Mediterranean Bruschetta with Fava Bean Puree

If you are lucky enough to have a market that carries fresh fava beans in season, then be sure to pick some up when you see them. They are typically found fresh in June in the northeast, but are now available in cans and jars. There are even cooked favas in water in a vacuum seal pack at Whole Foods in the produce section so, while fresh is best, your fava season can be extended if you love them as much as I do. Fava beans have an earthy, green flavor that hold their own as an hors d'eouvre or are often seen sauteed and as an accompaniment to fish or chicken. They are fresh, bright green, and addictive.

Drain and rinse.

I bought a huge batch this spring and shelled, peeled (the tender, beany outer skins), blanched, and froze a bunch to extend my fava season. Unlike canned, jarred, or dried, they kept their perky green color and taste so fresh I thought they should be showcased on a baguette. Served with zucchini pancakes and roasted tomato sauce, this is a fantastic late-summer vegetarian/flexitarian meal or it's perfect as an appetizer.

Mediterranean Bruschetta with Fava Bean Puree

3-5 large cloves garlic, unpeeled

Cool roasted garlic before peeling.

extra-virgin olive oil (about 1/4 cup total)
1 1/2 cups cooked fava beans

Curried Pumpkin Bruschetta

Pumpkins in all colors!

It's that time of year again.  Pumpkin carving, autumn foods abound and a new winter squash idea is always useful.  Last night we went to our annual pumpkin carving party.  Every year we roast the seeds and also roast the pumpkin chunks that are popped out to snack on after the carving segment of the night.  This year I had tons of odds and ends to bring over for hors d'oeuvres since I had a busy cooking week and also had a photo shoot on Friday.  It was a last minute thought that turned out to be my favorite recipe of the season.

This year we did the seeds with butter and sea salt!

The inspiration here?  Pumpkin chunks and leftovers.  The result?  Curried  Pumpkin Bruschetta!  Utilizing extra bread, Indian-style pickled red onions from my last Indian food marathon, a dot of creme fraiche, and an even tinier dot of hot Indian chutney that our friend's grandmother sends us from India.  They were really beautiful and really, really tasty.  Unfortunately, no one captured them on camera in time then POOF they were gone.  A good sign, no?

Here is what I did.

Curried Pumpkin Bruschetta

about 2 cups pumpkin chunks, skin sliced off and pumpkin diced into medium-dice (about 1/3" chunks)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 t honey

1/2 t ground cumin
1 t garam masala
1/4 t ground cinnamon
little dash of cayenne pepper
generous dash sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1/2 ficelle or a few good bakery breadsticks sliced into 1/2" rounds
20 or so chunks pickled red onion (see below)
a few tablespoons creme fraiche (or plain yogurt)
Indian hot sauce or hot chutney

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Toss pumpkin chunks in a bowl with olive oil, honey, spices, salt, and pepper.  Spread out on a baking sheet and roast 20-30 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.

Arrange ficelle slices on a serving platter.  Mound about a tablespoon of roasted pumpkin chunks on each round.  You can smash the diced pumpkin together just a little so they stick a bit and stay on the bread.

Neatly top with a chunk of pickled onion, dot with creme fraiche, then put a tiny dot of hot chutney on top of the creme fraiche and serve!

Note for the pickled red onions:  I had them in my fridge and they work beautifully, but you could use small chunks of raw onion or follow these general instructions.

Simmer a diced red onion with vinegar, sugar/honey, a little salt, 1/2 jalapeno, and ginger matchsticks.  Cover and chill.

A VISIT TO DAN BARBER'S BLUE HILL FARM!

One of my favorite excursions this summer was the trip I took to Blue Hill Farm at Stone Barn Center near Tarrytown, NY with my friend, Deborah (one of the authors of "Grapes and Greens" food and wine blog) and her friend, Ilene. It's only about an hour north of New York City, but feels miles from the skyscrapers, noise, and traffic.

We had a blast spending the day poking around the huge, beautiful kitchen garden outside the restaurant near the outdoor dining space and strolling through the fields of organic, heirloom, and varietal produce. There were adorable hand-painted signs at the end of some rows and some of the most beautiful grape vines I have ever seen. There were rows upon rows of culinary crops in the field, being carefully tended by the friendly farm-hands. There were kitchen staff and prep cooks in white coats out picking what they needed to prep for that evening's dinner service. We even saw the famous owner and chef, Dan Barber, ride by on a cart wearing his white kitchen coat with his arms full of vegetables. Yes, this is a hands-on operation. When they say "farm-to-table", this place isn't joking.

Touring this working farm doesn't just involve some rows of veggies and greenhouses. They have heirloom variety pigs that were so cute I couldn't stand it. The pens had tons of space for the happy piggies to wallow and trot around. We saw a big family of piglets that frollicked like kittens, while their big waddling mama stared us down and chased them.

The farm also had goats, sheep, and a ton of gorgeous rust-brown heritage chickens! (Did I just call the chickens gorgeous?)

Unfortunately, we missed the farmer's market, which does not take place on Thursdays. We were a little disappointed, but the day was fantastic nonetheless.

If you are in the area and want to visit the farm, I would highly recommend it! If farming isn't your thing, but you enjoy fine foods, there are two Blue Hill restaurants that serve up beautiful, delicious, and, of course, seasonal nouveau American dishes. There is the location on the actual farm near Tarrytown and there is also one in Greenwich Village in New York City.

This farm to table stuff isn't just for hippies either--not even close. This is delicious, gourmet stuff. When I dined at the one in NYC, we sat next to Tyra Banks and just two weeks later President and Mrs. Obama went there on their New York City date night. Way to go Obama's (and you too, Tyra) for setting an example and helping improve our food system!

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/
http://www.bluehillfarm.com/food/blue-hill-stone-barns

In honor of the excellent bruschetta lunch we had at the cafe, here is a similar recipe. Of course, they also used the sweetest baby zucchini, fresh off of the vine and chevre made on premises from their own goats, but do your best. I found greenmarket tomatoes and basil and used Trader Joe's chevre and baguette.

Red Tomato and Yellow Pepper Bruschetta with Chevre

extra-virgin olive oil (use your favorite fruity one!)
1 very large or 2 medium ripe summer tomatoes, diced very small
1 t minced garlic
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly into 1" matchsticks
sea salt and black pepper

1 fresh multi-grain baguette
about 3 oz chevre (herbed or plain--I like herbed in this recipe)
1/2 c fresh basil leaves, washed and dried and cut into a chiffonade (stack the leaves, roll, and cut into very thin shreds)


In a saute pan, heat about 3 Tbsp olive oil until warm. Add tomatoes, garlic, and yellow pepper. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Place a wire strainer over a bowl and transfer tomato mixture. Drain here until you are ready to top the bread.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut baguette in half the long way, as if you were making a big sandwich.

With the whole thing still together, cut into approximately 3" pieces. You should get 12-14 similar pieces. Distribute them, open side up, on baking sheet.

Pour a bit of olive oil in a small bowl. Brush tops and bottoms of each piece of bread with a little olive oil and place back on sheet with cut side up. Bake 10 minutes, or until they just barely begin to toast. Watch them closely and remove them as soon as they are ready.

With a spoon, evenly distribute tomato-pepper mixture over the top of each piece and try to spread it out. Dot each piece with 2 or 3 half teaspoonsful of chevre.

Bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are toasting a little and chevre feels a little melty, if you touch it.

Remove from oven and top each piece with about 1 Tbsp of basil chiffonade. Bon Appetit!