*This post was created in partnership with California Walnuts. I’m thrilled to be working with them in 2019 to bring you many recipes that highlight this delicious and nutritious ingredient. As always, the words, images and recipes are mine. 

Summer. When the ingredients I love the very most are at their peak but I’m too distracted by our adventures to want to bring myself to the kitchen to cook. To combat this, we do one of two things: Get outside, away from the kitchen to cook or we keep the food incredibly simple. Because when tomatoes are still warm from the sun there’s little more needed beyond salt and perhaps a green and grassy olive oil. Or when corn is sweet straight off the stalk it needs very little attention. And squash, one of many ingredients this time of year that we often end up with a fridge full, we bring it to the fire.

In this recipe we’re doing both; keeping it simple and cooking outside.

Grilled squash becomes tender, sweet and smoky. It is a lovely side to grilled meats, quite nice tossed with pasta, and is delightful with a creamy goat cheese or salty feta. But here we’re serving it with a smoky muhammara sauce which originates from the Middle East and is a flavorful red pepper and walnut sauce or spread. You can buy roasted red peppers for the sauce or roast them yourself on a gas stove or in the oven. Better yet, roast them over the fire for an even deeper layer of smoke. 

I do recommend you toast your walnuts for the sauce until just before you think you’ve gone too far. One day while toasting a tray of nuts I walked away for a few minutes too long then came back to find nuts that seemed to be over the edge of edibility. Not wanting to waste the ingredient I tried the nearly-too-toasty nuts and found them complex and pleasantly bitter. Now I am a fearless toaster and am never afraid of too much color. 

This dish is a perfect hearty lunch for one (hello!) or a great side to grilled fish, shrimp or any protein off the grill, really. As it stands, this dish is vegan but if that’s not needed I do think a creamy goat or salty feta would be so lovely here.

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Grilled Summer Squash with Muhammara

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

Muhammara1 large fresh red bell pepper, roasted ½ cup chopped scallions (3 to 4 scallions)

Zest and juice from 1 small lemon1 teaspoon ground cumin¾ cup walnuts, deeply toasted, dividedSea salt1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste5 tablespoons olive oil, divided4 to 6 assorted variety summer squash and zucchini, thinly slicedOlive oilSea salt

Instructions

Combine roasted pepper, scallions, lemon zest and juice, cumin, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts and a hearty pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until everything is finely chopped.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl then continue to pulse until minced.

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil then process until everything is completely smooth. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts for garnishing.

Gently coat the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Grill over a hot grill until charred, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Continue until all the squash is grilled then transfer to a platter and top with the muhammara sauce and reserved chopped walnuts.

Garnish with fresh mint, chives or parsley.

Want more great walnut recipes? Check out the other recipes we’ve made this year.

Walnut Tartine with Whipped Blue Cheese and Apple Slaw
Walnut Cake with Milk Chocolate Mousse
Pumpkin Spiced Candied Walnuts with Bittersweet Chocolate

* This post was created in partnership with California Olive Ranch. We’re working together this year to continue 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.

Recently I heard someone say they don’t do much grilling because they are a vegetarian as if meat has exclusivity over the fire. My immediate response upon hearing this, “I’ll change your mind.” This recipe, the one I’m sharing with you today; for grilled vegetables marinated in a pungent vinaigrette, immediately came to mind.

The classic recipe for verdure sott’olio – which basically means vegetables under oil, takes vegetables at their peak then cooks them until al dente in vinegar. They are then mixed with salt, a few simple spices and garlic then tucked into a jar in preparation for a luxurious bath in olive oil. The olive oil preserves the vegetables so you can savor summer no matter the season.

I took this general idea and turned it into a side dish that I’ve continued to make again and again all throughout the summer. The smokey char on the vegetables makes quick friends with the bright zip from the vinegar. It’s an incredibly simple dish and yet on a table next to charred lamb, an herby salad dotted with edible blossoms and grilled flatbread – this is the one that received the most praise. 

Use whatever vegetables happen to be the most stunning at the market. I particularly love zucchini and summer squash here but have also had great success with fennel, onions, eggplant and peppers. 

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Grilled Verdure Sott’olio

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

3 pounds assorted vegetables, sliced 1/4 inch thick (zucchini, peppers, summer squash, fennel, green beans, etc.)

1/2 cup California Olive Ranch Destination Series Everyday olive oil (plus more for drizzling)

1/4 champagne vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup fresh oregano, roughly chopped (plus more for serving)

Flake salt

Instructions

Drizzle the vegetables with a little bit of olive oil then grill on a grill pan, grill or over the fire until deep char marks appear and they are tender.

Transfer the grilled vegetables to a large bowl.

In a medium bowl whisk together the olive oil, champagne vinegar, sea salt and oregano.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and let marinate for at least one hour.

Garnish with flake salt and more fresh oregano.

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.

Finally, we’re here. Summer. The anticipation for these long and lazy days has been building and even more intense this year due to the prolonged school year thanks to snow days. But we’re here and we are doing it right. Lazy mornings with coffee and a good book on the deck, assembled dinners of cherries, cheese and crackers on the lawn, many dreamy plans for camping trips, hikes and an epic road trip that will take us through at least five states. And of course lots of cooking over the fire.

This simple dish felt right to share this week as we celebrate our nation with gatherings, bbq’s and fireworks. Many of those gatherings often include some version of a potato salad and this one, while a far cry from the classic, is my current favorite.

The ingredient list is short, which is how I like my summer cooking, but the flavor is rich, intense and complex. I give credit to the smokey charred flavor that imparts the potatoes when they are cooked over flame.

The potatoes are boiled just until tender and if you’d like to really wow your guests, boil the potatoes in a salty brine of water and vinegar. Once boiled and cooled the potatoes are smashed which exposes the soft set interior and gives the fire more opportunity for char.

Finally the potatoes are tossed in creme fraiche then capped with toasted black sesame seeds and flake salt. For a version that is truly over the top I suggest adding the salty punch of salmon roe. Or a hearty shower of minced chives is also nice.

Happy summer, friends. What do those long and lingering days look like for you all? And if you have road trip suggestions and destinations for Idaho, Montana, Utah and New Mexico do please let us know!

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Grilled Potatoes with Creme Fraiche and Black Sesame Salt

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Add 1 cup vinegar to the water you boil the potatoes in for a bright bite. 

For the smashing of the potatoes I find it best to place the warm potatoes on a sheet tray then top with another sheet tray and press down firmly. Or if I’m being completely honest with you sometimes I step on the sheet tray (which I then wash very carefully). On the camp site it’s easy to smash the potatoes between two heavy cast iron pans.

Ingredients

1 lbs small new potatoes, boiled in heavily salted water until just tender, then smashed to roughly 1/2 inch thickness

 ⅓ cup Creme fraiche

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

2 teaspoons Maldon (or similar) Flake salt 

Instructions

Grill the smashed potatoes over hot fire or on a grill until charred on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. 

While warm stir in the creme fraiche and top with black sesame seeds and flake salt.

If not serving straight away, refrigerate. Although it’s best eaten straight away while warm or just room temperature.

“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.”

• Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer

The first time I saw our house the lilac tree in the front yard was in full bloom. I noticed her scent before the blooms reaching toward the sun overwhelmed me. We walked through a soft cloud of perfume before we entered the front door and I truly believe that that tree is a big reason why tears filled my eyes and I knew this was our home.

The previous owner was a masterful gardener. From what the neighbors have told me she spent many hours, almost daily, outside tending to her masterpiece. In the letter I wrote to her attempting to woo her to us in a very crowded market in Seattle, I thanked her for the care she put into the garden and I promised to do my best to continue to care for and nurture the garden we hoped to inherit.

I’ve watched the lilac tree bloom for three seasons now. I’ve nervously pruned the branches not knowing exactly what I was doing, hoping to encourage new growth and trim off the old. In early spring I watch the buds emerge and I count down the days until the flowers bloom with a giddiness often witnessed in my children before the holidays. The buds signal the end of a long, cold season. They remind us of the cyclical way of things; how the earth moves and knows just what to do even when we attempt to feel a sense of control and end up feeling lost. It’s a reminder that even in the harried moments of our day-to-day there is a constant turning, an ever present schedule that exists even when we don’t.

In years past I’ve simply brought in the blooms to scent the house and bring the cheeriness of the vibrant purple hue to the dining table. This year I wanted to harness that intoxicating perfume that charmed us to this home. I wanted to see the blooms as art and ingredient and continue to use this gift throughout the season.

I’ve known that lilacs are edible for a couple years but as I’ve fallen deeper in love with wild ingredients I have gotten more and more curious and adventurous. So this year I packed some flowers in sugar, infused them into honey and dried others along with nettles and spruce for a fragrant and medicinal tea. The tea became gifts as I’ve been practicing reciprocity thanks to the beautiful book, Braiding Sweetgrass quoted above, and the honey will be a daily sweet reminder of lilac season.

Out my window the lilacs are gone. Their blooms are now crisp and brown. I’m fighting the feeling akin to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Did I enjoy them enough? Did I thank them enough? Did I breathe in that sweet perfume enough?

It was enough. And they will be back next year.

Today’s post is not necessarily a recipe, although I do hope you have the opportunity to enjoy lilac infused honey, but more than that I hope it serves as a reminder to keep your eyes open and remember the gifts the earth gives. They are given for us to enjoy with the responsibility of reciprocity and nurturing.

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Lilac Honey

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

1/2 cup lilac flowers

2 cups light honey (such as wildflower)

Instructions

Add the honey to an airtight jar. Cover and store in a cool place for 2 to 3 weeks. Strain out the flowers.

Use in tea, over ice cream, in desserts or over fresh strawberries with mascarpone.

This morning I read Sara’s latest post on Sprouted Kitchen. It’s a beautiful reflection on 10 years of blogging and it made me realize that I’m pretty sure my 10 year anniversary came and went without fanfare. But it’s worth noting (as Sara did beautifully). This space, as we all do, has evolved. Some of its evolution has been intentional, some of it has not. As blogs have taken a dip in popularity and prominence I’ve stepped away from this space as other areas in my life have taken precedence. But I always come back here because this is where it all began for me.

In this space I found myself. I found my love of food writing, recipe development and food photography. This space taught me how to do those things. In the midst of the extremely challenging season of raising three young children this space was mine. It was my sanctuary. My creative place where I could interact with other adults and you all encouraged me in this work when the rest of my day offered very little encouragement.

While other blogs lay abandoned, I don’t want that for this space because I need it. I’m not sure how many of you are still here (I’m incredibly grateful for each and every one) but this space has always been incredibly personal for me. It’s where I sort through my thoughts, where I’ve shared incredibly intimate parts of my life and where I’ve talked about food and life intermingling. For awhile I backed away from vulnerability here as I recovered from an intense vulnerability hangover after Date Night In came out. And even today as I write this I battle the inner critic who is continually telling me to just get to the damn recipe. But this place has never just been about the recipes has it? It’s always been about the lives around the food. It’s our dining table conversations. It’s you and I at the table surrounded by food that reminds us that beauty abounds in this broken world. We talk about the brokenness and the goodness. We raise a glass and toast to our humanity. In all its imperfect glory.

I am not the same person I was when I began this blog. And I won’t be the same person five or ten years from now when I hope this place is still a part of my life.

I’m not sure where I’m going with all of this but I’m here, I hope you are too and I’m not going anywhere. Thank you for being here, for supporting this work. You all have made my passion my career. Whoa. Because of you all I get to wake up and work my ass off providing for my family doing the work I love to do and I truly feel I was created to do. Good sweet Lord, thank you.

Now let’s talk about this freaking salad because I have many people who are waiting for this recipe. I’ve made it at least a dozen times this season. Always without a recipe because that’s my favorite way to cook – relying on instinct, being present and tasting all along the way. But I come here to share this recipe because it has brought me great joy and that needs to be shared.

It’s an hommage to the humble pea in all its splendor.  English peas, sugar snap peas and pea vines mingle with herbs, lemon, olive oil, pistachios and pecorino to honor spring and the peas that are among the first to sprout. It’s simple in execution and ingredients and yet people believe magic is involved. The magic is in the beauty of the ingredients themselves. Our job is simple.

Feel free to use this recipe as a guide and let your own tastebuds guide you. Trust yourself.

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Spring Pea Salad

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

6 ounces pea vines

Olive oil

Sea salt

2 cups thinly sliced sugar snap peas

2 cups freshly shucked or frozen peas, blanched

1/4 cup chopped dill

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup finely grated pecorino

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup pistachios

Flake salt

Instructions

Toss the pea vines in a bit of olive oil and sea salt then grill or broil until charred in parts, about 3-4 minutes.

In a large bowl combine the sugar snap peas, blanched peas, herbs and pecorino. Toss with olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir in the pistachios and finish with flake salt. Some freshly cracked black pepper is nice too. Taste and adjust as you see fit.

Serve.

I won’t take up too much of your time because at this point your turkey is probably defrosting and menu plans are well underway. But I didn’t want to let the holiday pass us by without sharing this recipe for a simple, bright and fresh slaw. While I am one to honor the traditional flavors and dishes that Thanksgiving brings I am always eager for a bit of health and heft on the table.

This slaw is just ever-so-slightly creamy with the addition of a bit of mayonnaise in the dressing. The cranberries pop and cause a bit of a pleasant pucker from their bath in a sweet and spiced brine. Green apple carries another hit of sweet tang while heaps of fresh dill and scallion nudge the salad back toward the savory. All of this to say it’s a delicious salad that will sit beautifully on our holiday table next to our smoked turkey with a bourbon and bacon gravy and fresh corn and cornbread stuffing.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving brimming with gratitude and grace.

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Brussels Sprout and Green Apple Slaw with Pickled Cranberries

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

Pickled Cranberries

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

4 cloves

Pinch salt

8 ounces cranberries ( about 2 cups)

Dressing

1/3 cup pickling liquid

3 tablespoons mayo

Salt

Salad

8 cups shredded Brussels (about 1 pound)

2 small green apples, diced or julienned

1 cup chopped dill

3 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Instructions

Pickle the cranberries:

In a medium saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, water, salt and spices and bring to a simmer. Add the cranberries then turn off the heat. Let cool. These can be made up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.

Make the dressing:

In a small bowl whisk together the pickling brine with the mayonnaise. Add a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust to your liking. It should have a bit of bite to it.

Assemble the salad:

In a large bowl combine the brussels sprouts, green apple, dill, scallions, and dressing. Mix well to combine. Drain the remaining bring off the cranberries then add to the salad.

Serve straightaway.

Since the shop opened I’ve kept a running Google Doc of all of the menus we’ve served. I make a few notes so I can remember who was there, any memorable moments and things I want to adjust for the next time. As I was going through the growing doc I noticed several repeated recipes. This Garlic Confit toast has already been featured on three menus.  David Tanis’ Mushroom Ragout has been featured at two different dinners as has a simple dessert of spice roasted pears with salted maple caramel (simply reduce maple syrup to a caramel consistency then add salt), creme fraiche and brown butter toasted biscotti crumbs.

The most repeated dish so far has been some iteration of this salad. At this point in the season citrus – blood oranges in particular, are the one thing I will miss about winter. This salad balances sweetness from the citrus with the bitter, crisp leaves of the chicories. Always the heavy hand with the vinegar there is a slight pucker tamed by thinly sliced kumquat and candied pine nuts.

A soft, fragrant and unsuspecting crunch comes by way of fried rosemary. Fried herbs are an unusual delight and not terribly complicated. The hearty winter herbs do particularly well in a hot oil bath. I fry my herbs in a modest amount of olive oil. Heat the oil until the needle-like leaves sputter the instant they hit the pan. Once their frantic sizzling subsides you know they are ready as that alerts you to the fact that all the water in the leaves has evaporated so once cooled they will crisp up just as they should. While they’re still warm add a flurry of fine sea salt to the leaves. This same method works well for sage, thyme, parsley and probably others too. Those are the ones I’ve tried so far.

I hold a firm belief that even in Winter salads need not be boring and this recipe proves that point quite nicely.

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Citrus and Chicory Salad with Candied Pine Nuts and Fried Rosemary

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

2 rosemary sprigs, leaves removed

Sea salt

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 cups chopped chicories (Belgian Endive, Endive, Treviso)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 recipe Blood Orange Vinaigrette (below)

3 blood oranges, segmented and roughly chopped

5 kumquats, thinly sliced

Flake salt

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Makes 1/2 cup dressing

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons champagne (or other white wine) vinegar

2 tablespoons blood orange juice

1⁄4 cup / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

To make the fried rosemary: In a small saucepan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Carefully drop in the rosemary and fry until the color shifts and the sputtering ceases, this tells us that all the water in the leaves has evaporated and you will be left with a crispy leaf. Carefully remove the rosemary from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

In a small skillet set over medium heat add the pine nuts. Sauté until their color shifts and they start to smell toasty. Add the sugar and cumin and stir until well coated in the sugar and it starts to caramelize. Remove to a plate to cool.

Add the greens and scallions to a large bowl along with the salad dressing and half of the chopped blood oranges and kumquats. Toss well to combine.

Transfer about half of the salad to a platter then top with half of the pine nuts and rosemary. Add the remaining greens then cap with the rest of the rosemary, pine nuts and citrus. Finish with flake salt. Serve straight away.

For the blood orange vinaigrette:

In a medium bowl whisk together the shallot, mustard, honey, vinegar, and blood orange juice. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Add a pinch of salt and taste. Adjust to your liking.

The quietness in this space is in no way an indication of a lack of cooking. The cooking I have been doing has been less calculated and getting back to the pure pleasure of tossing in this and that without pausing to grab the measuring cups. For months I detailed the intricacies of what hits our dinner table. I measured salt down to the grain for the purpose of writing another cookbook (coming out October 2!!) so it’s been a lovely reprieve to simply cook and eat.

The table at the shop has been full. I have found my favorite spot in this space. It’s behind the stove, tucked into the kitchen watching the full table pass around the platters of food and joyously clean their plates. I love hearing the dull roar soar to a raucous booming filling our little space.

These simple sprouts are a riff of a recent recipe I served here at the shop. The process of separating the leaves from the Brussels Sprouts may seem daunting and it can be but it’s the sort of task that is almost meditative. That is if you don’t have little children clamoring at your feet eager for dinner and saddened by the site of these little green vegetables. You could just as easily quarter them but there is nothing quite as divine as the crispy frilly leaves basted in a salty and sweet bath. In fact, I think my diners were fearful that I had burnt their lunch when this platter hit the table but after one bite and you taste the smokey char from a deep roast (*ahem* burn) in the oven they saw the intention behind my madness.

Equally delicious is this same sort of method on broccoli. You could also substitute the fish sauce for soy if you prefer.

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Frizzled Brussels Sprout Leaves with Chili and Maple

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 Calabrian chili, finely chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon chili flake)

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

1/2 small lemon

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper then set aside.

Trim the ends off the brussels sprouts then pull off the outer leaves. Trim more off the end to release more of the leaves. Once the sprouts get too small to pull off individual leaves quarter what remains.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the sheet pan then drizzle with the olive oil and add a couple of hefty pinches of sea salt. Roast for 25 minutes in the top third of the oven. Stir halfway through.

In a small bowl whisk together the fish sauce, maple syrup, and Calabrian chili.

Take the sprouts out of the oven. Then 5. pour the sauce all over, stir well to coat. Top with the Parmesan and again stir to evenly coat.

Turn the oven to broil then crisp up the leaves for 3 to 5 minutes. Watch this process closely and stir often but don’t be afraid of the char. This is where deep, roasty and bitter flavors come from.

Transfer the sprouts to a serving platter then finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serve while warm or at room temperature.

It feels so good to be writing in this space right now. I always hate being away but there are seasons that demand it. Like the ones in which you spend writing a book.

The manuscript is in. Oh my word, you guys, I’ve not even officially shared the title of the next book with you. Badabadabada (that’s a drum roll). My second book is called: Let’s Stay In: More than 120 recipes to nourish the ones you love. I love it. I hope you do too.

I’m still deep in the process of photographing and editing but my mind is freed up enough that I can think about all the recipes I want to share with you here. It’s been frustrating for me as I imagine it has for you too, to tease you with tempting images and plead with you to wait until next Fall before I give up the recipe. I’m eager to share the book with you and watch you all bound into your kitchens and make the recipes that I have been creating for you over the last year.

We’ll talk more about all of that soon but really I came here to talk about two things; 1. Smoked Pumpkin and 2. Inhaling and Exhaling.

On a recent trip to San Francisco I snagged Brené Brown’s latest book, Braving the Wilderness, from the airport bookstore. It’s been so life giving to me that I hardly think this will be the only time I reference it in conversation here but the concept she introduced to me that I’m living currently is the inhale/exhale of life.

“There is the in-breath and there is the out-breath, and it’s easy to believe that we must exhale all the time, without ever inhaling. But the inhale is absolutely essential if you want to continue to exhale.”

After Date Night In came out I started to understand my creative career, and life in general, as an undulating cycle of output and input, or as Brené would say; inhale and exhale. The inhale is as vital as the exhale. The part in the cycle where you refuel, recharge, and gear up for the next season of exhaling.

This has been a year of a lot of exhale as I once again poured myself into a book while at the same time building our flagship store here in Seattle. As the gray clouds roll in and both projects reach (near) completion my mind is shifting to the season of inhaling.

Inhaling for me can be as simple as sitting with a long neglected cookbook. Although sometimes that hits too close to my day job so I’ll reach for a novel or a book of poetry instead. Last week I took a cooking class from one of my cookbook hero’s, David Tanis. And this morning, while having a hard time getting out of bed, Ivy and I made plans for a cozy day over winter break. We’ll linger in bed all day if we must while we work to hit our goal of finishing Little Women before Christmas.

Inhaling can be simple but it must be a part of the process.

Next let’s talk about smoked pumpkin. While on a recent trip to Utah where I taught a class to some lovely people at the Barebones flagship store in Salt Lake City, I was served a meal cooked entirely over the fire by Mona and Jaret from Tournant. Ever dish inspired but the one that sent me immediately into the kitchen upon my return was the ember roasted pumpkin salad. The exterior was crisp and charred while the flesh so tender it nearly melted. It was sweet, smoky and perfectly offset with tang from lemon and peppery arugula. Pepitas, roasted with great depth and salty sheep feta finish the salad. We started off properly scooping tidy portions onto our plates but after that we moved right to the large platter making sure that our forks each had the perfectly balanced bite.

Over the summer, Traeger sent one of their grills/smokers and I have been using it constantly. For the pumpkin I smoked it for 2 – 2 1/2 hours on 400°F or until it felt tender. Alternately you can roast in a hot oven until tender or bury in embers as Tournant did for their dish. However you decide I do think it is a lovely addition to the holiday table.

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Smoked Pumpkin with Arugula, Feta, and Pepitas

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Ingredients

Inspired by Tournant

1 2 to 3 pound Kombucha Squash

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Flake salt

Pepper

4 cups arugula

1/4 cup toasted pepitas

1/2 cup crumbled Feta

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

Smoke the pumpkin until tender. The longer the pumpkin sits in the smoker the more intense the smokey flavor will be.

With my smoker set to 400°F my pumpkin was tender after about 2 – 2 1/2 hours. Next time I may try 300°F for 3 – 4 hours for more smokiness.

Alternately you can roast the pumpkin whole, in the oven at 400°F until tender. Poke a pairing knife into the pumpkin and when it easily slides all the way you know it’s done.

Let the pumpkin cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting off the top then carefully removing the seeds.

Roughly break the pumpkin into smaller sections. Top with some of the olive oil, flake salt and lemon juice.

Pile on the arugula on top then dress with the remaining olive oil and lemon zest and juice. Scatter the Feta and pepitas all over the top.

Serve while the pumpkin is still just warm or room temperature.

If you are making this for the holidays you can easily smoke or roast the pumpkin in advance then dress the salad just before serving.

Be sure to use plenty of olive oil and salt on the pumpkin.

I’m rarely one to jump into trends with much force. Okay, fine there was that one pair of hammer pants in the third grade but I returned them immediately after seeing myself in the mirror. But I’ve never tucked into a smoothie bowl capped with perfectly frosted frozen berries or made anything “unicorn”. The one food trend I will stand by as a devout fan is toast. But to me it hardly feels like a trend as I’ve been eating toast since I taught myself how to slip a piece of bread into the toaster then retrieve it with a butter knife. Said butter knife then immediately dove into the butter  where I proceeded to slather nearly half the stick on my one piece of toast. To this day a deeply toasted piece of thick cut bread with butter and tart jam is my ideal breakfast.

This toast is a bit more involved than the toast of my childhood but only a bit. First salty prosciutto is crisped in a cast iron skillet where peaches slip into the open spaces to caramelize and mingle with any bit of fat that melts off the white laced prosciutto. The bread, thickly sliced, is toasted in the same pan slick with a bit of butter or olive. It’s toasted until just golden and crisp on the exterior while the airy crumb remains soft and billowy. While still warm peppery Pecorino sits on top of the bread followed by slices of the caramelized peaches, a wafer of crispy Prosciutto and a light wisp of finely chopped rosemary. The beauty of this entire dish is that it’s made in one pan and best cooked over an open fire, which as you all know by now, is my favorite way to cook.

I prepared these toast bites a couple weekends ago at Camp Campari in San Francisco. I was there cooking with my friends at Barebones Living. We set up camp near the grill and watched as fellow campers painted with watercolors, enjoyed Campari laced cocktails, and hand tied Shibori cloths in tents flapping in the warm San Francisco breeze. I created this simple toast to pair with a pine infused Campari cocktail with bourbon and sherry.

Of course a campfire isn’t required to make this recipe but it sure does help.

These images were taken by Caroline Hargraves.

*This post was created in partnership with Barebones Living. I’m thrilled to partner with this brand who believes as Rumi said,  ‘Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you love.’ Come, be drawn to your True North.” Barebones creates beautiful and practical products made for a life lived out of doors. They also have a heart to serve and have provided numerous tents to act as shelter in disaster stricken areas. Check out their website to learn more about their story and gather your tools for more outdoor living.

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Grilled Peach Toast with Crispy Prosciutto and Pecorino

Prep 5 mins

Cook 10 mins

Total 15 mins

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 6 toasts

The key to this dish is the quality of the ingredients. Save this one for the season when peaches perfume the markets. The salty pecorino and prosciutto soften under the smoky sweetness of the grilled peach.

As for the toast, I prefer a butter or oil crisped exterior with a soft bite inside so eating the toast doesn’t feel like a chore.

Ingredients

3 thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto

1 large, ripe peach, pitted and quartered

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

6 thickly sliced pieces of baguette

12 long wispy shavings of pecorino

Flake salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

Instructions

In a large cast iron skillet set over coals or a hot grill fry the prosciutto until shriveled and crisp about 3 minutes then flip and cook an additional minute or two.

Add the peach quarters to the same skillet and sear until charred on the exposed flesh. Set aside the peaches and prosciutto.

Add the olive oil or butter to the skillet then crisp the bread until golden on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Add the pecorino to the toast while warm then thinly slice the peaches and add 3 to 5 slices on top. Sprinkle with flake salt and black pepper then add a broken piece of the crispy prosciutto. Finish with a little pinch of chopped fresh rosemary. Serve while warm.

…. and find yourself in the process.

Indulge me if you will with this post that is quite different from the rest, except maybe it isn’t. There still is a recipe (which you can jump to now if you’d prefer to skip the words) and it is deeply personal to me which is true of so much of what I share here. You know by now that yes, I very much love food but really makes my heart flutters is the story of what happens at the table and this falls into that category.

Today I want to help you throw an Alter Ego party much like the one Gabe and I hosted on Saturday night. It was hilarious, oh so very much fun and quite frankly, life changing. Let me start by sharing a little bit about why I have become so fascinated with this idea of an alter ego, after that I’ll go over a bit of the logistics if you are serious about having a party of your own and finally Edith will share with you a favorite recipe of hers (although she isn’t one to cook it herself). Read on – it will all make sense. Maybe.

What’s an alter ego and why am I asking all my friends to introduce me to theirs?

I bought a wig.

It has soft silver strands that fall just below my chin, blunt bangs that tickle my eyelashes as I brush them aside to find the natural hairline on something that is so very unnatural.

This wig is an accessory to a conversation that I’m having with the women in my life lately. Over lunch, a couple of glasses of champagne and a view of Elliot bay out the window, I asked two of my friends, who is your alter ego? They, rightly so, looked at me with lifted brows and a slight tilt to their head.

“Say you’re out shopping for sunglasses.” I attempt to explain “There’s a pair you try on. They are big, round, black rimmed and bold. You really like them but quickly return them to the shelf because you say, I just can’t pull these off. Who is the person inside of you that can pull those glasses off?”

Over the next hour and a half we take turns describing, in great detail the woman we feel is inside of us. What she looks like, how does she live, what’s her favorite food? An alter ego is you with an exclamation point. Or maybe a better way to describe it is you without the limitations of reality. When you try on this person there is no question about logistics, judgment or practicality. You are free to simply imagine and try her on, like a wig.

My purpose in these conversations is not to leave us all wallowing in who we aren’t or making any of us feel guilty or frustrated about the life we are living but rather to give complete and absolute freedom in the imagining. Because without limitations and the voice that whispers in all of us; you can’t wear that, you can’t do that, that’s so not you, we might actually find a bit more of who we really are. With the trying on of this character we may actually embrace parts of us that really are our true selves. What I’ve found happens after we start to unleash this person through words and the discoveries of even just her mundane daily life  is that parts of her become part of us.

I’m not certain what her name is, I’m pretty sure it’s Edith, but I know that she is about seventy-five. She lives in a small apartment in the city. She wakes up, makes a large pot of strong coffee and spends the next several hours putting bold streaks of blues, oranges and reds onto a sprawling canvas with a large, fraying paintbrush. The walls of her apartment are lined with dark, scuffed wood while natural light pours in through the window that overlooks the busy street below. Books line every wall and what doesn’t fit on the shelves are stacked into teetering, disorderly towers and tucked into every corner. She wears big glasses, long flowy frocks, bold accessories that she’s collected from her life of traveling and has a short, blunt silver bob.

She dabbled in theater and still loves the stage but these days she sits in the audience (although it doesn’t take much for her to be convinced to sing a show tune or two). She finds equal pleasure in dining out and dining in but often forgets to eat breakfast as she’s lured to an empty canvas. It’s about one o’clock before she realizes she’s hungry. Her dress trails her on the stairs as she heads to the French café that conveniently is located on the bottom floor of her building. She tucks a book under her arm and orders a frilly green salad, extra-crispy fries with a side of mayonnaise, and a cold glass of Lillet with a furled orange peel tipped into the glass. Sometimes she finishes her lunch with a cup of rich hot chocolate capped with a unabashed amount of whipped cream but most often she ends with another glass of Lillet.

You’ll often see her at parties (if you don’t, check the corner, that’s where she likes to observe) but never after ten o’clock. At that point she’s already in bed with a book or a good movie.

She’s a lot like me but I don’t smoke unless it’s after dinner and I’m roaming the cobbled streets of a small Italian town. And I’m not seventy five, I don’t wear nearly enough frocks as I’d like and I rarely take the time to accessorize but finding her and looking into how she lives her life has revealed to me things that I didn’t even realize were so important to me. I never judge Edith for how she spends her days nor do I make her feel guilty for, I don’t know – her unhealthy eating habits for one. Removing the voice of reason or the whispers that tell me I can’t do that has given me access of some of my purest desires. The most tangible thing she has done for me, and if this is all shes does it’s enough, is that I have been painting again. Big, bold brush strokes on large empty canvases. I’ve spent years longing for the courage to do that and she has given that to me.

The reality is I have a family and a job and I live in Seattle. There are PTA meetings, unread emails that litter my inbox, laundry, clients to respond to and recipes to develop. None of which are bad things in fact they are good, worthwhile things that I’m mostly thankful for. But in between all those tasks I’m also fighting for the time to sink into that freedom I’ve found in Edith. I’ve unleashed something and I love it. I’m painting again. I’m teaching myself how to listen to my deep desires without judgment. I’m learning about my true self; the one who speaks without fear of conflict, or what others would think, the one who doesn’t hear the whispering voices in her head. The one who understands that there is no power in guilt or shame. Without her knowing, Edith is teaching me to be me.

Party Logistics

Most of my friends knew this party was coming so when they received a strange invite in their inbox of an animated dog transforming into a cat they weren’t too surprised (except maybe by Gabe’s amazing illustrating skills).

It turns out a lot of people don’t spend the time, as I do, thinking about their alter ego, so there were nerves and questions and probably people cursing me in their head but I had come to terms with my friends hating me for one evening (spoiler alert; no one hates me and I’m pretty certain everyone had a blast. There’s already talk of an alter ego reunion party).

The week before we hand delivered a little package for (nearly) everyone in an attempt to get them excited and maybe not as nervous as I knew many of them were. The package contained cocktail umbrellas, confetti, a noise maker, and a little bottle filled with “Alter Ego Finding Potion” (a.k.a. bourbon) for those who needed a little liquid courage or help tapping into their character. We also included a link to a website which played the video below and the words I’ve shared here today.

We kept the food very simple and perfectly themed by asking each person to bring their alter ego’s favorite snack or drink to share. Edith brought french fries and a twangy mayonnaise along with a bottle of Lillet. Gabucho baked Chimichangas and poured his friends a bit of Plantation Pineapple Rum. Such a classy guy. We discovered that the majority of the alter ego’s love to snack on chips with a few exceptions such as Maude, who wore a pillow in her “shmiddle” with great ease and used her sagging shelf as a snack holder for her fluffy white buns with butter and ham. Our southern gardening friend, Forest, brought home grown collard greens and my party-loving, gold covered friend Jackah brought a build-your-own blizzards bar complete with crumbled Snickers bars and softened ice cream.

Not knowing what the food table would be filled with we had the back pocket plan of ordering pizza or running to grab food if the need arose. Ultimately we were all content with our chips, a few vegetables, and Chimichangas.

In the middle of the chip covered table there was a jar filled with questions so that at any point in the night someone could pull a question and ask it of another’s alter ego. The karaoke boomed downstairs while upstairs we talked about our jobs, how we spend our days, where we live and future plans. For an evening we lived an imaginary life free from logistics and and fear. And now I am quite happy to be back to reality but always with a bit of Edith still in there.

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Salad Verte with Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Prep 15 mins

Total 15 mins

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 2 Servings

From my book, Date Night IN. 

This salad is just softly ruffled greens dressed simply with a toasted hazelnut dressing.

In Seattle, my favorite restaurant is a little cozy cafe that magically transports me to Paris every time I walk in. Le Pichet is where we go for our anniversary, to celebrate something special or when we just want to dip into creamy butter, baguette and a bit of wine. So quite often. This is my version of their green salad and to me, for a classic salad, it’s simply the best.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons / 60 g hazelnuts, toasted , divided

1 1⁄2 tablespoons chopped shallot

1 1⁄2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1⁄2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons water

1⁄4 cup / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄2 head butter lettuce, cleaned and well dried

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, combine 3 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, shallot, Dijon, sherry vinegar, honey, salt, and water until well puréed, about 1 minute. Add the oil and blend for another 15 seconds.

Place the butter lettuce leaves in a large bowl and add enough dressing to coat the leaves. Taste and add more dressing, if desired. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and finish with the remaining 3 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopping them first.

The dressing can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Courses Side

Cuisine French

Life, right? I had the best intentions of sharing this recipe with you all before the holidays and then whoooooosh there they went. But there is no reason why Brussels sprouts and candied bacon can’t happen now.

If you’ve not jumped on the raw Brussels sprouts bandwagon I hope this salad can convince you. They are great in just about any salad. They hold up well which I always see as a major salad bonus. When slicing my tool of choice is the mandolin (this one is my favorite). When candied bacon isn’t an option I also like to combine some frilly shaved Brussels sprouts with white beans or chickpeas. I always find a crumble of cheese like feta or flecks of Parmesan is nice and toss it all together with a shallot vinaigrette or just lemon and olive oil.

You can find the recipe on the Electrolux site.

Before you leave though can we get real for a moment? I mean I know salads are real but I wanted to check in with you and see how you are feeling about this week? It’s kind of a tough one isn’t it? Last week on my Insta-story I sat with you in a puddle of my honesty and sought your guidance. The only question I could muster was, “What can we do?” What can we do in a world where it feels like hate and division are winning? How can we be a stronger voice for love, peace, and grace in this broken place filled with us; broken people?

Many of you are in the same place I am. Hurting, broken, and at a loss for what we can do to help our country heal. We are in this together and together we can do great things.

There are many great and beautiful things happening right now. Let’s talk about those things. Let’s focus on those things.

Here are a few of my responses to the question, “What can I do?”

First of all I have a renewed passion for gathering people at our table. Long lingering meals where people feel at home in ours. Where one meal trickles on to the next and the food just keeps filling the table. Sometimes this feels too small but I’m constantly reminded of the power of the table and I plan to continue to further invest in that mission.

“We are all broken by something. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt. We all share the condition of brokenness even if our brokenness is not equivalent.” Bryan Stevenson writes this in his book, Just Mercy. He continues. “I began thinking about what would happen if we all just acknowledged our brokenness, if we owned up to our weaknesses, our deficits, our biases, our fears. Maybe if we did, we wouldn’t want to kill the broken among us who have killed others.” I want to continue to be open in my brokenness and believe in my own healing and forgiveness so I can do the same for others. We are all broken and I believe love to be the only salve.

I get so excited about fostering the community that this site built. Some of you might come here just for the recipes and that’s totally fine, you are welcome. But it’s always been more than that for me. This used to simply be my place of rest and light while deep in the throes of raising young children. It was where my creativity lived while scrubbing crusted cereal off the floors. It was the happy place my mind wandered to while reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear for the 1,000th time. Part of my day is still spent scrubbing crusty cereal off the floor but they’re also quite capable of doing that themselves. All of that to say now I feel more able to help and serve you all. One of my main goals in this place has always been to inspire you to get food on the table and to enjoy it; the food, the process, all of it. Finding the beauty in the everyday as always been a part of my mission through the recipes, words, and images that live on the site. I’m ready and excited for more of that and to make this place more helpful for you.

The current political climate has ripped the scales from my eyes and revealed the work that needs to be done. I’m sorry for those who have been hurting for a long time while I sat by doing and saying nothing. No more. A friend of mine said the other night that she is tired of cowering and is ready to take up more space in this world. I love that. My voice will be louder and I will take up more space for the purpose of loving and serving the broken (all of us).

There are many incredible organizations to give to and that is, of course, a wonderful action to take right now. Many of you know that a portion of our each sale from our shop goes directly to an organization that we love, First Aid Arts. Right now my heart is bursting at the seams to tell you about a fundraiser that my sweet oldest son has come up with. After reading about mosquitos and how they are the deadliest animal on the planet he was moved to action. He has set a goal to raise $2,000 which will be enough money to provide 2,000 (!!) mosquito nets for families around the world. I’ll be sharing more about this as we continue to think through our fundraising plans. In the meantime feel free to check out his amazing website he and Gabe made. You guys, love bombs are bursting all over the place!! This, this gives me so much hope and happy, gushy feelings.

Finally, in that Insta-story I mentioned earlier, my new friend Shaina from Shaina Saw had the amazing idea of flooding the Internet with images of love on Friday (or maybe all week). She suggests “family, weddings, children, accomplishments, stores. Whatever love means to you. All day. We don’t buy in to the negativity. We project the values we hope to see in our country.” Damn. You guys are amazing. I love this! Who’s in? We’re using the hashtag #sharethegood so we can all follow the love train. Let’s let that be the prevailing message.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Candied Bacon and Cranberries

Find the recipe here.

Gabe recently suggested we come up with some sort of rating system for our dinners. Not as a way of judging my successes and failures in the kitchen but rather to celebrate the rare times when everyone cleans their plate. Because it is just that; rare.

Each member of the family represents a star or point so if everyone liked the meal we could say it’s a five-star meal. Bonus points for healthy recipes because you know, it’s not too hard to please everyone with pizza – actually even that is a battle (unless it’s the White Pie with Bacon at Delancey – we all agree on our love for that pizza).

Five-star meals are few and far between in our family. Maybe yours too? This person over here doesn’t like onions (and just like that there goes about 90% of what I cook), over here we have the self-proclaimed picky eater who will painstakingly pick out anything green, and this one will not like it unless it’s candy coated or a bowl of rice and beans. Gabe, fortunately is easy to please or he just keeps quiet. Either way I’m okay with it. When he suggested said rating system it was after the surprising victory of a five-star meal with loads of extra bonus points for being extremely healthful (so much green stuff)!

I rarely let my one or two star scores keep me from cooking the food I want or feel my family needs but as I’m sure many of you can relate to, it is tiring cooking for a tough crowd. So we celebrate the meals that leave us all satisfied and I tuck away their cheers and kind words for the many other days when the answer  to “what’s for dinner?” is met with grimaces and tears.

Our most recent victory came from Tess Master’s latest book, The Perfect Blend. You guys, I’ll be honest, I am not one to get behind super “healthy” eating. I don’t jump on the new year’s resolution band wagon, I steer clear of paleo, and am never one to shy away from butter. My idea of healthful eating is consuming real food made from real ingredients and if sometimes a few Cool Ranch Doritos get in there – well, it’s not the end of the world. But I found myself folding down the corner of so many recipes in Tess’ book because they are unique, creative and frankly they just sound delicious.

I have never before been tempted to turn cauliflower into rice but the stunning image and long list of colorful ingredients in Tess’ Tricked-Up Tabouli convinced me. Because I’m terrible at following a recipe I didn’t do exactly as she said but I loved the result. I used what I had on hand and followed the idea and served the salad alongside chicken kofta meatballs with a feta and yogurt sauce (I’ll share that recipe soon). Okay and yes, I also made pita. Plates were clean. I knew the meatballs and the pita would be a winner but the salad received glowing praises as well.

The piles of herbs and mix of color and texture lured me in. She added hemp seeds but I didn’t have any on hand, I also think I quadrupled the amount of dill and definitely added the pickle. Next time I’ll throw in chickpeas even though Ivy claims those are her worst enemy bean. Hey, that’s fine, I’m happy with four stars.

Cauliflower Tabouli

From The Perfect Blend by Tess Masters

I’ve kept Tess’ original ingredients as written but as I mentioned I played around with the quantities of things a bit based on what I had in my kitchen (I also didn’t bother seeding the tomatoes or cucumber). I left out the hemp seeds, used less parsley, more dill and didn’t use the allspice.

From Tess: With cauliflower rice stepping in for cracked wheat, the classic Middle Eastern salad goes raw and grain-free. Loaded with hydrating, alkaline ingredients, this version is a cleansing superstar. Its aromatic elements—herbs, allspice, and lemon zest—enliven the sweet fruits and vegetables. The pickles come in with crunch, tanginess, and probiotics; the red pepper flakes stimulate digestion and help flush your system. For the most balanced flavor profile, consume the tabouli as soon as it’s dressed. If you’re not serving it right away, chill the salad and the dressing separately, and combine just when you’re ready to serve.

SERVES 6 TO 8;

DRESSING MAKES 3⁄4 CUP (180ML)

1⁄2 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

4 cups (200g) firmly packed finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (about 4 large bunches)

2 cups (340g) seeded and diced tomato

2 cups (300g) peeled, seeded, and diced English cucumber

1 cup (140g) ribbed, seeded, and diced red bell pepper

1 cup (80g) finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)

1⁄2 cup (75g) diced red onion, plus more to taste

1⁄2 cup (20g) firmly packed finely chopped mint

2 tablespoons finely chopped dill

1⁄2 cup (70g) shelled hemp seeds

1 teaspoon natural salt, plus more to taste

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper, plus more to taste

dressing

1⁄3 cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

3⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice, plus more to taste

optional boosters

1 1⁄2 cups (270g) cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce/425g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1⁄2 cup (80g) diced dill pickle

1⁄8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until finely minced. The cauliflower ‘rice’ will resemble couscous. You should have about 3 cups.

In a large bowl combine the cauliflower, parsley, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, green onion, red onion, mint, dill, and hemp seeds. Add to that any boosters you’d like. I highly recommend the addition of pickle.

Tess suggests: To make the dressing, throw the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, allspice, and the red pepper flake booster into your blender and blast on high for about 30 seconds, until the dressing is emulsified and the garlic has been completely pulverized. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to evenly combine. Add the salt and pepper and tweak the lemon juice, allspice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Instead of using the blender I drizzled the olive oil and lemon juice directly over the bowl of ingredients then simply tossed it all together. I forgot to add the garlic but next time will not make the same mistake. Add the salt and pepper then taste and adjust as needed.

Serve immediately for the best flavor. Leftovers will keep in the fridge but the vegetables will leach water so it’s best to eat it all right away.

A gaping void in the corner exists where the tree once stood while its soft scented needles still require vacuuming. I breathe in deep soaking in the quiet. The kids are back in school, the house is still, apart from Lily the pup, chewing on her squeaky toy. Two weeks ago we started a season filled with family, friends and oh so much food and I loved it, savored it, lived it and now the quiet feels foreign and so freaking good.

Before jumping back into work emails I open a newsletter from Brené Brown (http://www.courageworks.com/). In it she shares her new year’s questions that she asks herself every year.

1. What do I want more of in my life?
2. How do I let go of what’s no longer serving me?
3. What will make me feel more alive? More brave?
4. At the end of every day and at the end of every year, I need to know that I contributed more than I criticized. How have I contributed and what will that look like moving forward?

I put off work just a bit longer in order to spend time sitting with these questions. By the time I’ve worked my way through them I see the words laughter, joy, and simplicity repeat themselves. I write fear, insecurity and comparison where she asks what’s no longer serving me. At the end of it I write ‘Honor the simple joys’ on a blank sheet of paper. Not even knowing what it means I follow the nudging as these words float in like a breeze. They’ve not left me since and serve as a soft reminder to soak in our everydays and appreciate them for what they are, not what I think they need to be. Repeating them on a continuous loop in my mind I slow down. Hopefully I can keep this up.

I’m sharing these questions here in case you too need a bit of a push to think through this new year. It’s a great place to start. As is salad. At the end of all the festivities I made no resolutions for big changes in my diet but rather continued the commitment to listen to my body and feed it what it needs. Although I’m not sure it really needed the number of cocktails I enjoyed during the holidays. This salad was responding to my body’s cry for freshness.

This is the sort of salad where you could sit and eat an entire bowl and still feel real great about yourself. The dressing, simply tahini and pickled jalapeños blended together with a touch of salt and enough water to get it to the right consistency, is flavorful and as light as they come. Don’t shy away from the sprinkling of cumin seeds and if you’re okay with cheese I think a fresh salty feta would be a nice addition.

Winter Slaw with Tahini Jalapeño Dressing

1/4 head purple cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1 cup roughly chopped cilantro

3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled into strips

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 avocado, halved and sliced

1/3 - 1/2 cup toasted pepitas

1/4 cup tahini

1/8 cup pickled jalapeños, drained

1/4 cup water (more or less)

Pinch salt

In a large bowl combine the purple and napa cabbage along with the cilantro and scallions.

Blend together the tahini, pickled jalapeños, and salt in a blender or food processor. Add enough water to make a creamy dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Toss the greens with the dressing. Tip the salad onto a platter then top with the carrots and sliced avocado. Sprinkle the cumin seeds and pepitas over top.

When I set out to create my holiday menus I always start with the basics. It’s not Thanksgiving without turkey, potatoes, cranberries, rolls, stuffing, sweet potatoes or squash and pies. But within those classic parameters there are endless possibilities. Each year is an opportunity to learn from the last and to think outside the box while still capturing those flavors that to me embody the holidays.

This recipe from Julia Turshen’s new book, Small Victories, fits into my holiday menu beautifully. It’s a simple classic with a twist. For years I held firm to my belief that if they didn’t come from a can shellacked in a sweet sticky syrup and then covered with toasted marshmallows then they weren’t sweet potatoes. Some may say I’ve matured.

Julia and I both agree that so many recipes do us all a disservice by saying that an onion can be caramelized in as little as ten minutes. To truly take an onion from its raw pungent state to the point where it melts into a puddle of deep sweetness you must invest at least forty-five minutes to the process. Don’t let this keep you from moving forward with this recipe but rather embrace the slow of it, casually stirring the sticky onions with one hand and a nip of red wine in the other.

Beyond the caramelizing there’s very little to be done. A tip of balsamic here, a stir of cooked bacon or pancetta there, and tuck in of sweet potatoes roasted until tender on the inside with edges trimmed in umber.

There’s a dual purpose in sharing this recipe now. I’m fairly certain it’s the final dish to complete your holiday menu and also, Julia and her publisher, Chronicle books are giving us all the opportunity to extend our holiday table by helping others fill their own. If you feel like helping others ensure that they too have the opportunity to share a meal please consider donating here.

This time at the table is special, perhaps this year more so than any other as our country feels deeply divided. I won’t make light of the pain so many are feeling and the fear that covers many but I hope and pray that the time at the table is covered in love and grace. There is something deeply intimate about sharing a meal together and I hope for all of you the time is fruitful and filled with radiating thanks giving.

Grace's Sweet Potatoes

from Small Victories

Serves 4

2 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

4 ounces pancetta, finely diced (I used bacon)

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and the red pepper flakes (if using), and toss everything together. Roast the sweet potatoes, stirring a couple of times, until tender and browned, about 45 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the pancetta, stirring, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a bowl and set aside.

Add the sliced onion to the skillet (add a little olive oil if there's not enough fat in the pan - it will depend on how much fat is in the pancetta, so trust your instincts here). Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the onion, stirring now and then, until the onion has collapsed and is very soft and browned in spots, about 45 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Add the reserved pancetta and sweet potatoes to the skillet and stir everything together.

Serve warm.

Originally I was just going to come here and tell you about green sauce. Because the sauce alone is worthy of a post but in the process of shooting the photos for the sauce I whipped up some roasted carrots, slathered some thick yogurt on a plate, topped it with green sauce and then threw on some frilly cilantro leaves and chunks of salty feta. Now I’m here with green sauce AND roasted carrots with yogurt.

I’ve had the recipe for the sauce in my back pocket since last summer when I served it with charred vegetables and grilled leg of lamb. It’s a riff off of a sauce they sell at my favorite Lebanese grocer in Seattle (I love that I live in a city where I can say that I have a favorite Lebanese grocery store). At the market it’s simply labeled green sauce with a few of its more obvious ingredients listed below the telling title along with the dreaded phrase “and a secret mix of spices”.

Determined to reveal their secrets my friend Julie and I set out to create our own version. Of course we knew there were a lot of green things and a good bit of heat. There’s also a tartness but not just from citrus. Our version has a bit of lime zest, rice vinegar and tamarind paste which is fruity and delightfully sour. Feel free to substitute lime juice for the tamarind paste if you can’t find it. I always grab some when I’m at our asian grocery store or the aforementioned Lebanese market and I’d recommend that you get into the same habit.

Our green sauce is still not quite the same as the original version but I do have the same desire to put my green sauce on everything. In fact this morning breakfast was leftover potatoes from our roast chicken dinner a few nights back fried up with an egg along with avocado and yogurt. That fried chicken I just mentioned? There was green sauce with that too. I think you get it.

Also, can I just say that I’m so glad spring is here. I mean I say that now while Seattle is experiencing a near heat wave (70° tomorrow!) and next week I’m sure we’ll be back to rain. But I’m loving that last week’s post was rhubarb, this week carrots and next week I’m playing with peas! So I think it’s safe to say spring is here – at least on the blog. Happy Spring! (Thanks to Sam for telling me about this gem. If you’re in Seattle, check out Goodies for the original green sauce.)

Roasted Carrots with Yogurt and Green Sauce

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main

1 large bunch carrots, washed

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

1 cup Whole Milk Greek yogurt

1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro or parsley

1/3 cup crumbled feta

1/3 cup spicy green sauce (recipe below)

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Cut most of the greens off the carrots leaving about two inches still intact. They roast in the oven and give the dish a lovely crunch.

Place the carrots on a sheet tray and toss with the olive oil and a hefty pinch of salt.

Roast until deeply caramelized and tender. About 30 minutes or so. It all depends on the size of your carrots.

Spread the yogurt on the base of your platter then top with the carrots. They can be warm or room temperature to serve.

Finish with the green sauce, cilantro, and feta.

Spicy Green Sauce

Makes 1 1/4 cups

1 jalapeño, seeds and veins removed, roughly chopped

5 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 ½ cups EACH, fresh parsley, mint and cilantro

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

¼ cup water

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes.

Serve right away or refrigerate for up to one week.

There was a bit of hesitation before I decided to post this recipe. Perhaps because it was so far from what I originally intended to post. I thought in its place I’d talk about walnuts. Having just returned from a trip learning about the process of harvesting they happen to be fresh on my mind. In my plans there was pumpkin yogurt alongside butter-toasted walnuts and then a drizzle of olive oil over the whole lot. There’s still time for that too.

The hesitation could also come from the simplicity of this recipe; it’s really no more than sliced squash roasted with a whisper of sugar then sprinkled with butter browned until nutty and dark. But then there are cocoa nibs – which I realize may not be in everyone’s pantry. So then I worry that this quickly becomes a “fussy” recipe; one that requires a trip to the store and possibly a few mumbled curse words when you get excited to start cooking and then realize you don’t have all its parts. I’d hate for a recipe to be a bother.

But I’m here with squash and cocoa nibs because when I took a bite it gave me a pause and a few flutters of delight which then ignites the instinct to share it with someone else.

If I’m completely honest, hesitation and I have become perhaps too good of friends lately. There is often a pause, just long enough for the action to stop and the voices of doubt to creep in but in this case those voices just seemed crazy, even to me. Because really, who wouldn’t mind another recipe for squash particularly when chocolate (or its roasted bean) is involved?

To remove any sort of the fussiness let’s go ahead and say that although nibs do really play a staring role here perhaps toasted, ummmm WALNUTS might do nicely in their place?! Or pecans. You know what, maybe even peanuts with cilantro scattered on top?! I think you get the idea.

I’m partial to Delicata squash because I love that it doesn’t require peeling. In fact once out of the oven that skin is crisp enough to be pleasant against the softness of the flesh and tender enough to be delicious. But really any squash will do.

It is just the sort of recipe that is simple enough to sit alongside Wednesday’s roast chicken but worthy of snuggling up right next to your holiday bird. Leftovers turn a humble bed of peppery greens into a not-so-humble salad.

Delicata Squash with Brown Butter & Cocoa Nibs

Serves 4 to 6 side servings

The recipe comes from the newly released book, Theo Chocolate which includes all sorts of intriguing sweet and savory recipes that highlight chocolate. The Nibby Crackers are also a favorite. So the lesson of the day is: cocoa nibs are indeed a pantry staple.

1 winter squash (about 2 pounds), halved and seeded*

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt*

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 generous tablespoon (about 1/4 ounces) roasted cocoa nibs

flake salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut the Delicata into 1/2-inch half moons.

Add the squash to a sheet tray and drizzle on the olive oil, kosher salt, and brown sugar. Toss well to coat.

Roast until the squash is tender and the edges are nicely browned, about 30 minutes.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook until the foam subsides, you start to see brown specks at the bottom of the pan, and the butter smells nutty. Add the cocoa nibs and cook for 10 seconds just to warm them through, then spoon the mixture over the squash and serve immediately.

*I used two small Delicata squash and actually a bit less kosher salt then listed but added a crunchy flake salt at the end.

From the moment I sat down at my friend’s table and tried her mint yogurt sauce, I’ve had a container of it in my own fridge. She will be glad to know that I have finally written down a recipe for myself so I can now stop texting her many times asking, “Okay, one last time, I promise. What did you put in that yogurt again?”

It’s remarkably simple, really. One would think I would have remembered the ingredients the first time I asked since it’s only yogurt, rice wine vinegar, dried mint, garlic, cayenne and salt. You guys, I’m telling you, it’s the dried mint. I hadn’t used it before except when brewing a cup of mint tea and now I am finding myself tucking it into everything.

Dried mint is deeper, darker than fresh. The flavor is not as bright and zippy and mouth cooling as you expect from mint. It still is refreshing but it is also woody and somehow heartier. All I know is that it turned yogurt into a sauce that I have not been able to stop making since the moment I had it. The flavor grows with dried mint so this sauce does well after a rest in the refrigerator.

I started this month in need of inspiration. Feeling a bit ho-hum about food, I wanted something to ignite my passion so it would send me flying into the kitchen again. Of course I also started the month attempting to pack up my kitchen and put it in boxes so that made cooking a bit more difficult. But now we are getting settled and I’m feeling eager to bound into the kitchen. I’ve spent the last month filling my fridge with seasonal produce, plucking fresh berries from my adopted garden and stretching myself to try new things. Caraway on my avocado toast? Yes. Grilled corn finished in a smoked paprika spiced butter? Absolutely. Caramelized Fennel with dried orange peel?! Oh my word, yes. I’m dreaming in food again. Literally, last night I dreamt of my next book idea and I am so excited to starting putting thoughts to paper and see where it will lead.

So much of this inspiration is thanks to my partnership with Frontier Co-op. I’ll be honest I get squirmy and weird when I come here with a sponsored post, afraid of my work being seen as not my own because there is someone else gently nudging the post. But, I needed this nudge. I’m thrilled with what I created as I found myself reaching for the spice cabinet more often than normal and always happy that I did. I hope you all were inspired along with me. I’ve been posting my creations on Instagram all month so you can go check that out there and also check out the #SpiceUpSummer hashtag for more ideas.

*This post was sponsored by Frontier Co-Op but as always, the recipe, words and photos are mine.

Grilled Vegetables with Mint yogurt

Serves 6 to 8 as a side

16 ounces Labneh (or full-fat Greek Yogurt)

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dried mint

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch cayenne or red chili pepper flakes

Pinch salt

2 eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

2 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

3 red peppers, cut into 1-inch strips

1 bunch scallions, cleaned

2 fennel bulbs, tough core removed and cut into wedges

olive oil

salt & pepper

Yogurt: Combine the Labneh with the rice wine vinegar, dried mint, garlic, cayenne and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.

The flavor improves dramatically after a few hours or even overnight, in the fridge.

Vegetables: Generously coat the vegetables in olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill until charred in parts and tender.

Feel free to use whatever vegetables are in season and available.

Serve warm or room temperature with plenty of the mint yogurt.

Over the next week I have three recipes for you that will make your summer barbeques the most popular on the block. They aren’t what you would call “traditional” barbeque recipes but that is perhaps what I like most about them. And since next weekend (it being the 4th and all) is pretty much the grill’s favorite holiday then it looks like that perhaps for once in my blogging career I may be ahead of the game for a holiday.

It’s a couscous salad studded with fresh cherries, toasted almonds, a zippy pomegranate molasses vinaigrette and quite green due to the amount of fresh herbs. Oh and there’s feta, if you’re in to that sort of thing. It has the freshness of a more traditional salad but the pleasant heft of a pasta salad. It sits beautifully next to grilled meat and vegetables (more on that soon).

If tradition is more your style when it comes to barbecuing for the 4th then still consider this salad. For your next picnic maybe? It’s an ideal candidate as it does beautifully waiting for you in the fridge or lingering in the picnic basket while you play games or dip your toes in the sand.

Let’s call this recipe a guide rather than a map to be followed strictly. Perhaps you’d like more zip, than you’ll need more than 1/2 a lemon. Are fresh cherries not around yet? Dried would slip in their place nicely. I used toasted marcona almonds but you could use regular almonds, pine nuts, pistachios – you get the idea.

Couscous Salad with Fresh Cherries

Serve 6-8 as a side

3 cups Israeli couscous

1/4 cup Pomegranate Molasses

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cherries, pitted and quartered

1 cup (4 ounces) marcona almonds

1/2 red onion, diced

1 1/2 cups, packed fresh parsley and mint leaves

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Cook the couscous in boiling water that is seasoned with salt and a glug of olive oil. Drain the couscous while it’s still al dente, about 7-9 minutes but each variety is different so continually check the doneness.

Rinse the couscous with cold water to stop the cooking then set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the pomegranate molasses, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add this to the couscous.

Mix in the cherries, almonds and onion.

Finely mince the fresh herbs and add those to the salad. Finish with fresh feta.

Taste and adjust to your liking, adding more salt or lemon juice if needed.