Welcome to moutabal. 

I first learned about moutabal while enjoying some appetizers at Range Life restaurant in the Livermore Valley. This is a fantastic farm-to-table restaurant that has high-quality food with a friendly, down-to-earth staff all set in an historic building constructed in 1875 (supposedly it was a horse stable for the horses that were used to pull the wagons of freight off of the nearby railroad).

Moutabal is a Middle Eastern eggplant dip and it can be served with pita chips, vegetable slices. or anything else you might serve with a dip. It is similar to baba ganoush. But moutabal uses tahini and yogurt (or labneh) to make it more creamy. But it still retains a lot of the eggplant flavor.

What I liked about the Range Life moutabal was how Chef Bill Niles topped his moutabal with summer fruit. Both times he topped it with a mixture of fresh pluots and heirloom tomato chunks. It was topped with a generous sprinkle of toasted sumac and a drizzle of olive oil. We loved the interaction of the sweet summer fruit with the eggplant flavor. 

Moutabal as served at Range Life. 

We had an upcoming dinner with a group of friends and I was in charge of bringing an appetizer. The theme of the dinner was "Summer Favorites" so realized I could try to replicate this appetizer and feature fresh, ripe summer fruit as Chef Niles did. 

I printed out a number of recipes and watched a lot of YouTube videos. Early attempts using a food processor made the dip almost like a hummus. Then I found some recipes that skipped the food processor and just used finely chopped eggplant. This more faithfully replicated what I tasted at the restaurant. 

Your summer fruit topping can be whatever you have or have access to. Plums, pluots, tomatoes. Be creative.

A key step in making the moutabal is giving the dip time to let the flavors marry. We had it freshly made and also some the next day and the next day version was decidedly better. In fact, this will keep in the fridge for around 5 days. 

For tahini, I like the Joya brand but Trader Joe's has it also. You don't need to refrigerate it once it's opened but it does separate. So start mixing it up days before making it and do your best to avoid creating chunks of unmixed tahini.  

Grilled eggplant cooling

Tahini, yogurt, salt, garlic, and lemon juice

Chopped eggplant

Moutabal with Summer Fruit

Ingredients:

• Eggplant - 2 large globe 
• Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• Tahini - 3 tablespoons
• Yogurt - 4 tablespoons whole Greek, plain
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice - from 1/2 lemon
• Olive oil - drizzles
• Cured Sumac - to garnish
• Pluots - chopped slices or chunks
• Heirloom tomatoes - chopped slices or chunks

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat a gas grill to 425-450°. If using an oven, pre-heat to 450°.
2. Wash and dry the eggplant.
3. Coat each eggplant with a light coating of olive oil rubbing the oil around the entire eggplant. 
4. Pierce the eggplant with a fork about 6 times in various locations. This will allow the steam to escape while cooking. 
5. Place the eggplant directly on the grill and close the cover. If using an oven, place the eggplant on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Every 15 minutes use tongs to turn the eggplant. For the gas grill, you want to see some blackening on the skin. 
6. When cooked, remove the eggplant from the grill and place them on a sheet pan. Using tongs and a knife to cut a slit from near the top to the bottom. Use the tools to open up the eggplant and let them cool for about 20-30 minutes. The open eggplant will leak some water content. I used a perforated tray and let them cool on the tray in the sink.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the salt, lemon juice, tahini, yogurt, and garlic. Drizzle with some olive oil and mix together with a fork.
   
   
   
   
8. When cool enough to touch, use a teaspoon to scoop out the eggplant flesh. Place the flesh in a colander and allow it to drain its liquid for 5-10 minutes. 
9. Place the eggplant flesh on a large cutting board and use a large knife to finely cut in all directions. Chop until you get a chunky puree. 
10. Place the chopped eggplant in a large bowl and add the lemon juice/tahini mixture. Use a fork to mix all ingredients and break up any remaining chunks. 
11. Taste and adjust the lemon juice and salt to taste. 
12. Serve the moutabal as a base and top with pluot slices and tomato slices. Sprinkle liberally with the sumac and a final drizzle of olive oil.

Wine pairing: Crisp whites like an Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc or a dry, medium-bodied Provence-style rosé.

Click here for the PBS "Check Please, Bay Area Review of the restaurant.

Cacciucco de Ceci - Tuscan Tomato Chickpea Stew with Italian Sausage

 Cacciucco de ceci is a rustic chickpea and chard stew from Tuscany. It is the perfect example of "cocina povera," or poor kitchen, where simple, low-cost ingredients are expertly combined to make an inexpensive yet nutritious meal. It is typically served without meat but this recipe adds Italian sausage for a little richness. Since this is a mostly meat-free blog, we used vegetarian sausages (see notes). This was a perfect weeknight meal on a cold, December night and will no doubt be added to the rotation. Made with canned garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas or ceci in Italian) and tomatoes, the dish comes together quickly. Additional ingredients (carrots, butternut squash, potatoes, bell pepper, etc.) can easily be included. Serve with warm, crusty bread. 

Notes:

• For vegetarian Italian sausage, Field Roast is my favorite but I've also used Trader Joes.
• Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the liquid from the canned garbanzo beans to add to the recipe.
• Optional anchovy fillets add some umami.

Cacciucco de Ceci - Tuscan Tomato Chickpea Stew with Italian Sausage

Ingredients:

• 
  Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
• Italian sausage - 2 sausages crumbled
• Yellow onion - 1 medium, diced
• Swiss chard - 1 large bunch, stems removed and chopped, leaves cut crosswise into 1 inch ribbons, stored separately
• Garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced
• Red pepper flakes - 1/4 teaspoon
• Whole peeled tomatoes - 1 28 ounce can, crushed by hand (San Marzano preferred)
• Chickpeas - 2 15 ounce cans, 1 cup of liquid from draining reserved
• Parmesan cheese - finely grated for serving
• Salt and ground pepper
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
• Anchovy fillets - 2-3 (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the hand crumbled Italian sausage  and cook, occasionally stirring until it begins to brown about 5 minutes. Add the onion, chard stems, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with the juices breaking up the whole tomatoes by hand. Add reserved garbanzo bean liquid, 1 cup of water (or broth), and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. If using vegetarian sausage, you can add a pat of butter to impart some fat.
3. Stir in the chard leaves and cook until leaves are softened, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan. 

Serves 4

Pan Seared Gnocchi with Leeks & Tomatoes

When you think of Italian food you probably go to pizza, spaghetti, and other pastas. Further down the list, and too often overlooked, is gnocchi. Gnocchi (pronounced N'YAW-key) comes from the Italian word nocca, meaning knuckle. Gnocchi, as food author Mark Bittman describes it, is:

"A simple Italian dumpling made from cooked potatoes, flour, and sometimes an egg. They're boiled and sauced."

One popular brand available.

One hopes they should be readily available in most supermarkets (depending on location). Take some
time next time you're in your pasta aisle to look for them. They're usually in a plastic tray and come in 2 cup servings.

Since I've been serving gnocchi, I've always "boiled and sauced" it with pesto, tomato sauce, or olive oil. I was recently reading an Eating Well magazine and found a recipe that called for crisping the gnocchi in a skillet with olive oil. No boiling needed. The pan searing adds a nice toothy texture but the "potato pillow." as it's often described, still absorbs the flavors that you add. I'm a convert! This is a great simple weeknight meal and the common denominator is the crispy gnocchi. The most basic recipe would be to add either pesto or a tomato sauce for the most simple and quick meal. You can play with adding basil leaves, mushrooms, onions, sun dried tomatoes, whatever you have in the fridge.

I adapted the Eating Well recipe as a starting point but decided to start fairly true to the original.

Pan Seared Gnocchi with Leeks and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Gnocchi - 1 package (15-17 oz.)
• Leeks - 2 medium, cleaned and sliced
• Cherry tomatoes - 1 pint basket, halved
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves, minced
• White wine - 1/4 cup
• Parmesan cheese - 1/3 cup finely shredded
• Butter - 2 tbsp. 
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a 12" skillet over medium high heat. Add gnocchi. Use a spatula to create a single layer. Let sit untouched for at least 5 minutes. Add some salt and pepper while it cooks. Shake pan to turn over the gnocchi and use the spatula to turn over any that need turning. Let the other side sit undisturbed for a period of time. Continue to shake the pan until the gnocchi has gently browned. Total time around 10-15 minutes. As you shake the pan you will hear the difference as the gnocchi gets crispy. When sufficiently crispy (but not blackened) transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add more olive oil to the skillet and add the sliced leeks. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. The rings will start to separate.
3. Add the halved tomatoes and stir to mix. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Add butter and wine and cook for a few minutes. The tomatoes should just start to soften. 
4. Return the gnocchi to the skillet and stir until everything is coated. 
5. Turn off heat. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to mix. Plate and top with some black pepper or red pepper flakes. Garnish with more shredded cheese, some dried herbs such as parsley, basil, or a mix. 

 Serves 2-4

Creamy Summer Cucumber, Radish, & Tomato Salad

Summer time is here. We've been enjoying the plentiful summer fruit this year at the Farmer's Market. White nectarines, strawberries, and pluots have been our favorites. Summer brings hot weather, pot lucks, and outdoor dining.

This is a quick and easy summer salad that's perfect for a potluck or picnic.

Creamy Cucumber, Radish, & Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 bunch radishes, diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dill, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
• 4-6 ounces feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Instructions:

1. Prepare all vegetables in place in a large bowl. Start with tomatoes. I cut them in half "south pole to north pole" and the again "across the equator." Seed them as best as possible to reduce water content and let them drain in a colander while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Whisk mayonnaise with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Add mayonnaise mixture to the vegetable bowl and toss to coat.
4. Add feta and herbs and toss to mix. 
5. Place salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
6. Garnish with plenty of dill and chives.  

Cherry Tomato, Hummus, and Olive Tapenade Flatbread Pizza

I found a tasty new way to use those cherry tomatoes that we're getting this time of year in our CSA box.

I adapted this from the latest Vegetarian Times spread called "Splendid Starters." When I saw this starter in the magazine I knew it would be the perfect appetizer to serve a friend who was coming over for dinner. We had most of the ingredients on hand and I could make some substitutions on other ingredients. The original recipe called for a base of puff pastry but I decided to use the Trader Joe's flatbreads instead.

The results were quite good and well received. The hummus and the olive tapenade are a perfect match. The package of tomatoes covered the three pizzas perfectly.

Cherry Tomato, Hummus, and Olive Tapenade Flatbread Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Flatbreads
• black olive tapenade
• hummus
• herb mix like herbes de Provence or Bouquet Garni
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425
• Cut cherry tomatoes in half and toss with olive oil and seasonings
• Spread the hummus around the flatbread just like you would the tomato sauce
• Add about 1-2 tbsp. of tapenade and spread it around with the back of a spoon
• Top the flatbread with tomatoes cut side up
• Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the bread is crisp and browning on the edges
• Serve warm or at room temperature

Spaghetti Sauce - Batch #1

Another first!

My first batch of homemade spaghetti sauce! I ended up with 3 pints to put away for another day. I merged a couple of online recipes and came up with the following. This is only batch #1 so it may evolve.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

• 40 - 50 tomatoes - mostly Romas from the backyard
  
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (probably more next time)
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
  
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can of tomato paste
  
• 10 - 12 basil leaves, finely chopped (also from the backyard)
  
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian herb mix
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• pinch of sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine (a 2007 Christopher Creek Cab from the cellar)
  

I washed and dried the tomatoes and then put them through the food mill. I got the sauce boiling so that it began to cook down and added the bay leaves, salt, and sugar. Meanwhile, I chopped up all the other ingredients. In a 12" skillet, I sauteed the onions for a few minutes, added the garlic, and then the bell pepper. Added in the herbs and seasonings. I waited until the sauce was about an hour or two away from being done and then added the onion/pepper mixture from the skillet. Add the tomato paste and let it cook down until desired consistency. Discard bay leaves. Add sauce to sterilized jars.

Inspiration:
http://www.pickyourown.org/spaghettisauce.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/homemade-spaghetti-sauce-a61353

Tomato Sauce, Part 2

With so much produce coming from the backyard, I have wanted to learn how to can for a few years now. I bookmarked this helpful site along with some others to help me learn the process. I've been buying used books on canning and preserving and, of course, have Ball Blue Book which is THE source of information on canning (although I'm told it's too cautious). I've also been slowly acquiring all of the needed equipment. Most of it through this interesting store based out of Ohio called Lehman's but also through antique stores. Last year, I spent an afternoon with a friend who has been canning for years to see it all in real life.

I finally took the plunge a few weeks ago when I was given four plastic shopping bags full of ripe tomatoes. So for the last few weeks I have been making a basic tomato sauce. So far, no explosions in the pantry. Why not make it into spaghetti sauce or something else? I will try that at some point but with basic tomato sauce you can let it be whatever you want it to be when you open the jar.



Here's what I have been doing.

Basic Tomato Sauce

• Start with ripe tomatoes and lots of them. Wash the tomatoes ahead of time and let them dry.
• Core the tomatoes and cut in half or quarters depending on the size. Be sure to cut off any blemishes on the skin.
  
• Put into the food mill to separate seeds and skin from meat. A few years back I bought this food mill and find that I don't need to peel the tomatoes ahead of time. It does a great job separating the skins and the seeds from the pulp. Put all of the pulp into a pot (or two, if necessary) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so that the tomato sauce is bubbling gently and moving around the pot.
• Put more than enough jars in the dishwasher to sterilize.
  
• Cook until reduced until it reaches desired consistency. If you look around online, you'll see some people saying one hour and others saying six hours. It all depends on how thick you want it. I like it pretty thick so I let it go for a few hours.
• Towards the end of the cooking time add 1 small can of tomato paste.
• Put the lids in a small pot with gently boiling water.
• When sauce is done, spoon hot sauce into hot jars to 1/4 inch below the lid line using a jar funnel. Fish the lids out of the boiling water. Seal jars and turn upside down on towel for a period of time to sterilize the trapped air and lid.
  
• Upright the jar and let cool at room temperature. After they have cooled down check the seal.
  

The tomatoes in the top photo are from my backyard this last weekend. All of those tomatoes yielded two quarts of sauce.

Tomato Sauce

How many tomatoes does it take to make a quart jar of plain tomato sauce?

I figure 80 to 100. This is based on the fact that I brought home about 200-250 tomatoes from a friend's house and made two batches of tomato sauce and ended up with two quarts of sauce (well, plus some extra sauce that I put in a freezer bag).

This was my first venture into canning. I've been prepping for a few years. That's how nervous I was. So far so good.

Outside in the backyard the Roma tomato plants are starting to get there. The other generic tomato plant that I have is also finally starting to produce some fruit. It looks like this weekend will be another sauce-making weekend.

More on all this later.

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

It's officially tomato season! The tomatoes in the box are starting to arrive. This week's box brought a pint of cherry tomatoes as well as some regular tomatoes. The fresh basil from this week and last needed to be used up so this recipe was an obvious one.

Bruschetta is a great way to enjoy fresh tomatoes and it's the perfect summer appetizer. So the pint of cherry tomatoes were used to make this recipe.

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
  
• sundried tomatoes, finely chopped (just about 2 tablespoons)
  
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
  
• lots of fresh basil leaves, chopped
  
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• generous grind of freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of salt
  

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Let it sit in the fridge for awhile to marry the flavors. Let sit at room temperature for a bit prior to serving. Spoon the mixture onto baguette or bread slices which can be toasted or not. Enjoy with some white wine on a hot afternoon.

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

This was tonight's appetizer:

In a bowl, combine:

• 1 pint of Capay Valley's mixed medley cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Stir mixture until well mixed. Let it sit in the fridge for awhile to allow the flavors to marry. Serve with good sourdough bread and red wine. Feel free to add other ingredients you might already have in the fridge: chopped onions, capers, olives.

Heirloom Tomato Pasta Puttanesca

Our good friends and fellow FFTY'ers gave this recipe based on the excellent heirloom tomatoes in the box this week. It's great with regular tomatoes but "sublime with heirlooms."

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 3-4 anchovy fillets
• 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives
• 3 tsp. capers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small bunch of Italian parsley
• sea salt
• Romano cheese
• 1 lb. pasta (penne or spaghetti)
  

Preparation:

• Chop anchovies into a paste (Don't skip this ingredient. Get a small jar of anchovy fillets at Whole Foods. It's $1.29. I know what you're thinking).
• Pit and coarsely chop the olives (Joanne Weir gives a great tip on always buying your olives from the bulk section of the supermarket instead of canned. I used some Whole Foods black olives cured in Fines Herbes).
• Chop the parsley (I used backyard flat leaf parsley).
• Finely chop the garlic
• Coarsely chop the capers
  
• Core, seed, and cut the heirloom tomatoes into small dice (Given the high water content of the heirloom tomatoes I might have drained them in a colander for a bit first).
  

Combine all ingredients except pasta and let it rest for at least an hour. Cook the pasta in sea salted water until al dente. Toss with the sauce.

Serve with crusty bread and some good red wine.