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/ Julia Kemper Johnson / Leave a comment

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Moving has become an annual event for me. I have moved so
many times recently that I have a hard time considering anything, other than my
parents’ houses, “home.” It has become a pattern – unpack, settle, pack up,
repeat. Even since I’ve been out of college, I’ve managed to move every single
year – not because I’m an overly indecisive or unpredictable person, but
instead because life has worked out that way.
My moves have not been overly adventurous, or exotic – many
of which occurring within the same college campus, and after college, within
the same region – but, they have all defined significant periods of my life.
There is not one move I regret, nor one that is overshadowed by another, but
until this moment, they have all felt temporary, transient, a step towards a
bigger goal.
But, this time, this move, it’s different. I see my life
finally settling on a direction, pointing ahead, and gaining momentum. For the
first time in my life, I find myself basing my decisions less on the moment and
more on the long-term. In turn, my decisions are more purposeful, more resolute,
and carry more enduring consequences. I’m not entirely sure what sparked this
transition – it could be the fact that I’m getting older or that I’m more
confident in the direction I want my
life to head. Or, it could be that my decisions are no longer simply my decisions, but instead our decisions – affecting not only my
life, but Henry and my life together.
Whatever the reason may be, I know that the path we are on feels good, and more importantly, feels
right. What else can I really ask
for?

This summer quinoa is inspired from the fresh peas we picked
up at the farmer’s market in our new neighborhood in Brooklyn. After a long day
of exploring and preparing for our move, this light summer meal was the perfect
accompaniment to a relaxing night in what will soon be remembered as the last “apartment”
we ever lived in ….
… next up is “home”.
Toasted Lemon Quinoa with Peas and Fried Onions
ingredients:
For the quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 cup fresh peas
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons fresh chives
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
For the vinaigrette:
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil  
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
For the fried onions (inspired by Giada’s beer-battered cremini mushrooms):
1/2 large vidalia onion, cut into 2 thick slices, rings separated
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 12-ounce dark beer, chilled
2 cups (or so) vegetable oil
1. First, fry the onions. Add vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet, 1-2 inches deep. Heat over medium-high heat until oil reaches temperature of 350 degrees F. Whisk together flour, chives, thyme, salt, pepper, and beer until smooth. Dip onion rings in batter, until completely coated. Drip excess batter off rings and, working in small batches, fry the onion for about 3-4 minutes in the oil until golden brown. Remove and place on paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle immediately with coarse salt. Continue until all onion rings are fried. 
2. Meanwhile, rinse 1 cup of dry quinoa until water runs clear. Toast in a dry pan (stirring frequently) until lightly browned and fragrant. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook about 13 minutes. Add fresh peas and cover, steaming until quinoa is finished cooking and peas are tender (about 2 additional minutes). Fluff with fork and transfer quinoa and peas to a heat-safe large bowl. Add olive oil and onions to already hot pan and cook, over medium heat until onions are tender and browned (about 10-15 minutes), stir fresh thyme into hot pan with onions. Transfer onions to quinoa mixture, along with toasted pine nuts and fresh chives.
3. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients into a small bowl until emulsified. Dress quinoa salad with vinaigrette to taste.
4. Transfer quinoa to plates and top with fried onions to serve. 
Serves 2-3 (with leftovers)
Note: Quinoa is even more flavorful the next day – so be sure to save leftovers!

summer

/ Julia Kemper Johnson / Leave a comment

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The air is warm and the sun is shining. After an endlessly long
winter and an inconceivably rainy spring, summer has arrived. And, despite the praying
and wishing and waiting for it to
come, it seems to have arrived overnight. I sit outside by
Henry’s parents’ pool, perfectly comfortable in nothing but a bathing suit, and
somehow have a hard time remembering any transitional period, any “warm-ish”
days that separated the stark cold of winter and the glorious warmth of summer.
I look out at the trees, lush with vegetation, and think – when did this
happen? Last I looked, the trees were almost bare – sticks filled with tiny buds
and the mere promise of green. Now, as if overnight, every tree is abundantly
green.

This year’s first evening of outdoor cocktails and a grilled
dinner happened unceremoniously – as if we had never stopped, as if winter
never happened. Zucchini and asparagus were tossed in olive oil and salt and
grilled until charred and tender, arranged on top a grilled pizza crust, and
sprinkled with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. The pizza was then topped with
dollops of fresh ricotta cheese and chopped parsley. Every bite was comforting yet
intricate. The crisp bite of the crust, the saltiness of the Parmigiano, the
juicy burst of the vegetables, and the cool, creaminess of the ricotta and washed
down with a chilled Verdicchio – everything reminiscent of the beginning of a
new summer, and a summer that never left.

Grilled Flatbread with Zucchini, Asparagus, and Ricotta
ingredients:
(these measurements are all approximations, as I didn’t measure when I made this. Use your judgment – this is not a recipe to fuss over)!
1 zucchini, cut into 6 equal sized strips
1/2 a bunch of asparagus, ends snapped off
store-bought pizza dough
about 1 cup of whole-milk ricotta cheese
1-2 cups of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

directions:
Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature to allow for easy handling. Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Toss the zucchini and asparagus with about 2 T of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables on the hot grill and cook until charred and tender, about 5-15minutes (depending on the heat of the grill). Remove and set aside.
If using a charcoal grill, let coals cool slightly or, if using a gas grill, lower the heat. Meanwhile, stretch pizza dough to a large circle on a cookie sheet or pizza stone (making sure that the dough is not too thin in any area, as it will burn on the grill). With a pastry bush or spoon, spread about 1T of olive oil over the top of the dough. Carefully transfer the dough to the grill (olive oil side down) and let cook until browned on one side, less than 5 minutes (keep an eye on it, as it will burn very quickly if unattended to)! Brush the upside with remaining 1T of olive oil. Flip the dough, and immediately top the browned side with shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and grilled vegetables. Once underside is browned and cheese is melted (again, less than 5 minutes), transfer the the pizza back to the cookie sheet or large serving platter. Top with dollops of ricotta cheese and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Enjoy!

West African Peanut Soup

/ Julia Kemper Johnson / Leave a comment

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Comfort. Comfort for me is quiet. It is spending times with
the ones you love.
Comfort is the satisfaction of a job well done and the solace
of a lazy Sunday.  
Comfort for me is food – simple, effortless food – that
demands nothing more than to be enjoyed.
This soup is the epitome of comfort. Familiar flavors –
garlic, ginger, peanut, and tomato – create a distinctive combination that
provides just the comfort I crave after a long day at work, and an even longer
winter.
Enjoy.
West African Peanut Soup (recipe courtesy of Cookie + Kate, adapted from Local Bounty: Vegan Seasonal Recipes by Devra Gartenstein)
Ingredients
  • 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bunch collard greens, ribs removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch strips
  • 3/4 cup unsalted peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste, or 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes*
  • Hot sauce, like sriracha (AKA rooster sauce)
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a medium Dutch oven or stock pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
  2. In a medium-sized, heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well. Stir in the collard greens and season the soup with hot sauce to taste. Simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often. Serve over cooked brown rice if you’d like, and top with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.
**my note: I have made this recipe twice, and the second time decided to add sweet potato, instead of serving the soup with rice. It is a delicious alternative. Just peel and chop one sweet potato into 1/2-inch pieces and add the sweet potato about 5 minutes before adding the collard greens (it should be soft when pierced with a fork by the time the soup is finished). If it needs more time, just simmer the soup slightly longer until the potato pieces are cooked through.

Cooking for Me

/ Julia Kemper Johnson / 2 Comments

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Every so often, I can’t think of any other way I’d rather spend my evening than spending it cooking. I devote my entire night to it – stopping at the grocery store
after work, perusing the aisles, filling my basket with everything that catches
my eye (half of which I usually have to put back, considering that everything catches my eye). 
On the walk home, I dream up different ways to combine the
ingredients in my bag, creating and recreating different combinations, imagining the tastes, dreaming the meal, and usually settling on a decision right as I make it to my
front door.
Once home, I unpack my bag, preheat the oven, pour myself a
glass of wine, put on some music, and get lost – lost in the sound of a burner
igniting, the clang of pots being pulled from the cupboard, the sizzle of
shallots thrown into hot oil, and the gentle bubble of water boiling.
It is nights like these when I relax. I don’t cook to fulfill expectations, or to achieve recognition. 
It is nights like these when cooking becomes organic, the ingredients honest. There is no measuring, no timing, no calculating. 
It is nights like these when I don’t cook to entertain or to satisfy any other person’s needs than my own. 
It’s improvisation at its best.
It’s art. 

Brussel Sprout, Carrot Quinoa, and Almond Quinoa Salad with Farmer’s Cheese

(These measurements are incredibly lose, as this recipe is not meant to be measured! Substitute any kind of vegetable or cheese, and add or omit whatever you see fit.)
ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 shallot, sliced thinly
10 oz brussel sprouts, ends trimmed, halved, and any discolored leaves removed
3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch-thick coins
about 1/4 cup slivered almonds
about 1/2 cup fresh Farmer’s cheese*
about 3 T balsamic vinegar
about 1 T dijon mustard
about 1/2 t honey
olive oil 
salt
pepper
directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Thoroughly rinse 1 cup quinoa in a fine strainer until water runs clear. Toast in a pan with a few teaspoons of olive oil, stirring regularly, until quinoa is separated and golden. Add 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until quinoa has absorbed water – about 12-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside for later. 
2. Place prepared brussel sprouts and carrots onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or tin foil. Toss with about 1 T olive oil and 1 t salt. Place in preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing periodically, until brussel sprouts are golden and carrots are a bit tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
3. While vegetables are cooking, add sliced shallot to a preheated pan with about 2 t olive oil. Sautee until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat. 
4. Place almonds in a dry pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until golden (keep an eye on these as they will burn quickly!!)
5. In a small bowl, whisk together about 3 T balsamic vinegar, 1 T Dijon mustard, 1/2 t honey, 2-3 T olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add to quinoa, along with shallots, toasted almonds, and roasted vegetables. Crumble in Farmer’s cheese and enjoy!
Quinoa is even more delicious the next day, so I strongly encourage bringing left-overs to work for lunch!
*Farmer’s cheese is an unripened mild cheese, similar in taste to ricotta, but slightly firmer.