eating purple cauliflower

I steamed the purple cauliflower,
and then, as suggested, made a version of Mostly Eating's recipe for Vivid Cauliflower and White Bean Puree (the timing for which could not have been better!).
Using a few scoops of leftover white beans which had been cooked in their liquid with some sauteed leeks and fennel in place of the canned butter beans, and swapping a bit of chevre (only about 2 oz.) for the tahini (as that's what was on hand), we served it up on some grilled rosemary bread and scattered the tops with a few snips of chives. We ate it alongside small bowls of chunky tomato soup, curled on the sofa, quite contented. It really was the perfect thing for the cool, early fall evening.
Thanks to both Lucy and Sophie for the inspired suggestion and the perfectly-timed recipe!

puttering

Just puttering today -
Simmering a big pot of white beans (inspired by this),
baking a pretty pear pie (as found here),
and wondering, incidentally, what to do with this:
a forgotten graffiti cauliflower, discovered while prepping the garden for fall planting...
Isn't she a beauty - and purportedly pink when cooked! Anyone have a recipe that would suit such a pretty specimen?

tasting color

In the height of summer there is a performance in the wild. The cicadas have arrived, their drone the sound of summer to my ears. Fireflies illuminate the dusk in pin-prick blinks and there is a mysterious peppery scent in the cool green canopy of river bank trees.
And color has come to the garden. Golden beets, purple beans, crimson tomatoes (almost here!), yellow cucumber, deep green zucchini, lime green tomatillos, snow white fennel, and a palette of carrots in purple, yellow and orange. Each trip brings back a little edible rainbow and a basket full of inspiration:
Warm Summer Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

3/4 Lb. golden beets (other beet varieties are suitable substitutes), trimmed, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths depending on size (pieces should be about 1 - 1 1/2 inches)
1/2 Lb. any combination of purple, yellow, and/or orange carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into chunks roughly the size of the beet pieces
1 Tb. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1/2 - 3/4 Lb. purple beans (green are fine also as the purple will turn green upon cooking, anyway), trimmed

For the Shallot Vinaigrette:

1/3 C. minced shallots (about 2)
2 Tb. fresh lemon juice
2 Tb. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 C. olive oil
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small roasting pan combine the beets and carrots. Drizzle with olive oil, add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes (stirring once) or until vegetables are tender.

While beets and carrots are roasting, prepare the purple beans and the vinaigrette.

Fill a sink or a large bowl with very cold water (add a handful of ice, if necessary). Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the beans. Cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove beans from boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the cold water to stop cooking. Remove the beans to a clean towl and pat dry. Set aside.

Make the vinaigrette:

Combine the first 6 ingredients (shallots through olive oil) in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to combine, then add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Give another shake to combine. Set aside.

When beets and carrots are done, transfer them to a large bowl or platter. Add the cooled beans and drizzle with shallot vinaigrette to suit your tastes (I used about 2 tablespoons*). Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 4 small servings or 2 large servings.

*The remaining vinaigrette can be refrigerated in the jar for 1 week (shake to combine before using).

garden to table

I peek at my vegetables. I sneak into the garden and gently pull away zucchini leaves to see the gorgeous yellow blossoms announcing the impending arrival of a deep green bounty. I brush away beet greens and carrot tops to catch a glimpse of the baby roots just emerging from the dirt, ever a tiny bit larger in circumference each day. Sometimes I even pull a 'tester' to check on the progress (and to thin out the rows, I tell myself). I think I'm really only one short step away from taking a measuring tape to the newly formed tomatoes. Soon. So soon. They'll all be here.

On the other hand, how could one possibly wait when greeted by these:

Did you know fennel has roots? I didn't. I didn't really think about it, I guess - I think I just assumed it grew like any other bulb. Now I know. These lovely babies were my 'testers' the other day. Their cohorts are growing quite nicely in their little spot, but I just had to try these while they were still young.
I don't regret it.
I'll probably do it again.
fennel, white beans and artichokes with Parmesan polenta

Ingredients:

1 Tb. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 baby or 1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (and cored if necessary), a few fronds chopped and reserved for garnish
salt and pepper
1 small (6.5 oz.) jar of quartered artichoke hearts (mine were marinated; canned artichokes would also be fine), drained
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tb. fresh basil, chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced fine (more or less to taste)
3 whole, peeled plum tomatoes and 1/4 C. tomato sauce from a can of whole, peeled plum tomatoes
1 - 16 oz. can of white beans (navy or cannellini)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel and saute just until onion is transparent, about 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and a couple grinds of fresh pepper. Add artichokes, thyme and basil (if using) and cook another minute. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or the back your spoon. Pour in the reserved tomato sauce and add the beans, stirring gently to combine and cooking until heated through.
Serve with Parmesan polenta (recipe follows) and garnish with reserved chopped fennel fronds.

Parmesan polenta

(I can't say enough about Bob's Red Mill medium grind cornmeal. It is so good. It just doesn't compare to any other widely available cornmeal for making such things as polenta, grits, cornbread, muffins, or corn cakes. It's my favorite and really worth seeking out.)

Ingredients:

4 C. water
3/4 C. medium grind cornmeal or polenta (such as Bob's Red Mill)
salt and pepper
1/2 Tb. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tb. butter
1/2 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan (3-quart, or thereabout) bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, pour in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, whisking all the while to avoid lumps and fully incorporate smoothly. Continue whisking fairly frequently for 15-20 minutes or until mixture has thickened, maintaining a smooth consistency. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper (I use roughly 2 pinches of salt and 1/8 tsp. of pepper), add the thyme, butter and cheese, and whisk to combine (the butter and cheese will melt and incorporate).
Serve topped with fennel, white beans, and artichokes (recipe preceding)