the arugula files

Fresh-Tasting Tomato Soup (Out of a Jar)

Last week, in the middle of the day, my friend Jen and I took a field trip to A. Litteri Inc. a reasonably priced, old-school Italian grocer in DC.  A. Litterari is a small space crammed with cold pressed olive oil, dry wine, capers the size of olives, fresh pasta, and every other Italian ingredient you could imagine.  I could spend hours in those narrow aisles, reading labels, dreaming up recipes, chatting with the deli clerk.  Of course, I didn't have hours (it was, after all, the middle of a work day), so I settled quickly on a few things, one being a jar of San Marzano Marinara Sauce.

San Marzano tomatoes come from a small town of the same name located near Naples, where they were originally grown in the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius. I've heard things about San Marzano tomatoes.  How good they are.  How you will never make sauce with another tomato after you have tasted San Marzanos.  Life changing tomatoes is what they are made out to be.  And after I tasted the sauce that came out of this jar, I thought, yup, these tomatoes are seriously delicious.  So instead of making boring old pasta, I made tomato soup.  Let me distill the recipe in one simple word: pour.

Six Reasons to Visit the 14th and U Street Farmers Market

Recently, I've been heading to the market on Saturday, which means I have visit the farmers at 14th and U Street (instead of Dupont Circle).  I like it.  Here are six reasons why you would like it too.

Corn Fritters and Maple Syrup

These corn fritters fall under the seriously-delicious-but-pain-to-make category.  I think it's the frying part that is particularly discouraging.  Don't get me wrong, I love fried food.  I just don't want to be the one frying it.  For one, it freaks me out to see all that oil.  It seems so...OILY.  Not to mention that frying fills my apartment with a smoky fry smell that is extremely unpleasant.  The worst part?  Frying corn in oil typically results in hot kernels shooting at you (at one point while making these seemingly innocuous fritters, I felt like I was ducking bullets...pop, pop, pop).  Basically, frying corn fritters is like turning your kitchen into a war zone:  it smells, it could kill you, it's just not good for you. 

Be that as it may, these little fritters were delicious.  Sweet, creamy corn cakes dipped in light maple syrup makes for a perfect brunch (or midnight snack).  So, if you feel adventurous or if you have mastered frying, I would recommend that you make these.  With so much corn at the market - which is soon to disappear - it's a great summer recipe.

Copper Pot Fig Jam: Worth Every Penny

My love for figs started with Fig Newtons.  As a child I would eat them by the dozen.  When I got a job as a "counter girl" at Barbara Ann's Bakery my tastes became slightly more sophisticated.  At the bakery, when no one was looking, I would  snack on giant fig bars, filled with sweet fig jam, engulfed by a thin, flaky crust.  I still love figs.  I'm eagerly waiting for them to show up at the Farmer's Market. It seems we are all waiting for figs to arrive. (Sounds like the start of a novel, doesn't it?).

I haven't yet seen any fresh figs, but today at the 14th and U Street Farmer's Market, I spied this White Fig and Balsamic Vinegar Jam from The Copper Pot Food Company.  It's perfect jam: light, spreadable, figgy, and the vinegar adds a bright flavor you may not find in most jams.  At $6.50 a jar, it's worth every penny; a special treat to tide me over until figs arrive in the market. 

Caramelized Onion, Gruyere, and Rosemary Pizza

I never order takeout pizza.  It just doesn't taste good and it can be expensive.  Instead, I keep a bag of Trader Joe's pizza dough in my freezer.  At 99 cents, the dough is a bargain, and, as long as you don't spend a lot of money on ingredients, you can make a recession-ready pizza in no time.  Take this pizza, for example.  I caramelized a red onion (89 cents), cut a few sprigs of rosemary off my office plant (practically free!), and added a handful of Gruyere cheese (~$1.50).  That's about $3.50, if you count some olive oil and a bit of cornmeal for the pizza paddle.  And, this pizza was enough for two meals. Take that Ben Bernanke.

A Baking Scale and the Science of Making Bread

A few weeks ago I did a blogger beat interview with Emily Leaman at the Washingtonian.  Being asked to do the interview was really exciting (except for having to get my photo taken).  One of the interview questions was to describe a major cooking disaster.  Only one of them?  There are so many, but one that stands out--the one that really shakes my confidence in the kitchen--is my crap attempt at baking bread.  In retrospect, I can see that I had put too much effort into thinking about how good my bread would taste, and not enough effort into paying attention to the feel of the dough, how much flour I was feeding it, and how long it was sitting on my counter, growing like a fat, bubbly belly.  It tasted like paper and felt like a rock.  A big, heavy rock.  I was heart broken.  Granted, I only tried once, but, boy, did that disappointment stick around making me feel bad.  I know, I know, baking bread takes practice.  Well...I think it takes a baking scale too.  I need to be able to measure the flour exactly.  None of this fluff and scoop.  So, before I start attempting to make bread again, I decided to buy a baking scale. 

For help selecting the perfect scale, I turned to my favorite bow-tie wearing friend, who doesn't give a damn if you don't like his editorials, because he knows you will continue to look to him for advice on the best kitchen gadgets.  Yes, Christopher Kimball, of Cook's Illustrated, recommended this scale.  So far, so good: I like the design, the blue light, and the fact that it's slim.  Let's see if it helps me master the art (and science) of baking bread.

Peach and Blackberry Jam

I'm really enjoying having homemade jam around; it transforms boring breakfast toast into a wonderful morning treat. I turned my white peaches into pink jam by adding a few handfuls of blackberries, some lemon juice, and sugar.  

Peach Galette

This is my first galette and, let me tell ya, it's way easier than making a pie.  I skinned five medium size peaches, cut them each into eight pieces, added 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar, a dash of ginger, a dash of cinnamon, mixed them together, rolled out the pie dough, added the fruit mixture to the center, and folded the edges.  How's that for a recipe in one sentence? {p.s., place the galette on parchment paper and cook at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes (or until golden brown)}

I'm in love with the rustic look of this dessert.  I've decided that I love fruit desserts.  Forget about chocolate chip cookies, I want crumbles, buckles, and slumps.

I made it with the peaches we picked at Good Country Farms.  My only critique is that I think white peaches are too mild for pastry.  This tasted good, but more like apple pie than peaches.