*This post was created in partnership with American lamb. Thanks for supporting the brands that support the work I do here.

The month of July was filled with menu planning, recipe testing, ingredient gathering and cooking for 60 people in a 7 acre private garden in the middle of Seattle.

I’ve had the great pleasure of sitting at a Secret Supper table and I’ve known Jacob and Danielle, the owners, for years. I’m not sure they even knew that I harbored a secret desire to cook for one of their dinners. These dinners are pure magic. Something happens when you gather people at a long table, in a stunning, almost dream-like setting. Flowers run down the center of the wooden tables as the birds sing and the fresh air breathes around you. As much as I loved sitting at that table I wanted to be the one in the outdoor kitchen, standing around the grill and watching the guests at the table from that standpoint.

This July I had the chance to do that very thing twice and while I’m still exhausted I am also incredibly proud. There’s such a sense of accomplishment when you do something that you’ve dreamed of doing even when that thing scares you a bit. Actually, especially when that thing scares you.

The Seattle supper was held at Dunn gardens. A stunning 7 acre garden filled with native plants arranged in a way that is both wild and structured. Before this dinner I never knew this garden existed in my city and the crazy thing is, it’s 10 minutes from my front door.

The menu reflected a life in the northwest. I wanted to feature what is absolutely best of this season at the height of summer and also bring in some flavors of the wild. I had gathered mushrooms and conifer tips in the spring for this very reason. For a chef the menu is how we tell a story and this menu tells the story of the abundance of the northwest. It is the story of a friendship. My sous chef, Hina, spent much of her life growing up in Pakistan and many flavors in this menu reflect her life and what she has taught me and opened my eyes up to over the years. It is the story of the wild that surrounds us and how generous it is but also how fragile if we don’t return the generosity with our own gratitude and gifts.

I’m including the menu from the Seattle dinner below and thanks to our partner for the dinner, American Lamb, I get the pleasure of sharing the recipe of Lamb Braised in Forest Floor with Apricot Achar.

This dish tells the story I intended to tell beautifully. This stunning and sustainably raised lamb, sits on a bed of leaves, twigs, mushrooms, berries and earth found while I was hiking near my home. It’s a genius method from friend and fellow forager, Pascal Boudar, that brings the scent we all love while walking through the woods, to the plate. The lamb is finished with a bright, tart and spiced apricot pickle and apricots grilled until charred and slumped. It’s a stunning dish worthy of an occasion.

Secret Supper
July 17, 2021

Seattle

Start

Zucchini blossom and pea pakora, wild mint & cilantro chutney

+
Smoked salmon rilletes on homemade butter cracker, black mustard seed caviar, chive flower

First

Greens, herbs and flowers in a summer goddess dressing

Second

Charred summer squash, smoked raita, candied seeds and spruce tip salt

Pickled salmon, blistered tomatoes, ginger, curried chickpeas

Main

Lamb braised in forest floor with roasted apricot achar, on fresh corn polenta, feta and wild mushroom powder

Vegetarian Option

Charred eggplant curry, on fresh corn polenta, feta and wild mushroom powder

Dessert

Wild rose & raspberry pavlova with fresh bay cream

Thanks to Danielle and Jacob from Secret Supper for making this dinner happen. For American Lamb for helping to bring it to life. And to MilkRun for sourcing the gorgeous produce.

Photos provided by:

Alba Betancourt – Absence Studio

Gabe Rodriguez

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Lamb Braised in Forest Floor with Charred Apricot Achar

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

1 6-8 pound American lamb shoulder

2 1/2 tablespoons garam masala

1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Enough forest floor* to fill the bottom of the roasting pan or Dutch oven

1 onion, cut into large chunks

6 garlic cloves

3 inch piece of ginger, sliced

*Forest floor is meant to mimic the intoxicating scent of a forest hike. You can use most varieties of spruce branches, fir, maple, and alder. If you’re lucky enough to find a few edible mushrooms, throw those in there. Fallen maple leaves add a lovely flavor. You could also use woody herbs like rosemary, sage, and time. 

Charred Apricot Achar

 

3 pounds apricots, halved and pits removed

1 large red onion, sliced

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup – 3/4 cup brown sugar

Juice and zest of two limes

1 inch piece of ginger

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 cinnamon stick

Pinch fresh nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Sea salt

2 cups white wine

Instructions

For the lamb:

The day before you plan to cook the lamb season with garam masala and kosher salt. 

Refrigerate overnight or up to two days before cooking.

Bring the lamb out of the fridge one hour before you start to cook.

Preheat your oven or grill to 350*F

Line the bottom of the pot with your forest floor. Set the lamb on time. Add the onion, garlic and ginger around the lamb. Then pour in the white wine. 

Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid then roast for 3 – 4 hours, until tender but not quite falling off of the bone.  Remove the lid, turn the oven up to 450*F and continue to roast for one hour more, until deeply charred and the lamb is fork tender. 

Let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving with the Charred Apricot Achar.

For the achar:

Preheat your oven or grill to 425*F

In a large roasting dish combine 2 pounds of the apricot halves, red onion, vinegar, brown sugar, lime zest and juice, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili and a hearty pinch of salt.

Roast in an oven or grill until the apricots and onions are deeply charred in parts and the brine is bubbly. 

Let cool before pureeing in a blender. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Grill the remaining apricots then add those to the purée. Serve with lamb. 

*USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F followed by a 3 minute rest.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons and Safeway. All opinions are 100% my own.

*I’m beyond excited to partner with Safeway and Albertsons and their line of Open Nature® products to bring you this post about feasting in the outdoors. These products are created with high-quality, minimally processed ingredients without any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, just as nature intended. These products are available in my area at Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions stores., and you can find them exclusively at Albertsons Companies family of stores, including ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets and Carrs/Safeway. Visit safeway.com to find a store near you

Camping season in the PNW may be coming to a close, but we still have one more epic adventure left in us. This summer has been full of outdoor adventures. I’ve pushed myself in the outdoors in ways that have made me feel stronger and less fearful. From camping alone, to camping with a couple of moms and a whole lot of kids, to mastering the art of baking sourdough over the fire. It has been a summer filled with joyful and delicious memories, even in the midst of a pandemic.
Through all these adventures I’ve learned how to refine our pack list, what’s necessary and what isn’t, and I can guarantee you throughout every adventure we’ve eaten so very well.
So as our family is about to embark on our biggest camping trip yet, I thought I’d take you along in the planning process. If you’re just here for the food, that’s fine too. There is a Lamb Kofte recipe below that is equally delicious prepared over the fire or in the warmth of your kitchen. Click “recipe” above and you’ll be brought right to it.
For those of you who aspire to camp and want to do so with memorable meals then read on, my friends.

Create a plan.

My first step in preparing for camping is always to create a Google Doc with a plan for our meals. If we’re going with a small group, I also include links to the campsite and activities that we may want to consider while camping but the bulk of the doc is all about food.
Generally, if we are camping with other families, we do breakfast and dinner as a group then leave each family to take care of their own lunch.
Breakfast is usually a mix of yogurt and homemade granola and some sort of egg and potato scramble. And in our family, it’s also lots and lots of coffee enjoyed around a morning campfire.
I divide the doc into days and list out what is for dinner each day. Then, I write out a grocery list for each family and include the specifics of how the ingredients should come to the campsite. For example, we generally will have some salad with each meal so the greens should already be washed and chopped; ready to dress. This saves so much time and hassle trying to chop and clean on the campsite. Generally, I’ll ask that vegetables be already chopped as well. It saves so much time in the cooking process so we can enjoy that leisurely afternoon hike instead of having to rush back to the campsite to cook for hours – although I often don’t mind that either.
Plan your meals in such a way that the most perishable or vulnerable food items will be enjoyed first. For example, on a recent trip our first dinner was mussels in a fennel cream broth with sausage and potatoes. I picked up the mussels on the way to the campsite and kept them on ice for a couple of hours. It’s too stressful to worry if the ice in the cooler will hold long enough to keep fragile items fresh. For our last meal, on day three, we enjoyed potatoes baked in the coals with all the fixings. It’s a great meal to use up remaining ingredients and leftovers that may have accrued during the trip.

Know your limits.

I started upping our camp food game because for me, good food adds to the experience. I take great joy in feeding the people I love food that delights and wows them. The campfire became a fun challenge; could I create the same or similar food I do with ease back in my kitchen at home around the fire? The answer is YES! And often it is so much better prepared over the fire.
Something happens to me when I’m cooking with flames lapping at my cast iron and smoke is dancing around me while I move around the fire pit. I’m connecting to something primal, an instinctual nature kicks in and it satisfies me to my core. But listen, no one needs fresh baked sourdough baked over coals in order to have a memorable camping trip. You need to find what delights you in the outdoors and lean into that.
When I started cooking elaborate meals for my family over the fire, I may have taken it a little too far. There were 17 of us on the campsite and I brought real plates – not fine china mind you – but actual plates that needed washing. Lucky for me as the cook I don’t need to do the dishes but I’m quite certain my brothers were not my biggest fans when they had to hand wash 17 sets of dishes in cold camp water. Since then I’ve embraced compostable plates and utensils. My heart for the environment would prefer to use all reusable, and I do if it’s just me camping or a rather small group, but I don’t want to miss the smell of the pine, the dull roar of the waves and the time sitting around the campfire because everyone is too busy doing the dishes. I’ve found my limit and am now bringing all the Open Nature compostable products that can fit in my car.
Start small. Wrap some russet potatoes in aluminum and toss them into the coals without a care. Turn them every 10 minutes or so then top the fluffy potatoes with crisp bacon, sour cream and whatever you may have lingering in your cooler. This is one of the easiest and most satisfying meals we have had on the campsite.
Know your own limits. Find what works for you and your family and friends and lean into that.

Divide and conquer.

For us the point of the Google doc is to create a shared plan. While I tend to do the majority of the dinner cooking while camping, I’m using ingredients that everyone contributed. And since I’ve done the cooking, after dinner I’m sitting around the fire drinking a glass of wine while the dishes are being cleaned.
After many camping trips we have found what works best for our family. A system that feels equitable and shared so that we all get to enjoy our time outdoors as much as possible.
Don’t be a hero, share the tasks and divvy up the responsibilities.

Go, enjoy and let whatever may be, be.

A loaf of sourdough baked over coals is one of the most rewarding things there is but inevitably that loaf contains at least a part that is a bit charred and may require a bit of shaving unless someone is quite partial to burnt bread. But char or not it is still a loaf of fresh baked bread that has been cooked in the fire!
Embrace the char. Embrace the dirt. Embrace what is beyond your control so that you may breathe in the smell of cedar warmed by the sun, the laughter of kids who are not playing on devices, the leisurely hours spent not checking anything off of a to-do list. This is what truly delights and this is what camping is all about.

Pack List

Every trip will be different and every pack list will vary as well. It depends greatly on what is on the menu but I’ve created an extensive list of products and tools that I always bring with me when cooking outdoors and I’ll also add our pack list from a recent camping trip. Leave any questions you may have in the comments below or come find me on Instagram. I’d be happy to answer any questions. My heart is for getting everyone in the outdoors so I’m delighted to do whatever I can to make that feel accessible to all.

Outdoor Cooking Essentials

Sample Google Doc Meal Plan:

Dinner:

Sunday

Mussels in a Fennel Cream with Potatoes and Sausage
Sourdough bread
Salad
Stone Fruit Cobbler with Butter Biscuits

Monday

Roasted Mushroom & Truffle Macaroni & Cheese
Bread
Salad

Tuesday

Coal Baked Potatoes and alllllll the fixings
Salad

TO BRING:

Gerald & Lynne:
Firewood
Beer
Wine
Ax
Tablecloth
Paper plates
Utensils
Napkins
Aluminum foil
Salad greens, washed and chopped
Sour cream
Bacon
Cream
Briquettes/charcoal

Chris & Deb:
Marshmallows
Graham crackers
Chocolate
Wine
Beer
Salad greens, washed and chopped
Sausages (or Brauts)
3 Onions, diced
3 Red peppers, diced
Cream
Briquettes/charcoal
Grated sharp cheddar

Geoff & Amy:
Bacon
Eggs
Granola
Yogurt
Dish bin
Paper bowls (? – for granola/yogurt)

Ashley & Gabe:
Russet potatoes
Garden potatoes
Fennel
Salad dressing
Sourdough bread dough
Ritz crackers
Water
Beer
Wine
Paper plates
Salad greens
Chives
Pasta ingredients
Mama lil’s
Large cast iron
Medium cast iron
Dutch oven
Cooking utensils
Cobbler ingredients

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Lamb Kofte with Feta Tzatziki

Author Ashley Rodriguez

If lamb is not your jam feel free to substitute any ground meat here. I often like to use a mix of ground lamb and chicken or pork. If preparing this to bring to a campsite bring the seasoned meat with you along with the prepared yogurt. You can warm store-bought naan over the fire or if you want to take it next level prepare the dough at home then bake the naan over the fire. This is my favorite recipe: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-naan-recipe/

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground fennel

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon chili flake

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

16 ounces Open Nature Ground Lamb

Feta Tzatziki

1 cup Open Nature whole milk yogurt

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1 teaspoon dried mint

1/4 cup crumbled feta

Pinch salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 pita

Fresh cilantro, mint or other greens

Hot sauce, optional

Instructions

In a large bowl combine all the spices with the yogurt and stir well. Stir in the meat. If you are planning to cook over the fire, have everyone at the campsite gather sturdy roasting sticks.

Take about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture then form the meat around the top 4-6 inches of the stick. Roast the meat over a fire of coals (avoid cooking in the flames as it won’t cook evenly and the flavor won’t be as good). Roast until the meat is completely cooked through. This will take about 10 minutes of steady heat. Serve the kofte in a warm pita with the yogurt sauce and greens.

Prepare the yogurt sauce by mixing all of the ingredients in a small bowl. The yogurt can be made up to three days in advance.

*I’m proud to partner with Watkins to bring you this story and recipe. It’s quite evident in my recipes that I’m a big fan of flavor and I rely on good, fresh organic spices and dried herbs. Watkins uses only USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients in its spices, spice blends, and herbs. You can find their products at Watkins1868.com and select stores nationwide.

As always, the words and photos are mine. I appreciate your support and the companies who graciously partner with me so I can continue to share my stories through the recipes that fill our table.

You may have heard of the popular street food recipe in Mexico called Elote. If not, it’s an incredible dish that starts with corn on the cob; grilled until blackened and smoky then slathered in a creamy and spicy sauce before being rolled in cheese then finished with fresh lime juice. It is now absolutely my preferred way of eating corn. Esquites is the same idea but minus the cob. Corn kernels are blackened (or the cobs are grilled then the kernels removed) and then mixed with mayonnaise, cheese, chili powder, cilantro leaves, ground cumin, adobo seasoning and lots of lime.

Because I’m a believer in “all things are better when wrapped in a tortilla” we’ve turned this classic Mexican corn dish into a taco. It’s paired with what is basically a chunky guacamole that is loaded with scallions and a touch of sour cream (or if you’re an Antoni fan you can use Greek yogurt).

This recipe is written to feed a crowd or to have plenty of leftovers. I also added slow simmered pinto beans to bulk up the tacos but you can add grilled fish, chicken, steak, or carnitas – the options are endless.

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Esquites Tacos

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

Esquites

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup crumbled Cotija or Parmesan cheese

2 tsp lime zest

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 tsp salt1 tsp Watkins Organic Chili Powder

2 TBL butter

8 corn cobs, kernels removed (or about 24 ounces corn kernels – you can use frozen corn here too)

Instructions

In a medium size bowl stir together the mayonnaise, cheese, lime zest, juice, salt and chili powder. Feel free to add more chili powder if you want more heat.

Add the butter to a large skillet set over medium high heat. When the butter sizzles add the corn then let blacken. Give a quick stir after a couple of minutes then let sit again. Add a hefty pinch of salt then turn off the heat.

Stir the blackened corn into the creamy mayonnaise mixture.

Alternately you can grill the corn cobs then let cool and remove the kernels from the cob before stirring into the creamy sauce.

Creamy Avocado and Scallion Salsa

2 large avocados, peeled and diced

5 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

2 TBL sour cream

1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Adobo Seasoning Pinch salt

1 TBL fresh lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBL minced jalapeño (more or less depending on your spice preference)

1 TBL Watkins Organic Cilantro Leaves

In a medium size bowl stir together the avocado, scallions, cumin, adobo, salt, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño and dried cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired

Tacos

12 small flour or corn tortillas

Meat or beans (optional)

Crumbled cotija or queso fresco

Pickled jalapeños

Warm the tortillas then serve with meat or beans, esquites, salsa and whatever other toppings you prefer. I’ve listed my favorites.

*I’m proud to partner with Watkins to bring you this story and recipe. It’s quite evident in my recipes that I’m a big fan of flavor and I rely on good, fresh spices and dried herbs. Watkins uses only USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients. You can find their products at Watkins1868.com and select grocery stores nationwide.

As always, the words and photos are mine. I appreciate your support and the companies who graciously partner with me so I can continue to share my stories through the recipes that fill our table.

We dump the flour on the table, a simple action that is right but feels a bit defiant. With our hands, they are in fact the best tool for the job, we dip into the cool powder to form a soft bowl to hold the eggs. While Ivy cracks the fragile white shells, I anticipate the day when we can cross our backyard and visit our hens (who are now chicks) to gather eggs, still warm with yolks that practically glow. I’m interrupted from this dream as the last egg runs out of our flour bowl and onto the table. Ivy and I both laugh while we attempt to capture the runaway egg. Once safely contained she generously shakes fragrant rosemary onto the dough. We both breathe in deep, taking in the piney scent that now surrounds us.

While kneading the sturdy dough I take in the simplicity of this moment, these ingredients. It’s a rare reprieve from the noise and chaos that has grown familiar in my mind. Here in this moment, with all my senses engaged, I can be at the table, fingers covered in dough, laughing with my daughter while stories of past pasta making memories entertain us during our kneading.

We knead the dough until smooth then tuck it in for rest. This is not a rushed process, nor is it complicated. It’s simple yet asks you to be present, to adjust an otherwise busy schedule around its timing, not ours. I gladly accept this offer for it is also an invitation to be here now. To meditate while covered in flour and bask in gratitude with a fragrant bowl of homemade pasta under our nose.

It’s a simple act, humble, messy and imperfect but as with so much in life these are the ones that make all the difference.

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Rosemary Pasta with Lemon Butter Sauce

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 6-8 Servings

The pasta dough quantity here is enough for 6 – 8 servings. The sauce quantity below is enough for about 1/3 of the dough. You can easily double or triple the sauce to feed a crowd. The pasta dough can be made in advance. The dough and any leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for one day. The color may shift just slightly.

Ingredients

400 grams all-purpose flour4 large eggs1 tablespoon Watkins Organic Rosemary

For 2 large or 4 small servings (about 1/3 of the above pasta dough)

60 grams/4 tablespoons unsalted butter1 tablespoon fresh lemon juiceSea saltWatkins Organic Ground Black Pepper2 teaspoons lemon zest1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

For the pasta.Dump the flour on a large surface. Make a shallow and wide bowl in the middle of the flour. Crack the four eggs directly into the flour bowl. Add the Watkins Organic Rosemary to the eggs.Using a fork gently start to whisk the eggs, incorporating a little bit of the flour at a time. Continue to do this until the eggs and flour are the consistency of waffle batter. At this point it’s best to get your hands dirty and start kneading. Pasta dough should feel quite stiff. If it’s too dry you may add a touch of water but not too much, we don’t want a sticky dough. Knead until smooth, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Wrap well in plastic wrap then let the dough rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes. During this rest the gluten will relax and absorb the liquid. The dough will feel much smoother and cohesive after its nap.

You may use a rolling pin to make the pasta dough but if you have a pasta machine it will go quite a bit faster.Take about 1/10th of the pasta dough and keep the rest covered. On the widest setting of your pasta maker run the dough through then fold in half and run through again. Repeat at least three times. This is another way to knead the dough which will strengthen the gluten and give the pasta a pleasant bite in the end. Continue rolling the dough until you reach the desired thickness, for my pasta machine that is a 6 out of 8 settings. Add a little flour to the dough if there is any stickiness. Fold the pasta sheet in half, then half again, and again, until it’s about 2 inches wide. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in rough 1/2-inch strips. Set aside on a lightly floured sheet pan.

Prepare the sauce.

*This post is in partnership with Barilla. I’m so thrilled to work with them and proclaim a shared belief that pasta is art. “Each piece of pasta is a small piece of design that combines beauty and taste.” Chefs from around the world recently competed in Paris at the Pasta World Championship. Check out their Instagram page to meet the chefs and see the winning dish.

I’m back with more pasta inspired by the 8th annual Barilla Pasta World Championship. The competition is officially complete, and a winner has been selected. 

You guys, when I saw the competing dishes I was so impressed. The recipes for these incredible pasta dishes were pages long. There were powders and foams and multiple sauces on one plate. Mine? Well, I thought the crispy salami was a nice touch. This is why I’m the one at home sitting and eating the pasta and not out there competing. Because when all is said and done simplicity is whereI reside and I want you to be able to easily recreate this dish at home! 

That’s not to say I didn’t study the recipes from these chefs because their ingenuity and complexity fascinates me. I love learning from these masters – studying their methods and watching what ingredients they gather and using that to inspire a recipe that fits in our home.

Like the recipe from the Canadian competitor, Kshitiz Sethi. I was so intrigued by the combination of sardines, fennel, tomato, pine nuts and raisins that I had to give it a go. Of course, the recipe also wanted me to sous vide fresh sardines and make a delicate broth of fennel and tomatoes but I turned his idea into a 20-minute, accessible pasta dish that you can make with ingredients you most likely have in your pantry. 

Congratulations to all the competitors. Thanks for always inspiring. 

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spaghetti con le sarde

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Inspired by Kshitiz Sethi – the Canadian competitor in the Pasta World Championships

Ingredients

12 ounces Barilla Collezione Spaghetti

Sea salt

1 small shallot, diced

1 small fennel bulb (with greens and stems)

1 sardine, packed in oil, bones removed and minced

2 tablespoons minced pepperoncini

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/3 cup golden raisins

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

Chili flake

1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen

Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Instructions

Remove the stems from the fennel bulb. Set aside 1/2 cup of the fennel fronds and slice the fennel bulb.

Set a large pot of water over high heat. Add the fennel stems to the pot and enough salt to make the water taste of the sea. 

While the water boils add olive oil to a large skillet. Sauté the shallot and fennel bulb until just starting to caramelize, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add a pinch of salt along with the sardine and pepperoncini. Sauté for one minute more. Stir in the tomato paste, pine nuts and golden raisins. Mix well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes before add the diced tomatoes. Add another pinch of salt and fennel pollen then let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.

Add some pasta water to the sauce if it gets too dry.

Drain the cooked pasta but be sure to reserve some of the pasta water. Add the pasta (minus the fennel stems) to the skillet with the sauce. Add pasta water to the sauce as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Transfer the pasta to a serving platter then top with fennel fronds and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

*This post is in partnership with Barilla. I’m so thrilled to work with them and proclaim a shared belief that pasta is art. “Each piece of pasta is a small piece of design that combines beauty and taste.” Right now, chefs from around the world are competing in Paris at the Pasta World Championship. Check out Barilla’s Instagram page  site to get the know the chefs and follow along as they crown this year’s winner. 

Have you ever thought about being a part of cooking competition? The ones where the clock ticks loudly, you have a stocked kitchen and a plan and then a mystery box is thrown in or  you have to cook with your eyes closed or use aluminum foil for your cooking vessel. Plates fall, ingredients are flying, people are sweating, and hands are thrown up as the clock menacingly hits zero.

I applaud those who can stomach it, but me? Give me a quiet kitchen, a full pantry and a glass of wine and that’s what I call cooking. Every once in a while, though I like to imagine if I were a part of a cooking competition what would I make. Especially when the challenge is simply this: prepare a signature dish. What would be the recipe that encapsulates you on a plate? 

The Barilla Pasta World Championship is happening in Paris right now and as much as I wish I could be there (watching, not competing) I had fun in the kitchen imagining what I would make for their first challenge: “The Masterpiece. In this challenge, the chefs will create and present their Masterpiece – their signature dish.”

A pasta-centric signature dish. I wanted to play along. So, here’s how my process went.

For days I haven’t been able to get Pasta al Limone out of my head. Bon Appetit posted a stunningly creamy pasta dish with citron curls of lemon peel, a heavy hand of black pepper and a few flutters of Parmesan. So, I started there, but if this was to be a masterpiece then it needs more. 

I went to the store for inspiration. That’s where my next step usually is. I wander the aisles thinking about what might be the right addition with a lemon-y pasta. I imagine myself eating the dish; it’s silky, tender and creamy so maybe I want a little crunch, some texture and bite. Standing at the deli counter I see a fennel-studded salami – finocchiona. I imagine it diced and fried until crisp. Next I spot chanterelles. It’s the time of year when they are in abundance and I am tempted to put them in everything. Their season is so short so really there’s no reason to not be eating them right now. Plus, if this is my masterpiece, I want it to tell the story of my home and one bite of chanterelles I’m immediately standing in the damp woods, under the canopy of the pines. Speaking of pine, I remember I have some leftover toasted pine nuts and think that they too would offer a nice buttery bite. To complete my masterpiece, I use Barilla Spaghetti so that all of the ingredients blend together around the pasta. Then I think about how it will all look on the plate, it’s a lot of beige at this point but nothing that a simple flurry of finely minced parsley can’t fix.

When all is said and done it’s a visually humble masterpiece but me on a plate? Absolutely. It’s simple with a twist. The ingredient list is short but purposeful, it has texture contrast and intrigue and is equally comfortable being eaten in a bowl on the couch with a glass of wine nearby or being served in a lovely restaurant, artfully presented. I’ll take the couch.

I’m not too certain it would win me the competition but I will say I am very happy with dinner tonight.

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Pasta al limone with finocchiona, chanterelle and Parmesan

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

12 ounces Barilla spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound finocchiona, 1/4-inch dice

1/4 pound chanterelles, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 lemon

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups finely grated parmesan

Black pepper

Sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely minced parsley

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Instructions

Set a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil then add the finocchiona. Sauté until the salami is browned and crisp. Add the chanterelles along with a pinch of salt. Saute until just starting to brown, then add the garlic and continue to saute for a few minutes more. 

Using a vegetable peeler cut a 1 inch strip of the lemon peel off then zest the remaining peel using a microplane. Squeeze the juice (about 2 tablespoons) then set aside. 

Bring a large pot of water to boil then add enough salt to make it taste like the sea. Add the pasta, cook for 8-9 minutes, until it still has a good bit of bite to it. It will continue to cook in the sauce.

While the pasta cooks transfer the salami and chanterelles from the skillet to a plate. Return the skillet to the stove set over medium heat. Add the cream, 1/2 pasta water, lemon zest and a good bit of black pepper. Whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time. Stir in 1 cup of the parmesan. Taste and add salt if needed.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce then cook, stirring well to coat the pasta. Add more pasta water if the sauce looks dry. Add the sauteed mushrooms and salami to the pasta. Stir to combine. 

Transfer the pasta to a serving platter. Cut the lemon peel into thin strips then add to the top of the pasta along with remaining Parmesan, pine nuts and parsley. Serve right away. 

I feel like celebrating. It’s been a year (give or take a day or so) since Let’s Stay In hit the bookstores and I’m feeling sentimental. This little book went out to the world with a bit of fanfare and then I just left it to do its thing. Hoping, praying and crossing my fingers that the recipes will find their way into your homes, around your table and perhaps even into the stories of your families. I’ve received so many incredible messages throughout the year that indicate that my prayers were answered.

Thank you for trusting me with your time, your resources and with those precious moments spent around the table. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude today as I reflect on the incredible gift it is to be able to share this work. Just like any job there are many moments where it feels just like work. That’s when I sit back, often head into the kitchen just to cook and revel in the goodness.

Words fail me so let’s just celebrate this little occasion with a warming, special yet delightfully simple dinner. It’s what I’ll be making tonight and I hope you join me. Connecting with you all over recipes really does bring an intimacy that is felt beyond the computer screen.

Thanks for all the support and for enjoying and sharing the work I do. It would not happen without you all.

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Oven Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash and Candied Rosemary Walnuts

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 4-6 servings

As much as I love cooking the reality is most days don’t afford me the luxury of gingerly stirring a pot for an hour with a glass of Pinot in hand. But just because that’s my reality doesn’t mean I can’t have risotto on a regular basis. Enter oven-baked risotto. This no-stir method produces a creamy, satisfying result without all the stirring (don’t worry, you can still have the wine in hand while the oven does all the work). 

The process starts with a cold oven so that pesky preheating isn’t even an issue here. And if fall is a season or two away feel free to skip the squash and candied walnuts and go for say, roasted asparagus with peas. Or how about roasted corn and tomato laced with twangy goat cheese and a few wisps of basil? The adaptability here makes this dinner a perfect candidate for cleaning out your fridge.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons/ 60 g unsalted butter, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided

1 large onion, diced about 3 cups/ 450 g 

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced, about 4 cups / 540 g 

1 1/4 cups/ 250 g arborio rice

4 cups/960 ml chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup/ 240 ml white wine, divided

1 cup/ 10 g finely grated Parmesan

1/2 cup/ 60 g crumbled gorgonzola (optional)

Instructions

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet. Stir in the onions and rosemary and sauté over medium heat until they just start to color, about 15 minutes. Add the butternut squash and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt then continue to cook for 5 minutes. In a 9×13 baking dish add the rice, stock, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and 1 teaspoon sea salt then stir in the butternut squash mixture. Place the dish in the middle rack of your oven. Turn the oven to 400°F. Bake the rice for 30 minutes stirring about halfway through. The rice should still be ever so chewy. Remove the rice from the oven then stir in the remaining 1/2 cup white wine and the parmesan. Serve with the candied walnuts and gorgonzola crumbles, if using. Serve while warm.

*Leftovers? Breaded in Panko crumbs leftover risotto fries up beautifully in a skillet with just a bit of oil. Add an egg if the risotto is not wanting to hold together. 

Candied Rosemary Walnuts

1 cup/ 120 g walnuts

1/4 cup/ 50 g sugar

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Flake salt

Add the walnuts, sugar, and rosemary leaves to a dry skillet set over medium high heat. Stir occasionally as the sugar melts and caramelizes. Don’t leave the pan as the walnuts and sugar can easily burn. As the sugar starts to melt stir continuously until completely melted and the walnuts have shifted in color. The sugar will start to smoke but continue to cook until deeply caramelized. Carefully dump the caramelized walnuts onto a plate, sprinkle with flake salt then let cool. 

* This post was created in partnership with California Olive Ranch. We’ve been working together this year  to bring you some special recipes that highlight this beautiful olive oil. I’ve been using their olive oil for years now because they produce a high quality oil for an everyday price. They work with farmers in California and around the world to source their olive oil in order to create perfect blends.

As always the words, images and opinions are my own. A very hearty thank you to all of you who support the brands that believe in the work I do here.

As much as I love the abundance of produce in the summer it’s fall that I’d consider to be the season of cooking. There’s a chill in the air that settles me inside. I’m home, warm and content. As the rain patters against the window and the gray settles in I take it upon myself, a duty and an honor, to fill the air with scents of spice, roasts and freshly wakened yeast. Simple joys when slowly added together build a lifetime of loving memories.

Now that we’re settling back into a rhythm and routine of the fall and the sun softens its heat, the oven is back on, dinner is once again served round the table and I’m happy.

This focaccia recipe is from my latest book, Let’s Stay In. I loved it when I wrote it (which is why it’s in the book) but since publication this recipe has been fully lived in. The dough comes together quickly and while it can handle a slow rise it’s not required. I can throw the dough together between inbox sessions then about 30 minutes before we plan to eat I ravage the fridge and figure out what to throw on top. Served with a simple salad it makes a stunning meal that doesn’t feel as thrown together as it really is. 

As luck would have it on this particular day I had a delicata squash and a potato sitting next to one another in the vegetable bowl. While I’m the only one in the family who heralds squash season with fanfare this simple pizza of sorts got rave reviews from each seat at the table.

Bay leaves add a fragrant floral note but rosemary would also do nicely here, as would sage or thyme. I thought Parmesan would finish the focaccia but it turns out pecorino is what I had on hand. All of that to say, this is endlessly adaptable. 

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Squash and Potato Focaccia with Bay and Pecorino

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

3 cups / 1 lb/ 455 g flour

1 tablespoon yeast

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cup / 10 ounces/ 300 ml warm water

1/4 cup / 1 3/4 ounce / 60 ml California Olive Ranch Destination Series Mild & Buttery olive oil

1/2 delicata squash, deseeded

1/2 large yukon gold potato

5 fresh bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon chili flake

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large bowl using your hands as the dough hook) add the flour, yeast, sea salt, and sugar. Mix just a few seconds to combine. Stir in the warm water and olive oil then knead until a smooth, sticky dough forms. Let this rise until doubled, about an hour, or plop into a greased and lidded container in the fridge overnight.

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

After the first rise add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a parchment lined sheet pan. Add the dough to the pan and coat the dough in the oil. Start to press the dough to cover the pan. It will resist at first but stretch it as far as it wants to go then let it rest a few minutes then stretch again. Continue until the dough reaches all four corners of the pan.

Using a mandolin (or a very sharp knife) slice the delicata squash very thin, about 1/8-inch. Cut the potato in half lengthwise and slice using the same thickness. They need to be sliced super thin in order to cook through in the oven.

Layer the squash and potato on the focaccia dough until covered then slip in the bay leaves. Sprinkled with chili flake, olive oil and flake salt. Let rise for 30 minutes. 

Rare is the book that changes you from within. That shifts your way of thinking, even if subtle, so that every breath, every step outside, every gentle breeze feels new. For me, Braiding Sweetgrass is that book. The heart behind Robin Wall Kimmerer’s words are what inspired the intention behind our Nourishing Through Nature Workshop we hosted earlier this summer.

“Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them.
Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life. Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.
Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need.
Take only that which is given.

Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share.
Give thanks for what you have been given.
Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken.
Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

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Leg of Lamb, Lemon and Mint Salad

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

1 4-5 pound leg of lamb

salt and pepper

2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt

2 small Meyer lemons

1 generous cup fresh mint leaves

Instructions

If you’re the sort that plans ahead, generously salt and pepper your lamb leg the day before you plan to cook it.

You are welcome to add more spices to your lamb. I really enjoy coriander and cumin. On this particular day I used a dried morel salt to season the lamb.

If using a grill, preheat until very hot. If you plan to cook over the fire, ignite a large fire then let it burn down to a hot pile of coals. Cook the lamb about 8-10 inches from the coals on a grill grate. You may have to move the lamb leg around a bit to keep it from charring too much.

I’ve found that a deep sear, about 7 minutes per side, and then another 10 minutes on a cooler part of the grill or fire gets me a beautiful medium rare lamb. Use a meat thermometer for the most accuracy. 145°F is just right for medium rare.

Let the lamb rest for at least 15 minutes.

While the lamb rests, generously slather the yogurt on the bottom of your platter. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the lemons into 1/8-inch thick small triangles and tear the mint leaves.

Add pieces of thinly sliced lamb to the yogurt. Then top with the lemon and mint.

This workshop is the work of many hands.

Photos: Gabriel Rodriguez

Florals: Teressa Johnson

Natural Dying: Hina Mughal

Location: Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

Serveware: Barebones Living

Partner: American Lamb Board

Grandpa would have been 100 this past fourth of July. He died just a few weeks short of his 99th birthday last summer.

We celebrated in the same way we’ve done my entire life, fireworks and a table full of food meant for grazing on all day long. The only difference was there was no birthday cake. Ivy and I did bring a no-bake cheesecake tart decorated with berries to look like an American flag. Grandma would have loved it.

I also brought this salad. It’s hearty and simple and yet each bite is fragrant, floral and fresh. Nestled in a large ceramic bowl with creamy unsweetened yogurt as the base this salad sat on the table next to two Snicker Salads. One my son, Baron, made because he feared we would run out of this classic. The other my aunt made because she always does. It’s snickers, green apples, pudding, and cool whip. Also, it’s important that you know that it is not a dessert. It is most definitely served right along side the hot dogs and hamburgers.

Food is so funny in that way. Because of tradition I have an affinity towards store bought birthday cake, Lay’s potato chips and a salad of pudding and whipped topping. I crave those tastes and the flood of memories that come with them. I also crave the bright pungent hit of preserved lemon, set alongside sweet dates and tart raw rhubarb. I eat both this farro salad and snickers salad with deep joy and no shame.

One is perhaps better for my body and the others, well on a day when you wished nothing more than to be celebrating your grandparents with them there, the other foods were for my heart. And sometimes that is okay too.

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Farro Salad with Preserved Lemon, Rhubarb and Yogurt

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 6 – 8 servings

This salad was inspired by one eaten and enjoyed at Vif here in Seattle. 

I feel in love with the tart crunch of raw rhubarb. It is perfectly suited with the sweetness from the dates. Large leaves of mint may seem a daunting bite but I assure you they are everything in this salad. 

Ingredients

8 ounces Italian pearled farro, cooked until tender in salted water (3 cups cooked)

4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 slender rhubarb stalk, thinly sliced

1/3 cup pitted, chopped Medjool dates

1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup mint leaves

2 cups arugula

Flake salt

1 pint whole milk Greek yogurt

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the farro, scallions, rhubarb, dates, preserved lemon, olive oil, and lemon juice. Stir until well combine.

This can stay refrigerated for up to three days.

Just before serving toss with the mint and arugula. Taste and finish with flake salt.

Smear the yogurt on the base of the serving bowl or platter then top with the salad.

*This post is proudly created in partnership with Barilla.  May was Mediterranean Diet Month which was just ranked #1 best overall diet for the second year in a row. So this recipe was inspired by this special Month. Lucky for us pasta plays an important role in that diet. So really, it’s a diet I can get behind all year long.

If you could peer into the window on a weeknight in our home you’d probably see pasta on the table. And if you are peering through the window, just come on in because we would love to have you join us.

Pasta is my go-to weeknight meal when the cupboards and fridge are starting to look bare. I’ll often start by thinking about what vegetables I have and want to use with the pasta, from there I may add a protein sometimes in the form of an egg stirred into the sauce or the finished plate topped with a soft boiled egg. There is always some form of cheese and loads of fresh herbs.

To celebrate Mediterranean Diet Month Barilla asked if I would create a pasta using their “Italian Recipe Builder”. I realized that this beautifully illustrated flow chart is basically the same process that happens when it’s pasta for dinner. Using this chart you can create hundreds of different pasta recipes. I tend to add a bit more cheese but I don’t think the Italians mind. These are the sort of recipes I love. The ones that leave plenty of room for creativity and feel both comforting and virtuous.

I’m usually a purist when it comes to pasta but I really enjoyed the nutty heartiness from the whole grain linguine. If fresh salmon isn’t available smoked salmon works beautifully. Feel free to use dill or parsley in place of the chives.

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Whole Grain Linguine with Salmon and Asparagus

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 12 ounce box Barilla Whole Grain Linguine

Sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup shallot

12 ounces cubed salmon

2 cups roughly chopped asparagus

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup chopped chives

Instructions

Cook the pasta in heavily salted water then cook one minute less than the package directions. While the pasta cooks add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Sauté the shallot under tender and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the salmon and cook until opaque on the outside, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the asparagus and a heavy pinch or two of salt. Cook until the asparagus is just cooked through.

Carefully stir in the pasta with 1/3 cup pasta water. Stir in the Parmesan. Add more pasta water if needed.

Finish with chives then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

*This year I’ve teamed with California Walnuts to bring you several walnut studded recipes that I’m certain you will love. I mean have you seen our walnut cake?! Walnuts are full of good fats (2.5g/oz omega-3 ALA) and also offer protein (4g/oz), fiber (2g/oz) and antioxidants.* But my favorite thing about walnuts? They’re delicious. As always anything you see and read here are my opinions, words and imagery but we so appreciate you supporting the brands that support the work we do. Great partnerships equals many more great recipes for all of us.

Things in the Rodriguez household have gotten a bit more complicated when it comes to food. Our tender-hearted 10 year old decided he wanted to be a pescatarian after studying about the impact much of the meat industry has on our environment. While Gabe has been put on a low-fat diet (which really is against everything I stand for – perhaps a bit dramatic, but I really am a strong believer in fat) for health related issues. And for myself, after months of feeling lethargic, foggy brained, tired, depressed and anxious I got a full lab done which revealed I’m deficient in so many many areas.

Now all of this is quite possibly more information than you bargained for if you’ve simply landed here for a recipe but if you’ve been here for longer than ten minutes you know by know that we go there. While this is indeed a food blog, what we talk about here are the things I imagine we’d discuss while sitting around my dining room table.

I’m incredibly grateful for our health, and all the things we are dealing with regarding our diets can easily be remedied, but I’d be lying if I said that it hasn’t rattled me a bit. I’ve never been one to cook several different meals for dinner for the sake of satisfying each individual in the family, but I’ve yet to really reconcile what these changes will look like at the table.

But right now it’s just me at the table. It’s lunchtime, the pescatarian is at school (although he would happily eat what’s in front of me right now), and the low-fat dieter is away working. Lunch is my time to satisfy my own needs  both for nourishment and pleasure. And while sometimes I admit, lunch for one is a scoop of peanut butter and a banana, today it’s a thick slice of homemade walnut bread still warm from the oven topped with blue cheese whipped until a blue streaked cloud forms then topped with a sweet, tart and licorice tinged slaw heavily laced with dill and lemon. This is lunch for one, and it is healing for so many reasons.

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Walnut Tartine with Whipped Blue Cheese and Fennel Apple Slaw

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

2 thick-cut slices of walnut bread

4 ounces blue cheese, room temperature

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 green apple, cut into matchsticks

1/4 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped dill

Zest and juice from 1 small lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & pepper

1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor combine the blue cheese and cream cheese. Process until creamy and light. You may need to scrape down the bowl a couple of times to make sure everything is well combined.In a medium bowl combine the apple, fennel, scallion, dill, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and a hearty pinch of salt (I like flake salt here for the crunch) and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.Slather the bread (toasted or untoasted – the choice is yours) with half of the blue cheese mixture then top with slaw and walnuts. Enjoy immediately. Save the rest for tomorrow’s lunch.

Toasted Walnut BreadFrom Date Night IN

3 1/4 cups/1 pound all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups/ 400 g lukewarm water

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon yeast

1 cup / 3 ounces toasted walnuts

In a large bowl stir together the flour, yeast, salt, 1 3/4 cups/ 400 g lukewarm water, and walnuts. It will be slumped and very wet.Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let sit overnight. You can also refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days.Grab a bowl a bit larger than the volume of the bread dough. Lay a clean towel in the bowl and cover the towel generously with flour.Dump your dough onto a heavily floured surface and add more flour to the top of the dough so your hands don’t stick. The wetness of the dough creates a light and almost velvety texture to the final bread but don’t be afraid of using flour here so you aren’t covered in wet dough.Form the dough into a round by gently tucking the edges under while turning the dough.Lay the round into the bowl with the floured cloth so the seam is exposed. Cover the dough and let rise for an hour or until it feels airy, light and slowly springs back when gently pressed.  While it rises, place a 3 or 4 quart oven safe lidded pot in the oven and preheat to 450°F for one hour.Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Place the round of bread into the pan seam side down.There’s no way to avoid this being a messy and awkward step. I assure you that even after dozens of homemade loaves I still look a bit disheveled in this.Give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to distribute the dough. Cover and return to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the crust is golden and the loaf sounds hollow and looming when tapped.

Remove the loaf from the pan. If you want a deeper set and more intensely caramelized crust you can return the loaf to the oven outside of its pan for another 5 to 10 minutes.

*2 Walnuts offer a variety of antioxidants (3.721 mmol/oz), including polyphenols (69.3 ± 16.5 μmol catechin equivalents/g) and gamma tocopherol (5.91 mg/ounce). The data for antioxidant capacity of foods generated by test-tube methods cannot be extrapolated to human effects. Clinical trials to test benefits of dietary antioxidants have produced mixed results.

*This post is created in partnership with Rioja Wines. There are two things that get me real excited about these wines. First of all they are only released when they are ready to drink so I don’t have to worry about aging them (something I’ve never been very good at). And secondly they are beautiful with food. As always the words, images and recipes are mine. Thanks for supporting the brands that support the work I do here. Cheers!

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.”

― Jon Kabat-Zinn

One of the first things I do when I step into the kitchen to make dinner is to pour myself a glass of wine. This simple act goes beyond the wine itself in its significance. I watch the glass as the earthy red tint of the wine hits the bottom then dances up the sides. In that moment I slow down, become mindful of the process of cooking and attempt to shift my often distorted perspective from thinking of cooking dinner for my family as a chore to remembering it’s how I best love them. And what a gift and privilege it is to have the time and resources to do so.

Now of course this mindful moment doesn’t have to be instigated with the pouring of a glass of wine but for me it has become something sacred that pulls me into the present. Something I have been trying to do more and more lately. A moment to arrest the fretting about the past (even the past of 10 minutes ago) and to cease the fear of the future. The same intention can happen in the slicing of an onion, the process of making a cup of tea or plucking fresh herbs of their tender stems. All it requires is a brief moment to remind yourself of where you are and the gratitude to be there.

The older I get the more I realize that our life is lived in the little moments. The moments where we rest in the present.

This dinner takes about a half a glass of wine to prepare. The key to a successful stir fry to have all of your ingredients prepped before you start preheating the wok as the cooking goes quite fast, leaving little time to chop in the in between moments.

Since I’m feeding heat averse children I tend to leave out any chili and play it safe on the Sichuan peppers but you should feel free to add more based on your appreciation of heat. Also, this recipe would work well with ground chicken or pork and that would also be a nice fit with the wine.

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Green Bean and Shiitake Stir Fry

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Adapted from Melissa Clark via The New York Times

Ingredients

2 tablespoons neutral oil (rice bran, peanut or sunflower)

8 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

12 ounces trimmed green beans

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon (about 5 cloves) minced garlic

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, roughly cracked in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle

1 teaspoon Sichuan Peppercorns, roughly cracked in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

Rice, for serving

Instructions

Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat for two minutes. Add the oil then wait another minute.

Add the shiitake mushrooms and half of the salt then sauté until deeply caramelize, about 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Add the green beans, red pepper, and the remaining salt and sauté until the green beans have blistered and brightened in color, about two minutes.

Stir in the ginger, garlic, coriander and sichuan peppercorns and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute more.

Finally add the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar then cook a few minutes until the liquid has nearly evaporated.

Serve while warm with rice and more soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

Finish with chopped cilantro or toasted sesame seeds if desired.

For my first time dining at ABC Kitchen my friend and dining companion forced the squash toast on me. I read that menu with as much enthusiasm, delight and excitement as I did reading Harry Potter 7 (I just finished rereading the series and am deeply missing it). Each dish ignited inspiration – except for the squash toast. Squishy ricotta, on squishy bread with squishy squash. But she insisted.

I love it when I’m wrong. When I’m reminded of the very thing I teach my children on a daily basis, “Don’t judge something before you’ve tried it.” (Same goes for people, places, experiences, etc.)  Before I even realized it I’ve made up my own mind, somehow convincing myself of the truth when really I know nothing.

So here I give you my recipe for humble pie. Otherwise known as Squash Toast.

I have made this recipe several times since our dinner at ABC Kitchen. I’ve used butternut squash, as they do at the restaurant but I’ve since switched to delicata as I love that the squash doesn’t squish into the jam. Instead the skin (also, no peeling!) crisps in the oven so you get a lovely tender crunch. I also think the little roasted half moons are so stunning sitting atop a bed of creamy ricotta. However, no one complained when I used butternut squash so feel free to decide for yourself.

This dish can skew towards the sweet so don’t be shy with salt and heat. I have also added smoked paprika to the original recipe because, well, you know me, I love smoke.

Now I am the one insisting you try this recipe. Trust me.

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Squash Toast with Smoky Onion Jam

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 4 servings

This recipe is my version of the iconic toast served at ABC Kitchen. 

Ingredients

Onion Jam

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

Pinch salt

Pinch chili flake

3 thyme sprigs

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Roasted Squash

1 delicata squash, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Sea salt

Chili flake

Toast

4 thick cut slices of bread

Olive oil

salt

1 cup whole milk ricotta

1/4 cup mint leaves, torn or chopped

Instructions

For the onion jam:

In a large skillet or dutch oven set over medium heat, add the olive oil, butter, onions and then a pinch of salt. Stir in the chili flake and thyme sprigs.

Cook the onions slowly until they start to soften and then eventually brown. If the edges start to brown and crisp turn down the heat so as to gently encourage the natural sugars in the onions to caramelize. This, like so many of life’s finest things, takes time. So give it that. 45 minutes to an hour is fine. You could go longer and your patience would be rewarded.

Once the onions match the color of a fine aged cigar (first reference that popped into my head – Gabe is really into cigars right now) stir in the vinegar and maple syrup. Reduce until sticky – neither soupy or dry, about 3 minutes of cooking. Turn off the heat, wait for it to cool a bit then pluck the thyme sprigs from the jam. While the jam cools roast the squash.

For the squash:

Line a sheet pan with parchment and preheat your oven to 400°F.

Cut the squash into 1/4 inch thick half moons. Add to the sheet pan then toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and a pinch of chili flake. Roast until tender and caramelized in parts. I don’t even mind a few bits that are crisp and charred.

Gently fold the roasted squash into the onion jam. Keep warm for the toasts or make ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Rewarm before serving.

Assemble the toast:

Drizzle the bread with olive oil then toast in a hot skillet, grill pan or on an actual grill. You want a good bit of color on the exterior crust while maintaining some softness within. SO use a very hot pan.

Top the bread with ricotta then add a nice pinch of salt. Add to that about 1/3 cup of the onion/squash mixture. Finish with salt and fresh mint. I like to add a bit more chili flake to mine too but that is up to you.

There are a few simple things that I utterly embrace during this season of gray. Warming cups of tea in the dark evening light, long walks in the drizzling rain while sufficiently bundled, a mantle full of lit candles while the flames in the fireplace whip below, and soup.

Steaming bowls of soup with a thick cut slice of bread and a slather of butter spread on like frosting. I’m certain I could eat that meal for week on end without feeling one bit sad about it. In fact, this time of year that’s pretty much what I do.

While I tend to shy away from cleanses and goals about diets that I will dismiss after day two, this time of year I do long for a reprieve from the holiday fare. A bowl of soup is quite possibly one of my favorite ways to disguise comfort with health. Over the last several years I’ve taken great pride in my soup-making abilities in that I’m able to whip up a smooth and creamy bowl that tastes, well, like it’s loaded with cream. And this recipe that I’m sharing today is my proudest soup achievement. The walnuts are added directly to the pot along with the vegetables. The key to a hearty, almost smokey flavor is to caramelize the vegetables until nearly charred in parts. The walnuts deepen color and add to the roasty flavor of the final soup. They also add an incredibly rich creaminess that mimics cream and butter like nothing I’ve ever tried.

The resulting soup is somehow decadent and does well with a bright lift from the lemon tinged Toasted Walnut and Rosemary Gremolata. It’s the sort of dish that perfectly strikes that balance of being utterly satisfying and yet also pleasantly healthful.

*This post was created in partnership with California Walnuts. The words, recipe, photos and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting me and the work I do by supporting the brands that partner with me.

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Celeriac, Green Apple and Walnut Soup

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium leek, halved, white and light green parts thinly sliced

1 large (1 lb) celeriac root, trimmed and roughly cubed

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 Granny Smith apple, core removed and roughly chopped

1 cup walnuts

1 medium potato, roughly cubed

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Toasted Walnut and Rosemary Gremolata

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted, finely chopped

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, finely minced

Zest from one lemon

1 garlic clove, finely minced

Salt

Instructions

For the soup:

In a large dutch oven set over medium high heat add the olive oil. Stir in the leeks and sauté until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the celery root, garlic, apple, walnuts, and potato. Sauté the vegetables and nuts are deeply caramelized in parts, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Carefully pour in the stock and add a couple of hefty pinches of salt and a good bit of freshly cracked pepper. Bring the pot to a rolling boil then cover mostly and turn down the heat so the soup gently simmers.

Once all the vegetables are tender carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth.

Add more stock or a bit of water to get the desired texture. Taste and add more seasoning as needed.

Serve while warm with a generous shower of the walnut gremolata.

For the gremolata:

Combined the walnuts, rosemary, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and taste to adjust seasoning.

Store any leftover gremolata in a well sealed container in the fridge. Add to salads and soups as needed.

A food processor works wonders for the task of chopping all of these ingredients into a course sprinkle of sorts.

The thing about doing the same thing again is that you get a clear window into your growth as a person. Let me back up and try to have this make some semblance of sense.

There I was in a hot yoga studio with plenty of bright natural light and bending myself into pretzel like positions for the very first time in my life. I’ve done yoga in the privacy of my own home with only my puppies watching me and judging my bent knees while attempting “downward dog”. But I was in New Orleans and Joy suggested we go to a yoga class. I gave a hearty yes and the enthusiasm was straight up sincere but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel uncomfortable about the situation. I did it and towards the end as we were a bit sweaty and asked to breathe and think about our intention for the day and to give ourselves the proper accolades for having just spent an hour getting sweaty and being all mindful tears welled up in my eyes. I felt peace and lightness in a season where I had not anticipated such a gift.

What a difference this book release has felt to the first one. With any firsts there are so many unknowns. I don’t know about you but I don’t do very well with unknown. If I knew what the end result would be then I could have so much more chill, unfortunately life is a journey with an unclear destination. Because of that though there is so much opportunity for growth (basically a positive way of saying a challenge).

I’ve learned a lot about my process and I’ve learned a lot about myself. In my younger years my first step was always to try and change myself in order to fit into the mold that I assumed was right. These days I’m assured in myself and now the goal is to set up my surroundings in order to fit myself. The point of all of this? Not sure exactly but I see growth and wanted to take a minute to celebrate that and also, I ate the best sandwiches of my life and I needed to share that with you all. Because you get me and you understand why this sandwich brought a literal tear to my eye.

I am not always hip to the latest coolest restaurants on the scene so before Joy mentioned lunch at Turkey and the Wolf I had no idea that Bon Appetit had named it the best restaurant in the country in 2017. Now I’m a full-fledged fan. We ordered the Bologna sandwich with layers of fried bologna, shrettuce (shredded lettuce), special sauce, american cheese and housemade vinegar potato chips. And we had the Collard Greens Melt. Back at Joy’s house later that evening I did some Googling and found the recipe on Bon Appetit. Immediately I ordered Duke’s Mayonnaise and Creole seasoning so it would be at my door by the time I arrived home.

Make this sandwich. Yes, time is involved but you can not deny the tears I cried.

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The Collard Green Melt

Author B

Yield 4 sandwiches

From Turkey and The Wolf as printed on BonAppetit.com

I followed this recipe exactly as written from the site, although when I ate the leftovers I didn’t make it a triple decker as instructed here and it was just as delightful.

Ingredients

Collards

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

 

½ cup red wine vinegar

 

¼ cup sugar

 

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (such as Zatarain’s)

 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

 

10 cups (packed) torn collard green leaves (from about 4 bunches)

Slaw

 

¼ head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

 

¼ small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced

 

⅓ cup mayonnaise

 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

1 tablespoon (or more) distilled white vinegar

 

Kosher salt

Russian Dressing

 

½ cup mayonnaise

 

¼ cup chopped pickled hot cherry peppers

 

1 teaspoon hot sauce

 

1 teaspoon ketchup

 

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Assembly

 

12 thin slices caraway rye or whole wheat bread

 

8 thick-cut slices deli-style Swiss cheese

Instructions

Collards

 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar, sugar, Creole seasoning, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Add collards, tossing in liquid to wilt. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until collards are dark green and very soft, 2½–3 hours. There should be very little liquid left—just enough to coat greens. If there is too much, cook uncovered until you have the right amount.

 

Do Ahead: Collards can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

Slaw

 

Toss cabbage, onion, mayonnaise, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a medium bowl to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

 

Season with salt and more vinegar if needed just before using.

 

Do Ahead: Slaw can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Russian Dressing

 

Mix mayonnaise, cherry peppers, hot sauce, ketchup, and pepper in a small bowl to combine.

 

Do Ahead: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Assembly

 

Heat broiler (rack should be in highest position). Place 8 slices of bread on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, checking every 30 seconds, until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Turn and toast second side until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Top each toast with a slice of cheese and broil until melted and starting to brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a work surface.

 

Place remaining 4 slices of bread on same baking sheet and toast, checking every 30 seconds, until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Turn and toast second side until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

 

If collard greens are cold, reheat in a large skillet over medium until hot, about 5 minutes.

 

Divide 2 cups slaw among 4 cheesy toasts. Top with remaining 4 cheesy toasts. Using a slotted spoon (or you’ll end up with a soggy sammy), divide collard greens among cheesy toasts. Generously spread one side of plain toasts with dressing and place dressing side down on collard greens to close sandwiches. Cut sandwiches in half diagonally and serve with lots of napkins.

“Our kitchen and our table, like many of yours I’m sure, are the center of our home. So often it’s a far cry from the picturesque Norman Rockwell paintings but I don’t expect perfection, I long for relationship. Food brings us to the table and my goal in life is to spend as much time there as possible. And that’s my goal for all of you as well because, for me, nothing in life is more beautiful than time spent at the table.” from Let’s Stay In  

All the work that I do in the food world is for one purpose; to bring people to the table. The longer I do this work the more I’m convinced it’s some of the most important work we can do. Everyday it becomes more and more apparent that we are in deep need of connection and civility. Where the internet can often highlight the black and white way of thinking the table reminds us that we are all people trying our best and doing what we can.

Wouldn’t it be so great if all of us could sit around the table? I would love that so very much buuuuuut I know that is a bit of a dream so we came up with the next best thing. We’re having a virtual, “Let’s Stay In Party!’

Here’s what I would love for you to do: This weekend (October 19-21) I want us all to stay in and gather around the table. Whether it be a cozy Friday night dinner or Sunday morning brunch, let’s meet at the table over good food. It could be you and a friend, your family or a party for 20! There are no limits. Cook a dish from Let’s Stay In, then sit down and enjoy it! At some point along the way, take a photo and share it with the hashtag #letsstayinbook. For every time that hashtag is used over the course of the weekend we will be donate $1 to No Kid Hungry. They are an organization with a simple yet stunning mission: to make sure no child in America goes hungry. Read all about them, the work they do and how you can get involved here.

While your at the table talk to your guests about hosting a Friendsgiving in partnership with No Kid Hungry. They offer great recipes and amazing resources to help you host a wonderful dinner party with a purpose. Click here to find out more!

Make food. Gather around the table. Share it with the world. Help kids get food.

Really, is there anything better than that?

For our weekend of staying in these cozy, easy and comforting meatballs are on the menu. As the weather has cooled my excitement for pasta has grown. I picked up a copy of Flour + Water recently and I’ve made it a goal to really hone my homemade pasta making skills this season. So I’ll be serving my meatballs with some sort of homemade pasta. Sounds like a perfect Saturday activity.

This recipe is straight from the new book. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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Turkey Meatballs in Arrabiata Sauce

Author Ashley Rodriguez

There is something inherently cozy about tucking into a bowl of simmered red sauce and meatballs. It’s what I crave when the outside world feels weighty and too much. When I find myself feeling so small and overwhelmed there’s a bowl of slick noodles and warming sauce that somehow feeds hope as it fills me up. Or sometimes it’s simply what I crave on a cold evening.

Arrabiata is a simple sauce with a bit of heat – or a lot of heat if that’s what you prefer. The anchovy here adds a salty depth without leaving the dish tasting fishy. I am hesitant to say that you can leave it out as it adds so much but I will say it, just add a bit more salt in the process.

This is one of those meals that is easily doubled and can slip into the freezer for another night. It’s also sturdy enough to pass along to a friend who is need of a good home cooked meal.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 pound/ 450 g ground dark turkey meat

1/2 cup / 50 grams finely grated Parmesan

1/3 cup/ 20 g panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch chili flake

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 small onion, finely diced, about 1/4 cup/60 g

1 egg

2 tablespoons olive oil

Arrabiata

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 anchovies, minced

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flake (or more if desired)

28 ounce/800 g can crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

For the meatballs: In a large bowl combine the turkey, Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, oregano, chili flake, parsley, basil, garlic, onion, and egg. Stir just until everything is well mixed but take care not to over mix as you don’t want to toughen the meat. Sear a small amount of the mixture then taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet or dutch oven. Sear the meatballs over high heat until a deep, dark crust forms. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

For the sauce: Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and saute the anchovy, garlic, and chili flake over medium high heat.

Once the garlic has turned golden carefully add the tomatoes. Stir in the oregano, sea salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the pan then gently simmer until they are cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve over creamy polenta or pasta.

*This post is created in partnership with Cabot Creamery. They are a cooperative owned by 1,000 farm families throughout New York & New England and remarkably they get to boast the incredible title of the World’s Best Cheddar. How do we know? Well, they have won every major award for taste. All I know is that I can’t stop eating it and it makes this pasta dish I have for you today irresistible.

I recently got the chance to eat cheese and drink wine with them in Napa and while we were there we created three recipes that I think you all will love. Make sure you follow them to get all those recipes and more. Now let’s talk cheesy pasta.

Even with the sun pouring through the windows, the house well-heated as a result, I still get the occasional craving for a abundant bowl of cheesy pasta. Sometimes I have the appetite of a child but really, when doesn’t cheese and pasta sound good?

I’m pretty excited to share this technique with you all. It’s a sort of macaroni and cheese/ carbonara hybrid. It has the craveable cheesiness of macaroni and cheese with the simple technique of carbonara. It’s incredible pantry-friendly and highly adaptable. Don’t have bacon or pancetta? No problem, it’d be fine without. Have a glut of zucchini (so often the case this time of year)? Roast or caramelize in a pan then use that in lieu of the snap peas. Fresh cherry tomatoes or blistered corn would also be lovely if those happen to be lingering. And never hesitate to toss in fresh herbs by the handfuls.

In order to get that creamy sauce that coats the pasta in that unmistakable carbonara-like way – you know what I mean, right? It’s slick but not greasy, covers the pasta but isn’t thick and gluey. In order to get that consistency we whip eggs with the finely grated cheddar cheese and add the hot pasta directly to the eggs. The starchy pasta water holds the secret key to the magic is its heat helps to further melt the cheese while the starch creates a cohesive sauce coating the nooks and crannies of each individual noodle.

The sugar snap peas are quickly sautéed just after the pancetta crisps. Their pleasant bite brings to the dish virtue and a delightful crunch that sets off the creaminess brilliantly. If pea vines are still available I recommend crowning the pasta or arugula will fill in nicely.

Sit down with a bowl along with a chilled glass of crisp Chardonnay.

To see the technique in action watch the video on my Instagram or Facebook.

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Mac and Cheese “Carbonara style” with Blistered Snap Peas Serves 4 to 6

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

6 ounces/170 g pancetta or bacon cut into 1/2 -inch strips

1 pound fresh snap peas

1 pound/ 450 g short pasta (macaroni, gemelli, or orecchiette) 

Sea salt

6 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) grated Cabot Alpine Cheddar cheese

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to finish

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus more to finish

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 ounces pea vines (optional)

Olive oil and flake salt to finish

Instructions

Add enough water to fill a large dutch oven or stock pot up halfway then stir in enough salt to make the water taste of the sea. Bring this to a boil.

While the water comes to a boil, crisp up the pancetta in a large skillet, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add  the sugar snap peas and cook just until their color brightens and exterior blackens in parts, 2 to 3 minutes.

Cook the pasta until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.

In a large bowl stir together the cheddar cheese and eggs until thoroughly combined.

Add the hot noodles directly to the egg mixture and stir well and quickly so as not to cook the eggs. Add a bit of the pasta water as needed to create a creamy sauce.

To the pasta add the pancetta and sugar snap peas then stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Transfer the pasta to a serving platter then top with the pea vines and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add flake salt to finish.

*This post was created in partnership with DeLallo Foods. Over 60 years ago it was a small Italian market in Pennsylvania now it’s incredible online marketplace with great products that inspired this Summer cheese and meat board. As always thank you so much for supporting my passion for bringing beautiful food to the world and the companies who get behind that message.

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Welcome to the season of assembling. Summer’s near perfect weather and plentiful produce leave little time or necessity for cooking. Instead we piece together stunning meals by gathering some sweet and snappy peas, peppery radishes, a handful of cherries that pop in your mouth, and a few cheeses, pickled things, sliced meats and whatever else may be lingering in the fridge.

Does this sort of thing actually constitute a meal? Absolutely. In fact, this particular board, assembled on a large wooden chopping block is a fitted feast for a crowd. And the hardest part was pulling myself out of the sun-drenched hammock chair to get to the grocery store. More often than not I’ll skip that step entirely and use this platter meal as a fridge cleaning in disguise.

When creating a cheese (and so much more) board such as this one, it’s important to think about variety, color and to throw in a few extra things here and there to keep it exciting. Depending on the time of year your board could look drastically different than the one I created. Slowly wander the farmer’s market or produce aisles and grab the things that jump at you. In the summertime I often let my nose do the shopping as I follow the intoxicating scent of stone fruit or the sweet dust-like smell of a ripe summer tomato.

To that I add a variety of cheeses that differ in both texture and strength. A soft, creamy and mellow goat cheese is a lovely compliment to a smoky Gouda. A few slices of cured meats like a peppery salumi or prosciutto and you are well on your way.

I mentioned that I like to add a few surprising elements. These are the things that take that bite of bread and cheese over-the-top. Pickled things; onions, raisins, cherries and peaches (seriously, pickled fruit is amazing). Savory or sweet jams or spreads, roasted vegetables, honey (have you tried smoked honey?!). Of course a few little dishes of olives and nuts strategically placed are always welcomed.

Remember to have plenty of crackers and bread on hand for serving.

With a well stocked pantry with some essential items a simple and stunning summer meal is close at hand.

What I keep in the pantry or fridge:

Hard/medium cheeses like Parmesan, Pecorino, Gouda – smoked or not.

Soft cheese such as Chevre, blue cheese, triple creme, or camembert

Salumi and/or other cured meats

Things in jars or things that last a good bit in the fridge (olives, artichoke hearts, jams, etc.):

Pickled Onions, cornichons, nuts, Fig jam, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts

Recipes to try to take your cheese board over the top:

Smoked Honey

Quick Pickled Raisins

Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Fig and Taleggio Toasts

*This post is in partnership with Oregon Country Beef  (OCB) and PCC Community Markets. I’m honored to be working with these two companies that value relationship, community and real food. For those of you new to Seattle, PCC is the nation’s largest community-owned food co-op, and has been a Seattle stand by for 65 years. I’ve been a proud shopper at PCC for nearly two decades, becoming a card-carrying member just after Gabe and I got married. I trust them to stock locally sourced and extremely high-quality products such as OCB , which make it easy to cook a fresh, delicious meal from scratch any day of the week.

When Gabe and I were dating we used to share our dinners at restaurants. Every Friday night we would go out to a new restaurant and order a few things off the menu so we could maximize what we were able to taste while not blowing what little budget we had as a young married couple. I thought this was a mutually enjoyed exchange until we got married but after that Gabe slowly revealed to me that he didn’t want to share plates any more. You see, our taste buds are completely different. I’m sweet and savory and he’s one or the other. I’m punch-you-in-the-face flavors he’s cautious and easily overwhelmed with bold combinations. He’s a light sprinkle of soy on his sushi while I’m a heaping pile of wasabi and a deep bath of soy sauce. 

So this recipe today is all me; big bold flavors like citrus and char, fish sauce and heat – or so I thought. I’m just looking over at his plate while I’m writing this and there is no food left behind. Maybe we aren’t so different after all.

Pickled beef is an odd sounding description, I’ll admit, but it’s often the odd ones that intrigue me the most. These tacos were inspired by this recipe on Bon Appetit. Which the writer encourages us to think of it more like ceviche and less like a pickle. It all starts with quality beef – I prefer natural beef like OCB which is free from antibiotics and added hormones, and is
Non-GMO Project Verified – but the cut you choose is really up to you. The  steak is grilled over a hot fire, then rested and cubed before marinating in a pungent broth of jalapeño, lime, and fish sauce. After a little dip the meat becomes tender, punchy and gently warming. It’s a brilliant technique that can extend far beyond the taco.

While the grill is hot we char a couple of avocados and jalapeños for a smoky salsa that offsets the bright meat beautifully. This recipe is equally fitting for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd (it doubles or even triples quite nicely).

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Pickled Beef Tacos with Charred Avocado Salsa

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

1 pound Oregon Country Beef (choose either flank, skirt or bottom sirloin steak)

Salt

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced

Zest and juice from 3 large limes (about 1/2 cup juice)

4 to 6 tortillas

Charred Avocado Salsa (recipe below)

1 cup sliced cabbage

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

Season the steak with sea salt.

In a small bowl stir together the fish sauce, jalapeño, and lime zest and juice. Set aside.

Preheat your grill to high heat or set a grill grate directly over hot coals.

Grill the steak for 2 minutes before flipping and cooking an additional minute or two. The cook time will depend on the cut and thickness of the meat you choose. For the OCB bottom sirloin my total grill time was under 4 minutes.

Remove the meat from the grill then let rest while you prepare the salsa and warm the tortillas.

After the steak has rested for about 10 minutes cut it into rough 1/4 – 1/2 inch cubes.

Add the steak to the marinade and let sit for 15 minutes.

Warm the tortillas over the grill then slather with a couple of tablespoons of salsa. Top with pickled beef then cabbage and cilantro. Enjoy straight away.

Charred Avocado Salsa

2 avocados, halved and pitted

2 jalapeños

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon cumin seed

Salt

Over a hot grill char the avocados until blackened, about 2 minutes. Char the jalapeños until the skin crisps and blackens and softens.

Remove the avocados and jalapeños from the grill then let cool for a few minutes.

Scoop out the avocado into a large bowl then deseed and dice the jalapeño. Add that to the bowl as well along with cilantro, lime zest and juice, cumin seed and salt. Mash with a fork then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Use salsa straight away or cover the surface with plastic wrap if not serving immediately.