Caramelized Apple Spice Muffins (+ A New Contest!)

(UPDATE, 7.31.2013: Congratulations to commenter #14, Melvin Teal! This RNG site chose you as the winner! Please message us on Facebook with your address or leave a comment on this post-- we moderate  comments and will not publish it, of course. Thanks to all who participated -- we're looking forward to the next TCV contest coming up soon!)

Our buddy Chris at Whole Foods in Memphis gave us a box full of different kinds of new Whole Foods brand spice grinders and mixes to try out, and it's been quite entertaining to dream up a few creative ways to use them in some new recipes this week. These muffins feature the Winter Baking spice mix, which includes sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, orange zest, allspice berries, cloves, vanilla bean, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Contrary as usual, I decided to use this one in the dead of summer -- you know, why not? And wow, we loved the result -- a nice subtle, warm spiced flavor really complements this light apple muffin. We used a combination of caramelized apples, cinnamon apple sauce, and apple butter to get a complex and layered apple flavor going. (Coming up next, we're going to build a savory recipe with two other spice grinders that have us in brainstorming mode today.)


Caramelized Apple Spice Muffins

1 tablespoon olive oil margarine
2 apples (peeled; finely diced or shredded)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons apple butter
1 egg (beaten)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour (we used half all-purpose and half whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger
15 turns of the Whole Foods Winter Baking spice grinder

Crunchy Topping (optional):

1/4 cup walnuts (chopped)
15 turns of the Whole Foods Winter Baking spice grinder
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
a pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil margarine

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, melt the margarine and then add the apples. Stir to combine and then add brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir occasionally and add a tablespoon of water once or twice if pan gets too dry. Once apples are caramelized after about 15 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: oil, applesauce, apple butter, egg, and vanilla. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the apples and the crystallized ginger. Using a spring-loaded scoop, scoop a level amount of muffin mixture into pan lined with muffin cups. (Optional step before baking for a crunchy top: mix together the Crunchy Topping ingredients and spoon it on top of each muffin; finish with a 1/2-teaspoon-sized slice of margarine.) Bake for 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown. (Makes 9 muffins.)

NEW CONTEST: Want to try some of the new Whole Foods spice mixes and grinders? You're in luck! We reserved a few for one of you to try in your own kitchen: Citrus, French Soup, Bouquet Garni, and Crystal Pools, a sea salt, lavender, lovage, chamomile, lime leaf, cornflower petal, and tarragon blend. We will mail all 4 out to one winner who lives in the U.S. To be in the running, comment below about how you would use one or more of the spices mentioned in this post, and we'll select (by random number generator on Wednesday evening, 8/1/13) one winner to receive the four products! We moderate comments, so don't be alarmed if yours doesn't show up right away -- it will be posted as soon as we check in.

Vegetarian Squash Ribbon Jambalaya by Chef Ryan Trimm

We love working with Melissa Petersen, the editor and publisher of Edible Memphis. If you are not familiar with the publication, it's a wonderfully informative look at our region including the bounty of artisans, farmers, personalities, and chefs in this area. The magazine focuses on regional and seasonal food, and there is no better time to focus on what's in season than right now. 

Below is an excerpted recipe from an article we wrote called "A Great Deal of Middle Ground," which is about three well-known chefs, Ben Smith, Kelly English, and Jennifer Chandler, going meatless for 30 days. Why would they do that, and what challenges did they face? To find out, locate a copy of Edible Memphis at Whole Foods, Booksellers, or one of the many restaurants and stores that keep copies available around town. (See right side of link for list.)

From "A Great Deal of Middle Ground":

Summer in the South is all about the bounty of fresh garden vegetables. The farmers markets are full of everything from squash to peppers to eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, and so much more. If you decide to try a thirty-day vegetarian challenge, it’s a great time to cook a meal at home; Chef Ryan Trimm of Sweet Grass and Sweet Grass Next Door, who has himself followed a two-week vegetarian challenge, has just the dish for you. Jennifer Chandler had Chef Trimm’s Vegetarian Squash Ribbon Jambalaya one night when she was out to eat with friends at Sweetgrass. Trimm was kind enough to share this simple summer recipe with Edible Memphis.

Vegetarian Squash Ribbon Jambalaya by Chef Ryan Trimm

2 tablespoons canola oil or unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion (sliced into half moons)
2 medium yellow squash (thinly sliced on mandolin)
2 medium zucchini (thinly sliced on mandolin)
1 medium carrot (julienne)
1 medium red bell pepper (julienne)
1 medium green bell pepper (julienne)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 cup English peas (blanched)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Cajun Spice (like “Slap Ya Mama”)
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cups chopped parsley
3 cups cooked rice (to serve)

Heat a large pan over high heat until it starts to give off a little smoke. Add the oil, and the onion, squash, zucchini, carrot, red and green bell pepper, tomato, peas, garlic, and Cajun Spice. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables pick up some color, about 6 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with white wine and add stock.  Add parsley and reduce broth by about 1/2.  Serve in a bowl over rice. (Serves 4.)

Southern Vegetarian Cookbook Event at the Memphis Botanic Garden Farmers Market on Wed., July 24

(Update: We had a great time at the market this afternoon! If you're in Memphis and still would like to snag your own copy of our cookbook, it is available at Booksellers, Trolley Stop Market, and The Cosmic Coconut; out-of-towners, you can find it here online. Thanks so much to everyone who came to see us today -- y'all be sure to keep us posted about what you're cooking! -- Justin and Amy)

Hey, come on and stop by the Memphis Botanic Garden Farmers Market today starting at 2:00 p.m. -- we'll be signing copies of our cookbook, The Southern Vegetarian, and you can pick up all kinds of great stuff there this week! 

5 Quick Questions with Kevin West, Author of Saving the Season: A Cook's Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving

Saving the Season is the kind of cookbook that reminds us of a beautifully written novel or a stellar short story: it drops you into someone else's world for a long, dreamy while and the voice rings real and true throughout. Read it to learn how to preserve all the stuff that's coming in this summer -- the recipes are precise and will make you feel like a pro -- but in your reading, you'll also be able to understand your food and its history so much more. 

It's lucky for us that author Kevin West is going to be in Memphis this Thursday evening at Booksellers. Stop by around 6:00 and grab your copy and get it signed or stock up on a few signed copies as holiday gifts for all of the serious home cooks you know. This one is sure to become a classic, y'all. 

This week, Kevin was kind enough to answer a few of our burning questions -- and to share his cream-style corn recipe (detailed below), which we know we're going to have to try very, soon.  

1. TCV: You're back in Tennessee this week! What do you remember most, think about, or miss when you think of your time spent here?

Kevin West: I can't think of Tennessee without thinking of my grandparents' farm in Blount County: the red clay banks of their long, long gravel driveway; the view of the Great Smoky Mountains from up by the barn; throwing rocks in the pond; the prickly feel of picking okra in the early morning; the taste of sun-warmed tomatoes pulled off the vine; the silly pleasure of eating corn on the cob and picking your teeth at the table even though you know better; the smell of cedar shavings when Papa whittled. 

The farm is gone now, but the time I spent there when I was little shaped me to the core. More than any other place, that "rich spot of earth," to use Thomas Jefferson's phrase about his beloved Monticello, is where I come from. That's what I miss most.

2. TCV: What would you suggest that a beginner try to can, preserve, or pickle first?

KW: Start with whatever is coming in from local gardens and farms. At this time of the year, I'd advise folks in this part of the world to think seriously about putting up some peaches in syrup, wild blackberry jam (if it's not already too late), pickled green beans, and canned tomatoes. 

3. TCV: Please tell us a little more about the idea of preserving certain things for the occasions and meals you plan to create later on for certain people or events. I loved that part of your book -- that's pretty much what food is all about to us, too: time spent with the people we love. 

KW: One of the pleasantest aspects of canning work is that there is time for your mind to wander while your hands are busy. My mind usually wanders in the direction of what I'll be eating next, so standing in the kitchen making preserves is when I plan out future meals. For instance, I like to pickle onions every year in late spring when they are about the size of ping pong balls, and it's sort of a fun thought experiment to dream up a dish to use them in each of the 4 seasons. 

As for who gets what jar as a gift -- don't worry. Once your family and friends find out about your preserving habit, they'll let you know about their favorite jams, pickles or relishes--hint, hint.  

4. TCV: Simplest recipe (Southern-themed or otherwise) that you love and crave and make all the time and want to share?

KW: This time of the year, I cannot get enough cream-style corn. The way I make it is to cut the corn off the cob and very gently stew it with some butter until it's warmed through and bubbly. Then I stir in some caramelized shallots and a handful of basil (especially that purple opal basil) cut into a fine chiffonade. A double serving of this corn with a sliced tomato and a few grilled zucchini drizzled with olive oil makes as fine a summer meal as I could want. Even if you don't have shallots or basil, corn cooked this way is still wonderful in its unadorned state.

5. TCV: We have an abundance of tomatoes right now -- there are about 50 of them just washed and waiting on the kitchen countertop right now and more to come. What do you think we should do with them? 

KW: It depends a bit on the type of tomato. It they are the plum-type, then I'd suggest putting them up as crushed tomatoes -- the standard, old-fashioned "canned tomato" approach. if they are bigger, juicier beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, I'd turn them into a sauce and reduce the sauce a bit before canning. 

But whatever you do, be sure to set aside a few of the biggest, prettiest tomatoes for a tomato sandwich! 

(TCV: We'll take that advice for sure! Here are our simple tomato sliders, which may morph into big old lunch sandwiches tomorrow.)

Peach Salsa

There are a bunch of other things in this salsa besides peaches, but they are what really make it different and, in a good way, a little bit sweet. You could try pairing this with our King Oyster Mushroom Scallops minus the dirty fried rice for a pretty summer plate. We've also liked baked blue corn tortilla chips with this salsa or some guacamole lately because we've been on a no-fried-chips, no-fried-anything kick that may just become a permanent thing.

Peach Salsa

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 shallot (minced)
2 ears corn (kernels cut from cob)
1 pinch ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons mezcal or tequila
2 medium peaches
2 teaspoons cane sugar
juice from one lime
1 tomato (diced)
1 avocado (diced)
1/4 cup queso fresco (diced)
fresh cilantro (chopped; optional)
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

In a medium skillet over medium heat addd the olive oil and shallot and cook until almost translucent. Add corn and stir; cook for 5 more minutes and stir occasionally. Add ancho chile powder, salt, and pepper to taste, and deglaze the pan with mezcal or tequila. Set aside. Combine peaches, sugar, and lime juice. Set aside. Add diced tomatoes, avocado, and queso fresco to a bowl along with fresh cilantro, if using. Combine it with peach mixture and corn mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with chips.

Saving the Season by Kevin West: Author at Booksellers in Memphis on Thurs., July 25!

We LOVE this book! Grab your copy at Booksellers and go see the author at this event 

coming up next week. 

Cedar Plank Wild Mushrooms + Mustard Vinaigrette

Vegetarians, go ahead and claim some cedar plank space on the grill this summer! Using a few different kinds of wild mushrooms works out really well with this method -- and as a bonus, it will fill the air with the amazing smell of cedar smoke. This struck us as the type of main vegetarian dish that could compete with the usual old proteins in terms of heartiness and flavor, and it would be a super-convincing Meatless Monday idea for anyone who may be reluctant to try something different. Really, who could resist having what looks like a still life of a mini-forest floor for dinner?

We found a couple of big cedar planks at Whole Foods for $8 and also spotted 4 smaller ones for the same price if you wanted to serve this dish as a small appetizer. Oh, and of course we're not at all tired of grilled peaches yet but did find that halving them, drizzling them with olive oil, and putting them on cedar planks, too, was a nice change for dessert.

Cedar Plank Wild Mushrooms + Mustard Vinaigrette

1 16-inch cedar plank (or 2 8-inch)
4 to 5 new potatoes (quartered)
3 to 4 cups of assorted wild mushrooms like chanterelle, hen of the woods, and large morel
1 onion (peeled and cut into half-moons)
Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 to 3 ounces soft goat cheese
fresh dill, parsley, and chives (to garnish)

Soak cedar plank in water for at least one hour. Blanch potatoes in salted water until fork tender but not falling apart. 

Preheat your outdoor grill to medium. The temperature gage should be between 350 and 425 degrees.

In a large bowl toss clean mushrooms and sliced onions with the Mustard Vinaigrette. Place the empty cedar plank down onto the grill for 4 minutes to heat one side. Remove plank from the grill and arrange the potatoes on the warmed, marked side of the plank. Top potatoes with onion slices and mushrooms. Return plank to the grill, shut the lid, and allow it to cook for 10 minutes. Next, place chunks of goat cheese around the plank and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with dill, parsley, and chives. (This is a perfect dish for sharing; serves 2.)

Mustard Vinaigrette

This is a great all-purpose mustard dressing. Use it on salads or brush it on vegetables before they hit the grill.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon grainy mustard (like Zatarain's)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

Place olive oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper into a 1/2-pint mason jar, screw on the lid, and shake it until dressing is emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.

Vegetarian Paella on the Grill

We have been all about family-style meals lately. We understand that they are, in a way, challenging, in that they're a little different from the norm. You sit down to a meal and there is one big plate of food for each dish. You patiently wait for your turn, and you closely eyeball your tablemates as they scoop a portion onto their plates. It involves a different way of thinking, it's truly sharing a meal, and we love it. The whole idea echoes the sentiment of community, fosters new conversations...and encourages clean plates.

We are so lucky to have so many opportunities to share meals with friends and family this week. In the past 24 hours, we have had a meal of grilled fig salad, truffled corn and shiitake mushrooms with ricotta dumplings, and this summer's omnipresent homemade ice cream sandwiches with people we have known since before we had driver's licenses, shared a giant paella with some of our most trusted friends, and we've squirted pickle relish and yellow mustard on a few veggie dogs and enjoyed some really delicious elote salad at some of our oldest friends' new house in North Mississippi. It's days like this that let us know just how truly blessed we are.

In the flurry of cooking, eating, and celebrating, there was no time to write down a recipe, but we'd like to share the process of making a paella. It's an inexact science that changes with the mood and shifts with the winds. Like a great meal, the cooking of a paella is best when it's shared. So when Michael and Kelly came over for 4th of July lunch, we decided that we would all bring something to throw into the pan. We called it paella by committee.


Michael and Kelly brought risotto rice, green olives, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, spanish paprika, saffron, kale, green onions, and the large paella pan that was a gift from us for his birthday. Luckily, he also brought the knowledge of how to make a proper paella. We supplied the roasted red peppers, yellow peppers, onions, garlic, tomato paste, white wine, vegetable broth, olive oil, sherry vinegar, fresh herbs from the garden, tomatoes, eggs, and shallots.

First you need to make a sofrito by blending together a tomato, parsley, yellow pepper. paprika, onion, tomato paste, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic in the food processor until liquidly. Warm the saffron in a quart of stock and a 1/2 cup of wine. Place the paella pan over medium-high heat on your outdoor grill and add a 1/4 cup of olive oil and 4 to 5 good handfuls of rice. Toast until rice is golden brown. Add a few good handfuls of chopped kale and then the sofrito. Cook over medium-high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, add a cup of stock, and continue to cook. The rice will need 4 to 5 additions of stock before it softens. Make indentions in the rice, crack the raw eggs in, and cook until eggs have set. Top with grilled or sautéed green onions, green olives, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, and roasted red peppers. Finish with chopped tomato, fresh herbs, shallots, and a sprinkling of sherry vinegar.

The truth is that there is no really wrong way to make paella. It's the kind of thing that should be made out of what is on hand and shared with those you love.

Portobello Pastrami + Microwave Sauerkraut & Horseradish Mustard

Chef Jimmy Gentry of Paradox Catering & Consulting sent us a great recipe for Tofu Pastrami Microwave Sauerkraut and Horseradish Mustard that he'd been making for his vegetarian and vegan clients. It looked delicious, so it got us to thinking; if you can pastrami meat and tofu, what else can you pastrami?

Portobello mushrooms immediately came to mind. Their meaty flavor and firm texture make them a shoo-in for this role. We used Chef Gentry's pastrami cure, sauerkraut, and mustard to create one great-tasting pastrami sandwich from portobello mushrooms -- you could surely do the same with tofu or anything else for that matter.

This version is vegan, but if you'd like a little cheese, go ahead and add a few slices of swiss, and while you're at it, a smear of good olive-oil mayo. This is a recipe we bet you'll make again and agin.

Portobello Pastrami

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 to 4 medium portobello mushroom caps
6 to 8 slices marble rye (toasted)
Microwave Sauerkraut (recipe follows)
Horseradish Mustard (recipe follows)

Make the pastrami cure in a medium  bowl by mixing the pepper, coriander, paprika, salt, and garlic together. Drizzle the olive oil over the mushroom caps so that they're evenly covered. This will allow the cure to stick to the mushrooms. Liberally coat each mushroom with the cure on both sides and place in a covered container in the fridge for at least two hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat your outdoor grill to high. Grill mushrooms gill-side-down for 4 minutes, flip, and grill the smooth side for 4 minutes or until nicely marked and the mushroom is soft and pliable. Depending on the thickness of the mushroom, this could take longer. Place mushrooms back in the covered container and back in the fridge to cool.

Slice thin strips on the bias or diagonally to create larger "cold cuts" from the mushroom. Serve on marbled rye with Microwave Sauerkraut and Horseradish Mustard and pickles. (Makes 3 to 4 sandwiches -- depending on how high you stack 'em.)

Microwave Sauerkraut

This is the fastest way to make great-tasting sauerkraut this side of opening a jar lid. Fermenting a big batch on your kitchen counter can take weeks; this takes 4 minutes.

1 medium head purple cabbage (cored, thinly sliced)
1 medium white onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/8 teaspoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

In a large microwave safe bowl, mix the cabbage, onion, vinegar, caraway, sugar, and salt until well incorporated. Cover and microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes. Let it sit, still covered, until it's cool to the touch and most of the brine has been absorbed. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Horseradish Mustard

3 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons lager or porter beer

In a small bowl mix the mustard, horseradish, and beer. Set aside until ready to use.

Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake

This idea came from various daydreams about how to make everything we like to eat during the rest of the year summer-ready. Now, banana pudding, whether it's a childhood classic or a crazy modernization, is good all the time, no question about that. But, oh my goodness, it is all of a sudden verging on painfully hot here in Memphis. And a little cold dessert just helps make that okay. 

The trick is to make your own banana ice cream first and then whip some cream; everything else is simple layering and freezing ahead of time. (Oh, this is our very first ice cream cake! We made it for Fox's baptism lunch. After the ecstatic reaction it got, we'll surely dream up another kind in the same vein soon. Like with chocolate...)

Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake 

3 bananas (mashed well)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cane sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla bean (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 bananas (thinly sliced in rounds)
Vanilla wafers (crushed; about 1 cup)
Easy Whipped Cream (for topping; recipe follows)

Whisk together 3 mashed bananas, milk, cream, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pour into ice cream maker and while it spins, slice 2 bananas and crush vanilla wafers. Line a square pan with 2 layers of parchment paper -- it should overlap to make 'handles' that will pull out the cake once it's frozen. Start layering ingredients: crushed wafers, then bananas, and then spoon half of the ice cream on top. (It's fine, and actually works better, if it's a little melty because you're going to freeze the whole thing anyway.) Repeat layers and then finish with more wafer crumbs on top. Freeze for about four hours or overnight. When you're ready to serve, pick up paper 'handles' and flip cake onto a flat surface like a cutting board. Spread the whipped cream on top. Freeze it again for about 10 minutes and then, with a good sharp knife, cut it into squares to serve. (Serves 16 with small pieces or 8 with generous slices.)

Easy Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla bean (optional)
pinch of sea salt 

In a large bowl whisk cream vigorously until slightly stiff. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine.  Set whipped cream aside in the refrigerator until ready to top cake and serve. 

(Lighter) Cherry Cheesecake with a Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust and Lemon-Honey Topping

When we went to Nashville for some fun Southern Vegetarian cookbook stuff a couple of weeks ago -- oh my goodness, will we ever be quiet about it? probably not for a while yet! -- we caught up with our friends Lilly and Jason. Of course, as a break from all the craziness and running around, we all decided to cook dinner together Friday night at their house. We are rarely too tired to cook! Lilly made an amazing sour cream blackberry pie for us, and it was so good that we took it as inspiration for this cheesecake.

Now, traditional cheesecake can be a bit...heavy. As a vegetarian, it's hard to justify choosing it at times since we (some of us? me in particular?) eat a little cheese on everything, and generally, we've already had our cheese allotment before it's even dessert time. So, here's a lighter cheesecake that's trying its best to lean in the right direction. Fresh cherries in the cheesecake and pistachios in the crust add some wholeness to this, and the Lemon Yogurt Topping may just be your new summer sub for whipped cream.

(Lighter) Cherry Cheesecake

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
8 ounces neufchatel cheese
3/4 cup cane sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs (beaten)
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 1/2 cups cherries (pitted)

Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust (recipe follows)
Lemon-Honey Topping (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In your stand mixer, combine ricotta and neufchatel well, for about 3 minutes. Add sugar, vanilla, and eggs and mix. Add flour and salt and mix. Stir in lemon juice. Pour half of filling into crust. Add a layer of cherries. Add the remainder of the filling on top. Bake for an hour and a half. Set it on the counter to cool and then refrigerate it a few hours or overnight before cutting it. Serve with Lemon-Honey Topping.

Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust

1 sleeve graham crackers (9 crackers)
1/3 cup salted, roasted pistachios
2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 cup melted olive oil margarine

Combine crackers, pistachios, sugar in food processor. Mix until it's in crumbs. Add margarine and pulse. Butter a springform pan. Press crust firmly into the bottom of the pan.

Lemon-Honey Topping

(Better for you than good old whipped cream, this adds a nice citrusy kick to the finished cheesecake.)

1 cup Greek yogurt
fine zest and juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt

In a medium bowl, whisk yogurt, lemon zest and juice, honey, vanilla, and salt and add to the top of chilled cheesecake.

Grilled Figs and Lemon with Gorgonzola and Honey

We planted two figs trees a few years ago and hoped that they would do something. Anything would be fine -- maybe we'd get a few fresh figs out of them one day? What a novelty! We thought that would be great.

Really didn't expect what actually happened this year. The first figs (!) grew to the size of small apples. It's sort of shocking. Maybe it's the blessed mild weather we're having here in Memphis this May and June. Maybe one very productive tree, at 9 feet tall now, is ready to show us what it's got.

We remembered a similar idea from our good friend Jennifer Chandler's Simply Grilling (a cookbook you really need to have on hand this time of year). She uses hazelnuts, vanilla, and mascarpone in hers for a great dessert. Highly recommended, y'all. For ours, we just grabbed what was in the fridge this week and it came together as an app. It's simple to make the same day you buy your first carton of black mission figs this summer. We're so ready to eat summer figs until we're completely and utterly sick of them, aren't you?

Grilled Figs and Lemon with Gorgonzola and Honey

4 large or 8 medium figs (halved)
1 lemon (quartered)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon local honey
2 ounces gorgonzola or blue cheese
sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)

Preheat your grill to high heat. Toss figs and lemons in olive oil until coated. Grill for about 3 minutes per side or until well marked. Place figs and lemons on a plate, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with crumbled gorgonzola, and garnish with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemons onto the figs and serve. (Serves 2.)

VeriTABLE Dinner, 6.15.13

We were so happy to be asked to cook a special dinner this Saturday night for Memphis friends we've known for quite a while. We think of them like family, and so we chose to serve the meal in a way that reflects that sentiment. We also chose the name VeriTABLE for it because it reflected our vision for the evening: a meal that is true and real. It was a beautiful June evening spent in a heavenly backyard, and we wanted to share it with you.

When we cook at home for the people we love, it's simple. It's not about wowing folks to elicit a certain reaction, but we still want to get the best flavors across while using tried-and-true techniques. It's about just being together, relaxing and talking, and sharing a meal, all the while enjoying people's company just as much as you enjoy the thoughtful, well-prepared food. We love the ease of food served family-style lately and the idea of sharing an experience in that way. It's almost officially summer, and here's to many more relaxed outdoor meals for all of us with the people we love.

The reasons why we cook are varied depending on the day or the occasion, but when it comes down to it, the main things are clear: we want to celebrate occasions big and small every single day, to create  moments of connection, and to nourish people to show them how much we care about them. We are lucky enough to cook for people who are open, willing, and grateful, and we are so thankful for them.

We are also grateful for our wonderful hosts, Margot Mc Neely and Gary Backus. They invited us into their beautiful home, set up tables, and had the yard sprayed with cedar oil -- which smells amazing, by the way -- to keep the mosquitos at bay. They worked hard to make sure everyone had a fun time. We are happy to know them.

Happy Father's Day to all of you. We hope you will be sitting down to a a great meal with your people today. As usual, that's our plan for sure.

Antipasto:

Italian Eggplant Sausage with Fennel Pollen, Pine Nut Pureé, Pickled Blackberries, and Grilled Vegetables

Salad Course:

Kale and White Bean with Porcini Mushroom

Smoked Cauliflower with Tomato and Gremolata

Flatbreads:

Truffle Potato and Goat Cheese

Foraged Chanterelles and Corn with Provolone

Dessert:

Peaches and Tarragon Ice Cream Sandwiches

TCV at Cheffie's Café: Friday, June 14

Hey! Cheffie's Café in Memphis will be serving vegan Smoked Coconut Bacon and Avocado BLT sandwiches and  Lemon Zest and Thyme Pimento Cheese sandwiches from our Southern Vegetarian cookbook.

Come have lunch and hang out with us this Friday! We'll start at 11:30 and wrap it up around 1:00. There will be copies of the book available for sale as well, so stop by and have your book signed, y'all.

There's a prize, too: Cheffie's will be giving away a $20 gift certificate to one lucky lunch-goer in attendance. (Update: Congratulations to Ann Marie T.! Your Cheffie's gift certificate will be on its way to you this week.)

Seared Mushroom Tacos + Two Salsas

Sweltering weather, Mexican food, the backyard -- now that's the perfect summer dinner. Making the mushroom filling for these little tacos is simple, and if you have time, the Smoky Tomato Salsa and Charred Corn and Avocado Salsa are killer. If you don't have time to make the accompaniments from scratch, just get 'em at the store, and then this dinner will come together in a matter of minutes.

Mushrooms are a great taco filling, and the dried spices are typically things everyone has on hand. If you don't have ancho chili powder in your spice drawer, use whatever chili powder you have. The high heat is key here. It keeps the mushrooms from becoming mushy, and it imparts a great smoky flavor to the whole dish. 

Seared Mushroom Tacos + Two Salsas


Charred Corn and Avocado Salsa (served in the avocado skin)

Simple Smoky Salsa (or your favorite prepared brand)

4 cups quartered mushrooms (white button or baby bella)
1 medium onion (sliced, about 1 cup)
1 medium pobalano pepper (diced, about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon granulated  garlic
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Kosher salt to taste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
about a dozen corn tortillas
1 can refried black beans (or vegetarian refried beans)
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt or sour cream

First make the Charred Avocado Salsa and the Simple Smoky Salsa according to the recipes.

In a large bowl, mix the mushrooms, onion, pepper, chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, and vinegar. Toss to coat. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the canola oil and the mushroom mixture. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes undisturbed, toss, and contine to cook until mushrooms are browned and heated through. Set aside. 

Heat the tortillas  one at a time over an open flame and stack them until ready to assemble the tacos. Place 2 corn tortillas on a plate followed by a generous helping of refried black beans, the mushroom mixture, a sprinkling of cotija cheese, Greek yogurt, and Simple Smoky Salsa. Serve alongside Charred Avocado Salsa. 

As you eat the extras will fall into the second corn tortilla shell. You'll never have to pick up a fork. 
(Makes 6 tacos. Serves 3 to 4 people.)

Anjali's Red Bean Pudding (from Stir It Up! by Ramin Ganeshram)

A novel with recipes included = a super-fun read. There are so many great things to make in Stir It Up! by Ramin Ganeshram -- click here for details and purchasing info.-- but this pudding especially intrigued me; I've tried red bean ice cream at Sekisui Pacific Rim here in Memphis before and loved it but never had a pudding with kidney beans. What a cool thing to have in a dessert!

In the novel, narrator Anjali's family is from Trinidad but now lives in Richmond Hill, Queens. She cooks in her family's roti shop in  but also has dreams of sharing the food she thinks up herself with the world. She makes this pudding with her grandmother's help in a bittersweet scene that shows why we cook -- and how the results may not always get the reaction we expect.

Anjali's Red Bean Pudding

1 3-inch piece cassava (yucca), peeled
1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans
1 cup water
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon mixed essence or vanilla
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
whipped cream, cinnamon (for garnish; optional)

Place the cassava in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. When the cassava is fork tender, drain it and set aside to cool. Rinse the kidney beans in a colander and place in a large saucepan with 1 cup water and sugar and bring to a simmer. Once the cassava is cool, cut it in half and remove the woody center. Chop into small pieces and add to the bean mixture. Allow the beans to simmer until the liquid is reduced by three-quarters. Pour the mixture into a food processor and puree until smooth. Return the bean mixture to the pan and add the coconut milk, mixed essence or vanilla, and nutmeg. Stir well and continue to cook over low heat until thickened further, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and place in a heatproof bowl to cool. Chill in the refrigerator. Serve in bowls with whipped cream and cinnamon for garnish.

Buttermilk Oatmeal with Butter-Poached Peaches and Sorghum

We love oatmeal -- really! It's the basis for many of our dishes, both savory, like the Chipotle Sweet Potato Burger, and sweet, like the topping on our Triple-Ginger Apple Crisp. Needless to say, we think it's great, but not everyone feels that way about the humble oat. I can totally understand that, especially if all you've ever experienced of it is a dull bowl of mush for a melancholy/nutritious breakfast.

Oats, just like grits or quinoa, need a little something to wake up their flavor. That's usually something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar. Here we used the gentle acidity of buttermilk to perk up this breakfast dish. We topped the whole thing off with a few butter-poached peaches, which are just now coming into season in the South.

When we serve this, there is very little talking, which is always a good sign. We only hear the occasional this-is-the-best-oatmeal-I've-ever-had comment float quietly across the tabletop.

Buttermilk Oatmeal with Butter-Poached Peaches and Sorgum

2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 cup rolled oats
1 heaping tablespoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 ripe peaches (pitted, peeled)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sorghum syrup (or maple syrup)

In a medium pot over medium heat, warm the buttermilk and stir in the oats. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir. Cover, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook for 10 minutes; stir it occasionally to prevent sticking.

Next, cut peaches into bite-sized wedges. In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, and just as it starts to brown, add the peaches. Allow them to cook for 3 minutes to lightly color on one side before turning them. Cook another 3 minutes and remove from heat. Divide oatmeal and peaches between 2 bowls and garnish with sorghum. (Serves 2.)

Vegetarian Recipes for Memorial Day

Everyone should eat together -- that's what cooking and sharing a meal is all about. So, here are our suggestions for a few fun things to grill or chill for your celebration this Memorial Day. Have a great Monday, y'all!

1. Italian-Style Eggplant Sausages: These are so simple, and they pretty much beat any store-bought brand.

2. Grilled Watermelon and Tomato Salad: It's pretty, and it's always a hit whenever we serve it.

3. Grilled Artichokes with Tarragon Butter: Say yes to this dish. It's a smoky, herb-infused update to a classic.

4. Smoky Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas: Everyone will love these, even the kids!

5. BBQ Portobello Sandwich: You have to have some BBQ on Memorial Day, so you might as well do it your way.

6. Blueberry Cream Snow Cones: Something cold like this from scratch takes a little planning ahead, but oh, these sure are worth it. 

7. Grilled Peach Ice Cream: My grandfather's summer tradition. 

8. Blackberry-Apple Hand Pies: Small, cute, portable: you really can sub in any fruit you have on hand for these. 

  

Herb-Stuffed Morel Mushrooms over Mashed Sweet Potatoes

If you ever see us doing a crazy little dance in the aisle at the grocery store, it's likely we've just spotted one of our very favorite ingredients: fresh morel mushrooms. These weird-looking specimens are covered in gills on the outside, and inside, they're hollow, which makes them perfect for stuffing. The earthy flavor and meaty texture is unmatched by anything else we've ever tasted. They are stunningly delicious!

Here, we made a simple stuffing from garden herbs and tangy goat cheese and served them over sweet potatoes. We think this combination is surprising and new, something entree-worthy for sure. 

Herb-Stuffed Morel Mushrooms over Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (recipe follows)
1/4 cup crumbled soft goat cheese
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, thyme, and sage)
1 large egg (beaten)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
6 to 8 medium morel mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
about 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1 cup arugula
1 small shallot (thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar

Prepare Mashed Sweet Potatoes according to the recipe. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, bread crumbs, herbs, egg, salt, and pepper until well incorporated. Set aside. Wash* and trim woody ends off morels. Using a paring knife, cut a slit up one side of the mushroom. Carefully open the mushroom and spoon in as much of the filling as will fit. Close the mushroom back together, set aside, and repeat until all mushrooms are stuffed. 

In a small frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes per side, add the broth, and cover. Remove from heat. 

In a small bowl, toss the arugula, shallot, olive oil, and vinegar together. Place a mound of sweet potatoes on a plate and top with 3 to 4 morels. Add a few spoonfuls of the pan juices to the top, garnish with the arugula salad, and salt and pepper to taste. (Serves 2.)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato (peeled, cubed)
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

Place potatoes, water, sugar, butter, salt and pepper into a covered, microwave-save dish; microwave on high for 5 minutes. Allow dish to rest, covered, for five more minutes. Mash using a potato masher. Set aside until ready to plate.

*To wash morels: Fill a large bowl with water and swish the mushrooms around in the bowl to dislodge any dirt. Change water 2 to 3 times. Lay mushrooms out on a clean dish towel to dry.

Win 2 Tickets to All Things Southern at the Memphis Botanic Garden!

Ah, summer in the South. It feels like it's pretty much here already with Memorial Day weekend upon us and a little warmth in the air. This means it's time to look forward to some familiar and beloved rituals: making just-picked tomato sandwiches, sitting outside in the backyard all night, having buckets of fresh produce to use up, watching fireworks with the family, grilling anything and everything, biking just for a breeze, eating that first perfect peach and first slice of good watermelon, sometimes stealing a nap in the late afternoon because it's way too hot to do much else until evening comes...we love it all.

We're SO ready to celebrate summer with y'all, so Memphis-area folks, get ready! We have another event for our Southern Vegetarian cookbook coming up next week in conjunction with the Memphis Botanic Garden. See below for your chance to win 2 free tickets ($70 value; age 21 & up) to All Things Southern at the Memphis Botanic Garden this Tuesday, May 28, at 6 to 8 p.m -- and the winner will also snag a copy of our cookbook! We would love to see everyone there next week; it's sure to be a great summer kickoff.

To enter, comment below and tell us your favorite thing about summertime in the South. (We moderate comments as we receive them, so don't worry if it takes a little while for yours to appear.) We'll choose the winner of the 2 tix and book by random number generator on Memorial Day at 10 a.m. CST and post the results here and on Facebook. Your tickets will be held for you at will call the day of the event. Good luck! 

Chickpea Energy Salad

This is a re-set salad. No matter how you've been eating the rest of the day, it'll get you right back on track and give you a burst of afternoon energy so that you can get all your stuff done. We sometimes eat plain chickpeas, just rinse 'em and go, but this makes it all a bit more civilized. And we've found from experience that go-to quick recipes like this keep us from seeking out chips, ice cream, chocolate, or cookies when we're ravenous and weak at 4 o'clock. This is a good alternative to those pesky habit-forming treats.

The cool thing about this simple-to-make recipe is that you probably have all of the ingredients in your cupboard, and once you whip it up in your favorite mixing bowl, you can have it on some couscous or in a wrap with sliced cucumbers or on top of a bed of lettuce...or you could just eat it straight out of the bowl.

Chickpea Energy Salad

1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 small minced clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon honey
1 can no-salt-added chickpeas (rinsed)
1 shallot (minced, rinsed running in water; about 1 tablespoon)
1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
2 tablespoon minced curly parsley
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, and honey. Add chickpeas, shallot, tomatoes, and parsley. Season to taste using sea salt and cracked black pepper. (Makes 2 servings.)

Pupusas with Pickled Loroco Flower

David, the awesome guy who did the brick work on our pizza oven, is from El Salvador. During the hours it took to lay out and build that oven, we got to know each other by talking about all sorts of things, but I had lots of questions about El Salvadorian food. I asked him one of my favorite questions I have likely asked you if I've had the pleasure of knowing you: "So, it's a typical weekday, not a special occasion, and if you're going to eat a home-cooked meal for dinner, what are you making?" "Pupusas with loroco flowers!" he told me. Honestly I didn't know what either of those things were, so he had a lot of explaining to do. 

He explained that pupusas are like rustic, thick tortillas stuffed with all manner of things, and loroco flowers are flower buds served fresh or pickled -- a regional delicacy in El Salvador. So I set out to find loroco flowers, and lo and behold. they had them at the local supermarket for about $3. I bought them, took them home, and cracked open the giant jar. It's always exciting to try a new food for the first time. They are briny from the pickling, lightly bitter, and have the texture of snow peas...I like 'em! You should give them a try, too.

Pupusas with Pickled Loroco Flower

1 cup masa (for tortillas)
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup pickled loroco flowers
1 cup shredded chihuahua cheese (or mozzarella)
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ancho chili
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (more to garnish)
canola oil for pan frying
limes, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, salsa (to garnish) 

In a medium bowl, add the masa, shortening, and broth then mix together to form a slightly stiff yet pliable dough. Add a teaspoon or two of water or broth if mixture is too dry. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. In a separate medium bowl, add the loroco flowers, cheese, garlic, cumin, chili, and hot sauce and then toss so that all ingredients are well incorporated. 

Divide the dough into eight equal segments and roll each into a ball. Place one of the dough balls into the palm of your hand, smash it flat with your other palm, add 1/4 of the cheese mixture to the center, add a second flattened dough ball on top of that, and work it into a patty about the size of a typical hamburger while pinching the sides together to seal. Repeat.

in a large pan over medium heat, add enough canola oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Pan fry each patty for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until nicely colored. Serve hot garnished however you please; options are listed above in ingredients list. (Makes 4 pupusas; serves 2.)

BOOK RELEASE PARTY!

Orzo with Tomato Jam and Arugula

This pasta bowl uses up last season's tomato jam that's been hidden away in the freezer and some of the tall oregano that's currently busy taking over the front flowerbed. If you blanch and freeze a container of fresh arugula ahead of time and store it in the freezer right by the jam, you can put this together pretty quickly whenever you're ready. It's a really comforting lunch or weeknight dinner and could be a nice as a cold pasta salad as well.

Orzo with Tomato Jam and Arugula

1 1/2 cups dried orzo (cooked according to package's directions)
1 package arugula (blanched and chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion (diced; about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons tomato jam
splash of white wine
smoked sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
fresh oregano (finely chopped)

Set aside prepared orzo and arugula. Heat oil in skillet and then add onion and garlic. Let that mixture brown and stir it occasionally. Add tomato paste caramelize it with the onions. Add jam and mix. Deglaze the pan with wine and push a spatula or wooden spoon around to scrape the skillet clean. Add arugula and orzo and mix. Serve in bowls with salt, pepper. pine nuts, and oregano sprinkled on top.

Spring Vegetable Frittata

This is a great thing to make when you really have no idea what to make. And leeks, Vidalia onions, garlic, fresh green peas, and eggs are an ideal combination -- especially when they're the only inspiring things you find in your fridge on a weeknight (well, besides lemon wedges, wonton wrappers, one stem of romaine, and a jar of cooked pears you completely forgot you'd made). Love it when desperation leads us to a quick recipe that's going to be a keeper! We had it for dinner, but it also might work well for a spring Sunday brunch.

Spring Vegetable Frittata

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 cup Vidalia onion (minced)
1 cup leeks (chopped)

2/3 cup fresh green peas

2 tablespoons white wine

2 heels wheat bread (cubed and toasted)

6 large eggs (beaten)
2/3 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup soft goat cheese (crumbled)
smoked sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

fresh thyme (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Sauté garlic and onion for about 5 minutes; add leeks and peas and stir often. Deglaze pan with white wine. Set aside. Combine bread, eggs, and goat cheese. Add leek mixture, salt, and pepper and stir until everything is coated. Melt butter in a shallow pan and coat it. Pour in egg mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until eggs are cooked and top of frittata is lightly browned. (Serves 4 to 6.)

Bagna Cauda Smashed Chickpea Dip and the Vegan Un-Cheese Plate

At the start of any get-together, we typically put out a bunch of cheese and bread and olives so everyone has something to munch on while hanging out in the kitchen as we cook. Last night, the first time we used the wood-fired oven to cook pizzas -- more on that soon! -- the dilemma facing us was what to serve as an appetizer if cheese was going to be melted all over the main dish. Pizza's a tough dinner to round out -- you don't want the appetizer or the dessert to be too similar to it and get everyone all cheesed- and breaded-out.

So we grilled up some thin slices or eggplant and zucchini and roasted a few red peppers like they do at Bari here in Memphis. To stand in for the cheese, we made smashed chickpeas that were flavored with minced garlic, rosemary, and capers, much like the classic Italian bagna cauda, but the capers subbed in for the anchovies. It was really good! We can imagine using these same ingredients to make a killer vegan panini.

Bagna Cauda Smashed Chickpea Dip

3 to 4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon capers
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
11/2-inch section of fresh rosemary (stem removed, minced)
1/3 cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
1/2 teaspoon of champagne vinegar
1/8 red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to tase
1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

Mince the garlic and the capers together. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and add the minced garlic and the capers. Cook until fragrant, but do not let the garlic burn. Add the rosemary and then the wine and vinegar. Add the red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook until wine is reduced by half. Add the chickpeas and smash using a potato masher. If it's too thick, add water to thin it slightly so that it's spreadable. Place into a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining olive oil. Serve alongside grilled vegetables, sliced chibatta, and olives. (Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer.)