Flavors in Love

What do you do with all the eggplant from your garden or local vegetable stand? This is one of my favorite mezze spreads and it is perfect end of the summer fare. The eggplant is grilled, which gives it such a deep smoky flavor….along with grilled tomatoes, garlic, lemon and tahini. To compliment it perfectly, I made some pita bread crisps drizzled with olive oil and za’atar spice. This recipe is so easy to make and so satisfying, I hope you give it a try!

Grilled Eggplant-Tomato Dip with Za’atar Spiced Pita Chips

Eggplant-Tomato Dip:

(Makes about 4 cups)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups wood chips, preferably hickory (optional)

* 2 medium eggplants (1 ½ pounds total), trimmed and sliced ½ inch thick

* 2 large ripe tomatoes, about 1 ½ pounds total, trimmed and cut horizontally into thirds

* ¼ cup olive oil

* 3 tablespoons tahini

* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

* 2 tablespoons minced garlic

* 2 teaspoons soy sauce

* 1 ¼ teaspoons salt

* 1 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce

* 1 ¼ teaspoons Asian sesame oil

* ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

* 2 teaspoons coarsely ground toasted cumin seeds or smoked paprika

Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill (medium-high). When the fire is hot, distribute the wood chips if you are using them. Position the grill rack about 6 inches above the heat.

Lightly brush the eggplant and tomato slices on all sides with the oil. Lay the vegetables on the rack. Cover and grill, turning the vegetables once, until the eggplant is well browned and tomatoes are lightly browned and very tender, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the grill and cool to room temperature.

Roughly chop the eggplant and tomato. In a food processor, combine the chopped vegetables, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and Tabasco and process until almost smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. (Or, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature if chilled.)

Stir in the parsley. Adjust the seasoning. Spoon the eggplant mixture into the center of a platter. Sprinkle evenly with cumin or smoked paprika. Serve at room temperature.

Note: Though the smoky accent of the grill makes this spread particularly delicious, the vegetables can also be roasted in the oven. Preheat it to 450F, brush the eggplant slices and tomatoes with oil and roast until browned and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and then proceed with the recipe.

Oven-Baked Pita Chips with Za’atar

(Serves 6 to 8 )

 Ingredients:

* 6, 6-inch white or whole-wheat pita breads, each cut into 6 equal wedges

* ¼ cup olive oil (see note)

* 4 tablespoons za’atar spice

* 1/8 teaspoon salt

 Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400F. 

 Lightly brush the pita wedges on both sides with olive oil, transferring them to a baking sheet as you go (the wedges need not lie in a single layer). In a small bowl, stir together the za’atar and salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the chips, stirring and turning them several times as you do so to coat them evenly on both sides.

Set the baking sheet in the over and bake the chips, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and crunchy, about 15 minutes.

Cool the chips on the pan on a rack. Store airtight at room temperature. Re-warm the chips for serving if desired. 

Note: Roasted garlic-flavored olive oil, available in specialty food shops and some supermarkets, makes a nice substitution here.

The summer is (sadly) coming to an end and sweet local corn will soon be a thing of the past. Here is one of my favorite corn recipes, Sweet Corn and Crab Cakes with Chipotle Remoulade…And to end the summer with flavor, click HERE to sign up for my September Cooking Classes.

SWEET CORN AND CRAB CAKES

* ¼ cup mayonnaise

* 1 large egg

* 1 teaspoon hot sauce

* 1 pound jumbo lump crab

* 1 cup bread crumbs

* ½ cup sweet summer corn kernels

* 1/3 cup finely diced roasted pepper

* 3 tablespoons olive oil

* Chipotle Remoulade to garnish your cakes with, optional

In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, egg and hot sauce. Add the crab, bread crumbs, corn, and pepper. Mix well, breaking up some of the lumps of crabmeat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Divide the crab mixture into approximately 8 equal portions, then form each portion into a cake, transferring the cakes as formed to a flat baking sheet.

In a large, heavy nonstick skillet (work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan), warm some of the olive oil over medium heat. With a spatula, carefully slide the crab cakes into the skillet. Cover and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes, cover the skillet and cook until golden brown, crisp and just cooked through while remaining moist, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Serve some of the Remoulade on top of, underneath, or beside the cakes.

CHIPOTLE REMOULADE:

* 1 cup mayonnaise

* 4 teaspoons finely chopped scallions

* 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo

* 2 teaspoons lime juice

* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In a bowl, stir together the mayo, scallion, chipotles, lime, and mustard. Keep in fridge for up to 3 days.

If you have only enjoyed clams dipped in melted butter in a shack near the Connecticut shore, or perhaps steamed open in white wine with garlic in Little Italy, you are going to be pleasantly surprised by how deliciously colorful and different they are in this Mexican-inspired preparation. Digging into a briny bowl of these spicy bivalves, their broth mopped up with good bread, the whole business washed down with plenty of cold beer, is the best kind of festive, laid-back outdoor eating I know!

Baja Beach Clams Steamed in Beer

(Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main course)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small, fresh jalapeno chile, stemmed, and seeded if desired, and sliced into thin rounds
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 2 cups light lager beer, such as Corona
• 24 small hard-shelled clams (littlenecks), well scrubbed and rinsed
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
• Wedges of lime, as optional accompaniment.

In a large, heavy pot over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the jalapeno and garlic, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and green onion, raise the heat slightly and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the beer and clams. Cover the pan and raise the heat. Cook the clams, stirring them occasionally, and transfer them with a slotted spoon as they open to shallow serving bowls. (The time will vary, for only a few minutes to as long as 20.) Discard any clams that have not opened after 20 minutes. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer set over a deep bowl or measuring cup. Spoon the tomato mixture from the strainer over the clams, dividing it equally. Let the broth settle briefly, then spoon it over the clams, leaving the sandy residue behind.

Sprinkle the cilantro over the clams and serve immediately, accompanied by lime wedges for squeezing if desired.

What are you making for dinner tonight? How about my Grilled Duck Breast with Indian Spices?? You know how I feel about flavor, and this dish is exploding with flavor…a spicy marinade, a sweet relish, and the smoke of the grill. Give it a try!!

And don’t forget to register for my August Cooking Classes in the Hamptons!!! Click HERE to sign up today!!

Grilled Duck Breast with Indian Spices and Apricot-Tomato Relish

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon minced orange zest
• 1½ tablespoons Garam Masala (an Indian spice blend)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ^1/₈ cayenne pepper
• 2 boneless duck breasts, about 3 pounds total
• 2 cups hickory or apple wood chips, optional
• Sprigs of fresh cilantro, as garnish
• Apricot-Tomato Relish (recipe follows, as accompaniment)

In a small, nonreactive saucepan, combine the soy sauce, orange juice and orange zest. Cover tightly, set over low heat and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 5 minutes; cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir together the garam masala, salt, black pepper and cayenne. In a shallow, nonreactive dish, rub the spice mixture firmly into the duck breasts on all sides. Drizzle the soy mixture evenly over all sides of the duck breasts. Cover and let stand, turning occasionally, at room temperature for 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Return to room temperature if chilled.

Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill (medium-high). When fire is hot, distribute the wood chips if you are using them. Position the grill rack about 6 inches above the heat.

When the grill is hot, lay the duck breasts on the rack. Cover and grill, basting the breasts with any marinade remaining in the dish and turning them once, until the marinade is used up and they are done to your liking, about 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carve the duck breasts across the grain and at an angle into thin slices. Arrange on a platter. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by the relish.

Apricot-Tomato Relish

(Makes about 4 cups)

• 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• ^1/₃ cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro

 In a large, heavy, nonreactive pan, combine the tomatoes, apricots, onion, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, salt, red pepper and nutmeg. Cover, set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the relish has thickened and is reduced to 4 cups, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. The relish can be prepared up to 1 week ahead. Return it to room temperature. Stir the cilantro into the relish and adjust the seasoning just before serving.

I hope you’re enjoying your summer. Farmers Markets around the country are teeming with delectable fruits and vegetables.

Heirloom Tomatoes at the Union Square Farmers Market

This is the time to cook, and often we don’t feel like making anything complicated. I love to make salads in the summer for lunch or dinner. This is one of my favorites. It has Greek accents and lots of flirty flavors.

Check out this video by Blend for Plum TV. Make sure to watch every weekend on Channel 18 in the Hamptons.

Also, there are still spaces open for my August 23rd and August 28th Cooking Classes in the Hamptons!! Click HERE to register!

FLIRTY GREEK SALAD:

Serves 4

1 cucumber, peeled and roughly cut

3 tomatoes roughly chopped, seeds scooped out and discarded

Half of a red onion, roughly chopped

1 cup of pitted Kalamata olives, halved

1/2 cup of fresh mint, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Combine in a large bowl the cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives, and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinegar and oil. Toss well. Then add the feta and gently toss again.