High Heels & Frijoles

I found a recipe for a “Key lime meringue tart” in a recent issue of Bon Appétit. The photo was gorgeous and the title sounded swank and modern. I’d been craving something citrus-y and custard-y and am crushing on meringues (despite years of gagging at the very sight of them)—it was fate. But, as I stared longingly at the picture and read the title over I recognized something I knew very well—I grew up on “Key lime meringue tart,” knowing it as “pastel de limón,” which technically translates into lemon pie. No swagger or bragging…Our recipe wasn’t ahead of the curve or attempting to reinvent the classic. The fact is, there are no lemons in Nicaragua, just limes and tiny little Key limes known as “limones criollos.”

Though I remember my pastel de limón warmly, it had a few pitfalls. The crust could be soggy, the filling like unnaturally colored Jell-O pudding. If I remember correctly, the filling was more like pudding than curd—milk and cornstarch-based. The recipe I made is a Frankensteined mess of a pie crust I always use, a lime curd that borrows from the Bon Ap, recipe and a Cook’s Country lemon squares recipe. I loved it—you’ll love it. I liked it so much that I made for a dinner party and didn’t even offer my guests an extra piece to take home. Rude little pig. Tsk, tsk.

PASTEL DE LIMON

For the Crust (for an 8-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom)
200 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup + 6 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
Ice water

- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt on a clean, dry work surface. With a bench scraper, cut in the butter in until it resembles wet sand. Alternatively, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.

- Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg plus 1 tablespoon ice water. If using a food processor, add the egg and water and pulse just until the mixture comes together. If the mixture appears very dry and crumbly, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is cohesive but not overly wet.

- Bring the dough together with your hands. Pinch off pieces of dough (about 2-inch pieces) and with heel of hand extend on surface. This method, called fraisage, ensures that the butter is evenly distributed in the dough. Shape the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 10 inches in diameter. Gently transfer the dough to the tart pan.  Press the dough into the pan, making sure to fill the ridges. Use kitchen shears or a paring knife to trim off any excess overhang and lightly dock all over with a fork.  Transfer the lined shell to refrigerator and chill 30 minutes, then, freeze for 20 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 375˚F.

- Line the frozen shell with foil or parchment paper (this is not wax paper!) and fill it completely with pie weights or dry beans. Bake until the dough looks opaque, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

- Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F.

For the Curd
Pulsing the sugar and the zests adds an extra—well, zest! to the custard. I won’t judge you if you opt to ignore the step, though. Prepare the curd while the tart shell bakes. Save the egg whites for the meringue.

4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup lime juice
¼ cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream

-Process the sugar, lime and lemon zests in a food processor until zests are thoroughly broken down.

-Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Add the lime and lemon zests, lime and lemon juices and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and the consistency of pudding, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the curd into a medium bowl. Add the butter and cream and stir until completely incorporated.

-Pour the filling into the blind-baked crust and bake about 15 minutes until set. Transfer tart to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator and chill completely, at least 2 hours.

For the Meringue
If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Place the whites and salt in a clean, dry mixing bowl. Beat the whites on medium speed with an electric mixer until they loosen. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the sugar and powdered sugar and continue to whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the vanilla and whisk to incorporate.

-Top the chilled tart and bake at 450˚F until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve.

Green eggs, but no ham.

In a foul mood today. It’s perky and sunny outside, and I should be cheerful and traipsing out the door in a sundress and sandals, but blechhh. I wish it was a rainy day, better suited for sulking.

Maybe I’m being a sourpuss because dinner sucked last night. I had cereal, which normally I’m fine with, but shredded wheat does not a Saturday evening meal make. (I tried adding peanut butter to my Honey Nut Cheerios in an attempt to liven things up, but it wasn’t one of my more inspired ideas. The peanut butter clumped—duh!)

A “do-over” meal cancels out a bad one—I figured a good breakfast (no cereal, thank you!) might set me straight today.

WILTED ARUGULA AND CHEESE OMELETTE
Makes 1 omelette
Use whatever cheese you like—I prefer a sharp, stinky cheese here.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup arugula, tightly packed
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup shredded cheese, such as Tomme de Savoie or Gruyère

- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the arugula and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Trasnfer the arugula to a plate.

- Beat the eggs with a generous pinch of salt and pepper until the yolks and whites are completely blended.
Add the butter to the skillet and swirl it around the skillet to be sure it greases the entire surface. Add the eggs and swirl them around the skillet until they’re spread out and they look like a thin, even blanket.  Cook until set, 2 to 3 minutes.

- Place the arugula on one half of the omelette and carefully slide it onto a plate. When half of the omelette is on the plate, gently, with a spatula, fold the other half over it. And there you have it.

You must agree—it looks oddly reptilian, like a Komodo dragon, no?

P.S.
I had papaya for dessert. I hadn’t had it in ages, but took a chance and bought one a few days ago. Not only was it absolutely gorgeous, it was perfectly ripe, sweet, and buttery.

My mother and I always baked together (¡TQM, mami!). She used to make an orange Bundt cake very often, and I used to zest the oranges (I wasn’t too thrilled about it, but I guess even at a young age, you have to pay your dues!).  She also made carrot cake and with a generous slather of cream cheese frosting. Sweet, tangy, and silky, I prefer cream cheese to any other frosting. Especially buttercream. I loathe and detest buttercream. I think I can eat a hunk of butter straight off the stick, but there’s something smothering and unctuous about buttercream that gives me the willies.

I got carried away on my buttercream diatribe. I fully meant to say that the following frostings are easy to make and would make a great Mother’s Day treat. How ‘bout something as nice and sweet as she is on her special day? And, if you’re a mom, the cherry and chocolate versions below are a piece of cake to make with a little one who wants to lend a hand or lick a sticky spatula in the kitchen.

All of the following recipes make enough frosting for: One 9- by 13-inch cake / 24 cupcakes / Two 9- by 9-inch or 8- by 8-inch cake squares or rounds. Cake recipe follows at the end of post.

SALTED CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
TIPS: You’ll recognize Maldon salt by its large, flaky crystals. It melts delicately on your tongue and is my favorite for seasoning food once its served. Look for it at specialty stores and/or supermarkets.

Cool the salted caramel before making the frosting—it’ll melt otherwise.

¡Atención! If you read my Red Rum! post you’ll remember my warning: working with hot sugar is muy peligroso. I read a Julia Child recipe last night where she says to cook something until it’s “too hot for your finger.” Melted sugar is always too hot for your fingers.

For the Salted Caramel
¼ cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Maldon salt or Kosher salt, plus additional for sprinkling

For the Frosting
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 (8-ounce) packages full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese
1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed, stainless steel, medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, gently swirling the saucepan from time to time, until the sugar turns deep amber and begins to smoke (you really will see wisps of smoke), 10 to 12 minutes.

- Immediately remove the saucepan from the burner, and slowly and carefully pour in the the cream. The mixture will sputter quite violently—don’t move the saucepan or stir the mixture. Once the sputtering has subsided, return the saucepan to medium heat, and with a heat-proof rubber spatula, stir it until smooth, about 3 minutes. Cool completely before making the frosting.

- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until they’re light and airy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the chocolate, vanilla, and salt, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time.

- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the sugar and beat until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the salted caramel. Bring the mixer speed up to medium-high and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Frost cake and sprinkle with salt.

Chocolate cupcake with cherry cream cheese frosting.

CHERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 ounces butter ( 1 stick or ½ cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¼ cup cherry preserves
3 to 4 drops red food coloring

- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until they’re light and airy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time.

- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the sugar and beat until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the cherry preserves and food coloring. Bring the mixer speed up to medium-high and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Frost cake.

De chocolate.

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 ounces butter ( 1 stick or ½ cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar, sifted

To melt the chocolate on the stovetop: Fill a medium saucepan about ¾ full and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, making sure the water remains at a steady simmer. Place a medium stainless-steel bowl on the saucepan. Place the chocolate in the bowl and stir constantly with a rubber spatula until melted, smooth, and glossy. Remove from the heat and allow the chocolate to cool to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.

To melt the chocolate in the microwave: Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, pausing to stir with a rubber spatula every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted, smooth, and glossy. Allow the chocolate to cool to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.

- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until they’re light and airy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time.

- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the sugar and beat until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Bring the mixer speed up to medium-high and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Frost cake.

EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE
One 9- by 13-inch cake / 24 cupcakes / Two 9- by 9-inch or 8- by 8-inch cake squares or rounds
This cake is adapted from Food & Wine

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 cup full-fat sour cream
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water + 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

- Preheat the oven to 350°F.

- Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan or two 12-tin muffin pans—or line with paper cupcake liners and spray with Pam for Baking.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk in the boiling water and coffee mixture. Pour the batter (it will be thin) into the prepared pan or muffin tins and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

- Cool for 10 minutes, then invert. Cool completely before frosting.

I snapped this photo and couldn’t bear to throw it out, so I drank it. With a bendy straw—just to make sure I got all the hot sauce at the bottom.

Hangover cures? I’ve heard it all: Sleep. Avoid caffeine. Drink water. Or pickle juice. Vitamin C. The Onion suggests taking a shower, in case you vomit, so you’ll have less cleaning up to do (eeewwww!). Travel + Leisure did an article on international hangover cures.  If you have foreign roots read it and find out how your great-great-great grandpa treated his delirium tremens.

Back home, you can go to a beach-front bar and have sopa levantamuertos—a seafood soup that raises the dead. If inland, head to a seedy bar, such as El Munich and order the same. Or just keep on truckin’—hair of the dog is probably the most universal cure.

I assume many of you will be toasting Benito’s first tussle with the French tonight and may be in need of a refreshment tomorrow morning. My suggestion: have a chilled michelada. You can have one tonight, too, natch—it’s the perfect warm weather drink.

MICHELADA
Makes 1
There are countless recipes for micheladas, with common ingredients being beer, lime juice, and ice. My version is below.

1 bottle ice cold beer, such as Pacífico
Ice
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons lime juice
Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco or my favorite, Valentina
Clamato or V8, optional

Rub the edge of a chilled glass with a lime, then dip it in salt. Fill the glass half to ¾ of the way with ice. Add the lime juice, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire and hot sauces to taste (and a splash of Clamato or V8 if desired) Pour in beer. ¡Salud!

When you go to a party where there’s a really random crowd, you’ll describe it to your friends as, “arroz con mango.” Because rice and mango don’t go together. Rice is eaten with beans. Or beef. Or chicken. Not mixed with mango.

Stupid girl! Just imagine all the years I wasted not eating rice with mango!  When one of my little brothers graduated college in LA, I spent a few days hanging out (OMG, Charlie, remember how furry your bathroom was?!) with him and his girlfriend Whitney. It was Whitney who introduced me to the magical combination that is rice + mango at a Thai restaurant (and the bacon-wrapped hot dogs downtown—¡muchas gracias!). It’s been true love ever since. And next time I use the term “arroz con mango” it’ll be to describe a super-fun party.

COCONUT-MANGO RICE PUDDING
Serves 6 to 8
This recipe calls for unsweetened coconut milk, not cream of coconut—don’t mix them up! The rice needs to be completely cooled before folding in the whipped cream. Spreading the warm pudding out in a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet dramatically speeds up cooling.

6 cups water
2 cups Arborio (short-grain) rice
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 (14.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 very ripe mangos, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes

- Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the rice and salt and simmer over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the rice is tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes.

- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in 1½ cups of the sugar and the coconut milk. Simmer, stirring from time to time, until the rice is thickened, about 15 minutes.

-Transfer the rice pudding to a large baking dish and allow it to cool completely.

-Once the rice is cooled, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until soft peaks form (you can do this by hand or with an electric mixer). Fold the whipped cream and mango cubes into the pudding. Serve chilled.

I was flipping channels once upon a Saturday morning and landed on a “Baking with Julia” marathon. A gentleman with a Lloyd Christmas-meets-medieval pageboy haircut was making pita bread, and I thought, why not? I’ve never made pita bread.

PITA BREAD
Adapted from an episode of “Baking with Julia” with guests Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.
Bread baking is time consuming, so clear your calendar before you start.

2 ½ cups warm (about 110˚F) water
1 teaspoon dry yeast
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for greasing bowl
About 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

- Preheat oven to 200˚F. As soon as it reaches temperature, shut the oven off. Dough likes to rise in warm places, and this guarantees a cozy resting place.

- Place warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water and wait for it to dissolve, about 1 minute. Stir in the whole-wheat flour with a wooden spoon. “Stir 100 times in the same direction,” Alford recommended—this will prevent the gluten strands that begin to form from breaking.

- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in oven, 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

- Remove bowl from oven and remove plastic. Stir in salt and oil.  One cup at a time, start stirring in the all-purpose flour. The dough will absorb different amounts of flour, depending on the day (dough is affected by numerous factors, including humidity – I added about 2 ½ cups flour when I made it). The dough will be sticky and shaggy, but will have some body (see photo 1).

- Turn the dough out onto a clean, dry, and well-floured surface. If you’ve never kneaded dough, here are some pointers: With the heel of your hand, push the dough away from you, firmly, as if you were scrubbing clothes the old-fashioned way, on a wooden plank. Fold the far end of the dough towards you, then turn it counter-clockwise, and repeat action.

- Now you’re ready: Begin kneading, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough has “a certain tension,” about 10 minutes (see photo 2). Normally, I would say the finished dough will have a smooth, satiny texture, but the whole wheat flour makes this dough a bit more like coarse leather. It will be tight, like a firm muscle.

- Place dough in a large, well oiled bowl. Lightly coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic and place oven. Allow the dough to rise 2 to 3 hours, until it is doubled in size. An old tip: when the dough is ready, you can poke the dough and your finger’s indentation will remain.

- Preheat oven to 400˚F.  If you have a pizza stone, set it on the bottom third the oven. Otherwise, place an inverted rimmed baking sheet in the oven.

- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. With a bench scraper, cut the dough in half. Cut each half into 8 pieces (see photos 3 and 4).

- Roll each piece into a ball.  Flatten each ball to about 4 inches in diameter.  Then, with a rolling pin, roll it out to about 7 inches in diameter (see photos 5 through 8).

- Carefully transfer 4 to 6 rounds to the pizza stone or baking sheet.  The pitas will puff after about 3 minutes.  Allow 30 seconds more and remove from oven. Stack pitas together and wrap in a towel to keep warm.

- If you don’t want to use all the dough, save half and refrigerate. Use the next day. Alternatively, use it all, cool the pitas, and store them in plastic Ziploc bags in the freezer. Pop in the toaster or oven when you’re ready to eat them.

Huitlacoche or (equally tricky to pronounce) cuitlacoche is a black, bulbous fungus that grows on corn. It looks revolting and distantly related to The Blob, so I can only assume that some poor Aztec thousands of years ago must have been either starving or being subjected to punishment when he first tried it. Famished daredevil or criminal, whoever was the first to eat it made a wonderful discovery. Sometimes referred to as smut, huitlacoche has also picked up a swankier moniker: corn truffle. Smut or truffle, huitlacoche is earthy, velvety, and intensely rich. In Mexico it’s sold canned at the grocery store (often with chiles and onions), but lucky for you, you don’t have to book a ticket to the D.F. to get it — simply order a few tins on Amazon with your next book or DVD purchase. It’s surprising, unexpected, and luxe layered in a quesadilla, stuffed into fried squash blossoms, wrapped inside crêpes, or tossed with pasta.

LINGUINE with HUITLACOCHE-MUSHROOM SAUCE
Serves 2

8 ounces linguine or spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 (10-ounce) box cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (215 gram / 7.5 ounce) can huitlacoche, chopped
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
4 scallions, thinly sliced

- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot.

- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute,

- Stir in the huitlacoche and cream and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.

- Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water, drain pasta, and add to huitlacoche sauce in skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary. Serve in bowls and top with sliced scallions.

Eating is an emotional activity. We all know the clichéd pint of ice cream in a woman’s clutches can mean only one thing: she’s having man trouble. A complex carb binge fills the vacuum of an impossibly frustrating workday. Chicken soup soothes the soul, etc. etc. For me, slipping on my yellow polka-dot apron and making (rather than eating) food is the best antidote to a poisonous mood.

Sunday evenings I typically shut down at around 3:00 or 4:00pm, especially during the fall and winter when it’s so freakishly dark I begin to wonder whether the apocalypse is at hand. I rarely venture out on a Sunday night, preferring to stay home and pout because the next day is Monday, and Mondays stink. But even in the drippiest of moods, I manage to peel myself off the couch to make dinner. On this week’s menu: roasted beets, sautéed beet greens, spiced nuts, and even apple-prune braised pork and cream of carrot for the next day. Now, don’t you think Negative Nancy deserves a gold star?

ROASTED BEET & ORANGE SALAD with SPICED NUTS
Serves 2
Serve salad alongside seared or grilled chicken breast. Extra lovely with a wedge of soft, peppery cheese like Constant Bliss.

For the Spiced Nuts
Spiced nuts can be made up to a week in advance and stored in a Ziploc bag.

1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
2 cups walnuts or pecans
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon salt

- Preheat oven to 300 degrees and adjust a rack to middle position.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

- Whisk egg white and water together in a medium bowl.  Add the nuts and toss to coat. Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a separate medium bowl.  Add the nuts and toss until well-coated with sugar mixture.

- With a rubber spatula, spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are crisp and fragrant, about 45 minutes.

- Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and cool completely. Break nuts apart with your hands and store in a Ziploc bag.

For the Beet Salad
Warning! If you have latex gloves, use them, as the beets will stain your fingers. You might want to wear an old t-shirt, too. You’ll only need 3 roasted garlic cloves; use the remaining garlic cloves as a spread on crusty buttered bread.

1 bunch beets with greens attached (4 to 6 golf ball-sized beets), beets scrubbed and greens thoroughly washed
1 head garlic
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 orange
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and adjust a rack to middle position. Trim the greens from the beets, discard the stems, and coarsely chop the greens. Trim off the part of the beet that looks like a rat tail. Wrap the beets individually in foil, place them directly on the oven rack, and roast until fork-tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours. Cut off the top quarter of the head of garlic. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, cover with trimmed top, wrap in foil, and roast alongside the beets.

- When cool enough to handle, unwrap the beets, peel, and cut them into ½-inch-thick slices. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze out 3 cloves. Reserve beets and garlic in separate bowls.

- Peel the orange with a sharp paring knife, making sure to remove the rind and the white pith.  Working over a bowl, cut between the membranes to remove the orange segments. Reserve the segments and squeeze the juice from the orange.

- Add vinegar and mustard to the bowl with garlic and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and whisk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper. Toss beets with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture.

- Heat 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette in a large skillet and sautée the chopped greens until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to colander set over large bowl. Drizzle with orange juice.

- Arrange the wilted greens, sliced beets, and orange segments on plates. Garnish with spiced nuts and serve.

With the chill of autumn comes the inevitable drip, drip, drip of the rain. And the nose. Vegetable soups are perfect to fend off the outdoor and head cold; hardy, healthy, and, if you add a few warm spices like ginger and pepper, hot enough to clear up those sinuses.

CARROT SOUP  with GINGER ALMONDS  & HONEY-PEPPPER YOGURT
Makes 5 to 6 cups
The honey in this recipe enhances the carrots’ sweetness, while the vinegar adds acidity for balance. This soup pairs nicely with peppery arugula. Ginger has a slow burn, so pass on it if you’re planning on serving this to kids. For a vegetarian option substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth.

For the Ginger Almonds:
2 teaspoons butter
½ cup slivered or sliced almonds
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger

- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and salt and cook, shaking pan continuously, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook until nuts are coated and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to plate and reserve.

For the Honey-Pepper Yogurt:
1 (6-ounce) container Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon pepper

- Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until serving time.

For the Soup:
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
Salt and pepper
4 to 5 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup cream (optional)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

- Melt the butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium heat, covered and stirring occasionally, until the carrots begin to soften, about 15 minutes.

- Add 4 cups of the broth and simmer over medium-low heat until the carrots are completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the honey, vinegar, and cream (if using).

- With a ladle, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree in batches until smooth. Transfer pureed soup to a soup tureen or second pot. If you prefer a thinner soup, stir in some of the remaining broth until you achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with yogurt and almonds.

Yesterday I realized I had a little bit of “love” squeezing out from under my apron strings. Inspired by the athletes in town for Head of the Charles, I made a healthy start this morning.

APPLES’N’CINNAMON OATMEAL
Serves 1

½ cup oatmeal
½ cup apple juice or cider
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
2 to 4 tablespoons milk
Maple syrup to taste

- Combine oatmeal, apple juice, apple, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt in a cereal or soup bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 3 to 4 minutes until apples are tender.

- Stir in milk (more or less according to desired consistency) and maple syrup.