sunday suppers - a gathering / July 28, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

sunday suppers - a gathering | dolly and oatmeal

this past weekend my husband and i had the pleasure of hosting a light taqueria feast on martha's vineyard in celebration of karen mordechai's sunday suppers cookbook. i've been a fan of karen's work for years; from the charming gatherings she hosts in her brooklyn studio, to the array of stunning recipes and photos on her blog, and as of last year her sunday suppers cookbook. the compilation of gatherings and recipes in her book are not just beautifully organized but inspiring; nudging you - ever so gently - to take the plunge and host a gathering of your own. her recipes are breezy, but not in the sense that they're just thrown together, rather they're simple, refreshing, and delicious. karen's aesthetic is more than appealing, so when she asked if i wanted to host a gathering i jumped at the opportunity.

since i was up on martha's vienyard i thought that hosting the gathering there be a great opportunity to utilize some of the island's vibrant vegetables and fresh fish. the day of gathering started early as my husband and i drove to the other side of the island to purchase our fish from our favorite market, larsen's, where we picked up that morning's catch: halibut. next, it was on to beetlebung farm for my favorite herbs and greens, then a quick stop at the west tisbury farmers market for tabor house farm's red and white onions; our morning concluded at the morning glory farm in edgartown to purchase some of the most tender and sweet tomatoes, a handful of organic avocados, and a bunch of freshly plucked radishes. the rest of the afternoon was spent prepping, figuring out how to cook in the kitchen of our rental house, and setting the table for our guests.

we enjoyed an early supper as the sun started to set and the day became cool again. we talked and laughed and swapped stories about our day, and importantly shared a good meal with sun-kissed faces and happy smiles.

the menu

fish tacos w/ avocado crema

tortilla soup

pickled red onions

guacamole

pico de gallo

sea salt chelada

chocolate and tequila

more recipes

beet tacos w/ beet green salsa verde + pickled onions

raspberry-currant yogurt crumble cake (gf + df) / July 21, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

raspberry-currant yogurt crumble cake (gf + df) | dolly and oatmeal

if you've read a bunch of posts here then you've probably heard me go on and on about my summers spent on martha's vineyard. this year it's a shorter trip, but we're here on this magical island and that's all that matters! a whiff of the salty air, the fishy but welcoming fragrance of the fish markets, the sweet smells of the rosa rugosa bushes that line shores of every beach, and the hefty amount of sea mist that rolls through the beach grass just as the sun sets. the majesty of this island never gets old; it's as though i see it with new eyes each time i deboard that ferry.

i'm making it a short post today, we're trying to get as much time in with the fam and pups before we head back to brooklyn. but before i go i wanted to share this fruity crumb cake. it's a riff on a basic coffee cake but more berry-centric, with less cinnamon-y flavor. i happened to get up to stone barns just in time for their raspberry harvest and bought as many cartons of those sweet gems as i could carry. and while i typically shy away from using raspberries in baking (frank and i usually eat them all up before i can do anything with them), i had quite a bit leftover and was trying to clean out the fridge a bit before we left. i also had currants that i had picked up a few days prior and thought that the sweet raspberries and tart currants would be perfect in a cake situation! turns out it was one of my favorite things ever. so much so, that i made another cake with leftover blueberries the next day for my brother :)

this cake (in my opinion) is the perfect amount of sweet/tart that invites you to eat it with breakfast, as a afternoon treat, or perhaps as a light dessert. the crumble also has that essential balance of sweet/salty with a hint of cinnamon, hitting those traditional coffee cake notes. it's definitely a hit around here, perhaps it will be a new favorite in your kitchen as well :)

wishing you all cool summer breezes! xo

raspberry-currant yogurt crumble cake (gf + df)

feel free to substitute whatever berries you have on hand. if they're a larger berry i would suggest cutting them to the size of a dime or penny for even baking. i prefer to use this unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt, but 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk with 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice works just as well.

| makes one 8-inch round cake |

crumb topping

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup monkfruit sweetener
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
big pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil

cake

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sunflower oil
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy cultured yogurt (i use this coconut yogurt)
1 1/2 cups mixed raspberries and currants

method

preheat the oven to 350°F, oil an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
make the crumb topping. with a fork, whisk together the flour, cinnamon and salt; drizzle in the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix until crumbly, then add the almonds and mix to combine once more. cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
make the cake. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. in another large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to beat together the eggs and oil together; then add the sugar and vanilla; mix on low until combined. add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low until combined, then add 1/3 of the yogurt and beat on low until combined; alternate between the two until fully incorporated. gently fold in 1/2 the berries and currants; turn batter out into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. evenly distribute the remaining berries over top of the cake. remove the crumb topping from the fridge and use your fingers to break it up a bit; evenly distribute crumbs over top of cake.
bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. remove from oven and place on a rack; let cool completely before removing the sides of the pan and serving.

enjoy!

more recipes

summer squash + banana loaf w/ almond streusel

breakfast quinoa flakes w/ stewed blackberries

summer socca salad w/ burst tomatoes + roasted zucchini / July 14, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i've had a very loose summer "to-do" list, and i'm actually making progress on it (which is really encouraging because i'm the biggest procrastinator and lists rarely ever keep in line)! some items are coming along, while others are more of a long-term kind of deal:

plant a wild flower/meadow garden (and keep it alive) - so far ✔
work on toning my arms a la linda hamilton in terminator 2 - ✔ still a work in progress ;)
grill (gf + v) pizza! - ✔ we did this the other night, and while the grill was too hot, and the bottom of the dough was black and charred, it was still awesome. i'm planning a major post for this recipe when we get it just right!)
a designated no-social-media-day - eh, i have good weeks and not so good weeks with this one.
read more books, like real tangible books - half-✔. am i the only one who has my nose in the middle of about 5 books for the past 2 years? halp.

speaking of schedules and lists, the opposite can be said for what we've been eating recently. i've been on this kick of preparing easy peasy meals with familiar pantry items and whatever i pick up at the market that the weekend. there's always some sort of grain or legume, a punchy sauce to make things exciting, and little extras like fried capers or toasted breadcrumbs for added crunch and flavor. since the development side of my cookbook has wound down, i'm feeling like i have a surplus of quiet energy that's insisting to just go with the flow. for a while it was a non-stop schedule of recipe testing, styling, and shooting. and while it's been a really fulfilling project, it was also mentally and physically exhausting. so laying back and letting food, and cooking be breezy is what life is dictating at the moment, and i'm just going with it! this socca salad recipe is very much in line with what meals have been looking like around here this summer, veg-heavy, super gratifying, and importantly, low key.

my husband has always been on board with socca since i first began making it a few years ago. it was one of the first bread-y things (since going gluten-free) we could partake in and enjoy together, and it's been a wrap since then. this recipe is a very basic socca recipe, one that i've been making and tweaking for years. it's one of those tried and true recipes that i love preparing for lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer for when we have friends over. socca is so good that sometimes it's best when left plain and topless, but it can also be a blank canvas for just about anything you want to pile on top of it; in this case a simple summer salad. there's a bit of easy prep required but nothing that's tiresome or laborious, just some mixing, roasting, baking, and serving, all for an uncomplicated summer meal!

big hugs! x

summer socca salad w/ burst tomatoes + roasted zucchini (v + gf)

i make this socca 2 ways. the first one is using the entire batter in a 10-12" pan for 1 large, slightly thick round. the other way is to divide the batter between 2 pans and make 2 smaller soccas with a crispy texture. both variations are great, but i tend to like a smaller crispier socca when served with a salad. the toppings can of course vary to include different grains or vegetables, and the yogurt or hummus can be substituted for creme fraiche or labneh if dairy is your thing.

| serves 2 as a main |

socca

1 cup chickpea flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup + 1-2 teaspoons water
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2-3 garlic cloves minced

salad

5-6 small vine tomatoes
1 medium zucchini (about 1 heaping cup), sliced into 1/4" thick slices
olive oil
salt + pepper
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 cups mixed baby greens
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons hummus or tahini yogurt sauce
herb flowers or torn squash blossoms, for serving (optional)

method

socca batter

in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper; whisk in 1 cup of water - batter should be similar to thin pancake batter (but not as thin as crepe batter), if batter is too thick, add water a teaspoon at a time until batter has thinned out. drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the garlic, whisk until thoroughly combined. let mixture sit for 30 minutes or up until 12 hours lightly covered with a dishtowel.

salad

preheat oven to 400° F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. in a small bowl toss together the tomatoes, zucchini, and 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper. turn out onto the lined baking sheet and bake until tomatoes are burst and zucchini is tender, about 12-14 minutes. (if you're using smaller tomatoes like grape or cherry, cook time may be less.) remove from oven and let cool. combine the quinoa and greens in large bowl, then add the cooled roasted vegetables, set aside.

assemble

when you're ready to make the socca, place a 10-12" cast iron skillet (or an oven proof skillet) on an oven rack in the bottom third of your oven, then preheat to 450° F.
once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the skillet from the oven, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the skillet and gently swirl the pan to distribute the oil. give the socca batter one last whisk and then pour it into the skillet, swirling to evenly cover the pan. quickly place back into the oven and bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned; turn oven temperature up to 500° F and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until edges are crisp and browned and top of socca is golden.
remove skillet from oven, and let it rest while you dress the salad. drizzle salad with 3 teaspoons olive oil, and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. use a spatula to lift the socca from the pan and place on a large cutting board. slice the socca in half, or serve whole and top with hummus or yogurt, and the burst tomato and roasted zucchini salad.

enjoy!

**to make a smaller, thin socca (like the one pictured). heat two 10-inch skillets in the oven. once oven is preheated, remove pans one at a time; add 1-1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and swirl to cover pan. add half of the socca batter and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan; place back in oven and repeat with other pan. cook until edges are golden and crisp, about 10 minutes; turn oven temperature up to 500° F and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until edges are brown and top of socca is golden. remove from heat and serve with hummus/yogurt, and salad.