I won an IACP Award!

With a fab chermoula recipe, plus creamy beans

Wahooo! I am feeling extra grateful and reflective since learning the news that my wonderful book won the International Association of Culinary Professionals book award for Best Photography + Food Styling. Which translates to the most beautiful book of the year. Me!! The affirmation is amazing, and the wind-in-my-sails I needed.

Many of you have said you’re not surprised and that it is well deserved. I am happy you think so… I put my whole heart into A Year at Catbird Cottage. I am using this moment to bask, as well as to immerse myself in some new projects. I hope to share progress on those soon. Thank you so much for your ongoing support. It means the world to me!!

As gift-giving season approaches, a way to continue to show your support is by purchasing my book for anyone who loves beauty, who loves nature, who loves delicious eating. If you somehow don’t already have a copy, you can purchase at your favorite bookseller via this link. Also, I’m always happy to inscribe books and send them personally! Drop me a line here or here and we’ll get books for all your loved ones, to inspire and manifest what it is to live and eat well.

As my gardens breathe their last breaths, I am harvesting the stragglers still worth something delectable. Making use of my late season eggplants, I wanted to revisit a North African condiment called chermoula. It delivers bright flavor to anything. Regional variations include the addition of saffron, cinnamon, ginger, thyme, or other aromatics, but across each version is a shower of fresh herbs and olive oil, along with cumin and Chile pepper. I like mine punchy and a little spicy, with just a hint of sweetness to elicit an earthiness.

You are welcome to purée the mixture in a food processor for convenience. Just know that in doing so, you’ll lose some of the texture. If you prefer a thinner sauce, simply add more olive oil and blitz or stir until combined.

However you prepare chermoula know that the herbs will oxidize, disguising in a drab green hue those absolutely wonderful, bright flavors. Small price to pay…

Roasted eggplants are a perfect plant-forward savory pairing (and delightfully jammy, too) . You could just as easily spread it on roast meats or toss it through pasta. Once you try chermoula, you’ll find lots of uses for it!

chermoula
2 cups cilantro, including tender stems
1 1/3 cups parsley leaves
1 tbsp toasted cumin, ground in a mortar and pestle
1 small Fresno Chile, stem and seeds removed and minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 small preserved lemon, seeds removed and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely grated on a microplane
7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tsp date syrup
Pinch flaky salt

5-8 eggplants - any mix of Japanese, Chinese, Fairy tale, or Graffiti
extra virgin olive oil, for roasting
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400°. 

Trim stem end and slice eggplants into thick slabs, then transfer them to a sheet pan. Generously coat the slices in olive oil and season with kosher salt. Arrange them in a single layer, using two sheet pans if necessary. Roast eggplant for 30 minutes or until the slices give up their structure and begin to show caramelization on the bottom sides. Turn them over and drizzle olive oil onto any slices which appear dry, and roast for 10 more minutes or until the slices are jammy, golden, and collapsed. 

While the eggplants roast, finely chop the cilantro and parsley and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, and add additional olive oil for a more sauce-like consistency.

Once eggplant is ready, transfer them to a serving bowl, pile on the chermoula, and add one more flourish of olive oil. This dish is great warm or at room temperature. Chermoula keeps for 1 week, sealed in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Now something for all you bean lovers, which - if the recent poll over on Instagram is any indication - there are a lot of you…

The means to make this dish are very simple: set the beans on the stove to passively bubble away in flavorful liquid for a couple hours or so. One caveat - you must soak the dry beans overnight. And then once these plump, buttery beans are cooked, you must resist the urge to dive straight in. Instead, if you allow the potlikker to develop over an afternoon (or even better, a full day), the results deliver a richly creamy feast. From a humble pot of beans.

The called-for amount makes a whole pot - enough to serve a gang. I usually serve the beans over a series of meals: a couple helpings the day they’re cooked, and while serving that out I divide enough for a couple helpings for the next day. You’ll likely have enough remaining for a third, smaller meal. Plenty of opportunities to gush over how buttery and substantial this bean varietal is, and to feel fantastically nourished…

Gigante beans in broth with crunchy toppings

beans
1 lb gigante or royal corona beans
4 cups rich chicken or veg stock
5 stems fresh thyme leaves
1 generous tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt + freshly ground pepper

toppings
2 custardy eggs - for method, see Eatcha garden, p. 148 in my book
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Your favorite hot sauce (I used a peach version of my handy/delicious fermented chile sauce)
Crispy herbed breadcrumbs, p.155 in my book, or everything bagel sprinkle

Soak the beans in a large bowl with at least 3 inches of water to cover. They will expand and absorb water during their soak, so check back after 3 or 4 hours and top them off as needed. Check back once more before going to bed and submerge them once again as needed. 

The next day, strain the beans in a colander, then transfer them to a large saucepan. Add the stock and then enough water to submerge the beans by an inch. Add the olive oil and aromatics, and bring the pot to just boiling. Lower heat to a simmer and place the lid on the pot. Cook the beans for an hour-and-a-half. Fish out one of the fat specimens to taste it and see if it’s yet tender. You may need to add just a little more water to keep them submerged. If so, bring it back to simmering and cover again. Cook the beans until tender, then stir in 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, replace the lid, and remove pot from the heat. 

Here is where I allow some hours to pass for the beans and their liquid to meld… 

Divide two hearty servings between shallow bowls. Scatter the beans with chives and nestle in an egg each. Sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs and add the chile sauce. This is nirvana in a bowl.

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