Parsley Walnut Pesto

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh basil in the summertime? My porch becomes a little piece of heaven when it overflows with flowers and smells of basil. Unfortunately, there comes a time when my lush, leafy basil stalks turn to brown woody ones that smell of decaying basil, so into the dumpster they go. The circle of life.

But then there comes a time when I want some pasta but I'm sick of tomato sauce and can't afford the calories packed into a cream sauce. I could of course go to the grocery store and pay an obscene amount of money for enough fresh basil to make some pesto, but looking back upon the abundance of the summer makes such a prospect just too painful.

So how about some parsley walnut pesto? It's just as delicious as basil pesto, but won't make you yearn for a summer season that's months away. And because parsley is cheaper than basil and walnuts are cheaper than pine nuts, it's economical, too!

Parsley Walnut Pesto

• 2 cups loosely-packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place parsley, walnuts, cheese, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until well combined.

With the food processor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream. You may need as little as half a cup, so go slowly, and stop when the pesto reaches a consistency that works for you. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.

This pesto doesn't discolor as easily as basil pesto does, but it's still best to use it within a couple days. Of course, you can always divide it into small portions, place those portions in little plastic bags, and freeze it all for a few months. As needed, remove a bag of pesto from the freezer; it will defrost very quickly.

Feta Yogurt Sauce

This sauce was originally made for a pita pocket dinner, but I found it to be so delicious that I began using it as a dip for bread, a dip for vegetables, a salad dressing, and the cream base for creamed spinach. 

Creamy and tangy, this sauce can be used to accompany anything from vegetables to fish, and you could probably even use it as a pizza topping. It's bright with herbs and lemon, and the richness imparted by the feta and olive oil make this a perfectly balanced condiment. If anyone out there tries this, let me know how you used it, and how you liked it.

Feta Yogurt Sauce

(Adapted from the New York Times)

• 3 ounces feta cheese
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole-milk
• 1/8 cup very good olive oil
• Teaspoon loosely packed oregano leaves
• 1 lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine feta, yogurt, 1/8 cup olive oil, oregano, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon. Blend or process until smooth. You can also mash mixture by hand, with a fork. If you do it that way, chop up the oregano leaves before adding. I actually used a measuring cup and a hand-held stick blender, which worked beautifully. Add a lot of freshly ground black pepper. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice or pepper if needed. You probably won't need salt since the feta is salty.

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

For years and years, I searched for the perfect cranberry sauce. I tried adding allspice, cloves, Zinfandel, and orange zest. I tried simmering, boiling, and marinating the cranberries. And then a couple years ago, I stumbled upon the ultimate cranberry sauce, courtesy of Epicurious.

The secret is bourbon, but don't let that scare you off. I make things like bourbon balls for the holidays because I have some bourbon lovers in the family, but I personally can't really handle the spirit. In cranberry sauce, though, it's magical--it adds just enough punch to play off the tartness of the cranberries, and it brings out all of the fruit's complexity. Somehow, it also adds a hint of an orange flavor, and it tones down the mouth-puckering sweetness of the sauce.

And the best part may be the fact that you don't have to watch a pot on the stove--you just throw 3 ingredients together in a baking dish and throw the whole thing in the oven for an hour; it's almost ridiculously simple and easy. And! for some reason, the baking dish even comes clean really easily. So if you want a complex, interesting cranberry sauce instead of the usual cloying culprits, you need to try this sauce for your next holiday get together. 

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

(Slightly adapted from Epicurious)

• 1 pound (about 4 cups) cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until cranberries are tender and sugar is dissolved, stirring once, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir in bourbon. Refrigerate cranberry sauce until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.) Transfer to bowl and serve.

Another Favorite Sauce: Basil Pesto

I can't even think of sufficient superlatives for this super sauce. I just love it. I could talk about how it's so summery, delicious, versatile, blah, blah, blah. But you probably already know all that.

So here's a great recipe for this Italian classic. I love to make quadruple batches and freeze them in little portions, much like I do with Romesco. They defrost quickly, so that you can have quick shot of summer in the icy depths of winter...you know.

Basil Pesto

• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• Scant 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• About 1/3 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

In a blender or food processor, pulse the basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth, thick paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When storing this pesto, press plastic wrap onto its surface so that minimal discoloration occurs.
Can also be frozen for at least 6 months.

Corn and Toasted Cumin Salsa

Sometimes I like a change from the standard tomato salsas, but I'm not a big fan of the usual alternatives that contain things like mango. This salsa, though, is perfect.

Fresh corn with some toasty cumin and spicy jalapeño makes a delightful summer salsa. I made some to take to our Fourth of July picnic, and Nick ate almost the whole thing, and I easily polished off the rest.

This is pretty easy to make, and it keeps pretty well in the fridge for a couple days. If you make this corn salsa, your friends will be impressed that you came up such a yummy sumer dip.

Blueberry bars, eaten during the fire works, were the perfect finale to our picnic-y feast. If you haven't tried them already, you really should. Or maybe you shouldn't. Like one of our friends said, "They're like crack." Seriously.

Corn and Toasted Cumin Salsa

• 2 cups corn (from 3 to 4 ears)
• 1/2 lb yellow tomato (1 large), chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeño chile, including seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped

Cook corn in a dry12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. You can use a tiny bit of oil, if you like--it will help prevent little corn bits from melding with your skillet. Transfer to a bowl and cool 5 minutes.

Purée tomato, garlic, and jalapeño with lime juice, cumin, and salt in a blender until smooth, then stir into corn along with scallions. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lime juice if needed. Sometimes it also needs a pinch of cayenne and/or black pepper.

Guacamole

There are times when nothing but some fresh, creamy guacamole will do. I usually start craving it a couple weeks before I actually make it, but I don't make it right away because, for various reasons, I dismiss the craving as inconvenient. There comes a time though, when I just have to give in and make the green goodness, but I try to do it when there will be other people around.

Why? Because I can eat a massive amount of this stuff all by myself. I've been known to make it as an appetizer to go with a margarita, then become so enamored of the dip and its attendant chips (not to mention the margarita) that I forget to make dinner altogether.

Therefore, this batch was made when a fellow guacamole-lover was coming to dinner. We had to put it to the side so that we didn't spoil our dinners, because it was just too satisfying to stop eating. I love guacamole in the summertime, especially with some grilled meat to follow the chips-and-dip binge.

Guacamole

• 2 avocados
• Juice of half a lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of white pepper
• Tiny pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Tiny pinch cayenne
• 3 tablespoons finely diced onion
• 1 Finely diced jalapeno
• Half of a tomato, finely diced

Place the avocado and other ingredients through the cayenne into a bowl and mash until it's mostly smooth, but has a few chunks left. (Or make it very chunky of completely smooth-whatever you prefer). Taste for seasoning, and add any of the prior ingredients if needed. Remember, though, that the jalapeno will add heat. When seasoning is to your taste, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Grab some chips and enjoy.

(Another summertime favorite--toasted whole grain bread with tomatoes, salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. Mmmmm.)

Cilantro Pepita Pesto

This is another versatile sauce that has me drooling all over myself when attempting to describe its awesomeness. Fear not, cilantro haters. The nuttiness of the pepitas washes away cilantro's soapiness and turns it into the essence of fresh-cut grass and sunshine.

That's only the way I describe it right now, though, because it's summertime. In the fall, this pesto morphs into the essence of crisp air and comforting nights by the fire. Likewise in the winter and spring, this pesto recalls the best of what the season has to offer. It's a chameleon in its taste profile and it gets along with all manner of foodstuffs.


I particularly love this pesto with crackers, but that's because I love everything with crackers. This pesto is perfect with roasted vegetables such as butternut squash and cauliflower, and you could of course pair it with pasta, either as a sauce or filling. Like Romesco, you can use it to accompany fish, chicken, and pork, as well. Also like Romesco and the sandard basil pesto, you can freeze this stuff in tiny little portions, take it out when you crave it, and have it defrosted almost instantly.

This recipe doesn't make an especially big batch, though, so there's a good chance you'll eat it all before it sees the frosty depths of the freezer.


And there's one more thing I love about this sauce--it's insanely cheap to make. I mean, even pesto is cheap when you break down its use-to-cost ratio, especially if you grow your own basil, but this stuff is even nicer on the wallet. Why? Because cilantro is inexpensive and a good portion of the stems can be used, pepitas are cheaper than pine nuts, only a little bit of olive oil is needed, and no expensive Parmesan is required. I'll still always love basil pesto, but this pesto also holds a special place in my heart.

Cilantro Pepita Pesto

(Adapted from Epicurious)

• 1/2 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro sprigs
• 1 samll garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

If your pepitas are not already toasted, toast the seeds in 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until seeds are puffed and beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and cool. 

Pulse cooled seeds in a food processor until relatively smooth. Add cilantro, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and olive oil and puree mixture to a coarse paste.

Romesco, I Love You

It doesn't look like much, does it? It is, however, absolutely obsession-worthy.

It's Romesco sauce, and I can't stop eating it; I must have eaten two pounds of it in the last month. That's why I haven't been blogging--I've been eating nothing but Romesco in all its various incarnations. Okay, not really, but almost.

I've mentioned this condiment/sauce in a previous post, but I'm back to say that Romesco is fantastic on crackers, bread, fish, pork, pretty much anything grilled, roasted meats, eggs, zucchini, fennel, tortilla chips, and it pairs well with both soft and hard cheeses. Not to mention beer, champagne, and light white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or the newly trendy Gruner Veltliner.

I'm telling you, I'm obsessed.

You need to make this, and you need to make it now. People on Epicurious will make you think that it's a big deal. It's not. And the best part is that you can divide the batch into little portions, freeze them in little baggies, and defrost them as needed, the way you would with pesto.

Ignore those recipes that call for chicken stock or jarred roasted red peppers--this recipe adapted from Suzanne Goin is the real deal, and your efforts will be well rewarded.

Romesco

2 tablespoons raw almonds
2 tablespoons hazelnuts
5 Guajillo chiles, or a mix of Guajillo and New Mexico chiles (I think that Ancho are more traditional, but I prefer the less-smoky flavor of the other two chiles)
2 tomatoes, cored
One slice of bread
1 clove of garlic, chopped
About half a cup of good-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
One lemon, for juicing
Sherry vinegar, to taste
Sea or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Spread the nuts on the flat pan of a toaster oven (or on a baking sheet in the oven) and toast at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, stem and seed the chiles, and soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes. Remove from the water and dry with paper towels.

When the nuts are toasted, place the tomatoes on the sheet and turn the heat up to 425. Roast until flesh is tender and the raw edges are caramelized. Timing will vary, but this will likely take about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toast the bread until it is golden on both sides.

Tear up the bread and place it in the food processor. Add the nuts, garlic, tomatoes, chiles, and about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and puree until you have a coarse, semi-homogeneous mixture. With the machine running, add the olive oil until you have a smooth paste.

Season to taste with parsley, lemon juice, vinegar (I like to use about 3-4 tablespoons, but some people might prefer less), salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

This will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks, or can be frozen for a few months. When frozen, it defrosts very quickly and is therefore very convenient.

A side note--this is one of those recipes where more garlic is not better. Don't do what I did and figure that because you love garlic, you should add more. Don't.

(At a recent extended-family party, this cake was dropped on the ground. We ate it anyway.)

(The Lone Cypress, shot on our recent trip to California. More on that later. Maybe.)