Quinoa and Chard Cakes

In the summer, I try to eat dinner in the park at least twice a week. While our fire escape works for bedtime stories, I’m not sure a family of four could comfortably dine out there. Luckily we have the world’s most amazing (overpriced) picnic chairs and the ubiquitous JJ cole picnic blanket that seems like it’s a requirement for entry into Central Park these days.

Anyways, I actually find it hard to pack a picnic that feels substantial, and doesn’t break the bank in the way French cheeses, prosciutto and baguettes do. When I saw this recipe for quinoa and chard cakes, I thought they would transport well, be good at room temperature and tempt my kids to eat vegetables. I was right on two counts.

I ended up using half rice and half quinoa to clear out the fridge, and I skipped the step of toasting and grinding the cumin and just used ground cumin. I served them with a dollop of garlic yogurt. The adults loved them. The kids ate pasta and chocolate covered raisons for dinner. Again.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013616-quinoa-and-chard-cakes

Peanut Soba Noodle Salad

You know that feeling when you open your kitchen cabinets and they are overflowing, but yet there is nothing to eat? The other day I sat there staring at four different types of paprika, a giant bag of almond flour and dried cranberries and became determined to start "using down" some of my dry goods.

This peanut sauce does just that, and tastes amazing.  It even  used up some of my old black tea!

http://food52.com/recipes/28663-peanut-soba-noodle-salad

The soba noodles and peanut sauce are a great base and then you can toss in anything you like. I ended up throwing in a bunch of herbs and radishes that I had on hand, including the recommended cucumber and mint to keep it bright. I added chicken to make the leftovers last longer.

This dish is definitely for peanut lovers. I literally eat peanut butter straight from the jar, and these noodles satisfy that craving while also making me feel slightly less pathetic in front of my coworkers!

Chile Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumber

Lottie + Doof is one of my favorite food blogs. I love his recipes, and  his tone. In his most recent post he wrote, " Can we get on the same page about something? Sometimes I just want to post a recipe, with the implied imperative: you should make this! Sometimes there isn’t much else to say. Cool?," I listened.

Meatballs are often served as a heavy dish, so I was intrigued by the idea of pairing them with cucumbers and yogurt. (Cucumbers are also basically free at the farmer's markets these days.) I loved the combination, and the bright red glow of the chile sauce. My only complaint was that it called for a blender, food processer and a spice grinder. The fact that I even own all those thing given my kitchen size is beyond me. At least they got some use!

Goan Shrimp Curry

I love NYC in the summer. Picnics on the Great Hill, free movies on the river, and drinks at my new favorite bar called Ellington in the Park on 105th looking out over the Hudson. I also sleep better in the summer because I can blast the AC and drown out the sirens and drunk people on my stoop!

The downside - the big downside - is not having outdoor space. It's brutal, especially with young kids as we have to be indoors after bedtime. This is why I was particularly appreciative of Rupal's rooftop dining invite last week. Dinner with her is a treat; I always leave feeling more relaxed and less overwhelmed by NYC. But I also leave with amazing leftovers!

Last week she made a Goan shrimp curry loosely based on this recipe:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/goan-shrimp-curry

I'm going to try and replicate it next week. Do you think I could substitute playground dandelions and alley weeds for the edible flowers?