Kiopoolu–Smoked Eggplant Dip

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Hello my dear blog! Sorry, I haven’t been here with you in a long time. And it’s not that I have forgotten you. Quite the opposite. I have worked on recipes for you, and I have taken tons of photos to make you beautiful, and been with some amazing food-cooking farm-living creatures to write you some good stories. Yet, somehow, sitting down and writing has been slipping away from me. Maybe it was the summer. Maybe it was the lovely people that surrounded me. Or maybe both. But hey, winter is here and I have no more excuses but to sit inside on a chilly day and write and write and write. So here I am.

And now, about today’s recipe:
Kiopoolu my dear American friends is the Bulgarian word for eggplant dip or Baba Ganoush. Just as the other well know forms/names of a eggplant dip the eggplant is roasted (or grilled) to soften the flesh, then the flesh is scooped and mixed with garlic, olive oil and some acid, like lemon juice or vinegar, and enjoyed as a side dish or an appetizer. I loved Kiopoolu when I was a kid because my dad always grilled the eggplant on a hot summer August night. Then while still hot, he removed the skin with a knife and mixed the flesh in a huge wooden mortar and pestle with some roasted red peppers, grated fresh tomatoes, garlic, vinegar and lots of parsley. I loved the smooth texture of the eggplant dip and the zesty-freshness of the tomatoes and the vinegar. My memory of these times is that my family always enjoyed the Kiopoolu on that hot summer night when all bunch of dips and salads replaced a cooked, dinner just because it was too hot to eat heavily cooked meal.

My version of Kiopoolu is a mix of the  Kiopoolu of my childhood combined with my experiences enjoying the different ways of eggplants and dips I had over the years as I lived in the United States or traveled to Greece. What I love about the eggplant as a vegetable is that its flesh is mild in flavor and absorbs and serves as a base for so many other flavors as it holds them together. You can go as basic as salt, olive oil, garlic and acid or, go all the way by adding parsley, mint, walnuts, and roasted peppers. In this recipe, I grilled the eggplants whole which hardened their skin and made it easy to scoop away the flesh and it added that slight smoky-summery flavor to the dip. I used lemon juice and added fresh grated tomatoes for a balanced and complex acidity. I also used both mint and parsley for freshness and mixed everything with fine ground walnuts. 

Hope you like it ❤

xoxo

Kiopoolu – Smoked Eggplant Dip

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 2 medium size eggplants
• 2 Roma tomatoes, grated*
• 1/4 cup whole fat Greek or Icelandic yogurt
• 1 large garlic clove, finely minced 
• 3 tbsp olive oil + more for serving
• 1/3 cup raw or toasted walnuts, finely pulsed in a food processor 
• 2 tbsp finely chopped mint + few leaves for garnish
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley + few leaves for garnish
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 3 tbsp)
• Salt + Pepper 
• 1/2 tsp Sumac (optional) 

* To grate tomatoes: slice them in half and grate (flesh side against the grater) on the largest holes of a grater over a medium bowl until all that’s left is the flattened tomato skin and stem. Discard skin and stem. 

Directions

1. Prepare a charcoal grill for medium heat (coals should be covered with ash and glowing red with no black remaining.) Place eggplants 2 inches from heat source. Allow skins to blister and char, turning with tongs until entire surface is blackened and eggplants are completely soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside on a large plate until cool enough to handle and to allow some of the juices to run out.

2. Slice the eggplants lengthwise and scoop the flesh from the skin into a the bowl of a food processor (it’s okay if bits of charred skin get in there too). Discard burned skins. 

3. Place the remaining ingredients except the sumac (if using) in the food processor and gently pulse until all ingredients are incorporated but still slightly chunky (Do not over blend or you will end up with a baby-food-like puree.) Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, herbs or olive oil per your liking.

4. To serve, drizzle the dip with more oil and top with mint and parsley leaves and sumac (if using.)

Dip can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chill.

Turnip Rock Farm / Part 2

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This is the second part of the Turnip Rock Farm visit that Eliesa Johnson and I did back in July (I am slow to post...sorry my dear blog and lovely Turnip Rock people). Eliesa Johnson who is a wonderful photographer and a relentlessly positive and energetic person took the beautiful photos. And Josh and Rama, the warm hearted owners and farmers of Turnip Rock farm, opened their farm to us to explore and photograph.   

This is a special project for me mainly because I feel such a strong connection to the Turnip Rock Farm people. I have always believed in nature’s wisdom, natural processes and balance, where everything has its purpose and all the elements are interdependent. That is why I support and admire Turnip Rock farm’s mission where Josh and Rama strive to create an organic, sustainable farm with a whole ecosystem where each element of their farm is interdependent. They farm by balancing annual vegetables, natural habitat, grasses and trees with animals integrated into the fold. They grow 6 acres of produce and get supported by 160 CSA members. They also raise pigs, sheep and cows and from the milk Rama, the magician cheesemaker, makesa beautiful selection of soft and aged cheeses. Their love for growing and sharing their own food is so strong and anyone who encounters them feels that. They are a family of people who have a tremendous respect for the soil, their natural environment, resources, their produce and their lifestyle is a reflection of that. 

It always makes me happy to see Rama’s and Josh’s smiling faces at the farmers market. They radiate warmth and genuineness that are always present and that is what makes them wonderful to be around (I could sit and chat with them for longer than they probably want). While at their farm, I realized that they attract people with the same qualities to work with them. Everyone on the farm was so kind and welcoming to us. They even invited us to join them for a home-cooked farm lunch prepared by Liberty. In the world we live today I so often get disconnected form what is real and important and I feel that food has been one of them – it’s easy to forget how it is made and to take its vast availability all for granted. What I loved about that farm lunch (which I will always remember) was that it was made from produce picked fresh from the farm minutes before it was to be enjoyed. The lunch was fresh and seasonal and it showed the loving and respectful relationship that every member of the Turnip Rock Farm had with the land and the gifts of nature. Liberty made us zucchini cakes with yogurt and cucumber sauce; arugula, potato and pesto salad; cucumber and quinoa salad all accompanied by a huge plate of Cosmic Wheel feta cheese, and to finish it Rama indulged us with the most amazing, finger-licking quark cheesecake (you can find the recipe in the previous post). I had eaten these dishes before but that day I felt like I discovered their taste all over again. Maybe it was the air, maybe the people or maybe the love and the care surrounding us is what made them so memorable and yummy. In the days after, I kept thinking about these wonderful people, their farm, the lunch and how lucky I was to be part of it. And every time this summer when I felt like being transported back to that day at the Turnip Rock Farm I made myself a huge batch of zucchini cakes, a plate of feta cheese and a big bowl ofthe wonderful warm potato, pesto, and arugula salad.

Photography by Eliesa Johnson

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To honor Turnip Rock Farm and their wonderful produce I picked a few of the vegetables that grew in season on their farm as well as some of Rama’s Cosmic Wheel soft and aged cheeses. I used the produce in 2 different ways to create 2 recipes that tell the story of the farm. One is a fresh beets and carrot salad with honey-lemon on a quark cheese crostini. And the second one is a savory bacon, eggs and kale tart with a cheese crust. 

This story is about community and being a part of one. And I hope with all my heart that you can find the strength to do the not-so-easy task of supporting and giving your time and energy to what is important to you. We are all connected in a beautiful web of people and their gifts of labor. And either that gift of labor comes in a form of a cheese, or vegetables, or a product, a service or a gesture of kindness, we all benefit from it. So support your community and you will be rich.

xoxo

Photography by Eliesa Johnson

Recipes

Beets and Carrots Salad Crostini

Makes about 20 crostini

Ingredients:

Dressing
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp caraway seeds

Crostini
• 1 baguette, sliced, brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven
• 4 medium red beets, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 3 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 6 oz Cosmic Wheel Garlic Quark cheese (Goat cheese works too)
• A few sprigs of fresh dill

Directions:

1. Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake until creamy.

2. In a medium bowl place the beets, carrots and dressing. Toss and let sit for 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt or honey if desired.

3. Assemble the crostini by spreading a dollop of Quark cheese on each piece. Top with a small amount of the beet salad and sprinkle with dill.

Bacon & Kale Tart with Cheese Crust

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

For crust
(Adapted from Donna Hay)
• 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 150g cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
• 1/2 cup (60g) grated aged Cosmic Wheel cheese (any kind)
• 1/2 cup (40g) grated Parmesan
• 1 egg

For filling
• 10 strips of bacon
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of Dino kale, center vain removed and chopped
• 3/4 cup (200ml) cream
• 3/4 cup (200ml) milk
• 5 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup grated aged Cosmic Wheel cheese (any kind)
• 4oz (100g) Cosmic Wheel Garlic/Dill Quark
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Place all crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until the pastry comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

2. While the cheese dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

3. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil (this will ensure easy clean up) and lay the bacon strips. Bake for 10 minutes, flip the bacon and bake for additional 5 minutes. Remove the bacon and lay on a plate lined with paper towel. Reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon drippings. When the bacon is cool, chop roughly and set aside.

4. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan. Grate the pastry and press into the base and sides of the form going all the way to the top. Line the pastry with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking weights or uncooked rice or beans.

5. Place on a large oven tray and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and cook for another 5–10 minutes or until the pastry is lightly golden.

6. While the pastry is cooking, heat the preserved bacon fat in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4–6 minutes or until soft. Add kale and cook for 2 more minutes or until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Place half of the kale, bacon and quark cheese in the pastry shell. In a medium bowl combine the eggs, cream, milk and grated aged cheese. Pour the egg mixture in the pastry shell and top with the remaining kale, bacon and quark cheese.

8. Reduce heat to 325°F (160°C). Bake the tart for 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden and set. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the spring form to serve.

Swiss Chard Caesar Sald

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On my latest visits to New York I have been stopping by a fabulous, small, wood burning pizza place with a cozy atmosphere, wonderful, yummy pizzas and the most delicious crab cakes and Swiss chard Caesar salad on this planet. Every time I am there I tell myself that I will try something new and every time I am faced with the impossible choice – if I order something new, then I won’t be eating my favorite crab cakes and chard salad, which I have been dream-drooling for months. But if I order my favorites, then I won’t be trying something new, which could be as equally fabulous as the crab cakes and the salad. Some could argue that I should order all; my cakes, my salad and something new. And believe me I have done that, but to be honest, a girl can’t really eat that much food at once or her tummy will be hurting. The thought of not having (but constantly thinking of) the buttery crab cake and the lemony-parmesan chard salad is killing my food loving soul so, at the end, I do order my favorites, as you might have guessed. 

Ever since the first time I had the creamy-lemony-parmesan dressing on the chard salad, I was blown away how something so simple can be so yummy and how wonderfully it complements the tender Swiss chard leaves.  After my last visit I began my usual journey of trying to recreate this yummy salad so I can enjoy it ALL the time. First, I started with the dressing and I made all bunch of different versions of a homemade Caesar dressing, but the result was either too garlicky or too fishy or mustardy – something was not quite right and not quite as I remembered it. Then I started again from scratch, ignoring the classic Caesar recipes and went by taste memory. I started with a whole egg for a whiter, thicker consistency. I added lemon rind and a generous amount of lemon juice for freshness and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese for complexity. The final result was a creamy, lemony aioli which married so well with the delicate young spring chard leaves. I also added snap peas and asparagus to the salad since they are abundant at the farmers market at this time of the year. I finished the salad with warm sourdough croutons, tossed in the lemony dressing for yumminess. I was so happy with my recreation that I ate the salad for lunch and dinner every day for a whole week. And the dressing is just so delicious – I have been making a jar every week and spreading it on sandwiches or dipping chunks of bread while enjoying a class of wine when standing at the kitchen counter and watching reruns of Frasier.

So my dear friends, I do hope with all my heart that you will gather your courage and try this salad. And even if you don’t, I do hope that you grab a canvas bag andstop by your local farmers market, find some fresh green things, get inspired – either by me or other people and make something fresh, local and yummy.

xoxo

Swiss Chard Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
Serves 4 (medium size salads)

Dressing
• 1 large lemon
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup of olive or sunflower oil
• 1 really small garlic clove, crushed
• 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Salad
• 1 bunch of rainbow chard (preferably, tender and young leaves)
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 16 asparagus), hard bottoms trimmed
• 2 handfuls of snap peas, strings removed
• 2 thick slices of sourdough bread
• Fresh Parmesan shaves for serving

Directions:

1. Grate the rind of the lemon and set aside.

2. Break the egg in the food processor and whizz once or twice. Add the garlic. With the motor running on low start adding the oil slowly so it drips trough the top of the food processor. When all the oil is incorporated add the lemon zest, the juice of 1/2 lemon and the Parmesan cheese. Whizz until incorporated and add salt and pepper to taste. Taste again and add more lemon juice if you like it lemony (like me). If the dressing runs thin add 2-4 tablespoons of oil and whizz until it thickens. Be careful not to make it thick (like mayo) and if it gets too thick add a 1-2 tablespoons of water or lemon juice. Place the dressing in a jar and refrigerate.

3. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. Tear the bread into uneven 1/2-inch chunks, toss liberality with olive oil and add to the pan. Turn the heat on low and toast the croutons by flipping them a few times until golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the asparagus. Remove the asparagus after 2-3 minutes and drop them immediately in a large bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process and to preserve their bright green color. Remove from the water after 2-3 minutes, pat dry, cut in half and set aside in a large bowl.

5. Clean the Swiss chard, wash and dry really well (this will ensure a nice coating of the dressing). Remove the stem and the central vein, tear the leaves into 2-inch chunks and add to the asparagus. Add the snap peas, the croutons and half of the dressing. Toss well with your hands, taste and add more dressing if desired (I like my salad smothered with dressing). Divide into 4 plates and top with the shaved Parmesan.

Enjoy!