Harvest Hummus

I made this hummus a few weeks ago with the end (sniff, sniff) of my CSA goodies. I received a huge bunch of carrots and was looking for a unique way to enjoy them. Carrot hummus it was! While the carrot flavor is mild, I love the fact that this hummus is jam-packed with nutrients. And the color is just amazing—perfect for fall. A Thanksgiving appetizer perhaps?

I am so looking forward to next week’s holiday. We will be celebrating with my family and it is sure to be a relaxing day with a lot of laughs. Truthfully, I am most looking forward to mashed potatoes and stuffing smothered in mushroom gravy. I will share my favorite gravy recipe with you early next week, but if you are planning your feast this weekend, these Asiago Sweet Potatoes are a sure to please menu addition.

Harvest Hummus
serves 6-8 as an appetizer

4 large carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
2 14-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
2 T tahini
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add carrots, and boil 4-6 minutes, until tender. Transfer carrots to food processor, reserving 1 c boiling liquid. Add chickpeas (holding a handful aside for garnish), garlic, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes and 1/2 c boiling liquid. Puree until smooth, adding additional liquid as needed to reach desired consistency (I am usually generous, since hummus tends to dry out). Add cilantro (holding a bit aside for garnish), and pulse for three seconds. Season to taste, with additional salt or red pepper flakes. Transfer hummus to a serving platter and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chickpeas, and cilantro.

Market Basket: End-of-Summer Peach Soup

This Saturday is week two of the Harvard Farmers’ Market, and I am certain there is no better way to usher out summer than with a recipe featuring sweet, juicy peaches. While fall may be beckoning with its brisk mornings, the afternoon heat is still calling for simple, no-cook food. This chilled peach soup is not only refreshing, but better yet, it can be whipped together in 10 minutes with NO cooking time. Which gives me just enough time to enjoy sunset on the porch.

Previous Harvard Farmers’ Market recipes can be found here or via the link on the right nav. If you are in the Boston-area, stop by the Harvard Farmers Market this Saturday, for peaches and plenty other delicious produce, produce, breads, cheese, meats and handmade goodies.

End-of-Summer Peach Soup
serves 4

6 large peaches, peeled and pitted
1/2 c fat-free plain yogurt
1 T honey, plus more for garnish
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/8 t cloves

In a blender, combine all ingredients, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Pour soup into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of honey.

Flatbread with Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions & Arugula

You know how sometimes you eat something that is so good you can’t stop eating it, although you know you are going to make yourself sick, but you still don’t care? For me, that is this flatbread. I am lucky I am skilled at one-handed photography, as my other hand was preoccupied with shoveling flatbread slices in my mouth. And forget about “action” shots. The first 30 minutes I was in a caramelized-onion-induced-coma and didn’t know what was going on.

Flatbread with Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions & Arugula
serves 3-4

1 T olive oil
3 T butter
3 medium onions, sliced very thin
3/4 c water
1/2 t dry active yeast
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
4 c arugula, loosely packed
1 c gorgonzola cheese
black pepper, to taste

In a sauté pan, add olive oil and butter, over medium-low heat, until butter has melted. Add onions and stir well. Let onions cook 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep brown (reduce heat to low or add an additional 1 T butter if onions begin to burn). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 500F. In a small bowl, add water and dry active yeast. Stir well, and set aside 3-4 minutes until yeast has dissolved. In a food processor, add flour and salt. Blend. Through the hole in the cover, slowly pour in the water-yeast. Dough will quickly form into a bowl. Transfer dough to a floured surface and divide into two equal size balls. If needed, knead dough until smooth, 1 minute. Roll each ball out until very thin, but not transparent. Transfer to individual baking sheets.

Bake dough 4-5 minutes, until beginning to brown. Remove from oven. Top each dough with a drizzle of olive oil, arugula, caramelized onions and gorgonzola cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes, until edge begin to brown. To serve, slice flatbread and sprinkle with black pepper, to taste.

Baked Brie with Rosemary, Almond & Cherries

My memories of baked brie are tied to times of gathering—the cranberry, pecan and honey version my mom made for Thanksgiving just hours after I became engaged or the jam and pasty-wrapped version my cousin makes for impromptu cookouts at the Cape. But I was feeling a bit too healthy from all the greens, so baked brie for dinner it was. It has fruit, right? And seasonal fruit at that! And honestly how can you turn down something literally oozing with this must goodness? The human mind is not capable of such will power. At least mine is not.

Baked Brie with Rosemary, Almond & Cherries
serves 4-6 as an appetizer

2 T chopped fresh rosemary
2 T chopped slivered almonds
2 T honey
1 brie cheese round
8 fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
crackers (of your choice)

Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, combine rosemary and almonds. With a pastry brush (or knife), coat the sides of the brie with honey and dip into rosemary-almond mixture, pressing. Place brie on a baking sheet. Brush the top with honey and sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove brie from oven and top with chopped cherries. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until brie is soft when cut. Serve with crackers.

Strawberry Salsa with Sugared Wonton Crisps

I have been intending on making a strawberry salsa when I could hand-pick the strawberries, and that time has arrived! Not only is this salsa an enjoyable take on the traditional tomato, but it can be prepared savory for an app or sweet, as I have decided to do here. Of course tortillas would not work well for a dessert. But sugared wontons will. Which I had in the fridge from these. Which, I must add, also stays in the Asian theme, when paired with these noodles. Really, sometimes, I am amazed by my own resourcefulness.

Strawberry Salsa with Sugared Wonton Crisps
salsa adapted from Gourmet . serves 4

strawberry salsa
1 quart strawberries, chopped
1 small jalapeño chili, minced
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 t salt
1 t sugar (omit sugar for savory salsa)

sugared wontons
15 wonton wrapper
2 T butter, melted
2 t sugar
1/2 t ground cloves (or cinnamon)

In a medium bowl stir together salsa ingredients. Season to taste. (May be made up to 4 hours ahead and stored in fridge. Drain extra juices before serving.)

Place wonton wrappers side by side on a baking sheet. Brush each wonton with butter, and sprinkle with sugar and cloves (reserving half the ingredients). With tongs, turn each wonton over and repeat with additional butter, sugar and cloves. Cut each wonton wrapper in half. Place baking sheet in oven and broil 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

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One more thing before I go...I feel SO honored, as three wonderful bloggers have nominated fresh365 for the kreative blogger award! Much thanks to Sandy of Cookie Cutter, Lucy of A Little Bit of Sugar and Zoe of ZOMTBAKES. You all really made my week!

In the spirit of the award, I would like to share with you a few (ok, more than a few) blogs that I find particularly inspiring (in alphabetical order, to be fair!)

101cookbooks / Cook & Eat / Dana Treat / Find Your Balance / Gourmet Worrier / hungry desi / La Tartine Gourmande / O Pistachio / Smitten Kitchen / The Kitchn / VeganYumYum

Tri-Color Radish Crostini

Tuesday, was my first CSA pickup of the season and I was giddy with anticipation all day waiting to see what the week would bring, and thrilled that now I know exactly where my vegis are coming from. Tuesday nights are spent brainstorming recipe ideas and cleaning the vegis. The first week I received lettuce last season, I was discouraged by how dirty it was. But quickly a huge smile came over my face and I thought, It’s so dirty! That’s amazing—it’s SO fresh! It’s quite a wonderful feeling to know your vegis were hand-picked that day. Later in the season, members can go directly to the fields to retrieve beans, cherry tomatoes and the like. It’s a great experience, as long as you remember your bug spray (it IS an organic farm!). Some weeks I forget, but power through anyhow. Must. Get. Cherry. Tomatoes. Must. Fill. Basket. Nothing a little calamine lotion can’t fix.



As it is now June I want to share with you a great menu inspired by this week’s pickup of radishes, bok choy and mixed greens. Today’s recipe just may be my new favorite appetizer. I made 12 and ate 7 while waiting for my husband to come home from work (oops! Don’t tell!). I’ve always viewed radishes as a somewhat useless salad ingredient, but now I have a whole new respect for them.

Tri-Color Radish Crostini
serves 4-6 as an appetizer

1 loaf French bread, cut into 20 thin slices (apx 1/4" thick)
cream cheese (goat cheese may be nice to try as well…)
1 small bunch radishes, sliced very thin
8 chives, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Place bread slices on a cookie sheet. Spread each slice with cream cheese. Top with radish slices and chopped chives. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 2 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Savory Blackberry Tart

Welcome May! I have been waiting so long for you to arrive. I hope you will bring long sunny days with warm breezes, trips to the beach with sunset picnics and nights around the fire with s'mores and sangria. Please don't let me down. I can think of no better way to celebrate your arrival than with a menu highlighting your finest fruits and vegis.

First course will be this tart. Hopefully you already have blackberries peeking out along the edges of your yard, if not the farmer's market will have plenty in the coming weeks. Take advantage and stock up! While most recipes that call for blackberries are sweet, this savory tart will be a welcome change.

Savory Blackberry Tart
makes 8 tarts

2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 c part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c grated asiago cheese
1 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves
zest of one lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
olive oil
1/2 pint blackberries

Preheat oven to 400F. Place thawed pastry sheets on a flat surface. With a 5" ring (or glass, etc) press into sheets and cut out pastry circles (each sheet should yield 4 circles). Gently press circles into muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, asiago, rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon ricotta mixture into pastry cups. Place in preheated oven and bake 8 minutes. Remove and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and press one blackberry into the center of each cup. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool 2-3 minutes. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with blackberries.

Classic Guacamole

My friend spent the past three years living in Mexico. And, while she came back to the the States speaking very little Spanish, she did know something much more useful in my book—how to make the perfect guacamole. Just a few ingredients are needed, so be sure to find the freshest vegis and use the avocados when perfectly ripe. You may add additional hot peppers for spice, but I find adding at least one red pepper adds great color. To serve, I drizzle a few tortillas with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and chili powder and broil until golden brown and crunchy.

Classic Guacamole
serves 6-8

3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
the juice of 2 limes
1 t salt
1 T chopped cilantro
1 hot red pepper, minced

In a medium bowl mash avocados, lime and salt until blended, but slightly chunky. Add cilantro and red pepper and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl. Enjoy with pitas and fresh cut vegis.

Chili White Bean Dip with Rosemary

Bean dips are one of my favorite, easy snacks. I love hummus, and am always experimenting with variations on the classic. This white bean dip, made with cannellini beans is a great alternative. Simple ingredients, quick to prepare and quite flavorful—I would gladly serve it at a party with toasted pitas and crisp vegetable slices.

I topped the dip with fresh rosemary, but basil or thyme would work well also. One of my favorite things about cooking, is being able to adapt recipes to suite my taste buds. You just have to get over the initial fear of messing up and start getting creative. And taste, taste, taste, before you serve!

Chili White Bean Dip with Rosemary
serves 8-10 as appetizer

3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 15.5 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c water
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped

In a medium pan, heat oil and add onion. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, or until onion becomes translucent. Add garlic, stirring, and cook one minute. In a food processor, combine the onions and garlic, beans, chili powder, salt, pepper and water. Pulse until dip is combined, but slightly chunky. Transfer to a large bowl and top with rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with pita chips and sliced vegetables.