Culinary Capers: July 2019

Kathy Levillier of Hickory Island returns to Culinary Capers with another unique salad (her   Copy Cat Cucumber Blueberry Salad, published in August, 2017,  is a favorite of many readers).  Kathy, a member of the Grosse Ile Herb Society who is known for putting her special spin on recipes, said she was inspired to create the following salad by a recipe in the Wall Street Journal.

She recently took the salad to a meeting of the Herb Society and to a neighborhood potluck gathering. (The herbs were from her own her garden, of course.)  Not surprisingly, she was asked for the recipe. 

When I made the salad, my only change was substituting black olives, my favorite, for the traditional Kalamata, a bit less Greek, but nevertheless delectable.

INSPIRED CHICKPEA, FETA GREEK SALAD

• 15-ounce can chickpeas
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 
•  ¼ teaspoon salt
•  1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chickpeas in a medium-sized bowl, add the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Stir, then spread evenly on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove from oven to cool.

Meanwhile, in   the same bowl, combine and stir gently: 

•  2 cups diced tomato, or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1½ cups peeled and diced cucumber
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste     
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar

 To serve, line a platter with lettuce leaves and place combined vegetables, herbs and spices in the center. Surround with:

• Canned beet slices
• Kalamata or other olives

Finally, top the salad with 1 cup of the roasted chickpeas (extra chickpeas can be served on the side) and sprinkle with:

• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese YASOO!

SHARES FAVORITE

Amira Surur of Brownstown Township (Amira’s a hairdresser at Salon Sigrid, on Grosse Ile) shares a family-favorite recipe for a simple and simply luscious blueberry dessert.    

I’ve baked her pudding cake twice already and will be making it often during the U.S. fresh blueberry season, which is now through mid-September. I served   the dessert with vanilla ice cream as Amira does … yummy! It’s my favorite kind of recipe: quick, easy and delicious!

AMIRA’S BLUEBERRY PUDDING CAKE

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush a 7- by 11-inch baking pan with cooking oil. Add 4 cups washed and patted-dry fresh blueberries to the pan and sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips optional).
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together until smooth 1/3 cup cooking oil, ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg and ½ cup milk.  Set aside.
• In another medium-sized bowl, sift together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1 pinch salt.
• Add the contents of the dry bowl to the bowl with the liquid ingredients and stir with a spatula until thoroughly mixed. Scoop tablespoonsful of the batter onto the blueberries, spread evenly (this may not be easy) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cut into squares and invert so the blueberries are on top. 

CAN YOU HELP?

Larry McDermott of Grosse Ile   would like a recipe for a strawberry rhubarb pie. Can you help? If have a good one to share, email it to Evycairns@aol.com.  Kathy’s Cucumber Blueberry Salad recipe is also available if you’d like copy.

HAPPY COOKING!