It’s been a while since I last posted, and for that I’m sorry. Can I make it up to you? Possibly with some oysters and champagne? Okay, maybe it’s not the real thing (after all, it’s just a photo), but perhaps it will inspire you to shuck a couple dozen oysters and pop a bottle of your best bubbly with a few friends–preferably on a lazy Saturday afternoon. How does that sound? Good? Good.

Now here’s what you’ll need:

Champagne (or other sparkling wine)
Oysters
Mignonette
Lemon

Enjoy!

I like kale. I do. But, there’s a moment in your CSA subscription when you wonder, what am I going to do with ALL this kale? I’ve turned it into salads like this and this. I’ve made Food52′s One Pot Quinoa and Kale Pilaf. And I’ve added it to countless other dishes like soups and stews. What’s next?

That’s where this kale-walnut pesto comes in. It’s effortless, nutrient-rich, and will reduce the hardy, relentless green into one delicious, easy-to-use sauce. Simply blanch it, pulse it with garlic, Pecorino, walnuts, olive oil, and lemon juice, and toss yourself a bowl of kale-walnut pesto pasta (or whatever else you so desire).

Go ahead, give it a try.

Kale-Walnut Pesto (adapted from Bon Appetit)

3 garlic cloves
1 small bunch kale, stems removed
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch garlic cloves for 2 minutes. Add the kale and blanch for another 30 seconds more. Remove garlic and kale with a slotted spoon and place them in an ice bath. Using a salad spinner, remove excess water from the kale.

In a food processor, puree the garlic and kale. Add the Pecorino, walnuts, olive oil, and lemon juice and puree. Salt and pepper to taste.

If you’ve been to Buvette in New York’s West Village, then you’ve likely had their Cavoletti Salad. And, if you haven’t yet been or haven’t yet ordered it, then you’re missing out on a wonderful way to prepare Brussels sprouts. Good news is, though, you can easily make this salad of Brussels sprouts, Pecorino, and walnuts at home. All you need are a few good ingredients and some quality time with your mandoline. Next thing you know, this salad will be making frequent appearances at your dinner table.

Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino and Walnuts (inspired by Buvette)

6 cups shaved Brussels sprouts
6 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 cup toasted walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375°F. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for five minutes, or until warm and fragrant. Roughly chop.

In a large bowl, toss the shaved Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the Pecorino and walnuts and toss. Salt and pepper to taste.

Note: If you don’t have a mandoline to thinly shave the Brussels sprouts, a knife will do. I use Nicolas Alziari’s extra virgin olive oil, which can be found at Williams Sonoma and other specialty stores.

On a recent weekend, with the autumn chill settling in, I was inspired to make a fall-off-the-bone leg of lamb, loosely based on this recipe. As it slowly roasted for four hours, I read the newspaper, watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi (a must-see if you haven’t already!), and made this hearty side dish of butternut squash and wheat berries, a simple side for that delectable leg of lamb. Sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese, it proved equally as delicious for lunch the next day, the very best quality a side (or salad, if you like) can have.

Butternut Squash and Wheat Berries

1 butternut squash, diced
1/2 cup wheat berries, rinsed
1 cup parsley, chopped
Fresh goat cheese
3 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 425°F. Toss butternut squash in 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the wheat berries, bring to a simmer, and allow to cook with the lid on for 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes with the lid on.

Toss wheat berries in 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add butternut squash and parsley and toss. Crumble goat cheese on top and serve warm or at room temperature.

Hello again, it’s been a while. It wasn’t my intention to go MIA, but summer got the best of me and the next thing I knew it was already mid-September. So, here I am, one gloriously lazy, beachy vacation in Bretagne and Corsica later, ready to share some recipes with you.

This week’s recipe in question: Concord Grape Crostini, adapted from Sara and Hugh Forte’s seasonally-driven, beautifully photographed cookbook, The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods. Having followed their blog, Sprouted Kitchen, for some time now, I was eager to get my hands on a copy of their cookbook. And, as soon as I did, I jumped into my kitchen to try a few of their recipes, notably the Roasted Tomato Soup, the Haricots Vert Salad with Avocado Goddess Dressing, and the Red Grape Salsa on Crostini.

All were delicious, but I particularly fell for the crostini.

Although I made a handful of changes to the original recipe — I had ricotta, parsley, and white wine vinegar on hand and no Anaheim peppers to speak of — the crostini turned out wonderfully. They tasted of late summer/early fall, the bright Concord grape salsa contrasting with the creamy ricotta cheese. They were just right for commencing a dinner party with close friends, and they will most certainly make appearances at dinner parties to come.

Thank you Sara and Hugh for an inspired new cookbook!

Concord Grape Crostini (adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods)

1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 1/2 lb seedless concord grapes, diced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 heaping cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 whole grain baguette
Extra virgin olive oil
8 oz ricotta
Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the red onion, grapes, vinegar, and 1/3 cup of the parsley and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir.

Start the broiler. Slice the baguette on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat one side of each baguette slice with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil until just toasted and golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of ricotta onto one side of each baguette slice and place a heaping spoonful of the grape salsa on top. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.

I know, I’ve already told you about Morning Glory, but I just can’t get enough of it. It’s my favorite diner — always has been and always will be. And, sometimes one just has to dote on their favorite diner, because anywhere that serves buttery buttermilk biscuits with homemade jam and sports a sign that says Be Nice or Leave deserves to be doted upon from time to time. So, here I am, sitting at a two top, looking onto the open kitchen, Kinfolk Magazine in hand, sipping a minty iced tea, and eagerly awaiting the most delicious veggie burger with creamy hummus and warm pita on a leisurely Friday afternoon. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s exactly what I hope for when I’m home.

For a while now, I’ve been curious about joining a CSA. I believe it’s a fantastic concept and, given that I already cook seasonally, fits perfectly with my cooking style. So, after drinks with a good friend who happens to live in my neighborhood, we decided we would join a CSA together. It would make confronting that big box of produce that much easier, because, after all, we don’t have large families to feed.

Since, we’ve received boxes full of beautiful heads of lettuce, colorful summer squash, crisp cucumbers, and perfectly ripe melons. We’ve watched summer’s progression from the slightly more boring cabbages and carrots to those vegetables (and even fruits!) that make the season so special — like eggplant.

Just last week, we received our very first eggplants of the summer. Deep purple in color and oblong in shape, they were exactly what we had been hoping for. Naturally, I was inspired to make a million different eggplant recipes. Ultimately, though, I decided I would make a roasted eggplant dip. And, so, I got to work. I roasted the eggplant until soft and tender, mixed it with olive oil, lemon, parsley, and spices, and happily ate it with warm pita. It was a delightful summer snack that I will undoubtedly make again.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

1 large eggplant
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup parsley
Pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400°F. Roast eggplant on a baking sheet for 45 minutes, or until soft and tender. Once the eggplant has cooled slightly, peel off the skin and roughly chop the flesh.

In a food processor, pulse the roasted eggplant with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley a few times. Salt and pepper to taste. If using, mix in the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Adjust for seasoning.

Note: Mark Bittman incorporates pine nuts, which is a lovely addition. His recipe, like many others, also calls for tahini, which you should try if you’re so inclined.

If you haven’t yet read Tamar Adler’s An Everlasting Meal, go to the nearest bookstore, pick up a copy, and start reading it now. Why, you might ask? Because it is beautifully written (poetic, many have noted) and practical, inspiring and right on point.

Reading Adler’s book made me want to jump right into the kitchen. It made me want to wash and chop and roast and boil. It made me want to prepare life’s simple pleasures like roasted vegetables and omelets and beans and stews and simply dressed salads. It made me smile when she proclaimed, “Eggs should be laid by chickens that have as much of a say in it as any of us about our egg laying does,” and nod in agreement when she stated, “No matter what else is in my cupboards, I try to keep at least one jar or can each of anchovies, olives, capers, and astringent pickles, like gherkins, or cornichons. They are not all universally loved, but few powerful things are.” Given her evident fondness for zingy ingredients like the aforementioned, I suspect she and I would get along well.

So, as soon as I returned home, I went straight for the kitchen. I cracked two eggs, whisked them up, and turned them into a simple omelet for one. As the omelet cooked, I tossed together Adler’s zesty Parsley Salad, full of shallots, capers, and cornichons. And, as I ate my delightfully simple dinner, I wondered what Adler herself might be eating for dinner that very moment.

Two Egg Omelet and Tamar Adler’s Parsley Salad (Parsley Salad From An Everlasting Meal)

for the omelet
2 large eggs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

for the parsley salad
1 bunch flat-leaf or curly-leaf parsley, stems removed and leaved roughly chopped
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 tsp drained capers
4 cornichons, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Gently crack eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk well, adding a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add olive oil and coat well. Once the olive oil has heated, add the eggs (which should sizzle lightly). As soon as the eggs have begun to settle, turn the heat down to low and cook until omelet is set (cooking time depends on whether you prefer your omelet runny or not). Remove the pan from the heat and slide omelet onto a plate, folding it in half.

While the omelet is setting, mix the parsley, shallots, capers, and cornichons in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and olive oil together and add to the salad. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside, or on top of, the omelet.

Bretagne, or Brittany as it is known in English, is many things to me. It is where my father grew up. It is were I spent a year of my childhood and every summer after that. It is, incidentally, my middle name. But, mostly, it is my grandfather, Papi. He is my last true connection to Brittany, the last true Breton in the family.

At ninety-four years old, Papi, a sturdy man with the round belly of a bon vivant, has lived through incredible change. He knew Brittany when many still spoke Breton and wore traditional Breton garb. He lived through World War II, escaping Nazi capture. And, he witnessed the subsequent triumph of tourism in Brittany’s coastal towns. He has outlasted my grandmother, Mami, and much of his generation. In fact, it sometimes seems as though he will live forever. As though, no matter what, I will always come to Brittany to find him enjoying a glass of wine, reading Le Figaro, or tending to his garden.

But, what do you do when, suddenly, the image you hold of your resilient grandfather is shattered? What do you do when his health takes a turn for the worse?

It is becoming apparent to me that he will not live forever, that one day Brittany will go on existing without him, without the man who embodies what it means to be Breton. One day, I will descend onto the train platform, knowing that he will not be there to greet me. And, that day, I will have to eat my first meal of crêpes without him. I will have to enjoy a bottle of cidre without his help. Suddenly Brittany will feel different, like there’s something missing, and I will have to learn how to visit this place I love so dearly without him there.

But, for now, I plan on making the most of my next trip to Brittany. And, perhaps, if Papi is up for it, I plan on sharing a hearty meal of crêpes and cider right across the table from him.

Last week, among all the picnic recipes I shared, I promised you a recipe for my summery quinoa salad. Well, without further ado, here it is — quinoa, raw sweet corn, raw shaved zucchini, and a healthy dose of herbs. It’s the warm weather equivalent to my winter quinoa salad, because clearly I cannot get enough of those ancient, grain-like seeds full of nutrients.

Pack this salad for a picnic or serve it at your next barbecue, and add chickpeas or crumbled feta cheese if you like. Ultimately, it’s all about using the freshest ingredients you have on hand, whether or not those ingredients happen to be corn and zucchini.

Happy Fourth of July!

Quinoa with Zucchini Corn, Parsley, and Basil

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced (use a mandoline for best results)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup minced basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss the quinoa, corn, zucchini, parsley, and basil. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and toss, adding more olive oil and lemon juice if desired. Salt and pepper to taste.