On this last day of September, I've been thinking about the waning days of summer weather and the sweet heirloom tomatoes and watermelons that are still available at the farmer's markets (not for long!) and some of the local supermarkets. I got the idea for this salad from a similar side dish special I had at one of my favorite new restaurants in Charlottesville, The Whiskey Jar. And the great thing about this salad? The watermelon rind isn't a true pickle--it's a "quickle." (I made the entire salad in under two hours.)
My version of this salad includes a variety of heirloom tomatoes (whatever you can find), and a Yellow Crimson watermelon, small and circular with a yellow-orange flesh. It's sweet, salty, and delicious. And the summery pickled watermelon rind would still be seasonal even after the summer weather fades . . . . I spiced it with cinnamon, cloves, and star anise.
To say goodbye to summer, I'm giving you Ella Fitzgerald's hauntingly beautiful "Everytime We Say Goodbye." I don't know if it's the coming of Autumn or just a general feeling of Fall, but my music tastes lately have been drifting backward in time toward the sweet sounds of Ella's jazz and the Carter Family's Appalachian guitar.
Ingredients:
--1/2 small watermelon (the Yellow Crimson that I used is small, so you only need half--if you have a larger watermelon, you probably only need about 1/4 of it).
--4 heirloom tomatoes (your choice!)
--4 c. apple cider vinegar
--2 c. water
--1/2 c. granulated sugar
--2 cinnamon sticks
--10 whole cloves
--2 whole star anise fruits (dried)
--1 tbsp. salt
--1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
--1 tbsp. honey
--2 tbsp. coarsley ground mustard
For the watermelon:
Remove the flesh and remove its seeds, leaving approximately 1/4" flesh on the rind. Chop watermelon flesh into large chunks and set aside in a large bowl. Very carefully skin the watermelon rind and chop into 1" pieces. Place in a saucepan with apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. Bring to a boil and continue to simmer over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until the rind is soft and the aroma of vinegar and autumnal spices have filled your home. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
The salad:
Wash and chop heirloom tomatoes and add to bowl with watermelon flesh. Strain the watermelon rind in the saucepan, *making sure* to reserve about one cup of the cooking liquid. Add the watermelon rind to your salad bowl (tomatoes, watermelon flesh). In a separate small bowl, combine the reserved cooking liquid, salt, pepper, honey, and mustard to make a salad dressing. Whisk thoroughly and pour over salad. Toss to fully coat the tomatoes and watermelon pieces in the dressing. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving. This is delicious with a crusty sourdough baguette on the side.
Growing up, one of my mom's dessert specialties was strawberry shortcake with an angel food base. "It's such a healthy dessert," she'd tell us. Years later, I've made this treat a little bit sweeter with a sugar cookie sheet-cake base (a tongue twister and a palate pleaser). Lately I've heard rumors about my stepdad placing takeout orders for strawberry shortcake from a brick-oven pizza place in southwest Florida . . . . I bet I make a better one!
Using a jelly roll pan, I took an old sugar cookie recipe, added more eggs, baked it, and glazed it with a simple syrup once it had cooled. (On a side note: I've been really into turning cookies into sheet cakes lately. Perhaps some autumn petit fours are in order.)
I know what you're thinking: I must be pairing this dessert with a famous Beatles track. But I already gave you their addictive "Strawberry Fields Forever" in my Amaretti Chocolate Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream. So what goes with a sugar cookie shortcake? Here's X's "Sugarlight." This song comes from the super cool American punk band's first studio album, Los Angeles.
Sugar Cookie Cake ingredients:
--1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
--1 c. granulated sugar, plus 1/2 c. for simple syrup
--3 eggs
--1 tsp. vanilla extract
--1/2 c. whole milk
--2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
--1 tsp. baking powder
--1/2 tsp. baking soda
--1 c. water (for simple syru)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture and milk, in alternating additions, to the egg and sugar mixture until combined.
In a buttered and floured jelly roll pan, spread the batter evenly and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or just until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. (*You don't want this to turn golden on top--if it does, it's slightly overdone). Allow to cool.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 c. water and 1/2 c. granulated sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. With a pastry brush, generously glaze the sugar cookie cake (the simple syrup will seep into the cake, so give it a few layers of this sugary glaze). Once the glaze has dried, cut into squares.
Strawberry Topping ingredients:
--2 c. fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
--1/4 c. brown sugar
--1 tsp. vanilla
--1 tsp. cinnamon
Mix all ingredients until combined. Take two squares of the sugar cookie cake and add a few heaping spoonfuls of the strawberry topping. I topped mine with a dollop of cool whip, but you could just as easily (and deliciously) use whipped cream or crème fraîche. Enjoy!
In early autumn, figs start to fall from the trees in Virginia. Since moving here almost four years ago now, I've begun to associate the seedy marks on the sidewalks and the sweet tastes with the coming fall weather. And for some unrelated reason, in recent years chilly Septembers have been the first days to see inventive savory-and-sweet bruschetta dinners.
This cracked pepper and fig bruschetta is baked over ricotta on sliced sourdough bread with an ample drizzle of honey. It makes a light meal, a great appetizer, and a delicious leftovers snack. And it's pretty quick and easy.
In my ever-growing interest in beekeeping, I've been reading more about pollination, fruits, flowers, and honey. Did you know there's a variety of wasp that pollinates the world's fig trees? Amazing. So here's the National's beautiful "Wasp Nest."
Ingredients:
--1/2 loaf sourdough bread, sliced thinly (you could use any bread here, and in fact, if you want smaller bruschetta pieces or bruschetta rounds, I'd use a smaller Italian loaf or a French baguette)
--16 oz. ricotta cheese
--12 large figs, washed and sliced
--3-5 tbsp. honey, depending on taste (as you might guess, I go for more)
--1 tbsp. cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, lay out sourdough slices. Spread ricotta evenly over the slices, and line with fig slices. Slowly drizzle honey over each slice and follow with a heavy sprinkling of cracked black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, allow to cool for just a few minutes, and serve warm.
