Chut·ney: a thick sauce of Indian origin that contains fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices and is used as a condiment.

Take advantage of all of the amazing stone fruit overflowing in the market right now and try making a chutney of your own! For this verision, I used apricots. But a combination of peaches, nectarines or cherries would also be interesting.

4 1/2 to 5 pounds apricots, pitted and quartered
1 pound red onion (about 1 large)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar
3/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Makes approximately 14 cups.

Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy bottom pan or dutch oven. Heat over medium low and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

This is what 4 1/2 pounds of apricots and one large red onion look like!

And here it is all chopped up and ready to simmer!

Serve with lamb chops, pork tenderloin or goat cheese and crackers. Preserve and can any leftovers for holiday gifts (or to help you get through a long winter full of chard, beets, and the liks). It will keep in the fridge for up to one month.

I’m still getting used to waking up to a sweltering apartment that even blasting A/C can’t help. Don’t get me wrong, I’d pick being too hot over being too cold any day of the week. It has been a serious treat to wear a tank top and shorts around my place without the constant need to grab a blanket. But the heat has altered my morning meal routine. Gone are the days of my Overnight Oatmeal and Six Minute Eggs, as I can’t bear the thought of turning on the stove. Now, I’m a smoothie maniac. This version includes oatmeal, which gives the smoothie a bit of texture that I love. Plus, it adds some complex carbs to your bfast (great especially if you’re out of toast!)

Makes 2 smoothies.

2 cups blueberries, frozen*
1 banana, frozen
1 cup low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt
¼ – ½ cup rolled oats (depending on what texture you like)
Juice from ½ lime
A few tablespoons water

Place blueberries, banana, oats, yogurt, limejuice, and water in a blender and blend until you’ve reached your desired consistency for your beverage. If your ingredients get stuck, just add a bit more water to help loosen everything up. Drink immediately (sometimes smoothies get a little funky in texture if left out for too long!)

*I wash my blueberries and stick them in my freezer beforehand. You can always buy frozen berries at the supermarket too, if it’s not berry season any longer!

Inspired by Jillian’s Elegant Bean Dip (which I made, it’s absolutely delish!), I decided to go the dip/pita/veggie route when friends recently came over for dinner. This edamame dip is super simple to make – I’m talking 5 minutes or less – and it’s a refreshing and unexpected alternative to standard appetizer fare. Plus, the bright green color is bound to add a welcomed splash of color to your app spread. Pair it with homemade pita bread!

3 cups edamame, shelled
½ lemon, juiced
¼ cup parsley, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
splash of olive oil
salt and pepper

Place edamame, lemon juice, parsley, a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processer and pulse until fully combined. I like my dip a bit chunky, so I only pulse until combined but if you like a smoother dip, continue to blend until you’ve reached your desired level of smoothness. Scoop dip into a bowl and enjoy.

I’ve always thought of cabbage as providing a little healthy crunch on the top of a fish taco or for acting as the base for a cole slaw. Other than that, cabbage, let alone cooked cabbage, never entered my repertoire of ingredients. But I’ve recently discovered, thanks to my Indian boyfriend and his mother (who is a fantastic cook), just how delicious cabbage can be when cooked. This recipe uses easy ingredients, with a couple more exotic touches, for a dish that is easy, healthy, and vegetarian. Its traditional Indian name is “gobi aloo.”

You’ll need…

A fresh head of green cabbage, sliced
1 large or 2 small potatoes, cut into about half inch slices ( I like Yukon Gold)
About half of a white or yellow onion, sliced
Jalapeno or serrano chili (about half of the pepper, sliced thin)
Fresh ginger (about an inch, grated)
Turmeric (about 1 tablespoon)
Mustard seeds (1 teaspoon, if you can find them)
Salt
Canola oil
Cilantro, for garnish

Serves 4

Heat about 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large saute pan over medium/high heat. Add mustard seeds. They’ll pop a bit. Then, reduce the heat to medium and add your potato and salt. Cover with a lid and let cook for 2 minutes.

Grate about an inch of ginger into the pan and add the sliced onion. Add the turmeric. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the green chili while you are sauteing the onions.

Add the sliced cabbage and continue sauteing for a few minutes. Then cover the whole pan and let cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Continue sauteing until the cabbage is soft and flavorful. This may take 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve as a filling for Indian rotis or chapatis (tortillas will work too!).

My hubby said it perfectly: “what a great summer salad!”. Not only is it pleasantly crunchy and hearty, it’s also super easy to make. And it’s great for leftovers (I can vouch for that because I ate it for lunch three days in a row), so it would hold up well for a picnic or day at the beach.

Inspired by Bon Appetit.

1 cup semi-pearled farro
12 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 ears of corn
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Bring a large saucepan or stockpot of salted water to a boil. Add farro and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and pour into a bowl.

Use the same pot of boiling water and blanch the green beans for 6-7 minutes, or until tender. Rinse under cold water.

In the meantime, cut the corn kernels from the cob. Add them to a bowl with farro and stir in the green onions and green beans. In a separate bowl, mix the marjoram through mustard to form a vinaigrette. Pour vinaigrette over the farro mixture and then stir in the goat cheese.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some bean dip. You know, that Frito Lay kind that comes in a can and has a layer of congealed fat on top? Mmm. This, however, is a bit more elegant. It’s also a great way to use leftover herbs. I had some rosemary sitting around, but parsley or sage would also work.

1 16-ounce can cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans)
2-3 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
1 garlic glove, chopped
juice from half a lemon
3-4 tablespoons oil olive
salt and pepper

Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Add the beans, rosemary (to taste), garlic and lemon juice into a food processor. Blend for 1 minute. Pour in olive oil and blend for another minute. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crostini, pita bread, or veggies.

This is a refreshing, tangy slaw that is a great with fish tacos, anything spicy or just alone on a hot day! While I mentioned on Wednesday that jicama was a supermarket purchase, I grabbed my cilantro and carrots at the farmer’s market to balance out the carbon footprint. The key to this dish is making it up ahead of time and letting the flavors settle in as jicama absorbs flavors big time. And the jicama gives it an amazing crunch.

Serves 4 -6

1 jicama, peeled and thinly sliced
½ pineapple, cut into bite sized chunks
2 carrots, shredded
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup cilantro, minced
juice and zest of one lime
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon honey
salt and pepper

Peel away the brown skin of the jicama, then thinly slice using a mandolin and sliver into matchsticks (any size and shape will work if you don’t have a mandolin). Next add your pineapple, carrots, red onion and cilantro to a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice and zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over the slaw and combine. Let chill for about an hour for optimal taste.

During my childhood summers, my family and I spent many a weekend checking out local festivals, fairs, and carnivals. And while most kids begged their parents for bright pink clouds of cotton candy or greasy funnel cakes topped with powdered sugar, I yearned instead for an ear of BBQ-grilled corn on the cob slathered with butter and salt. To me, nothing symbolizes summer more than one of these hot-of-the grill, sweet and salty treats. So, when my CSA box came with four bright green ears last week, I nearly squeled like a carni pig at the thought of grilling them up!

1/4 stick salted butter
1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
1 garlic bulb, chopped (optional)
salt and pepper

Heat the grill to medium heat. To prepare cilantro-butter, simply melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in chopped cilantro and garlic, if using.

There are two ways to prepare and grill the corn:

With husks
Soak ears for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours in cold water. Then, peel off the husks, taking care not to remove them entirely. The bottom of the husks should remain intact. If the husks are especially think, you may want to discard one or two top layers. Using a damp paper towel or vegetable scrubber, remove the corn silks that cover the ear. Rinse each ear in water to remove any remaining silk or debris.

Either spoon or brush on the cilantro butter, generously coating each ear. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Re-wrap the corn with the husks. If the husks are long enough, you can tie the ends in knots, or just use a small wire to secure them in place.

Without husks
Peel off, remove and discard the outer husks. Using a damp paper towel or vegetable scrubber, remove the corn silks that cover the ear. Rinse each ear in water to remove any remaining silk or debris.

Place each cob on a square piece of foil large enough to wrap and cover the ear. Either spoon or brush on the cilantro butter, generously coating each ear. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Tightly wrap with foil, twisting the ends to seal it.

Either way you prepare the corn, place them on the grill and rotate every 3-4 minutes for 13-15 minutes total. If you listen carefully, the ears will start to sizzle towards the end. If you aren’t sure whether they are done or not, partially peel one ear. Some of the kernels should be browned and caramelized. Be careful not to overcook the corn, otherwise it will turn mushy.

When I thought up, made, and then presented this pizza for dinner I was feeling mighty proud of myself. It looked gorgeous, was the epitome of Spring, and tasted fresh and light. Kele, on the other hand, thought that it was good but that it did NOT belong in the pizza category due to the inadequate amount of cheese (it had feta cheese and not ALL pizza has to have cheese as its star I argued!). So I’m sticking to my guns and calling in a pizza. Yet no matter what you call this dish, you are bound to call it delish.  And honestly, the green garlic pesto is reason enough to try it. I used the yummy leftovers in sammies, with fish and on turkey burgers all week long!

1 -2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Pinch of Salt
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 bunch green garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup Parmesan
1 bunch asparagus
Zest of 1 lemon
2-3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
pizza dough (I used whole wheat from Trader Joes)
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Heat a sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add onions once hot. Add a pinch or two of sea salt as that will help the caramelizing process. Stir onions frequently until they become nice and browned. I usually let mine go about 40 minutes, or the length of time it takes me to prepare the rest of the pizza.

Make the pesto by adding green garlic, walnut, Parmesan and olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth.  And using a vegetable peeler, shave asparagus to make thin ribbons. Don’t break off the bottom part of the stalk until after shaving, as this gives you a good grip while peeling. Toss shaved asparagus in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon zest.

Roll out your pizza dough on a floured surface and place it on a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with two tablespoons of cornmeal (this will prevent your pizza from sticking to the sheet). Then evenly spread pesto on dough – you will have some left over, which makes for a great sandwich spread – and add caramelized onions, shaved asparagus and crumbled feta.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove from oven and let cool.

Let me just say that last week was the first time I ever cooked with broccolini. I did some research on how to prepare it and, while you can saute, steam, boil, or roast it, several resources recommended blanching broccolini to help cut the bitterness. It was so simple and resulted in a perfect side dish for my dinner!

1 bunch broccolini (about 6-8 stems), cut into 1″ pieces
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic glove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

Serves 2.

Boil salted water in a large stock pot. Blanch broccolini for 3-4 minutes. Submerge broccolini in a bowl of iced water or rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic in a medium bowl. Add broccolini and toss to combine. Sprinkle with goat cheese and serve at room temperature or chilled.