August/September Cook Club: PLENTY by Ottolenghi

PLENTY BY OTTOLENGHI

COOKBOOK SCORE: 3.81

TOP SCORING DISHES: Garlic Soup with Harissa, Crusted Pumpkin Wedges with Sour Cream, Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango, Quinoa and Grilled Sourdough Salad, Castelluccio Lentils with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola, Mushroom and Herb Polenta, and Figs with Basil, Goat CHeese, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

LOWEST SCORING DISHES: Mushroom Lasagna, Roasted Butternut Squash with Sweet Spices, Lime, and Green Chile, and Avocado, Quinoa, and Fava Bean Salad

The turn of the seasons between August and September seemed like the perfect time to have the absolutely gorgeous cookbook, Plenty, as our cookbook.  As it turned out though, the period of August and September is a weird time to whip up produce focused dishes – it is kind of like going shopping for clothes between seasons. The produce (like clothes) were kind of neither summery nor autumnal.  But we managed to cook up some delicious dishes anyways ;)

I originally came across Plenty during one of my (many) amazon.com browses (it is a good way to take breaks from work!). Plenty caught my eye because of its cover photo of eggplants with buttermilk sauce (the description of the dish doesn’t do it justice!) – beautiful purple eggplants, covered in a white sauce punctuated with the ruby red pomegranate seeds. When I finally broke down and ordered Plenty, I was not disappointed. Unlike our last cookbook, “Ten,” the cookbook was filled with beautiful photos of dishes whose titles ordinarily wouldn’t tantalize me. (plus, bonus, the book has a padded cover!! Love all those little details).

There were two main final reasons why I wanted to introduce Plenty as our August/September cook club book. (1) the cookbook is entirely vegetarian – it is authored by British chef, Yotam Ottolenghi, who is not a vegetarian but was tapped by London’s The Guardian newspaper to write a weekly column of vegetarian recipes; I had always wanted to work in more veg dishes into my repertoire and, admittedly, often feel like a meal isn’t a meal without some meat. But I was ready to have my opinion changed and Plenty has definitely added some great veg dishes to my life. (2) my friend, and fellow cook club member, Julie, highly recommended the cookbook to me – she had tried numerous recipes out of Plenty and was enthusiastic about the results.

So, here we are… how was Plenty? Check out our reviews below (and while you are at it, check out our friends at A Cookbook A Month’s review of Plenty).  The reviews are categorized under the same headings as listed in the cookbook.

For your cooking pleasure, two recipes from two of the top scoring recipes:

Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango

Serves 6

Ingredients
½ cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ fresh red chile, finely chopped
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup sunflower oil
2 eggplants, cut into ¾-inch dice or into ¼ inch thick strips
1 and 2/3 cup basil leaves, chopped (if you can get some use Thai basil, but much less)
2½ cups cilantro leaves, chopped
½ red onion, very thinly sliced

Directions
In a small saucepan, gently warm the vinegar, sugar, and salt for up to 1 minute, just until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chile, and sesame oil.  Allow to cool then add the lime zest and juice.

Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow-fry the eggplant in three or four batches.  Once golden brown, remove to a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave there to drain.

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring occassionally.  They should take 5 to 8 minutes to become tender but still al dente.  Drain and rinse well under running water.  Shake off as much of the excess water as possible, then leave to dry on a dish towel.

In a mixing bowl, toss the noodles with the dressing, mango, eggplant, half of the herbs, and the onion.  You can now leave this aside for 1 to 2 hours.  When ready to serve, add the rest of the herbs and mix well, then pile on a plate or in a bowl.

Figs with Basil, Goat Cheese, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
salt and black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
1½ cups arugula
¾ cup mixed purple and green basil leaves
8 ripe figs, at room temperature
2½ oz young and creamy goat cheese

Directions
Place the shallot, mustard, and pomegranate molasses in a medium bowl.  Add some salt and pepper and whisk vigorously as you slowly pour in the olive oil.  You are aiming for a homogenous dressing.

Add most of the arugula and basil leaves to the dressing, reserving some to finish the salad, and toss gently.  Lift the dressed leaves onto a large serving plate, spreading them out to line it.

Cut the figs vertically into quarters and arrange over the leaves.  Next, dot the figs and leaves with teaspoonfuls of cheese.  Scatter the reserved leaves on top, drizzle with extra oil and season with some salt and pepper.

***REVIEWS***

Roots

Julie’s Surprise Tatin

Score: 3.5

This was indeed a tasty surprise, really nice combination of sweet caramel/sundried tomatoes and savoury goat's cheese with juicy potatoes. It also looks pretty and goes well with a green salad as suggested. It's a perfectly nice dish, but doesn't get full marks just because there are so many more outstanding Ottolenghi recipes :) Like most of his recipes, it's not complicated to put together but does take time to assemble.

Elaine’s Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes with Caper Vinaigrette

Score: 4.5

This was very moreish (ie what the Brits say to mean it's so nice that you want to keep eating more once you've started!) and would make the perfect roast dinner side. Super easy to make since the oven did most of the hard work (no need to peel/cut/dice garlic, rosemary, and thyme). For the dressing I went a little lighter on the capers and added more maple syrup to suit my taste because I was worried that the capers would be too overwhelming but to be honest once the veggies absorbed the dressing it wasn't such a strong flavor at all. I loved that tomatoes were only added in the last 10 mins of cooking, just long enough for them to warm and pop!

Funny Onions

Amanda’s Stuffed Onions

Score: 3.0

I gave this dish a 3 because I wasn't a huge fan of the flavors, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. There seemed to be too much of a contrast between the feta and tomatoes and the onion. I have to confess that I forgot to include bread crumbs in the stuffing mixture, which maybe affected the flavor somewhat. Overall, the recipe was super easy to make, and is one that is great for when you have tons of other hands-on cooking going on, which is why I was disappointed in the end product.

Anjali’s Garlic Soup with Harissa

Score: 4.25

I love garlic (and am thus, definitely not a vampire). Thus, I chose this dish. If you buy pre-peeled garlic, this is super simple. Otherwise, it might have been a bit work intensive. I will note that I minced the garlic in the food processor before adding it in, and I think this was a mistake, because the pieces later did not puree well. This made the soup quite watery, which was solved by the recipe's request for a dollop of Greek yogurt. The results were a hit at the party. The harissa added great flavor and I had plenty left over to put on sandwiches/eat with pita.

Mushrooms

Rachel’s Marinated Mushrooms with Walnut and Tahini Yogurt

Score: 4.0

I did not have high hopes for this recipe, but I loved it. Would be a really nice side, or serve over lettuce for a main. I swapped out the fava beans for lima beans because I was unable to find fava beans in my grocery store. Next time, I will double the marinade -- it's delicious.

DC Cook Club Comments: “The flavors combined really well in a surprising way. The walnuts were so crunchy and yum, and I liked the lima beans and mushrooms.” “Loved the mix of textures with the bite of the mushroom and the crunch of the walnuts. The tahini yogurt added a great flavor.” “Good, but needed some more flavor.”

Lisa W.’s Mushroom Lasagna

Score: 2.0

I am always looking for a good lasagna recipe. I was very excited about this one since it is vegetarian. When I chose it I did not know that the sauce was béchamel. How brilliant, right? Not so much. The béchamel tasted amazing by itself. However, an hour later when it was baked in the lasagna with the porcini and fresh mushrooms, it lost its flavor. The entire lasagna was over-powered by the porcini mushrooms. Perhaps the lasagna would have tasted better if I had used spinach lasagna noodles as recommended. However, I could not find these noodles in my local grocery store. Overall, my husband and I decided that lasagna needs marinara sauce. Period.

Zucchini and Other Squashes

Elaine’s Zucchini and Hazelnut Salad

Score: 3.5

This was super simple and fast to make, no more than a 20 min job! I wanted this to be more salty though so if I were to make it again I would increase the amount of balsamic vinegar used and/or parmesan cheese added at the end. Perfect summer salad to go with grilled meats.

Monica’s Stuffed Zucchini

Score: 3.5

Surprising flavor (sweet!) and I loved the texture of the rice contrasted with the zucchini. DC Cook Club Comments: “Zucchini was a bit soggy and stuffing was lacking flavor.” “Very good, surprisingly sweet. The texture was nice, thought it might be too mushy.” “I liked the stuffing, but I’m not the biggest fan of zucchini.” “Pretty, but oddly bland. Maybe bump up the spice?”

Leanne’s Crusted Pumpkin Wedges with Sour Cream

Score: 4.8

I picked this dish at last minute when I realized one of my other choices used produce that was no longer in season. And I am so glad I did! It was relatively easy to make--I was concerned at first, because the topping that was supposed to crust the pumpkin wedges wasn't sticking to the pumpkin, but in the end it didn't really matter. The dill and sour cream sauce that went with the pumpkin was a perfect match. Also, this was the favorite from the people who tried the dishes I made.

Amanda’s Roasted Butternut Squash with Sweet Spices, Lime, and Green Chile

Score: 2.0

The flavors of this dish were somewhat lacking and it seemed to be a little too labor intensive for the end product. I would have preferred to use lime juice instead of lime slices to enhance the flavors. I did love the combination of yogurt and tahini--the sauce was very tasty and unique. One positive that came from trying this recipe was that I cooked with a new spice (again!)--cardamom. It is a very interesting spice and hope that it turns up in other recipes again soon!

Brassicas

Anjali’s Saffron Cauliflower
Score: 3.5

My mother recently bought me saffron from a spice souk in Dubai, so I was eager to start using it! The recipe was pretty straightforward. It was not my favorite but is a simple side that I could use again in the future.

Jackie’s Broccoli and Gorgonzola Pie

Score: 3.0

I originally chose this recipe for a few reasons: (1) J LOVES broccoli, so what is better than a buttery cheesy broccoli pie? (2) I was making it for our DC cook club party and it didn’t have to be served piping hot and (3) I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making more pies. Well… at least one of the three reasons worked out (#2). I had some missteps along the way… This pie is made with puff pastry, also a bonus because I could just purchase the frozen puff pastry instead of having to make my own crust. I’ve never used the frozen puff pastry before though and defrosted the pastry without unfolding it first – so I had to roll out the pastry but it never quite reached the size of my springform pan. Solution: create a broccoli and gorgonzola POT PIE (no real crust on the bottom and sides, baked up in pot instead of a pie pan). Not quite a “pie,” and I do agree with one of the comments below that this would probs have been better as a traditional pie. J also couldn’t attend our DC cook club party as it turned out, so didn’t meet objective #1. I was a bit disappointed with the results. Everything smelled delicious as I was cooking it together, especially the leeks (this was also my first time cooking with leeks, and I think that I successfully managed to clean them of all their sand and dirt, and cook them). But, the actual results were pretty bland and the flavors didn’t come all together. I think next time, I would mix all the ingredients together before baking so you really get a taste of everything in one bite (the recipe called for first the leek mixture, then the broccoli, and then “dotted” with gorgonzola).

DC Cook Club: “There was a surprising flavor in there that I couldn’t figure out, but I love broccoli plus cheese, so good job.” “Great taste, would have preferred a more typical presentation.” “Yummy. Loved the pastry shell and cheese, made the broccoli very edible.” “Yum! Great way to use broccoli.”

The Mighty Eggplant

Amanda’s Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango

Score: 5.0

Based on reviews from the last round of cook club, I like the soba noodles. They're super easy to prepare, and delicious! This recipe did not let me down. I loved the combination of flavors and was glad to snack on the leftovers for the next few days. The recipe said to fry the eggplant and I decided to saute it instead--turned out great and I loved the flavor. I also eliminated the red onion at the end, and did not miss it at all! Uncooked onion is not my favorite, and I feel that it would have overpowered the dish too much. Soba is going to become a staple in my kitchen.

Tomatoes

Leanne’s Quinoa and Grilled Sourdough Salad

Score: 4.7

I recently started trying quinoa recipes which is why I chose this dish. When I was reading the actual ingredients I was a little worried since it sounded kind of bland. Luckily, I was wrong--while there really isn't any dressing on this salad, because there are so many herbs, it was incredibly flavorful, and really healthy too!! I would definitely make this again.

Leaves, Cooked and Raw

Julie’s Spinach, Egg and Pecorino Pizza

Score: 4.5

Delicious! Even though it's totally unorthodox an probably banned in Italy, I'm a big fan of Pizza Fiorentina (spinach and egg) found elsewhere. As this was a Middle Eastern version of the same - without the tomato sauce and with zatar and sumac instead - it could hardly fail to please, and actually I think I liked it more. Don't be put off by the picture; I managed to overcook the dough a little courtesy of my temperamental oven but it was moist nonetheless.

Green Beans

Sonia’s Warm Glass Noodles and Edamame

Score: 3.5

This was a good dish with a nice mix of sour, salty, and spicy. I was surprised that the recipe called for the juice of 4 limes, but the other ingredients (sugar, tamarind) mellowed it out into a nice tangy flavor. I thought that this was a unique recipe--I hadn't used glass noodles in the past and normally only eat edamame as an appetizer—but it didn't have a "wow" factor for me.

DC Cook Club Comments: “I loved the surprise spice balanced by the acidity of the lime juice. I could eat a whole bowl of these for a light summer meal.” “A little spicy for me, but overall very good. Glass noodles are awesome!” “Awesome!” “Noodles were an unexpected texture, looked like rice noodles, but much more dense. Just something to be aware of with mung noodles.” “Good flavor, but somehow insubstantial.” “Loved the spice!”

Pulses

Jackie’s Castelluccio Lentils with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

Score: 4.8

Let me tell you, finding castelluccio lentils was quite the expedition. Or, well, finding the puy lentils that I replaced them with (as ok’d by the cookbook). The idea is using lentils that didn’t get too soggy too quickly. I eventually found myself at the bulk aisle of Whole Foods (thanks Sonia for the tip!) and bought an excessive amount of lentils (had problems equating pounds of lentils to how much was called for in the recipe). But this actually is a-OK with me, because I LOVED THIS DISH (and have actually bought more tomatoes to cook this again). The recipe was more time consuming than I expected (the roasting of tomatoes took about 1.5 hours), but it was worth it. Mixed together with the lentils and roasted tomatoes were sliced red onions marinated in a delicious vinegar mixture. I had served this with gorgonzola on the side (in case guests weren’t blue cheese fans), and I must say, I love it with and without. The brightness of the acidity in the vinegar and the tomatoes balanced out the earthy lentils wonderfully, and the blue cheese gave it that extra oomph. And it is even better the next day, after all the flavors have more time to marinate together. So, I was really happy with this (plus, my first foray into cooking lentils… lots of firsts with this cook club). Definitely making this again!

DC Cook Club Comments: “I enjoyed the tomato and red onion mixed with the earthy lentils.” “Yummy! Blue cheese was a definite must, but I’m not such a fan of raw onions, so I could do without them in the future.” “Excellent. Tomatoes were perfect.” “These were great. Ate them all up!” “Really nice! Tasted fresh and flavors really work together.” “Definitely enjoyed the blue cheese and lentils.”

Amanda’s Spiced Red Lentils with Cucumber Yogurt

Score: 4.0

I chose this recipe based on the small hit of fall weather Texas has been having. Soups and stews are my favorite when the weather gets cooler, so this dish seemed like an obvious choice! The recipe was pretty easy to put together, and it introduced me to some new spices I had heard of, but never cooked with. I was unable to find curry leaves, but Anjali assured me that it wouldn't have a negative impact on the recipe. She was correct! The lentils were flavorful and hearty. The recipe suggests to generously salt the dish before serving, and they were not kidding. The salt helped the flavor tons, as well as the addition of butter just before serving. :) I will be making this one again.

Grains

Monica’s Avocado, Quinoa, and Fava Bean Salad

Score: 2.5

Good flavor, but it was more like guacamole at the end. It's okay, I made it! I'll take the blame.  DC Cook Club Comments: “Great taste, texture too creamy.” “Good textures, but something missing with the flavors.” “It was hard to discern the different ingredients and flavors, but I would use this as a dip or spread for crackers in the future!” “I feel like quinoa and avocado combine to make an unpleasant paste.” “Yummy! Loved the quinoa, made it more filling (and the beans) – made a dip seem like a meal.”

Pasta, Polenta, and Couscous


Leanne’s Lemon and Goat Cheese Ravioli

Score: 3.0

I was really excited to make this dish--it sounded amazing. This recipe actually involved making your own pasta dough, and it was about as labor-intensive as you would expect, especially since I don't own a pasta machine. Rolling out the dough by hand was time consuming, and I also don't think I rolled it thin enough which make the ravioli too chewy. Anyway, I was not impressed with the end result: the ravioli wasn't bad, but it also wasn't great either. Just kind of average, and for the amount of time it took, not worth it. I wouldn't make this again.

Elaine’s Sweet Corn Polenta

Score: 4.0

On the whole this was a nice dish and not too difficult to make, great use of fresh sweet corn and as the recipe said not too heavy. However I'm not convinced that the eggplant/tomato part is good enough on its own. Perhaps I should have used sweeter tomatoes but it certainly lacked something... the feta was a nice inclusion and added great smooth texture. I had this as a standalone meal so added some peppery rocket to compliment which was a perfect addition. A great meal to have on a cold night.

Jackie’s Mushroom and Herb Polenta

Score: 5.0

I had heard rave reviews about this dish from Elaine and Julie, so in the last week of this round of cook club, I decided to make this on a whim for J and me for a weeknight dinner. And I am definitely happy I did! It was fairly simple and straightforward. The recipe consisted primarily of chopping some herbs, cooking up the polenta, mixing in deliciously rich cheese and butter, cooking up mushrooms, and then popping it in the oven under the broiler. This is an incredibly rich dish, with loads of unami flavors (I was also very excited to use the truffle oil Anjali recently gifted me). My favorite part was the polenta itself – I tasted it prior to piling the mushrooms on top and the flavors were right on point. The recipe also included slicing taleggio cheese to insert between the polenta and mushrooms before going under the broiler – I didn’t think this was necessary because the dish had sufficient cheesy-goodness, so would probably omit that next time around.

Fruit with Cheese

Anjali’s Figs with Basil, Goat Cheese, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Score: 5.0

I love all of the above ingredients, so this was an obvious choice for me. It was simple and straightforward, and I finally got to use pomegranate molasses! Everyone enjoyed the salad. I must admit, I added some fig balsamic vinegar (a recent purchase from Chelsea Market!) to the salad dressing.

And, lastly, Sonia and I made two bonus dishes for the DC Cook Club party.  I baked up an adaptation of Giada's sweet corn and mascarpone lasagna (check it out here!), which was a pretty amazing mixture of sweet, indulgent, and lemony.  ... And we are always spoiled by Sonia's dessert treats that she brings to our parties.  She baked for us a RED WINE CHOCOLATE CAKE (from Smitten Kitchen) and served it with homemade cardamom ice cream. Yum.  Doesn't it look delish?

Cook Club: Ten by Sheila Lukins

TEN by Sheila Lukins

Average Score: 4.36

Perfect Scoring Dishes (there were SO many "top scoring dishes" so here are the list of dishes that scored a perfect score): Julie’s Beet and Apple Soup, Jackie’s Olivada, Jackie’s Sesame Noodles with Apples and Cucumbers, Monica’s Paella Rice with Shrimp and Chorizo, Monica’s Roasted Asparagus,  Amanda’s Sparkling Limoncello, Amanda’s Summer Soba Noodles w/Zesty Dipping Sauce, Sonia’s Sinful Chocolate Tart,  Lisa H.’s Farmers Market Corn Salad, Anjali’s Skirt Steak with a Touch of Latin America

This round of cook club spanned three months, instead of two -- the summertime proved to be quite busy for our members AND the cookbook we chose, TEN by Sheila Lukins, is chock full of excellent options. The author of the cookbook, Sheila Lukins (of “The Silver Palate” fame) decided to put together a cookbook that consisted of her favorite “types” of dishes.  Finding that she could probably name at least TEN recipes for each dish, she came up with the brilliant plan to include at least 10 recipes for each type of dish.  My mom actually introduced me this cookbook and I am very glad she did! Something different about this cookbook for me is its lack of pictures. I often get drawn to cookbooks because of the beautiful food photography -- so I feel like it says something when a cookbook speaks to you without any glossy beautiful photos to lure you in.  

And as it turns out, this cookbook was a GREAT success. A number of the cook club members bought the book for themselves after trying out their recipes and we had the highest number of "perfect scores" for this cookbook than any other.  Many of the recipes provided a new technique that turned an ordinary recipe into a great one.  If you try out any recipes from this cookbook too, please leave a comment! Would love to hear about how your dishes turned out.

Some general comments from cook club members:

Leanne: I bought this cookbook after cook club and made tons more recipes out of it.  The mac & cheese recipe is amazing!  I also made the caramelized banana cake recipe which was really good, the tomato soup recipe (the one with orange zest in it)--AMAZING, the mint pea soup (not that great, but I am not a pea fan), and the lemony roasted potatoes (SO easy and really delicious).  I LOVE this cookbook!!!

Amanda:  I LOVED this cookbook . . . so much so that I ordered it from Amazon.  :) The recipes are easy to follow and I liked the variety of fresh ingredients that were used.  


For your cooking and tasting pleasure, here are two of the top recipes:

Sesame Noodles with Apples and Cucumbers
Serves 6

Ingredients:
For the sesame sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon chile oil, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the noodles:
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces spaghettini
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For finishing:
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, julienned, tossed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to prevent discoloration
3/4 hothouse (seedless) cucumber, peeled and julienned
4 scallions (white bulbs and 3 inches green), thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts
1/4 cup tiny radish or alfalfa sprouts

Directions
1.  One day ahead, prepare the sesame sauce.  Place the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and peanut butter in a blender and process on high speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes.

2.  Combine the sesame oil, peanut oil, and chile oil in a spouted measuring cup, and with the blender running, drizzle them into the sauce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover, and refrigerate overnight to thicken.

3.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the olive oil and the spaghettini, and cook until the noodles are al dente (just tender), 8 to 9 minutes.  Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Place the noodles in a large bowl and toss with the sesame sauce, using the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Transfer the noodles to a shallow pasta bowl.  Drain the apple and sprinkle it evenly over the noodles, followed by the cucumber, scallions, peanuts, and sprouts.  Serve immediately.

Farmers' Market Corn Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked
4 ounces slender fresh green beans, stem ends removed
1 cup diced, peeled, seeded cucumber (1/4-inch dice)
2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 scallions (white bulbs and 3 inches green), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette

Directions:
1.  Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil.

2.  While the water is hearing, use a sharp knife to strip the corn kernels off the cobs, cutting as close to the cobs as possible; you should have 2 cups.

3.  Cook the corn kernels in the boiling water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.  Drain, run under cold water, and drain again.  Pat dry and place in a large bowl.

4.  Bring another saucepan of salted water to a boil, and add the green beans.  Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain, run under cold water, and drain again.  Pat dry and add to the corn.  Toss in the cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, and parsley.  (If you wish, you can refrigerate the mixture for up to 4 hours before serving.  Remove it about 30 minutes before serving).

5.  Just before serving, season the salad with salt and pepper and toss it lightly with the vinaigrette.

And now, the reviews!  Enjoy!

DRINKS:

Amanda’s Sparkling Limoncello

Score: 5

Such a delicious and simple summer cocktail! I could have sipped this for hours...and we did at our cook club dinner party. This beverage is perfect for pool days...or when you're missing summertime. :)

Sonia’s Blushing Sangria

Score: 4.5

I served the Blushing Sangria at the DC Cook Club dinner party, and it was a refreshing treat in the summer heat. I added a bit more Cointreau than the recipe indicated, replaced the cantaloupe (not a fan) with watermelon (very well-received substitute!), and added a few blackberries that I found at the farmer's market. I felt that the amount of sparkling water was a little excessive, as the sangria tasted a bit watered down. Next time I make this, I will use flavored sparkling water or perhaps cut down on the amount I use. Note: I doubled the recipe for the party, but kept the fruit amounts the same, and I would recommend this, as we all had plenty.

DC Cook Club Party comments: “Very refreshing and summery, but a bit too watery.”  “Delicious summer drink.”  “Very summery!”  “Super awesome – loved this.  Perfect for a party.  Definitely support watermelon addition.”  “Very fresh, yummy, doesn’t taste like alcohol (which is nice).”  “Great fruit flavor!”

APPETIZERS / SOUPS:

Julie’s Beet and Apple Soup

Score: 5.0
I've been really excited about trying out different ways of preparing (and eating!) beetroots since rediscovering them a year or two ago so I had to try this one. The recipe was simple to follow and an adventure for the senses - great smells while preparing it (earthy beetroot boiling, sweet caramelising apples, zingy lemon juice) and the result was not only really tasty but also a beautiful vibrant colour and smooth thick texture. You have to like beetroots though as (a) the flavour is pretty strong, and (b) they are weird alien-looking things to work with and stain your hands or gloves pink!  I'd recommend it cold - perfect for a summer evening - but also tried warming up a little and that would work really well in as comfort food in colder weather.  Definitely serve with the creme fraiche as ecommended in the recipe. I used chicken stock (normal not homemade) this time but would try it with veg stock next time.

Leanne’s Garden Greens Soup

Score: 4.8  
This was a delicious and simple broccoli soup.  I was a little worried that it would be bland just because there were no spices or anything in the ingredients.  However, the flavors were really delicious, and blandness was not at all an issue.  I would definitely make this again!

Jackie’s Olivada

Score: 5.0

I love olive tapenade, so when trying to pick out an appetizer type recipe for our DC Cook Club party, I went for the “olivada.”  This recipe was super straight forward and easy to make.  The part that took the longest was pitting the green, manzanilla olives (the kalamatas were much easier, they just peeled right off the pits).  But otherwise, it was as simple as pitting/chopping several ingredients and throwing them into the food processor or a quick whiz around.  We ended up making two batches of the olivada – just the one serving seemed too small – and we were very happy to have leftovers for the next week.  Perfect for spreading on bread and crackers, we also used the olivada in lieu of dressing for salads. Some comments from our DC Cook Club guests: “This was a really nice salty olive tapenade that was a tasty topping with the bread.”  “Great app!”  “Olives rule!”  “Oh my gosh – super great!  Wonderful flavors, at first bite!”  “Burst of flavor, but a little salty.”

Monica’s Spiced Goat Cheese Slather

Score: 3.5

Short story:  I substituted sour cream for creme fraiche and ricotta (full fat!) for goat cheese.  I made a double recipe.  It was a hot day.  The ricotta plus creme fraiche mixture made the slather into more of a dip than a slather.  That being said, it was delicious, it was a real crowd pleaser at a Fourth of July cookout, and I was totally okay with it as a dip.  But it made a lot of dip.  So I used some of the extra "slather" as a sauce for angel hair pasta, and it was AMAZING.  So think outside the box when you make this slather. Use it as a slather, a dip, a pasta sauce, a face mask . . . whatever. Okay, maybe not the last one.  But I think the recipe deserves some credit for turning out delicious even with all of my “substitutions.”

Monica’s Roasted Garlic 

Score: 4.5

I know I requested four recipes in the first go-round, but then my boyfriend's tempo-roomie bought a massive bag of garlic at Costco, and I remembered seeing a roasted garlic recipe in this book that would be a perfect way to use it all.  Considering my unhealthy love of garlic, this recipe was a no-brainer.  The final result was a head of garlic that was deliciously creamy and spreadable, and I would've loved to throw it in a small dish of olive oil for dipping bread into during an Italian dinner.  Next time, I'll be sure to have crusty bread on hand just for that purpose!

Amanda’s Watermelon, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad

Score: 4.5

This is a perfect summertime salad! It was very easy to put together, just required lots of chopping. The recipe included feta, which was an awesome addition and paired nicely with the watermelon. The only thing that I would have done differently is use smaller tomatoes (like grape or cherry tomatoes) and not peel them. In my opinion, it took too much time and effort to peel the tomatoes, and it didn't really change the flavor of the salad all that much. The next time I make it, I will definitely skip this step and use smaller, more flavorful tomatoes.

Amanda’s Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

Score: 4.5

This recipe sounded so appealing, I just had to try it out, and so glad I did! The dish is one of those that is easy to make when other cooking is going on. As indicated by the title, roasting is involved...for 2 hours. All I had to do was peel and cut the carrots, parsnips, onion, and ginger in large pieces and toss them in the oven. Once the vegetables finish roasting, it took 15 minutes to have the dish completely ready. The soup was really flavorful.  I can't wait to make it again! 

Rachel’s Ricotta Slather

DC Cook Club comments: “Even though this was a simple dish, it was very tasty, and went well with the caponata.”  “Wonderful.”  “So simple, surprisingly good.”  “A little bland.”  “Great light flavor.”

Mai's Farm Stand Caponata

DC Cook Club comments: “Great Mediterranean flavors.”  “Delicious combinations.”  “Lots of yummy fresh veg, kind of lost all mixed together.” 

ENTREES:

Julie’s Ginger-Lime Cod in a Bowl 
Score: 3.5

This recipe was easy enough to follow and had nice subtle flavours - a mild version of Thai soup.  I also liked the way you end up with a large juicy fillet of cod and have other elements in the soup (broccoli, tomato, pasta) to pick at and provide colour contrast. However I haven't given it a top score because for my taste it was too mild and unexciting for the effort involved. Personally I prefer stronger flavour contrast and a simpler cooking procedure without so many pots, so if I were to repeat I'd add some chilli and more lime juice to give it some kick and just add noodles, broccoli at appropriate time to the sifted broth to keep things simple. Still, you should try this yourself if you like Asian-inspired broths as my rating is quite subjective - this was tasty but just not compared to my favourite Thai broths. P.S. I substituted veggie broth for chicken broth (it's a fish and veg soup after all so the chicken broth seemed out of place) and fine thread Asian wheat wok-style noodles as I couldn't find angel hair pasta.

Julie’s Pink Lentil Dal with Fresh Ginger

Score: 4.0

This was a tasty dish and fun to make as "tempering oil" was a new technique for me and released some delicious aromas. It wasn't a smart recipe to pick for summer but given that we're not having much of a summer and ate this on a rainy weekend it worked perfectly. The only reason it doesn't get a top score is that it's up against stiff competition from various London Indian/ Pakistani/ Nepalese restaurants that produce delicious dals. However for a self-made one this was pretty good and I will be making it again.  Be aware that the name doesn't really match the name which I found a little disappointing but I was quickly reconciled to my bowl of creamy yellow aromatic comfort food, and I liked the addition of cilantro (coriander) and lemon juice for some contrasting freshness. We had this with naan bread one day and with basmati rice another day - both worked really well. P.S. Recipe adaptations: this turned out a little too soupy and salty for my taste, so I'd recommend starting with less water and half the salt and adding as necessary to taste during cooking.

Leanne’s Tandoori Chicken

Score: 3.0

I was really excited to make this dish--it sounded delicious!  However, in reality, it was underwhelming.  The flavors just weren't that good, and it was not at all what I expected.  I made the pineapple raita to go with it, which was decent, but also not incredible.  I would not make this dish again.

Jackie’s Lemon-Herbed Chicken Drumsticks

Score: 3.0

I chose this recipe for its bright, summery flavors, its ease in serving it to a large group of people, and the ability to prep it ahead of time so we could take it over to Rachel’s house for the party (that said, the wait/cook time was on the lengthier side… the drumsticks had to be marinated for several hours and then cooked for another 1.25 hours).  The flavor profile was mainly lemon and thyme, which smelled incredibly delicious and enticing as the drumsticks cooked.  We tried a drumstick right from the oven (before I cooked down the marinade to pour over the drumsticks) and the chicken was very moist, but not as flavorful as I expected.  Unfortunately, by the time we all ate them at the party, I found them to be rather… unattractive… and they were quite sticky to handle with the thickened marinade on top.  All this said, I would probably make this again, but would plan to eat it immediately. DC Cook Club Comments:  “Good.”  “Love the lemon flavor.”  “These were nice, but I admit not a big bone-in chicken fan.”  “Fresh taste.” 

Jackie’s Sesame Noodles with Apples and Cucumbers

Score: 5.0

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THESE NOODLES.  We originally selected this dish because the recipe reminded us of Jonathan’s favorite noodles – the dan dan noodles – at a Northern dim sum restaurant that we go to.  And it surely lived up to our expectations.  The sauce is a food-processed mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, peanut butter, and Sriracha (the recipe called for “chili oil” but we had sriracha in the house, so went for that!) – the recipe calls for making the sauce a day ahead to allow it to thicken in the refrigerator.  We followed that procedure, but I’m not sure if it made a big difference or not.  Regardless, the sauce was deliciously peanut-y with a slow heat that hits you at the end of each bite and clung on nicely to the noodles (spaghetti!).  The recipe called for julienning some granny smith apples, cucumbers, and green onions to sprinkle on top.  It was a nice addition – a good crunch factor – but in my opinion, unnecessary.  We so loved these noodles that I immediately made another batch of them the next day and ate them a few more times that week.  Will definitely make again!

DC Cook Club Comments: “Surprisingly cohesive flavors with the apples, cucumbers, and sesame/peanut.  Love the extra heat.”  “Very flavorful, loved the peanut butterness of it.”  “Always love PB noodles.”  “Best dish ever!”  “Love the peanut sauce.”  “Great peanut flavor with a nice bite from the cucumbers and tangy sweetness from the apples.”

Monica’s Paella Rice with Shrimp and Chorizo

Score: 5.0

I love paella.  I discovered my love for it during my summer in New York because this fantastic Cuban place across from my apartment at Columbia had awesome happy hour specials that my roommate and I frequented after work.  I can't believe I didn't learn of it sooner!  I'm so glad it's in my life now.  The only problem with paella is that it's a very intimidating dish.  I've been meaning to try it for a while, but it always seemed too scary to attempt so I usually just ordered it at tapas restaurants instead.  Chicks love tapas. I'm so glad I tried this!  It was easy, though a big time commitment, and it turned out so well that Neal and I barely had leftovers.  I highly recommend it as a main dish or as a potluck side dish.

Amanda’s Summer Soba Noodles with Zesty Dipping Sauce

Score: 5.0

In a word: yummy. In two words: simple yumminess. Out of all the recipes I chose for this round, this one was my favorite. I LOVED the sauce for these noodles! It was super easy to make and the ingredients were simple. As the title suggests, the dish is very summer-y. Very refreshing and not too heavy for the hot summer days. I think it goes without saying that this recipe will be around my kitchen for awhile.

Lisa H.’s Zuni Cafe Roasted Chicken and Bread Salad

Score: 4.4

It was really good.  It was difficult to make the bread salad.  I would make the chicken again, but I don’t know that I would make the bread salad again, it was good out of the oven, but once it cooled off it wasn’t as good. 

Anjali’s Skirt Steak with a Touch of Latin America

Score: 5.0

This dish is the next best thing to getting on a plane on going down to South America.  Ok, maybe not, but it certainly was a crowd pleaser.  The dish itself was simple and straightforward.  The flavors in the chimichurri were bright and perfect for summer. I used the leftovers on eggs and toast! I will definitely keep this in my arsenal for the future.

Mai’s Creamy Goat Cheese Butterflies
DC Cook Club Comments:  “Liked the creaminess with the salami.”  "Love the salami, great subtle cheese flavor without overpowering the al-dente pasta.”  “Really nice, versatile.”  “Wonderful flavor combination.”  “Yum!”

Rachel’s Shrimp Tacos

DC Cook Club Comments: “Perfect summer meal; loved the refreshing sauce.”  “Great.” “Great combo of fresh flavors.” “Sauce was amazing.”  “Love the sauce.”

SIDE DISHES:

Sonia’s Quinoa with Chimichurri Herbs

Score: 3.5

I chose this recipe because I love quinoa and was excited to try a new way to prepare it.  This was a pretty simple recipe that could easily be a weeknight side or light lunch, since the only real cooking involved is with the quinoa itself.  I found that the flavors were good (though better after being allowed to marry for a few hours or overnight), but that it wasn't a very attractive dish.  I later added in a chopped plum tomato which added the color and flavor that seemed to me to be lacking.

Amanda’s Roasted Beets w Tangerine Vinaigrette

Score: 4.0

My parents made roasted beets the last time I was home and I loved them! They roasted them in the oven with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper--simple and amazing! Naturally, I had to try this recipe. I liked Sheila Lukins method of roasting the beets in theory (the recipe said to trim the beets, wrap them in foil and roast with the skins on-super easy and less chance of staining everything in the kitchen), but they were a little too soft in my opinion. The tangerine vinaigrette went really nicely with the beets and was very easy to make. This recipe will be making an appearance again--using my parents' roasting method.

Rachel’s Green Taboulleh

DC Cook Club Comments: “Very enjoyable.”  “Nice, but pretty standard.”  “Nice mix of flavorful ingredients.”

Mai’s Confetti Corn Pudding

DC Cook Club Comments: “Made stomach happy!”  “Loved the fresh crispy corn flavor and texture!”  “Very fresh!”  “Loved the fresh corn flavor, great texture.”

Monica’s Roasted Asparagus

Score: 5.0

Asparagus!  What a vegetable.  I don't even know how or where it grows, why it's sometimes white, or why I have to break off part of it before I cook it.  But I know that I like it, and that I've always wanted to find a perfect recipe for it. I had no idea asparagus could be so easy and so good. My previous method for cooking asparagus wasn't that far off from this one in technique (and identical in ingredients and prep!), but I was missing one essential step:  ten minutes of cooking the asparagus while covered with foil BEFORE cooking it uncovered for another ten minutes.  What a game changer!  The asparagus came out tender and creamy, but the tips were crunchy and slightly charred.  I expected to have leftovers, but I couldn't stop myself from taking seconds . . . and thirds.  I found myself eating them stem-side first so I could enjoy their creamy texture and then crunch down on the tips at the end.  Yum.  Just writing about them now makes me want to make them again!

Lisa H.’s Farmer’s Market Corn Salad

Score: 5.0

It was easy to make and had great flavors.  I have already made it again.  It says to mix it together right before serving, but it’s still good the next day.  (As a sidenote, Lisa also notes: I loved this cookbook.  Everything people made was so good.)  (Anjali, the hostess of the Dallas Cook Club dinner party, also comments that Lisa's corn salad was a big hit and Amanda already made it again for a 4th of July BBQ!)

Anjali’s Caramelized Fennel

Score: 4.5

Two words that sing to my heart. (Although, if you have been following this blog, you will remember that it was the original Cook Club where conquered my fear of fennel!) The dish, again, was incredibly straightfoward, but the results were spectacular.  I was actually so focused on the steak and hosting the dinner, that it was a complete afterthought, but still turned out well!  I do think this dish is better for winter meals, given the addition of butter, but either way, it is an excellent and easy side to make. 

DESSERTS:

Leanne’s Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Score: 4.2

This cheesecake was simple to make, but where problems arose was in the baking.  It took almost triple the baking time to set!  If it weren't for that, I would have ranked it higher--people seemed to really like it, but the hassle of waiting by an oven for almost three hours was a huge negative.

Amanda’s Peach Blueberry Pie

Score: 4

I have to confess...I did not make the pie crust from scratch, as the recipe suggested. Making my own pie crust is one of the few things that I find completely intimidating, cooking wise. Plus, there were several other dishes to be made for our dinner party (and I do not own a rolling pin). So, I let Pillsbury do some of the work this round. Once the pie crust issue was taken care of, the rest of the dish came together quickly and easily. I thought the filling combination was great...again, this is a perfect summer dessert. Per usual, I thought it would be enhanced by the addition of vanilla ice cream :), but forgot to buy some for our dinner party. I will make it again...perhaps with my own crust. ;)

Sonia’s Sinful Chocolate Tart

Score: 5.0

After an unsuccessful attempt to slightly modify the chocolate filling recipe (thus wasting $10 worth of quality chocolate -- still mourning), I turned out my very first tart, and it was absolutely delicious. I had some difficulty turning the rolled out crust into the tart pan, and ended up pressing a good amount of the dough into the pan. This didn't affect the taste or texture of the crust, and I was actually very pleased with its flavor. The almonds definitely added a lot to the dish, and I would use this crust recipe again (though would note that you should use a fork to poke holes in the crust before baking, or use pie weights). The filling (the second time around) was silky and smooth, and had just a touch of sweetness with the chocolate. I don't feel that the creme fraiche garnish was a perfect accompaniment to the chocolate, and would instead do an almond extract or hazelnut liquor-infused freshly whipped cream.

DC Cook Club comments: “Unexpected, RICH flavour.  Would serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.”  "Chocolate!!" "Wonderful rich chocolate flavor paired perfectly with the butteryness of the crust."

Monica’s Grilled Vanilla Peaches

Score: 4.0

I’m so glad I tried a non-chocolate dessert.  IT WAS SO GOOD.   This was a very simple recipe, and I could see it working well for any stone fruit (apricots, plums, etc.).  Don’t expect for grill marks to appear on your peaches, though, or you might cook all of the delicious right out of them. Perfect for this time of year!

Sonia's Big Strawberry Shortcake

Score: 3.75

I chose this cake because I love strawberries, but prefer to eat them fresh, rather than cooked. The berries are highlighted in this recipe, which required few ingredients, and was relatively simple to make and assemble. The cake layers were dense, almost like a pound cake. The addition of the orange juice and zest gave it a nice subtle flavor. The only change I made to the recipe was to add a bit of Cointreau (left over from the sangria) to the whipped cream to play off of the orange notes in the cake. While the flavors were really nice, I think the heaviness of the cake was not in line with the fresh fruit and airy whipped cream, especially for a summer dessert. Also, take heed of the note to eat this dessert immediately; it does not travel well, especially in the heat.