Category Archives: vegetarian

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Cilantro Pesto

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We arrived back in Los Angeles at the beginning of February amidst uncharacteristic torrential rains, and the gloom has barely lifted since. But the weather is hardly the only unusual thing nowadays. As we brace ourselves for the literal and metaphorical downpour, soup is just the thing to sooth the soul and fuel the body. It is, after all, much harder to brave the weather on an empty stomach.

This soup is the rare kind that actually hits the spot while requiring minimal effort. It is easy to scale up or down, and to adapt with whatever herbs and hardy veg you have on hand. What’s more, all of the components can be made ahead of time and stashed in your fridge; you can even make a bit more of each and save for another meal.

The pesto can be skipped in a pinch, but I find that it does bring some much needed freshness to the dish.

cauliflowersoup1

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Potato and Leek Tart

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For the past two years, New Haven’s PieOn9 contest has promised a block party sweetened with all-you-can eat pie and ice cream (and a cash bar). Pruitt and I entered last year with a tray of blueberry kouign-amann and a blueberry pie. Okay okay, kouign-amann isn’t pie; we really just wanted to play with butter. As was expected for summer, almost every other pie on the tasting table was blueberry, peach, or late-season strawberries. I lost count of how many slices I devoured but I assure you they were all delicious. While our pies didn’t win the contest, we earned a dinner of pie, ice cream, and booze.

blueberry desserts

Last year’s PieOn9 entries

This summer’s PieOn9 drew an even larger crowd. Over 130 pies were submitted and inhaled within one hour! I entered the contest again, this time for the Best Savory Pie category. Pssst, I also hoped something salty would stand out from the blueberries. Turns out it did!  Shoutout to CitySeed for organizing PieOn9, which benefits their farmers’ markets and programs in New Haven.

twins!

It’s a winner!

This Potato and Leek tart is similar to our Mushroom and Gruyere Cheese version. I halved the dough recipe and assembled it in a tart pan instead of freeform like a galette. The crust is also thinner to make sure it cooks all the way through while in a pan. Like our other tart, there’s A LOT of wiggle room in the filling. Don’t like leeks? Substitute another veg! Love cheese? Keep adding to that cheese mountain in your bowl.

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Mushroom Gruyere Tart

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Tarts can be savory, too!  Tart dough is very versatile and surprisingly easy to prep, which makes it a perfect component for a weekday meal or anytime you want something buttery and flaky (umm, always?).  This recipe uses a standard pie dough ratio (3:2:1 ratio of flour, fat, and water) but can be transformed into a sweet dough by adding powdered sugar to the dry ingredients.  If a food processor isn’t handy, a pastry cutter, fork, or even your hands can be used to mix the dough, as long as the butter stays cold.

Mushroom gruyere crust

The nutty flavors of mushrooms and gruyere cheese pair well with the flaky crust in this recipe.  Other fillings that work well are leeks, sliced potatoes, Parmesan cheese, and basil, to name a few.  Like the mushrooms, you may need to cook down some of your fillings to remove some excess moisture.  Seriously, who likes a soggy crust?  Give your own combination a try and tell us how it goes!

Mushroom gruyere above

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