A veggie dish that deserves to be the star of the show
Plus a few things I cooked and loved in August
Not to be that person but… I can’t believe it’s already September? The moment I saw September 1st show up on my calendar (also known as my phone), I immediately felt that melancholy mix of excitement and dread that comes with fall – new season, back-to-school, winter is coming, etc., etc. But, despite that, it’s still summer, at least for another 21 days. And for the next three weeks, I will be making the most of this fleeting, gone-in-the-blink-of-an-eye season by consuming tomatoes, nectarines, cherries, zucchinis, corn, and every other piece of perfect summer produce with abandon.
Can you believe I have not cut into a juicy cantaloupe yet, and wrapped each wedge in paper-thin slices of salty prosciutty? Can you believe I have not yet carefully layered heirloom tomatoes on a crust to make a savory galette? I actually just – just! – made my first stone fruit crisp of the season last weekend! Last. WEEKEND!! (Pictured above for your viewing pleasure.) But that one was worth the wait, just as I know every other late-season recipe I make and morsel I eat will be divine in that way that only something so momentary can be.
In the spirit of making the most of the next three weeks, today I’m listing out a few of my favorite things I’ve made this summer, as well as some of my old tried-and-trues that I plan to come back to before September 23rd.
Carrots Over Herby Rice with Garlic Labneh
While carrots aren’t necessarily a summer veggie, they’re a year-round staple in my kitchen. Plus, summer calls for lighter fare, and this is a veggie-forward dish that fits that bill. I posted this on my Instagram a couple weeks ago, but it’s too good to not share here, as well. Everyone who has eaten this so far falls in love. I hope you do, too.
1 cup of basmati rice, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth (or sub veggie broth)
5 large carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
1.5 cups parsley and dill, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves
1 cup labneh
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup pepitas
1/2 tbs Aleppo pepper for garnish
Combine rice and broth (If your broth is unsalted, you’ll want to add salt here, too) and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover, and cook for 20 min. Leave covered for another 10 minutes (or until ready to use).
Meanwhile, heat oven to 420 degrees. Toss carrots and shallots with 2 tbs olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, mixing once, or until shallots are caramelized and carrots are starting to brown. Shallots may cook faster than the carrots, so keep an eye on them!
In a mortar and pestle, pound garlic cloves with salt until it forms a paste. Add labneh and stir to combine.
When rice is ready, fluff with a fork and add most of the chopped herbs, reserving a few tablespoons for garnish, as well as the 2 tbs of butter and the caramelized shallots. Add salt if needed. Spoon rice onto a serving platter, top with roasted carrots, garlic labneh, reserved herbs, pipits, and Aleppo pepper. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
More Summer Goodness
The aforementioned crisp I made last weekend is from Alexis deBoschnek’s cookbook To The Last Bite. I used nectarines and added some almond extract, and the combination of sweet nectarines, almonds, and buttery crisp topping was everything and more. Alexis’s recipe for tomato galette, which is also featured in her cookbook, is my go-to. Other things I’m planning to make? The crispy rice salad and shrimp with Thousand Island dressing. Yum, yum, yum.
My BBQ chicken ranch pasta salad is a good one to take to a barbecue, should your Labor Day weekend plans include one. It’s my take on Cheesecake Factory’s BBQ chicken ranch salad, but with pasta because, well, pasta. My mom’s potato salad is also a sleeper hit – the black olives just take it to another level!
Cherries are one of my favorite summer fruits, and I will gladly shell out insane amounts of money for glorious, sweet, delicious red cherries. This feta and cherry appetizer with za’atar is a cinch to throw together. The combination of sweet cherries, salty feta, and savory za’atar is unexpected but works amazingly – trust me.
Speaking of cherries, I have been on a serious sweet cherry Italian margarita kick for the past few weekends. I first saw these babies on Cheese Gal’s Instagram, then Bevs by Beverly posted her recipe. My version includes extra amaretto and no agave. These are dangerously good and almost too easy to drink, so proceed with caution.
5 cherries, pitted and sliced
1 ounce lime juice
2.5 ounces tequila (we’ve been using blanco but I think a reposado would be incredible here)
1.5 ounces amaretto
Sugar for the rim
Add the cherries and lime juice to a shaker and muddle together. Pour in the amaretto and tequila, lots of ice, and shake till your shaker’s too cold to hold. Dip the rim of your glass in lime juice and sugar, and then fill with ice. Pour the margarita over the ice and enjoy!
Other things on my to-cook list: stuffed and fried zucchini flowers, Alison Roman’s spicy vinegar chicken over tomatoes, pan con tomate, a BLT, Zena’s Kitchen’s gyro-style chicken flatbreads, A Cozy Kithcen’s summer squash queso fundido, Chloe Cooks’ tomato martini, and Wishbone Kitchen’s tomato risotto from her newsletter this week.
Recent Items I Have Been Loving
I’m currently reading French Country Cooking, Mimi Thorisson’s second cookbook (yes, I read cookbooks like novels sometimes). I love the way she writes about cooking, eating, and enjoying a meal, and the photography in all her cookbooks (shot by her husband) is so transportive. (She just released a collection of tableware with Anthropologie, and I’m obsessed.)
I’m also making my way through Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat and honestly, this is a must for any at-home cook in any part of their cooking journey. She breaks down how to make food taste good in a way that is just so easy to understand. My food is already benefitting. Don’t be intimidated by the size of the book – I didn’t open my copy for so, so long because it looks like a textbook, but the “learning” portion is actually just the first one-third-ish of the book. The rest is recipes (which I can’t wait to get to and cook through).
I don’t know how I’ve been living without these enamelware mixing bowls that I just ordered from Amazon. They are HUGE (four quarts!), so perfect for mixing up salads, marinating meat, or literally anything you need a big old bowl for. And they’re so pretty to look at! And I love the fact that they’re metal, because I am not precious with the kitchen tools I use on a regular basis. And two for $32 can’t be beat.
I also just ordered this set of Nick & Nora cocktail glasses. There’s just something so chic about the shape? I always feel extra glamorous when I’m sipping a martini out of a Nick & Nora glass, but the ones I’ve had my eye on in the past were a lil too pricy. These look and feel a lot more expensive than they are – just over $30 for 4.
Not food-related, but it’s Labor Day Weekend and I love a good sale. I did a little denim shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch since everything is 15% off and their curve love jeans are some of the only ones that fit me nicely. I bought these, these, and these, plus this simple tube top I think will be good for layering. I also picked up a pair of denim shorts and this tiered white miniskirt at Gap, both of which I think will look so cute with oversized sweaters and boots once fall arrives. And they’re both under $20 online!
That’s it! Happy Labor Day Weekend!!