sesame-crusted feta and fig sandwiches

When school starts, I consider it fall. No matter that the high reaches 90 degrees most days and I can still get good tomatoes at the farmer's market; I'm ready for it to be sweater weather (and stay that way--I can pass on winter, thank you). Today, Labor Day, marks the "official" end of summer, and it's a bit cooler and rainy and at least it LOOKS like fall outside, so I made a decidedly autumnal sandwich for lunch. And it was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had...which is saying a lot, since anything on bread pretty much qualifies as my favorite food.

This is a bit more labor-intensive than a ham and cheese on wheat, but the extra effort pays off. The nuttiness of sesame seeds plays off the sharp tang of feta, and the figs' already considerable sweetness deepens with a quick toss in a saute pan and a drizzle of honey. The bread is almost secondary, but a nice hearty whole-grain works well (I used Whole Food's Seeduction bread, one of my favorites despite the name). Now that I think of it, though, this recipe might work even better as a salad, on a bed of arugula perhaps.

sesame-crusted feta and fig sandwiches
adapted from serious eats
serves two

ingredients:
4 oz. block feta
1 tbsp butter
4 figs, quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp honey
4 slices of hearty bread

instructions:
Slice feta into approximately 1/4" slices and place on a plate in the freezer to harden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until bubbly, 2-3 minutes. Add figs and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine sesame seeds, coriander, and red pepper on a medium plate. Remove feta from freezer, dip each slice in egg and coat all sides evenly with sesame seed mixture.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Saute feta until golden on both sides, turning carefully with tongs, a minute or two per side. Remove from heat.

Top each slice of bread with feta and figs, season with salt and black pepper, and drizzle with honey.

my favorite potato salad

 I love the word "salad"; it can cover a multitude of sins. Especially in the South, where salads usually involve something creamy--mayonnaise, cream cheese, even cool whip--they are often much less healthy than they sound. I won't say I'm above such mayo-laden delicacies as grape or broccoli salad, but sometimes I want something a little more complex and a little less heart-stopping. Earlier this summer my mom asked me to make some potato salad for dinner at the beach, and based on a recipe I liked and what we had in the fridge, I came up with the recipe below. It's creamy, yes, and I don't know that I would call it health food, but it's more than potatoes+mayo+celery, and it is absolutely delicious warm or cold.

my favorite potato salad
adapted from food52
serves 4-6

ingredients:
10 or so medium red-skinned potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut in half
Olive oil and kosher salt, for roasting
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/4 c mayo
2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion or 1/4 large onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
A few shakes Tabasco
1/2 tsp Creole seasoning

instructions:
Preheat oven to 400. Toss potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt, and roast until cooked through and golden brown on the bottom (40-45 minutes). Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl to make the dressing. When potatoes are done and you're ready to serve the salad, cut them into bite-sized pieces and toss with the dressing. Don't do this until you're ready to serve the salad (warm or cold is fine), since the potatoes soak up the dressing pretty quickly.

P.S. - I made a much larger batch of this for a meal we served this week at The Nashville Food Project, alongside pulled pork, maque choux, and banana blueberry cake. It's not up yet, but in the next few days they will have the recipe for maque choux on their website feature Cook for a Crowd. Check it out!

blueberry-basil breakfast bowl

I promise these berries are of the blue variety.

Although recently my blog posts have been few and far between, I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I'm the summer kitchen intern (or Kitchen Intern, if I'm feeling self-important) at this great organization called The Nashville Food Project, and although that means I'm working with food all day most days, I still usually want to cook for myself when I come home. I try to get all my cooking done at night, dinner first, then breakfast and lunch to take with me for the next day. This isn't any different from my school-year routine, but because I have more free time now I'm trying more new recipes than usual, including the one you're about to read!

Most of the time "new" recipes that attract me remind me of something I already like. This is a perfect example. Oatmeal is my default breakfast, but when it's 100+ degrees outside it's hard to get excited about a hot bowl of anything. When I saw The Kitchn's recipe for a breakfast blueberry and grain salad, I knew I had to make it. (This epiphany might have had something to do with the 8 pints of blueberries I had just bought on sale at Whole Foods.) So I did, and I ate it every day for breakfast last week. Tonight I decided to make another batch, but I changed a few things: more berries, fewer nuts, basil instead of nutmeg. I think my version is an improvement on the original, humility be damned.

I know the name I gave this recipe has a lot of "b"s--I was always a sucker for alliteration. And blueberries. And, as you probably already know if you know me, breakfast. This hits all three. You can substitute almost any grains, fruits, spices or herbs, and nuts or seeds you want, but make sure you come up with an equally snappy title for your new version, please.

blueberry-basil breakfast bowl
adapted from the kitchn
makes about 8 servings

ingredients:
1 c steel-cut oats
1 c quinoa
1/2 c millet
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 1/2 c water
3/4 tsp salt
2 lemons, zest and juice
1/3 c basil, chopped
1/2 c maple syrup
1 c Greek yogurt
1/2 c pecans, toasted and chopped
3 c blueberries

instructions:
Mix the oats, quinoa, and millet in a fine mesh strainer and rinse for about a minute under running water. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rinsed grains and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until they begin smelling toasted. Pour in 4 1/2 cups water and stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt and the zest of 1 lemon.

Bring to boil, cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Spread hot grains on a large baking sheet and let cool for at least half an hour.

Spoon the cooled grains into a large bowl. Stir in the basil and the zest of the second lemon.

In a medium bowl whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the juice of both lemons until emulsified. Whisk in the maple syrup and yogurt. Pour this into the grains and stir until well-coated. Stir in the toasted pecans and blueberries. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.

Refrigerate overnight (or as long as you can stand it). This will keep in the fridge for several days and also freezes well, if you can't eat it all up in a week.