​It’s been a while since I’ve posted and I apologize. This is mainly due to the fact that I tend to start preparing dinner on the late side, which means I don’t have good light for photographs by the time dinner is ready. Sometimes I can make a photograph the next day, but not always as we tend to finish up the food, or if we don’t, it never looks as photogenic the next day. In any case I never get to it to take a picture before Bob gobbles it up for lunch.
It certainly doesn’t mean that we haven’t been eating well! I’ve been keeping a running journal of my dinners, and here’s a random 10-day sample of menus from the last week of July, first week of August:
 
August 7
Pasta with cast iron skillet-seared cherry tomatoes
Salad
 
August 6
Gazpacho
Salad of black rice, lima beans, radishes, parsley, lettuce, mushrooms
 
August 5
Black and Carnaroli rice risotto with lots of celery, red onion, some peas and pesto
Tomato and lettuce salad
 
August 4
White lima bean and tuna salad
 
August 3
Large white lima beans with pesto (ummmmm!)
Leftover flank steak
Salad (lettuce, radicchio, mushrooms, yellow cherry tomatoes, tarragon, egg, toasted baguette crusts rubbed with garlic)
 
August 2
Gazpacho
Soft tacos with Chayote with Chile de Arbol, Tomatoes and Cotija
 
August 1
(Outdoor distanced dinner with Cliff Wright! First guest since March)
Grilled flank steak (marinated with a mix of onion, garlic, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil)
Grilled corn on the cob
Pati Jinich’s Chayote with Chile de Arbol, Tomatoes and Cotija
Corn Tortillas
Simmered white Limas
Pati Jinich’s Chocolate Pecan Cake
 
July 31
Rigatoni with White Beans, Peas and Pesto
Salad
 
July 30, 2020
Beans on Toast
Salsa
Corn on the Cob (with pesto)
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
 
July 29, 2020
Eye of the Goat Beans from Rancho Gordo
Salsa Fresca
Flour tortillas
Salad
 
July 28
Gruyère Omelet
Lemony Bulgur and Lettuce Salad with cucumber, tomato, parsley
 
 
You can see from this list of meals that I’ve been making a lot of pesto (and a lot of beans). I get a big bunch of basil every week or two at the farmers market (really from the farmers market, as I am now having a box delivered every Sunday. I’m still sheltering in place for the most part). So about once every two weeks I make my standard pesto. Bob and I usually get two or three meals out of it. One of our favorites – and it’s so simple – is a bowl of pillowy white lima beans in their broth, with a spoonful of pesto stirred in and a bit of Parmesan sprinkled on top. It’s beautiful and so incredibly delicious.
A few years ago I wrote a book of spiralizer recipes called Spiralize This! I love the way spiralized zucchini cooks up in a matter of minutes, to be tossed with whatever you love to toss pasta with. I enjoy its slippery texture (you have to be careful not to overcook it) and lightness. Last night I pulled out my spiralizer and cooked up zucchini from the farmers market. I added cooked chickpeas to the pan and tossed everything with the pesto I’d just made. So fabulous I had to make it again at noon today so I could photograph it for you.
 
My Pesto
When I make pesto, in order to preserve the nice color of the basil, I blanch the leaves for just a few seconds. Some readers have commented that this leaches out flavor. But I am only talking a few seconds here, no more than 5. The pesto is delicious, and it remains bright. I like to use a mini food processor for this.
 
2 cups / about 1.5 ounces, tightly packed, fresh basil leaves
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons / 1 ounce pine nuts, lightly toasted if desired
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 to 1/2 cup / 1.5 to 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
 
1. Bring a medium-size saucepan full of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water and place it next to the saucepan with a skimmer close by (a Chinese skimmer is good for this). When the water comes to a boil salt generously and add the basil leaves. Push them down into the water with the back of a skimmer to submerge, and right away, take them out of the water and transfer to the ice water. Don’t leave more than 5 seconds. Drain and squeeze out excess water, then squeeze once more in a clean dish towel or cheesecloth.
2. In a mini food processor, combine the blanched basil and process until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil and continue to process for a full minute, or until the mixture is reduced to a fine puree.
3. Pound the pine nuts in a mortar and pestle until becoming pasty. Add the garlic and salt and pound to a paste. Add to the basil, along with some freshly ground pepper, and process until well blended and the mixture is smooth. Add the Parmesan, process until thoroughly mixed in, and remove from the processor. You should have about 2/3 cup of pesto. Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Note: this freezes well. Make through step 2 and freeze. Continue with Step 3 after thawing.
 
Large White Lima Beans with Pesto
Serves 4 to 6
1 pound white lima beans, rinsed and picked over for stones, soaked for 4 to 6 hours if possible
1 white onion, cut in half horizontally, peeled
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
2 to 2 ½ quarts water
Salt
4 to 6 tablespoons pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
 
1. Drain the soaked beans and place in a heavy pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaf and water. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and turn heat to low. Simmer 1 hour. Add salt to taste (2 to 3 teaspoons) and continue to simmer until the beans are pillowy-soft and the broth is fragrant, ½ to 1 hour. Taste and adjust salt. Remove bay leaf and onion halves.
2. Serve hot, spooning a generous tablespoon of pesto into each bowl. Pass some Parmesan at the table.
 
Spiralized Zucchini with Chickpeas and Pesto
Serves 4
1 pound zucchini, spiralized
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
¾ cup cooked chickpeas
4 heaped tablespoons pesto (more to taste)
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
 
1. Cut the spiralized strands of zucchini into manageable lengths, about 8-10 inches. Warm the pesto in a microwave on 50% power for about 20-30 seconds.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, tossing in the pan, for about 3 minutes, just until it brightens in color, softens a little and begins to look translucent. Season to taste with salt. Add the chickpeas and pesto, toss together and serve.
 

I have a small freestanding freezer that doesn’t self-defrost, and yesterday I decided to defrost it. It wasn’t really a pandemic-related stay-at-home activity, as I have to do it every few months anyway. And every time I do so, I discover something good that I’d long since forgotten about. We all have these items hidden away in our freezers; my friend Cliff Wright tells me he has five pounds of sweetbreads in his. Only Cliff would have five pounds of frozen sweetbreads.

The item I pulled out and didn’t put back in yesterday was a container of marinated black-eyed peas that I’d frozen after my annual New Years Day Black-eyed Peas open house. I have this party every year (though 2021 will most probably be an exception), and every year it’s the same menu. It’s all about the black-eyed peas, which, in the Texas tradition, we eat for good luck. But in Texas they cook theirs with ham hocks; I cook mine with garlic, onion and bay leaf and serve them as a warm salad with a cumin-scented vinaigrette. I serve a big cheese board alongside, and another simple salad of carrots, steamed and marinated in sherry vinegar and olive oil, and tossed with fresh mint. There’s lots of bread, and something sweet – cookies, chocolates, and a big bowl of tangerines.

I always make a quadruple recipe of the black-eyed peas for this event, as I’m never sure how many people will show up. Invariably, I have lots left over. Long before the guests arrive I toss all of the peas in the dressing, but I hold off on adding the chopped peppers and cilantro to half of them so that if I do have a lot left over they will freeze nicely.

​This is what I pulled from my freezer. I had forgotten all about them but they were no worse for wear after being frozen for five months. I had some bell peppers and cilantro on hand so it was easy to make my traditional salad. Dinner was ready in no time. Hopefully we got a good helping of luck along with the pleasure we took in this meal.
 
Black-Eyed Peas Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
Yield: Serves 6
 
 
For the beans:
1 medium onion, cut in half
3 or 4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 pound black-eyed peas, washed and picked over
1 bay leaf
2 quarts water
Salt to taste
 
For the dressing and salad:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lightly toasted cumin, ground
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup broth from the beans
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
 
1. Combine the onion, garlic, black-eyed peas, bay leaf and the water in a soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam from the surface of the water. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste (I start with 2 teaspoons; usually I add a little more). Cover and simmer until the beans are tender but not falling apart, usually about 10 to 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion and bay leaf. Carefully drain the beans through a colander or strainer set over a bowl. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
2. In a pyrex measuring cup or a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and mustard. Whisk in the bean broth, then the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a little more vinegar if you wish. Stir the dressing into the warm beans. Stir in the bell peppers and cilantro, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
 
Advance preparation: The beans will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator; toss them with the vinaigrette, but if you aren't serving them right away, wait and add the cilantro and red pepper just before serving. They will freeze, either in their broth or in the vinaigrette, for 6 months or longer.

I always get a “two-for” when I buy beets, whether at the farmers market or the grocery store. The farmers market is my favorite place to buy them, because many customers ask the vendors to cut off the greens when they buy beets. “I’ll take them!” I always pipe up if I happen to be in line. And if I’m not, I know that my favorite vendor at the Brentwood farmers market keeps a couple of large boxes behind his stand with greens for the picking; I always go home with full bags and spend a little time on Sunday stemming and cleaning the greens, blanching, and freezing what I don’t use right away.
Those customers at the market who don’t know that the lush bunch of greens attached to the beets is a vegetable in itself look at me inquiringly and ask what I do with them. I use them exactly as I would use Swiss chard; they are very similar. The simplest thing is to arrange them, blanched or steamed, on a platter over or surrounded by sliced roasted beets. Drizzle everything with olive oil, add a little vinegar or lemon juice if desired, sprinkle with feta, and serve.
Now I’m glad I’ve stocked up and have some blanched greens in the freezer, as alas, I’m not going to the market. I still order beets from the local market, hoping for the best, though I’ve observed over the years that the supermarket beets are trimmed more; maybe not as much in the organic section. Meanwhile, I’m putting my pre-coronavirus greens to good use.
 
 
Beet Greens and Grains Gratin
Serves 4 to 6
1 generous bunch beet greens, stemmed and washed (about 3/4 pound) in 2 changes of water (more to taste)
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (more to taste)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (1/2 teaspoon dried)
Salt to taste
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup cooked farro, brown rice, black rice or Arborio rice
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup, tightly packed)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
 
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Either blanch the beet greens for 1 minute in a large pot of generously salted boiling water, or steam over 1 inch of boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, until wilted and tender. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain, then take up by the handful and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the cooked greens and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir in the greens mixture, the farro or rice, and the gruyère and mix together well. Scrape into the oiled baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of oil.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until sizzling and nicely browned on the top and sides. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
 
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Advance preparation: The gratin will be good for 3 or 4 days, and is as good served cold or at room temperature as it is hot.
 

My friend Angie came over again last Saturday with more bounty from her garden. Lots of chard  again – I can never have too much of it and I’ve already blanched and frozen the greens, a good thing to do during this time of uncertainty. I’ll make another gratin with the stems as soon as I have enough milk for a béchamel – whenever my most recent Instacart order gets here. There were also lots of leeks, a gorgeous Chinese white radish with a terrific bunch of greens attached, and huge leaves of black kale, aka Tuscan kale, a dark green kale variety that has always been one of my favorites.
When Angie was at the house delivering her bounty I also got a delivery from Rancho Gordo, purveyor of luxurious heirloom beans. As soon as it became apparent in early March that we were going into lockdown I’d put in the order, and now, a month later, it was here. In March much of their inventory was already out of stock (more is now). But not black caviar lentils, tiny jewels that yield an inky broth with that inimitable lentil flavor. I just simmer the lentils with a halved onion, a couple of smashed garlic cloves, and always a bay leaf, lentils’ favorite herbal partner. They take 30-40 minutes to cook. I salt towards the end of cooking.
I put the lentils to good use with the greens. We had a simple grain bowl that night -- farro with black caviar lentils, blanched Chinese radish greens, steamed chard stems, sliced Chinese radish, and feta on top. Just typing this makes me want to make the exact same grain bowl again.
I’d cooked about a half pound of the black caviar lentils, and we had enough left over for Bob to have a small bowl for lunch the following day. That left a scant cup, and I stirred a small can of tuna into that and toasted thick slices of the mixed grains bread that I’ve been making, for the most fabulous beans on toast the following night. If you are vegetarian, leave out the tuna, those lentils are just wonderful on their own.
I’ve ordered more black lentils; they aren’t coming until the end of May. But I’m not hoarding what I have left. I knew that I wanted to pair them with that generous bunch of black kale that Angie gave me, and I didn’t have to think about how I’d do it. I’ve had a lentil and kale minestrone in my repertoire for many years, and it’s been a while since I’ve made it. The soup is made in much the same way as the cabbage minestrone I gave you in an earlier post, but the lentils contribute lots of substance, and an added depth of flavor. Don’t hesitate to make this with regular lentils. The results are equally satisfying.
 
 
Lentil Minestrone with Kale and Farro
Serves 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 good size leek, white and light green part only, cut in half lengthwise, cleaned well, and thinly sliced (optional)
1 large or 2 small carrots, diced
2 to 4 garlic cloves, to taste, minced or pressed
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (1 teaspoon fresh leaves)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 cup / 6 ounces brown, green or black lentils (about 3/4 cup), picked over and rinsed
7 cups water
1 Parmesan rind
A few sprigs each parsley and thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt
3/4 pound kale, preferably black kale, stemmed, washed well in 2 rinses water
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup farro, cooked (see variations below)
Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan
 
1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the onion, carrot, and leek. Add a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes or a little longer, and stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until the garlic smells fragrant and translucent, about 1 minute, and stir in the tomatoes, thyme and oregano. Bring the tomatoes to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell fragrant. Stir in the lentils and water and bring to a boil.
2. Tie the Parmesan rind, parsley and thyme sprigs and the bay leaf together with kitchen twine, or tie in a piece of cheesecloth. Add to the soup. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes (Meanwhile, cook the farro). Add salt, about 2 teaspoons to begin with (you will probably add more), and simmer another 15 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the broth fragrant.
3. Stack the kale leaves and cut crosswise into thin ribbons. Add to the soup and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until the kale is tender. Stir in the farro and heat through. Add pepper to taste and adjust salt. Remove the Parmesan rind bundle. Stir in the parsley. Serve, topping each bowlful with a generous spoonful of Parmesan cheese.
 
Variations: If you want to add a little heat to this soup, add a pinch of cayenne along with the bouquet garni in step 2.
You can substitute Arborio rice or soup pasta, such as elbows, for the farro. Shortly before serving, add directly to the soup and simmer until rice is cooked through or pasta is cooked al dente,. 

The two things I miss the most right now are swimming at my local Y and shopping at my local Sunday farmers market. The farmers market is still operating, with very good protocols for social distancing, but for the moment I'm staying put in my neighborhood. That’s what our Los Angeles mayor has urged us to do, especially my demographic, the group that used to be called “seniors” and now is known as “the elderly.” 
One of the last items I had on hand from the farmers market was a generous bunch of broccolini, aka baby broccoli, one of my favorite vegetables. It’s a lot like broccoli, but the stems are thinner and the flowers smaller and more feathery, very tender, almost juicy, with a lot of flavor. For a long time I thought broccolini really was baby broccoli, but it’s not; it’s a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan, aka Chinese broccoli. It’s even patented; who knew?
I like broccolini plain as much as I like it gussied up. In fact, last Thanksgiving I chose it as the green vegetable on the menu, served very simply. All I did was blanch it for a couple of minutes, until it was bright and tender. It was welcome with all the more complex dishes on the table, and it went quickly.
The broccolini I got at the farmers market kept well in the crisper of my refrigerator for over a week. I cut off the bottom third of the long stems and saved them to marinate for quick broccoli stem pickles (more about that later), blanched the rest of it for 2 minutes, shocked it in cold water and drained it. Then I chopped it up and cooked it in a little in olive oil with green garlic, because I still had some from the farmers market (regular garlic will do just fine) and pepperoncini. You could serve it this way as a side dish, but what I like to do is toss the sautéed broccolini with pasta, moistening with a ladleful of pasta cooking water and a little more olive oil. I used farfalle but use what you have on hand. A sprinkle of Parmesan and that’s dinner. 
About the marinated broccolini stems: Around the time I began my career as a vegetarian cook, I came across a recipe for marinated broccoli stems in a macrobiotic cookbook. I’ve been making them ever since. You peel the stems, slice them, toss them with salt and leave in a jar in the fridge for a day so that they release lots of not so appealing, brassica-scented water. Drain that and then add minced or pressed garlic, a tablespoon of vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Shake the jar and leave for a couple of hours. Makes the most wonderful snack, cocktail food, salad ingredient. You never used to find broccoli crowns without the stems and the stems often went to waste. But not at my house. In the case of broccolini, I peel the long thin stems, and cut into 2- or 3-inch lengths. If they aren’t skinny I cut them in half lengthwise or on the diagonal, and proceed in the same way.
 
Pasta with Broccolini, Garlic and Pepperoncini
Serves 4
1 generous bunch broccolini (3/4 to 1 pound)
Salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, minced, or 1 or 2 stalks green garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (pepperoncini), to taste
12 ounces pasta (I like farfalle but in these times, use what you have)
Freshly grated Parmesan
 
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously, but keep in mind that you will use some of the water to moisten the finished dish, so it shouldn’t be unpalatably salty. Fill a bowl with cold water.
2. Cut away about a third of the broccolini stems and set aside for another purpose, like making pickled broccoli stems (see recipe). Add the rest of the broccolini to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove from the water using a skimmer, tongs or slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl of cold water. Drain and drain again on paper towels or a dishtowel. Chop, not too fine.
3. In a wide skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (pepperoncini) and cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to sizzle and smell fragrant. Add the chopped blanched broccolini and salt to taste. Stir together for a minute or two, until the greens are nicely infused with garlic and olive oil. Turn off the heat.
4. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook, stirring every once in a while, until the pasta is cooked al dente, using the timing instructions on the package as a guide but checking the pasta a minute before the time indicated is up. When the pasta is ready, turn on the heat under the pan with the broccolini to reheat if desired, and ladle in 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Ladle another 1/4 cup of the cooking water into a small bowl, in case you want more to moisten the mixture after you’ve tossed the pasta and broccolini mixture together. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the broccolini, or transfer with a spider directly from the pot to the pan with the broccolini. Add a little olive oil and toss together. Add more of the cooking water if desired. Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan.
 
Marinated Broccoli or Broccolini Stems
Stalks from 1 bunch broccoli or broccolini
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
1 tablespoon vinegar – sherry (my preference), red wine or white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
 
1. Trim away the dry ends of the stems. Peel off the tough outer skin. It comes away easily and I find the best tool to use is a paring knife. If you catch the end of it between the blade and the stem, you can lift it off in strips.
2. Regular broccoli: Slice into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch thick.
   Broccolini: but into 2- to 3-inch lengths. Cut in half lengthwise unless very thin.
3. Place stems in a jar and add the salt. Cover the jar and shake well. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
4. Drain off water from the stems. Add the garlic, vinegar and olive oil. Cover and shake well. Marinate for at least an hour before serving. The color will fade after a while but they are good for a few days.
 

Decades ago, when I was starting out in Austin, Texas, I had a yogurt business.  Every week I supplied the Austin food coops with several dozen quarts of “Moon House Yogurt” (named after my house that had a moon-shaped window in the front door; getting an idea of what era this was?). I was forever schlepping those heavy cases of full quart-size glass bell jars from my kitchen to the car and around Austin. It was just one of the many things I did to pay the rent when I was beginning my career as vegetarian cook, supper club operator, caterer, teacher, writer.
I stopped making my own yogurt when I moved to Paris, and didn’t take it up again when I moved to California twelve years later. Who needs to make it when there is so much good yogurt in the shops?
But now I don’t get to the shops, and the shops are sometimes out when I make an order, and I can’t get the yogurt I like anyway. Last week, when I was beginning to run low (it’s something I eat just about every morning), I just happened to hear somebody on Evan Kleiman’s wonderful Good Food radio show talking about making yogurt. So I went home, thawed some milk I’d frozen, and made it. I loved the result, which was mild tasting and just creamy enough, and I’ll keep making it every few days for as long as I can get hold of milk.
In my Austin days I used to incubate my yogurt jars in big stockpots filled with warm water and set over my stove’s pilot lights. This was not ideal as sometimes the water got too hot and killed the yogurt. The fermentation process requires a warm environment for about 8 hours. I’ve heard many suggestions -- a dishwasher that has been turned on for a few minutes, then turned off, an oven into which you have put a pot of steamy water, a sous-vide. But what I use, and I also use this for bread, is a heating pad. I tuck the pad into my pie box (a wooden box with a lid), and set the yogurts on top. If I were making yogurt in larger containers I wouldn’t be able to put the top on, but I don’t think it would matter too much with the heating pad. An ice chest or an insulated bag would also work.
A while back I bought some (expensive) French style yogurt at Target. I liked the yogurt a lot, but what I really liked were the glass jars it came in. I saved four of them, and they make a perfect serving of about 1/2 cup. Here’s what I do and it works like a charm.
Note: Make sure the yogurt you use to culture the milk has active live cultures. It will say so on the label.
 
Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
Makes 2 cups
2 cups whole milk or 2% low-fat milk (not 1% or skim)
2 tablespoons yogurt with active live cultures (check the label)
 
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to 188ºF / 86.6 C. If you don’t have a thermometer, watch closely and when you see bubbles forming around the edges of the pan, the milk is hot enough. Turn off the heat and pour into a bowl. Allow to cool to between 90ºF / 32ºC and 100ºF / 38ºC (lukewarm).
Whisk in 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, preferably yogurt that does not have a lot of other stuff added to it (though the yogurt I’ve been using does have some pectin in it).
Pour the yogurt into jars or containers (you can just use one). Cover and place in a warm spot to incubate for about 8 hours. The milk will have thickened by then. Refrigerate for a few hours. Save some for your next batch!
 

A week ago my friend Angie Mason, gardener and so many other things extraordinaire, brought me 2 pounds of chard from her garden. Already cleaned! Above and beyond, but that’s Angie. We sat in the sun at either end of our long outdoor table and visited. It was a delectable moment. We are all so starved for actual as opposed to virtual visits.
The chard was delectable too, and for more than a moment. Bob and I had a week of varied meals, beginning with a big pot of black beans with half the chard greens chopped up and added shortly before serving. The chard cooks down into the beans and the combination is comforting and nourishing – and it tastes good too! The dish is inspired by a black bean and greens soup called sopa de xonequi, from the highlands of Veracruz (xonequi is the name of the greens they use). We ate big bowls of the beans and greens, with warm corn tortillas.
The next night I cooked up some brown rice and we had grain bowls, the rice topped with black beans and greens and garnished with avocado and radishes. Bob added some hot sauce to his. So satisfying. “I didn’t know whether or not I was going to like it; I loved it!” he told me.
He wanted the rice bowl again the next night, but I had other ideas: black bean and greens enchiladas. I had blanched the remaining pound of Angie’s chard (bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, add washed greens and let them wilt for about 1 minute, then scoop them out, transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. I take it up by the handful and squeeze with all my might). I added some of the brighter blanched greens to the beans and greens in the enchiladas, as well as some Monterey Jack, which melted when I baked the dish in the oven. They were topped with more beans and their sauce, and with crumbled Cotija cheese.
Meanwhile, I had saved the wide, meaty chard ribs. I have written a lot about the cuisine of Provence, where nothing goes to waste. There I learned to make a simple gratin with chard ribs and a béchamel. I added the rest of the blanched greens to this, and we feasted on it two nights in a row.
The French aren’t the only ones who are clever with chard ribs. One of my favorite Middle Eastern meze is a tahini and chard rib puree, sort of a hummus with cooked chard ribs standing in for chickpeas. Mine is pink, because I used the ribs from red chard.
It’s now been two weeks since I’ve been to a farmers market and almost that long since I’ve been to a supermarket. But I still have lots of ingredients to work with. It did help, though, having a generous friend like Angie.
 
Black Beans with Chard
1 pound (2 1/4 cups) black beans
1 medium or large white or yellow onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 2 minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro (more to taste)
Salt to taste
3/4 to 1 pound (1 generous bunch) Swiss chard, stemmed, leaves washed in 2 changes of water, and roughly chopped (4 to 5 cups)
Crumbled queso blanco or feta for garnish
 
1. Rinse the black beans, pick them over for stones, and place in a large, heavy soup pot or casserole. Cover with 2 quarts water and soak for 4 hours or longer. Do not drain.
Note: Many cooks insist that soaking is not necessary, and if your are one of them, feel free to skip Step 1. I always find that beans cook more evenly if they are soaked.
2. Make sure the beans are covered by about 2 inches of water and add more if necessary. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Add the onion and the smashed garlic cloves. Reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Add the remaining garlic, half the cilantro, and a generous amount of salt (at least 2 teaspoons; I usually use more like 3). Continue to simmer another hour, until the beans are quite soft and the broth is thick and fragrant. Taste for salt and garlic and add more as desired. Stir in the remaining cilantro.
3. Shortly before serving bring the beans back to a simmer and stir in the greens. Add them a cup at a time and stir; you’ll see how much they reduce in volume. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the leaves are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with a little white cheese crumbled over the top, and more cilantro, if desired.
Yield: Serves 6
Advance preparation: The beans will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. They will taste best if you refrigerate them overnight at the end of Step 2, then reheat and proceed with step 3 when you want to serve them. The dish freezes well.
 
Grain Bowl with Black Beans and Chard
I love these beans ladled over brown rice. I garnish with a few slices of avocado and a couple of radishes, and serve salsa on the side.
 
Black Bean and Chard Enchiladas
Another great destination for black beans with chard, which serves as both filling and sauce. If you haven’t used all of your chard, blanch some more and add a little to each enchilada.
Heat about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, grape seed) over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. One by one, “pass” corn tortillas through the oil: add one to the oil and when you see it beginning to pucker and soften, turn over and repeat on the other side. Drain briefly on paper towels and transfer to a lightly oiled casserole. Spoon some of the beans onto the softened tortilla. Sprinkle with Monterey jack cheese and some additional blanched chard if you have it. Roll up the tortilla. Repeat with the remaining tortillas (I made 8 enchiladas using about a third of the total beans and greens recipe). Arrange in the baking dish and spoon more beans over the top. Sprinkle with queso fresco, queso cotija, or more Monterey jack.  Cover tightly with foil and heat through for 20 minutes in a 350-degree oven, or until bubbling. Serve with salsa of your choice.
 
Chard and Chard Stalk Gratin
Yield: Serves 4
 
For the béchamel:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk
Salt to taste
Freshly ground white or black pepper
 
For the gratin:
1-2 bunches chard with thick stalks
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
 
1. Make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Strain while hot into a heat-proof bowl or a pyrex measuring cup.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the chard. Fill a bowl with cold water. Wash the greens in 2 changes of water and set aside. Wash the stems thoroughly, trim away the ends. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard stalks. Turn the heat down to medium and boil gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until the stalks are just cooked through. Remove from the pot with a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and dry on paper towels. Slice about 3/4 inch thick. If not using right away, line a bowl with paper towels and place the stalks in the bowl. Refrigerate uncovered.
3. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the greens. Blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, until tender, and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely. NOTE: You don’t have to use all of the greens in the gratin; you can save some for another dish.
4. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 1 1/2- to 2-quart gratin dish. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add the garlic. When the garlic begins to smell fragrant, after about 30 seconds, stir in the chopped blanched chard leaves and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, just to infuse the greens with garlic. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl. Add the chard stems, the béchamel and freshly ground pepper to taste. Gently stir together, and scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top. Place in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and the top begins to brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until the bubbling has subsided, then serve.
Note: You can make this dish with the chard stalks only if you want to use the greens for something else. In Provence they also add an anchovy or two, mashed, to the béchamel.
Advance preparation: The dish can be assembled up to a day before baking and held in the refrigerator, tightly covered.
 
 
Chard Stalk and Tahini Dip
You can make smaller amounts of this, depending on your chard stalk supply. If you like hummus you’ll love this lighter version.
 
1/2 pound Swiss chard stalks, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
Salt to taste
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), peeled, green shoots removed
1/4 cup sesame tahini, stirred if the oil has separated
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, ,ore to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)
 
1. Steam or blanch the chard stalks in salted boiling water until tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Drain well and allow to cool. Place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree, stopping the machine from time to time to scrape down the sides. Add the garlic and process until smooth. Add the tahini and process until smooth. With the machine running, add the lemon juice and olive oil, and salt to taste. Stop the machine, taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Transfer the dip to a wide bowl. It will be a little runny (unless the tahini you used was thick) but will stiffen  up. Drizzle on the olive oil and serve.
Advance preparation: This will be good for about 3 days, but the fresher it is, the better.
 
 

​Here’s something you can do with the kids.
This granola is my go-to house gift, party favor, and edible holiday gift. I make it every month and it goes quickly. Not just because we eat it for breakfast. It’s a popular snack in our house, and Bob likes to put it on his ice cream.
It is unlike any other.
“What makes this taste so rich?” my friends ask. They are sure I’ve snuck some butter in somewhere. But no, it’s the coconut oil, which infuses the mix with a deep, rich flavor and also contributes to the crispy texture.
People love the way this granola makes clumps – which can be dangerous as the clumps are so easy to snack on. The almond powder is what holds it together. Make sure you let the mix cool completely before you handle it, or the clumps won’t stay together.
 
Martha’s Granola
4 rounded cups / 450 g flaked or rolled oats
1 rounded cup / 110 grams oat bran
2/3 cup / 65 g almond flour
1/2 cup / 70 g untoasted or toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 heaped cup / 75 grams chopped raw cashews
1/2 heaped cup / 60 g pecan halves or pieces, coarsely chopped
1 heaped cup / 75 g coconut chips
1/2 teaspoon / 3 g sea salt
1 tablespoon / 6.5 g cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon / .7 g nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1/3 cup / 75 g coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons / 30 g grapeseed or canola oil
1/2 cup / 175 g mild honey, such as clover
1 tablespoon / 12 g vanilla extract
 
1. Heat oven to 300ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Toss together all of the dry ingredients in a very large bowl.
2. Combine oils, honey and vanilla in a saucepan or glass measuring cup and warm over low heat or in microwave at 50 percent power, stirring if warming over the stove, just until the mixture is fluid. Do not let it come to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir into dry ingredients. Mix until evenly coated.
3. Divide mixture evenly between the two sheet pans and spread in an even layer. Bake, without stirring, for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden, rotating baking pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Ease off the parchment, breaking some of the granola into clumps and letting the rest crumble apart. Store air tight in jars, bags or containers.
Advance preparation: This will keep well for several weeks in a tightly covered jar and for a month or two in the freezer.
 

​Quite some time I posted a piece called Soups for Bob, and it has just come to my attention that the links to some of the recipes didn’t work. A friend has requested these recipes, which I am sharing now. They’re also good recipes for Cooking In Place.
It’s not corn season, but you can make the puree of corn soup with frozen corn. I’ve found some sweet frozen corn at Trader Joe’s, and there might be some left!
 
Pureed White Bean Soup with Pistou
Serves 6
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound white beans, soaked overnight or for 6 hours and drained
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh sage
2 1/2 to 3 quarts water, as needed (or 2 1/2 quarts water and up to 2 cups milk as needed)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper
About 1/3 cup pesto (if making pesto, omit pine nuts)
 
1. Combine the onion, garlic, drained beans, bay leaf, sage, and 2 1/2 quarts water in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours, until the beans are very tender and the broth fragrant. Remove the bay leaf and sage sprig.
2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup (or you can use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing) until very smooth. Return to the pot, heat through, add freshly ground pepper and adjust salt. Thin out as desired with water or milk.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls. Stir the pesto, and if it is very stiff, thin out with a little olive oil so that you can drizzle it into each bowl and it won’t just fall in as a clump. Put about 2 teaspoons on each bowl, add a few garlic croutons if desired, and serve. Diners should stir the pistou into the soup for the best flavor.
Advance preparation: You can make the soup through Step 1 a few days in advance and refrigerate. It will thicken as it sits, so you’ll want to thin it out when you reheat.
 
Puree of Corn Soup
Serves 4
This soup is all about corn, intensely so. If your corn isn’t sweet, then the soup will be dull, so make sure it’s good before you begin. Use the cobs for the stock and the kernels for the soup. The soup should be very smooth and very fragrant.
Note: I have found some sweet frozen white corn, and you can use this and still come up with a delicious soup. It won’t be as fragrant because you’re not making a stock with the corn cobs, but it’ll still be good.
 
For the Stock:
The cobs from 3 large ears corn
1 small onion, quartered
1/2 pound carrots, sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 quarts water
Salt to taste
 
For the soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small  or 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
Kernels from 3 large ears corn, or 3 cups corn kernels
 
For garnish:
Cooked kernels from 1 ear of corn
 
1. Make the stock: Combine the corn cobs, quartered onion, carrots, garlic, and water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Season with a small amount of salt (you will be reducing this broth, so don’t salt fully at this point). Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Strain and return to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to 5 cups. Taste and adjust seasoning.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot and add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add the corn kernels. Cook gently for about 3 minutes, stirring, and add the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
3. Transfer to a blender in 1 to 1 1/2-cup batches, taking care to cover the top with a towel to avoid hot splashes, and blend the soup until smooth. Put through a medium strainer, pressing the soup through with the bottom of a ladle or with a spatula, and return to the pot. Heat through, taste and adjust seasonings. Place a generous spoonful of corn in each bowl, ladle in the soup, and serve.
Advance preparation: You can prepare the soup several hours before you serve. Heat through gently on top of the stove.

 
Puree of Lettuce, Peas and Herbs
Serves 4 to 6
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green part only, cleaned and sliced
Salt to taste
5 cups frozen or fresh peas (1 1/2 pounds – 2 12-ounce bags frozen)
3 cups, tightly packed, coarsely chopped Boston or bibb lettuce
5 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped chives, plus additional for garnish
Chopped fresh tarragon, chives, and/or mint for garnish
 
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the peas, lettuce, and stock or water and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain through a strainer set over a bowl and allow the vegetables and the broth to cool for 15 minutes. Taste the broth and season as desired.
2. Working in batches, puree the vegetables and herbs in a blender with the broth and additional olive oil for 2 minutes, until frothy and smooth. Return to the pot, stir and reheat gently; or pour into a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. If serving cold, chill for several hours.
3. Serve, garnishing with additional chives, tarragon and/or mint.
 
 

So here’s what I did with the other half of the cabbage that I used for the cabbage minestrone in my last post. The beautiful galette looks fancy and difficult but it’s incredibly easy. Even if you’ve never worked with dough in your life, give this yeasted olive oil pastry a try. It’s very easy to manipulate.
There are so many things you can do with a big head of cabbage. The humble vegetable is one of the best kept secrets in the produce department. I sautéed what I had with lots of onion and garlic, then tossed the mixture with a couple of eggs and some grated Gruyère cheese, tucked it into the pastry and baked it for about 50 minutes. If you have fresh herbs you can season the cabbage with dill or chopped parsley. Dried dill is good too. Other seasoning options are caraway seeds or lightly toasted cuminseeds, which is what I went with. And because I’d blanched my beet greens from the farmers market, I chopped some up and added them to the mix. But that’s just because I had them.
 
Cabbage Galette
 
For the galette crust:
7 grams / scant 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
110 grams / 1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 grams / scant 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
50 grams / 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
250 grams / 2 cups flour, preferably a mix of whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose
5 grams / scant teaspoon fine sea salt
 
 
For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds cabbage (1 small), cored and finely chopped (about 7 to 8 cups)
Optional: 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, parsley, chives, or a combination, or 1 to 2 tablespoons dried dill; or 1 teaspoon caraway seeds or lightly toasted cumin seeds
Freshly ground pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup, tightly packed)
for egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
 
For the dough:
1. Dissolve the yeast in the water, add the sugar, and allow to sit until the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and the olive oil. Combine the flours and the salt, and stir into the yeast mixture. You can use a bowl and wooden spoon for this, or a mixer; combine the ingredients using the paddle. Work the dough just until it comes together in a coherent mass; the flour will continue to absorb water. 
2. Flour your work surface and scrape out the dough. Knead gently, adding a little flour as necessary, just until the dough is smooth; do not overwork the dough. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, rounded side down first, then rounded side up, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour, while you prepare the filling.
For the cabbage filling:
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt, and cook another minute, then stir in the cabbage. Cook, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes, adding more salt to taste about halfway through. The cabbage should be cooked down and fragrant but still have some color. Stir in the fresh or dried herbs or spices if using, and freshly ground pepper. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the cabbage mixture and the cheese and mix together well.
​Assembling and baking:
5. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Dust a large work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Shape into a ball and let rest for 5 minutes. Then roll out into a thin round, about 16 inches in diameter. Line a sheet pan with parchment and place the round in the middle, with the edges overlapping the pan (this will eliminate the need to lift the galette once it is filled). Place the filling in the middle of the rolled out pastry and spread it to a circle, leaving a 3-inch margin all the way around the pastry. Fold the edges in over the filling, pleating them to cover the filling and drawing them up to the middle of the galette, so that the filling is enclosed, or just about enclosed. The finished galette should be about 9 or 10 inches in diameter. There can be a small circle of exposed filling in the middle. Brush with egg wash.
6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Yield; Makes 1 10-inch galette, serving 8
Advance preparation: The filling, without the eggs, can be made 1 or 2 days ahead and kept in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. The galette will continue to taste terrific for 3 or 4 days after it’s made.
Variation: Add 1 cup chopped blanched beet greens or chard to the mixture.