The Naptime Chef

Since I grew up in Cooperstown it is frequently assumed that I am a baseball fanatic. Well, I’m not. I loyally root for the Yankees, and enjoy attending major league games now and then, but I don’t worship at the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. To those of us in the know, Cooperstown is a town much bigger than just a baseball museum. I can’t wait to show you some of my favorite spots in my Travel Series next week.

But, until then, I will share with you one of my favorite hometown recipes. This one was given to me by my childhood friend Kirsten’s mother, Char. Since Char knows I am not a big fan of mayonnaise she suggested I try her Chinese Chicken Salad. It is completely mayo-free, packed with flavor, and just the thing for taking on a boat ride around Otsego Lake.

This week we’ve been enjoying lots of family boat rides around the lake, taking my daughter swimming in it’s calm waters and regaling her with tales of Otsie the fabled lake monster. On the sunnier days we’ve been making our trips into full-on morning excursions, packing snacks, drinks and lunch food. The day before our latest boat ride I assembled this chicken salad while my daughter was napping. It was a cinch to make while my she slept, and I was able to leave it in the fridge until I needed it the following day.

I am always cautious when preparing food too far in advance. Sometimes an overnight stay in the cool environs of my Frigedaire can completely wreck the flavor of an otherwise tasty dish. But, in this case, the flavor of the salad actually improved during it’s respite in the fridge. The sharpness of the teriyaki mellowed and the subtle flavors of the scallions deepened. I was a little worried that the chow mein noodles would get soggy, but they didn’t. Their crunchiness held up beautifully, creating a nice texture with each bite. Needless to say, we were happy to munch away on this salad during our mid-week cruise. Grateful for the good weather, good food and the slower pace of summer life, sans baseball, in Cooperstown.

Making ice-cream is fun, but developing ice-cream treats is even more enjoyable. It is only natural that with all the ice-cream I’ve been churning out this summer I’ve been creating delicious summer desserts as well. In June I started by making an amazing ice-cream cookie sandwich with my malted milk ice-cream between chocolate butter almond cookies. Then, last week I made these delicious ice-cream bars with a graham cracker crust, and the cookie sandwiches were blown out of the water. These ice-cream bars are the ultimate summer frozen treat. The best part is that I can make them during naptime and they can harden in the freezer until it’s times for dessert.

My friend Katie moved to San Francisco in January. She used to live five blocks from me in New York, but now she lives five hours away. I would usually be sad about this scenario, however, I’ve been seeing a lot of Katie lately. She and her family spend their summers at their home in Sag Harbor this summer, which is where I have been going to beat the heat.

Katie is a foodie and accomplished cook and, since she is an avid Naptime Chef reader, she correctly predicted that I would be writing a travel post to share with you. Weeks prior to my arrival she started sending me notes on places to visit, and explore we did. We traveled high and low all over Sag Harbor and I have loads of great information to share. If you haven’t planned your Sag Harbor trip this summer I highly recommend you make the time, it is a terrific getaway.

Naptime’s Sag Harbor Favorites (in no particular order):

1) American Legion: Dockside: It seems strange that the American Legion would have one of the best spots to eat in the Hamptons, but they do. Katie whisked us off to lunch within moments of our arrival and I am glad she did. The fish tacos are absolutely amazing, the best on the East Coast. I also loved the crab stuffed zucchini blossom and plan to test out a recipe of my own. It is also worth noting the beautiful view, you eat overlooking the harbor.

2) Cavaniola’s Cheese Shop: You know I love good cheeses and this shop is definitely the best of the best. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, plus they have a great selection of gourmet foods. When I told them we liked sharp cheddar they sent me home with one of the best slices of authentic English cheddar I think I’ve ever had. They also have an excellent wine shop and prepared food store one door down.

3) Cromer’s Market: From the outside Cromer’s looks like a dingy market you only run to during emergencies. But, on the inside is one of the best butchers in the Hamptons. I was impressed with their selection of grass fed beef and humanely raised pork products. This is a great place to stock up for cookouts.

4) North Sea Farm: Once I was at this farm I realized why it looked familiar, Ina shops here, too. It is an obvious choice for anyone who appreciates farm to fork food, the chickens wander freely in and out of their coop. Then end up for sale at the poultry counter, without their feathers. The eggs have gorgeous orange yolks, and the fresh produce is swoon-worthy. My particular favorite was the cool lettuce “wheel” (pictured below) that you rotate to select your desired variety.

5) Schiavoni’s: Traveling with children means several trips to the grocery store, and this one is well stocked. They have a great meat counter, selection of cereals and foods for families. They also have the most amazing homemade guacamole available in the cooler section. Get there early though, it always sells out by the end of the day.

6) Amber Bakery: This humble bakery opposite the Sag Harbor Post Office is the destination for cookies, cakes and scones. I adored their chocolate chip cookies and noted that it would also be a great visit for a bride. Their wedding cake display was gorgeous.

7) Sag Harbor Farmers’ Market (Saturdays): Part of the fun of exploring farmers’ markets is discovering vegetables and flavors that are new to me. I just loved these bunches of multicolored vegetables (pictured below), as well as the fantastic selection of tiny tomatoes. Needless to say, dinner was not difficult that evening.

8) Round Swamp Farm: It seems awfully strange to go to a farm for mexican dip, but I promised to introduce you to interesting food finds, and this is one of them. For some reason this farm specializes in a dips and I haven’t tasted anything as amazing as this one. It is layers of salsa, cheese and guacamole baked in a puff pastry. Nothing short of heavenly, delicious with fresh chips and a margherita.

9) Espresso: Katie is as addicted to coffee as I am to tea, which is why we hit Espresso daily. We also went several times for lunch, their sandwiches, pizzas and salads are Italian delicacies and perfect for taking to the beach.

10) Tiger Spud Potato Chips: It is unusual that I champion a brand, but I will root for these chips. They are made locally by a farm (the Hamptons were once famous for potato crops), and are the most flavorful chips I have ever tasted. And, trust me, I have tasted a lot. A national distributor needs to snap this brand up right away, anyone I know would happily toss all other sub-par brands for a bag of Tiger Spuds.

My daughter has recently picked up a new eating habit – playing with her food. Luckily, she is not a picky eater per se, but she enjoys exploring her meals as much as she does consuming them. All in all, I don’t mind letting her peel apart her sandwiches and eat them layer by layer, or separate her vegetables into little piles. I think it is important for children to understand what’s on their plate, just as much as it is for them to eat it. But, every so often the mother in me can’t resist making meal time a touch more interesting for her. Which is why I was thrilled to discover this awesome new kids food tool, the Lunch Punch.

Just to clarify, I am not getting paid to endorse these in any way, I am writing about them because I think they are clever and interesting. Plus my daughter loves them! As you know, I do the majority of my cooking when she naps. But, in this case, I have let her in on some of the fun. Since the Lunch Punch arrived in the mail I’ve been using them for all sorts of things in my kitchen, including making fun shapes out of Rice Krispie Treats, grilled cheeses, cinnamon-sugar toast and iced sugar cookies. The cookies have been her most favorite things so far. Not only because they are sweet, but because I let her participate in the cookie making.

Since she is not yet two, my daughter lacks any basic culinary knowledge. To her the kitchen is a place filled with wonderful gadgets and toys she can play with. At the present time her favorite thing to do is switch the mixer on and off on my command. She also likes to lick the icing and batters right off the spatula. I can’t say I’m surprised by any of this since her actions closely resemble my memories of baking with my mother.

I have been making these classic iced sugar cookies for years on end, they are unfailingly buttery and delicious. Since I usually make them for Christmas and Valentine’s Day most of my cookie cutters are in the shapes of hearts and stars. However, now that the Lunch Punch is in my cabinet, I have opened up a whole new world of shapes. During snacktime last week my daughter actually tried to assemble the Lunch Punch puzzle piece cookies. Then, later that week, she correctly identified the Lunch Punch animal shapes in front of her, before biting their heads off. I couldn’t have been more proud.

(cookies decorated by my daughter)

Clearly the Lunch Punch would be useful for all kinds of reasons, they are a great way to get kids to take interest in their food, no matter what you are trying to serve them. For me, they will forever be the best tools for sugar cookies and grilled cheeses, as well as Play Doh fun. As a mother, and the Home Cook-in-Chief, I highly suggest you pick some up today and enjoy the time with your kids.

With the northeastern farmers’ markets in full-swing I thought I would stop in today with a quick tidbit about vegetable roasting. At this time of year there are dozens and dozens of amazing vegetable recipes at our fingertips. Everywhere I look I am inspired by wonderful ideas for exciting new preparations. But, sometimes I just want to make simple traditional roast vegetables. This means, putting them in the oven and letting the heat draw out their delicious flavor. To that end, here are some of my favorite ways to roast summer vegetables. If you ideas on how to roast vegetables that you’d like to share, please let us know!

Naptime’s Vegetable Roasting Rules

I am a nurturer by nature. Growing up I was always eager to care and comfort those around me. Whether it was tucking my stuffed animals into their “beds” or reading my little brother his favorite books, I was quick to provide TLC to anyone in need. Now that I am older I nurture people with my cooking. When my friends need a lift I like to bring them food that is nourishing, bright in color and flavor, and puts a smile on their face. I call this happy food.

In the summer my favorite happy foods include stuffed strawberries, peach cobbler and lemon squares. These sweet treats are full of fruit flavors that are capable of putting just about anyone in a good mood. Last week I had a playdate with my friend Priscilla, the proud mother of two month-old Grace. I Naptime Chef-ed her a batch of my favorite lemon squares, they seemed just thing to bring a tired, but beaming, new mom.

One of the reasons I consider lemon squares to be happy food is because of their cheery yellow hue, and bright citrus taste. I don’t think anyone can eat a lemon square and feel bad afterward. Over the years I have tried a few (read: dozens) of lemon square recipes. I danced around several I thought were my favorite, and now have finally settled on one – Karen May’s Lemon Squares from Park Avenue Potluck. This recipe is southern in origin and has been tweaked by Florence Fabricant herself so, trust me, it is damn good.

This best part about these squares is that the wonderful clear lemon flavor doesn’t contain a hint of lip-puckering tartness. Their texture is soft and delicate, the soft buttery shortbread serving as the ideal backdrop for sweet lemon custard. They are also extremely easy to make while my daughter naps. I bake the shortbread crust first, then pour the lemon custard on top and bake it again. When the squares have cooled I polish them off with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar because I like the way it looks. Every time I give these to people I get a request for the recipe. They are happy food at it’s best, and I am always pleased to spread the smiles.

It is an unwritten rule in our house that I, Mom, sleep late on Saturday mornings, and my husband rises early with our daughter. When we were on vacation, however, our schedule was thrown off. My husband and I took turns getting up with her each day, allowing the other the luxury of sleeping past 7am. With this schedule of alternating mornings it meant that last Saturday was my turn to get up early. Which is how I came to find myself pushing a stroller into the Tisbury Farmers’ Market at the crack of dawn.

It was on that morning, in my groggy state, I realized zucchini season has started in earnest. I couldn’t believe the varieties available, and, since it is one of my most favorite vegetables, I ended up bringing home a bag heavier than my own child.

For the remainder of the day I contemplated the different possibilities of what to make with my farmers’ market haul. I wanted to create a dish that would draw out the sweet flavors of the zucchini, and perhaps add some of the gorgeous early tomatoes I had on hand. As luck would have it, during my daughter’s naptime, I was enjoying my latest issue of Edible Vineyard and discovered a recipe for layered tomatoes and zucchini. It was exactly the inspiration I was looking for, I couldn’t wait to get started.

I consider this dish Sunday Dinner Series material because the preparation was time consuming, and the recipe yielded enough food to feed us for several days. I didn’t mind how long it took though, the final dish was full of the mouth-watering flavors that only appear when cooking with fresh, seasonal vegetables. I loved the way the nutty breadcrumb mixture added a subtle crunch to the vegetables, which had been softened from the baking.

When it came time for dinner I decided to pair the casserole with roasted local sausages, unintentionally making it a true “locavore” meal. Everyone remarked that the flavors of the savory meat and sweet vegetables played off each other beautifully. I made a mental note that the menu definitely bears repeating this summer. It also made me think I should start waking up earlier on Saturday mornings. Who knows where I could end up next.