Summer Vegetable Torte

As I sat on the subway on my way to work the other day, there was a group of 'kids' (I feel weird saying that) talking and laughing awkwardly. I eavesdropped enough to pick up on the fact that they were college freshman who were in that fittingly awkward getting-to-know you phase of orientation. I laughed to myself as I watched and listened to them, clearly uncomfortable, one-upping each other with stories of badass high school parties, crazy nightclubs, and that time that they got caught by their parents. Part of me wanted to tell them that rather than being so uncomfortable, they might as well loosen up now, because they would eventually anyhow, and why waste time being anxious? My more cynical side wondered who would still be friends after four years, who would be eaten alive by New York City, and who had already decided that these were not the people that they wanted to be friends with. And then, just for fun, I wondered which girl was the sluttiest, which guy might be ashamed of going to college a virgin, who was lying about their past and if anyone was standing there with a smile, but secretly wanting to cry. Come to think of it, it's no wonder freshmen drink so much.

Four years ago, I would have been the girl who smiled, told her stories and stood there wanting to cry. Not because I was unhappy, but because I was scared. Shitless. Understandably so, I found myself in Canada, far from home, surrounded by unfamiliar faces who kept saying weird things like "eh." Well the long and short of it is that sooner rather than later I, too, was saying "eh." It was lovely and remained lovely, including the very unlovely moments that I complained about to no end. Seeing these freshmen on the train was the first time I really realized that I am done with school. It's actually kind of cool that back to school commercials are no longer giving me an awful sinking feeling in my stomach. I am also not busy calculating how many combined essay pages I am going to have to write this semester. And even more unusual, my job isn't just something to fill my summer days, but reality. It's bizarre, new and different, but rather than standing there wanting to cry, I feel refreshed, invigorated and excited. I guess on some days I also kind of wish that I were hearing a few more "ehs" around; alas, I suppose I will have to make the trek the Canada here and there. Problem solved.

This torte has nothing to do with any of this, except for the fact that it tastes like August. August, that once bittersweet month indicating the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year, the only type of year that exists when you're a student. Turns out that the flavors of August are just luscious. It's too bad that I have so often tainted them with negative thoughts of back-to-school, because they should be appreciated for their fleeting goodness.

Heirloom Tomatoes

It's official, I am addicted to summer. Very addicted. It's a problem. When it is a bagillion degrees out and everyone's freaking out because walking down the street barely seems feasible, there I am standing in the sun and wondering what the big deal is. On the flip side it's even more of a problem when I am indoors with air conditioners blowing at minus a bagillion degrees and everyone's final happy, except for me. Me? I am sitting there with full length pants and sweater, shivering and wondering what the hell is wrong with these people. Clearly, I have temperature issues. However, regardless of these minor frustrations along the way, summer just rocks, especially when squash, corn and heirloom tomatoes are beyond plentiful.

Of the summer harvest, heirloom tomatoes are without a doubt my favorites. Heirloom tomatoes fall into that cliche category of vegetables (ok, fruits) that, when bought in season, make you wonder why you ever buy those things that look like tomatoes when they're not in season. Every August, when those first sweet, juicy slices of almost technicolor tomatoes make their way onto my plate, I ask myself that question. Then as I take my first bite, I stop thinking and start enjoying, because needless to say these babies won't be around all year.

In my experience, the only problem with heirloom tomatoes is choosing them. So often they are marred with blemishes and cracks, that make them seem like they aren't 'good' when really that's how they should look. So, to make sure everyone is on the same page, I would like to offer a few heirloom tomato purchasing tips.

Smoky Zucchini Mascarpone Tart

James beard once said that "a gourmet who counts calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." Well, James, I couldn't have said it better myself. I wish I could say that this was the explanation for my tart fixation recently, but really I didn't come across this saying until after both this tart and last week's nectarine, cheesecake, gingersnap tart were long gone. I love tarts, the kind you eat of course, because they are a generally simple way to make a dish a little more exciting and pretty. They look refined, finished and composed, and an onlooker might believe that much time and effort was put into it when really, it was a snap.

Oddly enough, this dish was not created by the abundance of summer squash at every turn, but rather by an old bag of spelt flour I had in my fridge. After organizing my fridge for the umpteenth time the other day (yes, I can be a wee bit obsessive about certain things) I decided that the flour had been neglected for far too long and deserved some time to showcase itself. Well, if I may say, the spelt performed wonderfully, resulting in a crumbly and nutty tasting crust that was the perfect accompaniment to the sweet zucchini and creamy mascarpone. The smokiness comes from applewood smoked salt, an ingredient acquired thanks to a tartier moment, but I'll save that story for a later time.

That smokiness paired with the pungent aroma of the chives is what makes this tart anything other than usual. However, those flavors are not so overwhelming that they detract from the summer squash whose oh-so-sweet and buttery nature is just as good raw as it is enrobed in mascarpone. The latter, of course, is quite obvious. I mean I am pretty sure that if my middle name were 'enrobed in mascarpone' people would probably like me more too. I digress, the point is that this tart, like many tarts (or so I've heard) is very good, satisfying, and will last at least an evening if not longer. If you have a mandoline or a benriner slicer* its also very easy (as most tarts are known to be). Most importantly anyone you serve it to will think that you are a refined, culinary genius, truly anything but a tart; but if only they knew where that smoky salt came from....

*$20, buy it now, you won't regret it and no they didn't pay me to say that.

Smoky Zucchini Masparpone Tart
(yields 1, 9-inch tart)

Crust
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons spelt flour

Filling
3 medium sized zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick or any summer squash will do.
1 small onion, shaved in rounds
2 eggs
3/4 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 teaspoons smoked salt
a few turns of a pepper grinder

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the crust by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl and pressing into a 9-inch tart pan. Bake for 9 minutes, until golden. Let cool completely and keep the oven on.
2) In a blender combine the eggs, mascarpone, chives, salt and pepper. Blend until combined.
3) Lay the zucchini slices in concentric circles in the prepared tart shell, there should be enough for about two layers. Pour the filling evenly over the zucchini. Top with the onions.
4) Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the onions are soft and the top is golden. The filling should be firm to the touch and slightly puffed up. Let cool.
5) Serve a room temperature. This tart should be good for a few days in the fridge, bring to room temperature before serving.

Nectarine, Cheesecake and Gingersnap Tart

If you think that a long walk in the park isn't the solution to most problems, you are greatly mistaken. Well, I suppose it doesn't have to be in the park, but I truly believe that a nice, long walk is the key to gaining perspective. Recently, while I was on one of these contemplative walks I realized that I spent all winter dreaming of summer cooking and baking, but I have spent all summer (thus far) realizing that I have far less time to take advantage of it than I expected. Frustrated with myself, I realized that something had to change. Figuring out how to change things was a bit more of a challenge, because as it turns out, time isn't unlimited.

The 'aha' moment came later when I realized that although time may be limited, when it comes to cooking it can also be maximized. In my case I realized that not all cooking has to be laborious and complicated, in fact, sometimes it's better when its not. I would compare it to working out, just because you can't have a full work out, doesn't mean you shouldn't go to the gym at all. Perspective, you see? In the midst of all this I called to mind a recipe that I had seen in the winter for Nectarine and Mascarpone tart that called for all of 8 minutes of oven time, and some mixing and slicing. So, the dedicated food blogger within me reevaluated my time and made this at 11 pm; I was in bed at 12. Now that's one way to get a good night's sleep.

Being me, I had to make a few changes to the recipe, but overall I stuck with the original. The crust is made of crushed gingersnaps, which add a slightly spicy bite and pair perfectly with the juicy and ripe summer nectarines.

Shisito Peppers

If you were in New York City this past weekend, you know how brutally hot it was. If you weren't, I am going to assume that regardless of where you live, you've experienced brutally hot weather at some point. But no, I am not here to talk about the weather, although I find that I always have a lot to say on the topic....not the point. The point is, it was hot hot hot on Saturday and when invited my photographer friend over, I could promise her nothing more than a quick, easy and cold make-your-own salad for dinner.

Between our plan making and dinner, I felt a pang of guilt for not putting any effort into our dinner. After a quick peak in my fridge revealed a bag of shisito peppers that I had gotten at the market earlier in the week, I knew I had my solution. For those of you who don't know, shisito peppers are small green peppers that look a bit like jalapenos, but with a ribbed exterior and thinner walls and skin. These peppers are mildly spicy and are very popular in Japanese cooking, especially for tempuras and stir-fries. Anyhow, after spotting these in my fridge I knew that these would be my extra addition to our meal. Yes, the stove would have to go on, but it wouldn't be on for more than 5 minutes and the final result of slightly charred, blistery peppers to munch on was worth the few extra degrees in the kitchen.

Well my friend was definitely not disappointed in the peppers either and when I started babbling about shisitos, the market and god knows what else, she came up with a brilliant idea. When I have a 'market find' that I am so excited about, I should write about it here.

Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

I have been wanting an ice cream maker for, like, ever. Every summer as the heat starts to weigh down on me I walk into Williams Sonoma and stare at the ice cream machines, my mind bubbling with ideas of all the ice cream flavors, both unique and classic, that I would be able to make if I had one. This summer, I finally bought one and in my three proud weeks as an ice cream maker-owner, I have had no regrets. Although all the experiments have turned out pretty delicious (how could they not?), my favorite so far* is the mint.

* I have a feeling I am going to have a lot of favorites this summer, so bear with me.

Made with market fresh mint, this ice cream tastes like the actual herb and nothing like toothpaste or mouthwash or anything else that is artificially mint flavored. Seriously, this is the good stuff. On its own the ice cream is pretty close to perfect, but after reading an ice cream sandwich round up in Time Out New York, I decided to follow the trend and take things to the next level. Do you remember those world peace cookies I made at Christmas time? Well if you don't, let me remind you. They are buttery, chocolatey rounds of goodness, souped up with some extra chocolate chunks. Good on their own? Absolutely. Combined with mint ice cream? Heaven.

Yes, these are pretty heavenly but that doesn't mean there are no strings attached. If I am going to be honest these are essentially antithesis to bathing suit season. On the bright side, however, these are pretty time consuming to make so they really are a special treat.

Pesto Potato and Green Bean Salad

I'm not a big fan of superlatives, the best this, the worst that, the coolest girl, the cutest guy, etc... It all just seems too extreme and too concrete. However, today I am making an exception to the rule because I think that everyone should know that the Union Square Farmer's market is one of the best places on earth. Now maybe I would think all farmer's markets are that great, but this is the one I know best and I just love it. As a cook, I have had a difficult time coming to terms with farmer's markets. So often the produce and ingredients they offer are so good on their own that the importance of my role in the dinner equation is essentially eliminated. I had to get over it when I realized that some of the best food I have eaten may not be because I am a good cook, but because I am a cook with good ingredients.

That being said, when I do use market fresh ingredients I do my best to keep things simple and avoid interfering too much . For example, in this salad the three main ingredients are potatoes, string beans and basil, all straight from the market, perfect on their own, but even better together. Now unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the final product because this was made at night and gone by the morning. So you're going to have to use your imagination to visualize the final result. It's easy, take the picture of the string beans and potatoes and tint it green. Not any green though, tint it the green of the pesto in the picture below. There you go. Looks good, right?

To keep things simple, this salad just tastes like a sum of its parts. Sweet, waxy potatoes. Crunchy, green string beans. Woodsy, biting basil. That's it and that's all you want from it.

Fennel Apple Slaw

I think there should be some sort of equation to define how much I miss barbecues; in October, they are recent memory, but the excitement of apples, squash and fall vegetables quickly pushes those thoughts out of my mind. Come April, however, despite the abundance of fava beans, asparagus and artichokes, all I seem to be thinking about are barbecues. Not the southern kind, but the kind you have in your backyard where the smell of smoke imbues your hair and your clothes. Better yet, the type of barbecue that imparts deep smoky flavor and delicious char marks to whatever graces its red-hot grill. My desire for a good barbecue has only increased as the sun has been shining and rooftops have provided an increasingly attractive alternative to the library.

The idea for this slaw came to me after having a similar one at Liverpool House, a great Montreal restaurant. This slaw doesn't make up for the missing hot dogs or charred steaks, but it's bold enough to remind me that those things are not so far off. With each bite I took, I re-imagined it, piled on top of a burger, as a side salad for grilled salmon, and...oh, the possibilities. Then again, I ate it as-is and could not have been happier. Unfortunately, considering how many people absolutely hate fennel, I am certain that this recipe will be of no interest to many. However, for the sake of experimentation I had my friend taste this slaw and raw fennel. She was beyond disgusted by the raw fennel but loved the slaw, telling me that the licoricey flavor of the fennel doesn't stand out once it is mixed with apples and a lovely dressing.

I still taste the fresh fennel in this recipe, but then again I love the taste of it and so I seek its poignant flavor in every bite. The sweet tartness of the apples is an ideal counterpart to the crunchy fennel, adding notable sweetness and fruitiness.

Faux Summer/Broccoli Slaw

One of my favorite things about cooking is that no matter how cold it is outside, inside I can always pretend it's summer. No, I don't have juicy peaches, ultra sweet heirloom tomatoes or melt-in-your-mouth zucchini, but aside from a few missing ingredients it's pretty easy to recreate summery thoughts of tank tops, sunset barbecues, and toes in the sand. My desire to emulate summer vibes is the official reason I made this broccoli slaw yesterday. The unofficial reason is that yesterday was January 31st, aka the end of the month, which means one thing: the only food I'm eating is what I have in the fridge and pantry. As a food blogger, this can be a little bit tricky, but I was impressed with my resourcefulness vis-a-vis available ingredients.

I am surprised I ever made this slaw, because when I first saw this recipe the only thing I could think was "ew, raw broccoli."Then came January 31st and I had the broccoli and the other ingredients in my fridge and suddenly making this summery slaw seemed beyond perfect.

Parting Thoughts/Insalata di Riso

Friends and readers, I am sorry that I have not been keeping up with my part of the deal, as a blogger I should be writing consistently. But, I am not just a blogger, I am also a student and in the summer I get caught up with all things summer, rather than cooking and blogging. I don't feel guilty about that, I feel really lucky, but when September comes around I will be back and better than ever, I promise.
It's hard to believe that I am heading back home in 1 month, my year in Italy is drawing to a close and it's overwhelming. I can't even begin to list the ways in which this year has changed me, and I think the positive effects will continue to appear in so many ways. Saying goodbye is never easy, turning the page is even harder. In these moments of deep nostalgia, it's comfort food that lifts my spirits. The pages are turning, but the flavors are constant, and for that I am infinitely grateful.


In my mind, Insalata di Riso, cold rice salad is the most classic of Italian summer dishes. Seasoned with nutty green olives, salty capers and woodsy oregano, this insalata takes me back to my summers in Italy, with one bite my stomach and my heart, feel at home. This is a lot to say for such a simple dish, and I can't promise that everyone will like it, but the beauty of comfort food is in its diversity.

Sharing this recipe is sharing a part of myself, it's personal, but I hope that by sharing it at least one person will be able to find that joy that I do in this simple but delicious dish.

Insalata di Riso
serves 4

1 c. rice (brown or white)
1 lrg. can of Italian tuna in Olive Oil
2 tbsp. capers in salt, rinsed and chopped
1/3 c. green olives (Cerignola), chopped
1/2 c. chopped cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp. dry oregano
dried pepper flakes (optional)
salt and olive oil

Directions:
1) Prepare rice according to directions and let cool to room temperature.
2) Combine the rice with the rest of the indredients.

•This keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.