Dairy Free

We have an ongoing war among some of our staff members, and it centers around green beans. Our chef, Eddy, insists on cooking them just until al dente, whereas I cannot abide a crunchy green bean. It’s entirely up to you, of course; the timing I give here is for making them the way I like them: fully cooked!

When tomatoes are abundant and cucumbers fat and crisp, this salad begs to be made. It’s based on a salad my mother makes, and I consider it a summer classic. This recipe is a template for multiple variations: use white beans instead of the chickpeas, cilantro instead of the basil, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Pimientos de Padrón are little peppers that hail from Spain, where they’re simply prepared and served as a tapa or snack. You can eat these tender peppers whole, and they go perfectly with a glass of crisp dry sherry. This preparation hardly requires a recipe, but it’s so good that it deserves the formal attention of one. If you can’t find Pimientos de Padrón, look for Italian friarielli or Japanese shishitsu peppers (often stocked at Japanese grocers). In their absence, fresh okra spears make an excellent substitute—they just take a little longer to cook. You may also want to add a sprinkle of chile flakes to replicate the occasional heat of the Padróns.

Our chef Eddy developed this recipe based on the salsa he grew up with in Mexico City. It’s a favorite among our customers, especially at the height of summer when the tomatoes and peppers come from our own mini-farm. I love to spoon it over fried eggs after a late night of drinking, but it’s also perfect for picnicking or just snacking. For a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the jalapeño before roasting it.

This dish is one of the first things I make once the Pacific salmon season has opened. It is the first sign that summer is near. Later in the summer, I make a similar dish with corn, zucchini, and tomatoes with fresh basil. Any combo of fresh, perfectly sweet, just-picked veggies will be a great complement to the fish. It’s especially important to buy wild salmon—even self-proclaimed “sustainable” salmon farms are dangerous because of the parasitic lice that thrive on farmed salmon; when the infested fish escape (a frequent occurrence), the lice threaten the wild salmon population. If wild salmon isn’t in season, use any sustainable fillet or steak that is of similar thickness. If available, use 1/4 cup chopped green garlic instead of the garlic cloves. And if you can find them, rainbow carrots are beautiful here.

Before we were married, my wife, Anne, used to court me with this tart. She was a pastry chef at San Francisco’s now-razed 42 Degrees restaurant, and they sourced cheese from the same distributor as we did at the Market. Whenever the restaurant got their cheese shipment, Anne would give the delivery guy this tart, and he in turn would deliver it to me on his next stop. I guess the way to my heart truly is through my stomach! Whether you’re being wooed or not, this is a fabulous, timeless tart featuring an easy-to-mix shortbread crust and a tart, rich filling. Top it with whatever fruit is pretty and in season. If you are lucky enough to have access to Meyer lemons, you can replace up to two-thirds of the regular lemon juice with Meyer lemon juice.

Because of its seductive red color, this granita is the sexiest slushy on earth. It’s incredibly easy to make and requires the simplest of equipment. To take it over the top, serve with whipped cream or, for that Creamsicle effect, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If blood oranges are not available, you can also use ruby grapefruit, Valencia oranges, pomelos, or Meyer lemons. Tarter citruses will require additional sugar, so taste a bit of the mixture before you freeze it.

Letting the broccolini brown slightly in the pan gives it a boost of flavor. To accomplish this, the broccolini must be absolutely dry when it goes into the pan; otherwise, it’ll steam and won’t take on any color. A large cast-iron skillet is the ideal cooking vessel for this dish.

This simple but luscious soup has all the basic elements of minestrone: broth, beans, and veggies. If you can find it, erbette chard is my favorite variety to use. It’s sweet and nutty, with an incredible silky texture when cooked. Serve with grilled or toasted crusty bread, rubbed with the cut side of a halved garlic clove, and drizzle with olive oil.

Plain roasted veggies are fantastic as is, but tossing them with butter, capers, and lemon really takes them over the top.

This salad demonstrates how fresh winter can taste. The raw fennel is clean, aromatic, and crisp, the citrus sweet and a touch bitter, and the avocado rich and smooth. You can substitute other citrus with similar success or even use several types. To really take this salad over the top, I love to top it with fresh plucked Dungeness crab meat (another winter wonder); about 8 ounces is perfect for four servings.

Our customers are an incredibly diverse group of people, but there’s one thing that unites them: their love for our latkes. We used to make them only for Jewish holidays, but now they’re a staple in our deli for Jews and non-Jews alike. Our version includes butternut squash and fresh herbs, which give the latkes a freshness that most other kinds lack. This recipe employs a trick that we use extensively in our commercial kitchen: we brown the latkes on the stove top and finish the cooking in the oven. It not only minimizes the time you spend standing over a hot pan but also reduces the amount of oil needed and frees up the stove top for whatever else you might want to make. I love these as a first course or a light supper, especially when paired with smoked salmon or trout. Applesauce and sour cream are great, too.

This colorful and refreshing salad is one of the most eagerly anticipated items in our deli case. We don’t start making it until the tomatoes are really ripe and the corn is sweet and abundant. Because the ingredients are fairly sturdy, this salad holds up for quite a while after you make it. It’s a great candidate for bringing to a picnic or barbecue, and it’s the perfect side for a burger! It’s also nice as a salsa or spooned onto a grilled fish fillet.

Olive oil cakes are a traditional Italian treat; this one is unusual in that it uses whole oranges and lemons, not just their zest. This barely sweet dessert—a sophisticated amalgam of heady olive oil, aromatic fruits, and toasted almonds—will win you friends wherever you serve it. Be sure to use good-quality olive oil in this recipe. I prefer a Tuscan blend with a bit of peppery bite to give the cake an interesting dimension. I love serving this cake with whipped crème fraîche that has been lightly sweetened.

Far too few people are familiar with the vinegar spritzer. It may sound strange to the uninitiated, but it’s actually a lovely and highly refreshing drink. It’s the perfect thing to wake up your taste buds or cleanse your palate.

There are so many things I love about this dish, but what I love most is that it’s made from basic pantry ingredients, so it can be made on the fly when you really don’t want to go shopping for food. It’s in the spirit of the classic linguine with clams, but made with canned tuna instead. Because of the simplicity of this dish, the quality of all the ingredients is critical to the final result. The breadcrumbs are optional but do add great texture.

This simple, filling one-dish meal is perfect for weeknights. The secret ingredient is the white beans; crushing them slightly helps them break down into a luxurious light sauce for the pasta. If fresh shelling beans happen to be in season, this is a great way to use them (you’ll need to cook them separately first). The beans nestle perfectly into the cup shape of the “little ear” pasta, so be sure to use orecchiette for this dish. Pancetta adds a boost of flavor, but you could also substitute a few tablespoons of olive oil to make this dish vegetarian. And for a spicy kick, you can also add a pinch of chile flakes when you sauté the onions.

This dish comes straight from my mom, who made it nearly every Friday during Lent. It’s hearty and savory, and the rice and lentils together make it a perfect vegetarian protein. The burnt onion garnish is key; it adds depth and richness to the overall effect. Mom often served this with a rustic tomato, cucumber, and red onion salsa seasoned with lemon and mint, which lend acidity, texture, and fresh flavors to the plate.

There are as many varieties of dal (the nourishing lentil soup) as there are towns and villages in India. Our recipe is inspired by the one served at Kasa Indian Eatery, just down the street from the Market. It gets a dose of butter, which makes the soup incredibly rich in flavor, and pureeing half gives it extra creaminess. This recipe can easily be doubled.

This silky, sophisticated soup is proof that beans can be so much more than humble peasant food. Serve it as a warming first course or main dish. You can use cannellini beans or white navy beans in this soup, but given the choice, I prefer the cannellinis. They’re larger and have comparatively less skin, so they produce a creamier soup.