A Chat With Feast Upon Founder, Quinn Fitzgerald

Since starting this blog, I've been on a mission to explore all sorts of ways (and reasons) to enjoy a home-cooked meal in the city. And I'm impressed by the variety of them that seems to grow every day. Furthermore, many of them share the same values about food -- fresh, seasonal, and conscientiously produced. Here's one great revelation that's come to home cooking in Brooklyn, a new start-up by Quinn Fitzgerald called Feast Upon.

Napa Cabbage with Chili-Garlic Sauce and Szechuan Peppercorns

Last week, I got a beautiful, billowy head of napa cabbage in my CSA share. There were only about three other people picking up their shares at the same time as me, but I was able to overhear the same concerns: "What do I do with napa cabbage?" Naturally, I was determined to find a crowd-pleasing application.

Kheedim Oh Wants You to Kimchi Me!

We've all heard about kimchi and its intoxicating powers of addiction, but July 10th on Governor's Island, get ready to become acquainted with the fermented vegetable in a major way. Kheedim Oh, founder of the small-batch artisanal Mama O's Kimchi based in Queens, is holding a Kimchipalooza, which will take place as a highlight of CookOut NYC. Just say, yes, we kim!

Warm Potato Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Garlic Scapes

I've been hearing the term "warm salad" being tossed around a lot lately, and feel it might be a new menu buzzword. Perhaps it inspires curiosity, still carries an unlikeliness that hasn't been as indoctrinated into our culture as, say, "chilled soup." Sometimes it makes perfect sense (roasted beets, dressed in a light vinaigrette), other times, seems more of a stretch (sorry, sauteed vegetables are just that). I've used the term for this dish because of its middle-road temperature. The potatoes are piping-hot and crisp, and when tossed with cool vegetables the combined effect is perfectly warm. It's the best way to enjoy it, I think.

Green Gazpacho (and a preview of the Feast of 61 Local Ingredients)

I'll admit, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by all the greenery that's coming in from my CSA -- and growing on the roof. I hit a breaking point when my friend Wen-Jay (of Local Roots CSA) offered me some leftover stinging nettle from a pick-up day, and I found myself biking home with two swinging backs full of stinging weeds, wondering how I was going to stuff them in my fridge. I thought of buying a juicer -- a quick, mindless solution to getting it all in my body like a transfusion of deep-green. But a classic Spanish recipe, made with mountains of muddled greens and fresh herbs, came to mind instead.

Zucchini Lasagna (Without the Pasta Sheets)

Zucchini and summer squashes are so versatile, and so various in size, color and shape, that they're endlessly fun to create with. From pattypan to eight ball-shaped globes of delicate flesh, we've come to see a lot more heirloom types of these over the last few years, thanks to farmers who've saved their seeds. This recipe can be made with any of them, sliced thinly and arranged in layers to stand in for lasagna sheets -- and soak in all the flavors in between.

Herbed Fava Beans

I've been eating in the style of mezze a lot lately -- a small pile of sauteed snap peas here, some roasted beets there, etc. So many vegetables are suddenly in season, and piling up thanks to my CSA share, that preparing them all in some congruous fashion can get taxing -- and somewhat self-defeating, as most are so good on their own. So rather than plopping a big, messy pile in front of me, I like to scatter a personal potluck on the table, of delicious but simple things. Well, here's one addition that will bring protein to the party, and is easy to keep on hand.