mad for rosemary-cumin hummus

The days have been dark and damp lately - a little colder, but not enough to cause a freeze, unlike New Hampshire.  It's harder to force myself out the door to walk on dreary days.  Which, of course, led to tighter and tighter pants.  I blamed the clothes dryer at first, until I faced the sad fact I was putting on a few pounds.  Probably all those cookies I keep making for my grandchildren:)

this is how I eat it:)

I've upped my excercise, swore off potato chips or Tostito's crispy rounds, but could never give up hummus, ever.  

I'd tried a few recipes, one of which was heavy on the tahini - nice, but it could taste a little strong sometimes.  Then I made Lovely Little Kitchen's recipe, which was easy and delicious, but I wanted a little more zip - herbs, hot sauce?  I tinkered and measured everything carefully, and to my surprise my measurements were almost the same as the one from Lovely Little Kitchen - just more lemon juice, lots of cumin, and some hot sauce.   Since I eat it straight from a small bowl, I wanted it to be fairly light, and that's what I got.  

The recipe:

Combine in your food processor:

1 can (15 or 16 oz) cooked garbanzo beans, aka chickpeas, drained (reserve 2 T. of juice)

2 tablespoons tahini

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons of the canned chickpea liquid

3 teaspoons ground cumin

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, chopped (do not include stems)

1 medium clove of garlic, peeled and sliced

4 drops of hot sauce - I use Frank's hot sauce, which is fairly mild

Mix in food processor until smooth.  Taste and serve with chips, or raw vegetables, or straight, as is while waiting for trick or treaters tonight!  Happy Halloween!

What I've been reading:

Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (my NH friend)
The Book of Joy with The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu - wonderful book!

chunky feta and buttermilk salad dressing

Another little piece of paper discovered in my messy "letter box" - which should be called The Compost Heap at this point.  I rarely remember to go through it a piece of paper at a time, but when I do, I find little treasures like this hastily scribbled note for a creamy, chunky salad dressing.  

While I prefer it on crunchy romaine, if it's in the fridge I'll drizzle it on a baked potato, or snuck into an omelet (just a little), along with the grated cheddar - or use it on sandwiches and cold chicken slices.  I haven't compared it to ranch dressing ( which I like when I eat out ) because I never buy it, but it's similar in creaminess and flavor.  I'm always so pleased when I see the little container of this already made when I open the fridge door:)  I'm guessing it makes about a cup of dressing, since I've already eaten half of it at this point.


Chunky, creamy Buttermilk and Feta salad dressing:

1 small peeled garlic, pressed into bowl
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground pepper
4 tablespoons mayonaise 
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, or 1 tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup buttermilk (more if mixture is too thick)
3 tablespoons mashed or crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons sliced scallions

Assemble all your ingredients in a bowl, and mash with fork or potato masher to your desired consistency. If you don't have fresh buttermilk, you can make this homemade from Emeril.  Store in the fridge in a covered container.

Lots of walks around the St. Paul neighborhood - as a New Englander the autumn colors seem more muted here - but on the other hand, it doesn't seem as chilly as it might be in New Hampshire at this time of year - which in my mind is a good thing!  Happy October and apple picking time to you all!  And take a look at these fabulous Halloween costumes inspired by books!



A year ago:  Beet salad with oregano and lemon
Two years ago:  Dorie's custardy Apple cake
Three years ago:poached apricots with cardamom cream
Four years ago: The bison burger
Five years ago:  Green garden sauce - and roasted chicken,the end of summer.

quick tart and sweet cucumber pickles

A sunny, warm and windy day in Minneapolis - and mobs of people walking in the park and on the sidewalks with huge smiles and nods to each other - myself included.  It truly is a glorious day in early March, if you can believe it.

It put me in mind of picnic fare , and the tart-but-sweet Finnish "salad" I make with dill and cucumbers, more pickles than salad or side and a breeze to make. Minutes later, I was eating them fresh from the bowl, sweet and sour and a little puckery.  All I had to do was slice the cucumbers and measure out the marinade.

This will keep in the fridge (cover with plastic wrap), but we usually eat it all, so that rarely happens.




Quick tart and sweet cucumber pickles



2 large cucumbers, washed and sliced paper thin (not English cucumbers)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup plain white vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill


You can either slice the cucumbers by hand , which is tedious but doesn't take very long, or you can use your mandoline or food slicer disc-  faster, but sometimes a little messy.

Pour the sugar and vinegar into a glass or non-reactive bowl (not metal) and stir well. Add the chopped dill and the salt and stir well, then add the cucumbers.

Mix well and place in the fridge to marinate for a a half an hour at least - if there's any left.  You should probably make a double batch, just in case.  I wish I'd thought of that because a third of it is already gone.  Just "tasting" to make sure it was perfect:)

Tonight is the very last episode of Downton Abbey, can you believe it?  I will miss it terribly after all these Sunday night years - did you hear they're making a movie with the same cast?  There's something to look forward to!

pickling day: red onions and cucumbers

In spite of my taking a sick day and sleeping for 12 hours - twelve hours! - the CSA box arrived again last night with more cucumbers and lovely red onions, BUT.  We still have some from last week - what to do, what to do.

Then I remembered those wonderful pickled red onions I made last year, and the Finnish cucumber salad my daughter likes so much, so spent a few hours this morning stuffing the already full fridge with those zesty condiments.  Easy to make, and delicious with everything from cold chicken or fish, to French potato salad, they're a perfect way to use up your summer abundance.  AND I used the last of the dill, mostly stems by then, to start a new bottle of dill vinegar.  So pleasing to have all three of these condiments stashed in the fridge and pantry.

Enjoying the blue, blue sky with wispy clouds overhead , the chattering of the children just back from the beach - and eyeing my bed for a little siesta:)  Enjoy your summer days!

pickled leek and red onion relish and some astounding news

Good beautiful afternoon from hot and sunny New Hampshire!  If I disappeared suddenly two weeks ago, it was because I was running around flapping my arms and squeaking - in between sorting all my worldly goods while packing for a move to........Minnesota!

Yup, Minneapolis, to be exact.  My daughter and her family are out there and have been dropping hints for a year for me to move there, and one day I just said "yes".  Maybe it  was something in these pickled onions I was making , heaping them onto a huge turkey sandwich.  I've been sorting and packing ever since, and finalized a late June Moving Day.  Yes, I'm excited, and yes, I will miss New England, but it's time for a change.


I don't know that relish is the right word for these, but I use them like that hot pepper relish I have - on sandwiches.  Tossed on top of roasted chicken.  Stirred into cottage cheese.  Since this makes two cups of pickled relish, it goes in a flash, and I don't have to worry much about leftovers.  I used a fresh bay leaf that was very flavorful and aromatic, and that immediately went on my To Buy list in the new place - a small bay tree.

Makes 2 cups pickled onions:

1 16 0z Wide Mouth Mason jar

1 cup very thinly sliced leek white
1 cup very thinly sliced red onion
two pinches of red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or light herb vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 heaping teaspoon bottled caper berries
1 large fresh bay leaf


Wash the jar very well, then dip it in a saucepan of boiling water, along with the lid.
Remove jar with tongs to a clean cloth, as well as the lid.   Let cool. 

Pour out about half the hot water, and add the leeks and onion slices, keeping at a slow boil for about a minute.  Drain and set aside.

Use the same pot to heat the vinegars, adding the salt, red pepper flakes, capers, and bay leaf until warm, then pour into the heatproof jar. Add the onions and leeks.  Let cool and store, covered, in the fridge.

Happy Spring!

Normandy style creme fraiche

I first tasted this creme fraiche a few years ago, when my friend Mme. J, who grew up in Normandy, offered me a taste of her cold seafood salad.  It was chilled, fresh, and creamy, with a smooth sauce of some sort, which she identified as creme fraiche - but it was unlike any creme fraiche I had ever tried - and much better than mayonnaise.  When she offered me the recipe I grabbed a pen - she laughed and said it was very simple.  Equal parts heavy cream and sour cream, shaken in a jar and left on the counter overnight.

I make this a lot in the summer months, and actually prefer it to whipped cream on cold fruit salads and shortcakes.  I use it alongside cold poached fish or crabmeat, summer composed salads and pasta salads, as well, sometimes adding fresh minced herbs.  It has a fresh taste , unlike mayonnaise,  which is far saltier.  It has a smooth finish, without an aftertaste of lemon juice.


Normandy style creme fraiche

In a clean Mason jar measure :

1 cup heavy cream (I used Hood's)
1 cup sour cream (Hood's again)

Stir the creams briefly, then screw on the clean lid.  Tighten and shake for a minute or so, then place the jar on the counter.  Write the time you made it on the lid and let sit at least 12 hours.

Unscrew the lid and spoon out a taste - the creme should be very thick.  Store the jar in the fridge for up to a week.

After a lot of rain the last few days, it's a beautiful sunny day today - hooray for summer!

homemade herb cheese for summer everything!

I used to describe this as a "boursin-style" herb cheese, but it's so much better in every way - creamier, herby, garlicky ( if you want it), and great on everything from burgers to steaks, fish to grilled chicken, baked potatoes, hot pasta - and even as a dip for those gorgeous veggies from your garden or baked tortilla chips.  It is also amazing on sandwiches.

Even better?  It whips up in your mixer bowl (or food processor) in minutes, though using a Cusinart processor can leave the herb cheese with a distinct green hue, not that that bothers me in the least.  It really is a condiment of wonder.

 I keep extras in the freezer or the fridge, but you need to let it warm to room temperature when it reaches that creamy consistency - but then again, one of its ingredients is cream cheese, so don't leave it out for hours .

You can thin it with buttermilk or plain yogurt for dips .  To avoid double-dipping, I usually spoon a few inches of  thinned herb cheese into large plastic cups, fill with a rainbow of vegetables (carrots, sugar snap peas, colorful sweet pepper strips, slim sticks of celery, and bright radishes with an inch or two of green tops , which was my snack today as I dozed under a canopy of beautiful trees.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boursin-style herb cheese

8 ounces good cream cheese, softened
1 stick (4 ounces) room temperature unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 t. Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1-2 tablespoons minced chives ( you can also use scallions, but they aren't as strong)
1 heaping teaspoon dried tarragon, which I like better than fresh, or 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
1-2 cloves medium garlic, pressed or finely minced
kosher salt - to taste.  I find 1 teaspoon is about right.
freshly cracked pepper

Place all the ingredients in mixer bowl and mix to a smooth consistency.  Store in a covered container in the fridge.


Happy summer-is-here!

chopped salad with garlicky buttermilk, goat cheese and fresh dill dressing

I am not sure how this dressing evolved, but I do know it's a winner.  When I made a going-away dinner for my daughter a week and a half ago, she asked if I wanted more salad, and then exchanged her plate for the salad bowl.  I've been known to spoon out a little dressing from the jar in the fridge a few times a day. But when a seven and a half year old boy yells "oh, this is so GOOD!" and has a second helping, I know this is a keeper.

It's an herby, creamy sauce with just a hint of garlic, which goes beautifully with a cold, crunchy lettuce like romaine or iceberg, and I'm thinking it would make a nice potato salad as well.  And as a sauce for roasted chicken, or spread on a roast beef sandwich.  At this point, I'm thinking it goes with pretty much anything, except fruit.

Garlicky buttermilk, goat cheese, and fresh dill salad dressing:


Place in blender (mine is an ancient one, but it still works):

1/2 clove peeled garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons mayonnaise  (I use Hellmann's olive oil mayo)
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill, stems removed, loosely packed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons sliced scallions

Puree and serve in a pitcher or small bowl.

Serve with a big bowl of chopped romaine lettuce and a fresh loaf of good bread for sopping up the dressing.  Store leftover dressing in the fridge in a glass jar.

How's Spring in your neck of the woods?  My sorrel is up, violets are blooming, the lilacs are budding, and my chives made it through the very cold winter.  The lemon balm also made it through, but lost the tarragon and thyme.  All the more reason to visit the local garden center!

homemade boursin

Back in the 90's, I came across this wonderful paperback cookbook, called Picnic.  In this marvelous little book, I found a recipe for boursin - a rich, sparkling herb cheese, loaded with flavor - garlic, tarragon, chives or scallions, sweet butter, cream cheese.  At the time, I had a huge herb garden, and anything herb snagged my attention.  So I tried it.

Wooooo.  That was some recipe!  I have made it over and over, mostly in the summer and why I do not know, because it's amazing anytime of the year.  In the winter, I might stir it into a sauce, mash it into baked potatoes, or add just a wee bit to a nice spinach soup or melting on top of a nice poached fish or broiled steak.

In the summer - it's a dip with fresh summer vegetables from the garden - especially sugar snap peas or extravagant sandwiches.  Winner.

When you keep it in the fridge and then quickly pile it into a ramekin for dips, it tends to be a bit cold and flaky, but if you let it sit, it becomes creamy and very spreadable.

I once actually bought boursin at a supermarket, and was shocked that it was so ...well, fluffy and bland.  This boursin is nothing like that, but smooth and loaded with flavor.

To make 1 1/2 cups of boursin:

8 ounces soft cream cheese
1/2 cup soft unsalted butter
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 - to 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. dry mustard (I use 1 t. Dijon prepared mustard)
2 T. minced fresh parsley ( I use flat leaf)
1 T. minced fresh chives or scallion greens
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, which has a stronger taste
1 minced or smashed garlic clove
salt to taste - I use kosher salt

She suggests putting it in a food processor, but I use a mixer.  it comes out quite green if you use a food processor.

Place ingredients in a food processor or mixer and whiz or mix.  Taste and add salt as needed.

Keep in fridge until ready to use.  Let it warm to room temperature if you so desire.

sizzling days: cucumber pickles with fresh dill

It has been sizzling here .  My outside thermometer registers between 90 and 110 degrees with the sun beating down.   I try my usual trick -  opening windows at night, closing first thing in the morning.  For two days, the house stays cool that way, but no longer.  We are down to cold showers and tepid pond water - the windows stay open all the time.

So, of course, one doesn't think of baking, but instead I reach for chilled French potato salad, stuffed HB eggs, and lots of lemonade.  One day I made Finnish cucumber salad and then wondered why I didn't just stash a jar of them as pickles in the fridge - they are cold, herby, and delicious on turkey wraps with fresh arugula.  I simply sliced the cucumbers, increased the amount of dressing, and stuffed them in a jar for instant gratification and quick, chilly, snacking.

To Make:

1 large cucumber or two medium, scrubbed but not peeled, very finely sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup de-stemmed, roughly chopped fresh dill

One large clean jar



Place the sugar, kosher salt, and white vinegar in a medium-sized ceramic bowl.

Stir the mixture until the sugar and salt have melted into the vinegar.

Add the dill, then add the cucumbers and toss well.

Spoon into the clean jar , cap, and store in fridge .


Stay cool, wherever you are!

Chive blossom vinegar on a sneezy Thursday

Pollen season is here.  I am sneezing my way through the days and nights, but also admiring the slow growth of my chive plant.  Once upon a time, I had a very small chive plant.  I have babied it like you wouldn't believe, but it never grew those stupendous blossoms other people had.  This year, a little better, but only enough for a fat handful or two of those pretty little purple blossoms.  I was eating my lunch on the terrace, looking at the blossoms, when I suddenly realized this was the day!  The blossoms were full, the sun was out, so I grabbed my scissors and snipped away.  And I made, as I always do, Chive Blossom vinegar.

I used to steep the blossoms in the sun in a jarful of white and apple cider vinegar, but too many times we had stormy weather - rain and clouds, gloom and fog.  I hit on a method that is quick and pleasing, and guarantees at least one bottle of that rosy, onion-flavored condiment that is fresh and ever so slightly onion-y from your little garden.  It works wonderfully in salad dressing, or marinades for the grill, but make sure you keep it in a corked bottle in the fridge, since it is basically a puree from a juicy, fresh plant.

To make:

1 or 2 cups chive blossoms, pulled off  or snipped from a blooming chive plant

Place the chive blossoms in a blender, then cover with half apple cider vinegar, and half white vinegar.  Blend on Liquify.

Pour the liquid, blossoms and all, into a glass jar and screw on the lid, making sure the vinegar does not touch the metal of the lid.

Place the jar in the sun for a day or two, or until it turns a lovely, gentle pinky-purple.

Using a plastic funnel lined with a coffee filter,  strain the vinegar into a bottle or jar and store in fridge.

That's it!  You are now a proud owner of a coveted Spring tradition - fresh chive blossom vinegar.  Enjoy!

Savory cherry and cranberry jelly with basil

I made up a jelly last night thinking to use up the frozen cranberries I'd stashed in the freezer last fall.  I added a handful of frozen, unsweetened dark cherries, and a few sprigs of basil.  Instead of reviewing my 20 minute jam recipe, I plunged ahead and added equal parts water and sugar, plus lemon juice.  I simmered for maybe 20 minutes, took a quick reading with the candy thermometer, and took it off heat before it reached 240 degrees.

While the jelly was tasty and tangy it was a little softer than usual - fine for poached chicken sandwiches, but not quite as firm as I expected.  It made a little over one jar of jelly, which I think I might try on roasted chicken, brushed on halfway between raw and sizzling.  And now I see what went wrong - adding water, though cranberries tend to the dry side.  Next time I'll try half cranberries, half cherries, with half the water and a little more sugar, and making sure the temperature reaches 240 degrees.  Here is the recipe I used, made up spur of the moment:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries
1/2 cup frozen dark unsweetened cherries
3 T. fresh lemon juice
8 or so fresh basil leaves

Bring water, lemon juice, and sugar to a boil.  Stir in the cranberries and cherries and basil leaves.  Make sure you have a candy thermometer on hand and simmer/slow boil until it reaches 240 degrees.   Remove basil leaves if desired, strain into a pitcher (discard the solids) then pour immediately into a clean jar, let cool, then cap and keep in the fridge for instant appetizers (on Breton crackers), or as a glaze.  Equally good on chicken sandwiches or sweet butter and jelly sandwiches, or served up with goat cheese toasts  - such a pretty color!

Yesterday as I drove into the driveway, I caught a glimpse of a young deer just across the road, not 25 feet from me.  It didn't seem alarmed by the car, but I think I would have scared it off had I opened the door - so I sat in the car and watched it grazing on greenery.  The little yellow kindergarten bus went by, not ten feet away, and it didn't even blink.  Even though I now know who's been munching my little garden the last few years, I couldn't be cross with this reminder of wildness.  I only wish I could've gotten a picture of the deer, but it would've been long gone as I opened my door, but here is where it was grazing!

chopped romaine salad with homemade ranch dressing

When it comes to salads, I have a strong fondness for one that crunches.  I used to eat iceberg lettuce as you might eat quarters of apples - and usually unadorned with dressing.  Those baby lettuces, so pretty but so limp, do not ring my bells.  So you're not surprised to know how much I love romaine lettuce, especially the paler, lower leaves.

Bouncing back from a few weeks of drinking a lot of peppermint tea and eating buttered toast fingers, I had a sudden craving for a good crunchy salad and a dressing other than my usual red wine vinegar with olive oil.  Once upon a time, I loved ranch dressing, but I've gotten picky about ingredients and tried my hand at a homemade version.  About the fifth try I got lucky  - though my fridge is now filled with bowls of all the rejects.  Still crunchy, still good, though.

For the lettuce:

One head of crispy green romaine lettuce

Trim off the bottom of the lettuce, then use a large knife to slice off inch-width ribbons of lettuce.  If the pieces are too large and floppy, slice through the pieces once or twice until the pieces are a manageable bite size.


For the dressing:

In a clean jar mix:
1/2 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 t. kosher salt
4 T. mayonaise (I use Hellmann's olive oil mayo)
2 T. sour cream
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. dried dill ( I dry my own)
1/8 t. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup buttermilk ( if you want it thick) OR
2/3 cup buttermilk (if you want it thin)
1 T. minced fresh chives

I like to spoon or pour some dressing in the bottom of the bowl before I add the lettuce, then add a little more once the bowl is filled.  I like a LOT of dressing!

Enjoy the Fall colors!  The dry summer has muted the leaf colors so far, but the air is crisp and walking and hiking is a pleasure.

delicious steamy summer recipes

This has been the most unusual summer I've ever known since I moved to New Hampshire in 1978.  Day after day of my outside thermometer registering 100 degrees in the sun.  Rain promised, but not delivered.  Moose Brook dwindles to a trickle - I feel sadly for those in the farmbelt who are watching their crops wither.

Eating in this kind of weather is a challenge.  Enjoying it?  Not so much.  A cold shower at 10 pm helps, and so do all those tried and true recipes I have right at my fingertips.  I've sent Maida's delectable brownies to my son in almost-chilly San Francisco,  Tuscan Bean salad for suppers with the kids and grandkids,  Finnish cucumber salad, cold, sweet and sour - always welcome at any meal.  Blueberry muffins with toasted walnuts, made early in the morning, before it gets too hot.  Yogurt and fresh fruit with honey any morning - or evening!  Composed French salads, pickled red onions, lots of lemon cucumber mint water, eggplant appetizer with tortilla chips, Italian bread salad, zesty with garlic and tomatoes.  HB eggs with mayo ( Hellman's, please) with fresh basil and arugula, and embarrassing amounts of juicy watermelon chunks, strawberries, and blueberries.  Raspberry season came and went in a day, unhappy with the lack of rain.  I hope you all are holding up as well as can be.

For some reason, I've had no desire for cold soups, but you can find lots and LOTS of recipes here;  until this summer I've cherished soup in all seasons.  

On a sad note, my beloved 15 year old pussycat died the Friday before last:  I miss her hugely.  She was a playful, loving, darling Domino, and I hope she is at last with her beloved Indiana Jones, our Golden Retriever.  That gives me comfort.  

pickled red onions

Summer is here!  Long hot days, herbs growing like crazy, and the throw-together lunches and suppers are my special joy.  If I had a Maine lobster, I would toss these perky red onion pickles into the salad bowl, along with a little olive oil, squeeze of lemon, and dig in.  Sigh.  

No, I didn't grow these red onions, but I picked through the bin at Market Basket until I found just the right juicy, unblemished little guys. Only the best for this all-around salad and sandwich pickle.

Here's how to make them:

2 juicy red onions

pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup white vinegar

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. bottled capers

fresh dill sprigs

Wash a quart jar well, and dip into boiling water.  Use tongs to lift out the jar and drain.

Peel the red onions, trimming off the ends and papery outside, then slice thinly.

Place onion slices into a small pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for a minute, then drain the onion slices.

Using the same pot, measure out the red wine vinegar and white vinegar and bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Set aside for a moment, and add the red pepper flakes, the kosher salt, the capers, and the dill springs to the jar.  Add the drained and blanched red onions, then cover with the hot vinegar mixture.  Top off with a sprig of dill and let cool, then screw on the lid and place pickled onions in the fridge.

Use pickled onions on everything from pulled pork sandwiches, to salads, to breakfast omelets and mixed into cottage cheese and omelets, and divinely inspired lobster salad and rolls.

Happy summer to you all!