Category Archives: Recipes (Savory)

For the Last of Summer’s Nectarines

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Use the last of summer's nectarines in this light-bright farro salad.

(With apologies to those wacky DirecTV commercials.)

When you lose track of time…

You buy an expensive watch…

When you buy an expensive watch, people notice…

People like Shifty Sam and Three-Strikes Joe, who will sneak up on you on a dark street and snatch your watch…

When thugs steal your watch, they conk you on the head and toss you in a dumpster to fester with yesterday’s fish heads.

Don’t sleep with rotten fishies.

Don’t lose track of time.

Enjoy nectarines for one last fling before summer ends.

One of the best and most healthful ways to do so is in this salad of “Farro with Nectarines, Basil and Toasted Pine Nuts.”

It’s from the new “Grain Mains” (Rodale), of which I received a review copy, by my friends and prolific cookbook writers Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough.

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Tabouleh with A Twist

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Not your standard tabouleh.

In summer, I can practically live on tabouleh, that Middle Eastern bulgar salad tossed with copious amounts of parsley, mint, oregano, onion, lemon juice and tomatoes.

But even when playing favorites, you sometimes need to mix it up a little for a change of pace.

Such was the case when I spotted this recipe for “Tabouleh with Quinoa, Corn, Scallion and Goat Cheese” in the cookbook, “Home Made” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), of which I received a review copy.

The book is by Amsterdam recipe writer and catering company owner, Yvette van Boven. It’s filled with DIY-type recipes to teach you everything from how to create a smoker in your oven to how to make the perfect broth.

This salad makes a perfect summer side dish. Or it can be a complete meal, as grain-like quinoa is high in protein and contains all the essential amino acids a body needs.

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Angelo Sosa’s Cured Watermelon Crudo

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It resembles tuna sashimi, but it's really watermelon in disguise.

Bing. Bam. Boom.

Done.

That’s how easy and fast this recipe comes together, making it a dream dish for hassle-free summer entertaining.

“Cured Watermelon Crudo with Thyme” is from the new cookbook, “Flavor Exposed” (Kyle Books) by “Top Chef” alum, Chef Angelo Sosa.

Sosa may be best known for his tight, skinny jeans that prompted endless razzing from his fellow contestants. But the man can cook, having worked with heavy-weights, Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. He’s now executive chef of Social Eatz in New York.

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When Risotto Isn’t Made with Rice

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Barley risotto with shrimp -- hearty, chewy and wonderful.

Ever since dining at AQ Restaurant in San Francisco last year where I enjoyed it for the first time, I’ve been rather fixated on barley risotto.

Oh, don’t get me wrong; I still adore the traditional version made with tender yet toothsome short-grain Italian rice.

But when it’s made with barley, it takes on a whole different personality — heartier, chewier and with a more roasty-toasty flavor.

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Sunset’s Pattypan Squash with Eggs

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A pretty sunny-side up egg in an edible container.

How cute and clever is this?

Very.

A sunny-side up egg cooked in its own fully edible, tender pattypan squash.

It’s enough to make you want to invite some friends over for brunch pronto.

“Pattypan Squash with Eggs” is the perfect way to showcase those adorable palm-size, bright yellow squash now all over farmers markets.

The recipe is from the new “Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook” (Oxmoor House) by the editors of Sunset magazine. The cookbook, of which I received a review copy, includes more than 180 recipes for casual dishes that make use of your own backyard bounty. Think “Lamb Stew with Roasted Red Peppers,” “Oysters with Melons and Cucumber Water” and “Grilled Poached Halibut with Fresh Apricot Salsa.”

The method for this particular dish couldn’t be easier. Just slice off the top of the squash and carefully hollow out its center. You can even bake the empty shells hours ahead of time.

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