the salty goat

                                                                         

over the next few weeks i am going to feature pictures, recipes, and the stories behind the recipes from my latest cookbook lovesandwich: 32 simple recipes for picnics.

a few years ago i had a great job working at, and developing the menu for local 123. one of my first assignments was a new vegetarian sandwich. ease of preparation and simplicity were important. the salty goat has just three components: olive tapenade, goat cheese and greens. 

i based my tapenade recipe from what i observed being made at the phoenix pastificio where i worked over 15 years ago. i'm not sure that i ever actually made the olive tapenade there, but i do remember that part of my job was to squeeze each and every kalamata olive destined to be part of the olive bread to check for pits.

people like whimsically named sandwiches, so the name was supposed to be a reference to what i thought meant something like "wacky guy" in mexican slang, but i've never fully confirmed that-everyone i ask has a different answer. 

 a fruity goat is a good variation. simply substitute super easy apricot chutney for the tapenade.

if you want to forgo bread make a salad with goat cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes and use the tapenade as a rich and delicious salad dressing. 

the salty goat is a simple sandwich that travels well. a nice one to take on a picnic.

olive tapenade

4 oz. mixed green and black olives

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. flat leaf parsley
1 tsp. capers
1 tsp. fresh herbs (thyme, tender rosemary, mint...)
1/4 tsp. orange zest

1. crush olives using the bottom of a juice glass and remove pits

2. hand chop olives, parsley, capers and herbs and mix with olive oil and orange zest.

3. combine with goat cheese and greens to make a sandwich, use as a dressing, or dab onto almost anything.

summer alphabet

avocados
basil
blackberries
corn
dry farmed early girls
eggplant
figs
grapes
huckleberries
jalapenos
kohlrabi
lettuces
mangoes
nectarines
okra
peaches
peppers
plums
raspberries
romano beans
shallots
strawberries
tomatoes
watermelon
zucchini

summer solstice

and just like that it was summer.

this year i spent the first days of summer at camp tipsy with joshie, some of his friends, and for the last night and day; nate and olive.

it's not very often we get to spend so many days alone in the quiet away from the city and our work. i planned our meals this time so we had a beautiful dinner every night, usually sharing a big salad out of the same bowl.

in the quiet i figured out some of what is next.

for the rest of the summer i am going to feature recipes from my latest cookbook as well as out-takes that didn't make it into print.

happy summer. so far so good.

camp tipsy salad

one head red leaf romaine
handful of flat leaf parsley
2 nectarines (or 3 pluots, 5 apricots, peaches or cherries)
one avocado

one shallot, extra fine dice
sherry vinegar
olive oil
salt

1. trim off the sandy bottom and carefully rinse romaine and tear into pieces. pick parsley leaves and cut nectarines and avocado into large chunks.

2. put shallot into a small bowl with just enough vinegar to cover and a generous pinch of salt. let sit as long as you can stand it, then whisk in olive oil to your taste.