, eggs, cheese, cream, buttermilk (or yogurt).
5. Season the mixture with pepper, then stir in the basil.
6. Arrange a layer of the zucchini — about a third of it — on the bottom of the casserole. Top it with half of the cheesy-rice. Repeat with the remaining zucchini and cheesy-rice, ending with a cap of zucchini.
7. Sprinkle the top with grated parmesan.
8. At this point, you can store the gratin in the fridge overnight, if you wish to cook it later on. Bake for 40 minutes if cooking immediately, or 50 to 60 minutes if cold, until bubbly and the Parmigiano topping has become golden. Leftovers microwave easily.

Rightside-up upside down apricot cake slice. It’s, uh, better looking when upside-down.

There’s a big advantage of the upside-down habit of baking: the sponge doesn’t become nearly as soggy, like in the old apricot tart recipe. Score! Also, you can easily (er, lazily) serve this without turning out, if you want. Yes! Although serving the cake upside down does hide those mini fruit juice volcanoes which could develop while baking, not to mention display the fruits’ bright colors.

Again, as in the original recipe, you can still use plums. When I do so, I quickly blanch them in simmering water, then peel them, since I’m not fond of the sharpness of their skins. If the fruits are large, I slice them into 1/2 inch thickness. Other untested fruit possibilities: peaches, nectarines, cherries, mangoes, etc.

My version of the recipe should fit a 10-inch dish (square or round). If you halve it, the cake could fit in a 8-inch pan. As usual, I’ve taken liberties with measurements and steps to suit my tastes.

The next time I make this (more likely with plums, this year), I’m going to see if I can get away with using 3/4 to 1/2 a stick of butter in the sugar topping at step 2. Not sure why I need so much butter there. Update (9 August 2009): Yep, using only 1/2 a stick of butter in the sugar topping still results in a good cake!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 ounces brown sugar; variance depends on the fruit’s sweetness.
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 pinches of salt
• 16 fresh apricots, halved and pitted; unpitted, it’s roughly 1 1/2 pounds, give or take.
• 6 1/2 ounces pastry flour; unbleached (white) or whole wheat would be fine, or a mix of the two.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; if you have vanilla sugar, use 1/4 cup as part of the 3/4 cup of regular sugar.
• zest from 1 or 2 oranges
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Lightly grease the inside of a glass or ceramic dish. Place the apricots in the dish, cut side downwards, covering the base as much as possible. Some gaps are okay, though.
2. Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, melt the 1/2 stick of the butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon and 1 pinch of salt. You don’t need to melt the sugar into a caramel; just gently whisk until there are no more lumps. Some of the butter might not emulsify; that’s also okay.
3. Pour the sugar-butter goop evenly over the apricots.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and soda into a bowl, and set aside.
5. Cream the remaining 1 stick of butter, another pinch of salt, sugar, vanilla (or vanilla sugar), and orange zest until fluffy.
6. Slowly mix in the eggs. Slowly mix in the yogurt (or buttermilk). At this point, the batter may look mighty curdled. Fear not!
7. Stir in the flour mixture, a third or a quarter at a time. The previously scary appearance at the end of step 6 will smoothen out.
8. Gently plop the stiffish batter on top of the apricots. Smoothen out so that the fruits are all covered. Again, if there are a few small gaps around the edges of the dish, that’s fine, since the batter will spread in the oven.
9. Bake until the cake has become golden brown; the sponge should no longer jiggle when shaken, and should be barely pulling away from the sides of the dish. About 50 to 55 minutes. Wait about an hour or so before eating, otherwise it’ll be too crumbly. The cake will shrink away and downwards as the fruit cools, but will remain spongey. Turn it right side up onto a plate, if you want. Tastes even better the next day! I store leftovers in the fridge when the weather’s hot. Leftovers are good at room temperature, or after being lightly heated in a low oven, or even after 30 seconds (per serving) in the microwave.

At step 1: I trimmed out the ickier bruises and blemishes.

At step 3: Brown sugar-butter mixture poured over the apricots.

Upside-down upside down cake, hot out of the oven.

I’ve long been inspired by an appetizer, foul moukala, that we had at a Lebanese restaurant, Al Waha — all the way in Bayswater, London. Their version is much richer (a lot more olive oil), and included chopped cilantro.

This year we tried a variety of fava beans that wasn’t the usual “Windsor” type found in the US. We planted “Stereo,” a smaller variety, less than half the size of “Windsor.” They also seemed less prone to starchiness, so worked rather nicely in this dish.

Ingredients

• 2 cups shelled fava beans; unshelled it’s about 1 1/4 pounds.
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh spearmint
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup shallots, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• salt
• (optional) freshly ground pepper
• freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

1. Before sautéing the favas, you want to pre-boil them. Put them and the mint sprigs in a pot of boiling (unsalted) water, wait for the water to return to a boil, then simmer (lid ajar) for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. While the favas are boiling, sauté the shallots in another pan in olive oil, along with the coriander and salt.
3. Strain the favas and remove the mint. Stir them into the pan with the shallots, and add a tablespoon or two of boiling water (either from the fava water, or a kettle). Cover and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Season with lemon juice and pepper, if desired, then serve with pita bread or lavash.

Members of the onion family, such as leeks and shallots, pair well with and add an aromatic dimension to dishes with starchy veg. What else is there to do? Would it overcomplicate things to top it all with nuts? Oh, no, not at all. But it is optional, if you wish.

Winter squash gratin with leeks, topped with panko and almonds.

While clearing out the refrigerator at another time, I decided to do another gratin with cauliflower and fennel bulb. How did that turn out? Quite well, thank you very much.

Another fun variable is the cheese. Gruyère has a nice, strong nutty flavor, and great meltability. But if you want something milder, Comté is much more subtle, yet still pleasantly nutty. I’ve also tried a very sharp Cheddar, where the flavor was awesome, but because it doesn’t quite melt as smoothly as Gruyère or Comté, its oil separated somewhat from the curds during baking.

All in all, the results were a kind of hybridization between a Chowhound recipe and a Epicurious recipe. Also, in the future, I might try using carrots or beets.

The Gratin, winter squash & leek variation

• 3 to 3 1/2 pound winter squash (e.g., Kabocha, Butternut, Kuri), seeds removed, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch slices — about 6 cups total.
• 3 cups leeks, pale and tender green parts thinly sliced, about 1 1/2 pounds.
• 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, marjoram, tarragon, or savory (fresh is fine, just double the amount)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 4 ounces shredded Gruyère, or similar cheese
• salt and pepper
• olive oil, or melted butter (or a mix thereof)
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, warmed, with 1/4 teaspoon salt stirred in.

The Gratin, cauliflower & fennel variation

Pretty much the same, but removing the squash, leeks and shallots, and instead using:

• 2 to 2 1/2 pound cauliflower, chopped into 1 to 1 1/2-inch florets.
• 3/4 to 1 pound fennel bulb, thinly sliced into half rings
• 3/4 to 1 pound onion, thinly sliced into half rings

The Optional Topping (but you really should)

• 3/4 cup panko (dried breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts, such as cashews, almonds or pistachios
• 1 ounce shredded Parmesan Reggiano, or any pleasantly strong dry cheese.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter
• a pinch of salt, unless the butter is salted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF degrees. Mix the topping ingredients and set aside until step 6.
2. Toss the squash slices with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, until lightly coated.
3. Sauté the leeks and shallots in olive oil until translucent. Stir in the coriander and thyme, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the layers in a casserole dish (I used a 9-inch square, 3-inch deep one) first with a layer of squash (about a third), then half of the leeks-shallots, followed by half of the shredded Gruyère. Repeat with the rest of the gratin ingredients, ending — er, topping it off — with a layer of squash.
5. Slowly pour the cream over the gratin. Try to moisten all of the squash pieces on top.
6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, covered, until the squash are tender. Remove the cover and add the topping, then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the top has browned.
7. Allow to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

The method for all these, except for the basic marinade and lemon miso one, is to plop all ingredients into a container tall enough to avoid splatters, then whiz with a handheld immersion blender. The amount of dashi or water will vary depending on your desired thickness. I prefer the sauces on the smoother side — and adding more liquid helps with the blending.

Oh, yeah: You can store leftovers in the freezer.

Some definitions:

• White miso (shiro or saikyo) is a yellow to pale beige paste, made from mostly rice and some soy beans. It’s the lightest and sweetest in flavor of the misos. Some varieties are sweet enough to be used in desserts.
• Red miso (aka or sendai) is rusty in color, and has a deeper, more caramel flavor than white miso. It’s made primarily from soy beans, with some rice.

Basic miso marinade

I frequently use this one with broiled fish dishes. In fact, it went very well for some fish in a foil packet I made in a friend’s barbeque! Indeed, this marinade is spectacular with black cod (gindara). For a milder, sweeter taste, use all white miso; for something stronger, add a bit of red miso.

The method is simple: Simmer everything over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to smoothen it. Remove it from heat, and cool to room temperature; I often hasten this by popping the saucepan in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then I marinate the (typically) fish for 2 to 6 hours, again in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white miso
• (optional) 1 tablespoon red miso
• 1/4 cup sake
• 2 to 4 tablespoons mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
• (optional) 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar (golden or dark)

Cashew & red miso sauce

This nutty sauce has a bold flavor with a caramel edge. It goes well with strongly flavored foods, such as eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, salmon, etc. In addition, something needing oomph like chicken breast or grilled tofu would be well-partnered with this sauce.

Ingredients

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup cashews, roasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup red miso
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup dashi or water

Pine nut & white miso sauce

Great to toss into vegetables and salads, such as string beans, potatoes and other mild (or bland) vegetables or protein slabs. It’s somewhat lighter than the previous sauce based on cashews.

Ingredients

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup pine nuts, roasted until fragrant
• 2 to 3 tablespoons white miso
• (optional) 1 tablespoon sesame paste, such as tahini
• 3 to 5 tablespoons dashi or water

Lemon miso sauce

Excellent as a marinade for fish, but also a great topping for tofu and vegetables. Place the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes to smoothen it out, then it’s ready. Cool to room temperature (at least), if using as a marinade.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup white miso
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon saké
• 1 tablespoon mirin