In their book Canal House Cooks, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton share simple yet magnificent recipes. They are so inspired I can hardly wait to make their irresistible dishes. These seasonal recipes, rustic yet elegant, are well suited to the home cook and most of the recipe ingredients are easily found at your local market. The food photos in the book are gorgeous. What is more simple and satisfying than homegrown tomatoes on toast?
John grows Big Beef tomatoes throughout most of the year. We have tried different tomato varieties from little grape tomatoes to beautiful heirloom varieties but we have found that the Big Beef tomato is consistently the tastiest. Meaty with very few seeds, whether using it in sandwiches or salads, making fresh tomato sauce or salsa, it’s by far the most versatile.
2 large slices of country-style whole grain or sourdough bread (or 4 medium slices)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher or Maldon sea salt
2 perfectly ripe tomatoes, cored and thickly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
freshly ground pepper
Finely chopped fresh chives and parsley
Preparation
Toast the bread. While still warm, rub each slice with the garlic, rubbing more or less depending on how much flavor you’re after. Drizzle the toast with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Slather tomato slices with mayonnaise and arrange them on a serving platter with the toasts. Drizzle the remaining oil over the tomatoes, season well with salt and pepper and scatter the chives and parsley on top. Pile the tomatoes on the toast just before serving.
We eat a lot of sandwiches. John makes such delicious homemade bread, how could we not? And, what is the perfect accompaniment to a good sandwich? Bread and butter pickles. The origin of the term is unclear but one source indicates that these pickles were served daily, like “bread and butter.” Hence the name.
As we are no longer able to grow consistent pickling cucumbers, I like to use Keiki Cukes for pickles. Available at our local Costco and select grocery stores, these mini cucumbers are grown on the Big Island of Hawaii. Fresh! Of course you may use other small cucumbers available in your area.
I can’t recall where I bought this little gadget but I see it is available on Amazon. It works like a charm. A few comment that it’s a bit small for their hands, but it is perfect for me and super comfortable to use. I could chop cucumbers all day with this wavy knife.
Maui onion with its mellow flavor is a perfect pairing for these sweet and tangy pickles. Use a sweet onion if Maui onion is not available. The onion shrinks up quite a bit once added to the brine so instead of making thin rings, I prefer to cut little crescent moon shaped slices.
Not only do thinly sliced Fresno or red jalapeños give the pickles a nice zippy flavor, they add beautiful color to your jar of pickles.
Once the brine comes to a gentle boil, the cucumbers, onion, garlic and peppers are added to the hot brine just for a few minutes. Then they are ready to spoon into jars where they will cool before heading to the refrigerator. All you have to do is be patient until they are thoroughly chilled.
1 small Maui or sweet onion, thinly sliced into crescent moon shapes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons salt
4 cups cider vinegar
5 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seed
3/4 teaspoons whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 Fresno peppers, thinly sliced, optional (or red jalapeños, but beware they are typically hotter than Fresno peppers)
1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional (in place of Fresno or jalapeño peppers)
Preparation
In a large bowl, mix together the cucumbers, onions, garlic and salt. Let stand approximately 3 hours. Drain liquid from the cucumber mixture.
In a large saucepan, mix the cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, whole cloves and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Stir the cucumber mixture into the boiling vinegar mixture. Add the Fresno peppers and red chili flakes if using. Remove from the heat just before the mixture returns to a boil, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to sterile jars. Cool, then refrigerate. Pile cucumbers on your favorite sandwich or eat right out of the jar!
***Updated 7/29/16: I reduced the amount of mustard and celery seeds.
The June/July issue of Fine Cooking magazine has a terrific article about quinoa and a number of tempting recipes that feature this unique grain/seed. Quinoa is frequently referred to as a grain because it is cooked and used like one, however, quinoa is actually the seed of the Goosefoot plant. Quinoa is so versatile and cooks quickly, 15 minutes to be exact. It is delicious sprinkled on a kale salad with lemon-honey dressing. The recipe that caught my attention was the quinoa and black bean burger. I love burgers, beef as well as vegetarian, and this one is particularly good.
This recipe is quite simple. It involves just a can of black beans, quinoa, a few sautéed ingredients, spices, and guacamole. Delicious straight out of the frying pan, the cooked patties firmed up nicely after being refrigerated. We had the leftover patties the following day and they were perfect. I warmed them briefly in the microwave, though you may choose to quickly pan fry them. Served on a toasted onion bun or English muffin as the original recipe calls for, they are quite delicious.
The poblano pepper, garlic and green onions are briefly cooked, just to soften them slightly before adding to the other ingredients.
I had tricolor quinoa in my pantry however any quinoa (white, red, or black) works well.
Once you form the patties, chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. They are beautiful, filled with healthy black beans, quinoa, cilantro, and poblano pepper.
Quinoa & Black Bean Burgers with Tomatillo Guacamole
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh serrano chile, or jalapeño
Preparation
In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, keep the cover on the pan. Let stand for 15 minutes then fluff quinoa with a fork.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the poblano, green onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add the drained beans and quinoa, and pulse until the beans are chopped and the mixture is combined. Do not over process, you want the burger to have a nice texture.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and gently stir in the cilantro, panko, egg, chile powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gently form the mixture in to 6 patties. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the guacamole. Dice the avocado and squeeze lime juice over it, toss to coat well. Sprinkle the avocado with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and mash the avocado lightly. Stir in the tomatillo, cilantro, onion, garlic, serrano or jalapeño. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, lime juice, and more serrano pepper if desired. The guacamole keeps well, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
When you are ready to cook the burgers, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. I was able to cook all 6 patties at one time though you can cook them in two batches if your pan cannot accommodate them all at once (use less oil). Once the oil is hot, add the burgers and cook until nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Adjust heat as needed. Check the burgers by lifting up an edge with a spatula. You want the burgers to be well browned and sort of crispy on the outside. Flip and brown on the other side, about 4 more minutes.
You may serve the burgers right away, on toasted English muffins or onion rolls. I prefer to make the burgers in advance, chill them until they firm up, then gently reheat and serve. The texture improves once the burger has cooled completely. Spread a bit of mayonnaise on the bun then top it with a burger and a generous dollop of guacamole.
“Southern Living’s” Little Jars, Big Flavors (small batch jams, jellies, pickles, and preserves from the South’s most trusted kitchen) is a real gem. We’ve made the mixed berry jam and have now ventured on to whole grain mustard. Both of these recipes are superb. Neither one is time-consuming nor do they require any hard to find ingredients. Plain and simple, they are delicious.
Thanks go to our daughter Jessica (who brought this recipe to our attention) for sending a “care” package full of mustard seeds and powder as well as some difficult to find whole grain bread ingredients.
Brown mustard seeds.
Yellow mustard seeds.
This photo shows the first step of making the whole grain mustard. The seeds and vinegar are placed in a large jar and set aside for 5 days. The mustard seeds are quite thirsty and soak up much of the vinegar, quickly.
As you see in this picture, it’s only been a couple of hours and much of the vinegar has been absorbed by the seeds.
Five days later, other ingredients are added to the mixture. Set the jar aside for another 5 days. So simple.
The mustard is placed in a blender and processed until the desired consistency is met.
Whole grain mustard ready for canning. It smells so good.
This whole grain mustard is delicious slathered on good bread with thinly sliced pastrami, ham or in an avocado sandwich. It makes a wonderful dressing for potato salad.
Whole Grain Mustard
Adapted from Southern Living ~ Little Jars Big Flavors
Makes 4 half-pint jars
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups white wine vinegar (5% acidity), divided
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar (5% acidity), divided
3/4 cup brown mustard seeds
3/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons dry mustard
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Stir together 1 cup white wine vinegar, 1 cup red wine vinegar, and brown and yellow mustard seeds in a clean 1-quart jar. Cover with lid, and let stand at room temperature 5 days, adding more red or white vinegar if seeds look dry.
Stir in remaining 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, white wine, honey, salt and pepper. Stir in dry mustard. Cover with lid, let stand at room temperature 5 more days. (Mixture may be slightly bubbly, not a problem)
Process mustard mixture in a blender until desired consistency is reached. The original recipe calls for using a food processor rather than a blender. This produces a coarser textured mustard. I prefer a bit creamier yet still rustic texture that is produced by using a blender. If the mustard is too thick, its consistency can be adjusted by adding a little water or more vinegar. The mustard should not be too thick otherwise you may end up with air bubbles in the mustard that will be difficult to remove.
Sterilize jars, and prepare lids for canning:
Wash jars and place them in boiling-water canner. Fill the jars and canner with water to the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat, do not boil. Prepare the two-piece closures. Wash lids and place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to just a simmer but do not boil. Do not heat screw bands.
Lift the canner jar rack and fix into place on the rim of the canner. Remove one jar at a time from canner and empty hot water back into the canner. Place jar on a cutting board and place a canning funnel in the jar. Ladle mustard into jar leaving 1/2-inch head space. If you notice any air pockets do your best to remove them with a chopstick or similar utensil. With a clean damp cloth or paper towel wipe jar rim to remove any food residue. Using a magnetic utensil, lift hot lid from water, center it on the jar and place screw band on jar. Tighten screw band evenly and firmly just until resistance is met. Then increase to fingertip tight. Do not over tighten. Return jar to canner rack. Continue filling jars individually until all jars are filled, lower rack into canner and ensure that all jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to a full boil over high heat. Process for 15 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a full boil. Any leftover mustard can be refrigerated for immediate use.
Remove jars from water, and let stand, undisturbed, at room temperature 24 hours. To check seals, remove the bands, and press down on the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t move, the jar is sealed. If the lid depresses and pops up again, the jar is not sealed. In the event that a jar does not seal, simply refrigerate it. Store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.
My friend Terence gave me a 3 lemongrass shoots that he wanted to find a home for. John planted them in the garden and sure enough, they rooted and are now flourishing in the warm Maui weather. I never cooked with lemongrass before. Not until John pointed out that we had some in our yard!It’s a very nondescript type of grass with razor-sharp leaves, but don’t let that fool you. The lemongrass stalks have a wonderful fragrant citrus scent and can be used in all types of recipes. It works perfectly in this tofu recipe for banh mi.
This handy tofu press saves you from wasting paper towels. The TofuXpress is one of the best little kitchen gadgets I’ve bought in the last few years. Tofu is quickly marinated and pan-fried until crispy on both sides. The scent of the lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil is mouth-watering.
Light and crunchy baguette with lemongrass tofu, thinly sliced cucumber, carrot and daikon pickles (do chua) and lots of cilantro. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches. Do chua can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. I picked up two fresh baguettes at our local Vietnamese restaurant/bakery. John’s next experiment, homemade bahn mi.
14 ounce package extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 10 slices (Wildwood Organic is a good brand to use. House Foods extra firm is not firm enough).
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (about 3 bulbs)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 baguettes
cilantro
do chua pickles
sliced cucumbers, Japanese or English hothouse or other types with fewer seeds (for very thin slices I use my Benriner and slice lengthwise to make long narrow strips)
Spread
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce
Preparation
Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, lemongrass and garlic in a small bowl.
In a shallow dish place tofu slices in a single layer. Pour sauce over tofu, turning pieces to coat well. Let tofu absorb all of the marinade, turning and patting the lemongrass and garlic on each slice. Cook tofu in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp on each side (about 8 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes or longer on the second side).
Prepare your banh mi. Mix 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon sriracha. Slather on both sides of the baguette. Layer with tofu, sliced cucumber, do chua pickles, cilantro. Drizzle sriracha sauce on the tofu if you want to add a little extra spiciness to the sandwich, or add thinly sliced jalapeños.
Our Big Beef and Odoriko tomatoes are flourishing on the vines and that means lots of sliced tomatoes, fresh tomato sauce, salsa, and roasted tomatoes. One of my favorite ways to eat a vine ripened tomato (just picked and warm from the sun) is in a simple salad.
The arugula I’ve long been waiting for my husband to plant is finally here. Tender arugula leaves tossed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice sprinkled with sea salt is one of the simplest ways to enjoy these slightly peppery leaves. This time I used fresh herb vinaigrette, which by the way is super on potatoes and salad Nicoise.
This salad is a snap to put together and you could eat it with or without the sourdough toasts. I think the best part is the way the bread soaks up the olive oil and juice from the tomatoes!
My husband John baked two loaves of gorgeous country sourdough bread. Toast a few slices, drizzle with olive oil and pile the tomatoes and arugula salad on top of the bread.
Tomato & Arugula Salad on Sourdough Toast
Ingredients
4 large slices (or more if you want) toasted sourdough bread
handful of baby arugula
2 large vine ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/3 inch thick slices
Toast the sourdough bread. Transfer to a plate and drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each slice. Sprinkle the bread with sea salt.
Scatter the arugula into a wide shallow bowl or plate. Place sliced tomatoes on the arugula and dress with a few spoonfuls of fresh herb vinaigrette. Sprinkle crumbled feta on the salad and drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the entire salad. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve the salad on the toasted bread making sure to scoop up all of the dressing and juice from the tomatoes.
In their book Canal House Cooks, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton share simple yet magnificent recipes. They are so inspired I can hardly wait to make their irresistible dishes. These seasonal recipes, rustic yet elegant, are well suited to the home cook and most of the recipe ingredients are easily found at your local market. The food photos in the book are gorgeous. What is more simple and satisfying than homegrown tomatoes on toast?
John grows Big Beef tomatoes throughout most of the year. We have tried different tomato varieties from little grape tomatoes to beautiful heirloom varieties but we have found that the Big Beef tomato is consistently the tastiest. Meaty with very few seeds, whether using it in sandwiches or salads, making fresh tomato sauce or salsa, it’s by far the most versatile.
Light and crunchy baguette with lemongrass tofu, thinly sliced cucumber, carrot and daikon pickles (do chua) and lots of cilantro. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches. 
