There is a basic contradiction between eating treats in the summer and having to wear a bathing suit, at least for me. When I even think about ice cream, I gain a pound. But lucky for me, I cannot eat dairy, so I came up with a homemade fudgesicle that is delicious, non-dairy and nearly healthy. I am still not too excited to get into that bathing suit, but truth be told, I don’t really swim so I am able to avoid it pretty easily. I can swim, of course, but I don’t like being cold and here in New England, you cannot get into the water without getting cold. For this week’s heat wave I will sit by the pool in a nice little sun dress and eat my fudgesicles. It is too hot to light the fire in our Fancy Fire Pit but if you fill up a kiddie pool it makes the perfect foot soak!

Fudgesicles   Makes 4 pops

• 1/4-1/3 cup granulated sugar, depending on how sweet you like them
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, melt chips over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in dry ingredients and coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened. This will take 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool slightly, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the top of the mixture. Pour into pop molds and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Run molds under warm water to loosen pops and serve! Here is to summer heat and treats! Joy

I have recently rediscovered Middle Eastern food. Hummus seems to be ubiquitous these days with all kinds of strange flavors available in the grocery store. But aside from that and tabbouleh, there are many other delicious and interesting salads and dips. There is, of course, baba ghanoush, a creamy dip of roasted eggplant, tahini and olive oil with some spices thrown in. These three staples are often served with a slightly bitter arugula salad and a salad made of cucumber, tomatoes and onion dressed simply with oil and lemon juice or with a minty yogurt dressing.

These small plates, called mezze, are served together and meant to be eaten with flat bread. With a big basket of warmed pita bread, you barely need a serving utensil or a plate.  It makes perfect snack food to eat when entertaining outdoors around a fire pit. Arrange all the little plates and bowls on a large platter or tray and set it next to your fire pit. Your guest can snack on it while drinking chilled Chardonnay and enjoying the fire. For me, this is a meal.  But if you feel you need something more substantial, follow the salads with a simple marinated grilled chicken or lamb kabob. In the Middle East, they would make lamb, either ground and formed into a ball shaped around the skewer or cut into cubes, marinated and grilled with onions and pepper.

I encourage you to try making hummus from scratch. It is very easy and much more delicious than the store bought variety. What follows is a very basic recipe.  You can change it as your taste dictates, adding more garlic or a teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper, if you like.

Hummus

• 1 can (15 oz) chick peas
• 1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons water, or as needed

Put all ingredients except water into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add water as necessary to make a smooth, creamy dip. Serve with vegetables or warmed pita bread. Makes about 2 cups.

Happy Feasting!

Joy

What is in a bowl of soup? I love all kinds and I love the idea of bundling up in a blanket and bringing my steaming bowl outside to enjoy in front of a roaring fire in these waning (hopefully!) days of winter. Two of my favorites are chicken soup and lentil soup. When anyone in my family is feeling rotten, felled either by a cold or a fight with a friend, I run out and buy a chicken to make soup. Or I forage in my pantry for lentils, chicken broth and vegetables to make red lentil soup.

Ready for Soup

Red Lentil Soup                    adapted from Epicurious.com

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 cup chopped canned tomato
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper