June 2, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

balsamic roasted asparagus salad w/ fried capers + 7-minute eggs | dolly and oatmeal

it's hard to believe that it's been over a month since my last blog post! it was april then, and me and frank were just about to move. while the move was just down the street and around the corner, it was more of a headache than we thought. we wrongly assumed that since the move was short we could totally rent a uhaul and move ourselves - dur! i waited until the day before we moved to pack up the kitchen because i was testing and shooting recipes for the cookbook . plus, we were sandwiched between the new tenant moving into our old place, and the old tenant moving out of our new apartment, so we kind of made a mad dash of it piling everything into the uhaul and our car at the last minute. i was that crazy lady in the VW convertible doing laps around the block with plants and chairs, and boxes of cookbooks hanging out of the roof, while people looked on thinking i was nutso.

anyway, it's been a blast so far having a backyard(!!!) and quint (our pup) is LOVING it! he chases squirrels and cats all day long, hunts bugs, eats dirt, and sunbaths like a boss! frank has totally surprised me by how handy he is in the garden, and how determined he is to clean that yard up! so far he's found an old radiator, pounds and pounds of buried bricks, broken statues, and some rusty pipes; we're still trying to figure how all that random stuff made its way here! while it's been great having a outside space, it's even more awesome being able to tend to something that was in dire need of some major tlc - something about the process of making a space over, making it your own, is really gratifying on such a basic level.

speaking of gratifying, this salad! asparagus is one of my all time favorite vegetables, so when it's fresh at the market i'm buying it all up! this is more of a throw-it-together kind of meal, the kind i do for lunch most days, with leftover this, some greens, and always an egg. i almost always roast or top sautéed asparagus with a drizzle of really good aged balsamic vinegar, something about the sweet acidic bite it gives is just too good! i mixed it here with a mesclun mix, some leftover pea shoots, and (game-changing!) fried capers. bon appetit's perfectly runny, but cooked 7-minute egg is something i've been practicing to make for a while, and i've finally figured out how to remove the shell from the egg without the white coming along with it (instructions below!)! it's all about the little things, guys ;)

happy june to you all! xo

balsamic asparagus salad w/ fried capers + 7-minute eggs (gf)

serves 2

1 bunch asparagus (roughly 8oz), woody ends trimmed and sliced into 1 1/2-inches pieces on a diagonal
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
course sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 teaspoon organic cornmeal
2 large pasture raised eggs
2 handfuls mesclun mix, baby kale, or mustard greens
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

method

preheat oven to 400° F. in a baking dish, toss together asparagus, 2 teaspoons oil, and balsamic, season with salt and pepper. roast for 10 minutes, until tender.
while asparagus is roasting, fry the capers. toss the capers and cornmeal together. heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in small skillet over medium, once hot add the capers; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp and cornmeal coating is golden. use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined plate; set aside.
prepare an ice bath, set aside. fill a small saucepan 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil; gently lower eggs into the water and let it come back to a boil. lower to a rolling simmer and time eggs for 7 minutes. use a slotted spoon and transfer eggs to the ice bath. let eggs cool for at least 5 minutes. use the back of a spoon to tap and crack the shell, rinse eggs and slice in half.
in a large serving bowl, toss greens with lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper. serve salad with roasted asparagus, fried capers, and sliced eggs. top with herb flowers and serve warm.

enjoy!

more spring recipes:

cilantro black rice with garlic scapes + asparagus

asparagus w/ shallot vinaigrette + crisp lemon zest

asparagus, pea + broccoli rabe saute over a chive + chickpea mash

chickpea bean bowl w/ toasted breadcrumbs + dill-tahini / April 27, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

chickpea bowl w/ toasted breadcrumbs + dill tahini | dolly and oatmeal

me and frank are moving at the end of the week! we're only heading down the block, but among awesome things like that fact that the apartment is a little over 100 sq. ft. bigger than our current place, it also has a backyard! nyc's rents are insane, therefore we never thought we would find and be able to afford a place in our neighborhood with an outside space, so discovering this apartment was a very happy surprise! i can't wait to have a little piece of earth to dig around in, an area to make ours, and to have summer hangs with friends and family. frank, being brought up in north carolina is already plotting to slow-cook some of his favorite meals outside on the grill, as well as other projects that he will now have the room for. however, i'm a bit more excited for our pup, quint to have a space to run around in, dig about, and get curious in the outside elements, him being cooped up in an apartment for most of the day has always made me a bit sad. i'm hoping to come back here soon with an update, and some shots of the new place, and hopefully some backyard progress (especially since we haven't seen it since it was covered in about 2 ft. of snow!).

but on to more important things! today is a special, special post because it's in honor of bringing a tiny babe into the world! the lovely erin from naturally ella is having a baby boy(!), so a few of us are getting together to spread some internet baby shower joy!!! so on this special day, erin, i wish you all the very best in this momentous occasion!

if you're familiar with erin's awesome blog and her cookbooks, then you recognize that she's best known for her simple and delicious vegetarian meals. erin's recipes always inspire me to keep things simple and fresh; that meals with a short list of ingredients and seasonal produce can go a long way! in that spirit i thought i would share a springy meal that's good as a side, substantial for dinner, and plentiful enough for a soon-to-be mama! it's an easy-peasy salad with beans and peas, because a baby and mama are the essential pea (or bean) in a pod!

here's to erin, her family, and her first little one! big hugs to you, lady xo

and i can't wait to check out all the delicious recipes from everyone else who participated in erin's baby shower! go check them out!

chickpea bowl w/ toasted breadcrumbs + dil-tahini | dolly and oatmeal

chickpea bean bowl w/ toasted breadcrumbs + dill tahini (gf + v)

the dill-tahini adds an herby note, but if you're not a fan of dill substitute another herb like basil, tarragon or parsley. if fresh fava beans or shelling peas haven't made it to your neck of the woods yet, simply sub. in a frozen variety. and as far as gluten-free breadcrumbs go, my favorites are Ian's brand (italian seasoned), and a local brand, Aleias (also italian seasoned).

| serves 2-4 |

1/4 cup tahini paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill, more for serving
salt + pepper, to taste
1/4 cup water
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 pound english shelling peas, shelled
1 pound fava beans, shelled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
handful of baby arugula
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1-2 tablespoons toasted gluten-free breadcrumbs, ground

method

make the tahini. whisk together tahini, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, pepper, and water. Set aside until ready to serve.
cook the beans and peas. bring an inch of water to a simmer and steam the fava beans for approximately 2-3 minutes, until just tender; run under cold water to stop them cooking. place peas in steamer and cook for 1 1/2-2 1/2 minutes, until just tender (cook time depends on freshness and size of peas); rinse under cold water to stop from cooking. remove outer layer of fava beans and discard.
in a serving bowl, toss chickpea, fava beans, peas, arugula, parsley, oil, vinegar, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. toss in breadcrumbs and a few tablespoons of tahini sauce, taste and adjust seasoning; garnish with leftover dill and serve.

enjoy!

more recipes:

asparagus + broccoli rabe saute w/ chive-chickpea mash

up island, martha's vineyard / April 21, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

in mid-october i spent an awesome long weekend up on the island of martha's vineyard. have you ever had one of those places you visit time and time again, where the visiting stopped becoming a visit, and it felt more like home; like a place you felt most understood and comfortable? martha's vineyard has always felt like that place to me. my parents started taking me and my brother up there when we were little ones, and had been summering up there for most of my childhood and young adulthood. we always stayed in tiny fishing village called menemsha, where there was a general store, one gas station, a couple of seafood markets, and the galley - a place that sold the best soft-serve ice cream and frappes! there were unpaved roads, late nights spent squid-jigging, and others where we watched the moon rise over the ocean's horizon. early mornings where my brother and i would race down to the bay to snorkel and see the crabs wake up. it was a place where my parents taught us to explore beyond what we knew, be happy in simplicity, and bask in the beauty of what nature had to offer.

i remember driving home from dinner, my dad pulling off to the side of the road to stare up at the vastness above us. never had i ever seen so many stars in the sky, i could have lived there, staring up at the night sky. where sometimes my dad would go on about astronomy, the celestial bodies, and yes, aliens. there were beaches where i learned how to body surf and ride a wave, where my father taught me to skip stones, and where, unfortunately, observed the effects of what erosion and climate change has had on island. there were so many lessons i took away from those summers, and so many things i took away from those memories that are only now are fully resonating.