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: Tomato Jam with Garlic Herb Toasts

I have been given such a wonderful opportunity, by Rochelle Greayer of Greayer Design Associates and Studio G, to partner with the Harvard Farmers' Market this year. The market, which runs from August 22 to October 31, will feature produce, breads, cheese, meats and handmade goodies from 25 Boston-area vendors. For the next 11 weeks, I will be sharing recipes inspired by these hardworking vendors. You, my faithful blog readers, will be able to enjoy the recipes along with newspaper readers of The Harvard Post and The Bolton Common, who will be directed here (welcome new readers!). So really, it’s win-win for everyone! And for convenience, I have added a recipe index link on the right nav to all the Market Basket recipes.

Can you think of a better way to kick off the season than with tomato jam? No, I didn’t think so. I spread this sweet and tangy jam on garlic and herb toasts, but it would be delicious atop eggs, or even by the spoonful—if that’s your thing!

If you live in the Boston area, visit the market Saturdays, from 9 to 1 at Harvard Elementary School. And if you see a camera-happy-blonde-girl drooling over the produce, that’s me!

Tomato Jam with Garlic Herb Toasts
makes 2 pints jam

4 lbs tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 c sugar
1 t salt
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 t cloves
1 T red wine vinegar
juice of 2 limes
1 baguette, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, peeled
sprig of fresh herbs, chopped (I used thyme)

In a large stock pot, combine tomatoes, jalapeno, sugar, salt, cinnamon stick, cloves, red wine vinegar and lime juice. Turn heat to high, and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Uncover, and increase heat to medium. Cook 30 minutes, until much of the liquid has been absorbed, increasing heat at end if necessary. Set aside to cool.

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, and broil 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Rub with garlic and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Spread with warm tomato jam.

Store jam in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Collard Green & Olive Pesto

As you know, I have an affinity for unusual pestos, but this collard green pesto may be the oddest I’ve ever made. I came across this early last summer, after searching for collard green recipes. I had received such an abundance from my CSA and was flat out of ideas. After a few rounds and few tweaks, it quickly became a favorite and I found myself anxiously awaiting the fall harvest of collards. I find it interesting that a pesto recipe with no basil and no cheese still tastes like, well, pesto.

Now, if you are not an olive lover, this recipe is probably not for you. I mean, it is called Collard Green & OLIVE pesto, right? However, if I have scared you, you could decrease the olives, and taste from there. The olives bring a wonderful saltiness, that I happen to love. But since 90% of what I cook is savory, that is not a surprise. Here I enjoyed the pesto on a panini with roasted red peppers, red onions and lettuce, and have leftover pesto to enjoy later in the week.

Collard Green & Olive Pesto
adapted from Gourmet

6 large collard green leaves, center stems removed
12-15 large pitted Greek olives (I used green and a few kalamata)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 c water
1 t balsamic vinegar
3 T pine nuts
1/3 c sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t salt
1/3 c olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add collards, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain, pressing to extract excess water. Coarsely chop. In a food processor, blend olives and garlic until finely chopped. Add collards, water, vinegar, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, cayenne, pepper and salt, and pulse until well chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, until well blended. Season to taste.

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.

Irish Vintage Cheddar and Beer Fondue

St. Patrick’s Day in Boston is a huge celebration. On Sunday was the big Southie parade which is one big party for the college crowd and anyone else who can keep up drinking green keg beer for 8 hours. Today, bars open as early as 6am and starting serving alcohol at 8am. As you can well imagine things get a bit roudy come happy hour. It’s hard to live in the area and not get in the Irish sprit for a least a few days this week. I had bookmarked this recipe as a perfect fit for St. Patty’s Day. It’s fun and simple. And it involves beer, of course! The original Bon Appétit recipe calls for Guinness, but I used Sam Adams Light and it was so delicious I wouldn’t change a thing next time around. So use your favorite brew, because you only use one beer in the fondue and you’ll have 5 more to drink!

Irish Vintage Cheddar and Beer Fondue
adapted from Bon Appétit . serves 4

1 large bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
4 small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
2 apples, cored, cut into wedges
1 loaf ciabatta bread, cubed
1 lb Vintage Irish cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 T all purpose flour
1 c Sam Adams Light, or your favorite brew
6 T frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 T Dijon mustard
black pepper, to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Steam potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes, adding in asparagus last last two minutes of cooking time. Arrange vegetables, apples and bread on a large serving platter.

Toss cheese with flour in large bowl. Bring beer, juice concentrate, and mustard to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add cheese mixture, whisking constantly, until cheese is melted and smooth. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer fondue to bowl or a fondue pot, if available. Serve with the platter of vegis, fruit and bread. Use forks or fondue sticks to dip.

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.