Fall Fruit: Concord Grapes

I really don't have much to say about these grapes except that they are pretty photogenic (aren't they?).

Beet and Potato Salad

When there are beets and there are potatoes, I can think of only one thing: red flannel hash, which I've done over and over.

Earlier this week, I had the full intention of revisiting red flannel hash. At the last minute, I implemented a hasty redesign and produced a beet and potato salad. Enjoy it while the bacon is still crisp.


4 slices of bacon
1 Tbsp reserved bacon fat
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
a few squeezes of lemon juice
1 lb new potatoes, quartered and steamed or boiled
1 lb beets, roasted, peeled, and cut into chunks
1/2 small onion, very thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of chopped herbs (I used parsley and basil)

Fry bacon in a pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat to a small bowl. Combine with olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make a dressing. Combine dressing with remaining ingredients, coating evenly.

Another Way to Use Up Summer Vegetables

Pizza!

It's hefty, I know. I made mine with a homemade olive tapenade (using CSA herbs), roasted eggplant, thinly sliced cubanelle peppers, thinly sliced tomatoes, prosciutto, fontina cheese, and chopped basil and oregano. When I was in college and had time to wait for dough to rise and rest, I used to make my own pizza dough. These days, I suck it up and buy it from Whole Foods (Trader Joe's has ready-to-bake pizza dough too... no kneading required).

Summer Meets Fall

One day it's a stifling 88 degrees and the air is thick with humidity. The next day, it's sunny, breezy, and I need to wear a sweater at night. We are somewhere between summer and fall right now.

Aside from erratic weather patterns, the past couple weeks have also been about combining late summer vegetables with early fall vegetables. My favorite so far? Zucchini and carrots. Pictured is a lightly marinated salad of raw ribbons of said vegetables, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. The dressing was an easy mix of lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Some fresh herbs (cilantro perhaps?) would've been nice on this too.

For days when I felt like having cooked zucchini and carrots, I sliced them lengthwise, then crosswise into little half-moons, and sauteed these bite-size pieces with olive oil and red pepper flakes. Roasting big chunks with a little oil and seasoning is also nice.

Summer Vegetable Chili

While ratatouille is an easy (though possibly under-appreciated) way to use up a bunch of summer vegetables, please do not overlook the possibilities that a warm pot of meat and beans seasoned with chili powder also presents. I suppose I am using the term "chili" rather incorrectly and loosely (check out the angry comments flying out of Texas below this recipe). But as inauthentic as it may be, the very vegetable-y version is pretty tasty and pretty healthy.

Anyway, this is a great way to go because

• you only need one pot.
• the leftovers taste even better.
• it is very customizable.

First, heat some vegetable oil in a pot, and add chopped onion. Cook for just a few minutes.

Add your choice of meat: beef, pork, ground turkey, cubes of steak, sausage, vegetarian meat substitutes such as seitan or texturized vegetable protein, or no meat at all.

Next, add some ground spices. You can use standard supermarket chili powder, or create your own blend using any combination of chili powders (I really like ancho and pasilla), coriander, cumin, and oregano. Don't forget salt and black pepper.

Cook until the meat has browned. Add whatever beans you have around (I used canned black beans and some small white beans). Add enough liquid (reserved bean water, broth, or water) to loosen up brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.

And of course, vegetables: peppers (both hot and sweet) and tomatoes are the basics, but squash and corn work nicely too.

Adding some kind of secret ingredient is also fun, and adds another dimension (and an air of mystery/potential weirdness) to your chili. Possibilities include Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chocolate, beer, and cinnamon.

Top it all off with sour cream, shredded or crumbled cheese, chopped raw onions, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, or nothing at all.

Apricot Upside-Down Cupcakes

These cute little things were easy to make. All I did was take a Gourmet recipe for fresh apricot upside-down cake and divide everything up among about 15 cups in a muffin pan (I also used half as much sugar, half as much butter in the batter, and cut the baking time down to 20-25 minutes). This recipe is also great for just about any other fruit, including plums, peaches, pears… maybe even berries.