Pasta with Collard Greens and Apples

Pasta with fruit? This was an experiment gone right. It's quick and easy to make, and has a nice balance of sweet, salty, and leafy flavors, with an extra kick from garlic and chili flakes.

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (or bacon fat, if you're so inclined)
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 small bunch of collard greens (about 6 medium sized leaves)
1 small apple
2 cloves garlic
salt
1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to package directions.

Remove stems from collard greens. Stack leaves and slice crosswise into thin ribbons (about 1/4 inch wide). Chop apples into small cubes or strips.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add chili flakes and collard greens. Cook until greens are slightly wilted (about 2-3 minutes). Add apples and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until apples are slightly browned, tossing frequently (about 10 minutes).

Toss greens mixture with pasta and a few tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking liquid. Top with grated cheese.

CSA in the News: Too Much of a Good Thing

Last week, Slate explored the dilemma of being overloaded with CSA produce and having it go bad, thus creating environmentally unfriendly waste. Slate recommends donating to a local food bank, and at the very least, composting whatever has gone bad (full disclosure: my CSA donates weekly leftovers to the Doe Fund, and I compost vegetable scraps at home).

As for other options, Serious Eats readers turn to good old fashioned methods such as canning, freezing, and giving stuff away to friends and neighbors. Thankfully, our big surplus item this year seems to be carrots, which stay edible for a very long time, and can be added to just about anything: salads, soups, stir-fry, cakes, juices... And of course, they're great simply roasted.

Roasted Carrots with Sage

Farmer Deb has proclaimed this the Year of the Carrot, and she was not kidding. I am impressed that my skin hasn't turned the color of Oompa-Loompa after so many weeks of bountiful carrots (which is a good thing). While I've been julienning and dicing the hell out of the larger ones, the smaller men's-finger-sized carrots are perfect for roasting with a bit of oil, coarse sea salt, and black pepper, at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. For bonus points, add some sage leaves; they get really crispy and delicious in the oven (as usual, I used my toaster oven).

Eggs in a Vegetably Nest

A couple times during my post-college year in San Francisco, my housemates and I walked down to the Pork Store Cafe on Haight Street to treat ourselves to a hearty midday brunch. The "Eggs in a Tasty Nest" dish was, how shall I say, amazing. Golden, very fried hash browns were mixed with crisp, glistening pieces of bacon, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Two over-easy eggs were laid atop this greasy, starchy mess of food and presented on a knife-scratched plastic plate. It might have even come with toast. It was the perfect meal for soaking up a hangover, possibly because it was heavy enough to put you right back to sleep.

But enough about my West Coast past. Here's a little something I threw together that will get me through the East Coast winter, when potatoes, carrots, and kale are reliable staples at the greenmarket. It's a nest of potatoes that was (very, very loosely) inspired by the Pork Store's version, but made without bacon, tomatoes, peppers, or hangovers.


2 small potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thin pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced leeks
1 small shallot bulb, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, cut into 1/4-inch wide matchsticks
3 large kale leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped (about 6 leaves)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
an egg or two

Parboil potatoes in a pot of salted water for about 5 minutes. Potatoes should be softened, but still have a tiny bit of crunch to them. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and shallots. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add carrots, kale, and herbs. Add parboiled potatoes and milk. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss to coat evenly. Add cheese. Cook until vegetables are browned. Top with fried eggs.

Baked Ziti with Cauliflower and Leeks

Baked pasta is so good (as if I really needed to tell you that). I embellished this take on macaroni and cheese with cauliflower and leeks, both of which have been showing up at farmers markets and in CSA shares.

1/2 lb ziti
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 of one leek, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
4 sundried tomato halves, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, and cook for two more minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked). Drain and set aside.

In a small pan, saute leeks in a bit of olive oil or butter, until softened.

To make sauce, melt butter in a small pot over low heat. Add flour to make a roux. Add milk, whisking until mixture is smooth. Add garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Mix in 1/3 of each of the cheeses.

Combine pasta, cauliflower, sundried tomatoes, and leeks with sauce. Pour into a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown (I usually crank the oven up to about 425 degrees for a few minutes at the end). Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Fried Rice with Kale

When it comes to fried rice, anything goes. While you definitely need leftover cooked rice (fresh rice should never be used for fried rice... it's just wrong), the remaining ingredients can include just about anything. In fact, I've seen (and eaten) fried rice that was created using all of the leftovers from the preceding four days. A little bit of this, plus a little bit of that, equals a melange of textures, flavors, and world cuisines (fried rice with char siu and pico de gallo, anyone?).

While I've had several fried rice favorites over the years (including a ketchup, ham, corn, and egg combination that was a staple throughout my high school summer breaks), my current ingredients of choice are brown rice (it's so nutty), kale (it's so good for you, and it'll be around all winter), pineapple chunks (they make it more interesting), and cashews (they also add flair). I also like to add garlic, soy sauce, eggs, scallions, and pork or tofu. Bonus ingredients in my most recent batch of fried rice with kale were the last of summer's peppers (both sweet and hot), two of several carrots I have, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Stewed Pears

According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary:

stewed
Pronunciation: \ˈstüd\
Function: adjective
Date: circa 1737
: DRUNK 1a

secondary meaning:
Main Entry: 2 stew
Function: verb
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
: to boil slowly or with simmering heat
intransitive verb
1 : to become cooked by stewing

These pears are stewed, in both senses of the word. I used firm (and perfectly bite-sized when sliced) Seckel pears for this recipe, but Bosc pears are also a good option.

1 1/2 Tbsp butter
8 Seckel pears, sliced
juice of 1 orange
1 oz bourbon
1/4 cup real maple syrup
3 drops vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Heat a small saucepan over low heat. Add butter and let it melt. Add remaining ingredients, and toss to coat pears evenly. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until liquid is reduced. Spoon over French toast, pancakes, or ice cream.

Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

I have a cold. Not to whine, but it's kind of annoying having a runny nose, mild headaches, and that telltale "sick" voice. Fortunately, it is also a good reason to make soup. Lucky me, I just happened to have a head of escarole, leftover plain pasta, and ground turkey sitting around.

makes 2 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 small head of escarole, washed and cut crosswise into strips
1 clove garlic
a few tablespoons of fresh herbs (I used parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme... thanks, Simon & Garfunkel)
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

For the meatballs (makes two batches... freeze the other half, or use them in sandwiches or with pasta):

1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
a few pepper mill grinds of pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp chopped parsley and/or other herbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 lb small pasta, cooked (such as macaroni, oreichette, small shells, or orzo)

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium low heat. Add red pepper flakes, onions, carrots, and salt. Cook for a few minutes, until onion is translucent. Add escarole, garlic, and herbs. Cook for a few minutes more, until escarole is wilted. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low.

To make the meatballs, combine everything in that second group of ingredients with a fork. Form 1 1/2-inch meatballs (this recipe makes about 20). Heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add meatballs and brown for about 3-4 minutes, on each side. Add half to soup, and let simmer for 5 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a squeeze of lemon juice if you have some.

Serve by ladling soup over cooked pasta. I like to keep the pasta and soup separate so that the pasta doesn't overcook.