Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel Hardcover – September 15, 2015

Sprout Salad (serves 2-4)

- 3/4 cup | 6 oz | 170 g Greekstyle yogurt

- Fine-grain sea salt

- 1 handful of arugula, chopped.

- 1 small bunch chives, minced, flowers (if any) reserved.

- 8 oz | 225 g sprouted mung beans or cooked mung beans (about 2 cups).

- A big handful of welltoasted sliced almonds.

- Good extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 ripe avocado, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, the arugula, and chives. In a larger bowl, toss the mung beans and almonds with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the avocado and gently toss once or twice more. Serve the mung beans next to the yogurt mixture and drizzle with a bit more olive oil. If your bunch of chives included a few chive flowers, sprinkle them across the top.

Chicory Soup (serves 4)

- 7 tablespoons | 105 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving.

- 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced.

- 2 cups | 8 oz | 225 g diced celery

- Fine-grain sea salt

- 1 bay leaf

- 3 sprigs fresh thyme

- 7 cups | 1.65 L water

- 3 cups | 15 oz | 425 g cooked barley

- 1 large dried ancho chile

- 1 large clove garlic, smashed.

- 1 small whole preserved lemon, rinsed, seeded, and minced.

- 3 cups | 4 oz | 115 g chicory, cut into 11/2-inch | 4cm pieces.

- Crème fraîche, chopped cilantro, and/or chopped chives, to serve.

To a large pot over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the onion, celery, and 21/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir frequently for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions and celery are soft but not browned. Add the bay, thyme, and water and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender. Stir in the cooked barley. Continue to simmer for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, until the starchy barley has slightly thickened the broth. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Taste again for seasoning, adjusting if necessary.

While the soup is simmering, make a lemon-chile relish. Start by removing the stem, ribs, and seeds from the chile. Chop the chile into very small, irregular crumbles. You want bits that are not uniform, to lend a rustic quality to the final result. In a small pot over medium heat, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the chile crumbles, and garlic. Tilt the pan so that the oil pools, toasting the chile, but taking care not to burn the garlic. After about 5 minutes the chile should be somewhat softened and its flavor will have infused the oil. Remove the pan from the heat, smash up the garlic pieces, and stir in the preserved lemon.

To serve, toss the chicory with a small splash of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Ladle soup into individual bowls then top with the dressed chicory. Add small spoonfuls of lemon-ancho relish, dabs of crème fraîche, and lots of chopped cilantro and chives.

Baked Oatmeal (serves 6)

- Zest of 1 lemon

- 2 cups | 7 oz | 200 g rolled oats

- 1/2 cup | 2 oz | 60 g whole Marcona almonds

- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

- Scant 1/2 teaspoon finegrain sea salt

- 1/3 cup | 2 oz | 60 g maple syrup, plus more for serving.

- 1 cup | 240 ml kefir or buttermilk.

- 1 cup | 240 ml water

- 1 egg

- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly.

- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

- 1 pound | 455 g ripe pluots, quartered and pitted.

- A bit of cream, to serve.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit | 190 degrees Celsius with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch | 20cm square baking dish (or equivalent), then sprinkle with lemon zest.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, kefir, water, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla. Arrange the pluots in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the kefir mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple of raps on the countertop to make sure the liquid moves through the oats.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Finish with a bit more maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter, and a thread of cream to bring it all together.