matzo balls

• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 3 tbsp seltzer
• 2 tbsp schmaltz, melted (preferably herb-infused)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ cup matzo meal

Mix the eggs, seltzer, chicken fat, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Gradually stir in the matzo meal, stirring until everything is well combined. 

Chill, covered, for at least 4 and up to 8 hours.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Using cool, wet hands, shape the matzo mixture into 8 balls, each about 1½ in in diameter. Reduce the heat to simmering and gently add the matzo balls. Cover the pot and poach the matzo balls in the barely simmering water for 25 min.

— poaching separately will preserve the flavors in the matzo balls so they don’t just taste like mushy bits of soup. The temperature of just water is also easier to control than that of a pot of soup.

spicy cashew-dill penne

• 8oz penne
• ½ cup sun dried tomatoes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 3–5 dried chiles
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

1. Cook the pasta, reserving 1c or more of its cooking water
2. Rehydrate the tomatoes in the pasta water for 15 min
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and stir-fry until the nuts are reddish brown and the chiles have blackened, 1–2 min. Remove them to a jar, leaving the oil over low to medium heat.
4. Blend the nuts, chiles, ½ cup of the half-and-half, and salt together.
5. Fry the garlic in the oil for about a minute. Add the spinach and stir-fry until wilted. Add the cashew-chile paste, and rinse the blender with the rest of the half-and-half, and add to the skillet.
6. Pour in the cooked pasta, along with the dill and sun-dried tomatoes.
7. Simmer for a few minutes, and serve.

thanksgiving week

• onion-spinach rice; nutty-tart bell peppers with peanuts
• tacos with beef, oaxacan salsa, cilantro, radish, avocado, queso blanco
• fish-fragrant eggplant (鱼香茄子); korean mixed rice 
• brussels sprouts with bacon; salad with roasted golden beets
• spiced mustard greens & methi; yogurt rice

things to eat

• salad with pears
• more salad
• pakistani-style ghee and spinach rice
• okra with urad dal, mustard, and coconut
• cucumber salad
• corn with tomatoes and madras-style curry powder
• potatoes and carrots with dill

kabuli chana biryani

Minty rice layered with chickpeas and greens

Adapted from 660 Curries

For the curry:

• 2 large tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
• 2 small red onions, 1 chopped, 1 cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced 
• 8–10 thai chiles
• 4 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• ½ cup nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, whatever)
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 2 tsp cumin seeds (or black cumin / shah jeera)
• 4 cardamom pods
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 3in long cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp sambhar masala
• ½ tsp punjabi garam masala
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 8 oz fresh greens (spinach, mustard, radish, whatever)
• 8 oz cauliflower, cut into ½in florets
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed if canned

For the rice:

• 1½ cups basmati rice
• 2 tbsp ghee or butter
• ½ tsp saffron
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup mint, chopped

1. Cook the chickpeas.
2. Rinse and soak the rice in cold water while you do the rest of the prep and curry making.
3. Purée the tomatoes, chopped onion, and chiles to make a smooth, reddish-pink sauce.
4. Preheat the oven now to 375ºF.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the nuts and raisins, and stir-fry until the nuts are reddish brown and the raisins have swollen, 2–3 min. Remove using a slotted spoon.
6. Add the remaining 2tbsp ghee to the same skillet. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks, and cook until they sizzle and smell aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the sliced onion and stir-fry until it is light brown around the edges, 5–8 min. 
7. Carefully pour in the puréed tomato blend, and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the ghee starts to separate around the edges of the skillet, 15–20 min. 
8. Stir in the salt, the two spice blends, and the turmeric. Pour in 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the greens, a couple handfuls at a time, stirring it in until wilted, 2–3 min. Repeat until all the greens ahve been added. Add the cauliflower and chickpeas, and remove the skillet from the heat. Cover and set aside.
9. Drain the chickpeas, remove to a bowl, and use their pot to prepare the rice: heat ghee, then add the rice together with the saffron and carefully stir-fry to coat the rice with the saffron. Pour in an equal volume of water as rice, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until the water has evaporated from the surface and craters are starting to appear in the rice, 5–8 min. Remove the pan from the heat.
10. Spoon half the chickpea-cauliflower curry into a large enameled cast-iron dutch oven and spread evenly to form the bottom layer. Spread half the rice mixture on top, then more curry, then more rice. Scatter the cilantro and mint on top. Cover and bake for 45 min. 
11. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the nuts and raisins. When you serve, scoop out portions that contain all four layers.

• kabuli chana biryani — with cauliflower, tomato, raisins, cashews, and mint
• sweet corn and tofu with mustard greens; korean mixed grain rice
• roasted beets, potatoes, and parsnips; salad with egg and sardines
• pan-blistered eggplant with kala masala; sweet-hot basmati rice
• balsamic-glazed pork chops and eggplant; carrot parsley pilaf

indian-thai eggplant

adapted from 660 curries: chile-spiked eggplant with lemongrass and scallions

Put all this stuff in a food processor and pulse until minced.

• ½ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and stemms, chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass 
• 1tsp sat
• 4 medium size cloves of garlic
• 2–4 frseh green thai ciles
• 2 large kaffir lime leaves 

Then heat oil in a skillet over high heat and put in the eggplant, followed by the tasty stuff above. Stir-fry to partially cook the eggplant and the herbs, 1–2 min.

• 2tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large eggplant, about 1½ lbs, cut into french-fry-size fingers
• 1 large tomato, cored and cubed
• ½ cup finely chopped scallions
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Add the tomato and continue to cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the tomato softens and the eggplant is tender, 10–15 min.

Stir in the scallions and basil, and serve.

montaña de tomates

• gazpacho
• bolognese (+freezer)
• cucumber salad
• tabbouleh/panzanella
• aloo gobi
• something with okra
• crack pepper beef!

food this week

• seared okra with potatoes and tomato, corn
• fried baby eggplant with peanut coconut sauce, radish greens
• salad with pasta, roasted potatoes, corn
• baked kibbe balls; salad with yogurt dressing

insane summer produce

• watermelon
• red fire & romaine lettuces (Scott: “I like the crispy red lettuce. Can you get more of that?” Me: “Of course, only on Friday though. It’s the same farm as the baby corn and they said they sell out of lettuce by like 8:30. By far the best lettuce of all the markets.”
• assorted carrots
• assorted small beets
• red peppers and a green pepper
• peaches and nectarines
• apples
• pineapple mint
• summer squashes
• onions
• mixed small tomatoes
• baby corn — I learned they started growing this at a request from Blue Hill; also, last for at least 3 weeks but there will be more.
• assorted tomatoes

So what will this stuff become?

• watermelon, feta, basil salad
• summer salads
• quinoa with vegetables and tasso
• lecsó!
• summer squash risotto

yay summer

• cantaloupe-basil sorbet
• more peach frozen yogurt

• ‘sea robin’ (like scorpionfish) sautéed in olive oil over quinoa with tomatoes, salad
• basil and dandelion pesto (half for freezer)
• thai red curry: tofu, okra, carrot; sticky rice
• chile basil baby corn and tofu, chinese mixed grain rice stuff
• corn and tomato curry; potato and paneer rice
• lemongrass eggplant, coconut rice
• steak with my favorite salsa; caesar salad

• stir fried on choy with shrimp paste and ‘mock chicken’ style tofu
• fish-fragrant eggplant with ground pork
• tofu in caramel sauce
• rice with potato and paneer
• big salad with carrots and tomatoes, walnut bread / olive bread

Summer market explosion!

• baby corn (!) stir fried with broccoli and scallions
• gongura dal
• sesame-flavored green tomatoes
• olive-oil pan-blistered shishito peppers and green beans; big mixed lettuce salad with carrots and tomatoes
• potatoes and eggplant with garlic-chile sauce
• caramel peach grunt for movie night, from the always fantastic Rustic Fruit Desserts

• pad grapow chicken (fresh thai basil!)
• salady tabbouleh (mint, parsley, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, bulgur; egg & smoked fish for me)
• bengali squash in coconut milk (mustard oil, panch phoron)
• potato purslane salad
• blueberry buttermilk sorbet

assiette de fromages

Dorset	Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US	washed rind raw cow
Equinox	Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US	extra-aged goat
Pawlet	Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US	raw cow tomme
Petit Basque	Pais Vasco, ES	mild raw sheep
Caveman Blue	Rogue, OR, US	strong cow blue
Smokey Blue	Rogue, OR, US	smoked cow blue
Cabrales	Asturias, ES	cow/goat/sheep, spicy blue
Monte Enebro	Avila, ES	pasteurized goat, P. roquefortii
Gouda, Pittig 4y	NL	pasteurized cow

• stir fried tofu, bok choy, tatsoi
• indian kohlrabi, yogurt rice or kala masala rice
• palak paneer
• butternut risotto, salad