easy brunch

Brunch is not a meal I usually prepare. On Sunday mornings I tend to linger in my pajamas over the real estate section of the NY Times, clucking at the prices of condos and occasionally spotting stories featuring people I happen to know. I think my own story should be featured in the Times real estate section, having moved after 30 years from a rent stabilized apartment in the West Village to an attached house in Rego Park, Queens with a new husband and four teenagers. Ah, but that's another story.

Brunch at home here in Queens is usually a batch of scrambled eggs with chives from the garden and re-fried rice with lots of sauteed onions; my husband's favorite meal.

This Sunday, I was honored by a visit from some of my favorite families bearing young children in their arms, arriving to spend a few hours in my garden to share a meal and splash in the wading pool on this sunny late-July day. Brunch was a must, but what to make?

The excellent August issue of Savour magazine is all about Mexican food, and it got me hankering for a Mexican inspired breakfast.

Fruit served in a single color looks so lush! Watermelon always knocks my socks off with its shocking scarlet flesh. I don't really even eat it,  I just love the way it looks. Fortunately kids seem to love watermelon so it disappears quickly.

I didn't want to serve guacamole, it felt too predictable. While thumbing through Deborah Madison's cookbook Local Flavors I came across a recipe for a Tomato and Avocado Salad with a Cilantro Lime dressing. Her salad had a lot of other ingredients in it but I thought simply sliced tomato and avocado on a bed of lettuce would be more what I had in mind. The cilantro dressing is my own variation on her theme.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

juice of one lime
1 clove garlic
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of sugar
-blend above ingredients in a food processor, or with an immersion blender,
to puree the garlic and the cilantro.
With the motor running, slowly add in about 1/4 cup olive oil.
-pour over the salad just before serving.

Corn salsa seemed like a great way to use up the last few ears of farm stand corn I brought home from Long Island.

Corn Salsa
3 ears of corn- boil in salted water for five minutes, remove corn from the pot and let it cool till it can be handled. Slice the corn off the cob and place the kernels in a bowl.
add:
3 Tbs red onion, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 Tbs cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients and taste to adjust seasoning. Let marinate for an hour before serving.

Quesadillas are an easy crowd pleaser. I made some plain, with just cheese, for the fussy, and then another batch with roasted vegetables.
The recipes and cooking tips in Savour 's Mexican Issue gave me the idea for roasting the vegetables to deepen their flavor. Normally I saute peppers and onions for quesadillas, but when I read the suggestion, it was a "duh, aha!" moment and I will never go back to the saute pan for this dish. At least, that's what I'm saying now!

Quesadillas with roasted vegetables.

-use what you have-
I placed a tomato, a bell pepper and a couple of slabs of sliced vidallia onion on a baking sheet and doused them with a bit of olive oil. Bake in a hot oven (400) for at least 1/2 hour-45 minutes, till the vegetables are soft and charred. Roughly chop the roasted vegetables and spread them over the flour tortillas and top with cheese. I cook my quesadillas on a hot oil-free skillet, for about two minutes per side.

This brunch was very easy to put together. Easier even than expected and I found myself with lots of free time to enjoy my young guests and their parents, who I plied with mimosas spiked with a very inexpensive Jaume Serra "Cristalino" Cava at under $10 a bottle. I would not pay more for a wine I was diluting with orange juice after all!

avocado squash?

Deborah
While working with a client this week to create some recipes that would support her new approach to healthy eating she presented me with an ingredient I had never seen or heard of before: avocado squash.

It looked like the adorable offspring of a zucchini and an avocado, pear shaped and heavy. Cutting it open revealed a thin green skin and pretty creamy yellow flesh. A quick internet search revealed that this variety is beginning to find its way into farmer's markets. Maybe Hook Mountain Growers can tell us more?
I decided to saute this pretty squash up with some garlic and red lentils, creating a dish we could then serve with a whole grain to make a complete protein. The sauteed squash was delicious! It had a delicate, but surprisingly very flavorful presence with, unbelievably, some overtones of actually avocado flavor. How do they do it? I am now in love with avocado squash and have to figure out where to buy it. The one we worked with came from the Saturday green market at Abingdon Square  in the West Village, my old home stomping ground but not on my path on Saturday mornings now that I have moved to Queens. Any suggestions on where else to find it would be much appreciated!

Red lentils are so easy to work with because they cook quickly. I decided to try a risotto-like cooking technique for this recipe, ladling simmering water into the pan, adding more as the liquid became absorbed into the lentils. 

Grains and legumes are a natural combination. I had some cooked bulgar and red quinoa left over from another recipe and thought they would be perfect with my red lentil "risotto". The two grains tasted great mixed together and may now be my favorite new combo. 

Red lentil and Avocado Squash "Risotto" 

Red Lentil and Avocado Squash "Risotto" 

-any summer squash can be substituted for this avocado squash

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves minced

1 summer squash, cubed

1 tomato cubed

1/2 teas. salt

1 teas. freshly ground pepper

1 cup red lentils

3 cups of simmering water or broth

1/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used thyme and oregano, delish!)

•Heat oil in a saute pan, add garlic and cook about 3-4 minutes till garlic is golden and fragrant. 

•Add the summer squash and saute for 5 minutes, till squash begins to soften but is still firm.

•Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute. 

•Add the cup of lentils and the salt and pepper and stir the pan to combine the ingredients. 

•Begin adding a 1/2 cup of  boiling water or broth to the pan and stirring to distribute evenly. Continue to add the liquid by half cups, allowing the liquid to absorb into the lentils before adding more. The lentils should cook in about 10-15 minutes, using abut 3 cups of liquid. The lentils are done when they completely lose there shape and become mush. 

•Stir in the fresh herbs at the end to finish and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top if you so desire. 

Serve with a steamed grain or pilaf such as rice, bulgar or quinoa.

Amanda

I looked at the beautiful picture of the finished product and instantly thought of Chardonnay and Sangiovese as two good matches for this dish. I immediately love the idea of the creamy nature of this dish paired with a Chardonnay (but nothing with too much oak...) Choosing a wine with a complementing characteristic for this dish seems to me the way to go. Keep in mind that another technique used for pairing wines with food is to pick wines with qualities that contrast to those in the dish. Utilizing this school of thought, one might decide that a crisp, lean wine like a Sauvignon Blanc would be ideal. While both wines would provide a delightful experience (as Deb's dish looks wonderful), I personally would choose a Chardonnay. Perhaps even a Burgundy with it's minerally, earthy characteristics. While we're on the topic of Burgundy, a red (Pinot Noir) would also be an exquisite match. Pinot Noir from Burgundy typically display wonderful fruit intertwined with that mushroom-y, earthy quality I love so much. A beautiful Burgundy, red or white, would surely be a great choice for Deb's dish. Keep in mind Burgundies are rarely "cheap". They tend to be in the pricier range. That being said, this dish seems to me so elegant - and if it tastes as good as it looks, it certainly is worthy of a "higher-end wine". In my eyes, a special, beautiful bottle of red or white Burgundy and this dish make for a perfect date night. (plus perhaps a good movie rental to follow).

As mentioned above, Sangiovese would also make a great accompaniment. This varietal typically produces medium-bodied wines. As this seems to be a fairly "heavy" dish, you don't want to pair it with a wine that is too light, or the wine will be overpowered. At the same time, I wouldn't pair it with a heavy Cabernet, or the wine will wind up taking over the dish. The flavors and different characteristics of Sangiovese will vary widely depending on where the grape is grown. Typically, this varietal makes for a savory wine, with tart cherry flavors and herbal qualities. It is a grape that is often blended with other varietals too, so of course what it is blended with will greatly affect it's flavors and aromas. Choose a Tuscan Sangiovese, like a Chianti to enjoy with this beautiful dish! I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

I Love My Little Green Fruit

Amanda
I am in love with avocados. I am good for one a day. Thankfully, they are incredibly healthy. I can salivate over their buttery texture and subtle nutty flavors. And I have found numerous ways to enjoy them. Who would've thought the name "avocado" actually derived from the Aztec word for "testicle"? (ahuacatl). I guess it makes sense.

One of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy an avocado came from an issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. In this particular issue, one of the featured chefs was talking about how she best enjoys snacking on this exquisite fruit. To my dismay, I cannot remember her name, for I would love to give her credit for introducing me to this perfectly healthy idea of a midday bite. For my version, I toast a slice of Ezekiel Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Bread till it's hot and a little crunchy. Then, I take about half an avocado, and while the bread is hot, I mash the avocado onto the bread. The avocado actually "melts" onto the bread. I drizzle on a little bit of good quality olive oil and finish it off with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. Delicious! After the gym, when I crave something light and healthy, but don't know what to have - this is what I eat. It is the ultimate snack.

The other day, I brought an avocado into work to have as a snack. Seconds after I took my last bite, I was called to the tasting room in the shop to sample some wines with a vendor. The first wine I tasted was a Sauvignon Blanc from Australia. Having just eaten the avocado, I realized what a tremendous match this was! The Sauvignon Blanc had good richness of fruit, but something about it's flavors and textures was incredibly enhanced coming off the nutty flavor and creamy texture of the avocado.  It was the pefect example of how a food's flavors and textures can effect one's impression of a wine. The avocado took an average Sauvignon Blanc to a whole new level! When incorporating avocado into a recipe, I would definitely go for a white with rich,  lively, fresh fruit. An Albarino from Spain would also be marvelous as well.

I try to incorporate avocado into any recipe I can. I make delicious black bean burgers. I love to spread some fresh avocado on top with a dash of hot sauce. And when I want a salad, but need something a little more substantial, I throw avocado into the mix to give it some extra weight.

If anyone has any unique recipes or ideas for avocado use, please - I would love to hear your thoughts!