ROASTED ZUCCHINI, BLACK BEAN + GOAT CHEESE ENCHILADAS

Between an oven that heats the entire upstairs to 350' or a charcoal BBQ that requires a bit of forethought to get going, turning on either for summer cooking is a bit of a commitment. I have been deterred from making enchiladas for the site because they are difficult to photograph, so not only did this recipe come with an obligation to a sweaty mid-July photo session with the oven on, but also the challenge of making them look as good as they tasted. We make enchiladas pretty often. I appreciate having them for dinner and then warming them back up with scrambled eggs for a slightly different meal the next day. I've experimented with a butternut squash, greens and white cheddar version in the fall and then stuffing them with a bounty of zucchini in the summer with a slight tang of soft goat cheese. A number of recipes will have you fry the tortillas before filling, but I don't find that necessary for caloric content or texture. 

We added a few dates for upcoming book events. I would really love to meet as many of you as possible, so please come if you live anywhere close to these cities! A Seattle event of some sort will hopefully come around at a later date (please feel free to check in on The Book page, as well, for updates).

August 28th - Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Huntington Beach, CA at 7pm

September 9th - Omnivore in San Francisco, CA at 3 pm

September 22nd - Powell's Books in Portland, OR. Time TBD

ROASTED ZUCCHINI, BLACK BEAN + GOAT CHEESE ENCHILADAS // Serves 4

While short on time, I use the enchilada sauce from Trader Joes. It's thick and has a great kick to it. I have also made this one and loved it. Really good option if you have some time to make your own.

I would consider the below recipe pretty easy on the cheese all things considered in the enchilada world, but I like that for summer meals. If you want to taste more of the goat cheese, add more on top before or after baking.

3 large zucchini/summer squash, 1/4'' dice (about 4 cups once chopped)

3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper/garlic salt

1/2 of a small red onion or 4 green onions, finely chopped

1 15 oz. can/ 2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained

5 oz. soft goat cheese

10ish corn tortillas (the amount will depend on how full you stuff them)

12 oz. red enchilada sauce, see note above

/ for serving /

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

2 avocados

squeeze of lime

Preheat oven to 425'. Place the zucchini on a rimmed baking tray, drizzle with 2 tsp. of the olive oil and lemon pepper and toss everything with your hands to coat. Spread in an even layer, using two pans if it looks crowded. Roast on the middle rack for about 30 minutes until the edges are brown. Remove to cool. Turn the oven down to 375'.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion and black beans. Set aside 1 oz. of the goat cheese for the topping and crumble the rest into the bowl. Add the cooled zucchini and toss everything together very gently.

Over a burner, lightly char both sides of the tortillas, about 1 minute per side. This is not an essential step, but I find that it helps keep the tortillas a bit sturdier and it looks pretty. Set up your assembly with the tortillas and the filling.

In an oven proof rectangle dish (I used a 7x13 rectangle but a 9x13 works great too) pour 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Working with one tortilla at a time, fill it with a heaping 1/4 cup of the filling and roll it up like a taquito. Lay it in the dish seam-side down. Continue with remaining tortillas, squeezing the enchiladas in tight (you may have extra filling, it's great on it's own as a snack or in a quesadilla). Brush the tops of the tortillas with the remaining olive oil. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle reserved goat cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes until warmed through and the top is just crisp. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Top with lots of chopped cilantro, diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.

PASILLA CHILE + LIME CABBAGE SLAW

sprouted kitchen slaw

{first thoughts on "the book"}

Sara:

I heard the knock on the door from the shower. Threw on a towel, mascara dripping down my cheeks, water soaking the floor, so I could sign for the package from the FedEx man. "This is really important," was my excuse to him for my ultra appropriate outfit. I have been anticipating the printed copy of our book for almost two years. We were entertaining this idea nearly TWO years ago. So much has happened and now I have a real copy in my hot little hands. Hugh and I went through it page by page, slow and thoughtful, to take in every photo, as if we couldn't dictate the book to you from memory. Short stories, glimpses of dinners in my parents' yard, sarcasm, the recipes I (uncharacteristically) took careful notes about, bright colors... it is me, us, work and learning all in a hardcover book with our names on the front. Crazy. I am humbled by how gorgeous it is and proud to show friends what we've created in our little apartment kitchen. I bring it with me everywhere I go. I've already spilled coffee on the crisp white pages, which, as upsetting as it was when I noticed, now marks it as "my first copy," so I'll never misplace it. I am most impressed with Hugh. The photos are indescribably stunning. I'm romanced by them everytime I browse though, and SO proud of how talented that man is. The book is not out until August 28th (you can keep up with details here), but I wanted to document our first thoughts, as I haven't been this giddy in quite some time.

Hugh:

Three years ago, when I gave Sara a domain name and an empty blog for her birthday, there was no way I could have imagined where that project would lead us. From its casual beginning, to its (still casual, I suppose) current publication, it has been incredible to work along side Sara, to watch her talent and excitement bloom and attract a community of like-minded readers, to experience the frustrations and triumphs of developing our voice and image, and finally hold its sum in our hands. Literally. The book is beautiful and full of goodness and soul. I am so proud of Sara and I am so excited for you to share in it.

sprouted kitchen slaw

I wanted to get this recipe out to you quick in case you're still searching for 4th of July ideas. It's so simple - comes together in 10 minutes. On a table full of grilled items, potato salads and cakes, I find that the green vegetables are always a needed addition. This slaw is lighter than a traditional one due to the dressing, while still giving lots of crunch and flavor. A happy day of food + friends to you all!

PASILLA CHILE + LIME CABBAGE SLAW // Serves 6 as a side

The dressing is the consistency of a creamy vinaigrette. If you like it to cling to the slaw a bit better, a Tbsp. or two more of greek yogurt or mayonnaise will help with that. You could bulk it up with some cucumbers, maybe black beans if you need to stretch it. Or if cabbage is a bit harsh for you, you could add in some chopped romaine to calm down the roughage quality.

// dressing //

zest and juice of two large limes

1 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. pasilla chile powder (chipotle or ancho chile work as well)

1/4 cup olive or grapeseed oil

2 Tbsp. greek yogurt or mayonaise (see note)

1 head green cabbage

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

3/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts

sprouted kitchen slaw

In a small bowl, combine the zest and juice of the limes. Add the honey, salt and chile powder and whisk to combine. Mix in the yogurt or mayo and the oil and whisk well. Taste and alter as preferred. Set aside in the fridge.

Chop the cabbage super thin, using a mandoline if you have one. In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, red onion, three quarters of the cilantro, reserving some for garnish and mango. (Everything can be done in advance up to this point and kept covered in the fridge until ready for serving). Add desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. Chop the toasted macadamia nuts and garnish the top with the remaining cilantro and mac nuts. Give it a grind of fresh pepper and serve. * I feel like slaw benefits from a good 10-15 minute rest in the dressing if you have the time. just sayin'.

RATATOUILLE BARLEY SALAD

In a recent podcast about time, our pastor referred to the "margins of our lives" and I was immediately struck by the term. I interpreted it to be the time that we are not concerned with being busy. There is the work that we have to do to make a living, there is the busyness that we make by way of cleaning, errands, seeing friends, working out, and so on, and then there is the margin - the unplanned time. I don't know many people who have a lot of it, but it exists, and it is ours to fill. To fill with yet more busyness or leave open for small pleasures. I fall default to the former. I pack it full in attempt to make that margin productive and efficient. I fill it to manipulate the most out of that time, which I realized is completely defeating of the entire idea, and make work of it instead. Enjoyable work, but not really the "no schedule" type of time that I really love when I do surrender to it.

That message sunk in. I've since found myself on multiple jogs with Hugh, dual headsets in the ipod, listening to a zombie apocolypse running motivational app. That wasn't on my to do list, but may be one of the most humorous memories I have with my husband to date. We had a family bbq to celebrate our new niece on Sunday and I stopped a few times to recognize the simple things - how comfortable I am with my inlaws, the charm of quirky personalities, my niece who gives THEE best face squishy snuggles on the planet, that my mom will drop off extra flowers for the table in a moments notice, how helpful Hugh is, and chatting with my sister in law, a now great friend of mine, over a kitchen full of dishes...a sign of a good party. The busy gets done, but the margin is where the good stuff is.

I made this salad to share with all that summer produce that's blazing forth into my kitchen. It is super easy to throw together, and can be made in advance (a perfect bbq dish). The vegetables here are sturdy to hold their shape in the sea of grains, each cooked seperately to retain their flavors. I cooked them in a cast iron pan as our charcoal grill is somewhat of a project for a few veggies, but if you're grill is on, they'd be great cooked there too. Keep it easy, that's the best thing about this salad.

RATATOUILLE BARLEY SALAD // Serves 8

I used pearled barley because I had a loose bag that I wanted to use up. You could use quinoa, farro, bulgar, rice etc., you just need about 2 1/2-3 cups cooked of whichever you choose. If you like some kick, a few pinches of red pepper flakes would work nicely here.

1 cup pearled barley

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. agave nectar

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2'' slices

about 6 zucchini, 1/2'' coins

olive oil + lemon pepper for cooking

2 cups baby tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup finely chopped basil

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

grated parmesan, as desired

sea salt, as needed

Rinse the barley. Put it in a pot with about 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil then down to a simmer, add a few pinches of salt and cook for about 25-30 minutes until tender. Drain any excess water and transfer the grains to a big mixing bowl. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of salt while the grains are still hot, and stir. Add the oil, vinegar and agave and stir to coat. Set aside.

Heat a hearty drizzle of olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat (you can alternatively grill the eggplant and zucchini). Add the zucchini and a generous sprinkle of lemon pepper and saute until well charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the barley bowl. Rub lemon pepper or similar seasoning on all sides of the eggplant. Sear the eggplants in the pan, this will have to be done in two batches. I like to cook both sides with a bunch of seasonings until the eggplant starts to soften and then add a drizzle of oil. Turns out a bit less greasy this way. Let the eggplant cool slightly. Chop it into 2'' chunks and add it to the barley bowl. Add the halved tomatoes, basil, parsley and toss everything to mix. Taste for salt (remember you're adding parm so go easy) and pepper and maybe a bit more vinegar if you prefer.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Generously sprinkle the grated parmesan on top and another pinch of fresh herbs and fresh pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Keeps well in the fridge for about five days.