vegetarain

warm squash, parsnip, + kale salad w/ pomegranate dressing /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

not that long ago i was in the kitchen of a lifelong friend of mine, and since a large portion of my life is all about food these days, it was super interesting to see how she was generating dinner that night, along with how she organized her kitchen, and i even found myself curiously peeking at the condiments in her fridge.  she totally confessed to me that she can feel anxious at the thought of what to cook for her and her husband, how to prepare and cook various kinds of ingredients, how to store fresh produce, and how to eat less take-out, and more healthfully.   i could completely relate to the part about planning a meal, because while i may work with food all the time, some days it's nice to not have to think about what to make for dinner.

recently we met for brunch and inevitably the topic of food came up again.  i asked how her cooking quest was coming along and she began telling me about a food delivery service she started using called Blue Apron.  she told me how they offer chef-designed meals with step-by-step instructional recipe cards that are all delivered to your door already proportioned so you don't have to deal with a trip to the store, or have any unused product afterwards.  she said her and her husband use the 2-person plan they offer at $9.99 per person per meal, always with free delivery, once a week of 3 meals for them.  she was really impressed that they have fresh produce from local farms and utilize whole grains, seasonal veg, and healthy fats.  she mentioned they even offer a family plan, which i later looked up is only $8.74 per person per meal and adds some options on delivery and has family style meals as well.

i was super intrigued by all the things i heard my friend tell me over brunch, so a few days later when Blue Apron happened to contact me about trying their service,  i was certainly excited to see what it was all about.  i learned they add 6 recipes every week and cover 80% of the country, so I know i'll have to let my family who lives in LA + north carolina know about them too.  i was impressed when i got my package with so many fresh ingredients in a refrigerated box so nothing was even close to wilted.  there was fresh, local product from farms in upstate new york, as well as from one of my favorite nyc bakeries, hot bread kitchen.  i'm also looking forward to gaining inspiration from Blue Apron's cache of recipes, including this quinoa and tofu "fried rice", and this cozy tuscan ribollita soup with farm eggs!  

you can find the recipe for this lovely squash salad here, where i substituted the farro for sprouted quinoa :)  by the way, the pomegranate molasses dressing in the recipe was a complete revelation, and it's totally making a comeback in my kitchen asap!

this kind of service certainly strikes a chord with me as i know a lot of people don't cook because they can feel intimidated or apprehensive about where to start, just like my friend did, and how so many people fall back on take out and fast food, even though they really want to be eating more healthfully.  so, in the spirit of getting people back in the kitchen, Blue Apron was kind enough to give the first 25 readers 2 free meals on their first order, just click here.  happy healthy! xo

*this post is in partnership with Blue Apron, all opinions are my own.

roasted fingerling potato salad w/ romesco + herby black quinoa /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

some things that i'm into:

  1. my mom's saturday csa box from blue hill at stone barns
  2. FermUp
  3. this new-to-me store 
  4. each and every one of these images 
  5. Pure Green Magazine's #PGMinseason project is still underway, check out my homegirls claire and laura's inspiring and beautiful posts! 

speaking of said csa box, my mom is not so into peppers.  she has given me a total of probably 3 pounds of them in the past 2 weeks.  shy of just giving them away to pepper-hungry neighborhood folk, i've made a lot of romesco sauce, and i've got this harissa, and this muhammara on a serious to-make list.  i'm also wondering if bell peppers can be frozen for a later date...?  i'm assuming so, but i would love if anyone had any helpful tips here :)  

so, because of the monumental amounts of peppers in my possession, and because my husband went shopping at the farmers' market and bought double the amount of potatoes, we have this potato + romesco salad (of sorts) today!  most times throughout the year i'm a sweet potato girl, but these couple of yummy spud-filled months have my heart (and tummy), and therefore potato salad.  as i've mentioned in the past, this summer tater salad is delicious and has been on serious rotation; and as hard as it was not making it this time around, i knew romesco was necessary!  i used basically what i had on hand, which included hazelnuts in place of blanched almonds, and an herby quinoa toss for texture and a bit of protein.  definitely a respectable meal on its own, but also an awesome picnic-y side!

happy september, lovely people! xo

roasted fingerling potato salad w/ romesco + herby black quinoa (v + gf)

| serves 4 |

you can definitely substitute larger potatoes, just cut them into quarters or eighths and roast from there.  you can also sub the hazelnuts for blanched almonds, or maybe pine nuts? and the black quinoa can totally be replaced with whatever grain you have on hand.

ingredients

  • 1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and dried
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • large grain sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup black quinoa, rinsed
  • big pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnishing)
  • 1/4 cup romesco sauce

romesco sauce

  • 2 small-medium bell peppers, roasted, skins removed and seeded
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, skins removed (plus more chopped hazelnuts for garnishing)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • coarse sea salt
  • pinch of cayenne pepper (or freshly ground pepper to taste)

instructions

romesco sauce

  • in a food processor, combine roasted red peppers, garlic, hazelnuts, olive oil, vinegar, a couple pinches of salt, and a pinch of cayenne.  blend ingredients stopping every few seconds to scrape down sides and checking for seasoning until creamy.  place in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use

roasted potatoes

  • preheat oven to 375° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
  • in a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt + pepper; spread evenly onto baking sheet.  place in the center of your oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes for even roasting. remove from oven and set aside

herby quinoa

  • while potatoes are roasting, make the quinoa.  combine quinoa with 1/2 cup water and a big pinch of salt;  cook for about 15-17 minutes. once water has absorbed, remove from heat and set aside.  in a serving bowl, mix the quinoa and the chopped parsley.  add the potatoes and the romesco sauce; check for seasoning and garnish with more chopped parsley and chopped hazelnuts

serve + enjoy!

a midsummer cherry & amaranth panzanella salad + a giveaway! /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we're getting ready to hit the road again.  we're packing the car up along with the pup (!!!) and heading south to frank's fam, and my fam-in-law's, to celebrate my mother-in-laws bday (lots of laws there)!  my head is a little spin-y from back-to-back trips, but i am NOT complaining, these are the times i cherish - days spent with our family, chats, hugs, and an all around good time!  

today i'm teaming up with whole foods to bring you a whole foods giveaway (more on that later!) and cherries!  cherries are totally in their prime right now (and on a serious sale at my local whole foods this week!) and at their sweetest - fruit really isn't the same when it's super fresh and in season.   but, since returning from last week's vacation, i've been in somewhat of a food coma and needed to power through the next couple of days with something light and fresh.  naturally, salad. but in this case a bread-y one.  most panzanella salads i love to eat are often drizzled with good olive oil, really good balsamic,  with a couple of grinds and pinches of salt + pepper - easy breezy, y'all.  since i wanted to add cherries to the mix, i didn't think the addition of balsamic was necessary, and therefore went with a simple cider vinegar vinaigrette to balance it all out.  i also added some greens because while at the market i spotted a big pile of their fancy green leaves shot with purple veins and couldn't leave without them.

now! on to the giveaway!  i've been such a fan of whole foods for years, so when the opportunity to give away a $50 whole foods gift card came a' knockin' i couldn't refuse the chance to reward one of my lovely readers!

so, to enter a chance at winning, please leave a comment below telling me about your favorite summer dinner and drink (or cocktail!), (personally, mine is a summer ratatouille [all the veggies!] with a super chilled glass of rosé, i could equally go for a crisp, cool beer too though).  the contest ends next tuesday, july 22nd at 6pm, and will only be open to US or Canadian residents (sorry overseas dudes). good luck y'all! xo

a midsummer cherry & amaranth panzanella salad

| serves 4 |

if you can't find amaranth, any green will do here. but if you want a similar taste, i would go with arugula or another bitter green.  

ingredients

  • 8 ounces fresh cherries (bing, rainier, or another sweet cherry)
  • 2 bunches amaranth leaves (approx. 2 lightly packed cups)
  • 4-5 slices of gluten-free bread (or bread of choice)
  • 3 medium ripe heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1 garlic clove, cut in half
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or to taste
  • fine ground sea salt, to taste
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste 

instructions

  • remove pits and halve cherries; set aside for later.  wash and pat dry amaranth and basil leaves, slice both thin, or roughly chop; set aside.  
  • slice tomatoes away from core and cut into chunks; carefully, place tomato chunks, and a few pinches of salt, into a strainer over a bowl and let tomato juice drain; reserve the juice for later
  • preheat your broiler (if you have access to one, this step can also be done on a grill) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  place pieces of bread flat on baking sheet, rub garlic cloves over the bread and crust, brush with olive oil and season with salt.  toast bread under broiler until crisp and brown - about 1-2 minutes on each side; let bread cool (if grilling bread, follow the same steps).  in a large serving bowl, tear bread into pieces and stir in the reserved tomato juice to soften
  • add cherries, amaranth, basil, tomatoes and onion to the bread and give it a good toss.  in a small bowl, whisk together the cider vinegar, salt and pepper, and olive oil.  drizzle onto salad, taste and adjust if necessary; serve immediately :)

enjoy!