now you did it. You forced me to buy chick pea flour on my run to the Indian store for tea.

Now I have to figure out what to do with it.

chick pea tofu you say.....

I'm not much of a tofu fan to begin with, so I'm not sure what to do with a substitute.

What are people's opinion on what a proper tuna salad is?

There is the minimalist approach, which says just tuna and mayo.

I have a maximalist approach myself,  where I add carrots, celery, peppers, onion, black olives, lettuce  (I'm a fan of iceberg, though now that I think about it, I wonder how a bitter green might work?),  tomatoes, maybe some sweet gherkin if I'm in the mood, some red vinegar to tart it up a bit, and Hellman's mayo, of course (Hellman's snob here). I personally love my version, though I appreciate the simpler form too. Any suggestions on other complementary ingredients are welcome.

My old girlfriend turned her nose up at crunchy tuna (or potato, for that matter, where I take a similar but not identical approach) salad. Maybe that's why we broke up.

In no particular order:

Oil-packed Ortiz tuna, with capers, thinly shaved lemons, shaved fennel, olive tapenade. 

Tuna, egg, celery, mayo, topped with a little B&G Sandwich Toppers Chopped Hot Peppers.

Salade Niçoise.

Tuna, small white beans, diced red onion, chopped celery, lemon vinaigrette.

What's Ortiz tuna? Spanish?

When I make a simple tuna salad, I like to use Italian tuna, which I find more flavorful. But if I'm gonna add a bunch of veggies, I think the base tuna doesn't matter much.

hmm, chopped hot peppers..... there's an idea. and white beans....

Speaking of beans -

Yesterday I made, for the first time, scrambled eggs and beans (Heinz vegetarian - I find other baked beans way too sweet) and it was delicious. Though, Heinz vegetarian beans are a comfort food for me - been eating them since I was a kid. My Mom rarely bought canned foods - corn, beets, tuna and Heinz vegetarian beans were about it. Um, peas too, I think. So to me, eating from a can was a treat!

.

where do you get it?

And in upcoming news:

Shake Shack is opening a store at that new strip mall at Livingston Circle. I have no date though. All I saw was the sign.

Wegman's in Parsippany opens July 27th

And that Fresh Market grocery store at the circle (next to the old Pathmark) has closed. That might be old news, but I just noticed it last week.

and on the chick pea flour front - I decided to make this as a start:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/2...

It's in the fridge, ripening as we speak. (I keep odd hours and frequently cook in the late evening.)

Another socca recipe.

I've found Ortiz tuna at Whole Foods, Kings and Wine Library. You can also order it from Amazon.

I like dill in my tuna salad. Eden Gourmet (what's it called now) has nice tuna salad with a lot of dill.

Our basic tuna salad is albacore, mayo, and macaroni. I like a bit of pickle or relish in it, too, but we don't always have that on hand.

drummerboy said:

And in upcoming news:

Shake Shack is opening a store at that new strip mall at Livingston Circle. I have no date though. All I saw was the sign.


Wegman's in Parsippany opens July 27th

And that Fresh Market grocery store at the circle (next to the old Pathmark) has closed. That might be old news, but I just noticed it last week.




and on the chick pea flour front - I decided to make this as a start:




http://allrecipes.com/recipe/2...


It's in the fridge, ripening as we speak. (I keep odd hours and frequently cook in the late evening.)

Report back. I like to add some veggies on top, even just a simple green salad, sautéed mushrooms, or whatever other veggies I have. 

Today's tuna salad variation:

Tuna, arugula, capers, sliced avocado, quinoa-wild rice blend, lemon wedge, vinaigrette dressing.

hmmm. tuna and avocado. There's an idea.

However, quinoa is something I just can't tolerate. Odd texture and it's got those little weird tendrils sticking out. Creeps me out.

j_r said:

Today's tuna salad variation:

Tuna, arugula, capers, sliced avocado, quinoa-wild rice blend, lemon wedge, vinaigrette dressing.

The chickpea/farinata experiment came out ok, but nothing great. I won't make it again. It kind of reminded me of polenta, actually.

I know what you mean about quinoa. You could substitute a rice blend or other grain mix -- anything that tastes OK cold. Or make it a sandwich. Avocados are indeed a good match, maybe with a couple of shakes of crushed red pepper.

drummerboy said:

hmmm. tuna and avocado. There's an idea.

However, quinoa is something I just can't tolerate. Odd texture and it's got those little weird tendrils sticking out. Creeps me out.

j_r said:

Today's tuna salad variation:

Tuna, arugula, capers, sliced avocado, quinoa-wild rice blend, lemon wedge, vinaigrette dressing.

The chickpea/farinata experiment came out ok, but nothing great. I won't make it again. It kind of reminded me of polenta, actually.

Make it thinner like a pancake/crepe or let it cook longer. It shouldn't be as soft as polenta.

Oh, I wasn't thinking of the mushy kind of polenta - I was thinking the more firmer kind which you can buy in a tube and slice up and pan fry.

The farinata actually came out quite firm. (I might have overcooked it a bit, actually)

shh said:

drummerboy said:

hmmm. tuna and avocado. There's an idea.

However, quinoa is something I just can't tolerate. Odd texture and it's got those little weird tendrils sticking out. Creeps me out.

j_r said:

Today's tuna salad variation:

Tuna, arugula, capers, sliced avocado, quinoa-wild rice blend, lemon wedge, vinaigrette dressing.

The chickpea/farinata experiment came out ok, but nothing great. I won't make it again. It kind of reminded me of polenta, actually.

Make it thinner like a pancake/crepe or let it cook longer. It shouldn't be as soft as polenta.

gotcha. You could actually grill each piece similar to the way you'd do that type of polenta. It will add texture and flavor. I much prefer it thin and crispy on the edges sprinkled with coarse salt.

I've just been hearing about green banana flour - a fantastic gluten-free flour that's been around forever but hasn't been publicised in recipe books because, well, it's just not trendy or sexy. Also, you need less of it to make satisfying dishes, so why would people want sell less of something?? 

The story of how this product is now being produced from agricultural 'waste' (I.e. rejected/non-conforming/ugly bananas that are just too big or small, too wide or narrow, or too bent for supermarkets to sell) is quite inspiring. 

I'm baking coconut bread today, for the l'Oceanie contribution to a Bastille Day event.

https://www.naturalevolutionfo...

gluten free donuts!

Dead-easy, too

I have to share this ATK recipe for Penne Arrabiata. I just made it tonight and it was delicious and easy.

I bumped up the pepperoncini and anchovy amounts by about 25% each, and next time I make it I will add an additional 15 oz can of tomatoes, as I like more sauce with my pasta than this provides.

But it produces a nice sauce with a good depth of flavor and a pleasant bite - just hot enough. I had some leftover Frankie's meatballs in the freezer and we had a nice dinner with this.

Penne Arrabiata

Ingredients

1       (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

¼       cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼       cup stemmed, patted dry, and minced pepperoncini

2       tablespoons tomato paste

1       garlic clove, minced

1       teaspoon red pepper flakes

4       anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced to paste

½       teaspoon paprika

          Salt and pepper

¼       cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra for serving

1       pound penne

Instructions  Serves 6 This recipe will work with other short tubular pastas like ziti or rigatoni.

1. Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses.

2. Heat oil, pepperoncini, tomato paste, garlic, pepper flakes, anchovies, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until deep red in color, 7 to 8 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and Pecorino and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

4. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and toss to combine, adjusting consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra Pecorino separately.

anyone know a market that carries this? SH King's has it but that's a bit longer than I want to travel.

Alternatively, where can I buy cracked wheat so I can just make this from scratch?

Ashley carries it.  

Great. I'll stop by next time I'm downtown.

It's crazy - Shoprite has this pretty big display of Near East products,  about 2 complete shelves worth at least. But they only offer about 5 different products. And Tabouleh is not among them.

lizziecat said:

Ashley carries it.  

My experience over the years is that Far East tabouleh mix is hit and miss in the market. I don't know why. I would think I found a good source, but then it would disappear. I never asked grocers to stock it because I never bought it very regularly.

yes, my experience too. I generally only buy it in the summer (ostensibly to pair it with some nice flavorful local tomatoes, of which I can't find any this year yet.)

I need a source for good tomatoes. How's the Millburn Farmer's Market? In general I find farmer's markets too pricy, but I guess I can spring for a couple of extra bucks if I find some nice tomatoes.

gerryl said:

My experience over the years is that Far East tabouleh mix is hit and miss in the market. I don't know why. I would think I found a good source, but then it would disappear. I never asked grocers to stock it because I never bought it very regularly.

so today I went out the hinterlands of Chester and Flanders to try and find an actual tomato. I was hoping to find a Rutgers 250, but no luck there. So I went to Ashley and Alstede Farms. (first time visit for both) I was pretty disappointed in the selection. Really meager, if you ask me. And just in general I was disappointed in the markets as a whole. When I used to hang out in Middlesex county, I went to this great farm store, whose name I've forgotten, but is a local landmark. (ah, found it. Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck.)

But I had to buy some to justify the trip. Now I have a bunch of tomatoes, and I realized for the first time that I've never made a pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes. I mean, I've made one of those quick sauces a couple of times, but I'm talking about a longer cooked sauce. So I googled for a recipe, and ran across this discussion on the problems of cooking a long cooked sauce with fresh tomatoes. Pretty interesting stuff. I think I'm gonna try it.

Pasta Sauce

do you want a tomato soup recipe from fresh tomatoes? I have a lovely gazpacho, and a hot tomato soup - but I'm rushing off to work.

Do you have THAT many tomatoes to use up? It takes a lot of fresh tomatoes to make a slow cooked sauce. 

I think the growing season is a bit behind this year. I get Alstede delivered each week and there haven't been many tomatoes and no corn at all yet. Usually by mid-late July I have so much corn I don't know what to do with it. 

drummerboy said:

so today I went out the hinterlands of Chester and Flanders to try and find an actual tomato. I was hoping to find a Rutgers 250, but no luck there. So I went to Ashley and Alstede Farms. (first time visit for both) I was pretty disappointed in the selection. Really meager, if you ask me. And just in general I was disappointed in the markets as a whole. When I used to hang out in Middlesex county, I went to this great farm store, whose name I've forgotten, but is a local landmark. (ah, found it. Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck.)


But I had to buy some to justify the trip. Now I have a bunch of tomatoes, and I realized for the first time that I've never made a pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes. I mean, I've made one of those quick sauces a couple of times, but I'm talking about a longer cooked sauce. So I googled for a recipe, and ran across this discussion on the problems of cooking a long cooked sauce with fresh tomatoes. Pretty interesting stuff. I think I'm gonna try it.


Pasta Sauce

Well, I have enough that I can't think of any way to use them all up except to make some into a sauce. I mean, I normally only go through a pound of tomatoes a week. I guess I've got 4-5 pounds at the moment. I think. Maybe I should weigh them.

(pause)

almost 7 pounds

I bought some corn from Allstede today - not bad, but a little starchy. The corn I got from Ashley Farms was considerably better.

Well, until I find my old recipes try this baked halloumi and tomatoes from Nigel Slater. 

Incidentally, my sauce recipe doesn't take forever - preparing the jars does, because otherwise things go mouldy.

https://www.theguardian.com/li...