Ingredients

• 6 ounces (170 g) liquid sourdough starter (3/4 cup flat, 1 1/2 cups or more bubbly)
• 1 teaspoon instant, rapid rise yeast (or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast) (you can omit this if your starter is very active)*
• 1 cup (120 g / 4 ¼ ounces) whole wheat flour (or more AP flour)
• 1 ¾ cups (225 g / 8 ounces) bread flour
• 1 ¼ cups (285 ml) water, lukewarm
• 2 teaspoons fine sea or kosher salt
• ¼ cup (55 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon or so crunchy salt, such as Malden or fleur de sel

This Bon Appetit recipe would be a great side to bring to a summer BBQ or to have as a light weeknight meal. It's also easy to prep in advance.

1 cup almonds
1 cup fregola, Israeli couscous, or whole grain of your choice
3 ears of corn, husked
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil, divided
16 ounces Halloumi cheese, sliced lengthwise ¾-inch thick
3 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

A cousin to our delicious mango chow, courtesy of Caribbean Pot.

1 Large Pineapple (peel, cored, diced into pieces)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeno pepper (sliced thin)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
3 large cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped fine)
5+ oranges (juice)
2 limes (juice)
1 small red onion (sliced thin)

Mix all ingredients together. Store in a glass jar - will keep for up to a week.

This is adapted from the https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-crackers-recipe">King Arthur recipe

• 1 cup (113g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
• 4 T (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 T herbs (rosemary)
• olive oil, for brushing
• coarse / flakey salt (such as kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling on top

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter, butter, and herbs to make a smooth (not sticky), cohesive dough.

Although not strictly necessary, the smashing of the cucumbers in this Bon Appetit recipe does yield a nice texture and, as Bon Appetit says, creates nooks and crannies for the marinade.

1 pound Persian or English hothouse cucumbers
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
3 scallions, sliced
4 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Red chili flakes

Courtesy of Cowgirl Creamery. Could easily be made vegetarian.

Ingredients
1 lb. Andouille Sausage - small diced
1 medium Onion - small diced
3 stalks Celery - small diced
1 lb. Cremini Mushrooms - small diced
1 Tbsp. Garlic - minced
2 Tbsp. Thyme - chopped
1 lb. Stale Bread - large diced
6 Eggs
2 cups Heavy Cream
1 cup Chicken Stock
4 oz. Cowgirl Creamery Crème Fraiche (plus more for serving)
8 oz. Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel - grated
Salt & Pepper - to taste
1/8 lb. Butter
1 bunch Chives - thinly sliced

This recipe presumes a bread machine.

• 1⅓ c water
• ¼ c grains (fast-cooking better)
  ⅛ c gluten
  2 cups wheat flour
  1 c less ⅛ white flour
  2 T dry milk
  2 t salt
  3 T honey (use a T measure to make indents in the flour, pour in)
  3 T butter in small pieces
  just less than 2t yeast on top

Add ingredients in order - the gluten and flour will "float" on top of the water, make sure the grains you add are in the water to soak.

Some untried pumpkin-based recipes from one of our local farmer's market vendors.

Garlic Yogurt
½ cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fritters And Assembly
2 small zucchini, ends trimmed
1 small russet potato, peeled
½ medium onion
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving

A nice side for a BBQ, courtesy of Bon Appetit.

3 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese mixed with 1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco, divided
1/2 cup sour cream (plus additional for garnish, optional)
1/2 cup canned creamed corn
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chiles

Cribbed from Marcela.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2-3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1 cup long grain rice

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the poblano chiles and saute, about 8 minutes.

Via http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/carrot-tart-with-ricotta-and-herbs

2 cups ricotta
¼ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 large carrots (about 8 ounces), scrubbed, thinly sliced into coins
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten to blend (optional)
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons small dill sprigs

Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk ricotta and cream in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

For Crust (enough for two crusts - note, Jon finds this recipe difficult to work with, especially when doubled, and would consider using a different crust recipe next time)
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

For Quiche:
5 large eggs
3 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
dash nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

¼ lb. kale (or other hearty greens), stemmed and cut crosswise into ¼"-wide strips
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. niq'r kibbe spiced, clarified butter
½" piece ginger, peeled and minced
⅛ tsp. black cardamom seeds
⅛ tsp. ground fenugreek
⅛ tsp. nigella seeds
1 jalapeño, seeded, and minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
White wine vinegar, to taste

Heat butter in a 6-qt. pot over medium heat.

Add dry spices and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.

Why didn't I do this sooner? These proportions make about a quart.

6 medium apples (honeycrisp are a good choice)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice/cider (substitute water)

Core apples.
Slice into wedges.

In a large saucepan, combine juice, sugar, and apples.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes, until apples are soft.
If necessary, allow to cook with cover off for a few minutes to reach desired liquid level (remember it will leech a little liquid when pureed).

Allow to cool.

Another delicious Ottolenghi recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetit and tweaked just a bit.

½ cup wild rice
Kosher salt
1 cup basmati rice
1 dried Iranian lime (or keffir lime leaf)
2 cups fresh shelled fava beans (can substitute lima beans)
½ cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup unsalted, raw pistachios
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
½ cup pomegranate seeds

2 large eggs
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears' worth)
2 scalliona, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying

Sour cream and lime wedges (for serving)

In a food processor, pulse eggs to blend. Add flour, Parmesan, and ½ tsp. kosher salt and pulse until combined. Add corn, scallion, and jalapeño; pulse 3-5 times until a consistent, oatmeal-y texture.

2 pounds small carrots or other hearty winter vegetable (we used brussels sprouts), salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander or fennel
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup labneh (or plain Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon harissa paste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more
Lemon wedges (for serving)

This Yotam Ottolenghi recipe was amazing. The balance of the sweet currants with the curry-spiced chickpeas was surprising and delightful and the fried onions sealed the deal. Yes, it's got a lot of components, but it is totally worth it. I have halved the proportions to serve 8 as a side or 4 as a main.

These Jamaican fried dumplings are traditionally called Johnny Cakes, which derived from the name journey cake. They go great with Ackee and Saltfish

2 cups All-purpose flour
1 tsp Salt
3 tsp Baking powder
3 Tbsp Butter or margarine
3/4 cup Cold water
1/2 cup Cooking oil

Sift flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl, then blend butter into dry ingredients with hands or mixer until crumbly

From Bon Appetit 2014 Food Lover's Cleanse

Serves 4, or 2 + 2 leftover portions to use in a salad (see below).

Each recipe makes 2-3 half-pints, depending on how long you let the cranberries break down for. If you want to preserve these, process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Basic Cranberry Sauce

1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Bring water and 1/2 cup sugar to boil. Add cranberries and cook over medium heat until berries have broken down to your desired level (15-20 mins). Stir occasionally and, if desired, mash with a potato masher to break berries down further. Add additional sugar to taste.

1 ½ pounds beets, trimmed and halved horizontally
1 ¼ c water
salt and pepper
3 T light brown sugar, packed
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 t grated lemon zest
½ c whole almonds, toasted and chopped
2 T chopped fresh mint
1 t chopped fresh thyme

Place beets, cut side down, in a single layer in an 11-inch saute pan or dutch oven. Add water and 1/4 teas salt; bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce to low; cover and simmer until beets are tender, 45-50 minutes.

Via WhatIHaventCookedYet, a recipe for corn fritters (not unlike Venezuelan cachapas):

This is a slightly modified, and halved, version of the recipe.

1/4 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cups buttermilk
1/8 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp honey
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
Olive oil for frying

Mix together dry ingredients – salt, baking powder, flour and corn meal – in a large bowl.

Garlic scape pesto is a wonderful thing. It is delicious, easy to make*, easy to use, and freezes well. We try and make a big batch of this when garlic scapes appear at the farmer's market in late spring. Freeze in ice cube trays for easy use later.

2 cups garlic scapes, cut into ½" pieces (stringy and blender-killing otherwise!)
⅔ cup olive oil
1 cup shredded parmesan (or substitute) cheese
⅓ cup pine nuts
⅓ tsp salt

Blend all ingredients in food processor until a pasty consistency.

As someone who has no fewer than 5 kinds of rice in the house at any one time, I can attest that different kinds of rice require different cooking methods. Here are some of the most successful methods I've found for different kinds of rice:

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
3 gloves garlic, minced
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp olive oil

To finish:
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate
Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional: top with smoked salt.

Char eggplants on a stove top (~20 minutes), grill or on a broil mode in the oven (~45 minutes, turning twice). Turn around so it is very charred all around. If broiling, piece the skin in multiple places.

Jon's cousin-in-law Jennifer makes these delicious biscuity rolls.

In a stand mixer bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1.5 tsp salt, and 2 cups warm water.

Sprinkle on 2 packages yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until it "blooms."

Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup shortening.

Mix in 5 1/2 cups flour using stand mixer with dough hook. Make sure to scrape down sides occasionally to ensure all flour gets mixed in.

Let rise until doubled (~1 hour or so).

Punch down.

1 lb dried beans, soaked overnight
1 hamhock
2 hatch peppers, roasted and sliced
bacon grease
pepper, smoked salt

I'm not sure it's possible to really make beans without a hamhock.  I've tried. 

Soak the beans overnight; rinse.  Place back in large pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer. Add hamhock, bacon grease, and peppers.  Let simmer for as many hours as possible.  Add pepper and smoked salt close to the end to taste.

This dish makes a great week-long side dish for summer - a chilled, but protein-rich vegetarian dish!

1 can black beans
1 can pinto or small red beans
1 can small white beans
2-3 jalapenos, chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, lightly chopped
juice of 2 limes
1 can or 2 ears corn (boil, cut off kernels)
salt and pepper to taste
salsa, to taste

Avocado
Tomato
more limes to taste

Mix together all but avocado and tomato and let the flavors marry overnight. Add chopped avocado and tomato, and more limes and salsa to taste, upon serving.

I made a tweaked version of this Bon Appetit recipe. It was good, especially from a mac and cheese perspective - gooey and all the rest of that. I'm not sure how I actually felt about the spicy pimiento cheese aspect of it. Perhaps next time I will downplay the spicy pimiento and just use the basic recipe as a base for a more traditional mac and cheese dish.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Oh, how I learned to love a steak while honeymooning in Argentina.
Chimichurri, you are the secret.
So delicious.
And delightful.
You have brought me to the land of grilled meats.
And my grill-master husband thanks you.
Forever, and beyond.

Head of garlic (~ 10 cloves)
1/2 medium or whole small onion, chopped
1/3 cup roughly chopped red bell pepper
1/2 bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems only, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

This recipe, courtesy of our friend Ian (though we promised to keep it a secret...thus not promoting it on the Recipe Box) is really tasty. I mean, it's made from cans (which is sort of anti our whole food philosophy), but it's good... really good. So, I collect the recipe and will one day make it on some turkey-centric holiday and take credit for making it from scratch!

Makes a 9 inch by 9 inch glass baking pan.

• 1 16oz can of corn (with liquid)
• 1 16oz can of cream corn
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup butter (melted)

A holding place for all things foam, thanks to my iSi Creative Whip.

First up, a blue cheese foam to top steak with:
1 oz blue cheese (Roquefort)
1 oz cream
1 T milk
blend until perfectly smooth, whip, chill, serve.

Next up, a raita-yogurt foam
1.5 oz raita (yogurt, raita spices, lemon juice)
1.5 oz cream
mix, whip, chill, serve. Great on cucumber slices.

Chimichurri foam
oil/vinegar mix from chimichurri, strained
a tad of Stubbs mopping sauce (or other vinegary BBQ sauce)
apple cider vinegar for volume

1/4 lb. shredded green cabbage
2/3 red bell pepper, cut into slivers
1/3 green bell pepper, cut into slivers
1/3 poblano pepper (or similar moderate heat pepper), cut into slivers
1/2 c. apple cider, rice, or red wine vinegar (or a mix of all three!)
2 Tbsp sugar
Salt and celery seed (or celery salt) to taste
Pepper

A twist on classic risotto. Doesn't taste too red winey.

From http://www.newitalianrecipes.com/red-wine-risotto.html. Makes 3-4 side dish servings.

Ingredients:
About 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth. (Amount needed to finish the red wine risotto will vary, so have an extra cup ready, just in case.)
5 fresh basil leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1.5 T minced shallots
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup Italian Arborio rice
1/3 cup good quality red wine

3 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
1/2 Tablespoon celery powder/salt
1/2 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Growing up, I was exposed to much delicious Persian food (owing to the large Iranian population in LA). One of my favorite dishes is Zereshk Polo - basmati rice with barberries and sometimes other dried fruits and nuts. I started with zereshk polo and added other ingredients commonly found in jeweled rice, ending up in a hybrid recipe of sorts.

Adapted from this recipe. Makes enough rice to serve 4.

This recipe is meant to mimic the fried rice of my favorite LA Chinese restaurant - Yang Chow (or Hunan, as it was called in my youth). The key feature is that it isn't loaded down with soy sauce. Your diners can always add it post-cooking.

Serves 4 as a side dish:

Ingredients
1 cup chinese/short-grain rice, cooked (Put 1 cup rice, 1.5 cups water in pot. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.) and fluffed with spoon or fork
2 eggs, lightly beaten

We really enjoy the vegetarian dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice and other sundies) from Eastern Market, and so we thought we'd try and make them ourselves. We found grape leaves in brine at the supermarket and went from there. While I do enjoy cooking "projects," I have to admit that this one is pretty labor intensive. It's delicious, but undertake with caution.

I cobbled together the recipe from online sources.

Makes about 40 dolmades.

Makes a nice side dish for two. Any type of kale will do, Very easy to double, triple, etc until pan size becomes limiting factor.

Courtesy of the Washington Post Express (page 36).

I learned to make this by watching my mom, so I don't really have an exact recipe. But, this is my best guess:

1/2 green cabbage, shredded with "slicer" disk in food processor
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup of sugar
2-3 Tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp of horseradish (red or white, doesn't really matter)
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Optional: slivers of apples, raisins, or halved grapes - for a little extra sweet explosion

... or you could just buy falafel mix and add water. We didn't actually follow this recipe, but it looks good.

http://mideastfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/falafelrecipe.htm

This is a great fresh chutney that could go with most carribean or indian dishes. Vary the size of the mango chunks to taste.

This recipe, from Diana's Desserts tasted great, but was not the best for the bread machine - it was super flaky/crumbly, and took some serious effort to extract. Perhaps using the machine to make the dough and then continuing in the oven would work better?

Ingredients for 1 Pound Loaf:
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, cut up
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Audrey's family's stuffed mushrooms. A vegetarian (but not vegan) treat. Always a hit at parties and holiday meals.

Inspired by the best meal we had in Paris, at Un Jour a Peyrassol. Goes with the potato gnocchi.

2 cans dark red kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
3 cups water or broth
2 cups rice
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, whole
4 T butter
salt, pepper and thyme

In a very large pot, heat kidney beans with their can-water, water, coconut milk, and spices until simmering. Add rice, butter and pepper. Bring back to simmer, let cook, covered until done, approx. 30 minutes. Remove cover near the end, to let the mixture dry out a little.

1 1/2 lb Chinese long beans*
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (2 1/2 oz; not cocktail peanuts)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 to 3 small fresh Thai chiles** (to taste), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Add shrimp to make a full meal

The Arepa is the Venezuelan staple, and their version of meat-in-bread. They're very filling, if hard to get the flour for. Online, Amigo Foods offers it (Harina P.A.N.), and often you can find it at more Latin-oriented groceries (Austin: Fiesta almost always has it. In DC, I've found it at La Casa Latina on Georgia near Piney Branch and at Caribbean Market II on New Hampshire near Takoma Park)

Cornbread from scratch. The "one kit" recipe is for one normal-sized loaf. The "three kit" recipe is for Turkey and Dressing. When making cornbread for dressing, do not use stone ground cornmeal for the cornbread...although it makes great cornbread, it makes lousy dressing, it absorbs too much liquid.

One Kit
1 c. yellow cornmeal (Not stone ground)
1 c. flour
1 T sugar (optional if you are not feeding Yankees)
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. shortening
1 egg

Three Kits
3 c. yellow cornmeal (Not stone ground)

These naan are nice and buttery and go great with all indian foods. Easy to prepare ahead of time and refrigerate. The texture's not quite right (probably due to my lack of a tandoor), but they're still pretty excellent.

In Austin, there used to be a fantastic Turkish restaurant called Ararat - one of Austin's best kept restaurant secrets (that everyone knows). They had bellydancing all weekend and live bands during the week, and some of the best middle eastern food you'll find. It was a small place with rug-covered walls that was always jam-packed.

From Bon Appetit: "Classic spoon bread is a savory pudding served as a side dish. In this dessert version, the slightly sweetened batter is baked in individual ramekins, then topped with strawberry preserves."

1 cup water
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon (scant) coarse kosher salt
2/3 cup white cornmeal (not white grits)
2 large eggs, separated
Pinch of cream of tartar
Strawberry preserves

PREPARATION