I still vividly remember my first trip to one of NYC’s winter greenmarkets: While walking to Tompkin’s Square Park, a dreamy blanket of snow began to cover the streets, so despite the mile-long trek through the cold, I was in good spirits. On top of that, Andrew and I had moved to Manhattan about a month prior, so even something as ordinary as running an errand still felt novel and exciting. All of which is to say that I was feeling quite optimistic. Intellectually, I knew that seasonal eating in the Northeast was a whole different game than doing so in San Francisco, but it didn’t quite hit me until I walked through those greenmarket stalls. Despite the farmers’ efforts to attractively display their harvest, the situation looked quite bleak: bins of onions, potatoes, and apples dominated, with a sad, scraggly head of cabbage here and there. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this. A bit dismayed, but still determined, I filled my bag with as many apples and onions as I could comfortably carry, plus a cider doughnut, for the chilly walk home.
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legumes
Lentils With Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Yogurt
It used to get to me when someone would describe the recipes I share here as simple or easy, like somehow that was a critique on my culinary skills and creativity, or it was a subtle, passive-aggressive jab at my worth as a cook and recipe developer. I’d wonder if years of working in online media had served as blinders, limiting my focus to the Pinterest-friendly realm of one-pan, slow-cooker, and weeknight-friendly meals. Or, maybe I was *gasp*, in 2014 terms, “basic.” But then something funny happened: I realized that sharing doable, realistic recipes was my goal all along. That by keeping things (for the most part) beginner-cook-friendly, I was creating content that could reach, and hopefully inspire, a wider swath of readers to go to the grocery store (or better yet, farmers market), fill their bags with delicious things, and get in the kitchen.
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North African Sundried Tomato Soup With Couscous and Olives
When the frosty wind nips at your nose and you wake up to dark skies, it can be easy to get down on autumn. (But wait, can’t we have one more month of long, mild nights and bushels of heirloom tomatoes?) Mostly though, I look at this time of year with a lot of love. I’m more than ready to be done with hot, humid, sticky days, where a walk outside practically mandates clutching (and gulping down) an Olsen-twins-sized iced tea for its internal cooling properties. Equally exciting are the endless mountains of squash, apples, pears, beets, and other goodies flooding the markets right now. But if I had to pick one thing I like most about fall, it’d have to be the return to soup season. My love for this coziest-of-cozy foods knows no bounds, and recently I had a particularly-good excuse to try out a handful of recipes: at 29, I had my wisdom teeth taken out.
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Slow-Cooker Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup
When you think of Sicilian food, I’d wager pasta alla Norma, bottles of Mount Etna rosso, gelato-stuffed brioche buns, juicy blood oranges, and deep-fried treasures like arancini and panelle are some of the first things to come to mind. All delightful, no doubt, but it’s the humble bean- and lentil-based soups, stews, and pasta dishes from the region that I anticipate making the most now that I’m home.
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Squash, Pinto Bean, Corn, and Kale Mason Jar Salad
Thanksgiving leftovers are pretty epic on day one, but by day two, I tend to get a little bored by the mild flavors and starchiness of it all. That’s where this rainbow of a salad comes into play. A celebration of fall produce — ok, corn is not really in season, but thawed previously-frozen kernels work great here — it is a fiber-packed antidote to holiday overindulgence, and a great make-ahead option.
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Ratatouille Pasta With White Beans
After spending the past month eating my way through Paris, there’s a lot I could say about Parisian cuisine. For now, the abridged version: the bread, pastries, and chocolates are as amazing as you’d expect (that said, SF and NYC offer some tough competition); poultry is taken very seriously (hello, poulet de Bresse, black chickens, and pigeon/squab); the butter and cheese are worth their weight in gold; and oh my gosh, those orange-yolked eggs. On the negative side: spicy food is hard to come by, and Parisian restaurants have been slow to embrace plant-centric cuisine. Sure, a handful of high-vibes juice bars have sprouted up (Wild & the Moon is particularly great). And yes, L’Arpège’s vegetarian degustation menu is having a bit of a moment, thanks in part to Netflix’s Chef’s Table — my verdict: beautiful food, but ultimately not worth the price tag. Still, overall (and yes, there are other exceptions) fruits and vegetables are not the star in The City of Light.
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Spicy Chickpea-Tomato Ragout
Why, in the middle of July, am I writing about a dish made with canned tomatoes, just as plump, juicy heirlooms have begun to flood the markets? Don’t get me wrong, I adore a peak-season fresh tomato — this time of year I practically survive on simple tomato salads — but I also find immense value in a killer pantry-based recipe, like this speedy, spicy tomato and chickpea stew. Because, as much as I enjoy grocery shopping, at least grocery shopping of the leisurely sort, sometimes it can feel like a bit of a chore, the last thing I want to do after a busy day of work. (I may be in the business of proselytizing home cooking, but will admit that the work that goes into that — meal planning, grocery shopping, and the like — can occasionally be a bit of a drag.) So when I come up with or discover a new pantry-goods-based recipe, especially one that’s as wholesome, versatile, and tasty as this one is, I tend to get ridiculously excited, giddy even.
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Black Bean, Tomato, and Avocado Bowl
Larger tomatoes like beefsteak, plum, and brandywine may not have hit their stride yet, but I can’t wait any longer to share this simple application of cherry tomatoes. Petite cherry and grape tomatoes like these Sungold and Sweet 100s ripen earlier, making them a great pick for those of us who can’t wait for tomato season any longer. A touch of heat amplifies their sweetness and softens their texture, making them an ideal compliment to a Mexican-inspired combination of seasoned black beans and buttery avocado.
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Indian Red Lentil Soup With Spinach
I’d quite happily eat both soup and Indian food every day; combine the two, like with this recipe, and I’m over the moon. Complexly-spiced, this Indian red lentil soup is just the sort of thing I like to fill my fridge (and freezer) with, ready to be reheated for a quick meal when hunger strikes.
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Slow-Cooker Black Beans With Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes
Beans and lentils are two of my dietary staples; fiber- and protein-rich, versatile, and inexpensive, there’s not much these humble legumes can’t do. I typically keep a few cans of cannellinis, chickpeas, and black beans in the pantry for quick-fix dinners, like rosemary-garlic chickpea soup and broccoli white bean soup, but most of the time I prefer to cook them myself using a slow-cooker.
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