Oh, lord, this is a rough time of year. Yes, yes, I know I spent my last M@M post complaining about winter, but this precipice where the weather is just barely clinging to cold and appears thisclose to tipping over into spring leaves me clawing towards the light. It seems I can’t wish sunny days and blooming flowers here soon enough. I am not a patient person by nature, people. The wait for winter to end leaves me angsty.

A big bonus to the coming of spring, of course, is the return of the farmer’s market. Sure, we have a couple of year-round markets in the DC area, but dragging yourself out on an icy morning for a few microgreens or a soil-encrusted tuber just isn’t the same as when the market is brimming with color and plant life. I feel achy anticipating spring’s first showing under the tents and on the tables.

Throughout the winter, like many of you, I’ve relied on the humble potato to ground my produce needs. Spuds store well and provide endless variations for the comfort foods we crave in colder months. I’m particularly a fan of the sweet potato.** Sweet potatoes are full of nutrients, inexpensive, and easy to prepare. However, after months of sweet potato hash and sweet potato casserole and sweet potato fries and mashed sweet potatoes, I long to give my sweet potatoes a little zing. After all, spring is tickling my senses, and I’d also like to begin to reawaken my taste buds.

Lucky for me, I am a recipe hoarder. (It’s true…if they ever do a “Hoarders: Kitchen Edition,” I would SO be its star.) As I flipped through my pile of (unfiled and food stained) clippings, out popped a beauty of an idea for sweet potatoes from the fine people at Cooking Light. I made a few tweeks here and there and voila! – possibly the best Melissa@Market recipe I’ve yet to share. (Wait until you try it. This recipe is MAGICAL. You might be able to fly after finishing it. You’ll see.) The sweet/tart/spicy combo coupled with the crunch of pepitas and the chew of green onions give the sweet potato just the right makeover for the first blush of spring. Not to mention, this recipe is full of all sorts of nutrients you need to hone your body into the best shape for the months ahead. Sassy Sweet Potatoes, indeed!

[**Most sweet potatoes in America are mislabeled as "yams." Real yams grow almost exclusively in Africa, South America, and the Pacific and are starchier and less sweet than the American version. To learn more about the difference and history of sweet potato versus yam, visit this Library of Congress web page.]

Spicy Sweet Potatoes
Beta-carotene, fiber, antioxidants, flavonoids, all those powerful endorphins released by chilis, protein, carbs, good fats- is there anything this recipe doesn’t have? (Answer: no.)

Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes or wedges
3 TB olive oil (approximately)
1 tsp kosher salt
pepper
1 cup fresh/frozen cranberries
1/4 cup water
2 tsp honey (to keep these vegan use real maple syrup)
2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped (depending on preferred level of spiciness)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted (either in the oven or in a small skillet over low heat for about 4 minutes, flipping constantly)
1 cup green onions, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss potato pieces with about 2 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt/pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, rotating and turning at least once during cooking time. (To get your potatoes extra crispy, preheat the baking sheet in the oven and spread the potatoes onto the hot sheet.)
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, cranberries, honey (or syrup),water and desired amount of chopped chipotle peppers with about 1 tsp adobo sauce (from can) in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow to boil and then reduce heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop. Remove from heat and using the back of a spoon, mash sauce into thick paste.
3. Cool potatoes slightly (if you mix them together immediately out of the oven, they will get even more mushy), then toss with sauce,  sprinkle green onions and toasted pumpkin seeds over potatoes.

Eat up and uncover your sass for spring!

Melissa @ Market is feeling a little blue. It happens every year around this time when the farmer’s market starts to wind down for the season, the sun begins to set before I even feel I’ve finished lunch, and you can’t step outside without a scarf and mittens anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line. When this seasonal dip strikes (other than talk about myself in the third person), I resort to seeking out a little brightness wherever I can. In this case, it’s with party food that sits pretty on the table, utilizes what can still grow in the earth (in these recipes, herbs), and relies on produce frozen back when it peaked. Surrounding myself with family and friends, whom I can still manage to feed wholesome, nourishing food, helps to scoot away the winter blues.

At least until January.

RECIPES

This week’s recipes focus on easy-to-whip-together dips. Edamame Hummus shines on the table and is bursting with the zip of mint and cilantro. You may temporarily be fooled into thinking it’s spring. White Bean and Artichoke dip feels smooth and decadent thanks to a puree of beans and just a smidge of fresh cheese while the tang of artichoke hearts gives a nice lift to a humdrum winter night. They’re the only two dips that have ever been scraped clean at one of my parties. Starlights indeed.

Edamame Hummus
adapted from a Dec. 2011 Bon Appetit recipe

2 10-oz. packages shelled edamame, frozen (preferably organic)**
2 10-oz. packages peas, frozen **
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp (or 2-3 cloves) garlic (adjust to preference)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 cup (give or take) extra-virgin olive oil (you will add this slowly and taste as you go)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh mint
salt/pepper

**You can also buy 1 16-oz bag of each (easier to find) and then adjust the other ingredients for taste/consistency. A lot of making hummus is going by feel anyways, so don’t worry too much about exact amounts.

Directions
1. Cook frozen peas/edamame for 3-4 minutes in boiling water until tender. Drain and cool. (Can be done up to 3 days in advance.)
2. Place garlic, herbs, some edamame/peas and drizzle of olive oil/lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and blended, adding spices as mixture becomes incorporated.
3. Pulse remaining edamame/peas in a food processor in batches. Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice while pulsing to aid in the process. Mix with original mixture in a bowl and adjust for consistency/taste with olive oil as needed.
4. Season with salt/pepper. Blend pulsed ingredients thoroughly with a spoon.
5. Keep in refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days.

I like to serve with homemade pita chips. (Toast cut up pita bread drizzled with olive oil, salt and red pepper in the oven at 350 degrees until crispy. No need to flip.)

White Bean & Artichoke Dip
adapted from a Fine Cooking recipe

1 15-1/2oz can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 14-1/2oz can artichoke hearts, drained & rinsed
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
6 tbs. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper

Directions

1. Blend beans, artichoke hearts, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Add olive oil as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. (You can also use 1-2 tbs of water.)
2. Stir in the cheese and rosemary and season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve with pita chips as mentioned above or crostini/baguette slices.

Both of these recipes also work well with endive as a serving suggestion.

The secrets I harbor aren’t typically of the “you’ll never run for office” variety. They wouldn’t lead to jail time (well, at least not longer than a temporary holding cell). They probably wouldn’t cost me too many friends. You might be shocked by one of my first employers or surprised by some work place practices I engaged in briefly or intrigued by  the circumstances surrounding my first kiss. But, that’s as far as it would go. Then, there’s the secret I’m about to reveal. It’s one only my closest family and truest friends know. It practically qualifies as treason and certainly doesn’t score me many invites.

The secret is: I hate Thanksgiving Day.

Now that it’s out there, allow me to explain. First and foremost, I certainly don’t hate giving thanks. I do hate that we think we need a holiday for it though. Why aren’t people practicing “thank you” every day? The whole idea of it is so paternalistic, my inner teenager cringes at the idea of being force-fed its morality. No, thankyouverymuch, I’ll offer my gratitude whenever I darn well please. And I’ll probably do it better than you.

So. There’s that. But, honestly, my real problem with Thanksgiving is the food. Yes, I’m serious. I realize this strains my credibility as a chef. I realize it will be deemed un-American. And I’m aware it’s just plain weird. Still, the foods associated with Thanksgiving tend to turn my stomach.

According to a Food &Wine magazine reader survey, Americans’ favorite side dishes are all mushy foods. Stuffing, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes all rank high. I’ve heard stuffing doesn’t have to resemble the texture of what mama birds deliver beak-to-beak to baby birds, but I’ve never experienced it as anything other. At worst, it congeals in a big wad in your mouth. At best, you chew for hours trying to dissolve the gummy paste that holds it together. As for sweet potatoes, well, I like them. They’re packed with nutrients, affordable and rather delicious. But, 9 out of 10 families in the U.S. can’t resist adding enough sugar (or, shiver…., marshmallows) to turn them into something that’s dangerously close to pudding. And mashed potatoes – do I even need to say? They’re the one dish that even the youngest child at the table will be devouring. Why? Because they don’t require teeth to consume.

By now, over 50% of you have quit reading out of righteous disgust or are already skipping to the comments section to school me about your Great Aunt Mary Sue’s Outrageously Delicious Sweet Potato Casserole. Look, that’s lovely. But it also makes my next point about Thanksgiving. It’s so *personal*. Even if I could fix stuffing, potatoes and yams into something I found edible, I’d tick off a good proportion of my dinner guests, because the dish just wasn’t what grandma used to make. Thanksgiving is based on tradition, and if you get all warm and fuzzy about your family’s celebration, more power to you. I, however, do not wish to relive overcooked turkeys, rolls from those foil pans and green beans that had a shelf-life longer than my life expectancy. I broke the mold for my family when it came to culinary palates so, I guess that means I’m out of luck. It’s go bland or go home around Jones’ parts.

That said, I’ll still be hosting my parents for the holiday this year. My dad has already questioned, when told I’d be picking up a heritage turkey from my farmer’s market, “Is it going to be one of those scrawny things like the chicken from last Christmas?” I’ve been told not to get “too fancy” after last year’s seasonal party when, after I had spent the better part of two days preparing food, I was asked, “So, where is the food for the real people to eat?”  Their expectations will be at the same time both very high and very low. That’s the deal with Thanksgiving. Everyone wants it like they want it. Even me.

My ideal Thanksgiving would take place multiple times over in a year, even in a month. It would involve people of varying connections gathering to celebrate friendship or family or friends that *are* family. It would mean hearing the words “I appreciate…” more than once a year. It would celebrate seasonal, regional foods spread out across a table, or a picnic blanket, or a breakfast bar, continually and often. It would recognize innovation and creativity as “traditional” and provide a platform to explore new tastes, cultures and cuisines. It would ring with laughter and speak of the future while also acknowledging the past. And, finally, to make it absolutely perfect, it would not involve pie.

Because, geez, I kind of hate pie, too.

RECIPE

Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup
Adapted from a recipe in Food&Wine Magazine
Serves 6 to 8

I love this take on squash soup. It sticks close enough to the typical recipe to please the traditionalists at your table but has just enough exotic flavor to take it out of the ordinary. Goat cheese adds a pleasant tang, and I like to sprinkle a few pumpkin or sunflower seeds (toasted with a sprinkle of the extra spice blend) before serving to lend some crunch.

Spice Blend (save the extra to use in future soups or over roasted vegetables)
1 teaspoon ginger, ground
1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1/2 teaspoon cubed pepper, ground (optional, but I found it easily with the other ground peppers)

1. Combine all spices and store in an airtight container.

Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
2 pounds butternut (or similar) squash (about 2 squashes), peeled and seeded then cut into cubes (I used a very sharp knife to cut into smaller pieces and then peeled it.)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (see if you can find it in a tube and then store in the fridge…it lasts for quite a while that way)
about 4 cups vegetable stock (depending on desired thickness)
1/2 cup creme fraiche, heavy cream or Greek yogurt (plain)
1/4 pound goat cheese, crumbled or shredded
Toasted pumpkin/sunflower seeds (optional)
Harissa (optional)

1. Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil, then onion and a sprinkle of salt. Cover and cook over medium-low, stirring periodically. About 10 minutes or until onion is soft.
2. Add squash cubes. Cover top of pot with a sheet of parchment paper (this will help the steaming process), then cover that with the lid. Cook for about 20 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of the spice blend (you can add more to taste later), and 3 cups of stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow squash to become tender, about 20 more minutes.
4. Cool slightly (important so the squash doesn’t explode when you blend it).
5. Puree soup in a blender, adding more stock to reach desired thickness. Return to the pot and add creme fraiche (or heavy cream) and 1/2 of goat cheese. Taste and season with more spice blend, salt/pepper, as needed. Season with harissa, if desired.
6. Serve sprinkled with more goat cheese and seeds, if desired.

About a month ago, the Huffington Post published an article that claimed 28% of Americans “can’t cook”. The article (based on a online survey of 1,087 individuals of mixed demographics done by a kitchen appliance manufacturer in April 2011) went on to detail other reasons Americans are hesitant to tie on apron and head to the stove. (As a side note, I will firmly stand by the conviction that aprons are sexy. If that apron is covered in ingredients from a meal you’re about to serve to me, even better.)Time limitations, lack of desire to “clean up” from cooking,  and the amount of time it takes to go grocery shopping were all cited as reasons for not cooking regularly. Granted, one survey cannot summarize all of America, but I, personally, don’t think it’s far off. (Especially when there are people like, ahem, my parents, who regularly use the term “cooking” when what they really mean is “nuking a microwave dinner from a box”.)

Cooking has somehow become associated with drudgery in America. And while once it was essential to survival (really, not that long ago…and in some parts of the world, GASP, you are still forced to create food from ingredients yourself if you want to eat; not to mention that historically the “peasant” class has survived on scratch cooking for centuries), cooking has become a take or leave it skill. (Remember when you had to take typing AND home economics in middle or high school? Well, no one worries about either now. The former because every kid already knows how to do it before reaching puberty, and the latter because, hey, solving quadratic equations and combining elements from the periodic table are way more essential than balancing a checkbook or learning how to nourish a family.**) Today, we simply don’t value home cooking in America in the same way as in the past.

The time argument (which essentially covers all of the above “excuses” from learning to cook to clean up to grocery shopping) is bogus. (Even less convincing…saying you “can’t cook”, period. Really? Can you read? Then, you can cook.) No…what people really are saying is “I would prefer not to prioritize cooking” in my life. For some people, like those working two jobs to make ends meet or who have to take a city bus over 1/2 hour to find fresh food, this an unfortunate reality. But, for the rest of us (and I find in my classes, as in this survey, that the excuse crosses wide swaths of demographics), we are making a choice. Sometimes, the choice might be to spend more time with family (although, once children are old enough, why not put them to use in the kitchen with you?). Other times, the choice might be television. (Oh, how we have come to think we *deserve* that relaxation time in front of the boob tube or the computer at the end of the day.) For others, a high powered career and drive for success may trump a meal from scratch. But, it’s not time, per se, and it’s not money as people from Mark Bittman to Slow Food’s Josh Viertel (see the $5 Challenge) have demonstrated and written about recently. A well-balanced, home-coooked meal can cost as little as $2.50/ serving and be made in 15 minutes or less.

Abstaining from cooking is a matter of priorities and values. For me, I strongly value how I fuel my body. After all, I’m not going to accomplish *anything* if it’s not running well. (Your health care costs can thank me later.) I’m willing to give up a little extra salary (and, therefore, a less tony zip code), a little extra free time and a little extra television to create a nourishing meal. Of course, I also value time with friends, new experiences and an occasional night of slothfulness, so I’m not a stalwart in the kitchen at every meal. In addition, no one’s values (or life) are exactly the same. For now, I’m simply asking you to consider, what do you prioritize? And are your (food) priorities in line with your goals for life? What makes it most difficult for you to allow them to align? What kind of balance can you strike?

It’s not up to me to direct you to turn your (food) life upside-down but…I AM going to suggest you at least do so with dessert.  It’s a start.

Oh, and please…wear an apron.

**If you feel me on the Home Ec thing, check out this rocking New York Times editorial on the subject.

Holmes Farm Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

This delightful little cake stars cranberries I picked up at the Boston Local Food Festival (supporting local economies is another of my food values). If you didn’t catch yesterday’s post on that event, check it out here. You can use frozen cranberries, but fresh will give the cake some much needed texture. And maybe it’s all in my head, but I find them tarter and zippier than frozen.

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing the pan
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter
6-7 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)
6.75 ounces flour (I used half whole wheat/half all-purpose) or 1 1/2 cups
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk (whole or 2%)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter.
2. To make topping, heat brown sugar and butter (2 tablespoons) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about two minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture is caramelized. (See picture.)
3. Spoon caramel mixture into the bottom of cake pan and spread evenly. Arrange cranberries in a single layer over caramel. (See picture.)
4. For cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
5. If using one mixer, whip egg whites until stiff. Gently spoon into a bowl and set aside.
6. Using mixer, place sugar and butter into bowl. Beat at medium speed until fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat. Add vanilla and beat. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk (beginning and ending with flour), gently incorporating each time. Do not overmix.
7. Gently fold in egg whites with a spatula. Spoon batter over cranberries and spread evenly.
8. Bake for about 50 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then loosen sides with a knife, invert on a plate and serve.

Most Americans cringe when they hear the word “slow”.  To call someone slow is pejorative. To be moving slowly sounds like an apology. To take things slow implies a woundedness, a reason to allow time for healing.  Yes, fast is where it’s at here in the U.S.A. We’ve come to think if something can’t be done immediately when we ask of it, then it’s not worth having. Time has become more valuable than almost anything. Including our health.

Ironic, right? Because without good health, our time is much more likely to be limited. In some things, “fast” is not our ally. Slow Food USA recognizes this. They advocate about reinvigorating the idea that food, what we put into our bodies, requires a bit of thought and is not something to be rushed. This doesn’t mean that a 10-minute meal can’t be incredibly nourishing. It can. The Slow Food philosophy just means that at some point, there’s been a pause. A moment when the who (produced it), where (did it grow), when (was it harvested), why (does it cost what it does), how (was it grown) has been considered. Slow Food doesn’t just fill the body, it engages the mind.

This week Slow Food USA challenged Americans across the country to take the $5 Challenge. The goal was to create an all-natural dinner that cost less than $5 per serving, essentially the amount of a “value” meal from a fast food restaurant. On an advocacy level, it was also meant to raise awareness that the food that’s least expensive is often also the food that’s least healthful. A phrase often repeated for the $5 Challenge was “Fruit Loops shouldn’t cost less than fruit!” The event encouraged America to think about the “fast” foods much of our country relies upon as its daily staples.

I hosted a $5 Dinner Challenge for 40 of my friends and colleagues on Saturday night. Each individual brought a dish, often well below the specified cost, and most with a preparation time of less than 1/2 hour. We swapped recipes and went home with a whole arsenal of meals that would nourish us affordably and were accountable to the planet, the producers and our bodies. For some people, it was enough just to consider making a hamburger rather than buying one. For others, it was a foray into farmer’s market produce and vegan cuisine. No matter what, every dish required thought. Thought that these dishes were all within in our reach, but are not possible for everyone. By participating in the Challenge, we lent our voices to the idea that all people deserve to find that the food affordable to them is also the food that is nourishing to them.

For a moment, we hit the pause button. Considered what we had.

And were grateful for the opportunity to take things slow.

**To learn more about SlowFood USA and the $5 Challenge, check out this great interview with SlowFoodUSA president Josh Viertel and Joe Yonan of the Washington Post that makes me go all swoony and stuff.

RECIPE

Because I was hosting, I was especially limited for time. I threw together this quick (almost vegan) Thai rice that could be adapted in a variety of ways. Use full-fat coconut milk to reap the best benefits of its flavor. Shake up the can before measuring.

Thai Curry Rice with Peppers and Mushrooms

1 large (or 2 small) red bell peppers, seeded and cubed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or unflavored oil such as grapeseed or canola for vegan)

2 medium shallots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Kosher salt

1 cup long-grain or basmati rice

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Water or stock (according to rice directions for amount…usually about 1 3/4 cup – 2 cups for 1 cup of rice)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

1 large jalapeno, chopped and with seeds left according to desired heat

3/4 pound mushrooms (oyster, shitake, portobello or a mix), chopped

1/4 cup Thai basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

(You can add 4 cups of chopped greens, such as spinach easily. I left this out for the challenge only because I didn’t have any on hand.)

1. Melt 1 tbsp butter (or oil) in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sprinkle with salt. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add rice and stir, coating. Continue stirring, about 4 minutes, until rice is toasted. Add coconut milk, ginger, paste, and cooking liquid (according to rice directions…do not include coconut milk in the liquid amount). Bring to a simmer, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook for about 25 minutes or until rice is cooked and water is absorbed.
2. While rice is cooking, heat remaining butter (or oil) in a saute pan over medium heat. Add diced bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add spinach to wilt in the last minute, if desired.
3. Toss vegetable mixture with rice, basil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Plums, peaches, corn, tomatoes, bok choi, arugula, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant, radishes, beets, shallots.  Oh my! It’s the most wonderful time of the year at the Farmer’s Market. If you’re like me, you may go to the market with a list in mind, but then get a wee bit overcome by the plethora of produce delights splayed out around you. Talk about a kid in the (world’s healthiest) candy store! In late August and September, I often leave the market with shoulders burdened by the weight of canvas bags stuffed to the brim with nature’s yummy goodness.

Unfortunately, this little incident of garden gluttony often creates a problem in the ensuing days.  Although produce bought fresh from a farmer often lasts longer than the grocery store drivel that’s been shipped for days and lingered in a storage room, it still begins to teeter on the edge of rotting after a certain amount of time.  If you read my review of American Wasteland last week, you know that I’ve recently become much more aware of the food waste I create.  Throwing out unused produce just isn’t an option for me.  Luckily, there are any number of possibilities for what to do with a surplus of fruits and vegetables.  If you plan ahead, canning, pickling, freezing or even drying/dehydrating are options. If time slips away and produce loses peak freshness, I find the oven to be an effective tool. For fruit that either never ripened as I hoped or became a bit bruised and soft, I use the magic of a crisp to transform it into something heavenly.  Meanwhile, vegetables are treated with olive oil and roasted in a warm oven, washing away blemishes and imperfections.

No reason exists to allow your little transgression of hoarding to turn into an act of shame. Instead, utilize the moment for new acts of culinary creation.  After all, this bountiful season won’t last forever.  Happy eating!

RECIPES

FRUIT CRISP

A fruit crisp or crumble is different from a cobbler in that the topping cooks up nice and crunchy (a cobbler’s topping usually contains a liquid and cooks up more like a biscuit). This recipe works for about 3 pounds of fruit.  If you have less, cut the recipe proportionately…or simply enjoy a thicker crust!

Ingredients

Filling

3-4 lbs. fruit, core if needed; peel only if desired (I’m lazy, I never peel), slice (unless berries)

Sugar for sprinkling

Lemon juice or zest, if desired

butter, for greasing dish

Topping

1 cup flour (I use whole wheat, you won’t notice the difference)

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (quick oats will do, too)

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, unsalted and cubed

1/4-1/2 cup almonds or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place sliced fruit in a 8 by 11 inch baking dish or 2 qt baking dish that is greased with butter.  Toss with a sprinkle or two (maybe two teaspoons) sugar.  If the fruit is already very ripe, less sugar will be necessary.  Add a squeeze or two of lemon juice (1 tbsp) or a little lemon zest (no more than 1 teaspoon), if desired.  Toss again.
3. Bake fruit for 15-20 minutes or until it begins to release its juices and become tender.
4. While fruit is softening, prepare topping.  Mix all ingredients together and cut in butter (or mix in with your hands).  Mixture will begin to resemble coarse clumps of sand.
5. Sprinkle crisp mixture evenly over fruit.  Return to oven and bake for another 25-35 minutes until top is brown and fruit is bubbling.
6. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, as desired.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Ingredients

Vegetables

Olive Oil

Salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cut vegetables into near equal size pieces.  Seed peppers, if using.
3. Toss with just enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with salt.
4. Bake until vegetables are tender (or charred, if desired).  About 20 minutes (tomatoes/pepper/zucchini) to 40 minutes (beets, other root vegetables).

Use vegetables in sandwiches with a smear of goat cheese. Or blend with some vegetable stock (or even milk/cream) and reheat briefly on stove for a quick soup.  Season with herbs, as desired.   Be creative! Roasted vegetables can also be used in sauces, for hashes, as toppings for salads or diced and tossed with pasta or rice.

Roasted peppers, tomatoes, shallots and garlic blended with vegetable stock and a splash of sherry vinegar and a sprinkle of thyme. Topped with parmesan.

I’ve been thinking about babies this week.  No, no, I don’t have any news for you. I haven’t been thinking about babies in the personal sense but more the universal one.  And I’ve specifically been thinking of my own infancy since this NPR article came out.  In it, the researcher speculates on how baby’s food preferences can be shaped while in the womb.  This really got me thinking because, according to my mother (and really I have to trust her here; I have a great memory, but not superpowers), she ate two things while she was pregnant with me.  Saltines.  And Baskin Robbins® Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream.  (I would not make this up, reader.) According to the study, this gestational diet should have given my baby brain a strong inclination to liking these flavors (and possibly diabetes) when I bounded into the world. Instead,I hated both nuts (I’m actually allergic to a good handful) and things that were coffee-flavored until well into adulthood. Saltines were negotiable.

Clearly, the results of the study don’t apply to every food, or possibly, every person.  And that’s the problem with the “nutritional” advice we receive from the media.  Often, it seems contradictory (butter? or margarine?), common sensical (eat more fruits and vegetables) or downright confusing (omega-3–omega-6 balancing, anyone?).  Although I’d like to believe that every decision-maker in the public press is an altruistic do-gooder who just wants the best for us, it’s more likely that they want to sell their story to a larger audience. (Yes, yes, Melissa@Market is both an idealist and a cynic.)  As for the producers of the study, well, their motives aren’t always entirely pure either. (If you believe Monsanto, Coca-Cola or General Mills funds studies out of the goodness of their heart, please email me ASAP.  I have referrals for you.)

Next time you read the latest nutritional news, I encourage you to put on your Encyclopedia Brown cap and use your (metaphorical) Harriet the Spy magnifying glass (Holler, 1980s heroes!) to really examine what you’re being told.  Here are some probing questions to ask that I learned from Dr. Antonia Demas of the Food Studies Institute at a seminar last spring:

• What study is the media source citing?
• Who sponsored/funded the research for that study?
• How big was the sample (test subjects) and how long a period a time were they studied/observed for?  Were they humans? (Don’t laugh…even that NPR article above cites rabbits.)
• What was the research “question” they were asking?  Is what they were testing for the actual “result” of the study? (You wouldn’t believe how many reports use “in the course of our study, we also learned”…but if that was not the focus of the research, doubts may arise.)
• Is it socially meaningful? Will it advance social research? i.e., Is it practical to apply?

For more information on determining the viability of research studies and nutritional reporting, check out this article from Dr. Marion Nestle.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m dying for a cup of coffee with a splash of almond milk.

Yellow Plum Salad

A fabulously delicious and gorgeous use of some of the season’s tastiest (and healthiest) vegetables and fruits.  Fruits and vegetables are good for you…fact.  Sometimes, common sense is as good as any study.

Adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

Serves about 6 as a side salad, or 4 if you’re a veggie lover, like me

Ingredients

2 yellow bell peppers

4-6 golden beets (a bunch from the market…don’t you throw away those beet greens either!  Use them just as you would chard!)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (I used balsamic, so that will work, too)

1-2 tablespoons chopped chives or scallions (sliced very thin)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Salt/pepper

6-8 yellow-fleshed plums

1 pint yellow baby pear tomatoes or 3 large yellow tomatoes

1/2 cup-3/4 cup goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut beets from stems and halve.  Seed the bell peppers.  Place pepper piece (skin side up) and beets on a baking and drizzle with olive oil.  Cook until pepper begin to blister and beets become tender.  You will probably remove the peppers after about 10 minutes and the beets after 20-30 minutes.
2. Allow both to cool and then remove skins from peppers and beets.
3. Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil with vinegar, chives/scallions, thyme, and salt/pepper, to taste.  This will be your dressing.  Set aside.
4. Cut peppers, beets, tomatoes, plums into similar size pieces (see picture).  You should have near equal amounts of each.  Toss these four ingredients together.
5. Store 3 components (produce mixture, dressing, goat cheese) separately in the refrigerator, to keep salad from getting mushy. When ready to serve, place produce mixture on plate, drizzle with a little dressing and sprinkle with goat cheese.

By now, you are aware I love my fruits and vegetables. (Oh gosh, I love kale and chard more than any vegetables have a right to be loved.)  However, as my fried zucchini, rhubarb muffin and dessert recipes indicate, I’m not sanctimonious about a sugar-free, fat-free, or really *anything*-free eating plan. As long as the recipes come from “real” ingredients (unnaturally colored foods frighten me as do things that stay fresh, um, forever.), I’m down.  My food philosophy  is to balance good living with good taste.  After all, if I get whammed by that Greyhound tomorrow, do I really want my final meal to have been a tiny plate of dry radishes over lettuce instead of a spinach and ricotta empanada?  No, my friends, no, I do not.  I want to experience both of these things in a way that nourishes my body as well as my soul.  I want to fulfill my stomach and my spirit.  No eating “rule” is going to make me miss a fantastic new experience.

One of my favorite dating stories (and by “favorite dating story”, I mean one that was horrible but in a way that didn’t end in tears) involves this philosophy. When I was living in San Francisco, I went out with a guy who began the date by telling me how much weight he’d lost on some diet of the moment. (To be honest, I actually saw red-flags prior to the date when the guy suggested we meet at a restaurant that basically serves different types of flavored cardboard.) Anyways, to illustrate his weight-loss prowess, he told me about a July 4th party he had attended where a chef had created a one of a kind chocolate cake. Diet Guy described every detail of this July 4th cake, and proudly told me how he’d resisted it.  Didn’t even take one tiny bite on that hot, summer day, he said.

Our date was in November.

Right.

When life gives you...

Have you been perched at your laptop poised to read this week’s M@M and see how LolaDog:FridgeRaider fared this week?  That’s as I thought.  Everyone loves a sequel.  Well, dear reader, after ten days of a normal schedule and no abnormal activity, I settled back into the rhythm of life as I know it.  As I toured the National Archives “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” exhibit with a colleague today, she asked about Lola’s antics.  ”Oh, she’s doing terrific now,” I said, my voice full of bravado and assurance.

"Look at me, all innocent-like. You don't believe what she says about me, do you?"

Apparently, you can add “mind-reading” to LolaDog’s superpowers, because when I walked back into my condo a mere two hours later, I found the child lock I’d installed on the fridge popped easily off (not even teeth marks!) and tossed gently in the corner of the kitchen.  Meanwhile, Lola had worked her way through a pint of sour cream (she’s really hitting the dairy hard) and was just starting on a container of cauliflower soup.  Luckily, I arrived in time to save the kale chips and vegetable ravioli.  Look, people, my dog is clearly smarter than me.  And she doesn’t want me to forget it.  Consequently, I have now installed a padlock on my fridge.  Next up, new fridge.  (Can you just imagine how that sales conversation will go down??  ”What are you looking for in a refrigerator, ma’am?”  ”Well, I’m looking for one that is dog-proof.”  I’m about to become the CrazyTown show at Home Depot.)

The gummy in its early life.

In other disturbing M@M news, remember the strawberry gummy story?  Well, I’m happy (and by “happy”, I mean incredibly alarmed and disgusted) to report that the gummy took its final ride this Saturday.  Its tiny remanent was there on the way to the Farmer’s Market and gone on the ride home.  In case you were counting (and come on, you *totally* were), that gummy lived a long life of 3 months and 3 weeks on the side of my car.  Through sweltering 116 degree heat indexes, tree toppling thunderstorms, and a plethora of aggressive city squirrels, it tenaciously clung to life.  Maybe you want to sneak a peach into the movie theater tonight instead?

A typical demo set-up

When I’m not trying to outsmart my dog, conducting inadvertent food experiments, writing this post or traveling around the country for Food Fighters, I’m doing cooking demos based on market produce.  (You knew that already, right?)  I love doing demos for classes, farmer’s markets and health care centers.  I’m a pretty friendly individual, and I love the interface food provides for conversation.  Still, I’ve heard a lot of kooky things during my culinary outings.  This week, I thought I’d share some with you. (You’re welcome.)

Here are my Top Ten Things That Have Made Me Chuckle During a Farmer’s Market Food Demonstration:

10) “Can I have one without the leaves?”  (3 year old referring to basil in a cantaloupe salad)

9) “I don’t care for this.”  (This one always boggles me.  It’s a free demo…if you don’t like it, just throw it out.)

8 ) “Where did this food come from?” (Um…the FARMER’S MARKET??)

7) The vegetarian/vegan who grabs for food before I can tell them what’s in it…and then, immediately spits it out in front of me when I rattle off “bacon” or “prosciutto”.  (No adult should spit out food in front of the person who made it unless they are: (a) choking or (b) about to go into anaphylactic shock.  This is what bushes, alleys and restrooms are for. Or, perhaps, *listening* before ingesting.  Just a thought.)

6) “Can I make this frittata/omelette without the eggs?” (Hmm…tricky.)

5) “Do you have samples of this without [insert food aversion]?”  (Not a restaurant.  Just a food demo.  So…NO.)

4) The people who come by while I’m cutting and prepping (it is a cooking “demonstration”, after all) and say, “Oh.  Still not ready yet?”

3) The kid who asked me, “Are you a real chef?”  Me: “Well, I went to culinary school.”  Kid: “Have you ever worked at Domino’s?”  Me: “Uh, no.”  Kid (with downcast face), sighs: “Oooooh.”

2) (In a judgmental way) “I could make this myself at home.” (Riiiight, that’s kind of the point??)

1) And my absolute favorite- usually said while going all squinty-eyed and staring me down- “Have you ever made this before today??”

Dear reader, that is my life.  Mercurial dogs, encrusted food remains, tough crowds – it’s all in a day’s work.  And, honestly, sometimes a girl just needs a cookie and a cup of tea.  Let’s get on that.

RECIPE

Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread

Adapted from a Bon Appetit Recipe

Makes 14-16 cookies

These cookies scream summer.  Easy, refreshing and a much more exciting way to incorporate leftover basil than just making pesto.  With a hot cup of tea, you can almost forget that your dog ate your dinner, the audience hated your demo and your car desperately needs to be washed.

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus some extra for dusting)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

4 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice of one lemon)

1 tsp lime zest

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  In a food processor, combine all ingredients.  Pulse until clumpy.

3. Roll tablespoon-size balls gently in your hand (you don’t want the butter to melt). Place on a baking sheet.

4.  Dust a measuring cup (1/4 cup works well) with powdered sugar and use to gently press balls into small circles.

5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until just edges are brown.  Cool.

My dog learned to open the refrigerator this week.  No, I’m actually NOT kidding.  And, no, it wasn’t because she’s the canine star of a new beer commercial.  (In fact, beer and wine are pretty much the only things she *doesn’t* touch in her fridge raids. A pint of buttermilk and 1/2 a can of tahini sauce though…dogalicious.)  Talk about a job hazard. My lifeblood exists in my kitchen.  I can’t have my dog helping herself to snacks every time I leave the house!

I think she knows this.  You see, LolaDog is very, very clever.  I have spent the greater part of our 9-year relationship trying to outsmart her.  (I have a law degree for heaven’s sake!  You’d think I could stay one step ahead of an animal that pees in public and licks strangers.)  From the time she was around 3, I’ve had to place child locks on all the food cabinets, making my house the perfect playground for a human toddler, but not quite destruction-proof for my four-legged friend.  Maintaining a fully equipped kitchen and food pantry has become a logistical and mind-bending task.

Besides child locks, I’ve also resorted to:

• changing oblong door handles to round ones (yes, she figured out how to pop open doors by pushing on the lever…so far, so good with the round ones).
• hiding every air-freshening candle in absurd locations where I can’t even locate them. (Lola loves a good candle, and I must admit the, er, “end” results of peppermint candle consumption are not entirely unpleasant.)
• systematically removing every hardback book from the living room library; this includes cookbooks (paperbacks are totally safe unless they are travel guides- Lola likes to show me who’s boss when I travel without her).
• keeping wooden kitchen supplies in locked cabinets (wood=such a satisfying chew).
• putting a hitch on the oven drawer after that became her new favorite “look what I did” trick.
• placing my Christmas tree in the bedroom (so I can shut doors to hide it when I’m gone)- our first Christmas together Lola ate all the shellacked dough ornaments off the tree.
• never, ever keeping trash, food, or anything *remotely* edible out in the open when I leave the house.

In short, Lola likes to eat.  And as much as I like to think of the kitchen as my stomping ground, apparently, so does she.  Given how much cooking I have to do for my writing and living, having to dog-proof my “office” is no easy task.  Perhaps you’d think a 10-year old pooch would begin to give it a rest?  Yet, the above photo is evidence that given the right motivation, even an old (60 pound!) dog can learn new tricks (and scarf new treats).

So, for this week’s recipe, you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a plum short or a scallion light.  After all, I’m not the only one cooking things up in the kitchen around here.

 RECIPE

I saw this recipe in a magazine and was intrigued by an innovative new way to use stone fruit and the spicy/sweet flavor combination.  Don’t get hung up on the fruit you use, just make use of whatever you have on hand (I used some of both overripe and underripe fruit to create more texture). This works well as a side at a picnic or with a grilled meat.  I also like it for a light snack or even spooned over homemade vanilla ice cream for a dessert that is both comforting and slightly exotic.

Stone Fruit Slaw

Adapted from a July 2011 Bon Appetit recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

About 1 1/2 lbs (usable) stone fruits (I used 3 nectarines, 3 small peaches, 3 plums…you could also mix in apricot), cut into strips (peeling is not necessary)

2 scallions, sliced thin on the diagonal

kosher salt/pepper if needed

Directions

1. Combine ginger, vinegar, oil, brown sugar, curry and red pepper in a bowl with a whisk.
2. Toss fruit pieces in bowl with dressing.  Season as needed.