According to the fall equinox, the farmer’s almanac, Al Roker and the 90 degree weather, summer doesn’t end until September 23 at exactly 6:05 A.M. But, here we are, in the midst of school attempting to unclog our minds from the summer haze and cram ourselves full of new and important factoids. Blerg. Obviously (and rather bitterly), I’m having some trouble letting go of the summer vacation.

My garden is no help in the matter, each day coming home to a new bushel brimmed to the heaping point with tomatoes, squash, cucumber, soy beans, butter crunch lettuce, chard, and cilantro only to have to ignore my severe urge to cook, sauté and bake and instead bury myself in a research paper. I wake up in the middle of the night quaking from dreams of the little vegetable puppets from the Muppets laughing at me. Epicurious won’t stop emailing me recipes. The August issue of Bon Appétit magazine keeps mysteriously getting into my backpack and the library keeps giving me cookbooks! Why?!? Why must they taunt me so!?!

So the only viable solution: give in, absolve my rushed end to summer with some sort of tribute. It should be a summarization of all that I was able to experience this summer. A collection of memories represented in the most wonderful and quantitative way possible: food.

Yes, a meal depicting the truly fantastic nature of June, July and August. The memories? My summer began with a two week road trip circling the Northeast venturing through 12 colleges and 14 states, after a few days of relaxation I embarked on one of the grandest milestones of my life: a 10 day trip in Greece with 6 other people experiencing all that their culture had to offer. Following this adventure and the jetlag it carried, I celebrated a late Fourth of July with friends and a bonfire only to have to begin to pack for a 2 week long art college program at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago the very next day.

The surprising trend throughout my busy vacation? Well everything was a first time experience, so a unique dish is essential…Something quick to symbolize the hussle and bussle of it all…Definitely Mediterranean cuisine. I lived off of hummus and pita sandwiches while being stuck inside a car and staring out at New York countryside while road tripping. Greece was, well, authentic Greek cuisine, dishes full of tomatoes, eggplant and olive oil. Chicago? The only decent place to eat in the Loop (near the dorms) was the Oasis Café, a sketchy looking establishment inside a jewelry store serving up baba ganoush and falafels in obnoxious quantities…

So as a tribute and thank you to my summer the winning dish is: Eggplant Fries with Yogurt Dipping Sauce and Hummus *godly opera chorus*

 

Hummus

Makes 2 cups

1 16 ounce can of chickpeas (rinsed)

¼ cup tahini

3 tbsp olive oil

Some minced garlic

5 tbsp water

½ tsp cumin

salt and paper

In a food processor, blend the above ingredients for 2 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.

 

Eggplant Fries and Yogurt Sauce

Credited from the Café of the Art Institute of Chicago

Serves 6

1-½ lb eggplant

1 cup rice flour

2 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp sesame seeds

Salt

1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp pickle relish

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp fresh oregano

Place eggplant in a large bowl. Add 2 cups ice and enough water to cover. Place a plate on top of eggplant to weigh it down. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Stir together yogurt, pickle relish, lemon zest and oregano, set aside.

Pour oil into a large deep pot to a depth of 2″. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of pot and heat oil over medium heat to 325°.

Mix rice flour, lemon zest, chopped fresh oregano, cumin, sesames seeds and salt in a shallow dish.

Drain eggplant and, working in batches, toss damp eggplant in flour mixture to coat.

Fry about 6 eggplant fries at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes per batch. (Reheat oil to 325° between batches.)

Transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with lemon juice and sea salt. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

 

Comment pieces of your summer, it may inspire another meal article : )

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