2010 September | 20something cupcakes

Archive - September, 2010

{my first} roast chicken.

September 29, 2010 in Dinner Party Worthy, Main Dishes, Recipe Arsenal with 4 Comments

Perhaps I should change the name of this post to my last roast chicken.

Because I truly don’t know if I’ll ever bring myself to make another. I’m sure there are other delicious roast chickens out there – probably plenty, as most roast chickens are inherently delicious – but it can’t possibly get any better than this.

To start, there’s bacon.

See? That bacon cooks right on top of the whole party, injecting both the potatoes and the chicken with flavor.

Yes, it’s a party. Perfectly moist, juicy, and flavorful chicken + bacon + lemon-rosemary potatoes + roasted garlic = PARTY. Oh yes, that’s right – there’s roasted garlic. Can you see it in the first photo, rubbed all over the chicken? I.die. for roasted garlic.

But let’s get back to the bacon. Because after all is said and done, we’re going to take that bacon, and crumble it all over our potatoes. Our potatoes that have first par-boiled with lemon and garlic, and then roasted until perfection – covered in chicken juices, bacon drippings, and tons of fresh rosemary.

These potatoes are hands down the best I’ve ever had. I usually like to leave the skin on, because it makes me feel like I’m being healthy, you know – get more fiber, feel less guilty about eating half the pan. I put that {semi-ridiculous} theory aside here, and cooked them exactly the way Jamie told me to – and that’s what YOU must do. You really must. Because these potatoes are *so* unbelievably crispy, flavorful, and out-of-this world delish – you won’t be able to stop eating them.

Which actually may be a reason not to make them, depending on how you look at it.

Roast Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary, and Bacon Potatoes

Recipe via Jamie Oliver

4½ lb free-range organic chicken
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4½ lbs potatoes, peeled
1 large lemon
1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
Handful of fresh thyme
Olive oil
Handful of fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
8 slices of bacon

Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Do this as early as you can, and cover and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. You should do this with any meat – it makes it more flavorful.

Preheat your oven to 375ºF, and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut the potatoes into golf-ball-sized pieces, put them into the water with the whole lemon and the garlic cloves, and cook for 12 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for 1 minute {I like to place a clean kitchen towel over top – steaming ensures crispy potatoes}, then remove the lemon and garlic. Toss the potatoes in the pan while still hot, roughing them up a little bit. This will make your potatoes perfectly crispy and delicious.

While the lemon is still hot, carefully stab it about 10 times. Take the chicken out of the fridge, pat dry with paper towels, and rub generously with olive oil. Push the garlic cloves, the whole lemon, and the thyme into the cavity, then put the chicken into a roasting tray and cook in the preheated oven for around 45 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. Some lovely fat should have cooked out of it into the roasting tray, so toss the potatoes into this with the rosemary leaves. Shake the tray around, then make a gap in the middle of the potatoes and put the chicken back in, or if you have a pan with a tray like I do, you can place the chicken back on the rack. Place the bacon over the chicken and cook for a further 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are nice and golden.

Remove the bacon from the chicken and crumble it up over the potatoes. Then remove the lemon and garlic from inside the chicken, squeeze all the garlic flesh out of the skin, mush it up and smear it all over the chicken, discard the lemon and rosemary and carve the chicken at the table.

“Heaven!” Jamie says, and I couldn’t agree more.

DVF dressing: fall 2010.

September 29, 2010 in Fashion with 4 Comments

It’s no secret that every year, you can count on Diane to produce a line of perfectly chic and always wearable dresses. But this year – this year, she really killed it. I honestly had a hard time deciding which were my favorites, and there were so many other pieces {hello, leopard scarves and delicious leather gloves – but who am I kidding, I live in Florida} competing for my attention that I almost decided to open this post up beyond dresses.

I couldn’t quite do it, thought, because the dresses stood in a category of their own. I mean, we are talking about the woman who *invented* the wrap dress. Would you expect anything less?

She gives us the latest trends by way of leopard, velvet, and leather – and her color palette is divine. The cremes, the blacks, and the jades all complement each other so beautifully, and I love the vintage and slightly Moroccan feel the prints exude. It’s all very modern. And sexy. And easy. And I’ll take one of each, please.

{grano velvet wrap dress}

{davina dress}

{arita leather dress}

{julian mini wrap dress}

{beulah wrap gown}

{tabalah dress}

{noelle mini dress}

{the pastry queen’s} favorite chocolate chip cookies.

September 26, 2010 in Project Pastry Queen, Sweets + Treats with 4 Comments

They look good, don’t they?

I must admit – I sort of cheated on this week’s edition of Project Pastry Queen. I made these cookies for a Labor Day celebration just a few short weeks ago. I couldn’t help myself. Chocolate chip cookies are just the quintessential American dessert – and thus perfect for a Labor Day picnic at the pool with friends. I considered other classics – like s’mores or whoopie pies, or s’more-whoopie pies, perhaps – but finally settled on these cookies, figuring someone in the group was bound to pick them for the Project.

I, of course, was right. How could you not want to know what the Pastry Queen herself deems to be her *favorite* chocolate chip cookies? I know I was curious.

As it turns out, they were good. Really good. The best I’ve ever had? I can’t be entirely sure of that, but they were definitely up there. What I can tell you is that everyone who came near these little mounds of goodness devoured them – each person eating 3 or 4, at a minimum – and no one could seem to stop raving about them. The cookies stole the show.

Rebecca didn’t specify which type of chocolate chips to use, and so I took the liberty of using both milk chocolate and semi-sweet, which is something I always like to do when given the choice. I like to keep a dangerous amount of various chips in my cabinet – dark, milk, mini, semi-sweet – so that no matter what, I can always whip up some kind of chocolatey treat.

The real stars in these cookies are the {3 cups of} nuts – both walnuts and pecans, toasted, of course. They add crunch, and they give the cookies that homemade quality that may make you wonder if Grandma is hiding somewhere around the corner. The cookies are crunchy themselves, but the great part is that there’s still some chewiness going on. I really liked the texture, but I’m venturing to say that some people who prefer a softer cookie – and there are a lot of people who do – wouldn’t call this cookie their favorite.

Me, on the other hand – I don’t think I could pigeonhole myself into liking one type of cookie best. Chewy, crunchy, tender, crispy, soft – I don’t discriminate. I like ‘em all.

Be sure to check out Kalyna’s fabulous blog for the recipe!

fantasy friday: my kind of hiking boots.

September 24, 2010 in Fantasy Friday, Fashion with 0 Comments

{tractor-sole “hiking” boot by azzedine alaïa}

In all seriousness, I actually do enjoy hiking.

But these?

These go beyond enjoyment. These go beyond, well, anything.

I mean, all you need here is a pair of skinny jeans and a white tee and you’re off to the races. Why try to even compete with these boots? I wouldn’t dare get in the way of these – these things will totally kick your ass.

I think they would also be great with a shorts look like this, and this silky military green romper would be totally on-point. These boots have that perfect tough-meets-sexy factor that would complement so many of the trends we’re seeing for fall right now.

What do YOU say, dolls – shall we hit the mountains?

late summer farmstand menu.

September 21, 2010 in Complete Menus, Dinner Party Worthy with 9 Comments

The last day of summer has finally come upon us, and with it comes the start of a new category on 20something cupcakes. Welcome to Complete Menus: my attempt at making stylish dinner party menus more accessible, less stressful, and – hopefully – more fun.

{images via coco + kelley}

Throwing dinner parties can be intimidating – they can appear to be a crazy amount of work, and who wants to be busy in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove, while all of your besties are out mingling and enjoying tasty cocktails without you? You may also be scared away by the idea of trying to get everything out on time and at once – anyone who’s ever cooked a meal before is aware of the great challenge of timing. Maybe you feel like you couldn’t put a menu together to save your life. And how exactly do you know what can be prepared in advance, and what must be done the night of? I may not have all the answers, but my hope is that showing you what I do and how I think about things will help take some of the guesswork out of the equation, and show you that dinner parties shouldn’t be difficult – they should be fun, and they should be fabulous. If you’re not enjoying yourself, what’s the point?

I’m also sure that many of you have your own fabulous ideas and tricks you’ve learned along the way – I’d love to hear them! One of my favorite things about cooking and food is that it’s a constant learning process – no matter what level you’re at, there’s always more to learn.

This particular menu was planned for two very good friends of ours, K + B. They are very frequent guests at our house for dinner, and though B is a very picky eater, I actually enjoy that aspect of the planning. I like the challenge; it’s fun to think of what kind of salad I will serve to the person who doesn’t like vegetables, or what type of dessert will work for the person who doesn’t like chocolate. Yes, that’s right – I enjoy it. I also enjoy spending *far* too much time making sure all of the items on the menu complement one another perfectly, and occasionally even making up names like, “Late Summer Farmstand Menu” that no one will ever see. Well, guess what? My silly little menu names will finally have a home.

Cheers to that.

Blackberry Thyme Margaritas

A signature cocktail is a must for me: It’s the perfect way to welcome your guests and let them know it’s going to be a great night. These particular cocktails may have been what spawned the whole idea for my “late summer” menu. To me, they seemed so perfect with the theme – the blackberries brought the summer-factor, and the thyme gave them the rustic quality that seemed to fit in so well with the approach of autumn.

Timing: I made these the day of in the pitcher. My always-gracious guests brought the tequila, so when they arrived I just poured it right in and poured away.

Spiced Cocktail Nuts

If I’m doing a lot of food as far as everything else goes, I like to keep the appetizers light. Since I decided to do a soup, salad, and corn muffins to start, I only did one appetizer – and a simple one, at that. This is my new favorite go-to recipe for a quick and easy appetizer. Just keep mixed nuts on hand (along with the appropriate spices), and you can pull this out of your back pocket anytime.

Timing: You can do these nuts completely ahead of time. I did them the morning of, but you could do also them the day before. Be warned – they’re highly addicting. Make them too far in advance and you may be in danger of eating them all.

Watermelon Gazpacho

For whatever reason, I felt an urge to make gazpacho. Perhaps because it was the end of the season, and gazpacho feels like a recipe that belongs in the summer. I also wanted to keep my starters light as I knew the chicken and potatoes, and corn muffins, would be a bit heavier. This was the perfect gazpacho recipe because it combined the salty, the sweet, and the spicy. The basil oil on top also make it look glamorous.

Timing: Can be done ahead of time. I made it the morning of – you could also do it the day before.

Corn Muffins

Normally I wouldn’t choose to make corn muffins in addition to all of this food, especially with the heavy potatoes that come with the chicken. This was a special case, as these corn muffins were on my agenda for Project Pastry Queen, and I think they really added to the summer-themed menu. They would also be great with any type of BBQ menu, or better yet – alongside your favorite chili for football season.

Timing: To eliminate having yet another item to make around start-time, I used half the batter in the morning, and saved half for the evening. This way, we could enjoy fresh corn muffins for breakfast and when my guests arrived, I could drop the batter into the muffin tin and they could enjoy fresh, hot muffins out of the oven.

Arugula + Peach Salad with Creamy Chive Vinaigrette

This salad was specially chosen for my favorite picky eater, B. B doesn’t like tomatoes, and he doesn’t like many vegetables, though he will eat a salad. When I found out B loves him some peaches, I was sold on this salad. They loved it so much that K asked for the recipe and made it later that same week!

Timing: You can make the dressing ahead of time, and throw everything together when you’re ready to eat.

Roast Chicken + Bacon Rosemary Potatoes

This roast chicken will change your life. It changed mine, at least. I’ve made it twice in the last month or so since I’ve discovered it, and I can’t wait to make it again. A roast chicken is the perfect thing to serve at a dinner party, as you can let it do it’s thing while you hang with your company. And this roast chicken is even more fabulous thanks to the addition of bacon (which makes everything better – duh), and the most perfect lemon-rosemary potatoes you’ve ever had.

Timing: About 20 minutes before my guests’ arrival, I cooked the potatoes. You can plan on eating about an hour-and-a-half after arrival this way, which I think is the perfect amount of time for plenty of drinks, appetizers, and starters. You will have to put the potatoes in the pan about halfway through, which is no big deal.

Caramelized Shallots

And we can’t forget about the shallots. They are also slightly life-changing, for me at least. I discovered the recipe on my beloved Smitten Kitchen, and I knew they would be perfect. These were an especially great choice to serve to my guest who is very particular about his veggies – as in, he hates most of them! These can’t be hated by anyone, I’m quite sure of it. Everyone loves caramelized onions, and using the same process on shallots just takes it to another level. I will also say that another side at this point is unnecessary – if you wanted to stop with the chicken and potatoes, you would be fine doing so.

Timing: Start these about 30-40 minutes from when you’d like to eat.

Assorted Individual Fruit Crostatas: Peaches, Plums, and Berries

I had planned on serving these lovely individual fruit crostatas, inspired by a recipe from my Pastry Queen cookbook – but our guests somehow managed to pass on dessert, if you can believe it! In their defense, there was *a lot* of food, as I’m sure you can tell from this menu. I loved this idea for a dinner party, as you can lay out a variety of fruits, and let your guests choose which combination they’d like. I plan on making these again soon, and in the meantime, you can check out this similar recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Annie’s Eats.

Timing: You would make the dough before, and prep any fruits as necessary – berries can be left whole, larger fruits should be cut up. After dinner, everyone can choose their ingredients, you can quickly assemble – it’s easy, I promise – and throw them in the oven. Just make sure to have the vanilla ice cream waiting.

What do YOU think, lovelies? Do you like this new type of post? Any comments/suggestions/thoughts? I’d love to know!

zucchini, three ways.

September 20, 2010 in Dinner Party Worthy, Starters with 2 Comments

One of my favorite ways to serve an appetizer is to pick a theme and do a couple of variations on it.

I served this at a dinner party I hosted earlier in the summer, but lately I’ve been reading about how many of you have been seeing zucchini in abundance at your farmers’ markets and CSAs.

Zucchini: it’s the summer squash, and wouldn’t you know that I am just realizing how many summery recipes and photos I’ve still yet to post, with only a few days of summer left. I’ve only started getting into seasonal cooking since I’ve started this blog, because in Florida, we don’t really do seasonal cooking. I’d never eaten rhubarb – let alone seen it at the grocery store – and I’d definitely never thought of zucchini as only available in the summer.

And now, I’m *positively* addicted to seasonal cooking. Whether or not I can get something in the grocery store year-round or not, I love the idea of cooking season by season. It’s sort of like themes for your food – no wonder I love it. Pumpkin belongs in the fall, winter should be full of roasted root vegetables and pot pies, spring is all about tender asparagus and juicy strawberries, and everything tomato, corn, and zucchini related just screams summer.

{I realize pot pies are not produce, but I had to throw them in there for Daniel – you see, he’s been begging me for pot pies all summer long, and I have to keep reminding him that their time is coming}

And so, just in time for the end of summer, here is a fabulous way to serve up the last of your precious – and hopefully abundant – summer squash.

Zucchini Pancakes

Fritters, latkes, pancakes – no matter what you like to call them, they’re undeniably delicious. The only trick here is getting the moisture out of the zucchini and onion mixture, but once you have that down, you’re home free. I’m pretty sure even the pickiest eaters will be willing to finish their greens when they’ve been stuffed into pancakes and fried to a crispy golden-brown, as we’ve done here. I also made a lemon crème fraiche to dip the pancakes into, which was made with crème fraiche, and – you guessed it – lemon zest. So easy, and you know everyone always likes to something to dip.

Adapted via Ina Garten

2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
1 large Vidalia onion, grated
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Grate the zucchini and onion using the large grating side of a box grater, and place into a strainer set over a bowl. Sprinkle kosher salt over the mixture, and allow to sit for as long as possible, at least 30 minutes. The salt will draw out the moisture so that it falls right into the bowl. You can also use a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel to squeeze the liquid out of the vegetables – this is probably the most effective. When you’ve gotten the mixture as dry as possible, add the eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. You can always add more flour if you think the mixture is too wet.

Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with English Peas + Fresh Parmesan

This is a super-easy salad that I was inspired to make after seeing similar versions of it all over the web this summer. It’s so light and refreshing – and the perfect companion to the rest of this trio.

1-2 medium zucchini
Handful fresh English peas
Fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

Ribbon your zucchini, using a potato peeler, and pile them on top of a plate. Blanch your fresh English peas in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. If the peas are really fresh, you can blanch them for 30 seconds, or not at all, if you like. Scatter the peas over the zucchini, and lightly dress in lemon juice and olive oil. Finish by grating some Parmigiano-Reggiano over the salad, and season with salt and pepper.

Oven “Fried” Zucchini

I’ve been making this as an appetizer for a very long time, probably since way before I ever considered myself to be anything close to a good cook. I love ordering fried zucchini when I’m out at a restaurant, and this oven “fried” version gets you surprisingly similar results for far less fat and calories. In fact, each 3/4 cup serving is only 60 calories! The higher quality cheese you use the better, and it’s also delicious served with a side of marinara. Here, we dipped them into the same lemon crème fraiche we used for the pancakes.

Recipe adapted via Cooking Light

1/4 cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs {I normally like fresh, but in this case the breadcrumbs stick better when you use the dry kind}
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
1-2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. The rack is really important because it allows the zucchini to get nice and crispy. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

{As a follow-up to my thoughts on seasonal cooking, I’m going to start tagging recipes according to their season, so that you view categories for “Summer Recipes, Winter Recipes,” etc.}

What do YOU think about seasonal cooking?

lemon-champagne bars with strawberry brûlée topping.

September 19, 2010 in Project Pastry Queen, Sweets + Treats with 5 Comments

I had a lot of fun making this spin on the classic lemon bar for Project Pastry Queen this week.

Possibly too much fun.

Partly because champagne being a key ingredient inspired me to buy several bottles of champagne yesterday. There was breakfast pizzas all day long. There were heaping plates of prosciutto, figs, and cheese. And there was what felt like an unlimited supply of bubbly. It was a pretty fabulous day – but more on that, later.

I decided to start the bars last night, which was a great idea because – as I’ve found with many of the Pastry Queen recipes – they require a step where they need to be refrigerated for two hours or overnight. It’s a very simple recipe: all you need to do is make an easy pie crust bottom, bake it for a few, then make your lemon filling, and bake that overtop of the crust. The lemon filling is a bit more time consuming because it takes about 30 minutes to cook in total; you have to first let it thicken, then whisk in your chilled butter one tablespoon at a time – there are 12 total – and then let it thicken about 10 minutes more. The end result is a sweet, lightly lemony, pudding-like filling, with just the slightest hint of champagne.

I woke up this morning very excited, because today was the day I first got to use my new kitchen torch. I put Daniel to work on getting the butane all set up for me while I sliced my strawberries and laid them out over the dessert. I then covered them in an even layer of sugar, and got to work with the torch. I’d never used one before, and I was surprised to see that you had to really spend some time on each section of the dessert – I kind of thought one little motion would set the whole thing in flames. The sugar didn’t quite crystallize like I thought it would, and this may have been because there was too much moisture. I tried sticking them in the freezer for about 20 minutes, but there was still a layer of moisture laying on the top so I ended up just pouring it right off. The end result was a little messy – but undeniably delicious.

I then may or may not have eaten an entire vat of it for breakfast. And there may or may not have been a glass of champagne involved.

Be sure to check our Ginny’s lovely blog, Just Get Floury, for the full recipe – and see how all of the other fabulous members fared here!

blackberry thyme margaritas.

September 18, 2010 in Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy with 4 Comments

Fresh herbs in cocktails: It’s kinda my new thing.

Okay, fine – I guess mojitos have had this down for a while. And though I *very much* love a good mojito, lately I’ve been discovering countless new favorite cocktails made with fresh herbs.

You’ve seen me use basil before here, but today we’re talking thyme. Thyme, and margaritas. These things make me happy.

Thyme is from the mint family, and to me, it has a very lightly earthy, almost lemony flavor and scent. It’s delicious with so many types of things – roast chicken being one of my personal favorites – and it seems to go perfectly in this margarita.

But wait – we haven’t even gotten to the blackberry part! Ah yes, the blackberries. Sure, you could puree them, strain the seeds out, get all fancy with it…but there’s really no need. I just threw a bunch of berries into my pitcher – along with the thyme – and muddled it all up against the glass with my wooden spoon. I think the flavor combination works brilliantly together, and the blackberries create a gorgeous purple hue. It’s rustic, thanks to the thyme – yet the bubby and high-quality tequila up the glam factor.

All in all, it’s a pretty sexy drink, if you ask me.

Blackberry-Thyme Margaritas

Adapted from Bon Appétit

1-2 cups fresh blackberries

Handful fresh thyme sprigs

1 1/2 cups good white tequila

3/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup Cointreau or other orange liquor

1 cup simple syrup

1 cup champagne or sparkling wine

Place blackberries and thyme sprigs {be sure to leave extra of both for garnish} in medium bowl. Press firmly on solids with muddler or back of wooden spoon until mashed. Mix in tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, Cointreau, and sparkling wine. Stir to blend well. Fill glasses with ice, and pour margarita mixture over. Garnish with a couple blackberries and thyme sprigs.

Makes about 8 drinks.

watermelon gazpacho with basil oil + cayenne salt.

September 17, 2010 in Dinner Party Worthy, Healthy Eats, Starters with 1 Comment

Does anyone remember that show Ask Aida? I really liked that show – I wonder why it was cancelled.

Anyway, as I was searching high and low for an interesting watermelon gazpacho recipe a few weeks ago, I found this one. The author was Aida Mollenkamp, of Ask Aida.

I had been looking for a gazpacho recipe because for whatever reason, I just *had* to make one for a dinner party we were hosting. It didn’t matter that Dan wasn’t into the idea – he’s a hot soup kinda guy – I had an idea, and I wasn’t going to let go of it. I had a heavier meal planned, so I wanted to do something light to start.

Still, I wanted to find something different. The only gazpacho I remember loving was this one my aunt made for me earlier in the year, and that was a tough one to beat. I knew that I wanted to do something summery, as it was nearing the end of summer – and when I learned that our guests {one of them a very picky eater} loved watermelon, I had part of my work cut out for me.

But what I wanted was a watermelon gazpacho with an edge, and that is exactly what I found in this recipe. The addition of the basil oil and the spicy cayenne salt was everything I could have asked for. My photograph taken in the dark doesn’t do it justice – the garnishes really made it look like something special. My picky eater – who turned out not to be a big gazpacho fan – even said, “if I liked gazpacho, this would be the best gazpacho ever made!”

I’ll take it.

Watermelon Gazpacho with Basil Oil + Cayenne Salt

Adapted from Aida Mollenkamp

For the basil oil:

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups packed basil leaves

For the gazpacho:

3 cups cubed day-old country bread, crust removed
3-4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 1/2 cups coarsely chopped watermelon (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 2/3 cups)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

For the garnish:

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup minced watermelon
1/2 cup minced seedless cucumber

To make the basil oil, blend olive oil and basil leaves together until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let mixture steep for about 15 minutes before using.

Place bread in a bowl, add water to cover (about 1/2 cup), and let soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain bread and squeeze out excess liquid.

Finely mince garlic, basil, cayenne, cumin, and salt to form a rough, sandy paste. Place tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, onion, soaked bread, and garlic paste in a large bowl and toss to mix. Let stand for about 15 minutes.

Working in four batches, place a quarter of the vegetable mixture in a blender (or use a hand blender), add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons water, and process until smooth. Transfer the puréed soup to a large, nonreactive bowl and repeat the blending process with the remaining vegetable mixture. Whisk in vinegar and adjust seasoning to taste.

To make the garnish, mix cayenne pepper and salt in a small bowl until well combined. In a separate bowl, toss together watermelon and cucumber. To serve, top each bowl of gazpacho with 2 tablespoons of the watermelon and cucumber, sprinkle with cayenne salt, and drizzle with basil oil.

Makes 8 servings – I halved the recipe to serve 4.

arugula + peach salad with creamy chive vinaigrette.

September 15, 2010 in Dinner Party Worthy, Fabulously Simple, Salad Bar with 4 Comments

When it comes to side salads, we all know that I enjoy serving my standard green salad and creamy mustard vinaigrette, à la Ina Garten.

Arugula dressed with fresh lemon juice and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano is also a repeat offender.

And now, I have a new standby to add to the mix. Bon Appétit calls it, ” the classic side salad reconsidered, with lush peaches standing in for tomatoes.” This is a great way to think of it, and it happens to be perfect for the occasional dinner guest who doesn’t like tomatoes.

I don’t typically use cream when I make a vinaigrette, but here it worked. I think a buttermilk would substitute perfectly, and you can always use some mayo or an egg yolk to creamify your dressing – which is what I typically do. If you’ve got the cream on hand, however, I say stick with it. As the old adage goes, if ain’t broke…

And we must at least mention the chives. They are truly what makes this dressing, and entire salad, in my opinion. Herbs are a great addition to any vinaigrette, as they add lots of flavor without adding calories. And the flavor of a chive is a perfect match for the cream in this dressing.

Peppery arugula, creamy-chivey dressing, and the sweetness of a peach. Brilliant.

Arugula + Peach Salad with Creamy Chive Vinaigrette

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit

2 large ripe peaches
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
12 cups arugula (about 6 ounces)

Wash peaches, rubbing to remove fuzz. Cut in half; remove pits. Thinly slice peaches. Place peach slices in large bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice; toss. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and olive oil in small bowl. Whisk in cream, then chives. Season with salt and pepper.

Add arugula to bowl with peaches. Add dressing and toss. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.

Serves 6.