This recipe comes from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food, one of the most used reference cookbooks in our kitchen. This book contains a wealth of basic culinary information, and classic tried and true recipes that are winners every time. I turn to this reliable volume knowing that whatever I make will come out just right! As a variation she suggests adding one half cup chopped leafy greens (such as spinach or arugula) when adding the cream.
This is a wonderfully loose recipe that can be adapted for the ingredients on hand. Add canned drained beans like kidney or cannellini for a twist or use scallions in place of the onion. If you’re looking to turn this into an easy main dish, add some drained canned tuna and quartered hard-boiled egg on top. You can vary the herbs—add some parsley or chives if you like. I love the dill, and it’s what really makes it special.
This salad is a great way to increase your family’s consumption of whole grains and fiber. Raw wheat berries can be found in most natural food markets or specialty grocery stores. You can substitute farro, barley or spelt if you prefer. The cooked whole wheat kernels are nutty with a chewy texture that my children love. There are many ways to vary this salad – try adding uncooked greens or chopped fresh herbs, vary the canned beans, or toss in almost any favorite seasonal cooked or raw vegetable.
This is a lovely soup for the height of summer when the tomatoes are ripe and sweet. If you happen to have some that are less ripe, no worries, simply fire up the oven, toss the halved tomatoes with olive oil to coat and roast the tomatoes for half an hour until they are very soft. Add these to the soup with the other riper fruit. The flavor boost from the roasting makes up for the lack of sweetness.
When we stopped at the Model Bakery in St Helena this summer we tasted the most wonderfully refreshing watermelon gazpacho. This was one of those moments when you try a dish a bit skeptically and end up completely enthralled by the fabulous flavors. This recipe is my attempt at recreating a most memorable dish.