If you haven't figured it out yet, we at Kitchen Repertoire like our eggs any style, any time. So here's yet another idea for you egg lovers out there.
Read MoreCheddar Grits avec Ramps and Bacon
Although I was born in California, I grew up in the south- Georgia and South Carolina to be exact. While I was a kid, grits weren't really a part of our everyday life. My mother's "southern-ness" has evolved with time so when I was young she was still a California girl making Tamale Pie and the like (a suburban girl getting her "mexican" on). Anyway, grits grew on me as an adult. A college student working in a bajillion restaurants, eating her way to a southern background. Every time I'm back in the south I order grits wherever I go because its such a comfort food and nobody does it like the south. These were made with instant grits (yes, lazy lady style) and then we modernized them with eclectic toppers. Don't even try to keep your heart attack in check here, grits need lots of salt or they're disappointing, so sodium intake be damed for a day.
Read MoreRamps
Pickled Ramps.
Deviled Eggs topped with Pickled Ramps.
We cheated and used the left over brine from a favorite jar of dilly beans. Trim, rinse and chop one bunch of ramps. Transfer to a small bowl or jam jar and cover with brine. Let stand refrigerated for at least 8 hours before using- over night is better. Serve with Deviled Eggs- simply made with just mayo, touch of dijon and lots of salt and pepper.
If you don't have pickle juice in your fridge simply make a brine that's 1 part white vinegar (or cider vinegar, whatever you have), 3 parts water. Then throw in salt, sugar, some peppercorns, dill seed or fresh dill if you have on hand and some mustard seeds.
Download a printable pdf of this recipe
Soft Salted Pretzel
My girls make these pretzels to sell at the West Cornwall, CT farmer’s market all summer long. In general - Sophie rules the kitchen and Plum mans the till. The dough needs to be refrigerated overnight and then come to room temperature before it is ready to be rolled, shaped, boiled, oiled, salted and baked - making for an industrious Saturday morning. Bread, pastry, whole wheat and barley flour has been substituted, in a pinch, for the customary all-purpose white. Weather effects the end product. Humidity causes the dough to disconcertingly bloat rather than rise. A cold snap makes the whole process pretty miserable. None of this matters. The pretzels are always delicious and sold out by noon.
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Sure Thing Salad Dressings
Sometimes (or maybe most times) a salad is hard to get everyone to embrace. It just doesn't have the excitement of a baked potato dripping with butter or sour cream. But if you have the right salad dressings on hand, I find I can get everybody on board. I realize I'm not reinventing the wheel here or anything but bottled Ranch just doesn't cut it for me. Ranch is not hard to make, you pretty much have most of the ingredients on hand and while its not exactly "healthy" you don't need a lot to make your salad yummy. The vinaigrette and carrot miso dressings below do aire on the healthier side so if the ranch ingredients freak you out try the others….and they last for several weeks so you can make a big batch and have it on the ready.
Read MoreLime & Garlic Chicken Soup
I make this soup whenever I have roasted chicken leftovers. It makes me feel good about myself in a few ways- because making my own stock makes me feel like a real cook, I like the fact that there's no waste and its also a great way to clean out your fridge of veggie bits. I probably make it different every time because I just use whatever I have in the fridge but the accoutrements are what make it feel fresh. To make this time savvy, throw the bird in the pot after dinner as per directions below and let it simmer as long as you like. Then pick up making soup the next day for dinner or the freezer…
Read MoreChocolate Chip Cookie Cake
I should have known that when Plum said she wanted to make a cake that she wanted to make a cake. I should have known that my darling daughter would not be cajoled into something less than she imagined - swirls, layers and ceremony. And so when the recipe I selected, dismissively, revealed itself to be for humble cookie dough rather than for silky cake batter, I was in trouble. At the very least I needed to covert the contents of my mixing bowl into something that could be poured into two round cake pans. To my delight (and considerable relief) the result was miraculous. In fact, I would call the alterations downright ingenious - if only I was not to blame for cookie/cake debacle in the first place. I now make this dense rich buttery cake for almost every family celebration and tailor the flavor, frosting, and filling according to the whims of the recipient.
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Salad Nicoise
There's something so elegant about a Nicoise salad yet its simplicity makes it so accessible. Enjoy it with a glass of vino verde' and a few friends.
Read MoreProjet: Salt Cod and Potato Pie
I served a version of this recipe at my husband’s 50th birthday dinner extravaganza. The menu was essentially a study of his favorite foods - mostly Spanish. Somehow the pie went missing. Caspar claims he never got a bite or even knew it existed. And so I made it again - and again. The dish makes for some fine leftovers however it is also remarkably easy to eat more than one helping so pick your poison. I like it best with a green salad and glass of rose.
Read MoreSesame Bars a la Union Square
Sesame bars, very similar to these, are available at the Union Square farmer’s market. I use to purchase them every once in awhile. Lately, however, I have been wanting the bars with regularity - an expensive habit. To make matters worse - my children are equally enamored. I hate to deny them such a healthful treat and so resolved to make them myself. After some experimentation, I have discovered that the binder/filler ratio is much more important than an exacting recipe. Take advantage of the opportunity to finish off half eaten containers of nuts, dried berries and seeds.
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Soft Boiled
Place egg in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and plunge into chilled water immediately. Peel or crack the top off. Serve promptly with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt, a dollop of butter and a crack of pepper. Don't forget the soldiers...
Asian Chicken Soup
My daughter Sophie complained the other day that I had served her this soup just last week. Nervy but correct! I make this recipe, or some variant of, all the time because it is everything you want/need a soup to be - economical, plentiful, and delicious. The soup lends itself to entertaining, yields fabulous leftovers - which can even be transformed into a hearty salad or school lunch. I have never tried frying up the remaining rice with a bit of soy and veg but reckon that would be good too.
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