Barley Risotto with Swiss Chard, Radishes, and Preserved Lemon

It doesn't matter where you go or get to in life, in my world getting published in Martha Stewart Living is always a thrill. She's an icon, and her pages has inspired so much beautiful living. In this month's April issue (with the gorgeous red + white painted eggs on the cover), is my first ever Living piece, one I developed last spring out of the inspiring greens (Tuscan kale, purslane, sorrel, mustard greens, mache and arugula) I plant in our garden each year. 

The leading recipe, pictured here, Barley Risotto with Swiss Chard, Radishes and Preserved Lemon, is beloved in two senses. First, it stars my very favorite spring ingredient: tiny pert radishes, and Swiss chard, the two things I pick first from my garden each year. Second, it is one of the first recipes I developed for my new book, Feast: Generous Vegetarian Meals for Any Eater and Every Appetite. 

And then there is the dreamy combination of photos by Con Poulos and styling by Susie Theodorou, two uber talents who make me want to run every meal I create through their creative lens and put it to print. They make this, and the other six images on these pages sing. 

Thank you Lady Martha, for sharing a few of your pages with my recipes this month. 

BARLEY RISOTTO WITH RADISHES, SWISS CHARD + PRESERVED LEMON || SERVES 4

From Feast: Generous Vegetarian Meals for Any Eater and Every Appetite

This modern, vegetable-lover’s risotto is made with barley, a homey whole grain that is easy to love, and one that will love you back with extra iron and minerals. Bright radishes and tart preserved lemon, both bold in texture and flavor, soften into the creamy texture of barley that’s been cooked like risotto. When the season changes from spring to late summer, make this again with multicolored young carrots instead of radishes.

4½ cups/1 L vegetable stock (see recipe below) or water

2 tbsp unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup/200 g pearl barley, rinsed

8 to 10 small radishes

1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and torn into large pieces

1 preserved lemon, seeded and thinly sliced

Sea salt

Small handful fresh dill, coarsely chopped

8 large fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped or torn

Bring the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to keep warm. Heat the butter in another medium saucepan over low heat. Add the barley and stir to coat, toasting it lightly in the butter. Add 2 cups/480 ml of the stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the stock is mostly absorbed, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

Add the radishes and remaining stock, ½ cup/120 ml at a time, stirring frequently, until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Add the chard and stir until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the preserved lemon and add up to ¾ tsp salt, depending on how salty your broth or lemons are.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the dill and mint. Serve warm or at room temperature.

{bake shop} Carrot Banana Hazelnut Bread

Did you ever wonder why moms make so much banana bread? I hadn't given it much thought until this weekend, but now I know. If you have kids, bananas are a staple. An utter must. Since the amount of kids I might need to feed can jump from one to five in an instant at the whim of our little social bee, I now stock them in the double digits. This also means that there are bananas of varying ripeness on hand, and more and more often lately, the smashed carried all day in my purse in case Greta got an instant case of the hungries bruised and beaten banana that gets stuck back in the fridge if still uneaten when day is done.  

This lovely bread—as inviting as a breakfast bread as it is an after-nap weekend snack—is the happy accident when a few of those bruisers and last night's leftover carrot mash were calling to me "Reinvent me. Bake! Make me beautiful again!" 

And here's the big reveal...there were. I topped my Carrot-Banana bread with sprinkling of sunflower seeds, rolled oats and hazelnuts (and walnuts on the other) for extra flavor and fiber, but you could add any combo of nuts, seeds and grains to the top (or insides) or yours. Give it a little love, it's deserving. 

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Carrot-Banana-Hazelnut Bread

Makes 2 large loaves or 4 to 5 small loaves

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups raw organic sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

10 ounces pure carrot puree (1 1/4 cups)

2 cups white whole-wheat flour or whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 to 3 very ripe smashed bananas

¼ cup rolled oats or barley

¼ cup lightly toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (or walnuts)

3 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 standard loaf pans or 4 to 5 mini pans and dust evenly with flour.

Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Add the oil and carrot puree. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon and stir into the batter until evenly combined. Pour into the prepared pans and top with oats, nuts and sunflower seeds. Bake until the breads spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes, or 20 to 22 minutes for small loaves. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Wrap well and set aside to ripen overnight or eat warm with butter.     

Photos and Recipes © Sarah Copeland 2012

Please credit source on Pinterest. All other uses require permission via email.

{season's last} carrots

Last weekend, when we got wind of pending snow, we picked the last of our carrots, and anything else that won't fare well in a frost. My guess is the farmer's did too. Go, while the getting's good, and see them at your weekend market. Not too many day's left of this bounty. Happy weekend! 

Fried Zucchini. Need I say more?

{photo by Sara Remington}

I'm officially declaring this national zucchini month on the blog, because, well, I love zucchini and there are so many darn good ways to eat it. This is my all. time. favorite. Don't quote me on that because I might say that again when I post another recipe next week. But for today, this is it. The best. It's lighter than it sounds, because I make my batter with wheat beer which keeps the batter thin and crackly, and makes it especially apropos for serving with your micro brew of choice. 

Tomorrow eve, Andras, Greta and I fly to Hungary {during the fireworks, what??} where the fields his parents farm are full of insanely huge szookeeni {note: that's the phonetic spelling, not proper Hungarian spelling} that his mom turns into restorative brothy soups. While we're slurping them and settling into our world over there, I hope you'll be frying up a batch of these babies while the sparks fly overhead. Happy Fourth of July!  

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Fried Zucchini

From The Newlywed Cookbook 

Serves 6 to 8

{light and crisp} In the heart of the summer when markets are practically giving zucchini away, buy a bunch and transform them into summer fries that could turn the heads of even the strictest potato devotees. These zucchini get their light and crispy skin from a beer batter. Use a beer you’d enjoy drinking. Eat them fresh and hot from the fryer dipped in harissa-spiked Spicy Mayo.

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 medium-large firm zucchini/courgette, scrubbed and cut into 2-in-/5 cm-long sticks

1 large egg, beaten

½ cup/120 ml cold full-flavored wheat beer

¾ cup/90 g all-purpose/plain flour

Sea salt

Spicy Mayo

Before you begin, have everything you’ll need handy so you can concentrate when you’re working with hot oil on the stove. Set up a wire rack on a baking sheet/tray lined with paper towels/absorbent paper.

In a large, deep frying pan, heat 1 in/2.5 cm vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F/180°C/gas 4 on a deep-fat thermometer. Decrease the heat to medium-low to keep the oil temperature steady.

Whisk together the egg and beer in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the flour to make a thin batter.

Check the oil temperature again. It should read just under 350°F/180°C/gas 4 and will drop slightly, to about 325°F/165°C/gas 3 as you add the zucchini/courgette pieces. This is the perfect temperature for frying.

Dip vegetable pieces in the batter a few at a time to coat and let the excess drip off before carefully lowering them into the hot oil. Fry until the batter puffs and is crisp and golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over with a slotted spoon and continue cooking 1 minute more. Be sure to cover the pan with a splatter guard to protect yourself as the zucchini/courgette pops and sizzles enthusiastically {it’s full of water}. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on the rack. Sprinkle with salt while it’s still warm. Continue until all the squash is fried.

Serve hot and fresh with Spicy Mayo or all on their own in a basket lined with paper towels/absorbent paper.

P.S. This batter keeps well overnight in the fridge. Use any leftovers to fry okra or onions rings.

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Spicy Mayo

From The Newlywed Cookbook 

Makes about 1/2 cup/120 ml

{from any country}Creamy mayonnaise mixed with Greek yogurt is the perfect, luscious base to tame the feisty heat of a hot red pepper paste. Stir in North African harissa, Hungarian hot red pepper paste, Southeast Asian sambal oelek, or Sriracha sauce to add a fiery streak to your favorite snack or supper.

1/4 cup/60 ml Greek yogurt

1/4 cup/60 ml olive-oil mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise

2 to 3 tbsp hot pepper sauce or paste

Pinch of fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and enough hot pepper paste to make you sweat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on everything your heart desires, especially Baguette BLTs with Spicy Moroccan Mayo. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

The Man Sandwich : A Tempting July 4th Feast

{photo by Sara Remington}

My baby brother is a serious gardener. He credits me as inspiration (and I humbly accept) though he and his fiancé have far surpassed my own meager harvest at TK Farms {Tim + Karen Farms}, their sizable community plot in their burb outside of Chicago.

This week, I was home with my family. Mom, Greta and I made our annual trip to her farmer’s market. There we met Farmer Nick the meat man, who spends Wednesday mornings at mom’s market, and the afternoon 45 miles away at Tim’s farmer's market in Grayslake.

“I think you know my brother,” I said to Nick, and told him his name.

“Tim? Yes, Mr. Rib eye!”

Yep, that’s him. A good old-fashioned, steak-eating Midwestern boy. My brother. And though there hasn’t been a steak in my household since just about the day I wed, my bro and I have a lot in common in the food department. For starters, we both love a summer supper that starts in the garden and is served right off the grill.

My bro’s garden has a hefty head start on mine, and he’s already got a bumper crop of the ever-prolific zucchini. So, I thought it was high time to remind him and all the other grill and garden lovers out there about this summer sandwich I dreamed up with you all in mind. It’s got a flavor and a name I’m mighty proud of, and is as worthy of a slot on your July 4th roster as anything I know. 

The Man Sandwich is made with grilled purple onions, zucchini and merguez, a spicy lamb sausage from North Africa, but it’s just as good with any freshly made spicy sausage you can get your hands on. It turns out Farmer Nick has some pretty kickin sausages too, so I think we all know what’s on Tim's menu for the fourth.

Baby bro, this one’s for you.

P.S. {Make it Meatless}

For the Mostly Vegetarian crowd, we make a meatless version with grilled portabella, Muenster cheese and double doses of zucchini and onion. De-lish! Don't miss this one...

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The Man Sandwich

From The Newlywed Cookbook 

In the middle of July, the prolific garden zucchini/courgette beg your creativity. Turn its bounty into a man-sized sandwich grilled alongside a coil of spicy sausage and sweet spring onions. Stack the three together into a hearty sandwich that’s a summer meal in every bite. This is guy food at its delicious best.

Serves 2

12-ounce/340 g coil spicy beef or lamb sausage such as merguez, or spicy Italian sausage

1 large zucchini cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 spring {bulb} onions, thickly sliced

1/4 cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 slices whole-wheat or seven-grain sandwich bread

Herb Mayo {see below}

Preheat the grill or a grill pan until hot. Lay the sausage on the hottest part of the grill and cook until crisp, about 6 minutes. Turn the sausage and grill until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of sausage. Remove to a platter to rest.

Meanwhile, drizzle the zucchini and onion slices with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

While the sausage cooks on the second side, add the vegetables to the grill. Cook until crisp-tender and lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Add the bread to the grill about 2 minutes before veggies are finished and toast on both sides.

Spread Herb Mayo on 2 slices of grilled bread. Slice the sausages and divide sausage and grilled veggies between the 2 sandwiches. Top with remaining bread. Serve warm with lots of napkins.

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Herb Mayo

{tempting}

Life really picks up when you add this green mayo to sandwiches and serve it as a dipping sauce for fries or fresh veggies. Its green comes from fresh herbs {use your favorites, in any combination} and its body from Greek yogurt, with a touch of a store-bought mayo for creamy sweetness.

Makes about 1 cup/240 ml

1 packed cup parsley, dill, mint, basil, or chives leaves, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup/75 ml Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons/45 ml olive-oil mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Blend herbs, yogurt, mayo, and olive oil, in a mini food processor or blender until smooth and flecked with green. Pulse in lemon juice, adding just enough to give it the right balance for you. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

The Barn

{photo by lily odare}

This week I've disappeared to one of my favorite places on earth -- to the cool shelter of the little barn that lured Andras and I to our house in Hurley, NY about this time two years ago. We've put endless hours of work into the house and yard, and it finally, magically feels like home. We escape the city to swing in the hammock under the old apple tree as often as we can, but this week I'm here without Greta and Andras and instead with a team of five amazing creative and dedicated gals shooting my new book, Mostly Vegetarian. 

I couldn't think of a more peaceful place to turn a year's worth of writing and recipes into beautiful, artful images to fill the pages of the book. Behind the lens is Yunhee Kim, one of the most talented, masterful photographers I know. There we are, crouched in the even afternoon light that floods the barn floor as I style, and she shoots platefuls of my favorite foods. We're wrapping this half of the shoot tomorrow, and after I put up my feet and rest a wee bit, I'll be back with more.