Category: Summer

Eat these now: Shishito Peppers

  This mild pepper from Japan has become quite the culinary rage over the last handful of years.  I first had them as a snack in a benefit cooking master class for Slow Food NYC, and have been growing them in my garden ever since. Shishito peppers are slender, bright green, and about the length… Continue reading Eat these now: Shishito Peppers

Salad Dressing of the Week: Avocado, Lime and Cilantro

I made this quickly in the blender this week, to go over a cold rice salad with shredded poached chicken, local corn, a few early tomatoes and chunks of avocado.  Mostly the goal was to distribute the little bit of avocado I had on hand as much as possible throughout the salad.  We loved the… Continue reading Salad Dressing of the Week: Avocado, Lime and Cilantro

Salad Dressing of the Week: Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (with a hint of white pepper)

  Make this right now, with all those plump ephemeral strawberries lurking around.   (If you are making this out of season–gasp–consider adding a small pinch of sugar to the berry puree to help boost the flavorless winter berries). If you can make it past eating it directly from the mixing bowl, serve this dressing… Continue reading Salad Dressing of the Week: Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (with a hint of white pepper)

Vanilla Rhubarb Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

With rhubarb’s glorious reign quickly coming to a close, I wanted to give it one last hurrah, before it is replaced in the fruit bowl with stone fruit of a multitude of dizzying hues.  I made this rhubarb vanilla ice cream with (generous) dark chocolate chunks to bring to dinner with friends recently, and was… Continue reading Vanilla Rhubarb Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Salad Dressing of the Week: Sherry Vinegar and Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Last night I was having dinner with some of my favorite lady friends, and we were talking about salad dressings, as you do with your lady friends.  They were saying that they each always make their same standby dressing, and were enjoying this new blog feature to help get out of their ruts. We shared… Continue reading Salad Dressing of the Week: Sherry Vinegar and Hazelnut Vinaigrette

How to deal with Rhubarb

I love rhubarb.  I love it for it’s old fashioned vibe.  I love it for it’s color, striking tartness, and even for it’s moderate shelf life.  I also love it for showing up so darn early in the spring and sticking around for several months. And I too was at first intimidated by those long,… Continue reading How to deal with Rhubarb

Salad Dressing of the Week: Fresh Oregano and Dijon Vinaigrette

For another step in my continued fight to close down the salad dressing aisle in grocery stores, I’ll offer you a homemade salad dressing recipe each week. Fresh oregano certainly has a pronounced flavor, but actually so much more mellow and herbal and complex than what dried drab green flecks and pizza restaurant shakers have… Continue reading Salad Dressing of the Week: Fresh Oregano and Dijon Vinaigrette

Sesame Roasted Asparagus

    Something to do with asparagus right now…(and what I’m having for dinner.) <recipe> asparagus olive oil salt sesame oil toasted sesame seeds (a mixture of white and black, if available) Heat oven to 350° F. Toss asparagus stalks in olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Roast asparagus at 350° on a baking sheet… Continue reading Sesame Roasted Asparagus

Cantaloupe and Lime Granita

My grandfather loves cantaloupe.  At least I assume he does, as he has eaten a half cantaloupe filled with cottage cheese for lunch almost every day that I have known him.  I vividly remember him coming home for lunch (coming home for lunch!) when I was visiting them in my childhood, and my grandmother having… Continue reading Cantaloupe and Lime Granita

Pitchfork Diaries: Catch the Fever

local color on my drive home. It has been a pretty swell week for this little blog. First, I get the baby to nap just long enough that I manage to post my first recipe in months. Then, I get not one, but two really lovely mentions, on the websites of not one, but two… Continue reading Pitchfork Diaries: Catch the Fever

Rhubarb and White Cherry Ice Pop

I’m back. My hands have been very, delightfully full these last many months, but I feel like we are all finally starting to figure out a good rhythm together.  And being a mom is, well, utterly remarkable, and it is hard to not devour every minute. Even with our full hands, we did manage to… Continue reading Rhubarb and White Cherry Ice Pop

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Romesco Sauce

Dreaming of our trip to Barcelona, that was this month a year ago, I tried combining two of my favorites:  spanish romesco sauce with just-picked spaghetti squash from our garden.  Nutty, tangy, rich and warm, with a wonderful crunch from the squash, I literally had to make myself put the mixing spoon in the dishwasher… Continue reading Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Romesco Sauce

One more bit of cherry tomato inspiration with which to send you off into the weekend…

I just discovered the Telepan TV channel on youtube.  Bill Telepan is one of my most favorite NYC chefs, who I had the great, great pleasure of cooking with for many months that the start of his inspirational and important Wellness in the Schools school lunch campaign. He has started to put together videos, sharing… Continue reading One more bit of cherry tomato inspiration with which to send you off into the weekend…

Sweet Corn Crème Caramel

  Corn this time of year is so sweet and full of natural sugar, that it lends itself to both sweet and savory preparations.  (They don’t call it “Butter and Sugar” for nothing.) This recipe is part homage to Meredith Kurtzman, the pastry chef and queen of all things gelato, at New York City’s Otto.… Continue reading Sweet Corn Crème Caramel

Freeze some corn! Now!

Glorious cobs of corn will still be around at the farmers’ markets for a couple of weeks.  Sweet, meltingly tender, golden or pearly white, they are never better (or cheaper) than right now.  We eat it with dinner nearly every night for the month when it is at it’s best, just barely cooking it, as… Continue reading Freeze some corn! Now!

Zucchini, Carrot and Scallion Fritters

  These fritters are an homage to the perfect little hometown restaurant we had in our shoreline Connecticut town growing up in the 80s.  A place where everybody knew our name, where you could pop in casually for a wholesome lunch, or count on it for a suitably festive and elegant special occasion dinner. I’ve… Continue reading Zucchini, Carrot and Scallion Fritters

How to make Basil Oil

This may be the garnish to end all garnishes.  I remember so vividly the day we learned this in culinary school, and how I raced home to try it myself, feeling like I had just unlocked some illusive five star chef secret. This simple little technique gives you magnificent, fragrant green gold to drizzle about… Continue reading How to make Basil Oil

Market Watch: Basil

    Basil has definitely arrived at the party.  Bunch upon fragrant bunch are cramming tables at the markets.  Not surprisingly we mostly think green and the same familiar scent and flavor when basil comes to mind.  But there are loads of heirloom varieties that are becoming much easier to track down.  (and grow yourself!)… Continue reading Market Watch: Basil

Peach and Custard Pie

  This is a peach pie my grandmother has made for years.  I adore the visual of the entire peach halves, that always elicits at least one gasp of admiration when set down on the table.  With peaches stunningly sweet this time in the season, I also really appreciate the addition of the custard-like filling,… Continue reading Peach and Custard Pie

Quick Tip: How to freeze peaches

Peaches and other stone fruit are perfect and plentiful (and pretty cheap!) at the markets right now.  Taking an hour or so and freezing a bunch will be total treasure in your freezer come winter.  And…far extend your season for making David Lebovitz’s ridiculously good peach ice cream (it contains sour cream, people!  Sour cream!!).… Continue reading Quick Tip: How to freeze peaches

Roasted Nectarine and Zucchini Salad

  Here is a quick recipe I dreamt up, while on my roasted produce kick this week, using what is in abundance in the gardens and at the market.  Thankfully, it turned out to be heavenly, lick-the-bowl-clean good. There is a magical, sum is definitely greater than it’s parts, result here, as with many very… Continue reading Roasted Nectarine and Zucchini Salad

Technique Tuesday: Roasted Vegetables and Fruit

  By this point in the summer I definitely get into a rut and prepare fruit and vegetables from the gardens and market in almost the same ways daily.  Not that that is a bad thing, as with produce this amazing, at the height of their season, there is often very little that can improve… Continue reading Technique Tuesday: Roasted Vegetables and Fruit

Technique Tuesday: Using Edible Flowers

  These weeks the gardens are bursting with flowers.  Not the flower gardens, but the herb and vegetable gardens.  Some of the flowers I planned on (nasturtiums and chamomile), some are part of the journey (pole bean blossoms which will become bean pods), and some are a result of me not harvesting fast enough and… Continue reading Technique Tuesday: Using Edible Flowers

Raspberry Clafouti

There are few things that could get me to turn on the oven in the middle of this oppressive heat wave.  However, much to the dismay of my panting dog, clafouti is one of them. Unlike almost everyone else in the country right now, the red and golden raspberries in our garden are adoring the… Continue reading Raspberry Clafouti

Garlic Scape and Herb Pancake

  Move over scallions.  I may have to cheat on you. My love affair with dim sum scallion pancakes is no secret.  There are few times I can think of when they don’t appeal to me.  (or make me start to go all Pavlovian as I even type the words.)  Though green and doing very… Continue reading Garlic Scape and Herb Pancake

Lemon Verbena and Thyme Soda Syrup, and Sorbet too!

  Our herb garden is growing like weeds.  Well, truth be told, the weeds are also growing like weeds.  But between the weeds are fragrant, mystical herbs, that are spicing up meals and will also shortly be hoarded away in ziplocks in the freezer for less bountiful months. My favorite herb is lemon verbena.  It… Continue reading Lemon Verbena and Thyme Soda Syrup, and Sorbet too!

happyradishwednesday.

  Radishes at the Migliorelli Farm stand at the Union Square Greenmarket, NYC Radishes of every color are pushing their way up through the dirt of my garden and attracting paparazzi-esque crowds at the farmers’ market.  This fresh and this young, they are sweet and mild, and add a peppery snap to salads and summer… Continue reading happyradishwednesday.

Sorrel Pistou and Fresh Ricotta Crostini

With sorrel in its tangy, bright abundance at the farmers’ markets now and throughout the summer, this pistou (or pesto or coulis) is a dynamite way to show it off.  Set out a platter of baguette slices, ricotta, and the green stuff and let your BBQ guests at it for a DIY appetizer.  Less work… Continue reading Sorrel Pistou and Fresh Ricotta Crostini

Rhubarb Rosemary “Affogato”

Now I know my Italian affogato-loving purists will find the title of my recipe sacrilegious.  Affogato means “drowned” in Italian, and the classic Affogato dessert is really named affogato al cafe or “drowned in coffee”.  It is a shot of hot espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  When I first had it,… Continue reading Rhubarb Rosemary “Affogato”

Cornmeal Crusted Soft Shell Crab with Buttermilk Apple and Chive Coleslaw

This remarkably quick meal is a colorful and crunchy way to use the insanely good soft shell crabs that are coming into season right now.  I made this for my husband and I a few nights ago, and was so pleased with the speed to wow ratio.  But in addition it was so so so… Continue reading Cornmeal Crusted Soft Shell Crab with Buttermilk Apple and Chive Coleslaw

Homemade Mango Lime Soda Syrup

Here is another soda syrup recipe to accompany yesterday’s homemade ginger soda syrup.  Super refreshing and light, making me crave flip flops and sunscreen.  Try mixing a little of both syrups together for mango-lime-gingerlicious beach blanket bingo in a glass.  Who says it’s only april?   HOMEMADE MANGO LIME SODA SYRUP by Catie Schwalb makes… Continue reading Homemade Mango Lime Soda Syrup

Homemade Ginger Soda Syrup

Perhaps because of the few (very few) days of slightly decent weather we’ve had lately, my attention has recently shifted from hot teas and afternoon hot mochas to cold, effervescent beverages. We are not big soda drinkers in our house, almost none at all, for all of the obvious reasons (high fructose corn syrup, chemicals,… Continue reading Homemade Ginger Soda Syrup

Pan-Seared Sea Scallops, with Pickled Watermelon Radish and Microgreen Salad

  Here’s a great little dish using those irresistable watermelon radishes and microgreens now growing at a farmers’ market near you.  Ready in under a half hour, this would be a deceptively easy, super impressive first course for a local-chic dinner soiree.  Or triple the scallops, and pair it with cool buckwheat soba noodles dressed… Continue reading Pan-Seared Sea Scallops, with Pickled Watermelon Radish and Microgreen Salad

Ode to The Minimalist

It was announced yesterday that Mark Bittman’s weekly column in the New York Times will end its thirteen year delicious, informative, enthusiastic, and encouraging run. I have learned many lessons from Mr. Bittman’s column.  Starting in 1997, a year after I graduated from college, I cooked recipe after recipe from his writing and suggestions and… Continue reading Ode to The Minimalist

Green Beans with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette Recipe

As a follow-up to my previous post about all things salad dressings, here is a recipe for another rock-star of a vinaigrette, following the same formula: 1 part acid + 3 parts oil + seasonings and flavoring ingredients. This is dynamite tossed with fresh blanched local beans, perhaps adding soba noodles for downright craveable homemade… Continue reading Green Beans with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette Recipe

Salad Dressing 101

Just about four years ago, Mark Bittman wrote a great piece in the New York Times; A Well-Dressed Salad Wears Only Homemade, and it got me thinkin’.  Why did salad dressings feel like such a mystery?  Why is there usually a huge amount of grocery store real estate devoted to them?  Why are they so… Continue reading Salad Dressing 101

Put it away put it away put it away now.

Red hot chili peppers.  Sweet orange bell peppers.  Long curly Jimmy Nardello peppers.  Short stubby serrano peppers. All of them. Peppers are still abundant at the farmers’ market, super sweet this time of the season, and the easiest vegetable to put away for the winter months.  You don’t need to peel them or blanch them… Continue reading Put it away put it away put it away now.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

Our 52 heirloom tomato plants are in their final days, but have heroically yielded hundreds of pounds of beautiful fruit this year.  A very triumphant relief, following the yield of six (yes, just six) tomatoes we got from the same number of plants last summer in the throws of the huge tomato blight.  We are… Continue reading Roasted Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

Utterly Chard-ming

First, yes, it is a terrible pun.  But in all honesty, I had a dream about writing this post, and that is the title I watched myself type in the dream.  So who am I to interfere with subconscious inspiration/intervention? Moving on… Our garden is still loaded with beautiful food.  But as is the case… Continue reading Utterly Chard-ming

Right Here, Right Now

This, all too brief, time of year when the garden is offering up treasures I would drive multiple time zones for in February, I find myself stumped in the kitchen.  Surprising, since I have before me the best raw materials I will see all year. But that’s just the point.  I want to step aside,… Continue reading Right Here, Right Now

Herb and Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Our few small winter squash plants, that I started from seed this year, have taken off, and taken over, and are now literally climbing the walls of the new squash garden we put in.  It is still amazing to me that one tiny 1.5 cm long seed can turn into a gigantic sprawling little-shop-of-horrors-like vine… Continue reading Herb and Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Earl Grey and Lavender Granita recipe

A lovely and unexpected flavor combination, that serves as a small sweet forecast of warmer weather ahead. I saw a new stand at the market this week I hadn’t noticed previously. Lavender by the Bay is a lavender farm in East Marion, NY. They were selling a variety of dried lavender sachets and bouquets, but… Continue reading Earl Grey and Lavender Granita recipe

Polenta with Goat Cheese, Shallots, and Greens recipe

On a trip to the farmers market it doesn’t serve you to bring a list or to have rigid expectations.  The most effective shopping there is always done by just discovering what is the very best of this week’s offerings.  As mentioned before, that can sometime be rough in the less produce-friendly times of year.… Continue reading Polenta with Goat Cheese, Shallots, and Greens recipe