Greek Frittata with Yogurt

 Again, another reason to use the fresh produce of the season (I sound like the spokesman for the organic lifestyle). My roommate had come home earlier in the week with her arms full of courgettes/zucchinis from the market and we spent the subsequent days trying to find new and unusual ways of using them up.
This frittata was an absolute win, not just for the ease in making it (absolutely foolproof) but its creamy texture when all it has is very waistline-conscious yogurt in it.
Yes, yes, it might call for 8 eggs, but you're getting good hearty yogurt and lots of veg in there as well. All in all a great main dish that also is very good cold when eaten for leftovers (or later that night...).

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 pound winter squash or zucchini, cut in 1/4- to 1/3-inch dice

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

8 eggs

1/2 cup drained yogurt or thick Greek-style yogurt

1/4+ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic, stir together until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the squash. Cook, stirring, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes for winter squash, about 8 minutes for zucchini. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the dill and the mint. Remove from the heat.

3. Place the remaining tablespoon of oil in a 2-quart casserole or in a 9-inch cast iron skillet, brush the sides of the pan with the oil and place in the oven. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Whisk in the yogurt and the Parmesan. Stir in the squash or zucchini mixture.

4. Remove the baking dish from the oven and scrape in the egg mixture. Place in the oven, and bake 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly colored. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Advance preparation: The squash can be prepared through step 2 as far as a day ahead.

Curried Cucumbers

 A move to a new kitchen (and accompanying new kitchenware) had to sponsor a feast of epic "moving-in day" proportions. Although this feast took place about 5 days after the actual move, it was a great way to break in (sometimes literally) the new appliances and flatware. Because karma is kind, my new roommate has a penchant for buying produce at the weekly farmer's market. She brought home the most beautiful cucumbers, fortunate as the New York Times had just devoted an entire section to the vegetable (well, actually fruit, but let's not be silly). I had never thought to "curry" cucumbers before but it was a great late summer side dish. The NY Times recommended using about 1 teaspoon of curry powder which I thought to be absolutely ridiculous. I used at least 5 and still thought it could have used more. Of course, it's entirely up to taste, but I say the more curry the better.

Ingredients

4 medium cucumbers, peeled if waxed, or 2 European cucumbers

1 tablespoon canola oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced across the grain

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5+ teaspoons curry powder (more to taste)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or cilantro

Preparation

1. If using regular cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick. If using long European cucumbers, peel, if desired, and slice on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick.

2. Heat the oil in a large lidded skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the curry powder, and stir together for another minute. Add the cucumber, and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Stir in the wine, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat and cook until the liquid evaporates. Season to taste with salt, remove from the heat and stir in the chives and cilantro. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: You can make these several hours before serving and reheat.

Rhubarb Crisp/Crumble

Despite all this avowed loyalty to the southwestern lands of the US, I am and always will be a midwesterner at heart. Living in Michigan during my "formative years", I was able to experience the joys of a garden that, in the summer time, bestowed all kinds of delicious fruit and vegetables. Although I was more than on board with picking and eating the berries or snap peas directly from my mother's well-tended garden, I was always wary of the large celery-type looking thing that was rhubarb. It didn't help matters that my mother had warned me off the stuff by saying that the leaves were poisonous.
Why would anyone eat such a thing?

She would attempt to incorporate it into various summer pies or cobblers, but my mind was resolutely made up that no quasi-posionous foot item that so resembled a vegetable could possibly be delicious.

This opinion stuck with until my move to England, where I found it incorporated into all number of desserts, usually served with custard or cream. And thus only recently did I discover the joys of fresh summer rhubarb, made better still by combining it with sugar, rolled oats, and cinnamon. The crumble or crisp being one of my favorite desserts, when Bittman came up with this easy beauty of a rhurbarb crumble, I couldn't pass it up. Although it was in season when I made this, I still worried that my "Tesco-sourced" rhubarb would be too tart for the scant amount of sugar that Bittman includes with the recipe. So I upped it by about 1/4 cup.
Tell me adding sugar to anything is wrong.
Go ahead, tell me.

Rhubarb Crisp/Crumble

Time: About 1 hour, largely unattended

Ingredients

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the pan

2 1/2 to 3 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, tough strings removed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 5 to 6 cups)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
Pinch salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pecans.

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking or gratin dish with a little butter. Toss rhubarb with white sugar, orange or lemon juice and zest, and spread in baking dish.
2. Put the 6 tablespoons butter in a food processor along with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, and pulse for about 20 or 30 seconds, until it looks like small peas and just begins to clump together. Add oats and pecans and pulse just a few times to combine.
3. Crumble the topping over rhubarb and bake until golden and beginning to brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Coconut Cookies: Two Ways!

A friend of mine had a birthday recently and she is helplessly addicted to coconut. While I had originally planned to make coconut macaroons for her, I discovered only too late that what I thought was shredded coconut in my pantry (the ingredient called for by the recipe) was instead powdered coconut "cream". I was a bit worried but curious how it would turn out if I used it instead.
Lo and behold it worked like a charm!
And then, in a mood of particular curiosity and wanting to use up all other coconut products I had lying around (as you do...) I used dried coconut milk as a substitute ingredient for the next batch which came out as an entirely different cookie and consistency. But just as delicious! The powdered coconut milk kept the cookie moist in the middle but still retained a firm shape and coconut flavor. These are great recipes if you only want a few cookies and not an entire tray full. Enjoy!

Coconut Macaroons (Amended)

Ingredients

1 egg white
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut (or, in my case, powdered coconut "cream")


Preparation

Stir together all ingredients except for the coconut in a large bowl. When combined, slowly add the coconut while stirring. Divide into fourths and drop onto a baking sheet lined with foil, buttered and floured. Baked for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes:  4 cookies

Coconut Milk Cookies


Ingredients

1 egg white
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup "powdered coconut milk" (I used the brand Maggi)

Preparation

Stir together all ingredients except for the coconut in a large bowl. When combined, slowly add the coconut while stirring. Divide into fourths and drop onto a baking sheet lined with foil, buttered and floured. Baked for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes: 4 cookies

Fiesta de Julio

This particular fiesta was marked by the surprise entrance of the Mexican sombrero. I don't want to know where these people got them in Britain at the last minute, but they were well in keeping with the mood of the night and made for interesting "Mexican hat dances" as the night wore on.

Menu:

Pork Tamales
Shrimp Salsa
Black Bean & Hominy Salad
Smoky Stuffed Jalapeno Chilies
Avocado Dip
Chilaquiles
Courgettes with Chilies and Cheese
Cream Cheese and Pecan Stuffed Berries

And, of course, the staples of Mexican beer, pseudo-margaritas (shamefully, from a premixed bottle), and mojitos (which aren't technically Mexican, but at least from a Spanish-speaking country).