One of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas (believe it or not) is to sit at the bar at Sensi and have a glass of their fresh homemade ginger ale. It’s tangy, only a touch sweet, and incredibly refreshing. Seeing as there are about 250 miles between home and the Bellagio, however, the closest I can get most days is to make my own. If you have a Soda Stream machine, this is a perfect use for it (as opposed to flavoring your water with the pre-made syrups). Otherwise, club soda will do.

I’ve had this recipe for years and no longer remember where I found it. If anyone knows the source, I’d be delighted to add a credit and link here! And for an even bolder recipe than the one below (with lemongrass and chiles), check out Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s version via Kahakai Kitchen.

Fresh Ginger Ale

2 C (about 10 oz) peeled ginger, coarsely chopped
3 strips lemon peel, about 4″ long each, yellow part only
1.5 C sugar

• Combine ginger, lemon peel and 4 cups water in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in sugar and continue boiling until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes longer.
• Pour mixture through a fine wire strainer set over a bowl. Discard peel; reserve ginger for another use* or discard.
• Cool syrup, cover, and chill until cold, at least one hour or up to one week.
• To serve: In a 16-oz glass, mix 1/4 C ginger syrup with 1 cup cold carbonated water / club soda. Add ice, and more ginger syrup and/or sugar to taste. Or – as they do at Sensi – sprinkle a pinch of ground cayenne on top. Yum.

Per serving: 100 calories, 26 g carbohydrates.

*Refrigerate leftover cooked ginger, if desired, and stir into softened vanilla ice cream or sprinkle over yogurt or sliced bananas.

Thanks to the marvelous Miss Whistle, I read the Guardian’s article previewing 15 recipies from Ottolenghi’s upcoming cookbook. Tonight I made his “Chickpea, tomato and bread soup,” which is quite similar to a Tuscan ribollita.

Let me just say that even though there are just two of us, there were no leftovers.

Ever few months we’re lucky to spend a weekend at Lavender Hill Farm, the home of our friends Sims and Steve in the picturesque Upper Ojai Valley. Here are some pictures we took on April 16 and 17.

We picked vegetables from Steve’s extensive gardens and prepared them for lunch and dinner. Artichokes are in high season and we had them three different ways: with fava beans as an accompaniment to pork chops for dinner; with onions, lardons and egg as a pasta sauce for one lunch; and with tuna and cracked pepper on toast for another lunch. We also had the fava beans, straight from the pods, with cheese and bites of salami as an appetizer before dinner one evening.

The Valley was resplendent with springtime color and fragrance. My iPhone got the color fairly well; the scent you’ll have to imagine as you peruse the photos. Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions of any of them, and click again for a yet larger version.

For the past five months, my husband and I have been eating a largely vegan diet. I know that saying “largely vegan” is akin to saying “somewhat pregnant,” so let’s just say that we severely limit the amount of animal product we eat, and save it for very special occasions. Let it be known: I will NEVER give up cheese entirely!

So, most of what we eat is comprised of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains – you know, things that don’t have to have an ingredient list when you buy them. My friend Martha Stroud asked me to post links to some of my favorite healthful recipes and here they are.

Soup Au Pistou

Yellow peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn and Feta Cheese

Spinach and Zucchini Soup

Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf

Quinoa Salad with Lime + Fresh Mint

Three-Bean Salad

“California Roll” Salad

Lemon-Roasted Green Beans with Marcona Almonds

Not available online is our favorite vegetarian chili recipe, which is in Anna Thomas’ book Love Soup.

This recipe was sent to me almost a decade ago by my Aunt. It was from the February 2001 issue of Food & Wine Magazine, and credited to Alex Urena, executive chef of Manhattan’s Blue Hill Restaurant.

Servings: 2 to 4
Ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil
One 14-ounce vacuum-packed jar of cooked and peeled chestnuts (2 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium leek, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 teaspoons honey
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Steps:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add 4 of the chestnuts and sauté over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Add the onion and leek to the pan, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the honey and stir until melted. Stir in the remaining chestnuts and the stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer over moderate heat for 10 minutes.

2. Finely chop the sautéed chestnuts. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, or use an immersion blender right in the pot. If you like, strain through a fine sieve (although I prefer it thicker). Season the soup with salt and pepper and stir in the Cognac. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Garnish with the chopped chestnuts and parsley and serve.

Note: I garnished with spiced heavy cream and balsamic glaze instead of the parsley. For the cream, I used ½ C whipping cream, and added a few pinches each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and sugar, then whisked it till thickened. For the balsamic glaze, I reduced a pint of balsamic vinegar reduced slooooowly (at a simmer) in a heavy saucepan down to ½ C. It takes hours and the house smells, but it’s lovely stuff J. I put them in squeeze bottles (the kind you get to put your shampoo in while traveling) in order to drizzle them on the way I did. Or… you can buy Balsamic Glaze already made

Make Ahead: The chestnut soup can be refrigerated overnight. Garnish with the sautéed chestnuts and parsley before serving.

We spent the weekend with our friends Steve and Sims at their lovely ranch in the Upper Ojai Valley. A good portion of Saturday was taken up by the preparation of an amazing eggplant parmesan for dinner that evening. Steve is a master gardener, and Sims a master chef, so we knew we were in for a treat. Herewith, a photo essay:

Eggplant parmesan begins, of course, with eggplants. Steve harvested these on Friday from his garden. (The white or “lavender” eggplants weren’t used in the dish, but they look quite pretty in the bowl, don’t they?)

Steve and Sims make their own tomato sauce, from tomatoes that Steve grows. Steve juices the tomatoes, and Sims adds his magic blend of garlic, herbs and spices. But before it’s sauce, it’s tomatoes; we nibbled on these freshly-harvested beauties yesterday while watching the Cal-USC game.

Update October 5: Steve passed along their tomato sauce recipe: “First, you juice the tomatoes, using a food mill or similar device. Then add garlic, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. We also add some harissa, which is a North African hot chili paste (or you could add red pepper flakes which would be more common in Italy). We can’t tell you how much of each ingredient, because it depends on how much juice you have. Cook over low heat for several hours so that it cooks down and thickens. It usually reduces in volume by at least half.”

Below: Steve slices the eggplants. Behind, awaiting the grand assemblage: mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce.

Sims dredged the eggplant slices first in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs…

… before frying them in canola oil.

Meanwhile, Steve grated parmesan. Libby (the blond lab) and Jefferson (the chocolate lab) waited for any cheese shards that might fly their way. Hope springs eternal.

Sims begins assembling the dish by sandwiching slices of fresh mozzarella between slices of fried eggplant.

Bathed in tomato sauce, the dish awaits only its parmesan topping before going into the oven. Note that it’s not drowned in sauce. The perfectly-thick sauce is gently ladled to just cover each eggplant stack.

Update October 5: Cover the prepared dish with tin foil, and bake in a 350 F / 180 C oven for one hour.

Libby (background), Jefferson and Timothy relax while the dish is baking.

Out of the oven, resting before being plated.

Et bon appetit! The most heavenly eggplant parm we’d ever had!

And for dessert, we enjoyed ripe Warren pears from Steve’s orchard, with a selection of three cheeses (Stilton, Fiscalini and 9-year Parmesan) from the Artisan Cheese Gallery in Studio City.

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