Seasonal Savory Sauces For Almost Anything

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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Cross Humus With Pesto For Magical Mixtures

A few months ago, a friend gave me a recipe for an utterly addictive dipping sauce. Apparently an Oregon restaurant makes something they call Yumm sauce that has sparked many cooks to try to suss out the (top secret) recipe. In my kithcen, that original recipe has morphed into several seasonal variations, each tastier than the last. I was trying to figure out just what made this crazy stuff so appealing and realized that every version tastes both rich and fresh, combining the satisfying mouth-feel of hummus with the bright liveliness of pesto.

The original version I was given partnered ground almonds and chickpeas with lemon juice and Indian curry spices. That one is awesome, and so is another I devised made from big, white Italian cannellini beans, and hazelnuts. And so is another made with Black Turtle beans and walnuts, and one made with pinto beans and pumpkin seeds. All have some citrusy additions as well as fresh herbs, garlic or shallots, and sea salt. The other commonality is nutritional yeast, which adds protein as well as a bold umame flavor that gives these sauces surprising depth and body.

Great With Chips, Veggies, Rice, Seafood, Salads…

Whether given a Tex-Mex spin, a Middle Eastern accent, or a Mediterranean makeover, this yummy stuff can be used in countless creative ways. Add a dollop to your usual vinaigrette and toss with greens or mix it into pasta or potato or tuna or egg salads. Offer it as a raw veggie or chip dip, smear it on crackers, or mash it with goat cheese, spread on crusty bread and toast to a bubbly finish. Spoon it over hot rice, steamed vegetables, or grilled fish or chicken. Use it instead of mayo on sandwiches and wraps.

Give the basic sauce a Thai twist and add it to a shrimp and vegetable stir fry or toss it with rice noodles and shredded chicken. Make a refreshing summer salad combining raw corn, sweet onions, sweet peppers and blueberries with a chipotle-infused sauce version. Any delicious partnership you can dream up can give this simple sauce a whole new flavor, suggesting a dozen new uses. I’ve made amazing deviled eggs using a basil and lime version. How about grilled eggplant slathered with a peanut, fresh ancho chili and lime version? Grilled nectarines with a lemon and tarragon Amazing Sauce? Sesame seeds, ginger and mint? Amaze yourself with these Amazing Sauces, all of which are healthy and wholesome as well as utterly toothsome.

Make Mine, Then Make Your Own

To get started, make smallish batches, keeping notes about what you did. To change it up, use different kinds of beans and/or nuts and seeds, try favorite herbal or spice combinations, or switch out various citrus fruits and oils. If you love the result, make a bigger batch; you’ll need it! The basic small batch makes about 1 cup of sauce, and leftovers, if any, can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. However, the sauce won’t last that long if anybody knows about it, because if your house is like mine, the sauce will mysteriously disappear….

Basic Amazing Sauce

1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large lemon, juiced, rind grated
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup flaked nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon oregano, stemmed
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water

In a food processor or blender, grind nuts to coarse meal. Add chickpeas, seeds, lemon rind, garlic and sea salt and process to a smooth paste. Add nutritional yeast, oregano and smoked paprika, process briefly, then slowly add oil and lemon juice while machine is running. Thin with water to desired consistency, adjust seasoning if needed and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 cup.

Curry Amazing Sauce

1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 large lemon, juiced, rind grated
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup flaked nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (or curry powder to taste)
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/3 cup water

In a food processor or blender, grind nuts to coarse meal. Add chickpeas, seeds, lemon rind, garlic and sea salt and process to a smooth paste. Add nutritional yeast and curry, process briefly, then slowly add oil and lemon juice while machine is running. Thin with water to desired consistency, adjust seasoning if needed and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 cup.

Basil Pesto-esque Amazing Sauce

1/4 cup raw hazelnuts
1/4 cup cooked white Italian cannellini beans
1 large or 2 small lime(s), juiced, rind grated
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups basil leaves, stemmed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup flaked nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water

In a food processor or blender, grind nuts to coarse meal. Add chickpeas, seeds, lime rind, garlic and sea salt and process to a smooth paste. Add nutritional yeast and curry, process briefly, then slowly add oil while machine is running, then thin with water to desired consistency. Adjust seasoning if desired and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 cup.

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Fruity Or Savory Summer Cobbler

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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Nectarines, Cherries, Peaches, Plums, Apricots….

I’m in love with greens all year long, but in summer, I become obsessed with fruit. Despite the rapid influx of plums, peaches, and nectarines, I am having a bit of trouble letting go of the cherries, which are definitely past their prime. As I mentioned last week, I find that slow roasting does wonders for less than stellar fruit of all kinds, including cherries.

Once you roast the little nuggets, you can freeze them in small batches to add to salads, curries, sorbets and cakes. I’m grateful to have enough left to play with, since they add a deliciously rich, complex flavor to whatever they end up in. Two recent cobblers, one sweet, one savory, were notably improved by roasted cherries. I suppose the savory one is really something else, but I’m not sure what. By any name, it tasted like more, which is all you can ask of a wholesome, toothsome meal, right?

Nectarine Cobbler With Roasted Cherries

This is equally lovely made with peaches and blueberries or apricots and raspberries (or almost anything, really. Rhubarb and currants…). We served ours with a vey slightly sweet locally made coconut ice cream and some homemade raspberry frozen yogurt, both excellent choices.

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 ripe nectarines, sliced
few grains sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 lime, juiced, rind grated
1 cup roasted cherries OR fresh berries
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baker’s vanilla sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a 9 x 9 inch baking dish, melt 1 tablespoon butter (stick it in the oven for a minute) and layer in the nectarine slices. Sprinkle evenly with salt, brown sugar, and flour, then sprinkle with roasted cherries and lime juice and set aside. In a bowl, sift together the two flours, the sugar, baking powder, salt, lime rind, and nutmeg. Pour milk into a large measuring cup, add the egg and vanilla and whisk well. Stir this into the dry ingredients, melt butter and stir in, then spoon over fruit. Top with baker’s vanilla sugar (or not) and bake at 425 F for 30 minutes or until well browned and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes. Serves at least one.

Curried Chicken Cherry Cobbler

This version has a pleasing spicy sweet/hot balance and tastes best warm or at room temperature. It would make great picnic or beach food and manages to be hearty without being heavy.

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 orange sweet pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin and/or fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups cooked chicken, in bite-sized pieces
1 cup roasted cherries OR fresh cherries, pitted
3/4 cup coconut milk
1-2 teaspoons green curry paste
1 lime, juiced, rind grated
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/3 cup safflower or peanut oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil, onion, pepper, seeds and salt in a wide, shallow pan over medium high heat and cook to the fragrance point (1-2 minutes). Add chicken, cherries, coconut milk and lime juice and season to taste with curry paste. Poor mixture into a 9 x 9 inch baking dish. In a bowl, sift together the two flours, the ginger, baking powder, salt, lime rind, garam masala and coriander. Pour milk into a large measuring cup, add the egg and oil and whisk well. Stir into the dry ingredients, then spoon over chicken and bake at 425 F for 30 minutes or until well browned and bubbly. Serves 4-6.

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Cherry Ripe

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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A Glut Of Gorgeous Fruit

We’ve been feasting on ripe cherries for several weeks now. At first, nothing tastes better and we eat them by the bowlful. Now, though they still taste awesome, we are starting to get more inventive about using them. One thing I’ve discovered is that cherries will keep better if I soak them in cold water for an hour or so. Though sun warm cherries fresh off the tree taste amazing, after a day or two, they lose a little of their luster.

When I buy cherries at the market, I give them a long, chilly soak, which improves their texture, then drain them well before refrigerating. I especially like cold cherries, perhaps because the best cherries I ever had as a child were served in a huge silver bowl of ice at the Singing Beach Club in Massachusetts. Hot sun on wet hair, warm sand on bare feet, skin goose-bumped from cold ocean water and mouth delighted by chilled cherries melded into a perfect whole that I’ve never forgotten.

Some Like It Hot

However, though I also enjoy cherries cooked in the usual pies and tarts and whatnot, I appreciate their intricate flavor best in savory dishes, especially partnered with chicken or salmon or shrimp. Use them instead of the ubiquitous dried cranberries in chicken salad, or poach a few in white wine along with boned, skinless chicken, red onion, and tarragon or dill. Roast them to a glazed, caramelized finish as a side for grilled fish, or toss them with maple syrup and spices before roasting as an astonishing treat with raspberry ice cream or almost anything you can think of. Caramelized cherry shortcake? Cake decoration? Salads? Curry? What are you waiting for?

I have a little cherry pitter that works about half the time. Usually, I end up cutting the cherries in half, rotating the two halves in opposite directions to loosen the pit, then flicking it out with the knife or my fingertip. It’s surprisingly fast, though be sure to wear the kind of apron or shirt you would choose when preparing to seed a pomegranate or chop beets. If you do get juice on your nice clothing, try removing it with Bac-Out (made by Bioclean). It’s remarkably effective at removing stains made by wine, chocolate, blood, tea and other challenging substances.

Caramelized Savory Cherries

2 cups pitted sweet cherries, halved
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 organic lime, juiced, rind grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
OR smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss cherries, olive oil, lime rind, sea salt and pepper with half the lime juice, then spread cherries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down. Roast until edges are browned (15-20 minutes). Toss with remaining lime juice and serve with fish or chicken or sweet corn, or…. Serves 1-4.

Curried Caramelized Cherries

2 cups pitted sweet cherries, halved
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 organic lime, juiced, rind grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder or paste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss cherries, olive oil, lime rind, sea salt and curry powder or paste with half the lime juice, then spread cherries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down. Roast until edges are browned (15-20 minutes). Toss with remaining lime juice and serve over basmati rice with fish or chicken or any vegetable…. Serves 1-4.

Caramelized Sweet Cherries

2 cups pitted sweet cherries, halved
1 tablespoon rice or safflower oil
1/2 large organic lemon, juiced, rind grated
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss cherries, oil, lemon rind, and spices with half the lemon juice, then spread cherries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down, reserving extra juice. Roast until edges are browned (15-20 minutes). Toss with remaining juices and serve over ice cream, bread pudding, rice pudding, or use the extra juices in a marinade or dressing for green or fruit salads…. Serves 1-4.

Cherry Chicken Salad

1/4 cup virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons plain rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups mixed greens
1 head Romaine, sliced in ribbons
1 small head radicchio, shredded
2 cups cooked chicken, in bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas, in 1-inch pieces
1 Italian sweet pepper (or any sweet pepper), chopped
1/2 cup caramelized cherries (any kind)

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, basil and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients except cherries, drizzle with dressing, toss gently, divide between 4 plates and serve, topped with cherries. Serves 4.

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Singing Along With Summer Fruit

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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Can She Bake A Cherry Pie?

Cherry Pie, Art by Lisabelle

My new grandson, Oliver, is now just over a month old, and is fascinated by singing. Yesterday, I played with him for hours, singing him old nursery rhymes, including several cherry songs. I was rewarded with some of his first smiles, which his mom calls his newest trick. When I got back home, my young housemates had picked 6 quarts of cherries and wanted to make something with them. I sang them my favorite cherry songs, including one that goes “Can she bake a cherry pie, darling Billie?” and we decided to make a summery cherry pie ourselves.

I usually make cherry pie using tart pie cherries, but we had a mix of sweet and tart cherries to play with, so we decided to experiment. Our cherry pitter was having issues, so we ended up having to stone 6 cups of cherries by hand, no small task. To pass the time, we sang together and I realized that many children today grow up without hearing the old time songs that my generation learned at school and camp, if not at home.

Pass It All On, Please

My singing group, Time & Tide, plays a lot of traditional music at farmers’ markets and wooden boat shows, and we notice that it’s usually only the oldest folks who sing along with us. Singing and food preparation seem to go together–happy cooks often sing in the kitchen–and I hope that you may be similarly inspired to mingle the two, especially if young people are involved. It fills me with hope that many kids of my acquaintance seem to enjoy both cooking and singing, so let’s all pass along the traditions we most enjoy in both arenas (and others, of course).

Our pie was simple but exceedingly tasty, not least because we added some slightly overripe raspberries to the mix. Here’s what we did:

A Toothsome Crust for Fruit Pies

1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated zest of an organic lime or lemon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/3 cup ice water (more or less)

Sift together the dry ingredients, cut in butter and work with hands or a fork until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add water a little at a time until mixture forms a loose ball. Cover and chill for an hour, then divide in half and roll each half out to fit a 9-inch pie dish (we rolled ours between sheets of waxed paper).

Cherry-Raspberry Pie Filling

Double crust (see above)
4 cups tart or mixed pie cherries, stoned
2 cups very ripe raspberries
3 heaping tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1 scant cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bottom crust in a 9 inch pie dish. In a bowl, mix cherries an raspberries with tapioca, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Let sit for 15 minutes, then spoon into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and cut 3 small slits to release steam OR cut top crust into strips and weave a lattice top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes or until pie is golden brown an bubbling. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Serves at least one.

Set Jam With Citrus

We also made raspberry jam, for which I prefer to use a good percentage of somewhat under-ripe berries, since they contain more natural pectin. I often use lemon rinds to boost setting power in jam, but right now, we have lots of lovely organic limes, which are also rich in pectin. (Some years, even commercial pectins are made with limes instead of the more usual lemons.) Riper fruit may need more citrus juice added, and may take a few days to set up fully. If it never sets firmly, don’t worry; soft set jam makes awesome sauce for ice cream or ripe fruit, and is terrific in a simple vinaigrette.

Raspberry Lime Jam

3 cups mashed raspberries
2 cups sugar
1 large organic lime, juiced, rind grated, quartered

In a large pan, bring fruit to a brisk boil over medium high heat and cook for 1 minute. Stir in sugar, lime rind, the lime juice and quartered squozen lime, and any seeds and boil for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove lime quarters and any visible seeds before ladling jam into jars (the seeds often dissolve completely). Makes about 2 pints.

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