Fresh Challenges with My Specialty Produce Farmers' Market Bag, and a recipe for Grapefruit-Tangerine Cake

We often spend a Saturday morning strolling through the Little Italy Farmers' Market, or a Sunday morning at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market, but I've also ordered the weekly Specialty Produce Farmers' Market Bag when we don't make it to one of the Farmers' Markets.  

You must order your bag by midnight Sunday, and then pick it up on Thursday or Friday. In addition to the $20 bag filled with produce, you have the option of ordering add-ons, like the fresh catch of the week, pasta, cheese, organic chicken, sausage, bread, jams, and sweets. Everything comes from local farms and businesses. On Wednesday, Specialty Produce reveals the contents of the bag, on its Facebook and web pages, provides links to suggested recipes for each ingredient, and publishes a video by Catalina Offshore Products demonstrating preparation of the fresh catch.

I love the challenge of coming up with interesting recipes using the ingredients. Purchasing the bag also encourages healthier meals and cooking more at home. But most importantly, I enjoy receiving the freshest products available, and supporting local farms and businesses.

In this week's bag, we received blueberries, Persian cucumbers, fennel, Oro Blanco grapefruit, Russian Fingerling Potatoes, Rosemary, Freckles Lettuce, and Sweet Dumpling Squash. I also purchased add-ons of the fresh catch of the week-Local White Sea Bass, a package of Cheddar Cheese Bratwurst, and an Asiago Baguette.

I wanted to do something different to showcase the beautiful, plump blueberries. I pat myself on the back for this idea - substituting blueberries for the cherries in Jose Andres' Cherries as Olives recipe. Everyone was so enamored with this unique preparation for cherries at one of our Concerts in the Park, I had to try it with blueberries. Score!

Blueberries as Olives

"Blueberries as Olives" paired with bread and brie

On another evening, I used some of the Purple Peruvian Potatoes from last week, combined with the Fennel, Russian Fingerling Potatoes, and Rosemary from this week, for a Roasted Potatoes and Fennel side dish.

Roasted Potatoes and Fennel

On Super Bowl Sunday, we made the remaining Purple Peruvian Potatoes into chips to accompany Chipotle-Beer Battered Fresh Local Sea Bass and homemade tartar sauce. For the Chipotle-Beer Batter, I followed Michael Chiarello's recipe, here. I dredged the sea bass fillets in rice flour before dipping into the batter. For the chips, we followed the method used by Kathy at Showfood Chef for her Truffled Potato Chips, here, minus the truffle oil. John made homemade tartar sauce, after looking at several recipes, using mayonnaise, dill, capers, chives, onion and garlic powders, celery salt, cayenne and lime juice.

Super Bowl Fish & Chips

I've had grapefruit on the brain lately, and I blame it on Owen, the pastry chef at The Home Ranch. He made a simple, but addicting Pink Grapefruit Tart while we were there.

Owen's Grapefruit Tart, The Home Ranch, CO

I considered trying to recreate it with the Oro Blanco grapefruits in this week's bag, but then I came across Thomas Keller's Grapefruit Cake and decided to go with that one. However, with only two grapefruits, I was a little shy on the amount of juice I needed, so I supplemented with some juice from the Perfection tangerines and made a Grapefruit-Tangerine Cake.

Oro Blanco Grapefruit Zest

The Oro Blanco Grapefruit ("white gold" in Spanish) is the product of cross-pollinating a seedy grapefruit variety and an acid-less pomelo variety. The segmented flesh is devoid of any color beyond its pale yellow tones, and lacks acidity, making it far sweeter than other varieties. 

The Perfection Tangerine is seedless, rounded and flattened in shape, and has a thin, medium-orange colored rind. Its flesh is extremely juicy and its flavor is rich and sweet. 

Grapefruit-Tangerine Cake

Slightly adapted from Ad Hoc at Home

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons grapefruit zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grapefruit-tangerine syrup:

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1/4 cup fresh tangerine juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Tangerine Icing:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons tangerine juice

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk the sugar and eggs on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium-low, and whisk in the milk, oil, grapefruit zest and the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate, and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Run an oiled pairing knife down the center of the batter so a nice crease forms during baking. Place the pan on a small baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, turning the pan 180 degrees half way through to ensure even baking. The cake is done with a skewer inserted in the center of the cake come out clean, with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the grapefruit and tangerine juices with the sugar, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for just a minute, until all the sugar has dissolved, and turn off the heat.

As soon as you have removed the cake from the oven, using a long skewer, poke deep holes every 3/4 inch or so all over the top of the cake. Immediately begin brushing the syrup all over the cake, waiting at times until it soaks in. Continue until you have used all the syrup. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.

Carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack, turn it right side up, and allow it cool completely.

To prepare the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and tangerine juice in a bowl until smooth. Add a little more sugar if the consistency is too thin. Drizzle over the cake, letting it run over the sides. Slice and serve.

Store cake at room temperature, lightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to two days.

***

Pissaladière aka Pirate Breath Pizza: French Fridays with Dorie

I've been cooking quite a bit this week, keeping us fed while John completes his over-the-top creations and renovations in the Pirate Workshop, front yard, courtyard, dining room, and living room. Yes, my man is totally immersed in his favorite holiday of the year, and our 4th Annual Halloween party.

This year, for the Pirate theme, you'll find me as Mary Read, an English Pirate who sailed with "Calico Jack" Rackham and Anne Bonny.

Last year's theme was Villains on Trial, with me as Cruella de Vil...

Sensing my irritation with frequent deliveries of Pirate stuff over the past few months, our friend Brad suggested Men Without Girlfriends for next year's theme.

After making this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Pissaladière (pronunciation), with all the onions and anchovies on top, it could work as a nice hors d'oeuvre for the Pirate Party, but I think I'll change the name to Pirate Breath Pizza.

Pissaladiere, a thin tart topped with onion, anchovies and olives, is a specialty of Nice, in Southern France. The sweetness of caramelized onions is balanced with the saltiness of anchovies and distinctive, sour flavor of Niçoise olives.  I used Italian Cerignola olives, which have a mild, sweet flavor, because my market was out of Niçoise olives...and I loved the pretty green color. I mixed in some roasted garlic with the onions, and added a sprinkle of pine nuts and grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.

The recipe has a boat load pirate ship load of onions...

But after over an hour of slow cooking, with olive oil and thyme, they melt down into caramelized sweetness.

The dough is rolled out thin, placed on a baking sheet, and covered with the onions. According to Jacques Médecin, former mayor of Nice and an authority on its cuisine, the layer of onions on a pissaladière should be half as thick as the crust.

After baking about 20 minutes, the top is adorned with strips of anchovies and olives, and baked a few minutes longer. This should most definitely be served only as hors d'oeuvre, but it was all Captain Juan Carlos Rodriguez Dominguez Christiana de Coronado got for his dinner last night!

Fine Cooking has published Dorie's Pissaladiere recipe, here.

***

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours.  As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!

Buckwheat Blini with Smoked Alaskan Black Cod and Crème Fraîche, for French Fridays with Dorie

Let me start by saying that buckwheat blinis are a walk in the park compared to soba noodles, both of which require buckwheat flour. Back in February, I blogged my completed Daring Cooks' Soba Noodle Challenge:  Buckwheat Flour is Not My Friend. Thankfully, I was able to use up a little more of that leftover buckwheat flour for this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, because you will never find me attempting soba noodles again!

Dorie tops her buckwheat blinis with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, salmon roe, and sprigs of dill. I strayed again, and used smoked Alaskan Black Cod, a touch of horseradish in my crème fraîche, chives, and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice.

I should have made a half batch of the blini batter, since it was only the two of us, but I experimented with making rustic, free-form pancakes, versus using a cookie cutter to make them all perfectly round and uniform (there are also blini pans available, but that's one pan I've yet to cram into my cupboards). After going through half the batter, with a half dozen of each variety, I preferred the rustic look.  I also liked plating the "second side" up, despite Dorie's opinion that it's not "as pretty." I think the lacy pattern and bubbles added to the rustic appeal.

We typically do not post actual FFwD recipes, but I discovered this one was previously published in Bon Appétit, and on Epicurious (however, the quantities are slightly different from those published in Around My French Table). The following recipe incorporates my modifications.

Buckwheat Blini with Smoked Alaskan Black Cod and Crème Fraîche
Adapted from Around My French Table
(Makes about blini, depending on size)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package (1/4 ounce/7 grams) active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Crème fraîche
Cream-style horseradish
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (4-ounce) package thinly sliced smoked black cod or trout (you'll need 8 oz. of smoked fish if you use all the batter)
Fresh chives
Lemon wedges

Preparation:

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.

Place milk and butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts and thermometer registers 110°F (if mixture gets too warm, cool until temperature returns to 110°F).

Pour warm milk mixture into flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Whisk buckwheat batter to deflate; then whisk in eggs.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Working in batches, spoon about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons batter for each blini onto griddle, spacing apart. Cook until bubbles form on top and begin to pop, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn blinis; cook until golden brown on bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Tent with foil and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining blinis.

Combine crème fraîche and horseradish, to taste (I used 5:1 ratio crème fraîche to horseradish). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Arrange warm blinis on platter. Top with smoked fish. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon crème fraîche atop each. Garnish with chives. Serve with small lemon wedges.

Note: The blini batter can be prepared one day ahead. After mixing in eggs, transfer to large bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, allow the batter to come to room temperature, and rewhisk. Cooked blinis can also be wrapped and refrigerated overnight (allow to cool first). Brush blinis lightly with melted butter and rewarm on baking sheet in 350°F oven 5 minutes.

***

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours.  As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!

Coronado Concerts in the Park - Chopped

For our Coronado Concert in the Park Finale of the summer season, our theme was Chopped, but a slightly less challenging version than the Food Network cooking television series hosted by Ted Allen.

If you're familiar with Chopped, you know that four chefs compete in each episode, in three rounds:  Appetizer, Entrée and Dessert. In each round, the chefs are given a basket containing between three and five ingredients, and the dish each competitor prepares must contain each of those ingredients. Generally speaking, the ingredients are ones that are not commonly prepared together. The competitors are also given access to a pantry and refrigerator stocked with a wide variety of other ingredients. Each round has a time limit: twenty minutes for the Appetizer round, and thirty minutes for the Entrée and Dessert. The chefs must cook their dishes and complete four platings (one for each judge plus one "beauty plate") before time runs out. After each round, the judges critique the dishes based on presentation, taste, and creativity. The judges then decide which chef is "chopped," who is then eliminated from the competition. Thus, by the dessert round, only two chefs remain. When deciding the winner, the judges consider not only the dessert course, but also the entire meal presented by each chef as a whole.

I found a list of all the baskets of ingredients from prior Chopped seasons and episodes, and asked our participating 'chefs' to choose two numbers (they didn't know that the first number corresponded to the season and the second number corresponded to the episode during that season). They were permitted to choose any ONE of the three baskets in their chosen episode - the Appetizer, Entrée OR Dessert basket, and had to prepare a dish for that course with the corresponding basket ingredients. If they were unable to locate an exact ingredient, close substitutions were allowed. I had John choose my numbers before I told him what was going on, so I could play along.

My episode, All-Stars Tournament: Round Three -- Notable Chefs, aired on March 20, 2011. I went with the Appetizer basket, containing fresh pasta sheets, dried papaya, bluefoot mushrooms, and chorizo. My other options included the entrée basket with cobia, salmon jerky, Chinese spinach, and animal crackers, or the dessert basket with granola bars, heirloom cherry tomatoes, Chinese five spice, and piloncillo.

I have new respect for the chefs who compete on Chopped. Thankfully, we didn't have the time constraints, because it took me hours to come up with an idea, and hours to prepare the final dish! My appetizer was Chorizo Ravioli, topped with Mussels in Red Curry.  I added sauteed yellow bell peppers and white beech mushrooms (no bluefoots at Whole Foods) to the curry sauce, and garnished the dish with a mix of diced dried papaya, cashews and coconut flakes.

I bought fresh lasagna sheets, thinned them out a bit in my pasta roller, and cut the ravioli with a large round cookie cutter.  I borrowed a recipe from the Culinary Institute of America for Chorizo Ravioli and adapted a recipe from Williams Sonoma for Red Curry Sauce.

I sauteed the mushrooms and bell pepper, and cooked the ravioli at home.  Once at the park, I then reheated the red curry sauce in my cataplana, and added the ravioli for a few minutes to reheat them.  One ravioli went on each plate, and then I added the mushrooms, bell peppers and mussels to the curry sauce, closed the cataplana, and steamed the mussels.

I topped each ravioli with 3 steamed mussels, curry sauce, and a sprinkle of diced papaya, cashews and coconut flakes.  Surprisingly, this turned out quite well.

Alec and Nina's episode, When Octopuses Attack, aired on October 12, 2010. Alec made an entrée with flank steak, chicory, pepino melon, and granola bars. His Appetizer basket contained lotus root, treviso, guava nectar, and octopus, and his dessert option included shiso leaves, pita bread, feta, and adzuki beans.

Alec told me he used a chicory blend that came in a tea bag as a dry rub for the flank steak, and then refrigerated it for 3-4 hours before grilling.  Pepino melon is out of season, so he made a salsa with pears and pink melon, pickled onions, a Tuaca-Sherry reduction, and a ground-up granola bar.  

Kai's episode, A is for Apple. U is for Udon, aired on August 16, 2011. He chose the Entrée basket, with sweet vermouth, leeks, French fingerling potatoes, and diver scallops. He declined the Appetizer basket with udon noodles, watermelon radish, razor clams, and pickled eggplant, and the Dessert Basket with Thai basil, marinated cippolini onions, Black Oxford apples, and rolled oats.  Kai's final dish:  Sautéed Scallops
in a sweet vermouth sauce (roux, sweet vermouth, chicken stock, sour cream), served over puréed leeks and mashed potatoes, and garnished with crispy leeks and bacon.

Jack and Sandra drew numbers corresponding to Buckwheat Blunders and Twists of Fate, which aired on August 25, 2009. Sandra also made an entrée with her entrée basket ingredients of knackwurst, pretzels, ramps, and mangosteen. Her appetizer basket contained olive oil packed tuna, English cucumbers, and buckwheat flour, and her dessert basket had biscuit dough, pistachios, dried hibiscus flowers, and black olives.

Carmen's episode, A Prickly Situation, aired July 21, 2009. She chose the Dessert Basket with bulgur wheat, pomegranate juice, pineapple, and green papaya. She could have made an appetizer with brioche, fennel, and sea urchin, or an entrée, with blackstrap molasses, red snapper, parsley root, and dried cranberries.  Carmen shared her original recipe for Fruited Bulgur Puddings here.  

Last Minute Chef was probably the only one who actually completed his dessert in the 30 minutes provided to the chefs on Chopped. Brad's episode, Dream'n of Redeem'n, aired July 20, 2010. He chose the Dessert basket, with vodka, crescent roll dough, sesame seeds, and blueberry jelly beans. He opted out of attempting an appetizer with rump roast, rainbow chard, and vegetable yeast spread, or an entrée with branzino (Mediterranean seabass), piquillo peppers, jicama, and chocolate sandwich cookies. Unfortunately, Brad's Cinnamon-Blueberry Jelly Bean Buns with Vanilla Vodka Glaze were tasty, but fell a tad short in the creativity department when he failed to incorporate any additional pantry or refrigerator ingredients in his dessert.  He partially redeemed himself by purchasing cinnamon crescent roll dough and vanilla vodka, but he then failed to use all of his basket ingredients by omitting the sesame seeds. 

Sorry, Bradley, but Judge Olivia ultimately decided you had to be chopped.

Remembering 9/11

If you've been following along this summer, I hope you've enjoyed our Concert in the Park culinary challenges (you can see all the themes we've done for the past four summers, here).  It's now time to finish planning and shopping for our annual Southern Jubilee Seafood Boil on Sunday, and then our annual Halloween Party.  In between, I hope to squeeze in some recipes from my cookbook and cooking magazine collection, share more of our restaurant and food photography shoots, and get to a special post about another beautiful product for homemade pasta.

Coronado Concerts in the Park - Impostors

Hello Again. Neil Diamond tribute artist, David Sherry, returned to Coronado Concerts in the Park for another Hot August Night with his Diamond is Forever! The Neil Diamond Experience.  Spreckles Park was jam-packed for an evening of Beautiful Noise.

Our culinary theme, Impostors, challenged the group to prepare food that appeared to be something it was not. I'm a Believer in the creativity of our group. No Soggy Pretzels or Porcupine Pie, but we did have some dishes that went down easier with some Red, Red Wine...If You Know What I Mean.

I knew right away I wanted to re-create a salad of roasted beets, all dressed up like Ahi Poke. After tasting Chef Rossman's version a few months ago, at Where the Wild Things Are Food and Wine Classic, I thought The Time is Now.

Jeff Rossman is the chef/owner of Terra American Bistro, and he was kind enough to respond to my request for the recipe "I don't have a recipe, but all you have to do is roast a beet or two, dice it and, when you're ready, toss with a little sesame oil, sliced green onion, sambal (chili vinegar sauce), sesame seeds, soy sauce, and a touch of salt and pepper. Easy..."

And that's what I did - I also added a bit of seaweed salad to the mix (I used 2 parts soy to 1 part sesame oil for the dressing). Will I make this again? Yes I Will.

John, my man who is Forever in Blue Jeans, snapped this photo of me, looking like a Kentucky Woman, with Chef Impostors, Julie and Hillari.

Jack, with his One Good Love, Sandra, will never be a Solitary Man...as long as he doesn't wear his Neil Diamond shirt too often.

After deciding on my Beet Poke, The Last Thing on My Mind, was making a second dish. However, while getting a pedicure and flipping through Better Homes and Gardens, I came across this dish and couldn't resist. I Got the Feelin' John would love these Bacon Bar and Chorizo Stuffed Dates with Spicy Oaxaca Red Sauce. They may not have fit with the "impostor" theme, because I'm not sure what they appeared to be at first glance, but Lady-Oh. There's simply No Limit when it comes to chocolate.

The photo below is from Peace, Love and Chocolate, where you can also find the recipe.

And this is a photo of my Stuffed Dates.  See what I mean?  They could be small testicles wrapped in bacon...Come to think of it, Kai has been pushing for an Offal Challenge.

And the Singer Sings His Song...

You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Carmen, but you put me to Shame with these Coxinhas!  Coxinhas are Brazilian snacks, made with shredded chicken, spices, and Catupiry, a Brazilian creamy-style cheese, enclosed in batter, and deep-fried.  Coxinha literally means "little thigh"- and it is how chicken drumsticks are known in Brazil.  Sometimes, a toothpick is inserted where the bone would be, but Carmen took it to a more creative level with baby corn.  After a few of these, I was Dancing in the Street.

If I Lost My Way, I would want it to be lost in Carmen's broccoli forest!  On the outside, it appears to be a loaf cake.  Slice it open, and you'll see broccoli trees growing out cocoa-tinted soil into a savory sky of cake.  You can find the recipe for Broccoli Cake at Not Quite Nigella.

Just when we thought we might be Home Before Dark, Julie broke out her box of Ferrero Chocolates. But wait, intermingled with the chocolates were Salmon Cheesecake Truffles! Salmon from a recent fishing trip in Alaska...

Chris presented this stunning Pistachio Cake, which I'm pretty sure made Bradley Walk on Water.  It was actually wheels of Brie, frosted with Mascarpone.

Sweet Caroline!  We had Kai and Olivia's meatloaf and mashed potatoes masquerading as this Pretty in Pink Cake...

And Nina's Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Preserves, Whipped Cream and Mint, masquerading as Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes!

Ride, come on baby, ride
Let me make your dreams come true
I'll sing my song
Let me make it warm for you...

Can you hear it, babe

Can you hear it, babe

From another time

From another place

Do you remember it, babe...

It's a beautiful noise

Made of joy and of strife

Like a symphony played

By the passing parade

It's the music of life...

French Fridays with Dorie - Eggplant Caviar

You know you're addicted to food blogging when you dream about food, and compose blog posts in your sleep. Normal women dream about wild sex and nude sunbathing on exotic beaches in faraway lands. Evidently, I'm no longer normal. The other morning, I stumbled out of an early morning dream about eggplants. Just as I opened my eyes and tossed the covers off, my friend's short essay about eggplants resurfaced from the nooks and crannies of my brain - it was the ideal introduction to this week's French Fridays with Dorie post.

I have to wonder why humankind ever started eating eggplants. They’re not all that appetizing. In its natural state—uncooked, unseasoned, undressed—an eggplant is downright dry, pithy and tasteless. You will never find a juicy, delicious eggplant. You will never want to chomp into one raw, as you would an apple, a pear or a peach. Oh yes, the eggplant is a fruit. Seeds on the inside; that’s the tipoff. But a strange fruit for sure. About the only way you can eat an eggplant is cooked to a fine mash, smothered in cheese and marinara sauce, saturated with olive oil—and calories. Truth be told, an honest eggplant would never claim to stand on its own in the kitchen pantheon, never presume to be more than what it is, a bland, blank canvas made to showcase the bright, bold flavors of comelier foods. On the other hand, if you can fight the urge to slice, dice and devour your eggplant—which shouldn’t really be too hard—it will reward your kindness with beauty, a gleaming purple splendor unrivaled by any other species of produce. Thus freed to embrace its truest, highest and best self, an honest eggplant can rise to the ranks of majesty.

Sandra Millers Younger

***

This week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Eggplant Caviar (caviar d’aubergine), is a spread/dip similar to Baba Ghanoush, but without tahini. We're addicted to the Baba Ghanoush at Apollonia Bistro, a quaint little Greek place next door to Bristol Farms in La Jolla, so Dorie's variation had a tough act to follow.

Why is it called eggplant caviar? Wikipedia explains that in some eastern European countries, such as Ukraine and Russia, "Ikra" also refers to an eggplant or squash spread which is often called "poor man's caviar." In England this is known as Aubergine Caviar. Similarly, "Texas caviar" is a type of salad or dip made from whole black-eyed peas. In the United Kingdom, "Yorkshire caviar" is a playful term for mushy peas, in reference to the stereotype of Yorkshiremen as dour folk who won't spend money on luxuries.  Okay, but I'm still perplexed.

Eggplant Caviar
Adapted from Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours
Makes about 3 cups

2 large eggplants (about 1 to 1-1/2 pounds each)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling over the finished dip
2 cloves of garlic, minced (I used about a tablespoon of roasted garlic)
1 small onion, minced (I didn't love the raw onion flavor and texture and will try caramelizing the onions or possibly substituting a few tablespoons minced shallots next time)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon Piment d'Espelette (or smoked paprika, cayenne, or other red Chile powder)
Salt and freshly ground pepper (smoked salt, if you have it)
3 Roma tomatoes, peeled, chopped and seeded (optional)

Serving suggestions: Toasted baguette slices, pita bread, or crackers

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Put the eggplants on a baking sheet lined with foil, prick with a knife in several places, and roast 45 to 60 minutes, until soft and shriveled (I also like the sound of David Lebovitz' method, here, for a bit more smokiness).
2. Cool and halve eggplants; scrape the flesh into a food processor and discard the skins. Add olive oil and puree. Add remaining ingredients and pulse just to combine (If you want a chunkier texture, you can mash and mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a fork). Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

3. Spoon into a bowl, cover, and chill several hours, or overnight.

4. Just before serving, fold in chopped tomatoes, if using, and drizzle with olive oil.

Eggplant caviar can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for a few days.

Despite its deceiving name, Eggplant Caviar surely deserves a spot in your dip/spread rotation.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get naked, crawl between some crisp, cool sheets and dream about wild sex and exotic beaches in a faraway lands. After all, eggplant caviar is an aphrodisiac? Isn't it?

***

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours.  As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!