Wednesday Dinner: Homemade focaccia, roasted zucchini and summer squash and bulgur salad with black eyed peas, arugula and feta

Prep time: 3 hours the night before adapted from this recipe at Epicurious.com

My unprocessed dinner party was a smashing success (though I admit that I forgot to post this last night while I was busy entertaining my friends!). I put out some local cheese and cantaloupe for folks to snack on when they got there, my friend Brianne brought corn fresh from the farmers market, Cara contributed a quinoa salad, Arin and Karen brought a pineapple upside down cake with brandied whipped cream, and everyone else brought wine (some of which was local).

I spent $9 on the cheese, but otherwise made everything from my pantry and the produce I'd picked up over the weekend. Love that it was very inexpensive and the food was completely appropriate for the season. The focaccia was tasty and despite how difficult the kneading was, I'm definitely making it again—the payoff was totally worth the effort!

Here are two recipes for you:

Rosemary Focaccia with Caramelized Onions and Cherry Tomatoes

Makes: 1 15x10x1 inch loaf
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 3.5 hours

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 small onions, sliced thinly
2 cups small cherry tomatoes, halved 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1.) Stir together 1 2/3 cups lukewarm (105 to 115°F) water and yeast in bowl of mixer and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups flour, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough at high speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.

2.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, at warm room temperature, until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

3.) Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Let dough rise, covered completely with a kitchen towel, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

4.) Cook the onions over medium heat in 2 tbsp of olive oil. Salt generously and stir occasionally for about 15-20 minutes, or until the onions are a nice golden brown. Remove from heat.

5.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

6.) Stir together rosemary and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then brush with rosemary oil, letting it pool in indentations. Add the onions and the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over focaccia and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

7.) Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Bulgur Salad with Black-eyed Peas, Arugula, and Feta

Serves: 10-12, depending on how hungry people are!

4 cups bulgur, cooked according to package instructions
2 cups black-eyed peas, cooked 4 large handfuls of arugula
1/2 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste

1.) Combine the bulgur, beans, arugula and the feta in a large bowl.

2.) Use a fork to mix the zest, the lemon juice and the olive oil in a small bowl (you can add a finely minced shallot if you have one on hand). Pour it over the salad and stir gently to combine. Note: This salad is better made a few hours (or a day) in advance since it lets the flavors meld. If you make it ahead of time, pull it out of the fridge an hour or so before serving so it comes back to room temperature.

Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash

Serves: 8-10, depending on the size of your veggies

2 large zucchini, cubed
2 large summer squash, cubed olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

2.) Place the zucchini and squash onto a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir to coat evenly.

3.) Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until just brown. Add more salt before serving if you need to.

Get more of a Week Without Processed Foods:

Day One: Dinner
Day Two: Breakfast
Day Two: Lunch 
Day Three: Breakfast
Day Three: The Time Factor
Day Three: Dinner Party
Day Four: Lunch
Day Four: Dinner
The Chocolate Conundrum
A Bit of History
 

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