For years, I avoided using mint in my cooking, relegating it solely to my mojitos (with leaves strained out, of course) and steering clear of savory dishes! This summer theme was “How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Mint” Now I’m enjoying it in dishes like Lidey Heuck’s Grilled Zucchini with Charred Lemon Dressing, Feta & Mint!
Patatas Bravas is one of my favorite Spanish tapas! I always thought it’d be a fun twist to refashion it as potato salad, but I always got stuck on how to maintain the distinct crispiness of potatoes while slathering them in sauce and chilling in the fridge.
Fortunately, Sohla came to the rescue with her Bravas Potato Salad from Start Here
Roasting is my favorite way to enjoy a non-peak-season tomato. For this simple dish, bread cubes are toasted in bacon fat before being combined with diced tomatoes, a little sugar, garlic, and basil, then topped with parmesan cheese, and baked until golden and bubbly.
I’ve rediscovered my love for cauliflower through simple recipes that let it shine, like Millie Peartree’s Blackened Cauliflower – cauliflower florets tossed in a flavorful mixture of smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, red pepper flakes, thyme, black pepper, and sumac, and roasted in a very hot oven until tender and nicely browned.
The best are the ultra-crispy ones found in many restaurants (which is typically achieved by deep frying). At home, I’m not deep frying sprouts, so my ideal version is roasted at high heat, like Andy Baraghani’s Charred Brussels Sprouts with Creamy Nuoc Cham!
Derek Lucci’s Makheua Yao Pad Tao Jiao, a stir-fried eggplant with minced pork dish, has become a favorite in our apartment. Japanese eggplants are fried with cornstarch, then combined with minced pork, garlic, Thai chilies, and a stir-fry sauce.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy cabbage is with a nice char, like Andy Baraghani’s Tahini-Smothered Charred Cabbage. The wedged cabbage is rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, then charred on both sides before being drizzled with creamy tahini-lemon sauce with hints of garlic, honey, and cumin. A sprinkling of dill and sesame seeds is all you need before digging in!
Mike Solomonov’s Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini involves quartering cauliflower, seasoning with various spices, and roasting until tender, then finishing with a drizzle of lemon, tahini, and cilantro for a visually appealing and tasty meal!