What I'm cooking
Summer isn't exactly my fave season. In fact, of the four, it's a solid number seventy-two. But. There is grilling in the summer. Grilling is always a good thing, and not just because my husband is the one doing the actual grilling, while I sit by, keeping him company and watching my herbs grow—and often get snipped to be tossed onto the grill with whatever else is there—sipping a cool, minty beverage and pondering the mysteries of the universe, or, at the very least, pondering what the hell the chipmunk who lives under our shed is thinking running around amok like that when there are feral cats and birds of prey in this neck of the woods, not to mention in the frickin' parking lot just beyond the back gate and...
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Summer isn't my favorite. Save the grilling. And the chipmunk. Whom we've name Theo. Short for Thelonious Chipmunk.
Anyway.
Summer, when it comes my turn to make dinner, is also the time of cold stuff. Like sandwiches. And salads. And charcuterie boards. And, our favorite around here, gazpacho. Which pairs nicely with our other favorite, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, also cold. Even better than being cold, though, both of these are super easy to make. So here, I give you my signature summertime dish. Dishes. Stuff we eat most in summer.
Gazpacho
2 lbs. tomatoes, quartered
1 English cucumber, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. thinly sliced basil
Croutons
Mix everything except basil and croutons in a large bowl, then blend in increments in the blender until smooth-ish. (If you can fit them all in the blender or a food processor at the same time, do everything together. I have to separate them this way ‘cause they won’t all fit in my blender, and I really need to get a food processor one of these days.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper (and cumin) if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
To serve, divide soup among bowls and top with basil and croutons.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
For the Salad
2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives (which can be served on the side if they're not your thing)
1/2 c. crumbled feta
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. freshly chopped basil
1 tsp. Cardamom
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large bowl, toss together chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta. Season with salt and pepper to taste
In a jar fitted with a lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, basil, cardamom, salt, and pepper. Close the jar and shake until emulsified.
Dress salad with vinaigrette and serve.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Summer isn't my favorite. Save the grilling. And the chipmunk. Whom we've name Theo. Short for Thelonious Chipmunk.
Anyway.
Summer, when it comes my turn to make dinner, is also the time of cold stuff. Like sandwiches. And salads. And charcuterie boards. And, our favorite around here, gazpacho. Which pairs nicely with our other favorite, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, also cold. Even better than being cold, though, both of these are super easy to make. So here, I give you my signature summertime dish. Dishes. Stuff we eat most in summer.
Gazpacho
2 lbs. tomatoes, quartered
1 English cucumber, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. thinly sliced basil
Croutons
Mix everything except basil and croutons in a large bowl, then blend in increments in the blender until smooth-ish. (If you can fit them all in the blender or a food processor at the same time, do everything together. I have to separate them this way ‘cause they won’t all fit in my blender, and I really need to get a food processor one of these days.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper (and cumin) if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
To serve, divide soup among bowls and top with basil and croutons.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
For the Salad
2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives (which can be served on the side if they're not your thing)
1/2 c. crumbled feta
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. freshly chopped basil
1 tsp. Cardamom
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large bowl, toss together chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta. Season with salt and pepper to taste
In a jar fitted with a lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, basil, cardamom, salt, and pepper. Close the jar and shake until emulsified.
Dress salad with vinaigrette and serve.
What I'm reading
Havana Nocturne
T.J. English
I've had a character running around in my head for more than a decade who was a showgirl in pre-Castro Havana. A couple years ago, she finally clued me in to some of her secrets. And wow, were they good ones. I've since also met her seventeen-year-old granddaughter, with whom she had quite the adventure in the late 1970s. It's a story I really want to tell. But the two of them aren't super forthcoming with the details. So while I wait, I'm reading all I can about pre-Castro Havana and the late 1970s. That latter, I was around for and remember fairly well, but it never hurts to refresh one's memories. Well, except for the part about it being the advent of disco, but no decade is perfect.
Anyway, this book is awesome. It's nonfiction, but much of it reads like an extremely good novel. I knew the mob was active in Havana during this time, of course, but I had no idea just how extensive and sophisticated their plans were. Woo.
T.J. English
I've had a character running around in my head for more than a decade who was a showgirl in pre-Castro Havana. A couple years ago, she finally clued me in to some of her secrets. And wow, were they good ones. I've since also met her seventeen-year-old granddaughter, with whom she had quite the adventure in the late 1970s. It's a story I really want to tell. But the two of them aren't super forthcoming with the details. So while I wait, I'm reading all I can about pre-Castro Havana and the late 1970s. That latter, I was around for and remember fairly well, but it never hurts to refresh one's memories. Well, except for the part about it being the advent of disco, but no decade is perfect.
Anyway, this book is awesome. It's nonfiction, but much of it reads like an extremely good novel. I knew the mob was active in Havana during this time, of course, but I had no idea just how extensive and sophisticated their plans were. Woo.
What I'm watching
The Movies that Made Us
Netflix
My writing partner Lorena Peter and I are still slogging away at screenwriting without a sale, so it's clearly because we love it so much. Not just the writing of movies, but all the stuff that goes into them—the inspiration for and origins of the stories and everything that has to fall into place before they even start shooting, never mind actually make it to the big screen. This series has been such an interesting peek behind the scenes, and it shows so much more than just the nuts and bolts of how movies are made. Yeah, acting, directing, cinematography, editing, and music—and, of course, the script—are all seriously major parts of a film. But there wouldn't be a film to make if it weren't for some poor slob of a writer saying, "Oh, wait. That'd make a great movie," and then buckets of good luck, good karma, and good timing.
Netflix
My writing partner Lorena Peter and I are still slogging away at screenwriting without a sale, so it's clearly because we love it so much. Not just the writing of movies, but all the stuff that goes into them—the inspiration for and origins of the stories and everything that has to fall into place before they even start shooting, never mind actually make it to the big screen. This series has been such an interesting peek behind the scenes, and it shows so much more than just the nuts and bolts of how movies are made. Yeah, acting, directing, cinematography, editing, and music—and, of course, the script—are all seriously major parts of a film. But there wouldn't be a film to make if it weren't for some poor slob of a writer saying, "Oh, wait. That'd make a great movie," and then buckets of good luck, good karma, and good timing.
What I'm listening to
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Ultra Lounge - "Tiki Sampler" An odd little collection, but great for summer listening. Putumayo Label - "Cuba! Cuba!" Hey, I told you I was reading about Cuba. Of course I'll be listening to Cuba, too. Sheesh. Melody Gardot - "My One and Only Thrill" Just...sublime. Absolutely sublime. 20th Century Masters - "Motown 1960s, Volume 2" I don't know why Motown and Summer go together so well, but, man, they do. |