By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator for The Food Co-op

Embracing Seasonal Bounty

As I walked out the garden gate, I spotted my first ripe fig, and its sweet, complex flavors made me wonder about making jam as I headed for the bus. My destination was the Food Coop, where I ogled produce from our local farms. The scent of dill and basil filled the air, but it was the red peppers and eggplants I was after. I’m in the process of creating an Equinox charcuterie board for an upcoming gathering, and want to capture the essence of the season. I pondered the sheep feta in the cheese case and wondered at the dried salamis, while noting that crisp apples are making their appearance.

Culinary Creativity and Inspiration

I’d asked for charcuterie ideas from my Cooking with the Coop Facebook group and their comments were inspiring! Lamb, apple, and rice-stuffed dolmas; mushroom pâté with nuts; tomato jam with flatbreads; bruschetta with sun gold tomatoes and marinated lemon cucumbers; grape leaves stuffed with seasonal fillings; roasted corn salad with fresh herbs; roasted butternut squash with feta; fall greens with balsamic vinegar and roasted Brussels sprouts; apple and pear slices with a sage-infused squash dip; squash pâté or hummus with sage; and roasted tomatoes with torn basil leaves, mozzarella balls, olive oil, flaky salt, and pepper.

Open-Minded Menu Planning

When planning a menu, I embrace the possibilities without settling too quickly. This practice allows my culinary imagination to flourish. Understanding the needs of my diners is crucial, but I also strive to introduce elements of surprise and delight, challenging their food assumptions.

Commitment to Quality and Craft

While we often discuss the importance of eating seasonally and locally, we rarely explore the effort required to honor these ingredients. Cooking can't always be quick, easy, and raw. It demands our time, attention, and a commitment to improving our skills. As the Food Coop’s culinary educator, I am dedicated to this craft. I insist on excellent technique and incorporate world flavors into my recipes because studying the How of There helps us cook the What of Here.

Exploration and Learning

After the Coop, I walked up the hill to the Library. I was reminded of their impressive cooking and baking section, where you can explore works by some of the best food writers. Cookbooks are an opportunity to experiment with ways to use our late summer bounty. My favorite cuisines for this season are Greek, Mediterranean, Turkish, Persian, and the Caucasus, as they excel in using the fresh herbs, squashes, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and peppers.

The Importance of Quality Tools

Walking down Lawrence Street, I discovered Uptown Cutlery, owned by Sam Rezendes, at the corner next to Finestre. I had never entered the shop and was immediately captivated. Ah, I thought, this man is a connoisseur, offering beautifully crafted kitchen knives and more. I resolved to entrust my knives to this establishment, where they are honed by hand on whetstones within 24 hours. A good chef’s knife is your most important tool; mastering its use and maintaining its sharpness will give you the confidence to cook anything.

Celebrating Local Abundance

Although I haven't finalized my menu, with apples and Asian pears in the dehydrator, zucchini lacto-fermenting into pickles, sweet onions roasting into jams, fresh sourdough breads, and red pepper spreads cooking, it’s all coming together from the bounty of Here and Now, celebrating our local, seasonal harvest through creativity, learning, and commitment to quality cooking.

Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Baba Ganoush

Makes 2 cups

I’m in favor of creamy, scoopable appetizers, especially if they also have some sweet, sour and spicy with a hint of toasted cumin. I love pulling out a medley of dips, olives and spreads to have with chopped tomatoes, flatbreads or perhaps some roasted chicken.  

For roasting

1.5 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into a medium dice

2 sweet red chilies or red bell peppers, topped, seeded and cut into a medium dice

2 Anaheim chilies, topped, seeded and cut into a medium dice

6 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 scant teaspoons flaked sea salt, or less fine sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground

For finishing

1 cup Italian parsley, chopped

¼ cup roasted tahini

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

½ teaspoon chipotle sauce

1)    Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gather and prep. all ingredients. In a small heavy-bottomed skillet, toast the cumin over a low heat until fragrant and then grind in a spice or coffee grinder.

2)    Mix the eggplant, chilies and garlic together on the baking sheet with the olive oil, cumin and salt. Roast on a middle rack for 20 minutes. With a spatula, mix the vegetables and bring the bottom parts to the top. Return to the oven and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until soft and sweet with some crisping edges.

3)    With a food processor, pulse the roasted veggies with the tahini, parsley, lemon juice and chipotle sauce. The baba ganoush should be chunky-smooth. Using a rubber spatula, spoon into a serving dish. Taste and correct the flavors with more lemon or salt if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature. Will keep a week refrigerated.

Tarragon Adjiki

Makes 1 cup

An herby green sauce to use with beans, eggs, meats, veggies or whatever else you can imagine. 

The tarragon version is excellent, but try it with mint or a combination of dill, mint, parsley, and cilantro.

1 cup fresh tarragon leaves

 2 cloves garlic, chopped

 1 tart apple, cored and quartered

 1/4 cup roasted green chilies, medium heat

 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

 1/2 cup water

1. Blend everything together in a high-speed or regular blender until smooth.

2. Refrigerate and use within one week.

Caponata Relish Version II

This is closer to the classic, but I roast the veggies instead of boiling.

For roasting

2 lbs eggplant, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 large red peppers, cut into a small dice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

Additions

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup celery, cut into a small dice

½ cup green olives

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup pine nuts or pepita seeds

 Dressing

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons coconut sugar, or brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce, anchovy based (Red Boat)

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1)    Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast the veggies on a middle shelf for about 25 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and peppers and onions sweet.

2)    Using a food processor, pulse the veggies, parsley, celery, olives, capers, raisins and nuts together until tapenade or relish consistency (about 10 to 12 pulses). Put the relish into a serving bowl.

3)    Rinse out the processor bowl, and process the dressing ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Stir the dressing into the relish and allow time to meld the flavors. It’s even better the next day. Keep refrigerated and serve at room temperature.

1)    Serve with chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Try molding the relish into a fun shape to serve.

Walnut Hazelnut Romesco Sauce

Makes 1 ½ cups

Quick

1 cup walnuts, toasted

1 dried ancho chili, stem removed, deseeded and torn into pieces

4 cloves garlic, smashed (remove any green inner sprouts) 

½ cup boiling water

¼ cup tomato paste (I used Bionaturae brand) 

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon raw unfiltered red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sweet paprika, Spanish or Hungarian

½ teaspoon red chili powder or red chili flakes

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons toasted hazelnut oil

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

1)    Pour boiling water over the ancho chili pieces and smashed garlic. Let them sit until softened, about 15 minutes.

2)    In a heavy-bottomed skillet, toast the walnuts, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 3-5 minutes at a medium heat.

3)    Add the nuts, ancho chili, garlic and soaking water to a high-powered blender. Add the vinegar, salt, chili powder to the blender. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive and hazelnut oils. Process until the sauce is smooth.

4)    With a rubber spatula, remove the sauce to serve or store. The sauce’s flavors will develop as it sits. Serve it right away or keep it refrigerated to use as needed.

Garlic Infused Mayonnaise

Makes ½ cup

20 minutes

Garlic infused avocado oil, with golden bits of chewy garlic make this a tasty sauce for potatoes or fish.

6 cloves garlic, take out any green center sprouts, chopped (wait 15 minutes before using) 

½ cup avocado oil

½ teaspoon Maldon flaked sea salt

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest 

2 egg yolks, farm fresh if possible

1)    Using a small saute pan, infuse the oil with garlic by bringing it up to medium low. The garlic should shimmer in the pan turning golden, but never burning. As soon as it shimmers, turn the heat down to low and infuse for 15 minutes. 

2)    Using a food processor, add sea salt, mustard, lemon juice, zest and egg yolks. Briefly pulse to bring the ingredients together.  With the machine running, slowly, in a thin stream pour in the avocado oil with the garlic until the sauce thickens. It should use a complete ½ cup of oil. Keep refrigerated. The sauce will keep for one week.

Mushroom Caviar

Makes 2 ½ cups

12 crimini mushrooms, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup cream cheese, soft

1)    Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Prep veggies, making sure they’re relatively even in size. Grind the pepper.

2)    Massage the oil with the pepper and thyme into the veggies. Do not add salt at this point!  Roast for 30 minutes. Stir and roast for another 15 minutes.

3)    Add the roasted veggies to a food processor, with the salt and vinegar. Pulse eight to ten times, to bring everything together into a chunky spread. Scrape into a bowl and work in cream cheese. 

4)    Serve on toasts. 

Air Fryer Quick Red Pepper Paste

Makes ½ cup

Try this with eggs, on toast, or by the spoonful.

3 large red bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 small hot pepper, seeded and diced

½  teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

Apple cider vinegar and a pinch of sugar to taste

1)    Combine the peppers,wearing gloves when working with hot peppers, and rub in the olive oil and salt. Roast the peppers in the air fryer at 390 F for 5 to 7 minutes, checking and shaking or stirring halfway through. Don’t overcrowd the fryer, and work in batches as necessary.

You can also use a conventional oven, use 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lay the peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 425 F for about 30 minutes. Start checking and stirring for 15 minutes.

2)    In a food processor, reduce the peppers to a paste, adding  apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon at a time, with pinches of sugar and enough olive oil to bring it together.

Use within a few days, or freeze.

Air Fryer Quick Red Pepper Paste— herb and garlic variation  

When pureeing add: 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seed, and ⅓ cup chopped cilantro. 

Air Fryer Quick Red Pepper Paste— pomegranate and walnut variation  

When pureeing add: 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, ⅓ cup toasted walnuts.

Air Fryer Quick Red Pepper Paste— Onion variation  

When pureeing add: 2 cloves minced garlic