Each month I’m highlighting a different non-Ina cookbook – these can be old favorites, classics I need to try, or new books I’m excited about. I’ll make at least one recipe from each chapter of the book to get an overall flavor of each. For the month of June, the book is Deb Perelman’s The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I hope you’ll cook along with me! The book is available for purchase here.
Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill
As Deb explains, this is the perfect slaw for the mayo-averse. It’s fresh and light, filled with supremely crunchy shredded cabbage and cool cucumber coins which are tossed with dill and a vinegar-sugar-salt dressing. The vinegary bite is tempered with the subtle sweetness for one satisfying summer side. I also love that this will keep for a week in the fridge – it was so nice to have a ready-made side for lunches and dinners throughout the busy week!
Book: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, page 54
Rating: 4/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: white wine vinegar
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe on DianeRehm.org
Tomato Scallion Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese
Tomatoes may very well be my favorite thing about summer! And while we haven’t quite hit peak tomato season, this beauty that graces the cover of the book has been enticing me for years! It’s my favorite summer sandwich with the volume turned all the way up. Deb takes the shortcake from sweet to savory adding in chopped scallions for a bit of an oniony kick. The shortbread is then topped with quartered cherry tomatoes dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar – Deb said the inspiration for this recipe was finding an ideal vehicle to absorb all that delicious tomato juice and vinaigrette. Finally, it’s topped with whipped goat cheese and sprinkled with thinly sliced scallions. IMHO most dishes would benefit from a dollop of whipped goat cheese or feta – it’s salty, creamy perfection!
Book: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, page 65
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: goat cheese
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe is not online.
Sugar Snap Salad with Miso Dressing
I bought a container of miso a while back and have been on the lookout for ways to use it up – this has been one of my favorites! While I love thinly sliced sugar snap peas in a salad, I usually hate doing the slicing, but lately, I’ve begun to relish chopping and slicing in all its forms. The slow, methodical process is currently my daily meditation! For this flavorful dream of a salad, the snap peas are combined with thinly sliced napa cabbage, radishes, scallions, and LOTS of well-toasted sesame seeds. The veggies are slicked in an umami-packed sesame-miso dressing that stands a good chance of winning Miss Summer Dressing 2022! It’s salty (miso), sweet (honey), creamy (tahini), slightly acidic (rice vinegar), and savory (toasted sesame oil) – Deb is right to call it manna!
Book: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, page 69
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: mild yellow miso
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe on The Oregonian.
Honey and Harissa Farro Salad
I mentioned all the time that farro is my favorite grain, so this recipe was a must-make from the book and it didn’t disappoint! To pull it together, cooked farro and roasted carrot and parsnip matchsticks are tossed with harissa, honey, and lemon vinaigrette then topped with crumbled feta and mint + parsley. YUM. We adore harissa and heat so we really upped the amount – it was so wonderful with the sweetness from the honey and the brightness the lemon juice added. I did make one change: the recipe calls for 1/2 lb of carrots and 1 lb parsnips, but I had a 1.5 lb bag of rainbow carrots on hand so nixed the parsnips – which aren’t a particular favorite of mine anyway! But the carrots were cooked perfectly – nice and caramelized with a concentrated sweetness that was addictive. This is another recipe that’ll happily keep in the fridge for days!
Book: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, page 78
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: vegetable oil
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe on Serious Eats.
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