Ginger-Allspice Latkes and Cranberry Applesauce

Though my mother put the lion's share of food on the dinner table growing up, my father stepped into the kitchen on a few choice occasions. Every Passover, he made his famous matzah brei, a savory, spicy one laced with garlic, onion, and ginger. One Mother's Day, my dad darted back and forth through our small kitchen for the better part of an hour, finally emerging with a gorgeous split-egg omelet, in which the eggs had been separated, the whites whipped nearly stiff (by hand, no less), then the two parts recombined to make an omelet not unlike a good souffle.

But my strongest memory of when my dad wore the apron was on Hanukkah, when he filled our home with exactly as much smoke as 60 latkes tend to make. He made the straight-up potato latkes, while my mom made a batch with zucchini and a batch with sweet potato mixed in.

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Though some would say my dad burned a fair number of the latkes he made, I never complained. The black-edged ones were always my favorite.

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In honor of Thanksgivukkah, I've riffed on batch #3, using a mix of potatoes and sweet potatoes. I will admit that I momentarily considered incorporating toasted marshmallows into the latke recipe, but I think we can all agree that that was a terrible idea. Plus, I'll be topping our soup with burnt marshmallows that evening: problem solved.

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I'll be serving these latkes with the perfect Thanksgivukkah condiment, cranberry applesauce. While I initially planned to spice the applesauce, I ended up using nothing but nutmeg. Instead, I seasoned the latkes with flavors I tend to add to my Thanksgiving sweet potatoes: warm ginger and allspice. Ginger and allspice are a pair that can go either way -- sweet or savory -- and as a result, they give the potato-sweet potato mixture just the right dose of warmth and spice without taking things too far toward pumpkin pie.

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Also, because I can't leave well enough alone, I fried half of these latkes in a mix of schmaltz and rendered turkey fat. Turkey fat-fried latkes? I mean, c'mon.

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Building up a supply of poultry fat is quite simple. Remove the residual fat from a chicken or turkey, cut it into bits, set it over medium-low heat, and watch the fat start to melt. Spoon it off as it melts, and when all the fat has been rendered, you'll be left with a pile of cracklings -- the #1 chef's snack. Of course, you can always fry the latkes in vegatable oil. Or even olive oil, which works quite well here.

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More Thanksgivukkah recipes to come. Meanwhile, don't wait for the holiday to make these guys. They're quite tasty for a weekday dinner.

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One year ago: Vietnamese Leek and Eggplant Salad Two years ago: Ginger Brownies Three years ago: Mojito CookiesFour years ago: Zuni Roast Chicken and Bread Salad Five years ago: Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Peach Compote Six years ago: Challah French Toast

Ginger-Allspice Latkes Serves 6 as a main course, 12 as an appetizer

2 yukon gold or russet potatoes (about 2 cups) 2 sweet potatoes (about 2 cups) 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper vegetable oil or poultry fat

Grate the sweet potato and potato using the thick holes on a hand or box grater. Scoop up handfuls of the potatoes, wring out thoroughly over the sink, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Mix together the two potatoes, and add the ginger, allspice, beaten egg, and flour. Stir to combine. Season mixture with salt and pepper, and stir thoroughly.

Line a large plate or cooling rack with a couple layers of paper towel.

In a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan, heat 1/8-inch of oil or fat over medium-high heat. Test the oil by dropping a small spoonful of the latke mixture into the oil; it should sizzle immediately. When the oil is ready, scoop batter using a 1/4 cup measure, and drop into the pan leaving at least 1 inch between latkes. Use the back of a spatula or a fork to flatten latkes slightly, so that they have an evenly flat surface. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until latkes are evenly golden (and okay, maybe a bit darker in some spots). Transfer finished latkes to the prepared plate or rack. If using a plate, make sure to lay down paper towels between layers of latkes.

Replenish oil as necessary, making sure to maintain 1/8 inch in the pan most of the time. Do not replenish oil while latkes are in the pan, or they won't brown properly.

If you're serving latkes immediately, set them on the rack only briefly, until some of their oil has soaked into the paper towel. Then serve while still hot and crispy. Alternatively, you can fry all the latkes in advance, and then reheat them in a dry cast iron or heavy pan until they start to sizzle. Be sure to reheat on both sides of the latke before serving.

Cranberry ApplesauceAdapted from Simply Recipes and Food52

3 pounds mixed apples, such as Cortland, Braeburn, Jonagold, Gala, and Winesap, peeled and cored 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (if you don't have whole nutmeg, you can use pre-ground, but you can also skip it and leave the sauce plain) 1/4 teaspoon salt

This applesauce can be made either in the oven or on the stove.  The oven method takes much longer, but it produces a silkier, more mellow applesauce. If you're pressed for time or oven space, the stove works well, too.

If using the oven, preheat to 400 degrees.

Quarter each of the prepared apples and transfer to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the cranberries overtop. Distribute the sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt evenly over the mixture, and wrap the dish tightly with foil.  Transfer to the oven, and bake for 30-60 minutes, checking every 10 minutes, until apples are almost entirely soft and mixture is bubbling. 

Turn the oven up to 500 degrees, uncover dish, and bake for 10 more minutes, until some of the liquid has evaporated and a couple of the apples start to turn brown at their tips. (If they don't turn brown, it's okay.) Remove dish from the oven, transfer the apples to a heatsafe dish, and use a potato masher or a large fork to mash the fruit, keeping some texture or mashing it smooth, depending on your preference. Taste (carefully - it'll be hot!) and add more sugar if necessary.

If using the stove, simply combine everything in a large stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20-30 minutes until everything is soft and mushy. Mash to your desired consistency, then transfer to a heat-safe bowl to cool. Taste and add more sugar if necessary.

I like this sauce warm, room temperature, or chilled. With piping hot latkes, I like it best just colder than room temp.

Tuscan Baked Tomatoes

A perfect tomato is a thing of wonder: its perfectly smooth red skin, its firm flesh, its juices suspended just so. I hesitate to do anything but drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and eat up.

But then the end of August rolls around, and farmers start in with the deals: a half-bushel of near-perfect "seconds" for $12.  I can't resist a deal like that. So I buy 'em, and over a week or so, the tomatoes make their way into salsa, tomato sauce, and other things that I jar and process for winter.

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This summer, I got even luckier. Zach and Clay are the bloggers behind The Bitten Word; they're also my neighbors. Every year, they go to their CSA farm at the end of August and pick their weight in tomatoes -- in fact, one year, the Washington Post did a story on their adventure. This year, they overshot it on the picking. Lucky neighbor that I am, I got to share in the spoils.

We jarred a bunch as crushed tomatoes and a few more pounds as sauce. I'd already done salsa and jam, and there aren't many other tomato-based staples that I use during the year. A cardinal rule of canning is "if you won't use it, don't can it."  So, with about 10 pounds of tomatoes to go, I cooked up tomato feast for weekend lunch.

We started with pan con tomate, the Spanish tapa of grilled, garlic-rubbed bread (we used sourdough) topped with grated tomato and some olive oil and salt. We had a bit of Andalusian gazpacho, thickened with more of that same homemade sourdough and topped with more olive oil. (Come to think of it, about 80% of what we ate yesterday was tomato, bread, and olive oil. I'm not complaining.)

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We did change things up with a purslane salad, which I'll be blogging about later in the week. But the main course at yesterday's lunch was a tray of baked tomatoes, their supple flesh topped with a crunchy mix of bread crumbs, tuscan spices, and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. They take almost no effort to prepare, and they're a really fantastic way to celebrate the peak (and almost the end) of tomato season.

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Tuscan Baked Tomatoes Adapted from Ina Garten Serves 4-6

6 large, ripe tomatoes (regular beefsteak tomatoes work great here) 1 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup basil leaves, julienned 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano) 2 small cloves garlic or 1 large clove, minced 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese salt and freshly ground pepper good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Use a small paring knife to cut the cores from the tomatoes, removing as little of the flesh as possible. Cut them in half crosswise; if they are very large or if you want more pieces, cut into three very thick slices. Place the tomato halves or pieces in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the tomatoes.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, basil, parsley, oregano, garlic, and cheese. Pack the bread crumb mixture onto the tomato slices and if you're feeling really crazy, top with another drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tomatoes are sizzling and bread crumbs have started to brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Chicken Legs with Summer Tomatoes and Basil

We eat a mostly vegetarian diet at home. But every so often, I like to take a good bird, sprinkle it with plenty of salt and pepper, stuff a lemon in the cavity, and roast the hell out of it -- we're talking a 500-degree oven -- until the thing is so crisp that the skin has puffed up and separated from the flesh, a crisp, crackling invitation to tuck into dinner.

For some reason, it's a recipe I associate with winter. If it's December, and D and I get home on Friday afternoon and don't have plans, I'll arrange the bird in a cast iron pan, heat that oven (and my cold hands) high, and get dinner going. That and roasted potatoes, and we're set.

Summertime isn't meant for roast chicken. If our birds don't get rubbed with spices and grilled, they take a turn on the stove top. In this case, we treated them with summer's best tomatoes and some fresh basil from a friend's garden. I browned the chicken pieces, then cooked down those tomatoes with a bit of sliced garlic and plenty of olive oil. Once the tomatoes cooked down to a sauce, I added the chicken back in and finished cooking it in the sauce. Five ingredients, 45 minutes, perfect summer dinner.

Would it be silly to include the word "summer" in every recipe from now till the end of August? I'm thinking of summer peaches with crumb topping, fried summer squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta, and maybe even some summer watermelon-gin slushies. Those peaches are not just best in summer, they're not good any other time of the year. Do not make crumb-topped peaches in December; they will do nothing more than make you sad that August is over.

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But while it's August, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Just go to the market, get the best, juiciest tomatoes you can find, and make this chicken. (Seconds run about 99 cents a pound where I live, and they're perfect for this recipe.) Sure, you've got canned tomatoes all year round. But this is a dish you want to make while the red orbs are still in season. Serve it with crusty bread and plenty of olive oil, and you've got the dish to tide you over until roast chicken with lemons is back in style.

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Chicken Legs with Summer Tomatoes and Basil Serves 4

4 whole chicken legs (drumstick and thigh), about 2 lbs. Salt and pepper 3 garlic cloves, sliced 3 big, juicy red tomatoes, chopped 20 small-to-medium leaves of basil, halved if large 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Pat the chicken legs very dry and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy dutch oven or deep-sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown chicken legs on both sides until they develop some serious color, about 3 minutes per side. (You may want to use a splatter screen -- the chicken fat splatters pretty violently when the heat is up.) Remove browned chicken to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add sliced garlic, followed almost immediately by the tomatoes and their juices. Add a pinch or salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes cook down and the liquid reduces by a third. Then add the chicken legs back to the pan, ladle some of the tomatoes and liquid over the legs, and cover the pan with a disk of parchment paper (or just partially cover it using the lid). Cook for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is silky. If the sauce is still thin, remove the chicken legs, increase heat to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until it has thickened to your liking.

Turn off the heat and stir in the whole basil leaves. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the sauce, and stir lightly to combine. Serve with a big hunk of crusty bread or a scoop of rice.

Hi From Here

Just a quick note to say hi from here. I'm decompressing for a few days, after dancing the night away at my brother's amazing wedding. See you all back here in a couple of days. Happy summer!