Apple & Cipollini Relish

Occasionally I teach classes that are devoted to one vegetable (or fruit) or to a small group of vegetables (or fruits):  Asparagus in the Spring...  Eggplant, peppers & summer squash in late summer...  Corn & zucchini in the middle of summer...  And this past week, apples.  Three of the recipes from this particular class have already made an appearance on my blog: Celery Root & Apple Soup...Autumn Salad of Shaved Fennel, Apples & Belgian Endive...and a simple Pork Chop Baked with Apples & Mustard.   Today I thought I would share another:  Apple & Cipollini Onion Relish.

If you have never cooked with—or tasted—cipollini onions (pronounced chip-oh-lee-nee), you should definitely give them a try.  A small, flat, round Italian onion, they are beautiful to look at and they have a mild, sweet flavor—perfect for adding to a medley of roasted or sautéed vegetables or a braise or a stew.  Peeling them is a little bit time consuming, but it can always be done ahead.  Also, it's a fairly mindless activity and could be done while you are watching TV or chatting on the phone with a friend. 

This is not the first time I have shared a recipe that uses cipollinis.  A couple of years ago I posted a recipe for a favorite chicken dish that included some.  In that post I described a simple method for peeling that involves soaking the onions (after the root has been trimmed away) in a bowl of warm water.  This softens the skins so they can be easily removed.  In the relish recipe I'm sharing today, I'm giving a different method—one that calls for boiling the onions for a minute or two before peeling them.  The advantage of this is that it jump starts the cooking process.  The cipollinis in my relish recipe are cooked by braising in white wine.  My understanding is that the acidity of the unreduced wine firms up the cell structure of the onions...consequently they take much longer to cook than they would in plain water or broth.  Blanching them before the braising process helps to reduce the cooking time a bit.

If you have never made a savory relish before, I would like to encourage you to make this one—it's a great place to start.  Other than the peeling of the onions, it is an uncomplicated recipe with clean, straight forward and friendly flavors.  It's an easy relish to like (and was very well-received by my class).  It is especially delicious with pork and would also make a nice accompaniment to turkey during the upcoming holidays.   Even if you aren't ready to think about winter roasts or the holidays yet (I'm not), you'll find that this relish is delicious served with cheese as an appetizer or part of a cheese course.  Right now—while we are in the height of apple season...and the very beginning of cipollini season—would be a great time to give it a try.   

   

Apple & Cipollini Onion Relish

2 to 3 T. olive oil

3 small sprigs of rosemary

1 1/2 lb. cipollini onions—preferably about the size of a quarter in diameter

1 1/2 T. sugar (or to taste)

1 1/2 c. dry white wine

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 T. unsalted butter

3 medium Braeburn apples (or other sweet tart variety that holds its shape when cooked), peeled, cored, cut into 12 wedges, wedges halved horizontally

1 to 2 T. picked thyme

2 T. Balsamic vinegar

Peel the Cipollini onions: Trim the root flush with each onion.  Drop them into a pot of rapidly boiling salted water.  Boil for 1 to 2 minutes.  Lift out and let drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.  Pull off the softened skins (you will probably need to use the tip of a paring knife).  Any onions that are very large should be halved crosswise (or quartered)—although cipollinis that have been halved or quartered will fall apart during the cooking process.  The onions can be peeled a day or two ahead.  Cool, wrap well and store in the refrigerator.

Put the olive oil and rosemary springs in a braiser or straight sided sauté pan (choose a pan large enough to hold the onions in a snug single layer) and warm over medium to medium high heat allowing the rosemary to infuse the oil for a minute or two.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown in spots—5 minutes or so. 

After the onions have begun to brown, add some salt and sprinkle the sugar over all.  Allow the sugar to caramelize, stirring, or gently shaking the pan, occasionally.  Add the wine and bring to a simmer.  

Cover and simmer (regulating the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer) until the onions are tender through—their color will change from white to a translucent beige.

While the onions cook, sauté the apples.  Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick pan over high heat.  Add the apples.  Toss or stir the apples when the first side begins to brown.  As the apples begin to brown all over, reduce the heat to medium or medium high.  Add the thyme and some salt.  

Continue to toss and cook until tender, but not falling apart.  Set aside.  (Note: if your pan is not large enough to hold the apples in a snug single layer, sauté the apples in batches, dividing the oil and butter accordingly.)

When the onions are tender (this will take as long as an hour...to an hour and a half...to two hours, depending on the age of the onions and how long they are blanched during the peeling process), uncover the pan and increase the heat to boil and rapidly reduce the remaining wine to a syrup.  Add the Balsamic vinegar and reduce to a syrup.

Remove from the heat and fold in the apples, correcting the seasoning with salt, pepper, sugar and/or balsamic vinegar as necessary.  The compote tastes best if made ahead so the flavors have time to develop.    Reheat gently before serving.

Makes 3 cups—enough to serve 10 generously as an accompaniment to turkey or a pork roast.

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One more Salad for Summer's Last Gasp—Greek-style Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Feta & Olives

 

It appears that this was the summer of the salad (for me, at least).  By my rough calculation, about a third of my blog posts over the course of the summer months were for salad...exceeding the number of posts for pasta and cake (my two main food groups) by a wide margin.  Since we are saying good-bye to summer this weekend (Autumn officially begins on Sunday), it seemed appropriate that I should post one last recipe for a summer salad.

I hate to refer to what I'm sharing today as a "recipe".  Whether you think it should or not, for most people the word recipe conjures up images of exact measurements and precise methods.  And this is not at all what I have in mind here today.  Rather, I have in mind an idea—an idea that I found earlier this year (before the summer even officially started) on Martha Stewart's site.  The original recipe lists quantities...and I will too...but I hope you won't use them.  Instead, I hope you will use the idea—a big, chunky, lettuce-less salad using all of the ingredients that Americans have come to associate with a "Greek Salad":  tomatoes, feta, olives, red onion, cucumber and herbs—to make your own exuberant platter. 

I made my version this past weekend as part of a birthday spread for my mother (a spread that also included grilled hamburgers, sautéed sweet corn and potatoes roasted with bacon and sage).  The salad I made was basically a "Greek-style" celebration of the tomato.  It has been such a good summer for tomatoes.   The displays of multicolored heirlooms and cherry tomatoes at the market have been abundant and breathtakingly beautiful...I don't ever seem to be able to purchase just a few.  I even heard one grower say a couple of weeks ago that he doesn't ever remember such a good year for tomatoes.  To make the salad, simply layer multi-colored tomatoes (some sliced and some in wedges) and halved cherry tomatoes on a large platter (or individual plates) with thinly sliced red onion and cucumber, halved Greek olives, and big chunks of feta.  Season with salt and pepper and bathe generously with vinaigrette as you build. 

This salad added the perfect touch for what was our family's last dinner gathering of the summer.  As much as everyone in my family likes corn and potatoes, I think the salad was the favorite dish on the table.  (The next day the leftovers made a delicious lunch as the garnish on a leftover hamburger.)  

And because I still had a mountain of tomatoes on my counter several days later, we had the same salad for dinner later in the week.  With a big chunk of toasted bread, it was just the thing at the end of a long, hot day of work when the last thing I wanted to do was cook some more.    

I hesitated to post this salad so late in the season.  But I'm certain the tomatoes will be coming into the market for at least another week or two....and as crazy as the weather has been, there will probably be more than a few hot days to come when a salty, tangy, juicy tomato salad will be the perfect addition to your evening meal.  And, if by chance you haven't made it to your local farmers' market yet this year, getting tomatoes so you can make this salad would be the perfect reason to go. 

 

  

Greek-Style Summer Tomato Salad

The Vinaigrette:

2 T. red wine vinegar

salt & freshly ground pepper

1 small clove of garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

1/2 t. dried oregano

6 T. extra-virgin olive oil

The Salad:

a generous 2 lbs. multi-colored tomatoes of varying sizes and shapes...it's nice to include some cherry tomatoes in the mix

1 small red onion (about 2 oz.), trimmed, halved, cored, sliced very thinly and rinsed under cold running water

1 cucumber, peeled if the skin is tough, halved, seeded and sliced thinly (about 1/8-inch) cross-wise—you should have about 3/4 to 1 cup sliced cucumber

3/4 to 1 cup mixed olives, pitted and halved lengthwise

6 to 8 oz. Feta (preferably in brine), sliced 1/2-inch thick and broken into randomly sized chunks

Salt  & freshly ground black pepper

To build the salad:
First, make the vinaigrette.  Place the vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano and whisk to combine. Let sit for five minutes or so. Add the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Taste and correct the seasoning. Re-whisk before using.
 

Rinse and core the tomatoes.  Halve the cherry tomatoes.  Cut the vine-ripened tomatoes into an assortment of attractive wedges and slices. 

You may build the salad on one large platter or on individual plates.  Arrange half of the tomatoes on the platter (or divide among the plates), followed by half of each of the cucumbers, onion, olives and feta.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the vinaigrette.  Repeat the layering of the salad elements, finishing with salt, pepper and vinaigrette.  Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the tomato juices and vinaigrette.  

Serves 4 as a light entrée or 6 to 8 as a side salad.

 

(Recipe inspired by a recipe in Martha Stewart Living, May 2011)

 

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First Taste of Autumn...Margaret's Apple Cake

I am a person who takes great pleasure in the rituals and traditions of life.  I have mentioned before that one of the things I love about food is its prominent place in our collective and personal traditions.  Thanksgiving is about a lot of things, but what would it be without turkey, trimmings and pie?  In my house, every time my extended family gathers for a holiday meal, my grandmother's dinner rolls have to make an appearance...their absence would be noticed (and remarked upon!).  And birthdays are not just marked by cake...but by a personal, particular, favorite cake.

For me, and I would imagine for just about everyone who loves to cook, food traditions are as much about preparing the food as they are about eating it.  The ritual of the process is not only a pleasure, it creates the mood for the occasion—whether that occasion is big or small:  Making Christmas cookies (traditional favorites or a "new" recipe)....  Preparing that favorite birthday cake....  Pulling out old dog-eared recipes that only see the light of day once (or for a short season) each year.

As I said, the occasion can be small...insignificant to anyone but yourself:  like the arrival at the market of the first apples of the year.  Apples started coming into my farmers' market a couple of weeks ago, but the weather has been so hot, it hasn't felt much like apple season.  Then on Friday, a cold front came through and we awoke to cool, typical September weather on Saturday morning.  So when I saw the new crop Galas at the market, I had to buy some.  It was time to make Margaret's Apple Cake. 

I don't know who Margaret is.  "Margaret's Apple Cake" is the name of a recipe I found many years ago in Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax.  I haven't done anything to really change this recipe.  I believe the original has nuts in the crumb topping, but for some reason I used oatmeal instead the first time I ever made it.  I liked the cake so much I never had any reason to make it any other way. 

It is not a fancy cake.  I'm not even sure I would serve it for dessert.  Even though it is quite sweet and buttery, its homey appearance and classic crumb cake texture make it perfect for breakfast or a snack.  And it is perfect for fall...loaded with apples and fragrant with cinnamon.  I like to serve it right out of the pan.

If you take it to a pot luck...or to work to share with your co-workers...you will not have one crumb left to bring home.  I have never served this cake to anyone who didn't love it or request the recipe.

As for my personal tradition marking the arrival of  fall and the Gala apple crop....  Well, local Gala apples were the apples I had on hand the first time I made Margaret's Cake.  Their sweet, fruity character was perfect in the cake.  And as it turns out, Gala apples are one of the first of the apples to come to the market.  Furthermore, their season is fleeting.  They don't store well, losing their crisp juicy snap in no time at all.  There are only a few short weeks in which to truly enjoy them.  So it happened that I began to watch for the arrival of the Galas so I could make this delicious little cake at least once each year.  It has now become my own personal harbinger of Autumn and the new, particular foods of the season to come. 

Margaret's Apple Cake

Crumb Topping:

4 T. unsalted butter

1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

3/4 c. oatmeal

In a bowl, rub the butter into the flour, sugar and cinnamon.  Add the oatmeal; toss to combine.  Set aside. 

Cake:

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 c. buttermilk or plain yogurt that has been thinned with a bit of milk

2 c. peeled, cored and diced (1/3-inch) apples (about 400 grams/14 oz. whole apples)—I prefer Gala, but Golden Delicious would probably work too...and maybe Jonathan...

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Fold in the apples with the final addition of the dry ingredients.  

Turn the batter into a greased 13- by 9-inch baking pan.   

Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the smoothed batter.  Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean—45-50 minutes.  Serves 12 to 15.

Recipe adapted from Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax

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Roasted Stuffed Zucchini

During the summer months I love to teach produce-driven classes—particularly during  the height of market season when the sheer abundance can be a bit overwhelming.  People are always looking for ways to use up the seasonal glut of eggplant, summer squash, peppers and tomatoes.  One of my favorite classes, The Bounty of Late Summer, is filled with recipes that do just that.  I have already posted two of the recipes from that class: Mediterranean Eggplant &Barley Salad and Bruschetta with Marinated Roasted Sweet Peppers.  Today, I wanted to share another:  Roasted Stuffed Zucchini.  If you have never prepared a stuffed vegetable before, this one is a great place to start.  It is a simple, relatively quick to prepare and super-tasty.  It is always a class favorite...eliciting such comments as "I had no idea zucchini could taste so good."

Stuffed vegetables can be filled with just about anything: vegetables, meats, cheeses, herbs & spices, breadcrumbs or a cooked grain.  I imagine they were originally conceived of as a way to use up odds and ends and leftovers.  And they can still be used for this purpose...as long as you make sure your leftovers aren't old and tired.  If the ingredients you choose to use (whether leftovers or not) are fresh and flavorful...and you follow a few simple guidelines...your results should be delicious. 

The first thing to consider is that stuffed vegetables are best when all of the filling ingredients are cooked ahead.  This will insure that any vegetables or meats that are included aren't releasing a lot of water (which will make the resulting vegetable soggy and water down the flavors) or a lot of grease (which would make the result...greasy) while they bake.  Uncooked fillings also tend to shrink in volume (due to loss of water and fat)—making the final stuffed vegetable look less than stuffed. 

The vegetable shell should be cooked ahead also.  Doing so will guarantee that the shell is soft and tender when the filling is hot through.  It is disconcerting to cut through a nice soft filling and run into a crunchy or al dente shell.  This isn't so much of a problem with summer squash since they cook fairly quickly, but it can still happen.  Why not be sure everything is cooked to tenderness?  It is an easy thing to blanch the shells briefly in boiling, salted water....or even toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them until they are just tender.  

Halved zucchini...ready to be hollowed out

Hollowed zucchini halves

Coarsely chopped zucchini flesh...to be cooked and used in the filling

The blanched shells...cooling in an ice bath.

 

A nice by-product of cooking the shell and the filling ahead is that the final baking process is only about heating the vegetables through and giving them a nice gratinéed surface.  The stuffed vegetables can be completely prepared (up to the point of roasting) ahead of time, making them ideal for entertaining.  Simply make them the day before (or early in the day) and refrigerate them.  Bring to room temperature and bake when ready to serve. 

Ready for the oven.  The stuffed zucchini can be prepared to this point ahead.

 

As I mentioned at the start, the recipe I'm sharing today is simple....there are no meats or cooked grains in the filling, for example...no spices and only one herb.  Because it is simple, a quick examination of the things that are included is illustrative of the essentials of a good stuffing:  Besides zucchini (a logical component), the filling begins with onions and garlic.  Both of these add depth of flavor and sweetness.  They are almost always a good idea.  Garlic is particularly fine with zucchini.  The tomato (and lemon zest) add acidity and are a nice balance for the zucchini.  Without these, the filling might taste a bit flat...which a squeeze of lemon juice or the presence of a cheese with a bit more tang (like Feta...or goat cheese) might correct.  In general, cheese is a nice addition... it adds great flavor, but beyond that, it acts as a binder.  The nuttiness of the Gruyère is good with the zucchini, but other cheeses...Parmesan, Pecorino, Emmenthal—or the aforementioned feta and goat cheese...would all be appropriate (I happened to use Dubliner in the zucchinis pictured...it's what I had in the house).  Like the cheese, the breadcrumbs act as a binder.  In fact, the breadcrumbs...or in lieu of them, a cooked grain of some kind...are essential to the success of the stuffing.   Both of these items add bulk, lightness, body and at the same time help to absorb any remaining juices that might be released during the final bake.  Finally, the recipe directs you to lay the filling into the shells with a light hand...not packing it down and mounding it slightly.  Squeezing or packing will produce a heavy, stodgy stuffed vegetable.  These zucchini are surprisingly light.  The finishing touch is a sprinkling of dried breadcrumbs which adds a nice light crunch...a few minced nuts would do the same (walnuts would be delicious with the zucchini).  The final drizzle of olive oil is important too...adding moisture and flavor.   

I hope you will give these stuffed zucchini a try.  I think you will find they are delicious...as a first course with a small fluff of greens or a light accompaniment to a simply prepared piece of meat or fish. 

Roasted Stuffed Zucchini

 

4 medium zucchini (about 5 oz. each)

2 to 4 T. olive oil

1 small onion (4 to 5 oz.), finely diced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 large vine ripe tomato or 2 Roma tomatoes (about 6 oz. total weight), peeled, seeded and diced with juices reserved

1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs

2 oz. Gruyère cheese, finely grated

zest of 1 lemon

1 T. picked thyme, minced

1/4 c. dry breadcrumbs

Ingredients for 1/2 a recipe ... to serve 2.

Trim the ends of the zucchini and split lengthwise.  Using a melon baller, scoop out the flesh of each zucchini half, leaving the walls of the zucchini about 1/4  inch thick.  Chop and reserve the insides.

Blanch the zucchini halves in boiling salted water until just soft and flexible—about 6 to 8 minutes.  Refresh in cold water.  Set cut side down on paper towels to drain.  If you prefer, you may cook them for a couple of minutes less and skip the refreshing process.  Simply transfer to towels to cool and steam dry.

Warm a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan.  Add the onion and stew over medium heat until soft (if the pan seems dry, add more oil).  Add the reserved zucchini insides, the garlic and a pinch of salt.  When the zucchini begins to release its liquid, increase the heat and continue to cook until nearly dry.  

Add the tomato along with the reserved juices and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato liquid has evaporated.  

Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl and let cool briefly.  Add the soft breadcrumbs, cheese, lemon zest and thyme and mix well.  Taste and correct the seasoning.

Arrange the shells in an oiled baking dish just large enough to hold the zucchini in a snug single layer.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Divide the filling among the zucchini halves, spreading and forming it with your fingers.  Do not pack it down; it should be slightly mounded. 

 

Sprinkle the dried breadcrumbs over the stuffed zucchini and drizzle with more olive oil.  The zucchini may be prepared to this point earlier in the day and chilled.  Bring to room temperature before proceeding.  Bake in a preheated 375° to 400° oven until the zucchini is very tender, the filling is bubbling, and the tops are lightly browned—about 25 to 35 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature with a salad or as an accompaniment to grilled meats or fish.  Serves 4.

(Recipe adapted from the Victory Garden)

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Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Purée

While shopping for a class last week I over-purchased a bit on eggplant.  My favorite eggplant vendor at the market doesn't keep a scale...and I wanted to be sure to have enough....  Anyway, I got  home with a couple pounds too much.  (I did manage to guess the zucchini weight on the nose...so I didn't feel too badly about the eggplant.  Besides, too much eggplant was preferable to not enough.)  Since I wanted to use the extra eggplant before it got old, I decided to roast it whole.  I knew it would keep well that way and that I would be able to come up with several uses for it.  Part of it went into a custard-based ricotta tart (fodder for a future post) and the rest became a delicious creamy eggplant and chickpea purée.

The recipe I am posting is loosely based on one I ran across on Marcus Samuelsson's site.  His uses freshly cooked dried chickpeas.  If you plan ahead, and want to take the time to cook chickpeas, I'm sure the results will be delicious. However, I happened to have a half can of chickpeas on hand—just the right amount for the eggplant that remained after I made my tart (a scant 1 cup).   I made several other small changes, but the biggest difference in the recipes is that I incorporated some plain yogurt.  The contrast of the white yogurt with the green-tinged taupe of the purée looks particularly nice (make a hollow in the mound of eggplant chickpea purée and spoon in some yogurt).  But I love the tang that it adds too—I think eggplant, chickpeas, yogurt and cumin must be one of my favorite flavor combinations.  If you prefer, you could just as easily fold the yogurt into the purée, giving a lighter—and slightly runnier—result. 

My intention was that this purée be served as an appetizer dip.  It would be perfect with crudités (cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc.), warm pita triangles or garlic-rubbed crostini...perhaps served alongside a bowl of marinated olives.  But on Sunday I had it for dinner (with semolina toast and a cherry tomato salad).  In general, this would not be enough dinner to satisfy my appetite.  But on Sunday, I had been out for a late lunch with my extended family.  I didn't expect to be hungry for dinner at all.  But then—when dinner rolled around—I found myself wanting just a little something.  The eggplant-chickpea purée was just what I needed...light, satisfying and full of flavor.

Roasted Eggplant & Chickpea Purée

2 globe eggplant (about 14 to 16 oz. each)

1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cloves of garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 t. ground cumin (or more, to taste)

1/8 t. cayenne

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Plain yogurt (preferably whole milk)

Toasted pine nuts

paprika (smoked or sweet)

Prick each eggplant several times and place on a baking sheet.  Roast in a 400° oven until collapsed and very tender to the tip of a knife—about 40 minutes to an hour.  Cut the eggplant open and set in a colander set over a plate.  Leave for 15 minutes to allow the excess juices—if any—to drain off.  

When the eggplant has cooled, remove the peel from the eggplant flesh—you can do this by scraping the flesh out with a spoon, or simply by pulling the skins away from the flesh in long strips. You may use the eggplant right away, or refrigerate for a day or two before proceeding with the recipe. 

Place the chickpeas in the food processor with the garlic and lemon juice and process, stopping to scrape the sides occasionally.  Continue to process until very smooth. 

Add the eggplant flesh (you should have 1 3/4 to 2 cups) to the bowl of the food processor along with the cumin and cayenne and a good pinch of salt.  Process until very smooth and creamy (scraping occasionally).  With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.  Continue to process until the oil is fully incorporated (there shouldn't be a sheen of oil visible on the surface of the purée).  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, cayenne, cumin and lemon juice (this dish is very much "to taste"). 

To serve, mound the purée in a wide, shallow bowl.  With the back of a spoon, make a hollow in the purée and spoon in some (well-stirred) yogurt.  (Alternatively, fold yogurt to taste...1/4 cup?..into the purée.)  Drizzle liberally with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and scatter the pine nuts over all.  Serve with crudités, warm pita or crostini.

Makes a generous 3 cups purée

(Recipe adapted from Marcus Samuelsson)

Notes:

• If you have never roasted eggplant whole before, check out my post on Escalivada for pictures and a more detailed description of the process.
• If you cook chickpeas from dried, you will need 1 3/4 cups cooked.  It is not necessary (in fact, not desirable) to rinse them if you have cooked them yourself.  Simply drain them.  You can use the cooking liquid to thin the purée if you like.
• The purée may be served chilled, but I think it is best at room temperature.
• The purée is delicious without the yogurt.  I happen to prefer it with the yogurt, but it is fine without. 

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