One of William’s favorite weeknight meals is spicy lamb orzo (originally from epicurious.com)—a one-pot pilaf with protein and lots of flavor. Usually, I make the dish with ground lamb, but last week I used the remnants of a beautiful, orange-spiked leg of lamb. In addition to the leftover meat, I used the lamb bone, along with carrot and onion, to make a simple lamb broth to replace the usual beef variety. And, guilty, I subbed rendered lamb fat for olive oil. My balcony’s tomato plants also were generous enough to supply perfect cherry tomatoes. No grocery store Romas necessary.

All these subtle upgrades yielded oodles of lamby flavor my finest pot of spicy lamb orzo yet. 

Spicy Lamb Orzo
1 tablespoon olive oil (or lamb fat!)
1 pound lamb, ground or leftover roasted, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced or 1 1/2 teaspoons jalapeno chutney
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
8 ounces orzo
2 cups lamb or beef broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Accompaniments
Yogurt
Chutney

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a medium pot. If you’re using ground lamb, add lamb to pot, and brown. Remove lamb, and drain on a paper towel. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno to pot, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until vegetable begin to soften. Stir in coriander and curry powder, and cook 1 minute more. Add orzo, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Pour in broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in salt, cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 18 minutes. Orzo should be tender, and a small amount of liquid should remain. If you’re using leftover roasted lamb, stir it in now, and warm through—about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in tomatoes and cilantro.

Serve with chutney and yogurt.

Serves 4

I’ve had Mark Bittman’s Paella with Tomatoes recipe stashed away in my mental recipe file for more than two years. Last week, I finally pulled it out for a mid-week dinner. The verdict: We loved the inclusion of smoked paprika, and bites with tomato and a pea shoot salad topping were tasty.  Otherwise, it was a plate full of rice. William and I both would have enjoyed hunks of Spanish chorizo and maybe the fresh garbanzos that I bought at the Coral Gables farmers’ market (we ate them steamed, like edamame, instead … they were veggie crack). For the time it took to prepare this meal (minimal), it’s worth tweaking. I’ll keep the amended recipe on file.

I also borrowed this Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage recipe from Real Simple. The combination is far from novel, but since it was my first time cooking broccoli rabe, I chose to stick with a classic. My only changes: using lots of local green garlic and onion and subbing vegetable broth for chicken. I would make this again with more greens and red pepper flakes and less broth. I had to reduce the sauce for close to eight minutes to prevent a soupy final product.

To help clear the nasty cold our niece Camille gave us for Christmas, I made a big pot of Mexican tortilla soup based on a recipe my Mom has made for years … with one snag. I ran out of the pasilla chiles I usually use for the recipe. Publix was out as well, so William picked up dried chipotle chiles to try instead. Although initially dismayed by the thought of the substitution, I was a quick convert after one slurp. The chipotles lent the soup their signature smokey flavor and imparted about the same (nominal) level of heat as the pasillas, which kept William happy.

The soup may have lacked sinus-clearing heat, but it packed an intense amount of flavor for a simple concoction of vegetables and broth. And the decadent toppings—avocado, queso fresco, sour cream and fried tortilla strips—filled and satisfied our fatty desires.

Mom, I’m pretty sure you’re reading this. As soon as you can get some decent tomatoes, give your chiles the boot and try some chipotle in your tortilla soup.

Tortilla Soup with Chipotle Chiles
1 1/2 to 2 cups canola oil
3 dried chipotle chiles, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch hunks
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 large onion, sliced
1 jalapeno, halved
6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
3 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
Salt to taste

Garnish
Corn tortilla strips, fried until crisp
Diced avocado
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Crumbled queso fresco

Instructions
Heat canola oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Fry chipotle chiles for 1 to 2 minutes, until softened. Reserve oil to fry tortilla strips for garnish.

Combine chipotle chiles, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro in a blender, and puree until smooth. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot. Pour vegetable puree into the olive oil, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is a deep brick color. Add stock to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes more. Season to taste with salt (salt quantities will vary greatly, depending on the stock you use).

Pour soup into bowls, top with desired garnish, and serve.

Serves 8 to 10

This weekend, I picked up my first glorious box of produce from Bee Heaven Farm’s community supported agriculture (CSA) program. The surprise package contained callaloo, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, mizuna, farm-fresh eggs, roselle, corn, turnips, green beans and bok choy! For the next few months, the majority of my recipes will be inspired by such local, seasonal produce.  (I am so freaking excited.)

I usually start planning my weekly menus on Thursdays, but with a CSA, I won’t know what produce I’ll have to cook with until Saturday morning. My meals, no doubt, will have to get creative.

To start my CSA season properly, I made my all-time favorite meal—corn and tomato pie. This James Beard recipe is all Americana with a biscuit crust, ripe tomatoes and corn, sharp cheddar and lemon mayonnaise. For most of the United States, this pie should be reserved as a summer treat, but South Floridians can enjoy it November through February or April, as long as our slightly cooled climate gives us tomatoes and corn.

I’ve made this recipe four or five times now and have simplified it a bit. I don’t pulse my corn in a food processor nor do I peel the tomatoes. Also, the original recipe calls for beefsteak tomatoes, but I’ve used a mix of cherry, beefsteak and our lovely Florida uglies—the variety of tomato matters much less than the freshness and flavor. In a pinch, I’ll also substitute scallions for chives. But don’t skimp on the mayo and cheddar. They provide the dish’s craving-inducing, belly-satisfying richness. Believe me, unless you hate “summer” flavors, vegetables or America, you can’t help falling for this pie.

I made this Red Rice (an approximation of my Mom’s recipe) to accompany the last few links of my Dad’s venison sausage. It’s a humble, Cajun-inspired combination and one-pot wonder. I used my trusty cast iron frying pan to cook the bacon that flavored the dish; saute onion, bell pepper and garlic; and finish cooking the tomato-based rice.

The rice starts on the stovetop but finishes baking, covered, in a hot oven. And instead of baking the sausage on a separate pan, I just popped four links atop the tin foil that covered the rice. This pleased our resident dish washer.

To add some green to the meal and counteract the bacon grease, I made a pan of garlicy spinach, as well. And although it would have fed a normal family of four, William ate half of the rice and sausage. I took care of the spinach.

Red Rice
5 strips bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (or 2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed into 3/4 cup water)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large cast iron frying pan on medium heat. Add bacon strips, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. (There shouldn’t be tons of bacon grease left in the pan, but if you’d like, you can remove all but one tablespoon of the fat).When bacon is cool, break it into 1/4-inch pieces.

Add onion, bell pepper, and bay leaf to the pan, and cook until vegetables are soft, 8 to 10  minutes. Add garlic and oregano, and cook 2 minutes more.

Stir in rice, and toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, black pepper and hot sauce. Top top the rice-tomato mixture with crumbled bacon. Cover the pan (tin foil works just fine for the cast iron) and place into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until rice is tender.

Serves 4

Catechism introduced me to Purgatory years ago, but I had not met uova in Purgatorio until last month through a recipe on thekitchn.com. This dish in limbo requires little time for preparation and combines some of my favorite ingredients—eggs, tomatoes, garlic and basil—which are designed to be spread upon and sopped up by a crusty hunk of bread.

The basic premise of the recipe is to cook eggs in a tomato sauce—some recipes call for baking the eggs. Others recipes (including mine) cook on the stove top.  And though the flavor profiles are continents away, this dish is reminiscent of my favorite curried eggs, which also are cooked in a tomato base.

While my recipe sticks with tomato sauce basics, others call for olives, mushrooms, Parmesan, etc. Use what you love and have on hand for a simple, healthy, filling, vegetarian, cheap and guiltless meal. 

Uova in Purgatorio
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil
4 eggs

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until garlic turns golden—2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes (and their juices) and the basil to the pan. Break up tomatoes with the back of your spoon. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer until mixture thickens. You should be able to drag your spoon through the sauce and leave a momentary trough.

Make four indentions in the sauce, and crack an egg into each. Cover the pot, and cook until egg whites are firm but the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Divide eggs and sauce into 2 bowls, and serve with big hunks of crusty bread.

Serves 2

Hash browns are one of my favorite quick meals. But I usually opt for an unhealthy version bathed in cheese, ketchup and oozy egg yolk, among other trashy toppings. But last night I set out the make a healthy, fall-inspired hash brown—using sweet potatoes rather my regular yukon gold and topping the spuds with vegan chickpea stew instead of ketchup and eggs. 

To complement the sweetness of the potatoes, I seasoned the tomato-based stew with cinnamon, paprika and honey. I also added fresh cilantro and oregano for herby undertones. 

As the hash browns fried, the potatoes’ natural sugars caramelized—delivering crunch and deeper flavors than I expected. This meal offered us salty and sweet and herby and crisp and soft. What a mouthful. 

For next-day leftovers I slopped the chickpeas stew (whose flavor had improved overnight) onto a baked sweet potato instead of a day-old, soggy hash brown. Although it was missing the caramel crunch, the tuber and its partner stew still worked magic in my mouth. So for the calorie conscious and those averse to dirtying extra pots and pan, a baked sweet potato works (almost) as well with this this recipe. 

Sweet Potato Hash Browns with Chunky Chickpea Stew
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
2 gloves garlic, minced 
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cinnamon stick
1 28-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups whole tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 large)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°.

In a small pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until onion begins to turn translucent. Add paprika and cinnamon stick, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add chick peas, tomatoes, honey, salt, pepper, and herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. As mixture cooks, break up tomatoes with the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile, peel and grate sweet potatoes. Squeeze excess moisture from the potatoes with an absorbent towel. In an 8-inch, non-stick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high. Add 1/4 of the sweet potato, and spread evenly in the pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the bottom begins to brown.  Flip the hashbrown, cooking another 3 minutes. Transfer hash brown to a baking pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining sweet potato. 

To serve, sprinkle salt and pepper onto each hash brown and top with 1/4 of the chickpea stew. 

Serves 4

On our way back home from my niece Camille’s baptism in Georgia, William and I stopped at a farm stand and picked up a basket of tomatoes, among other late-summer bounty. Since we haven’t seen a stellar Miami tomato in months, I decided to embrace their tomato-ness with a batch of our favorite gazpacho. 

And I’m not talking about a souped-up version with loads of veggie diversity. Just tomatoes and a few choice ingredients: olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, red wine vinegar and salt. This recipe couldn’t be simpler.

On the side, I served thick slices of no-knead bread in a hurry topped with lemony herbed ricotta (ricotta, basil, oregano, rosemary, a squeeze of lemon and salt) and sea salt. 

Simple Gazpacho
5 medium tomatoes, quartered and seeded
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

Instructions
Combine ingredients in a blender, and puree. Chill for at least 1 hour, and serve. 

Serves 2 to 3

Growing mung bean sprouts for the first time this week felt like a 2nd grade science experiment. Little green beans sprung to life in a pot on on my counter. If you’ve never tried it, here’s how: 

1. Rinse beans in a fine colander, and remove any non-bean debris.
2. Soak beans overnight in a large bowl of water. 
3. Drain beans, and place them in in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth. 
4. Bundle the cloth, and secure it closed with string or a rubber band. 
5. Place the cloth with the beans in a pot with a lid on top.
6. Leave the beans on your kitchen counter or in another warm location for one to two days. (Mine grew for about 36 hours and yielded one-inch sprouts.) 

Just as magical as growing the fool-proof sprouts was this curry dish in which they starred. I based my recipe on a curry from VeggieBelly.com, making a few adjustments. The spice blend was neither subtle nor overwhelming (I tend to get curry powder happy). And the bean sprouts maintained a firm texture, giving this vegan dish necessary heartiness—not to mention protein. I served the curry over rice to sop up all the juices.

Mung Bean Curry
1/2 pound mung beans, sprouted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large onion, diced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoons cumin powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
4 cups water or vegetable broth 
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add onion and  cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the tomatoes break down, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander, cooking for 1 minute more. Add mung beans, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Taste curry, and adjust salt as needed. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro (reserving just a bit for garnish). Serve over rice. 

Serves 6

This is another modified Easy Vegetarian (Rylan Peters & Small) find. This dish has a pleasant level of heat and a golden balance of veg, protein and carbs—not to mention fiber. With minimal prep and one-dish cooking, these curried lentils are ideal for a weeknight dinner (and next-day leftovers). They also would make a nice side dish for a larger Indian meal. 

I served sauteed zucchini and plain yogurt on the side. And if we weren’t out of naan and chutney, I would have eaten those as well.

Curried Lentils with Lentils and Spinach
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 teaspoons hot curry powder
1 1/2 cups brown lentils
2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Instructions
Heat oil in a medium-size sauce pan over medium. Add onions, garlic, chile, cumin, and curry powder. Cook for 4 minutes. Add lentils, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Pour in water, and bring to a boil. Stir in salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook lentils for 25 minutes (lentils will still be a bit firm).

Stir in spinach and tomatoes. Cook until spinach is wilted, and serve.

Serves 4