Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

I threw together this zucchini-flecked ricotta cheesecake when I got home from the farmers' market the other day. The green and yellow squash skins along with a nice amount of chopped dill visually pepper the interior of this savory cake. I used just enough egg to hold things together, creating a simple batter made primarily of ricotta cheese but also flavored with a bit of garlic, shallots, lemon zest, and a few straggler ingredients I found lounging around the kitchen seeking higher purpose. Lighter and less egg-y than a quiche it takes a while to bake, but minimal time ahead of that. I suspect that along with a few sides, it would be a welcome addition to any picnic basket.

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Keep in mind this is a ricotta based cheesecake - not one based on cream cheese. The texture is going to be different (and delicious) in its own right .

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An Exceptional Salad with an Unusual Coconut Oil Dressing

For a number of reasons, I'm guessing that few of you have used coconut oil as a major component in a salad dressing before. It's solid and chunky at room temperature. And, if you melt coconut oil, it will return to a solid stated as it cools. Generally speaking, it's just hard to get your head around the idea that it'd be a good foundation for a salad dressing. But, when someone you trust and admire tells you something is a good idea, you listen. Coconut oil dressing was just one of the brilliant ideas that jumped out at me from the pages of Julia Sherman's new Salad For President cookbook. It was relayed to Julia via Claire Evans, front woman of the band Yacht, and futures editor for Vice's Motherboard website. Check out the description in the headnotes, " ...this recipe is gold. The trick is to warmth oil just enough for it to liquify, mix together all of the ingredients, toss them with the salad, and then let the dressing return to its solid state, tiny coating each leaf with a velvety, rich texture and bright citrus chile spice." Right? I was sold so hard on the concept, a 4X, quad-sized version of the dressing resulted. What you'll see below is my tweaked version of the amazing Tatsoi, Macadamia Nuts, and Shaved Coconut with Yuzu Kosho Dressing from Salad for President. I used kale because its what I had (my tatsoi quest came up short). Make a full meal of it by tossing some grilled tofu in a bit of the leftover dressing, and serve it on the side, or as part of the salad.

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Homemade Tarragon Soda

Not everyone loves tarragon, but I do. When you steep sprigs of it, take a deep breath over the sauce pan, its like falling into a cloud of anise, and fennel, and green-ish black licorice, if there was such a thing. So, I buy it. Not as often as chives or basil, but more often than parsley, which I purchase just about never. So, I noticed the remnants of a small bunch of tarragon was starting the slide towards the compost bin the other day, and instead of letting it go I made a quick tarragon syrup. A tiny splash in sparkling water with a squeeze of lime or grapefruit makes a favorite not-too-sweet afternoon soda. I'll post that recipe down below. But, you can also build on the general idea. Add some coins of smashed ginger along with the tarragon to steep in your simple syrup, and you've got a bit of spicy kick to play off the tarragon notes. Other ideas? Drizzle a thread of the tarragon syrup across goat cheese or strained yogurt on a cheese plate. Or over ricotta. It plays well with citrus, so you could do a little drizzle across your oatmeal (or baked oatmeal), and then add a good amount of lemon or orange zest. Or drizzle it over broiled grapefruit halves. Or use it to sweeten your lemon/ limeade this summer. I sometimes add a tiny hint to the bottom of my espresso cup in the morning before Wayne pulls a shot for me - it adds that je ne sais quoi. I'm just going to keep going. The smallest splash in a glass with a sprig of fresh tarragon before pouring a glass of prosecco is fragrant and nice. You can do an "adult soda" with a splash of gin. Or use the syrup in a sorbet. You get the idea. Use the syrup to make a soda like this, and experiment with the leftover syrup. And let me know if you stumble on any favorite uses! xo-h

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Quick-ish Ricotta Dumplings in Tomato Broth

I posted a photo to Instagram over the weekend, and a number of you asked for the recipe. It was a bowl of ricotta dumplings in a simple tomato-shallot broth topped with a bit of arugula. I used potsticker wrappers for the dumplings (I keep a stack of them in my freezer). It's sort of cheating, but I'm cool with it, and they're delicious, so I don't feel bad about not making my own pasta. The filling is good ricotta cheese mixed with a dollop of pesto and some olive oil. Season with salt, done. You can see how the dumplings come together in the video below. They're actually quite quick to pull together, and they freeze incredibly well. Make some, and freeze some for mid-week dumpling nights!

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Joshua McFadden's Cucumber Salad

I want to jump in here to highlight a ringer of a cucumber salad. There were four recipe contenders in the cucumber section of the book I'm going to reference, and if the other three are as good as this, it's going to be a very cu-centric summer. The salad. It's crisp and refreshing, beautiful, and surprisingly substantial. The main players: cucumbers, ice-bathed scallions, toasted walnuts, mint, rose, and a vinegar-spiked yogurt dressing. I've been adding a scoop of lentils and making a meal out of it all week. The recipe is from the new Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables cookbook by Joshua McFadden, and I knew the whole thing was going to be good when I saw who was working on it. If you know Tusk or Ava Gene's in Portland you know the author. For the book he worked with Toni Tajima (design / you all know her from both Super Natural books, and Near & Far), Laura Dart did the photography (she took this shot of me & Wayne years ago at one of the early Kinfolk brunches), Martha Holmberg (former editor of Fine Cooking), and Melinda Josie (illustration). A lot of heart on this team. Keep your eyes peeled if you haven't see it already - 400 pages of inspiration.

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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies

I'm going to revisit one of my favorite cookie recipes today. Made using 100% whole wheat flour and hand-chopped chocolate chips, this is a skillet-baked twist on Kim Boyce's celebrated chocolate chip cookies. It's also a fantastic recipe to make with kids. We had a house guest this weekend, and this was the recipe he wanted to make. Instead of shaping individual cookies, you spread cookie dough across an oven-proof pan or skillet, and bake it. You can cut the finished cookies into wedges or squares, or whatever shape you like. You can also bake individual versions in tiny skillets or these tiny cast-iron Staubs. Served warm with a little dollop of vanilla ice cream - you get the idea. They're fun, fast, and couldn't be simpler. You can see how it all comes together, and meet my favorite kitchen helper, in the video below ;) Enjoy!

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