Chilled Persian Yogurt Soup

I was intrigued by this recipe when I saw it in Food & Wine Magazine last summer. At last I made it and I am so glad I did. I just loved this very unusual summer soup, which is filled with herbs, nuts, and raisins.

Here in the dog days of summer, I need meals which are cooling and refreshing. Served with grilled bread, this soup made a perfectly satisfying weeknight supper. Make the soup ahead of time as it needs to be served well-chilled.

Chilled Persian Yogurt Soup
(Chef Hoss Zare)
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dried rose petals, crushed*
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups ice water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and finely diced (1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ground sumac*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover the rose petals with cold water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain the petals and squeeze dry.

In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt with the ice water. Stir in the raisins, cucumber, mint, dill, chives, walnuts and rose petals and season with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until very cold, at least 1 hour.

Serve the soup in shallow bowls, sprinkled with sumac.

*I ordered both the rose petals and the sumac from Savory Spice Shop.

Mini Nicoise Croissants

This heat has really zapped my appetite. All I really want to eat is fruit, and I certainly have! Cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries. I can't seem to get my fill with no other food really interesting me. Nor have I had much interest in working in the kitchen (Pritchard Parker has even been cutting up my Cantaloupes for me).

I do know, however, that no matter how delicious, juicy, and cooling the summer fruits are, they do not make a balanced diet. Not to mention my husband wants and needs some more substantial foods to eat. So I have been making efforts.

I saw the recipe for Nicoise Toasts in the July, 2012 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine. It really looked pretty and appealing in the photograph. Other than boiling the eggs, no cooking was involved.

The sandwich was made with a combination of tuna salad and egg salad. I used leftover grilled salmon because I had some on hand. I made the sandwiches on mini croissants because that is the size sandwich my puny appetite can enjoy.  I love the "new-school egg salad made with cottage cheese, parsley, and capers".  The two salads layered on the same sandwich  was delicious.

For the Egg Salad:
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped capers
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork until a coarse paste forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Tuna Salad:
4 oz. tuna packed in olive oil
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup parsley leaves
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. pitted, sliced olives
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Toss together the cherry tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, olives and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and add more lemon juice, if desired. Gently fold in tuna keeping it chunky.

Spread some of the egg salad on bread of choice and top with the tuna salad.

Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce

Several years ago, I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. I made it then and have made it several times since. Everyone always loves it and compliments it. I have used it on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, even tofu and it is always delicious.

Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce
(adapted from Bon Appetit)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (12 oz.) bottles chili sauce
8 oz. cherry preserves
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. or more Tabasco sauce (I like much more)

Saute onions in olive oil until golden. Stir in garlic. Add chili sauce, cherry preserves, Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, and vinegar. Simmer for 1 hour.

Remove from heat; stir in Tabasco sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let cool completely.

Yummy Blueberry Cobbler

This recipe arrived by email from All Recipes. I don't think I would have really noticed it, but it was introduced by the comment, "Please God. . .let this be on the banquet tables of heaven". That got my attention.

When I read the recipe, I thought, "how weird".  It started with lining a lightly greased baking dish with blueberries and squeezing lemon juice over them. Then there was a batter, then a topping, and THEN pouring boiling water over the entire thing. (That was the part I thought sounded so weird.)

The recipe calls for using a 11x7 inch baking dish, which I don't own, so I used 8x8 which worked just fine but did bubble over slightly. I should have put a foil lined baking sheet on the oven rack below.

The recipe states the batter will be thin but mine was quite thick. In fact, Pritchard Parker saw me spreading it over the blueberries and asked the question, "Is that dough or batter?"

I made the recipe, exactly as written, according to my understanding and measurements, with only one exception. I omitted the cinnamon. While I love cinnamon, I prefer it for fall and winter cooking or for savory dishes.  I don't really care for it with fresh summer fruits.

This Blueberry Cobbler really is "yummy" with vanilla ice cream.

Yummy Blueberry Cobbler
All Recipes.com

• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 lemon
•  
• 1 1/8 cups white sugar
• 4 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup whole milk
•  
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 11x7 inch baking dish.
2. Spread the blueberries out to cover the entire bottom of the baking dish. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over them. In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and 1 1/8 cups sugar until smooth. Stir in flour and baking powder alternately with the milk until smooth. Batter will be thin. Spoon over the berries, and spread evenly.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups of sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Sprinkle over the top of the batter. Dust with a pinch of cinnamon, then pour the boiling water over the entire dish.
4. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Fresh Blueberry Pie with Lattice Crust

On Memorial Day, Alice wandered into the kitchen and asked what she could do to help. When I asked if she wanted to make the blueberry pie, she jumped at the chance.

The crust was already chilling in the fridge and the blueberries were washed. When she asked how I wanted her to make it, I said I was planning to make a lattice crust, but she could do it any way she wished.

With only the slightest coaching, she did a great job. The pie turned out beautiful and delicious. She brushed the finished top with an egg wash and sprinkled it with turbinado sugar before baking. The sugary crunch on the finished pie was a nice textural contrast to the buttery, flaky crust and the tender, juicy blueberries.

Fresh Blueberry Pie
6 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. butter

Place bottom crust into 9-inch pie plate letting the crust hang over the edges. Mix together the blueberries, sugar and flour. Pour into the crust. Sprinkle the blueberries with lemon juice and dot with butter. Top with lattice crust. Seal and crimp edges of pie.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 35-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbly.