Spicy Pickled Okra

Summer is slipping away. I sure can feel it this week, but thankfully, the veggies from my father-in-law's garden still continue to roll in by the bucketful. There's no room left in the freezer because it's jam-packed with shelled peas, roasted tomatoes, and sliced okra. I'm doing all I can to preserve the season. So, I decided to pickle a mess of okra that had just arrived.


The process of pickling is simple, and even if you don't properly can it, which is a huge production, pickled vegetables will still last up to 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Use this pickling liquid and spice mixture on anything from cucumbers to green tomatoes. 
The best part of pickling okra in particular is that is reduces its inherent sliminess. I brought these little beauties to Rocco's birthday party this weekend and they were a hit...even with the okra skeptics.


(My friend Kelly stuffs pickled okra with pimento cheese, batters them, and deep fries them. I'll see if I can't talk him out of the recipe for y'all soon!)




Spicy Pickled Okra

1 quart white vinegar
6 tablespoons salt
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 tablespoons chili pepper relish (or sambal)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar
3 quarts small okra (stem intact, washed and dried)


Bring the first eight ingredients to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Pour hot pickling liquid over the okra and allow everything to cool. Place picked okra in the fridge for two days to allow the flavors to meld. Use okra within 2-3 weeks. 


To serve, rinse okra in a colander. Place two pickles on a bamboo pick. Stand picks up in a wide-mouth mason jar. In my mind, it's just the thing to bring to a three-year-old's birthday party.

Green Smoothies

I have been wanting to give mythical green smoothies a shot for a while now. The question is, could they possibly be any good? I wondered if I would really taste the spinach or the kale in these, but they're barely detectable since only a natural sweetness comes through. It didn't even beg for a shot of honey or agave.

Green smoothies, it turns out, aren't all that attractive-looking compared to the pleasing colors of typical fruit smoothies, but check out some of the simple ingredients pictured here. Fitting in an extra vegetable in the morning and getting an energy boost after drinking one of these couldn't be a bad thing, right? We might even commit to having one day for a while...

Spinach + Strawberry Green Smoothie

2 handfuls of spinach (about 2/3 cup)
1-2 frozen bananas (cut into a few pieces)
4 strawberries
juice from 3 oranges
ice (optional)

Blend until all ingredients are fully combined.


Kale + Berry Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups curly kale
a handful of raspberries
a handful of blueberries
juice from 3 oranges
1-2 frozen bananas (cut into a few pieces)
ice (optional)

Blend until all ingredients are fully combined.

Spicy Mixed Chili Pepper Relish

I love spicy food, but there comes a point where there are just too many chili peppers to use up before they shrivel. At several points over the summer, we found ourselves with handfuls of red, green, hot, mild, cherry, thai, jalapeño, habanero, and, well, unidentified peppers floating around the kitchen. I finally figured out something to do with them to make them last a few weeks rather than a few days. 


All I do is pulse them in a food processor with a bit of salt, sugar, garlic, and vinegar to make a sauce that's very similar to Sambal. It can be used in place of sambal or sriracha in any recipe. Be warned! Depending on the type of peppers you choose to use, your sauce could be mild as a mouse or hell-fire hot. Please test it before you dump a whole bunch into your grits.


Here are a few great recipes to try out your chili pepper relish:


Roasted Red Pepper Soup + Sambal & Cinnamon
Baked Lemongrass Tofu 
Cashew Noodle Salad


Spicy Mixed Pepper Relish


1 1/2 cup mixed peppers (destemmed)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vinegar



Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until they're very finely chopped. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Brussels Sprout Salad + Cornbread Croutons (& Big News)

It's starting to feel a little like fall around here. The nights are cooler. The okra is starting to slow down, the tomatoes are dwindling, and I have visions of brussels sprouts dancing in my head. 


This is my favorite way to prepare those tiny, cabbage-y-looking things hands-down. It does take a little time to pull the leaves apart, but it's worth it. The smoky dressing and the croutons make this dish a true Southern treat. We like it just how it is for a first course, or we just add a soft-boiled egg to make it a meal. 


This one is definitely going in the cookbook. Y'all, no kidding, we can finally announce that we are working on a Chubby Vegetarian cookbook for publisher Thomas-Nelson. It's set to be completed in 2012. So excited to be able to share this with all of you today!


Brussels Sprout Salad + Cornbread Croutons


1 pound brussels sprouts
Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Salad Dressing*
2 cups Cornbread Croutons**


Start by tearing apart the Brussels sprouts. Cut off the stem-end and pull the leaves apart. This takes some time, but it's worth it. When you get to the core, just split it in half and throw it in with the leaves. Blanch the leaves in boiling water until they turn bright green. This will take about 10-15 seconds. Run the leaves under cold water to stop the cooking. Dry leaves in a salad spinner or using a clean dish towel. Toss leaves with the dressing and transfer to a plate. Top the salad with warm cornbread croutons. 

Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Salad Dressing

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (finely minced)
8 drops liquid smoke
1 shallot (minced)
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
sea salt 
cracked black pepper
1/8 cup olive oil


Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.






Cornbread Croutons**


2 cups cubes cornbread (leftover works great here)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the cubed corn bread and cook for 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the croutons; know that they tend to be a bit tender at this stage. Place the pan into the preheated oven for 15 minutes to get the croutons crunchy.

The Great Food Truck Race Goes Vegetarian in Memphis

I trained hard to compete in the Memphis in May Triathlon this year, my third Olympic-length tri in three years. In fact, I ran over 360 miles since January to prepare for this particular race. So what did I do when the big day arrived? I happily decided to ditch the race and spend my whole day eating. 

It sounds crazy, but four food trucks rolled into Memphis this week, and on Sunday, they featured all-vegetarian menus. Swimming, biking, and running paled in comparison to this! I just had to go and check out what was going on with The Great Food Truck Race. Luckily for me, Chef Tyler Florence, host of TGFTR, asked me to try them all and award immunity to the team that I felt provided the best overall experience.

At the Korilla truck, I was excited to try the food because if there's one thing I love, it's kimchi. (I once embarrassed myself at dinner by espousing my deep love of all things cabbage to the blank stares of my dinning companions. Suffice it to say, its spicy, fermented charm is way, way up my alley.) I had some idea of what to expect, and here, they delivered on the promise of some mighty fine kimchi. I was told by one of the Korilla truck guys that the kimchi they make is from his grandmother's recipe. I love that: taking a sacred family recipe and using it in the modern context of a restaurant on wheels.

I had one fleeting concern when he, knowing that I consider myself a vegetarian, asked if I eat fish; sometimes bonito flakes, shrimp, or fish sauce are used in the making of kimchi. It's a legitimate question, I decided, and it turns out that their version was completely vegetarian that day.

I ordered the Korilla Tacos and the Kimchi Quesadillas. I also ordered the K-Pop, a mixture of ginger and soda. That was everything on the menu. I was told my total was 21 bucks, and that I was getting a free Korilla T-shirt. I sat down with my food and did some quick math, my "free" T-shirt cost me 2 bucks. No big deal.

I had skipped the triathlon but had still managed to get 6.5 miles in that morning, and without a proper breakfast, I was super-hungry. The Korilla tacos were good. They contained Korilla's excellent kimchi, cheese, and crumbled tofu on warm corn tortillas. The kimchi quesadillas had the same ingredients, minus the tofu, on a grilled flour tortilla. I really would have liked to see more creativity. I wanted a brighter stage for the kimchi, but that wasn't happening. I think that Korilla's vegetarian menu would make a great snack, but I'm not sure it was enough to make a meal.

The name The Lime Truck doesn't really give anything away, and the only thing we knew about them was that they do California fusion cuisine. We approached the truck, and besides a few people milling about in front, it almost looked closed. Strong wind had forced them to shut the sides of the truck and pull the menu board inside. I finally got a look at the menu, and I was ecstatic. These guys were offering 8 items plus strawberry limeade. I needed a little help deciding what to eat -- or I was misguidedly going to order it all.

Once I introduced myself, the trio appeared one by one to shake my hand and talk about what they do. The personable and chatty bunch told me that they change the menu every day depending on what's fresh and available, and that the Red Curry Fajita Quesadilla contained local shiitake mushrooms. I love mushrooms, so I put a magic check by that one. These guys were psyched about the food they were serving, and that made me interested to try it. I was told not to walk away without ordering the Yellow Vegetable Curry Over Rice, so I ordered that, too. I also added the Savory Corn Cake with BBQ Slaw and the Balsamic Macerated Strawberries to my order. We talked about Memphis and Southern food. They told me that cooking vegetarian was no big deal for them since they always offer a few veggie options on their menu. I realized that I was holding up the line and that I'd best wrap things up. It was time for the food to do the talking for them.

At the table, I have to admit that I was surprised by nearly every bite I put in my mouth. The charred flour quesadilla housed meaty mushrooms, rich melted cheese, and an even richer coconut curry. The combo of the cheese and the curry was tremendously flavorful, but almost too rich for my blood. I moved on and was blasted by roasted garlic as soon as I lifted the yellow vegetable curry to my lips. 'Too much garlic' is not a phrase that you often hear me mutter, but this walked a fine line. The corn cake, or grits cake as we call it down South, was a nice little surprise. I'd have to give it the designation of the most unique vegetarian BBQ I've ever tried. I ate it as instructed: "Pick up the corn cake like a taco." The soft cake contrasted nicely with the crunchy cabbage slaw. Honestly, my brain didn't know where to file this one away. The roller coaster ended with a simple, almost savory dessert of strawberries, vanilla cream, and balsamic vinegar, a smart choice since strawberries are very much in season right now.

Overall, I'd say this trio has a lot to offer in the way of culinary creativity and execution. They didn't seem thrown off by the fact that they had to serve an all-vegetarian menu. Maybe I just hit 'em on a good day.

At the Hodge Podge truck, I asked Chris, the chef, "What's your specialty?" "We take a Polish sausage and top it with pork and kimchi," he said. "That's how we do it in Cleveland!" I knew that's not what I was getting from them on this day, but my interest was piqued. Sounds like this guy has a 'more is more' type of philosophy that works to much acclaim in a lot of restaurant situations. Turns out this was right.

I was not allowed to order, which is a truly a great thing in my eyes. It makes me feel like I'm being treated well. The truth is, I really want to eat the food that a chef is passionate about cooking. Within certain parameters, I'll try anything. I'm very adventurous when it come to food and I'm not super particular. Jaqueline, the nice girl in the cowboy hat taking orders out front, told me in her best put-on Southern accent that I was getting the Hodge Podge Special, which I soon learned meant that they were making me a little of everything on the menu.

After about 15 minutes, the longest wait time of any truck, I hear Chris joke as he barrels toward me, "I take full credit for the overweight problem in Cleveland!" He personally delivers my first course, a Fried Avocado Taco covered in jicama and celery root slaw then drizzled with Carolina BBQ sauce. A mustard-based sauce like that could get him run out of Memphis, but I let it slide this time. Each component of the taco was right on, but I'm not sure if it all came together in the end.

I also had the grilled cheese, which I think would be more accurately described as an egg sandwich. This is the type of comfort food that once got me in trouble, I thought. Back when I weighed 265 pounds, I'd wake up and make a sandwich very much like this one first thing in the morning! The egg was perfectly drippy, and the cheddar played the important role of holding everything together. Ah, memories...this one really took me back. I only wished that they had opted for a more interesting bread. The white bread they choose was, well, a bit boring. I wanted a hearty, crusty French loaf or even the brioche they used for my next item, the French Toast PB&J.

Chis explained that this dish was strongly connected with memories of his own childhood. I appreciate the fact that he took this idea and elevated it, but didn't take it too high. I thought I was through when I found a little treasure hiding under the other half of my egg sandwich: a truffled hush puppy. I believe he used a mixture of fresh corn and cornmeal to produce this moist, craggy, fried treat. The onion almost overpowered the subtlety of the truffles, but I really liked the idea. It's one I may try in my own kitchen one day.

So, my experience at the Hodge Podge truck was a good one. They were the friendliest staff in town, which seems to go a long way in the food truck business, and there was plenty of food to go around. There was a lot of fried and lot of butter on my plate. I couldn't eat like that every day, but every once and a while, it might be a nice treat.

I arrived at the Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese truck late enough in the day to call it dinner. As I stood in line, I was eyeballing their simple but well-thought-out menu of two grilled cheeses, one sweet and one savory. They had been expecting me all day, so I introduced myself as The Chubby Vegetarian straight away. I was introduced to the other guys and then told that they were just changing up the menu as they had run out of a few things. I hope it's not the sweet candied apple and cheddar grilled cheese, I thought to myself. They were actually out of both sandwiches listed on the menu. They were so low-key about the whole thing that I didn't find myself upset or overly disappointed. 

After a little back and forth, I decided to turn the reins over to them, and I asked for "something good." I mean how, can you go wrong -- it's a grilled cheese, for crying out loud. Even the worst one is pretty good!

I was presented with a Leek and Spinach Grilled Cheese and a Caramelized Onion and Truffle Grilled Cheese along with an order of truffle fries served with spicy ketchup. The fries were good, crispy, and spicy, but I was a little burnt out on fried foods by this point. I was really looking forward to the cheese, though. The combination of leek and spinach still had a great 'green' flavor that was only complemented by the richness of the cheese, but the real winner was the caramelized onion and truffle combination. I'd say it was the best sandwich I had all day. There was something magical happening between those two pieces of bread; the sweetness of the onions and the savory truffle balanced each other nicely. I found it interesting that one of the best dishes of the day was thought up on the fly. My only complaint about that particular sandwich was there there was enough cheese on it for two -- possibly three -- sandwiches. So next time, I may need a few more slices of bread and some more people.

Overall, I'd say their laid-back approach to customer service was a plus, and it helped when I couldn't order off the original menu board. These guys have a solid concept, and they add just enough sparkle to take their sandwiches from grilled cheese to gourmet grilled cheese.

I have to say that it's not lost on me how much hard work and dedication it takes to run a food truck business. Each team has trained hard for this and is ready to win. I appreciate every ounce of creativity that all of the teams clearly have poured into this challenge and the entire competition. Every component of the experience is important: the concept, the customer service, the value inherent in the meal and in the time spent enjoying it. However, what's paramount is the food. Korilla had fantastic kimchee but a lack of exciting vegetarian options to showcase that product. It wasn't the thrilla' from Korilla that I was hoping for. The Lime Truck had creative food that somehow managed to still seem healthy, yet some of their flavors really challenged me. Hodge Podge had personality and passion to spare, but most of what I was served was a little heavy for my taste. Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese, with the best sandwich of the day, didn't have enough ingredients to provide the sweet sandwich that I really wanted to try. In the end, there was one truck run by three folks who hail from the coast miles from Memphis, and they're the ones whose tires I considered slashing just so they'd have to stay in Memphis. Their passion for food, their excitement about what they're serving, and their talent is just that outstanding. Even under the pressures of this challenge, this team cooked not only one of the best meals I've ever had off of a truck, but one of the best meals I've ever had -- period. That team is...The Lime Truck. Congratulations! You've earned immunity for the next challenge. And I also hope you double back and make a point to come through Tennessee again.

Welcome, New Visitors!

Thanks for watching us on The Great Food Truck Race on Sunday night. Please have a look around at our 600+ recipes, and join our 1,700+ followers, so that we can start cooking together.

                                             Photo by Margot McNeely

Stuffed Morels over Angel Hair Pasta + Cream & Peas

When I see morels making their first fall appearance at the grocery store, I get butterflies. Seriously! They're my favorite mushroom. Prized for their mild, earthy flavor and surprisingly meaty texture, morels also look ridiculously cool on the plate. Just a few of these stuffed mushrooms make a huge impact here -- this is a good thing since they tend to go for about $30 a pound -- and transform a regular old pasta dish into something pretty special. 


(*Check out my article in Edible Memphis about foraging for wild mushrooms.)


Stuffed Morels


1 egg + 1 yolk
1 clove garlic
2.5 ounces goat cheese
zest from half a lemon
1/2 cup parsley1/4 cup bread crumbs4 large morels (2.5-3.5 inches in length)
olive oil
Maldon salt
cracked black pepper


For the stuffing, put first six ingredients go into a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir in the bread crumbs. Set stuffing mixture aside for ten minutes. 



Clean morels using the hand sprayer on your kitchen sink; the spray will dislodge any dirt stuck in the mushrooms' crevices. Dry morels using a clean kitchen towel. 


Next, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Stuff the morels using a pastry bag or by slicing them down one side with a paring knife and spooning filling into the cavity. Place stuffed morels in an oven-proof dish and drizzle each with a teaspoon of olive oil. Roast morels uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper and serve over Angel Hair Pasta + Cream & Peas.









Angel Hair Pasta + Cream & Peas

2 servings of angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup shallot (minced)
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
A pinch each of cane sugar, Maldon salt, and cracked black pepper
1/4 cup cream3/4 cup English peas
1/4 cup pasta water
parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish


Place a large pot of salted water on to boil. In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté shallots until they turn translucent and begin to brown. Add the wine, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pan; reduce by half. Add the cream and turn off the heat. 


Place unrinsed, cooked pasta directly into the pan with the sauce and add the peas. Toss together to incorporate all the ingredients. Add a bit of pasta water to thin the sauce. Top with stuffed morels and garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Faux Gras + Blue Cheese & Chives (a.k.a. Savory Seared Pears)

In order to keep the French food theme going, here is another one of my go-to French dishes. One of my favorite chefs, Charlie Trotter, came up with the concept of "faux gras" using ripe pears in place of goose liver for the desired effect. He uses seared pears in a dish along with corn cakes and a tropical fruit reduction in his book Vegetables. It's so smart. 

And okay, I admit it -- I've actually never tasted foie gras, so I'm not sure how close this is to the taste and texture of the real thing, but I will tell you that it really is delicious. It's a perfect appetizer served with crostini; it's also great on top of some lightly dressed arugula.


Faux Gras + Blue Cheese & Chives


2 ripe pears
champagne vinegar
applewood smoked salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
Humboldt Fog cheese (or any other light-tasting bleu cheese)
chives


Slice pears into thirds from top to bottom leaving two good slices with the skin on and a core slice for each pear. Using a sharp knife, score the pear in a diamond shape. (You want you knife to pierce the flesh, but not to pierce the pear skin.) 


Lightly sprinkle each scored pear half with champagne vinegar -- just a few drops will do. Next, add a pinch of smoked salt and a turn of black pepper to the cut-side of each pear. Heat a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is heated through, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, place pears in the pan cut-side-down, and allow them to cook for three to four minutes. (You want the pears to caramelize nicely.) Once you have achieved some good color on the cut-side, flip pears over and heat them through on the other side. Remove pears from pan. 


To serve, place pears on a plate and garnish each pear half with about 1/4 ounce of crumbled bleu cheese and chopped chives. Serve with crostini or soft french bread.

Macarons (+ a contest)

UPDATE: Winner of this contest (chosen by a random number generator) is...KiaraLin.
Congratulations -- and please contact us via the email info. on our Blogger profile within the next 3 days in order to send your address and claim your prize. Thanks to all who participated!

In honor of the two exhibits making up A Very Impressionistic Summer at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the Dixon Gallery & Gardens here in Memphis, we attempted the impossible: macarons. It is clear why well-made ones are so prized because this was not a simple task, and next time, our macarons will just have to (magically?) rise higher. Not bad for our first try, I suppose. However, this recipe gave us a good start, and we kept the macarons simply flavored with vanilla and filled with strawberries or pistachios.

CONTEST THIS WEEK: Memphians and those living close by, here's your chance to win museum tickets -- and a meal, too. Leave a comment on this post in response to the following question:

What's your favorite meat-free French dish or recipe? 

There are prizes for one commenter: a pair of tickets to each exhibition and now also a $50 gift certificate to The Brushmark Restaurant, located inside the Brooks Museum. The winner's name will be drawn randomly by Thursday night, and at that point, we will announce the winner and arrange to mail the prizes. Both shows run through October 9, and if you haven't stopped by to see them, they are absolutely stunning. Go!

Macaron Fillings:

Strawberry-Balsamic Jam

1 1/2 cups strawberries (diced)
1/4 cup cane sugar
juice from half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat stovetop to medium. Stir often and cook for 20-30 minutes until cooked down to the consistently of jam. Set aside to cool. Add vinegar and stir.


Pistachio Buttercream

1/4 cup pistachios
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup confectioner's sugar
pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in the food processor and chill for at least an hour before using.

(Pistache Pastry's macarons were our first introduction to the pastry, and they are well worth trying. Check out all the wonderful flavors...)

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich + Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

So, tomorrow is Labor Day, and most everyone you know will be eating BBQ in the form of pork, beef, or chicken. It's time for you to plan ahead. Make a few of these classic vegetarian sandwiches to take along with you to whatever cookout you make be attending -- unless, of course, you thoroughly enjoy eating a plain coleslaw sandwich. If your family is anything like mine, even the avowed meat-eaters are going to be curious to try what you're eating!

Besides the grilled veg sandwich recipe below, I have a few other ideas for the vegetarian grill if you'd like to check them out as well.

Memphis-Style BBQ Tofu

Smoky Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas

Smoked Mushroom BBQ Sliders

Puttanesca Pizza on Grilled Flatbread

Grilled Corn with Mayo, Sriracha, and Cheese

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches + Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli
(Makes 4)

1 large red pepper (roasted, peeled, cut into 4 strips)

1 large eggplant (in 1-inch slices)

4 large portobello mushrooms (stems trimmed)

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

olive oil

sea salt
cracked black pepper

1 1/2 cups whole-milk mozzarella (shredded)

4 sesame kaiser rolls

1 large tomato (sliced)

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

Simply drizzle the vegetables with the balsamic vinegar and plenty of olive oil. Season each side with salt and pepper. Preheat your grill to high. Grill vegetables for about 4 minutes per side or until they are nicely marked by the grill grates. The mushrooms may take a little longer. Once you have cooked the underside of the mushroom flip it over and sprinkle the cheese on the gill side of the mushroom caps as they continue to grill in order to melt the cheese. Stack the vegetables: mushroom with the cheese, slice of eggplant (or two), one quarter of the roasted red pepper. Serve on a toasted bun with spinach, tomato, and Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli (recipe follows).

Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli:

1/4 cup smoked sun-dried tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup mayo (I use vegan mayo.)

sea salt + cracked black pepper to taste

It's simple -- just blend all ingredients until smooth. This is also great on so many other things such as wraps, eggs sandwiches, and tortilla de papas.

Avocado + Cucumber Soup with Basil OIl

I've been thinking a lot about vegan food lately. You see, I've been vegan for long stretches during my lifetime, but I always seem to find my way back to the middle. 


What's the thing that I miss when I'm eating vegan? Richness. So many already-delicious foods can be made sublime by a splash of cream, a pat of butter, or a swipe of mayo. Suddenly it dawned on me: two of the richest-tasting foods in the world come from plant sources -- avocados and coconut milk. I devised a devilish plan to use both ingredients in one rich, vegan dish. This soup is all we had for dinner the other night, and we were full and satisfied.

Avocado + Cucumber Soup with Basil Oil


2 avocados (peeled, seeded)



2 large cucumbers (peeled, seeded)



coconut milk (1 cup)


half a lime (juiced)


1 teaspoon rice vinegar


1 teaspoon sugar


1 teaspoon sambal


pinch of salt (to taste)


about a cup of water

basil oil (or basil leaves)


handful of rice noodles (fried for a few seconds in canola oil)


fresh chives


The first eight ingredients go into a blender and are puréed until smooth. Add enough water to thin the mixture to the consistency of pancake batter. Chill.  Serve cold garnished with basil oil, fried rice noodles, and chives.

Bourbon with Basil + Lemonade Granita

I bet your herb garden is full of basil and you've had it up to here with pesto, but I know you don't want to let all that summery goodness go to waste! May I suggest basil and lemonade granita? 


This is the perfect after-dinner libation for these waning days of summer -- especially if you're looking to make the last painful stretch of Southern heat (somewhat) bearable. This is one to sip slowly on the front porch as the summer sun sets in the west.

Basil + Lemonade Granita


2 cups basil leaves
2 cups water
1/2 cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons of agave
2 tablespoons of honey
juice from 6-7 lemons


Boil the basil leaves in the water, sugar, and agave for 5 minutes. Allow mixture to cool. Strain out the leaves and add the lemon juice. Place the mixture in a pan or a wide-mouth bowl and stick it in the freezer. Scrape the surface with a fork every hour until the whole thing is frozen solid. This should take 3-4 hours. Serve an ice cream scoop full per person with a little bit of ice and some sparkling water, or use a rocks glass and add an ounce and a quarter of your favorite bourbon.

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Wellington

There's not much to say about this mushroom main dish except that it is incredible. The meatiness of the grilled mushroom is perfectly complemented by the richness of the stuffing. The puff pastry adds a nice crunchy texture to the dish, and it all comes together nicely.

We served this wonderful dish with a baked sweet potato topped with brown sugar and butter and a side salad that included local pears and blue cheese. Think of it as an updated version of an 80's throwback dinner menu that's easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough to serve to guests.

Marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon red miso
1/4 teaspoon salt

black pepper

Whisk ingredients together until well incorporated. Pour mixture over the gill-side of two large (or 4 small) whole portobello mushroom caps. Allow mushrooms to marinate for a half hour. Starting gill-side-down, grill mushrooms over a high flame for about 4 minutes per side. While mushrooms are cooking, place a brick or cast iron pan on top to flatten them.

Stuffing:

knob of butter

1 leek (cleaned, trimmed, and sliced)

1/2 cup apple juice

1 cup button mushrooms (sliced)

2 sprigs thyme

2 oz. soft goat cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup panko

salt & pepper

puff pastry (or phyllo dough)

olive oil

Preheat your oven to 375. Over medium heat, slowly cook the leeks in the butter. This should take about 15 or 20 minutes. Once the leeks have softened, turn up the heat and add the apple juice to deglaze the pan. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Place leeks in a mixing bowl to cool. Now sauté mushrooms in the hot pan until brown. Add mushrooms to leek mixture and allow mixture to cool. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to incorporate. The mixture should be thick, not loose. Divide stuffing among the mushrooms and place on a baking sheet. Cut puff pastry into rounds that equal the size of the mushroom, brush each round generously with olive oil, and place on the baking sheet. When the pastry is brown, the filling should be coked through. This should take about 20 minutes. To serve, top each stuffed mushroom with a puff pastry.

Tiny Yogurt Parfaits

Okay, so we're a little late to the shot glass dessert trend, but we wanted to try it once we rounded up the right materials. The tall, skinny shot glasses were found at Pier 1, and tiny appetizer spoons were unearthed at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We found that two parfaits per person seemed about right, and since it's made with low-fat yogurt, raspberries, almonds, and just a little bit of vanilla wafer crumbs, it's a fairly healthy dessert.

Tiny Yogurt Parfaits

(Makes about 6)

1 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons honey

1 small container of Chocolate Underground yogurt

1 pint raspberries

juice from half a lemon

2/3 cup almonds (toasted and chopped)

Back to Nature Madagascar vanilla wafers (crushed to crumbs)

Prepare the layers: whisk the Greek yogurt and honey in a bowl, whisk the chocolate yogurt in a bowl, and smash the raspberries with the lemon juice in a bowl. Put the chopped almonds and the crushed cookies in separate bowls as well. Add a small spoon to each bowl, and you'll be organized and ready to go! Layer the 5 things -- I like putting a few of the almonds on top -- and chill for at least an hour before serving. 

TCV Says: Eat Plants!

                                                                   Photo by Mike Maple

Hey, check out this article about our cooking and what goes in the vegetarian pantry in today's edition of the Commercial Appeal. Thanks for giving me the opportunity, y'all!

(Once you're there, scroll down for a few of my recipes: Smoky Lentil Tacos, Portabella Mushroom Deli Slices, Kale + Apple + Walnut Ravioli, and Socca with Artichoke and Pine Nuts.)

Peach + Tarragon Pesto Pizza

Recently, my sister-in-law and I were brainstorming pizza ideas for a party over at the in-laws' house. "Smoked mozzarella and roasted tomatoes," I said. "Zucchini and goat cheese," she countered. Then she exclaimed, "Peach and tarragon pesto!" "What? That sounds awesome," I said. I have to say it turned out to be my favorite peach dish of the summer.

Peach + Tarragon Pesto Pizza:

1 ball of olive-oil pizza dough*
1/2 cup tarragon pesto**
4-5 ripe peaches (peeled, pitted, and sliced into half moons)
3 ounces soft goat cheese (crumbled)
salt and pepper
manchego (to garnish)

Preheat your oven (with the pizza stone in place) to 550 degrees. Stretch, toss, or roll out your dough to about a 10-inch circle. Place a small amount of flour on your pizza peel, place the dough round on the peel, and slide it into the oven. Allow it to cook for about 2 minutes.

Pull the dough out of the oven and top it first with the pesto, then the peach slices, and finally the soft goat cheese. Slide the pizza back onto the stone for another 5-7 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little grated manchego cheese.

Olive Oil Pizza Crust* (makes two 10-inch crusts):

1 cup bread flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast

1/8 cup olive oil

about 8-10 ounces of warm water

The flour, salt, and yeast go into the food processor with the dough blade attached. With the food processor running, pour the olive oil in and then slowly add enough water to bring the mixture together into a ball; you will see it right away when this happens. Roll the dough into a ball and cut in half. Roll each half into a ball and set it on a plate covered by a large bowl to rise for an hour or so.

Tarragon Pesto**

This recipe will make more than you need, so feel free to cut it in half or make the whole thing. It's great on sandwiches, or thinned out and used as a salad dressing, or as a dip for some crunchy vegetables.

1 cup zucchini (chopped)
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup tarragon (about 5 stems)
zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Put everything except the olive oil into the food processor, and whir it up until it has a smooth texture. Next, drizzle the olive oil into the food processor while it's running; this emulsifies everything and makes it thick. Set pesto aside.

Mexican Corn Chowder w/ Sweet Potato + Black Bean Quesadillas

One of my favorite things in the world is a dish known as elote con mayonesa. It's Mexican street food at its best: boiled corn brushed with mayo, then sprinkled with cotija cheese, chili salt, and a squeeze of lime. I developed this chowder recipe with the same flavor combination. We really, really enjoyed it. This is something I will make again and again.

Corn Chowder:

8 ears of corn (boiled, cooled, and kernels removed)

1 onion (diced)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 chipotle pepper (minced

3 cloves garlic (smashed)

olive oil

chili salt (equal parts ancho chili powder and salt)

cilantro leaves

cotija cheese

lime wedges

Over medium high heat, sweat the onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once the onion starts to brown, add the broth, pepper, and 3/4 of the corn kernels. Heat through and then blend smooth with an immersion blender. Strain the solid parts out of the soup using a mesh sieve. Return soup to the pot and add the remaining corn. Ladle some into a bowl and top with a sprinkle if chili salt, a touch of cotija cheese, a few cilantro leaves, and a squeeze of lime.

Sweet Potato + Black Bean Quesadillas:

1 large sweet potato (baked until tender)

1/2 onion (diced and rinsed in cold water)

1 cup prepared black beans

1 small chipotle chili (minced)

1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (chopped)

1/2 lime (juiced)

2 large wheat tortillas

olive oil

chili salt (mix equal parts ancho chili powder and salt)

Mash sweet potato with a fork and divide between two tortillas. Toss onion, beans, chili, cilantro, and lime juice together in a large bowl. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potato spread. Add chili salt to taste. Fold tortilla in half and brush with a tiny bit of olive oil. Grill in a frying pan over medium heat until lightly browned. Cut in half and serve with corn chowder.

Chef Joe Morris

Most days, Joe Morris quietly works behind the scenes. He chops, preps, and prepares Chef Ben Smith's creations inside the kitchen of Tsunami, one of Memphis's best restaurants.

However, to get a real sense of who Joe Morris is as a chef, you'll have to do some digging. He and his clean, elegant, understated cuisine have become a star of the Memphis underground restaurant movement. He has put on several dinners with Glenn Hays of Cafe 1912, and he put together a high-concept, nine-course, vegetarian dinner for the eaTABLE group. What's next for Joe? He's taken on the fun challenge of catering a private event in October. I can't wait to see what Joe creates next.

I asked Joe for his favorite vegetarian recipe, but instead I got something more valuable...a philosophy. 

So, I’m going to be honest; I don’t know if I have a favorite vegetarian recipe. There are certain dishes that I think work better without meat, like lasagna, but I don’t know if I’ve ever followed an exact recipe. Cooking for me is about taste, feel, and instinct. Of course, I have an idea of what I want to accomplish, what I want to emphasize or convey, but it’s the process of getting to that end result which is ultimately the thing I love about cooking. In that vein, it’s also important for me to constantly re-invent that process -- or subvert it. To learn, get better, to try new things.  I’m not going to lie, I fail. I fail a lot. But I learn. It’s part of the same process of failing better. Albeit a new flavor profile, technique, or conceptualization of a dish, it’s a process.

As I’ve matured as a cook, largely through becoming a more experienced ‘eater,’ I’ve come to appreciate clean, simple flavor profiles. It’s cliché, but I think it’s important to showcase the quality of an ingredient and really buttress that flavor. I think some of the best dishes are tiny microcosmic re-interpretations of themselves. For example, when I roast beets, I’m left with a beautiful jus that I can use to add another beet ‘element’ to the plate. I’ve made vinaigrette with balsamic for use in a salad with the cleaned beet greens. I’ve turned the jus into a braising liquid for the greens. A beet sorbet, jelly, chopped raita. Anything. I’m constantly trying to create a little environment whereby the flavor is taken and elevated using the most humble of ingredients: the actual thing itself.

I was going to post a recipe for peach gazpacho that I copped from Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park; it is simple with great flavors and utilizes many ingredients that are available to us locally, but the Chubby V was all over this one. What I love about Humm’s gazpacho is that beyond the (perhaps not so) obvious use of peaches, cucumbers, tomato paste, and vinegar, the rest is up to you. Cilantro, basil, mint -- they all work. Almonds? Sure. More Tabasco?  Why not. If you want more of a peach flavor, add more peaches! 

It sounds trite, but it’s true: find yourself in the recipes you love. To finish the dish, Humm garnishes his puree with all the ingredients he used to create the dish; cubed peaches, garlic croutons, olive oil, herbs, almonds. It’s great, and best of all, it’s perfect every time.

The thing to take away is that every dish becomes, in some small part, an extension of you.  So have fun with it!

Roast Beets

2 lb. baby beets
½ c   water
splash white wine

Preheat oven to 350.  Place beets in a baking pan add ½ cup water with splash of wine and cover with foil.  Cook until tender (about 90 minutes).

Sunflower Cookies

I like the savory side of sweets and have wanted to make something with sunflower seed butter for a while now. It's so earthy and distinct, but it isn't as thick as peanut butter is; while you could have it on toast for sure, it's also fun to be inventive with it and work with instead of against its runny texture.

(Looks like sunflower seeds have a decent amount of protein in comparison with other grains, nuts, and seeds, so runners and athletes might see the benefit of trying these out.)

This easy recipe was my guide -- hey, while you're there, be sure to check out the crazy end-result picture due to the addition of baking soda! I added a few things so the cookies were recognizably sunflower-y. Our niece has nut allergies, and we like that with no worries, she could enjoy a seed butter cookie with a cold glass of milk.




Sunflower Cookies

1 cup sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. Maldon salt, crushed

Topping for the cookies:

1 cup raw, hulled sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
pinch of two of Maldon salt

Mix up the first six ingredients and chill dough in the fridge for at least an hour -- more time chilling is fine, too. Once that's done, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Next, spread the raw sunflower seeds on a plate and mix the brown sugar and salt together in a bowl. Roll the dough into one-and-a-half-inch spheres, flatten with your hands, and press discs into the seeds. Transfer them seed-side-up to a silpat-lined cookie sheet and lightly sprinkle them with the sugar-and-salt mixture. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

*Since they crumble easily when they're hot, be sure to let them cool for 5 minutes or so before picking them up with a metal spatula and transferring them to racks or plates.

Whole Wheat Naan + Garlic & Parsley

What's the best thing about going to your favorite Indian restaurant? Correct! It's the naan, that warm garlicky bread they bring out with the meal. What could be better? Parts of the bread are crisp, other parts chewy, there is the perfect amount of char, and it's always fresh out of the tandoori.


This is a great version of this Indian staple that you can make at home without investing in a tandoori oven. I have made this a bunch of times, and it turns out great. The whole wheat pastry flour adds a bit of nuttiness, and the yogurt lends a nice richness to the dough. Make this the next time you whip up a curry, or use this recipe to make my naan bread pizza.


Whole Wheat Naan

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
1/4 teaspoon Maldon salt
3/4 to 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt

The dry ingredients go into the food processor with the dough blade already in place. Turn the processor on and spoon in the yogurt until the dough clumps into a ball and rolls around the bowl. (You may not use the whole cup of yogurt.) Stop the processor, grab the dough, cut it in half, and then cut each half in half again to form four pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover dough with a large bowl, and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Place pizza stone on the upper-middle rack of the oven. Turn the broiler on medium high and preheat for 20 minutes; this sounds strange, but it mimics the effect of a tandoori oven. Using all-purpose flour to prevent the dough from sticking, roll each dough ball out into an oblong shape that is about 12 inches on the longest side. Pull out the rack containing the stone, place dough directly onto the pizza stone, push the rack back in, and shut the oven door. Allow each bread to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the top is blistered and brown. Remove naan from the oven. Brush with garlic butter (1 tablespoon melted butter with 1 large clove minced garlic) and sprinkle with Maldon salt and chopped parsley. Serve immediately. 

Homemade Tofu

A chef friend of mine said, "You don't like processed food, right? But you like tofu?" I said, "Yeah, but no one makes their own tofu." Just as soon as I said it, I knew that I would. I'm not one to back down from a challenge -- that was a challenge, right? -- so I set out on a journey to make my own tofu.

I hit the books. Once I stared to read about the process, it immediately seemed familiar. It's exactly like making homemade cheese, but with one huge extra step...first you have to make the milk. As if they could somehow read my mind, Food & Wine magazine included an in-depth recipe in their July issue about how to make soy milk form dried soy beans and then transform that milk into tofu skins, silken tofu, or firm tofu.

I have to admit it: I'm terrible at following recipes. I just get sidetracked, I guess, or maybe I just like to be adventuresome in the kitchen, or possibly it's because I never ordered some strange key ingredient in tofu making called nigari (magnesium chloride). Whatever the case may be, I used 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar in place of the nigari when making my firm tofu and, lo and behold, it worked.

What did I do with my precious, hard-fought, homemade tofu? I kept it simple. I grilled slices of tofu that had been sprinkled with a little Old Bay seasoning and sea salt. When they came off the grill, I squeezed a lime juice on them and drizzled the tofu filets with olive oil. The homemade grilled tofu made for delicious "fish" tacos with purple cabbage, avocado, and chipotle sour cream.

Was it worth it? I think so. It was messy, and it was time consuming, but it was fun and it was a success. The resulting tofu had a ton of flavor. Will I be making my own tofu again soon? Probably not, but you just never know...