Pisssaladière with Socca Crust

Sweet savory and absolutely delicious. This recipe can be made with pantry staples. It is gluten free and will do your spirits a world of good. Pour yourself a glass of chilly rosé - maybe two - because it is not like you have anywhere to go.

1 cup chickpea flour

1 cup cold water

large pinch salt

2 tablespoons olive oi, l plus more for pan

2 tablespoons butter

3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

a few sprigs fresh thyme

1 jar anchovies

1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted

Whisk together chickpea flour and water. The batter should be the consistency a thick pouring cream. Season with a large pinch of salt and stir in olive oil. Let stand at room temperature for at least one hour before using. The batter can be made 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until needed. Bring to room temperature before using.

Melt butter in a wide heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally onion onions turn an golden color and are their way to a sticky sweet jam, about 45 minutes. Be careful not to scorch. Add fresh thyme about half way through the cooking. Add a splash of water if onions stick or need a little encouragement. Remove from heat.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 9 inch square baking pan or skillet in the oven and let stand about 10 minutes to heat. Remove from oven. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon more olive oil into hot pan. Immediately pour batter into hot pan and return to oven. Bake until socca is set and just starting to turn golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and spread onions over socca crust. Arrange anchovies in a hatch mark pattern over onions and top with olives. Return to oven for another 5 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Coconut Rice Flour Crepes with Spring Greens and Black Garlic

Sometimes cravings beget creation.  Such is the case here.  The sudden desire for a particular savory pancake approximating a Banh Xeo resulted in this rice flour crepe.  The end product was so exciting and unexpected that there was no time to prepare a proper filling. Instead we sprinkled each crepe with the greens at hand and a smidgen of black garlic.   Black garlic is a new addition to our kitchen larder.  It is a familiar ingredient in Korean food ( so taking a culinary expansionist approach here ) and tastes both sweet and smokey.  The purported health benefits are big - anti cancer, pro digestion. Go get some. 

Coconut Rice Flour Crepes with Spring Greens and Black Garlic

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• A few cloves, black garlic, mashed to a paste
• A few handfuls Spring Greens and herbs such as chives, mustard and spicy arugula

Whisk together rice flour, coconut milk and water in a small bowl until batter is smooth and the consistency of pourable cream.  Stir in salt.  Let stand at room temperature one hour before using.  Alternatively batter can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until needed. 

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter into hot pan. Swirl, tilt and turn pan to spread batter to be as thin as possible.  Top with a bit of black garlic and a handful of greens.  Gently press down on greens.  Cook crépes a few minutes on each side until golden and crisp.  Serve immediately.  

Buckwheat Crêpe with Smoked Trout, Sour Cream and Dill

Even in a world where so little makes sense - good food always does.

Buckwheat Crêpes with Smoked Trout, Sour Cream and Dill

Basic Buckwheat Crêpe

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup cup water
• 1/4 cup hard apple or pear cider 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 4 tablespoons melted butter or ghee, plus more for griddle

Combine eggs, milk, water and hard cider in the jar of a bar blender.  Process until smooth.  Add salt and flour and blend.  Add butter and blend just until batter is smooth and the consistency of a nice pourable cream.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before using.

Heat griddle over a medium low flame.  Brush with melted butter - just so shiny.  There should not be a butter puddle.  Same as pancakes - first crêpe is usually a dud - so be prepared. Pour a scant 1/4 of batter onto griddle.  Lift griddle and gentle tip and turn so that batter spreads naturally into a nice even thin circle - you are looking for something with about 1/16 inch thickness.  

There are various schools of thought when it comes to crêpes.  Some believe that they should be flipped and others say no - JAMAIS JAMAIS JAMAIS!  In the end it all depends on your mood and/or expertise.

• 1 recipe Basic Buckwheat Crêpes
• 1 pound smoked trout, skin and bones discarded
• 1 cup sour cream
• Small bunch fresh dill
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

Prepare crêpes as above.  While still warm fill with desired amount and combination of above ingredients.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Chopped Cucumber and Bean Salad

Cold Sesame Noodles with Chopped Cucumber and Bean Salad

Falls into the category of food we could eat everyday.

• 1 pound noodles - we used rice but egg noodles are traditional. 
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus more for noodles
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus more for vegetables
• 2 tablespoons sesame paste
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste, or to taste
• 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 large handful yellow flat beans, blanched to tender and chopped
• 1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Cook noodles according to package instructions.  The noodles should be on the firm side of cooked.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Transfer to a bowl and hit with a healthy splash of sesame oil. 

Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until just smooth.  Adjust seasoning with a tad more chili paste if desired.  Pour sauce over cooked noodles and toss well.  Combine cucumber, beans and cilantro in a small bowl.  Dress lightly with rice vinegar and spoon over noodles.  Sprinkle the whole thing with sesame seeds.  Serve immediately. 

Back To School Lunch: Buckwheat Salad with Kale Pesto and Sweet Potato Chips

I don't know about you but packing lunch everyday and trying to be creative about it and healthy at the same time is daunting.  We've teamed up with Purl Soho for some super cute lunch bag ideas (they made the outside) and we  at KR, are filling them up with some healthy choices.

Cuteness on the outside and tasty on the inside.  This sewing project from the Purl Bee is just the ticket to get you excited about making lunch.

Buckwheat Salad with Kale Pesto and Sweet Potato Chips

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups buckwheat groats
• Sea Salt
• 1 cup chickpeas (best if you cook your own but canned works just fine), rinsed and drained
• 2 cups yellow string beans, blanched and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Several tablespoons Kale Pesto, see recipe below
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Melt butter in a medium skillet over low heat.  Add buckwheat and toast, stirring, just until groats take on a little color and start to smell sweet and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in a pinch of salt add 3 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer uncovered) until groats are tender but still retain nice toothsome quality, about 15 minutes. Do not allow them to turn to mush.  Stir in chickpeas, beans and kale pesto.  Adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice.  

Kale Pesto

• 1 bunch Lacinato or Dinosaur Kale, thick stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh lemon juice, optional

Place kale, garlic, anchovies and capers in jar of bar blender.  Process just until kale begins to break down.  Add olive oil and blend until mixture is smooth.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  If using all your pesto right away stir in a bit of fresh lemon juice.  If you intend to keep batch on hand for awhile - add lemon juice as needed. 

Sweet Potato Chips

• 3 small Japanese (white fleshed) sweet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt

Heat oven to 425.  Arrange sweet potato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly but thoroughly brushed with olive oil.  Brush tops of sweet potatoes with more oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Place in oven and roast until the sweet potatoes are golden brown, about 40 minutes.  The potato slices should easily lift from baking sheet and be golden brown on the bottom as well as top.  Turn off oven and leave potatoes in oven to cool completely and crisp up, about 4 hours.  Store in an airtight container. 

Metal lunch container from Lunchbots belgian linen paper napkin from Sur La Table Button Lunch Bags from the Purl Bee