Recipe Mayhem

I would like to think that August is going to disappear into a happy blur of friends, and meals, and walks around San Francisco. We're smack in the middle of a parade of house guests, and it's pretty great. One of my best friends from high school visited first - all the way from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Then, a few days later, this amazing lady dropped into San Francisco to sell her beautiful letterpress stationary. I connected with Lynn a couple years back (through her site) - I loved her clean, understated designs, and I found her writing about her work (and adventures with this little guy) inspiring.

We did a bunch of stuff while she was here. And(!) her visit happened to coincide with the Alameda Flea market. So, we crossed the bridge (not long after sunrise) last Sunday morning, to beat the crowds. Conversations so early in the morning are always a bit hazy in my memory, but I know we talked about lots of things, including eggs. A subject, it turns out, we have similar opinions on. For example - poached eggs are good, but jiggly whites are just gross. Lynn mentioned she does a scramble where she adds a couple dollops of special, super-herby cream cheese to finish the eggs. Now, this was an idea that had never occurred to me. In fact, I can't actually remember the last time I bought cream cheese. They sounded incredible - the sort of thing I think of as simple-special - simple technique with a special twist. Lynn was a good sport, and let me shoot her while she showed me the ropes. Here's how you make them...

One thing before we get to the recipe - you're going have plenty of leftover cream cheese, and it'll last a good week or so in your refrigerator. Other ways you can use it - slathered on toast and crackers. Lynn suggested layering it throughout a breakfast strata, or adding dollops to the top of a frittata. You can toss some into a bowl of hot pasta along with some chopped spinach. Or top a bowl of roasted tomato soup with a dollop. Or smeared on one of these quesadillas? You get the idea - it's great on/in/over a whole host of things.

Thanks for being a most excellent houseguest Lynn - come back soon :)! xoxo

As far as cream cheese goes - we used Organic Valley cream cheese, but Lynn also mentioned Nancy's cream cheese is cultured, nice, and spreadable.

Also, feel free to play around with the herbs you use. Mainly, just keep in mind that you want tons of herbs and green onions in the cream cheese. Think herbs with cream cheese rather than cream cheese with herbs.

8 oz / 225 g cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons chopped herbs - equal parts thyme, tarragon, oregano
6 green onions, with greens, chopped
1/3 cup (big handful) chopped chives
fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 eggs, well whisked
plenty of toast, for serving

Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl, add the herbs and mash with a fork until the herbs are evenly distributed. Add the green onions, most of the chives, a generous pinch of salt, and mash until those are incorporated as well. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-heat. Add the eggs and let them set a bit. Use a spatula to fold them over themselves, let them set a bit again, and repeat until they are nearly cooked to your liking. Remove from heat, add 2 dollops of the cream cheese (roughly a tablespoon each) to the skillet, count to ten, then stir a bit more to work the cream cheese into the eggs. Serve sprinkled with the remaining chives, salt and pepper to taste, and toast on the side.

Serves 2, feel free to scale up with more eggs if you have more people to feed.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min

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I’ve been all about simple this summer. Simple salads. Simple dinners. Simple appetizers. And simple desserts. When life is busy and family time is in demand, simple is best. This is one of those simple desserts… one with a simple crust and a simple topping, but also simply one of the most delicious desserts I’ve had in a long time: Blackberry Jam Shortbread Bars.

I brought these to a family barbecue last weekend, and it’s a good thing I did. They were the hands-down favorite of all the desserts at the barbecue. Completely addicting, I must say.

The buttery shortbread bakes up so crisp and crumbly.

The blackberry jam is sweet and smooth and the perfect accompaniment. You don’t even miss the fact that you’re not actually eating any fresh blackberries. I could seriously dive into that ribbon of blackberry right there.

A very light dusting of powdered sugar tops it all off.  Just a little bit more sweet on top of all that buttery goodness.

Most importantly, these are incredibly delicious little dessert bars. And even more important than that- they are simple to make… which is nice for the folks who don’t want to cook… or don’t like to cook… or don’t have time to cook. You can put these together rather quickly and you’ll end up with something so nice and impressive to share. Simply good.

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Yield: 15 large or 30 small bars

Prep Time: 25 min + chill time

Cook Time: 50 min

Talk about a surprise dessert... I brought these to a family barbecue and they were a major hit. We all loved them.

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almond flour or very finely ground almonds
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups seedless Blackberry Jam
powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray.

2. Prepare shortbread: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugars; beat until creamy. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well combined. Beat the almond flour and the all-purpose flour into the butter mixture on low speed, just until a smooth dough forms. Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. Press the other half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the bottom crust.

3. Bake the crust until it is just beginning to turn light brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Place jam into a bowl and stir very well until it is nice and smooth. Spread the jam evenly over the partially baked crust. Crumble the refrigerated shortbread dough over the jam to form a crumbled topping. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the topping is firm and crisp and golden in color, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before cutting into bars.

*Almond flour is sold in a bag (I always buy Bob's Red Mill brand). Ask your market if they carry it.
*If you can find a jar of Smucker's brand seedless Blackberry Jam- 18 ounces- it is the perfect size for this recipe.
*Substitute raspberry or apricot jam if you wish to change up the flavors.
*The bars will keep in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week. Or keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Source: RecipeGirl.com (adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey)

Posted by Lori Lange on August 11, 2011

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One thing we're never short of each summer is zucchini. And summer isn't truly over until all that zucchini has been put to good use. This, of course, can take a while, and a little imagination. So, to get you started, here are 10 ways to use zucchini.

More Ways to Use Zucchini

Zucchini and Quinoa Salad Photo © Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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Hi everyone, it's going to be a quick post today. I wanted to share this pasta salad with you. It's the sort of off-beat thing I'd argue is worth a minute or two of your time. It made a stand-up lunch - filling, plenty of vegetables, and so on. Also, the flavors in the turmeric-tinted sauce are brilliantly unexpected - garlic, tahini, yogurt, cumin, cayenne, and coriander. Sealing the deal? The fact that you can prep everything a day or two ahead of time, making it easy to throw the whole thing together on whatever timeline you fancy. This quirky combination of ingredients is one of the reasons I still love cooking and finding inspiration from other cooks - their cookbooks, websites, articles.

In this case I have Peter Berley to thank. I pulled his book from the shelf and tweaked one of the pasta salads ever so slightly. In this version you toss stuffed pasta and a medley of in-season vegetables with the (previously mentioned) spiced sesame yogurt sauce. It's oh so perfect for summer. One of those all-in-one meals that work beautifully with all the brightly colored vegetables available this time of year. Serve it at room temperature, or just slightly chilled. Too cold, and textures change, pasta hardens, and the flavors shut down.

I used a ricotta-stuffed pasta here, but you can substitute if you like. Just try to stick with a pasta that will go along with the spices in the sauce. You can make the sauce a day or two ahead of time. You can cook the vegetables and pasta head of time as well. Just keep the pasta separate and toss with a bit of oil before storing in the refrigerator. Combine all the components just before serving. You can use raw tomatoes here, although I prefer roasted - like the ones in the back of Super Natural Every Day.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup / 120 ml warm water
1/2 cup / 120 ml tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup / 120 ml plain or Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
fine grain sea salt

Salad:
a big handful of broccoli florets
a big handful of cauliflower florets
a big handful of green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch segments
1/2 pound / 8 oz / 225 g stuffed pasta (ravioli, etc)
a big handful/scoop of cherry tomatoes, raw or roasted
a small handful torn basil and/or cilantro

Get a big pot of water started - you are going to want to bring it to a boil.

While the water is heating, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric. Stir well, and saute for just 15-30 seconds, or until the spices are toasted and fragrant. Transfer this mixture to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the water, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust to your liking - you most likely will need a bit more salt. Set aside.

Salt the pot of water generously, and boil the broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. Boil just 30 seconds, and quickly fish out with a slotted spoon. Run the vegetables under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, then drain and run under cold water. Really try to shake off any extra water, then add to the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, and toss gently. You can toss with half of the sauce at this point, or serve the salad with dollops of the sauce on top - to be tossed at the table. It's prettier this way. Sprinkle with the basil/cilantro (and basil flowers if you have them) and serve. Serve the extra sauce on the side - any leftover makes a good dip later in the week.

Adapted from the Pasta Salad with Tangy Sesame-Yogurt Sauce in Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 10 min

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This heart-healthy zucchini salad makes a great side dish for grilled chicken or fish. For extra color, slice some yellow summer squash in place of some of the zucchini. It'll be equally delicious. A food processor or mandoline makes short work of the slicing, especially if you want your slices extra thin. Top this easy and delicious zucchini salad with fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper.

Zucchini Salad Photo © Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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Cargill is recalling 36 million pounds of ground turkey produced since February 20th at its Springdale, Arkansas facility after a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg, a strain that is resistant to several antibiotics. Salmonella causes fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and can be life-threatening in those with weakened immune systems. So far, one person has died and 76 people have become sick. This number is expected to rise. Twenty-five different types of ground turkey are affected by the recall. For a complete list, see here.

While salmonella is killed by cooking ground meat to 165 degrees, people may be infected through cross-contamination in the kitchen. To avoid salmonella poisoning, be sure to wash hands with warm, soapy before and after handling raw meat, use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat, and wash those cutting boards and utensils in hot soapy water. Find out more about the basic rules of food safety here.

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Potato salad is a classic summer picnic dish, but it's loaded with fat and calories. Here's a lightened version that's equally delicious. The secret is to substitute fat-laden mayonnaise with creamy nonfat-Greek yogurt, which also adds a pleasing tang. Add some mustard, lemon and some dill, and you have a great alternative to regular potato salad, with a fraction of the calories, and almost no fat.

Potato Salad with Yogurt and Dill Photo © Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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To be honest, keeping cool is not a problem for me right now. I live in the Pacific Northwest, the only part of the U.S., other than Alaska, that isn't experiencing a big heat wave. I ought to be grateful, I know, but it really shouldn't rain this much in July. Still, I can dream of warmer, sunnier days, and imagine keeping cool with a delicious frozen fruit treat, such as these intensely purple popsicles. For now, though, I'm looking forward to drinking a nice mug of cocoa, made with fat-free milk, of course. Purple Popsicles © Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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Potato salad is a classic summer picnic dish, but it's loaded with fat and calories. Here's a lightened version that's equally delicious. The secret is to substitute fat-laden mayonnaise with creamy nonfat-Greek yogurt, which also adds a pleasing tang. Add some mustard, lemon and some dill, and you have a great alternative to regular potato salad, with a fraction of the calories, and almost no fat.

Potato Salad with Yogurt and Dill Photo © Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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How about a quick hello, and a favorites list today? I love pulling these together and I hope you'll indulge me a bit. While you're occupied, I'll be in the kitchen diving into a couple new titles I picked up at Omnivore Books the other day - two real gems that I'll likely highlight at some point soon. xo -h

- In yellow, please.

- Cy Twombly | Rome.

- Package-free grocery store.

- Instant Love: Polaroid retreat in Marrakesh

- Keetsa mattress: bought one of these for the guest room.

- Clear eyes. Full hearts.

?- Pavarotti | Paris | 1965?

- The new summer issue of Sweet Paul.

- And hoping for a second print run of this.

- The ultimate XL towel (via Sarah at Remodelista)

- These Murakami beach shots.

- This site.

- This watch.

- Teenagers Revive Dead Languages Through Texting (article)

- The boy who inherited rights to Good Night Moon. (article)

- for your sx-70.

- What's in your Kit? series.

- This profile.

- And the clippers from our Little Flower School class.

Promise to be back later in the week with a quick something tasty inspired by a fat sack of summer corn I lugged home yesterday. -h

I took the photo up above at a lovely lunch in St.Helena. We sat at an old farm table on a porch surrounded by vineyards (and chickens!) and good company. Hope to share a number of recipes from this lunch with you at some point.

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Hi everyone, it's going to be a quick post today. I wanted to share this pasta salad with you. It's the sort of off-beat thing I'd argue is worth a minute or two of your time. It made a stand-up lunch - filling, plenty of vegetables, and so on. Also, the flavors in the turmeric-tinted sauce are brilliantly unexpected - garlic, tahini, yogurt, cumin, cayenne, and coriander. Sealing the deal? The fact that you can prep everything a day or two ahead of time, making it easy to throw the whole thing together on whatever timeline you fancy. This quirky combination of ingredients is one of the reasons I still love cooking and finding inspiration from other cooks - their cookbooks, websites, articles.

In this case I have Peter Berley to thank. I pulled his book from the shelf and tweaked one of the pasta salads ever so slightly. In this version you toss stuffed pasta and a medley of in-season vegetables with the (previously mentioned) spiced sesame yogurt sauce. It's oh so perfect for summer. One of those all-in-one meals that work beautifully with all the brightly colored vegetables available this time of year. Serve it at room temperature, or just slightly chilled. Too cold, and textures change, pasta hardens, and the flavors shut down.

I used a ricotta-stuffed pasta here, but you can substitute if you like. Just try to stick with a pasta that will go along with the spices in the sauce. You can make the sauce a day or two ahead of time. You can cook the vegetables and pasta head of time as well. Just keep the pasta separate and toss with a bit of oil before storing in the refrigerator. Combine all the components just before serving. You can use raw tomatoes here, although I prefer roasted - like the ones in the back of Super Natural Every Day.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup / 120 ml warm water
1/2 cup / 120 ml tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup / 120 ml plain or Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
fine grain sea salt

Salad:
a big handful of broccoli florets
a big handful of cauliflower florets
a big handful of green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch segments
1/2 pound / 8 oz / 225 g stuffed pasta (ravioli, etc)
a big handful/scoop of cherry tomatoes, raw or roasted
a small handful torn basil and/or cilantro

Get a big pot of water started - you are going to want to bring it to a boil.

While the water is heating, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric. Stir well, and saute for just 15-30 seconds, or until the spices are toasted and fragrant. Transfer this mixture to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the water, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust to your liking - you most likely will need a bit more salt. Set aside.

Salt the pot of water generously, and boil the broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. Boil just 30 seconds, and quickly fish out with a slotted spoon. Run the vegetables under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, then drain and run under cold water. Really try to shake off any extra water, then add to the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, and toss gently. You can toss with half of the sauce at this point, or serve the salad with dollops of the sauce on top - to be tossed at the table. It's prettier this way. Sprinkle with the basil/cilantro (and basil flowers if you have them) and serve. Serve the extra sauce on the side - any leftover makes a good dip later in the week.

Adapted from the Pasta Salad with Tangy Sesame-Yogurt Sauce in Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 10 min

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Minted melon salad makes a light and delicious summer dessert, a side dish for some grilled chicken or fish, an appetizer or a palate cleanser between courses. However you choose to present this versatile minted melon salad, you'll find it quick and easy to prepare. A melon baller makes the salad look attractive, but chunks of melon are fine too.

Minted Melon Salad Photo © 2011 Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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The nice thing about making salads is that there are no real rules. The only rule I follow is to pack my salads with as many healthy ingredients as possible, with a variety of colors and textures. This Vegetable Salad is one example. As colorful as this salad is, consider adding a little purple, with some red cabbage or some chopped beets. A little fat-free crumbled feta cheese on top makes a nice addition, too.

Vegetable Salad Photo © 2011 Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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A number of you requested I post about making homemade celery salt. It's great. I mean it. You should make it too. If you make some each time you buy a bunch of celery, you end up with a bottomless jar of celery-spiked salt. And this way, minimal celery parts go to waste, except the celery strings - my suspicion is there won't be many tears shed over that.

A few weeks back I mentioned I like it sprinkled on this corn soup. It's just as good on buttered corn-on-the cob, in yogurt, sprinkled over eggs. This time of year its great on things like macaroni salad, or egg salad, this shaved fennel salad, or this buttermilk farro salad. I bet it'd be great on Sara's Green bean salad, or Deb's Israeli salad. You get the idea.

Here's the catch though. You have to find celery with leaves still intact. You'll likely have more luck at farmers' markets, but I've noticed more and more grocers sparing leaves from the trash. Also, leaves hide. You'll find more and more as you work your way from outside stalks to inside ones.

I make other salts on occasion too - a mixed citrus version comes to mind. Also, one with herbs de Provence. Hook me up with other ideas if you've got them. I'm sure I'm not the only one game to try out new salts.

I've made celery salt with a number of different types of salt, and the flaky, whispers of Maldon sea salt is my current favorite. The shards are similar in size to the crumbled celery leaves, which works nicely. With some of the finer sea salts, you get more separation. Which is not what you want.

Leaves from one bunch of celery
flaky sea salt (see head notes)

Pick the leaves from each celery stalk, leaving the stems behind. The outer leaves tend to be dark green and hearty, the inner leaves pale green and tender. I use them all.

Rinse the leaves with cold water in a strainer, then shake off as much of the water as you can. At this point you want to dry the leaves as much as possible, so they toast (not steam) when you cook them. Gently pat them dry in a clean dish towel, or paper towels. Once dry you have two options for toasting the leaves.

1) If I have a lot of leaves, I arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then bake in a 350F / 180C oven for about 5-7 minutes. Bake until dehydrated and crispy, but not browned.

2) If I have fewer leaves, or just don't feel like heating the oven, I'll throw them in a large skillet. Single layer if possible, over medium-low heat. Again, you want to barely toast them, not brown the leaves much.

In either case, when you're done cooking. Remove from heat and let the leaves cool completely. They'll crisp up even more at this point. When cool, use your fingers to crumble the leaves completely, discarding any leaves that aren't crispy.

Combine equal parts celery leaves and salt in a jar, and either stir or shake to distribute the celery leaves evenly throughout.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min

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Homemade jam is hard to beat, and it makes a perfect fat-free spread for your toast or muffin. It's also a terrific way to use up the abundance of fresh summer fruit that's available right now. My particular favorite is this easy strawberry freezer jam. This is a basic back-of-the-box recipe that admittedly calls for a good deal of sugar. If you want to limit your sugar intake in addition to your fat intake, you can buy pectins that require less sugar, or a sugar substitute. Strawberry Freezer Jam © Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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I tend to go heavy on the lemon zest around here. Those of you who have been visiting for a while have likely noticed. Most of the time I use the corresponding lemon juice in ice water, sparkling water, or salad dressing. Nothing too exciting. But a number of you have asked if I do anything interesting with the stockpile of lemons they rightly assume I accumulate. So I thought I'd share this lemon anise slush recipe with you. Adapted from a recipe in an old issue (2004?) of Gourmet magazine, I make it on the nicest summer days here in San Francisco.

The thing that makes this special is the hint of unexpected anise flavor which pairs nicely with refreshing lemon. It's one variable I keep constant here. That said, there are a number of ways to approach this quencher. The original recipe calls for either water, or vodka (if you're not messing around) as the base. I tend to make this as a mid-day treat and find that water works great. Yogurt is an alternative if you're up for something creamier and more substantial. Or(!) a pilsner in place of the water takes its cue from a shandy, which I love. My sister makes me limoncello from her lemon tree (Heather, I'm running dangerously low!), and a small splash of that to finish things off here is lemon-kissed heaven. Optional, but if you happen to have some on hand, give it a try.

This is the sort of thing I make over and over, and tweak and make notes as I go. I have one more idea related to the anise seeds that I haven't had a chance to explore yet. I think I want to try to let the seeds sit in the 3/4 cup / 180ml vodka ahead of time (hours? overnight? couple days?). I think the seeds are alcohol-soluble, and might infuse the vodka nicely. Then proceed with the recipe as written. Don't fault me if I'm off the mark here :)...but let me know if you give it a try.

I like to crush the anise seeds a bit with my mortar and pestle before adding them to the blender, with the idea that it makes it easier for the blender to break down the seeds a bit. But I'm not actually sure it helps, and think of it more of an optional step than anything.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
1/3 cup sugar or honey, plus more to taste
3/4 teaspoon anise seeds

1 cup water or yogurt (vodka or pilsner for adult version)

ice cubes, to fill blender
water
2 tablespoons limoncello, optional but excellent!

Blend juice, sugar or honey, and seeds in a blender until the seeds break up quite a bit, at least thirty seconds. Longer if needed.

Add the water (or vodka, yogurt, pils), and enough ice to fill the blender. Blend until smooth. I sometimes need to add more water, to thin things out a bit and keep the blender going - do so a bit at a time. Depending on your blender, you might also need to stop on occasion to scrape the sides of the blender to get an even slush. Adjust for sweetness and lemon juice as you go. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

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I lugged a big sack of corn home from the market the other day thinking I would throw together a picnic salad to take on a hike out to the coast. Raw corn kernels with a vinaigrette I've been hooked on bit lately. If you can imagine a lemonade vinaigrette made with a bit of brown sugar, you'd be in the ballpark. Beyond that, the salad gets a ton of toasted seeds for crunch, and a generous showering of Mexican oregano to bring things back to Earth. The hike fell through, and we ended up eating the salad at home instead of overlooking the Pacific. The concession? A short walk to the Dahlia garden in Golden Gate Park, which is in bloom right now.

I went a bit over-board with the dahlia pictures here. I can't help it. It happens every time I stop by with a camera in tow. This garden sits to the right of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. A little pocket of color, easy to miss from the road. Just about this time each year the flowers explode into an incredible range of blooms. The dahlias have fanciful names like: eden lemonade, skip-to-my-lou, clouds & rain, weston pirate, and bel fiore.

On this particular visit I chatted with one of the gardeners. She told me about the annual sale, and the Dahlia Society of California. She was friendly, and had a meticulous pencil-drawn chart of the garden.

I'm convinced this is one of the happiest place in San Francisco this time of year. It's hard not to be charmed by these giant candy-colored pom-poms. People smile, they chat with each other, they pepper the gardeners with questions. One of my favorite classes in college was about urban planning. One of the theories we talked about was triangulation - the idea that a good public space has something for people to look at or experience together. Strangers end up talking to each other, congregating, sitting around. A shared experience. I see this dynamic at the dahlia garden, and it's part of what I love about visiting the space.

I hope you enjoy the corn salad if you try it. It's a breeze to throw together, and it travels well in an over-sized jar. You can toss the corn and shallots ahead of time, just leave enough room to throw the seeds and oregano in just before serving/eating. -h

Update: I looks like Ten Speed just released Super Natural Every Day as an eBook for iPad. Super Natural Cooking is in the works, and I'll let you know when it will be available on other devices as well. It's "fixed design" to look as much like the print version as possible.

Save the corn cobs if you like - you can simmer them for a while to make a quick corn stock. I did this for a corn soup recently - turns out great. Also, if Mexican oregano is hard for you to come by, you can substitute fresh oregano, or chives, or whatever herbs you like, really. Mexican oregano is unique, potently fragrant, and zesty and earthy all at once - I have a fondness for it with corn, and with mushrooms as well.

6 ears of corn
1 large shallot, minced

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
v. scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons sunflower oil

3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115g toasted pepitas
3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115g toasted sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Shuck the corn and use a knife to cut the kernels from the cobs. Place the kernels in a medium bowl with the shallot while you make the dressing.

Combine the lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a small bowl or jar. Gradually add the oil, whisking vigorously until the dressing comes together. Taste, and adjust with more lemon juice, salt or sugar, if needed. This dressing should be on the sweet side, not overly tangy.

Just before serving, add the seeds to the bowl of corn along with 2/3 of the dressing. Toss well, really get everything well coated. If you want more dressing, add more to taste. Crush the oregano between your palms and let it shower down on to the salad. Toss one more time and serve.

Serves 6 or more.

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Is cost the real reason many people find it so hard to eat healthy? Quite possibly. A study by researchers at the University of Washington found that to increase certain nutrients lacking in the average American diet to meet current dietary guidelines, would add around $500, or more than 10 percent, to the average American adult's food bill. Adding sufficient potassium alone would cost $380 a year. This seems odd because potassium is available in a variety of relatively inexpensive foods, most notably in bananas and potatoes, but also in nuts and dried fruits.

Conversely, adding sugary or fatty foods reduced food costs. For every 1 percent increase in calories from sugar, food costs fell 7 percent, and for every 1 percent increase in calories from saturated fat, food costs fell a staggering 28 percent.

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I have a couple regrets related to Super Natural Every Day. Nothing too major, but one is related to photography. I'll start by saying it's not always feasible to have a photo with every recipe in a cookbook. This is especially the case if you want other types of photos in your book, like I did. Here's the problem - recipes with photos get all the love. No photo, the recipe runs the risk of getting glazed over. And in this case, one of my very favorite recipes from the book, this simple shaved fennel salad, doesn't have a photo. So, here's my attempt to remedy that.

I think I made this salad a dozen times or more during the time I was working on the book. And prior to that, I had it a number of times at my friend Malinda's house, which is where I initially fell for it. It is a compelling combination of a short list of ingredients that don't sound particularly exciting on the page, but come together into something more than the sum of their parts. Shaved fennel, thin zucchini coins, arugula, dill, nuts, and feta are tossed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. That's it, really. Dead simple. I use this mandoline to make feathery whispers of fennel, but if a knife is what you've got, that'll work too. The version in my book calls for pine nuts, but I had sliced almonds on hand today, so that's what I used instead. Either way. Helene shot a beautiful version of it on her site as well. Give it a go the next time you're looking for salad inspiration.

And an Update! - New shipments of Super Natural Every Day are now back in stock and available. Thanks for your patience and ongoing support for the book. There was a bit of a hiccup keeping up with the demand, but (fingers crossed) it sounds like we should be all set through the summer.

If you're using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly - not quite see through thin, but close

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
2/3 cup / .5oz/ 15g loosely chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup / 80ml fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/3 cup / 80ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
fine grain sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey, if needed
1/2 cup / 2 oz/ 60g pine nuts, toasted (I used almonds)
1/3 cup / 2 oz / 60g / feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.

When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.

Serves 4 to 6.

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One thing we're never short of each summer is zucchini. And summer isn't truly over until all that zucchini has been put to good use. This, of course, can take a while, and a little imagination. So, to get you started, here are 10 ways to use zucchini.

More Ways to Use Zucchini

Zucchini and Quinoa Salad Photo © Fiona Haynes, licensed to About.com

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