seasonal eats

New Site: Mitch in the Kitchen

2009-09-20T23:49:00.002-04:00

This update is long overdue. I've got a new blog called Mitch in the Kitchen and a new project called Milkmade. Check 'em out!

Sour Cherry Compote

2009-07-29T22:33:00.001-04:00

Cherries might be my favorite fruit of them all. Whether they're sweet, sour, or even artificial (I have an undying love for maraschino cherries, and I don't find cherry-flavored medicine to be that gross), I relish them. A simple compote is my pick for the easiest, laziest way to enjoy sour cherries (as if 30 minutes of focused pitting counts as lazy).

1 dry quart sour cherries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp brandy

Wash, stem, and pit cherries. Combine sugar with orange juice in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. After a few minutes, add cherries and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add brandy and simmer for another minute or two. Serve warm or cold.

Whole Wheat Currant Scones

2009-07-20T00:28:00.008-04:00

I have a confession to make. Last summer, I had no idea what to do with our share of fresh currants. Jam seemed impractical, but I couldn't just snack on them as if they were green grapes. Eventually, they got moldy, I threw them away, and felt a bit guilty for wasting perfectly good fruit.

This summer, I've been sprinkling currants on my yogurt and cereal for breakfast and vanilla ice cream for dessert. A generous cup of them also went into these scones, which have been perfect for breakfast.

Update: the New York Times just published an article about currants.

(adapted from cook.eat.think.)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup steel cut oats
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
10 Tbsp chilled unsalted butter
1 cup fresh currants
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour with oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or fork, until the mixture is crumbly. Gently fold in currants, and add buttermilk. Mix gently, just until combined. The dough should be very soft.

On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a long rectangle, about 3 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick. Cut into triangles, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on top (optional). Bake for 22 minutes.

Spicy-Sweet Grilled Summer Squash

2009-07-15T19:19:00.007-04:00

This is the time of year that I add summer squash to everything. For breakfast or brunch: a vegetable-loaded squash and scallion frittata. For lunch: a quinoa salad with chickpeas, roasted squash, eggplant, and assorted items from the pantry and fridge. For dinner: a quick bean and vegetable chili.

Tonight marks the creation of an even simpler summer squash side dish, perfect for a romanesco squash the size of my forearm. Gochujang is a fermented Korean condiment made with soybeans, rice flour, and dried chilies (a new addition to my artillery of condiments). It's spicy but sweet, and has slightly rich, almost smoky flavor.

1 large summer squash (the long kind, e.g. zucchini)
1 teaspoon gochujang or spicy doubanjiang
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Slice squash crosswise into 1/2-inch thick coins. Combine remaining ingredients in a shallow dish. Dip each side of squash into sauce mixture, coating evenly. Cook squash pieces for about 5 minutes on each side, or until marks appear, in a grill pan over medium-high heat (or on an outdoor grill). Garnish with sesame seeds.

Pasta with Peas and Broccoli

2009-07-01T23:20:00.001-04:00

There is a bag of frozen peas in my freezer. It will stay there, untouched, for as long as fresh peas are in season.

5 oz dry pasta (I used whole wheat shells)
1/2 cup fresh peas
florets from 2 small heads of broccoli
1/2 cup quark
salt and pepper
big handful of chopped basil
big handful of chopped mint
green garlic oil (1 stalk green garlic or a few garlic scapes, pureed with 1/2 cup olive oil)

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. When there are 5 minutes of cooking time left, add peas to the boiling water. When there are 3 minutes left, add broccoli. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine pasta and vegetables with cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and herbs. Top with a few dabs of green garlic oil.

Whole Wheat Crêpes with Rhubarb and Quark

2009-06-20T17:58:00.000-04:00

My parents are on their way to Paris right now (for a well-deserved vacation), and I am quite bummed that I can't be there with them. During my visit to France a few years ago, John and I gorged ourselves on crêpes, simple baguette sandwiches, and pain au chocolat while wandering around the picturesque streets of Paris in our dirty, travel-worn sneakers. The last French meal we had was three nearly indecently buttery croissants (for €1,50) from a nondescript bakery, grabbed at the last minute before hopping on the Metro at 6 AM.

Since I was thinking about French street food, I decided to make some crêpes. I cooked some chopped rhubarb with minced ginger, sugar, and a splash of water. I mixed some quark (a cheese whose name does not really make you think of cheese) with some honey. Then I rolled it all up in my whole wheat crêpes. Not bad for a first attempt at crêpe-making.

Whole Wheat Crêpes
(serves 2)

1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
pinch of salt

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Beat egg in a medium bowl, then add remaining ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly combined. The batter should be runny.

Add a teaspoon or so of butter or oil to the pan. Add about 3 tablespoons of batter to the pan, and immediately swirl it around to make a big flat circle. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottom of the crepe is just beginning to brown. Flip over with a spatula, and cook for just a bit longer. Remove from pan and fill with just about anything.

Bitter Greens Salad with Fried Cheese

2009-06-15T22:19:00.002-04:00

So far, so good. My first CSA salad of the summer combined a big plate of arugula, mizuna, and lettuce with sliced radishes, fresh herbs, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a tangy-sweet honey balsamic dressing. I originally intended to top it off with some pan-fried halloumi cheese, but found a block of equally suitable queso de freir for a few dollars less (spending wisely now that I'm a part-time starving part-time student). The end result was a palate-pleasing combination of bitter, tangy, salty, and sweet.

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot bulb, chopped finely
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp honey
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Heat olive oil in a small pan. Add shallot and cook until slightly caramelized. Add water and heath through for a few minutes. Add honey, vinegar, a bit of salt and pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Turn off heat. Toss with greens and serve.

Love the Lovage

2009-06-05T00:08:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, I braved the crowds at the Union Square to go on one last greenmarket shopping spree before CSA season begins. Highlights included the photogenic radishes from my previous post, an enormous pile of sugar snap peas at the Mignorelli Farm stand ("Can I eat these raw? Are they low in fat?" a fellow shopper asked me... I love encouraging people to eat more vegetables), and a big bunch of lovage. The leaves of the lovage plant look like big celery leaves, while the stems are thin and hollow. It has a distinct aroma that I'll describe as savory and salty. So far I've enjoyed my lovage in soup, potato salad, and the two dishes below. I've also heard that the English make a cordial with lovage, traditionally mixed with brandy as a winter warmer (something I learned from a band called Lovage).

Lentils with Lovage

4 strips bacon (or 1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil, to make it vegetarian)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup green lentils
broth or water
20 lovage leaves
small splash of sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in a small pot over medium-low heat until slightly crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Leave about half of the bacon fat in the pot. If you're making this dish vegetarian, just heat the oil.

Add onion, carrot, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes, until onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Add lentils and enough water or broth to cover them by about an inch. Partially cover the pot with a lid, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

Stir in chopped lovage leaves and sherry vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped bacon.

Potato Gratin with Lovage

1 small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 medium waxy potatoes, thinly sliced (I used a mandoline set at 2.0 mm)
12 lovage leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

for bechamel sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups milk

shredded Gruyere cheese (as much or as little as you'd like)

To make bechamel sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat. Add flour to form a roux. Season with salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in milk to make a smooth sauce. Cook until slightly thickened.

Add a few tablespoons of bechamel sauce to a buttered small casserole dish. Add 1/3 of the potatoes in an even layer over the sauce, then 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the lovage. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Pour 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the onions and lovage. Repeat to make one more layer, then top with potato slices and bechamel sauce. Sprinkle (or pile) grated cheese on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, then lower temperature to 350. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

French Breakfast Radishes

2009-06-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to show you how pretty they are.

Fresh, the Movie

2009-05-28T17:11:00.003-04:00

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a screening of a new documentary called Fresh. Like Food, Inc., it's a critique of factory farming and big agriculture, and emphasizes the need for a more sustainable food system. While Food, Inc. delves into labor issues, food safety, and issues surrounding genetically modified seeds, Fresh focuses on farmers and communities that are making strides toward more local, sustainable eating (and is basically less of a downer). Last night's screening included giggles and "awwwww"s everytime a non-industrially raised piglet appeared on screen. Heartwarming images of baby animals aside, Fresh tells inspiring stories about individuals who want to do better for the entire planet and their own neighbors. The panel discussion is also worth a watch; I hope there are videos of it online soon. Check out a schedule of screenings here.

Soba with Mushrooms, Ramps and Tofu

2009-05-26T23:35:00.000-04:00

I used the last of my ramps for this quick lunch, but they can easily be replaced with leeks or scallions in this recipe.

makes 1 serving

2-3 oz soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
5 ramps, chopped (keep bulbs separate from leaves)
5 mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 oz tofu (I used marinated baked tofu)
1/2 teaspoon rice wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
a pinch of sugar
Sriracha chili sauce
sesame oil
sesame seeds

Cook soba in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ginger and ramp bulbs. Stir and cook for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add mushrooms and tofu. After 3 to 4 minutes, add rice wine, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and as much chili sauce as you'd like. Add ramp leaves, then noodles, and stir to coat everything evenly. Add a tiny drizzle of sesame oil, and garnish with sesame seeds.

Rhubarb Streusel Cakes

2009-05-24T11:17:00.005-04:00

These cupcakes were my contribution to a pre-Memorial Day picnic this weekend. I love how tart rhubarb is, and I'm glad my friends did too.

(adapted from Gourmet)
makes 12 cupcakes

For topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 lb fresh rhubarb (about 3 stalks), cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar

For cake batter:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12-cup muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.

Make streusel for topping:
Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture forms small clumps.

Make batter:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl until blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture and milk alternately in 2 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.

Top and bake cakes:
Divide batter among muffin cups (each cup will be about half full). Toss rhubarb with confectioners sugar and sprinkle batter with rhubarb, then crumble streusel evenly on top. Bake in middle of oven until tops are golden and a tester inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pan on a rack 3 minutes, then loosen edges of cakes with a small sharp knife or small metal spatula. Remove cakes from pan and put on rack to cool slightly.

Cakes keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.

Roast Chicken with Spring Panzanella

2009-05-19T23:42:00.001-04:00

Ramps are one of the first really exciting items to emerge at the farmers' market in the spring. While I admit to being a bit turned off by their popularity among fine diners, I finally bought a bunch for myself and now appreciate what some of the fuss is all about. They're a little sweet, a little grassy, a little onion-y, and a little garlicky without being very harsh. A quick peek around the food blogs will bring recipes for pasta with ramps, pizza with ramps, and tarts with ramps. You can also hoard them now and enjoy ramp butter or pickled ramps beyond their short season. I chose to saute my Allium tricoccum with asparagus and toss it all into a bread salad. Sure, there was also roast chicken for dinner, but this tasty side dish got a little more attention.

Panzanella with Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Ramps
3 slices prosciutto (or pancetta or bacon)
4 oz stale bread, torn into bite-size pieces
5 ramps, chopped (keep bulbs and leaves separate)
2/3 lb asparagus (about 10-12 medium stalks), cut into 1-inch pieces
8 mushrooms (I used cremini and shiitake), cleaned and quartered
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil (or not, if you're using bacon or pancetta), and fry prosciutto on both sides until slightly crispy. Set aside when done.

Meanwhile, toss bread with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven (I used my toaster oven) for 10-15 minutes, until barely browned.

In the same pan that the prosciutto was in, add chopped ramp bulbs and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. After a couple minutes, add mushrooms. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add chopped ramp leaves, and cook just until they wilt. Turn off heat, and add vinegar.

Chop prosciutto into bite-size pieces. Add bread, prosciutto, and vegetable mixture to a bowl, and toss to coat everything evenly. Drizzle olive oil over the salad if it looks like it needs some. Serve beneath a portion of roast chicken, and try not to die of happiness.

Sauteed Asparagus and Baby Arugula Salad

2009-05-12T22:19:00.005-04:00

Spring is here, and everything is green right now. Central Park went from bare-branched to joltingly leafy overnight, it seems. Seasonal allergies cause my face to spontaneously expel clear liquids at the most inconvenient of times (example: on a crowded bus while my hands are full and people are freaking out about swine flu). And of course, the farmers' markets are full of ramps, green garlic, asparagus, baby greens, and the people who love them.

Here's a charmingly easy spring salad I made with just a few ingredients:

asparagus, cut on a bias (diagonally) into 1-inch pieces
baby arugula, washed and dried
olive oil
lemon
salt and pepper
pine nuts

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil. Add asparagus and saute until crisp-tender, tossing frequently (about 7 to 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Toss in pine nuts and cook just until they are lightly toasted (careful, they burn easily). Add asparagus mixture to arugula. Add a few squeezes of lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss and serve.

Variations:
- shave some Parmigiano cheese over the salad
- add crisped pieces of bacon or pancetta
- substitute balsamic vinegar for lemon juice
- add toasted bread cubes to make panzanella
- put a poached or fried egg on top of the salad

Food, Inc.

2009-04-20T23:13:00.001-04:00

Just attended a screening of Food, Inc. tonight. I thought it was a good primer on some of the major systemic food-related issues we face in the U.S. Go check it out when it’s released on June 12. It’ll get you thinking about what goes into what you put into your body everyday.

Seasonal Meats

2009-04-08T10:50:00.003-04:00

Bill and Nicolette Hahn Niman (who are famous for their eponymous Ranch that they're no longer associated with) write about the seasonality of meat on The Atlantic's website.

One Last Winter Recipe

2009-04-01T21:16:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. It's officially Spring, and officially April. I should be getting excited about fresh peas and asparagus and morels right? Before I make room in my appetite for these spring things, let's fully appreciate the last of the winter stuff.

Brussels Sprouts and Carrots with Lemon, Honey, and Thyme

25-30 small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch chunks
juice of 1 medium lemon (feel free to cut back... I make things very lemony)
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
leaves from 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large pan (one that's big enough to cook the vegetables in one layer) over medium-low heat. Add vegetables, cook for 5 minutes, or until they start to brown a bit. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Add a splash of water, then cover with a lid. Cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts and carrots are tender. Toss the vegetables around occasionally. (Alternatively, the vegetables could be roasted in the oven at 425 degrees for the same amount of time.)

Meanwhile, combine lemon juice, honey, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. When vegetables are tender, add dressing to the pan. Toss to coat everything and heat the lemon honey mixture through. Give it another few minutes on the stove, uncovered.

What is H.R. 875?

2009-03-24T00:59:00.002-04:00

I don't have a clear answer for this, but there has been much discussion in the blogosphere about the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2009: H.R. 875. The text of the actual bill is all there, but difficult for most non-lawyers to read and fully understand. Some people are calling it scary things like "the death of farmers markets, CSAs, and local food" and concluding that regular Americans will no longer be allowed to grow tomatoes in their backyard. Connections are being drawn to Monsanto and Big Ag(riculture). Is it time to run for the hills? Or is this a rumor that is being spread rapidly and recklessly? Marion Nestle isn't even sure what to make of it. Stay tuned.

When Life Gives You Lemons, Go Buck Wild

2009-03-09T23:46:00.001-04:00

I recently returned from a quick trip to Sweet Home California, where in every other backyard in the Los Angeles area there grows at least one citrus tree. I am not exaggerating. Say what you will (I know I do) about the sprawl, the reliance on the automobile as a mode of everyday transportation, and those Santa Ana winds, it is the promised land when it comes to growing your own fruits and vegetables. While other parts of the country are scraping through the last of the root vegetables stored in the cellar, Californians are enjoying avocado and citrus season. I left sunny southern California on a 75-degree Sunday afternoon and returned to snowy, sub-freezing New York City with a duffel bag full of lemons from my parents' tree (and Meyer lemons from a friend's tree, and tangerines and kumquats from a local farmers' market). Here are some of the more interesting things I've done (and will do) with these "tiny suns infused with sour."

Limoncello-Like Lemon Liqueur
A wonderful use of 160-proof grain alcohol I had lying around in the freezer (I swear there is a logical explanation behind this) and all those pretty lemon peels. Steep strips of zest (use a vegetable peeler or paring knife, and avoid any white pith) in grain alcohol in a mason jar, using two medium lemons for each cup of booze. Store at room temperature for a week or two, then add simple syrup and store in the freezer. Tips and more detailed guides can be found here and here.

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Raspberry Jam
There are many, many recipes for each of these components online. Shape them like lemons for extra cute/corny appeal.

Lemon and Black Pepper Cookies
Find your favorite recipe for basic sugar cookies, and add lemon zest and black pepper. The flavors are pretty subtle, so I drizzled an icing made from powdered sugar and lemon juice on mine.

Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette
Combine 1 part lemon juice with 2 parts extra-virgin olive oil (or more if you want it to be less tangy), fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper. Great on roasted potatoes, pasta salad, or as a marinade for chicken or seafood.

Roasted Root Vegetables (with Roast Chicken)

2009-02-24T21:46:00.002-05:00

I keep telling myself that I need to make the most of this cold weather by using my oven more often. Come May or June, it will become unbearable to use slow and/or high-heat cooking techniques. Before getting to my to-do list of cookies (oatmeal raisin, pumpkin butterscotch, something sweet and salty...), I was itching to roast a whole chicken. Then came a lazy Sunday evening with a nice bottle of chardonnay. Perfect.

These simple roasted vegetables went perfectly with Thomas Keller's simple roast chicken. Parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, and even beets would've also been good additions or replacements for what I had on hand.

1 small celery root (celeriac), peeled
1 small waxy potato (red, white, or Yukon gold)
3 small carrots
1 small yellow onion
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled (optional; I meant to add these but forgot!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
generous amounts of salt and pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Toss celery root, potato, and carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, then add onion and garlic. Toss to coat everything evenly. Return pan to oven and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and cooked through.

Winter Panzanella

2009-02-18T22:51:00.004-05:00

Panzanella is a bread salad hailing from central Italy, and typically contains bread, tomatoes, herbs, oil, and vinegar. Since it requires no cooking, it's a perfect dish for summer. It's also a perfect dish for getting rid of leftovers, including stale bread and any vegetables you may have, any time of the year. This winter version of panzanella is far from traditional, but it is also wildly tasty.

I added a can of garbanzo beans to make a meal out of this, but you could also omit them completely and serve this as a side dish/bed for roasted or grilled chicken (the bread soaks up some of the chicken juices... drool).

1/2 medium butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
25 small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1/3 lb stale bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
handful of chopped fresh parsley
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss squash with 1/2 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil, salt, and pepper (optional: add dried herbs such as thyme and/or sage). Toss brussels sprouts with 1/2 Tbsp oil, salt, and pepper. Spread squash out on half of a large baking sheet, and brussels sprouts on other half. (I like to combine these steps and reduce the dishwashing load by tossing the vegetables with oil directly on the baking sheet.) Roast for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and browned.

While vegetables are roasting, toss bread cubes with melted butter and either bake at 350 degrees F in the toaster oven for 10-15 minutes, or toast in a large pan over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally.

Heat a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add garbanzo beans, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the beans with the seasonings, and cook a few minutes, just until heated through.

Combine onions with sherry vinegar, some salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Again, I like to do this directly in a large mixing bowl where the rest of the ingredients will end up, but you can also use a separate bowl.

Add vegetables, bread, and garbanzo beans to a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over mixture if it isn't already in the bowl. Add chopped parsley, and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated. Let the panzanella sit for a few minutes to soak up all the flavors before serving.

Bubble and Squeak

2009-02-11T00:30:00.002-05:00

The combination of potatoes and cabbage always seems to conjure images of weary but resilient European peasants who toil all day so that they may enjoy a few starchy, boiled, sulfuric bites of dinner (for me, anyway). Images like the one that Van Gogh famously painted. Pretty appetizing right?

I will answer my own question with an enthusiastic "yes!" thanks to something the Brits call "bubble and squeak." As you may already know, certain traditional British dishes go by names that would make a fourth grader (or, say, an easily amused 26-year-old) giggle. Bubble and Squeak is one that doesn't sound slightly vulgar to American ears, and probably among the easiest to make. It's a practical way to use leftover vegetables from a traditional Sunday roast for breakfast the next day. All it takes is a hot, greased pan, some mashed potatoes, and any variety of cooked vegetables. I mashed my potatoes with yogurt instead of cream and butter, and added cabbage, onions, and chopped apples to round it out.

Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

2009-02-03T23:41:00.000-05:00

A quick and easy soup that I ad-libbed last night, using pantry items and odds and ends I found in the fridge. Been busy lately? Me too. So busy I can barely write complete sentences! Note that the recipe below uses very approximated measurements.

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small carrot, chopped
1/3 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp pureed tomatoes from a can
1/2 of a 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed
2-3 cups vegetable broth
salt and black pepper
couple handfuls of chopped spinach or baby spinach
1/2 fresh lime

Heat oil in a 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion, potato, carrot, spices, and a pinch of salt. Cook until onion is translucent but not burnt. Add cauliflower, garlic, and tomato puree. Stir to incorporate evenly. Add chickpeas and enough broth to cover all the ingredients in the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer just until vegetables are tender. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Put spinach in bowls, and ladle soup over it. Finish off with a few squeezes of lime juice.

Winter Squash and Greens Lasagna

2009-01-13T20:50:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure I've ever met a lasagna I didn't like. Whether it's a luscious vegetarian dish filled with greens (like this one), a meaty specimen oozing with neon orange grease (my favorite dinner item at the notoriously un-tasty dining hall in college... weird, I know), or a foreign but undoubtedly authentic-tasting version made by a family friend from Italy (hand rolled pasta, hard boiled eggs, and a tiny bit of fresh mozzarella), I am fully capable of eating half of the pan and enjoying every bite of it.

Imagine my delight when I came across this recipe and the accompanying photos. First I wiped the drool off my keyboard, then I started peeling a butternut squash and sauteing some kale, which I substituted for baby spinach. It really does taste as good as it looks.

Caldo Gallego

2008-12-30T00:07:00.005-05:00

Someday, I would like to visit Spain. Until then, I will continue to eat at American tapas bars and watch Spain... On the Road Again (that PBS show where a chef, a cookbook author, and two gorgeous actresses drive around Spain in a convertible Mercedes). I will also continue to make caldo gallego, a comforting, filling soup that makes great use of all the turnips and potatoes we're eating this winter.

(recipe from Serious Eats)

1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large baking potato or 1/2 pound smaller potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 pound Spanish chorizo, casings removed, cut lengthwise then into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/2 pound turnip greens (or other dark leafy green, such as kale or spinach), stemmed and coarsely chopped

In a large soup pot, cook the pancetta or bacon over medium heat for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered.

Add onion, potato, and turnip to the pot along with enough water to cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes until almost soft but not falling apart.

Add the beans, chorizo, and greens and continue simmering until the greens are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

Herbed Potato and Sunchoke Home Fries

2008-12-16T01:00:00.004-05:00

I'm back! Highlights from the past few weeks:

Ate good food. Slept. Read an article in the food issue of The New Yorker. (Repeated this cycle three times a day over the Thanksgiving break.)
Nearly had a nervous breakdown every time I entered the produce section of a supermarket or grocery store. $2.99 a pound for apples? Seriously. Unable to cope and unable to blog.
Visited a weekly farmer's market on the Upper West Side, and bought a squash, some onions, cabbage, baby greens from the greenhouse, fresh thyme, and sunchokes. Feeling saved.

And here we are, the first post-CSA season post.

The sunchoke, also known as the Jerusalem artichoke, is neither from Jerusalem nor a type of artichoke. It is a sunflower (we eat the tubers) whose Italian name (Girasole) sounds like "Jerusalem" and whose taste resembles that of the artichoke.

I made regular old home fries a little more interesting by adding sunchokes and lots of fresh herbs. You could also skip the potatoes and use only sunchokes for this, but be warned: they make some people gassy. Great with eggs and a salad, for dinner or for brunch.

4-5 small sunchokes
3 medium red potatoes
1/2 small red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used mint and parsley)
a few squeezes of lemon juice

Peel the sunchokes with a vegetable peeler, and remove the knobby parts. Cut into 1/2-inch chunks, and place in a bowl of water with a little bit of lemon juice (this keeps them from turning brown). Par-boil for 5 minutes in salted water. Set aside.

Cut potatoes into pieces that are the same size as the sunchokes. Par-boil in salted water for about 5 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, sunchokes, and potatoes. Season with lots of salt (potatoes need a lot more than you’d think) and pepper. Add chopped herbs after a few minutes. Cook until potatoes are browned and soft, tossing occasionally. Finish with a bit of lemon juice.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon

2008-11-25T13:45:00.002-05:00

Why do Brussels sprouts have such a bad reputation among small children? As a kid who absolutely loved broccoli and green beans, I should've known that I would someday come to adore these little mini-cabbage looking things. The most important (and most difficult) part for me is to cook them until they have caramelized a bit. I find that this level of patience is difficult to maintain when the aroma of bacon and roasting apples is permeating every room in my apartment. Forty-five minutes have never felt so long.

While I used small sprouts that were no more than one inch in diameter, this recipe can be prepared with larger Brussels sprouts that have been cut in half lengthwise, or even quartered. I cooked all the ingredients at the same time in one pan, but an undoubtedly tasty variation would've involved cooking the bacon separately, then crumbling it over the finished Brussels sprouts and apples.

1/2 lb brussels sprouts
1 medium apple, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper
splash of apple cider vinegar
1/4 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients except vinegar and walnuts together in a small roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add vinegar and walnuts before the last few minutes of cooking.

Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza

2008-11-23T22:45:00.004-05:00

Fruit and cheese go so well together. Apple and cheddar. Grape and taleggio. Quince and manchego. But none of these combinations top a pizza the way pear and gorgonzola do. Ever since I discovered such a thing at a California Pizza Kitchen (back when I lived near several CPKs and a meal there usually marked a special occasion and a blow to my humble student budget), I have been hooked. I've included a recipe for pizza crust that I memorized in college, which has since been forgotten due to lack of use. Store bought dough is harder to be proud of, but sure saves a lot of time.

1/2 recipe pizza dough (see below)
6 oz fontina cheese, shredded
4 oz gorgonzola dolce
1 firm but ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced (about 1/4-inch thick)
a handful of walnuts, chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle a little bit of cornmeal on a baking sheet. Shape pizza dough on baking sheet, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Brush lightly with olive oil.

Top dough with fontina cheese. Arrange pear slices on top of cheese, then top with pieces of gorgonzola cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, then 8 to 10 on the top rack. Sprinkle walnuts and black pepper on pizza while it is still hot.

Basic Pizza Dough
(adapted from The Cheese Board Collective Works)

(makes two 12-inch, thin pizzas)

1 packet (2 1/4 tsp or 1/4 oz) yeast
1 1/8 cup warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/8 tsp salt
2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Whisk with a fork, let stand 5 minutes.

Add oil, salt, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Mix with a wooden spoon for at least 5 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky, but not so much that you can't pick it up with your hands. It should form a ball.

Add 1/4 cup of flour to a large cutting board (or any clean, flat surface such as a large baking sheet). Dust your hands with some flour. Knead dough for at least 8 minutes, incorporating flour. If the dough is still way too sticky, add flour 1/4 cup at a time. The end result should be a smooth ball of dough that isn't too dry. For those of you who don't know how to knead, all you do is fold the dough towards you, then push forward with the heel of your hand, then rotate a quarter turn and repeat. It can be therapeutic, like those stress-relief balls that you squeeze. Tip: to prevent your kneading surface from slipping, place a damp towel under it.

Place dough in a well-oiled, large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (such as your kitchen stove) for 1 hour (or whatever the yeast packet instructions say).

After the dough has doubled in size, divide it into two portions, and use one per pizza.

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

2008-11-20T20:01:00.001-05:00

Salads are not just for hot summer weather. As we load up on hot soup, grilled sandwiches, and rich pasta dishes, what better way to balance out these cold weather staples than with a bowl full of vegetables? I love salads that taste like autumn.

Delicata squash are among the easiest to prepare, thanks to their thin, edible skin and quadrilateral symmetry (nerd alert!). They are also very sweet, and pair nicely with the salty cheese, nutty pumpkin seeds, and sherry vinegar in this recipe from Chow.

Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

2008-11-17T23:08:00.008-05:00

I love the smell of breakfast in the evening. Just as fresh sage leaves pushed my roasted carrots from A to A+ territory, pure maple syrup* gave these roasted sweet potatoes** a similar accidental-overachiever characteristic. Real maple syrup also smells like 11 AM on a lazy Sunday, which is rather comforting on a weekday night.

I followed a very easy recipe from Epicurious, but used grade A dark amber maple syrup because it was what I had on hand (grade B is darker, has a more concentrated flavor, and is harvested later in the season). The CSA sweet potatoes were small (cute!), so I cut each one into four wedges--they looked like fries and went well with my homemade turkey burgers. I also kept the skins on the sweet potatoes (more fiber!) and skipped the finishing touch of melted butter (less fat!).

* I am referring to the real stuff made from maple tree sap, not the cheaper blend of high-fructose corn syrup brought to you by women named Jemima and Butterworth.
** There are orange-fleshed sweet potatoes that we Americans call "yams," and then there are bland, starchy tubers that botanists and the rest of the world call "yams."

Thanksgiving for Vegetarians

2008-11-07T11:31:00.003-05:00

Are you in need of a meat-free Thanksgiving dish, or even an entire vegetarian menu? Sure, there's always the pre-cooked, frozen log of blended tofu, wheat gluten, and beans. But why not replace or supplement this option with some tasty, hearty dishes featuring fresh fall fruits and vegetables?

Chow has gathered 10 satisfying vegetarian recipes from their site (not including the acorn squash with red onion and currants that John and I made last year, pictured).

Gourmet has three different entirely vegetarian menus to choose from.

And of course, there are a lot of great vegetarian cookbooks out there:

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian - Mark Bittman
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - Deborah Madison
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

Happy eating!

Linguine with Cauliflower, Olives, and Almonds

2008-11-03T12:43:00.005-05:00

Here's another easy, light, vegetarian meal that I love to make. The recipe is adapted from Gourmet magazine (I used way less olive oil). The (orange) cauliflower, parsley, and garlic are from Stoneledge Farm. The rest of the ingredients were easily found in my pantry and the local grocery store. And the result is one tasty plate of pasta.

I'd also like to note that while anchovies aren't really my thing, I imagine they'd be a nice addition to this dish.

Fall Lunch Bowl

2008-11-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

Too much takeout takes its toll on me (and my wallet). This is my antidote for meals that are too fried, too creamy, too meaty, too cheesy, or all of the above. I pack it all up and bring it to the office, where it can be eaten hot or cold for lunch. Here's what's in it:

Soba noodles, quinoa, or brown rice
Marinated, baked tofu
Roasted vegetables: winter squash, carrots, and/or cauliflower
Greens (chopped kale, collard greens, mustard greens, or spinach) sauteed with apples and onions (or leeks, scallions, shallots, etc.)
Sesame dressing: sesame paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ground ginger, chili sauce, sesame oil

A cheap, tasty, and healthy meal to break the monotony of your typical lunch options.

Pasta with Collard Greens and Apples

2008-10-28T01:33:00.007-04:00

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

2008-10-23T14:37:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-19T00:15:00.004-04:00

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

2008-10-16T21:00:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-11T17:21:00.004-04:00

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

2008-10-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-05T15:54:00.009-04:00

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

2008-10-01T00:05:00.004-04:00

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.

Fall Fruit: Concord Grapes

2008-09-24T23:05:00.007-04:00

I really don't have much to say about these grapes except that they are pretty photogenic (aren't they?).

Beet and Potato Salad

2008-09-20T16:28:00.002-04:00

When there are beets and there are potatoes, I can think of only one thing: red flannel hash, which I've done over and over.

Earlier this week, I had the full intention of revisiting red flannel hash. At the last minute, I implemented a hasty redesign and produced a beet and potato salad. Enjoy it while the bacon is still crisp.

4 slices of bacon
1 Tbsp reserved bacon fat
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
a few squeezes of lemon juice
1 lb new potatoes, quartered and steamed or boiled
1 lb beets, roasted, peeled, and cut into chunks
1/2 small onion, very thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of chopped herbs (I used parsley and basil)

Fry bacon in a pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat to a small bowl. Combine with olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make a dressing. Combine dressing with remaining ingredients, coating evenly.

Another Way to Use Up Summer Vegetables

2008-09-18T01:28:00.015-04:00

Pizza!

It's hefty, I know. I made mine with a homemade olive tapenade (using CSA herbs), roasted eggplant, thinly sliced cubanelle peppers, thinly sliced tomatoes, prosciutto, fontina cheese, and chopped basil and oregano. When I was in college and had time to wait for dough to rise and rest, I used to make my own pizza dough. These days, I suck it up and buy it from Whole Foods (Trader Joe's has ready-to-bake pizza dough too... no kneading required).

Summer Meets Fall

2008-09-15T12:11:00.003-04:00

One day it's a stifling 88 degrees and the air is thick with humidity. The next day, it's sunny, breezy, and I need to wear a sweater at night. We are somewhere between summer and fall right now.

Aside from erratic weather patterns, the past couple weeks have also been about combining late summer vegetables with early fall vegetables. My favorite so far? Zucchini and carrots. Pictured is a lightly marinated salad of raw ribbons of said vegetables, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. The dressing was an easy mix of lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Some fresh herbs (cilantro perhaps?) would've been nice on this too.

For days when I felt like having cooked zucchini and carrots, I sliced them lengthwise, then crosswise into little half-moons, and sauteed these bite-size pieces with olive oil and red pepper flakes. Roasting big chunks with a little oil and seasoning is also nice.

Summer Vegetable Chili

2008-09-07T14:44:00.017-04:00

While ratatouille is an easy (though possibly under-appreciated) way to use up a bunch of summer vegetables, please do not overlook the possibilities that a warm pot of meat and beans seasoned with chili powder also presents. I suppose I am using the term "chili" rather incorrectly and loosely (check out the angry comments flying out of Texas below this recipe). But as inauthentic as it may be, the very vegetable-y version is pretty tasty and pretty healthy.

Anyway, this is a great way to go because

you only need one pot.
the leftovers taste even better.
it is very customizable.

First, heat some vegetable oil in a pot, and add chopped onion. Cook for just a few minutes.

Add your choice of meat: beef, pork, ground turkey, cubes of steak, sausage, vegetarian meat substitutes such as seitan or texturized vegetable protein, or no meat at all.

Next, add some ground spices. You can use standard supermarket chili powder, or create your own blend using any combination of chili powders (I really like ancho and pasilla), coriander, cumin, and oregano. Don't forget salt and black pepper.

Cook until the meat has browned. Add whatever beans you have around (I used canned black beans and some small white beans). Add enough liquid (reserved bean water, broth, or water) to loosen up brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.

And of course, vegetables: peppers (both hot and sweet) and tomatoes are the basics, but squash and corn work nicely too.

Adding some kind of secret ingredient is also fun, and adds another dimension (and an air of mystery/potential weirdness) to your chili. Possibilities include Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chocolate, beer, and cinnamon.

Top it all off with sour cream, shredded or crumbled cheese, chopped raw onions, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, or nothing at all.

Apricot Upside-Down Cupcakes

2008-09-02T21:08:00.004-04:00

These cute little things were easy to make. All I did was take a Gourmet recipe for fresh apricot upside-down cake and divide everything up among about 15 cups in a muffin pan (I also used half as much sugar, half as much butter in the batter, and cut the baking time down to 20-25 minutes). This recipe is also great for just about any other fruit, including plums, peaches, pears… maybe even berries.

Eric Ripert's Parmesan Zucchini with Balsamic

2008-08-25T18:14:00.004-04:00

Chef Eric Ripert of the very famous and very acclaimed Le Bernardin here in New York City shows you how to roast zucchini in a (very fancy Cuisinart) toaster oven.

I have long been a fan of toaster oven cooking. It is a perfectly efficient way to cook for one or two people in the summer. Last year, I did toaster oven enchiladas and open-faced chard and goat cheese sandwiches. Eric Ripert's tomatoes Provencal are also a fantastic way to enjoy this summer's produce.

Roasted Ratatouille

2008-08-17T14:10:00.000-04:00

Summer vegetables abound! Here's a recently-discovered way to combine all of them. Instead of sauteing the veggies in a pot (the traditional way to make ratatouille), I roasted them in the oven while I watched TV and marveled at the comforts of home air conditioning. I have a feeling that grilling the vegetables would be a great way to make this dish even more summery. Ratatouille is great as an accompaniment to chicken or fish, tossed with pasta or rice, or eaten on its own (as I've done in France, straight out of a can) with some bread to soak up the juices.

2 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplants
2-3 medium summer squash
2 bell peppers
1 onion
4 large tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
15-20 basil leaves, chopped or cut into thin ribbons
big handful of chopped parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the eggplants, squash, peppers, onion, and tomatoes into thick chunks. Toss vegetables with just enough olive oil to coat, and a little bit of salt and pepper (I like to keep the vegetables separate, so that I can cook them on the same baking sheet but remove any that cook more quickly than the others). Spread vegetables out on two large baking sheets, and roast in the oven until tender (about 35-45 minutes). The tomatoes and onions may brown/cook the quickest, so you may want to remove them a little early.

Put the tomatoes in a large bowl and gently break them up using a wooden spoon. Add garlic (I like to let the hot roasted tomatoes cook the garlic just a little bit). Fold in to make a thick sauce. Combine with remaining vegetables, herbs, and additional salt and pepper to taste.

Cold Borscht

2008-08-12T12:01:00.002-04:00

On your next trip to Coney Island, I suggest you make a quick stop in Brighton Beach, just a 15-20 minute walk (or three short subway stops) away. This neighborhood is the heart of the Russian and Ukrainian community in New York City (it's also known as "Little Odessa"). Beneath the whoosh and rattle of the Q train overhead, sidewalk vendors sell Cyrillic-labeled produce, pickled things, and all kinds of baked goods on Brighton Beach Avenue.

Led by a tip from a friend's barber, I wandered through Little Odessa's main street looking for cold borscht (and warm blintzes and vareniki) on a hot and humid summer day. A couple weeks later, I had all the ingredients to make my own beet soup at home. While my homemade cold borscht was nowhere near as delicious as the cold borscht found upstairs at M&I International, it certainly was refreshing.

a few small beets
1/2 small yellow or white onion
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
a few cups of water or broth
1 small cucumber
a few radishes
1 c yogurt or sour cream
handful of chopped dill
handful of chopped parsley
handful of chopped scallions
salt

Peel and coarsely grate or chop the beets into small, thin strips. Finely chop the onion. Heat the oil in a pot, and cook the beets and onions over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Add water or broth (as much as you want, depending on how chunky you want it to be). Let simmer until beets are soft and cooked through (about an hour).

Meanwhile, seed and slice cucumber into thin matchsticks. Slice radishes into thin matchsticks. After soup mixture has cooled, add cucumber, radishes, yogurt, and herbs. Season to taste with salt.

CSA in the News... ABC News

2008-08-07T14:42:00.002-04:00

Recently, ABC World News did a story about my CSA. Check it out! (There's even a video! Unfortunately I am unable to embed it directly on this page.)

Simple Summer Salads

2008-08-06T23:49:00.001-04:00

My kitchen has become overrun with fruits and vegetables. There are plums tucked into every corner of the counter top, and I get a full upper body workout every time I try to close the refrigerator. I know, I know, it's a great problem to have. Fortunately, most of these items can be eaten raw and quickly prepared. Below are some salads that give nod to my surplus of summer produce and my shortage of time.

Cucumber and Radish Salad
sliced cucumber, sliced radishes (rat tail radish pods, in this case... more on them later), minced shallots, dill, parsley.
Dressing: plain yogurt, lemon juice, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, olive oil.

Peach and Tomato Salad
sliced peaches, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced sweet onion, minced rosemary. (Note: if anyone knows how to properly pit and slice a peach without getting it bruised and beaten up, please let me know.)
Dressing: sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper.

And the pièce de résistance:

Zucchini Carpaccio
thinly sliced zucchini (I used an adjustable-blade slicer set to 1.3mm), crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, chopped mint and basil.
Dressing: lemon juice, good olive oil, salt, pepper. Layer zucchini on a plate and drizzle dressing over it. Top with remaining ingredients. (Note: this zucchini carpaccio concept is very popular.)

Chard Stems with Large Legumes

2008-07-22T00:07:00.003-04:00

Those poor chard stems. Most recipes call for them to be removed from their faster-cooking, more versatile ruffly leaves (instructional video here). But pity them no more. Gourmet recently featured a recipe for grilled chard with fava beans that includes charred chard stems, fresh shelled beans, garlic, chopped herbs, and lemon juice.

I performed a grill-less riff on that recipe by sauteing the chard stems in a pan, on a stove, with the rest of the ingredients. A few days later, I found myself with some leftover perpetual spinach stems (perpetual spinach, it turns out, is a type of green-leaf chard). I did it all over again, this time using butter beans instead of fava beans, and with the addition of leftover chopped sun-dried tomatoes. I think I've found a new favorite side-dish formula.

Blueberry Pancakes

2008-07-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

The first of the fruit has arrived! There were gorgeous red currants, cute little apricots, and a sack of blueberries that were far more delicious than whatever it was I bought for $3 at a grocery store last week. I'm usually a savory-foods-type person who is drawn to the words "cheese," "bacon," and "potatoes" on a breakfast menu, but I honestly can't get enough of these blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup.

(adapted from Gourmet)
makes about six 5-inch pancakes

1 egg
1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
3/4 c milk
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c blueberries

In a small bowl, whisk together egg, lemon zest, milk, brown sugar, and butter with a fork.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk mixture and whisk the batter until it is just combined. Stir in the blueberries.

Heat a griddle over moderately high heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface. Brush griddle with some melted butter. Pour the batter onto the griddle by 1/3 cup measures and cook the pancakes for 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden. Serve with real maple syrup.

Garlic Scapes

2008-07-15T00:50:00.007-04:00

Recent seasons of greenmarket shopping and CSA membership have opened my eyes to the many garlic bulb byproducts that exist.

Green garlic is young/immature/adolescent garlic that hasn't yet formed a bulb (where the cloves come from). I dabbled in green garlic just once this spring, when I made what seemed like a vat of green garlic aioli that went beautifully with steamed artichokes and BLT sandwiches.

Garlic scapes, seen in the photo above, are the stems that shoot out of the garlic bulb and become flowers, if left alone. The scapes are amputated from the bulbs in early summer, allowing a garlic plant to devote more of its energy to growing a larger bulb. Both green garlic and garlic scapes have a milder garlic flavor than a regular old clove, so that tasty but repellent aroma will not haunt your mouth, even if you eat them raw.

A popular way to eat your scapes is in pesto form. The food bloggers are all over it. I included some CSA Genovese basil in my pesto, and tossed it with some fettucine and shaved raw zucchini. Garlic scapes can also be used in stir-fries, chopped up in salads, and added to scrambled eggs. They keep for a while (I'm talking months), so you'll have some time to decide.

Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto

5 garlic scapes
1 bunch Genovese basil
1 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 Tbsp grated Parmigiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Finely chop scapes, basil, and pine nuts in a food processor. Add cheese, salt, and pepper. While food processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil.

CSA in the News

2008-07-10T10:31:00.003-04:00

I get asked a lot of questions about being part of a CSA. Do they deliver the stuff to your door? Do you have to go work on the farm? How much does it cost?

Here's a nice article that explains what a CSA is.

Mixed Greens with Pasta

2008-07-03T01:26:00.005-04:00

This is so simple that it doesn't need a recipe (like many things I call "dinner"). On Tuesday, we picked up a bag full of big leafy greens: beet greens (with little baby beets attached), tyfon mustard greens, and perpetual spinach (big chard-sized leaves). On Wednesday, we had little choice but to eat all of them during our final dinner at home before a July 4th camping trip. I cooked some bacon in a pan, reserved some of the rendered fat, and cooked the greens (sliced into 1/2-inch wide ribbons) with chopped onions. Toss it all together with some pasta, fresh Genovese basil, and grated Parmesan cheese... and you've got yourself a meal.

Mizuna with Quinoa and Tofu

2008-06-30T21:54:00.004-04:00

I admit, what you see above does bear some resemblance to something I did with mizuna last year. The photo looks a little better this time around, doesn't it?

A quick glossary:

Mizuna is one of the many varieties of the leafy green Brassica rapa (along with turnips, napa cabbage, bok choy, broccoli rabe, and tatsoi). It tastes a little bit bitter, and a little bit like raw bok choy, and it has nice crunchy stems. Sometimes it’s found in fancy salad mixes. In our first week's share, we received green mizuna and a neat-looking red-veined mizuna.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is technically a seed (not a grain, even though it’s used like one). As a source of complete protein, it comes in handy for vegans and vegetarians. It can be cooked just like rice (1 part quinoa to 2 parts water) in just 15 minutes. When cooked, quinoa is fluffy, and the curly white germ separates from the seed.

Together, with some tofu and a miso vinaigrette, they created a very enjoyable office lunch (I included some pretty and ruffly butter lettuce leaves as well). The greens by themselves seem bitter and very “raw” tasting, the quinoa seemed bland, and the miso-sesame vinaigrette was very salty. But mixed together, it all tasted great. I even saved myself a trip to the microwave, since it was all meant to be eaten at room temperature. Pretty good for hot summer dinners too.

Season 2

2008-06-27T01:14:00.000-04:00

This season, on Seasonal Eats...

1. I will not title my posts with week numbers. Some stuff keeps for longer than a week, so what week I got what item doesn't seem that important.

2. I think I'll make the photos bigger. If I don't have much to say about whatever vegetables I've gotten, I can at least post an image of something that looks appetizing.

3. I will be getting fruit, starting in mid-July.

Stay tuned!

Spring Recap: Raw Asparagus Salad

2008-06-09T14:27:00.005-04:00

Spring has sprung (in fact, it currently feels like the worst of summer here in NYC), but I have not blogged with seasonally appropriate musings. Thankfully, CSA season begins on June 17.

In the meantime, I have been and will be checking out a few of the greenmarkets around town. Late last week, I picked up some asparagus at Columbia University. Interesting side note: Several requests have been made for asparagus to be included in my CSA's roster of crops. However, the growing and harvesting window for asparagus ends before the start of the season in mid-June.

Since it was a sweltering 93 degrees outside yesterday, roasting, steaming, or sauteing anything seemed unthinkable. Loosely inspired by one of the courses on Bar Milano's tasting menu, I embarked on a raw asparagus adventure of sorts. I sliced the stalks on a bias, as thin as I could (somewhere between 1/8 and 1/16 of an inch), and tossed them with some lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I topped it all off with shaved Parmesan cheese and some walnuts. If, like me, you decide to pack this salad for lunch (today's heat is peaking at 96 degrees), I would recommend keeping the cheese and nuts separate, and adding them when it's time to eat.

One last thing about asparagus:

“But what delighted me were the asparagus, steeped in ultramarine, and pink, whose tips, delicately, painted, with little strokes of mauve and azure, shade off imperceptibly down to their feet—still soiled though they are from the dirt of their garden bed—with an iridescence that is not of this earth. It seemed to me that these celestial hues revealed the delicious creatures who had merrily metamorphosed themselves into vegetables and who, through the disguise of their firm, edible flesh, disclosed in these early tints of dawn, in these beginnings of rainbows, in this extinction of blue evenings, the precious essence that I recognized again when, all night long following a dinner at which i had eaten them, they played, in farces as crude and poetic as a fairy play by Shakespeare, at changing my chamber pot into a jar of perfume.”

– Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way

Winter Greens Lasagne

2008-02-27T15:43:00.005-05:00

This was the tastiest lasagne I have ever made, probably because it fearlessly calls for all kinds of fatty dairy products. Winter is a perfect time to bathe your greens in cream, bake cheesy things till they're bubbly and brown on top, and then sit around your home wearing loose pants with elastic waistbands. No-boil lasagne noodles are a handy pantry item, but I'll have to try this recipe again sometime with fresh lasagna noodles. Be warned, it's rich.

recipe from Chow
(makes a lot; you can also halve the recipe and use a small casserole)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, medium dice
3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 c heavy cream
1 lb red kale, washed, tough stems removed, and coarsely chopped (about 10 cups)
1 lb Swiss chard, washed, tough stems removed, and coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
1 1/2 c crème fraîche
1 9-oz box no-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb fresh ricotta
2 c finely grated Parmesan (about 5 ounces)

Heat the oven to 400ºF and arrange the rack in the middle. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add cream and a few handfuls of greens, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly wilted. Continue adding greens, a little at a time, until all are slightly wilted. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, completely wilted, and coated in cream, about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup of the crème fraîche evenly over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of noodles, allowing them to overlap slightly to fit 4 per layer. Evenly spread 1/3 of the greens mixture over the noodles, then cover with 1/3 of the ricotta and 1/4 of the Parmesan. Repeat to make two more layers, and end with a final layer of noodles on top. Mix together remaining crème fraîche and Parmesan, and spread evenly over top.

Cover with foil and bake until bubbling and starting to brown, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned completely and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if you'd like.

The Art of Simple Food + Celery Root Remoulade

2008-02-10T22:26:00.007-05:00

What a great Christmas gift. Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution now reigns over my bookshelf and my kitchen, thanks to a boyfriend who understands how excited I get when I read about vegetables. In the world of food, Alice Waters is one of those legendary figures who needs no introduction. When my 18-year-old self arrived in Berkeley, California to receive a college education, I was told that she pretty much invented California Cusine at Chez Panisse. More recently, she has worked with public schools in Berkeley to design healthier lunch menus and teach kids about farming and where our food comes from.

The book emphasizes not just simplicity, but also seasonality, with good ingredients as the driving force for each recipe. No overdressed plates, futuristic gadgets, fancy techniques, or passing culinary fads in this book, just good honest food. In addition to basic, reliable recipes, there are simple dinner ideas for every season, explanations and tips for classic cooking techniques, and mentions here and there about the joys of cooking for and eating with others.

Here's the first blogging of what I'm sure will be many dishes found in this book.

Celery Root Rémoulade
(from The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters)

1 medium celery root (about 1 lb)
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp crème fraîche
2 tsp Dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Cut away all the brown skin and small roots from the celery root. Rinse. With a sharp knife or mandoline, cut the celery root into 1/8-inch thick slices. Cut the slices into thin matchstick-size pieces. (This is called a julienne of celery root.) Toss with salt and white wine vinegar.

Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir well. Pour over the celery root and toss to coat. Taste for salt and acid. The salad can be served right away or refrigerated for up to a day.

Variations

Add other raw julienned root vegetables, such as rutabaga, carrot, or radish, to the salad.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley, chervil, or mint.

Toss together with a rocket salad.

For the crème fraîche, substitute 1 egg yolk and whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil.

I Got Beef

2008-01-28T00:26:00.001-05:00

I don't know if beef has any sort of seasonality associated with it, but I do know that I just ordered some ground beef from my CSA and made burgers out of it.

This ground beef was unlike any other ground beef I had ever prepared in my own home. It was dry-aged, grass-fed, organically raised beef from Lewis Waite Farm. Sounds fancy/maybe a little bit pretentious, huh? Let's break it down:

Dry-aged means that the beef has been hung to dry in cold temperatures to let moisture evaporate as the connective tissue in the muscle breaks down. The alternative is wet-aging, which is the process of breaking down the meat's connective tissue in a sealed bag, keeping moisture locked in. While dry-aging can take several weeks, wet-aging takes only a few days, and is the more common method found in the U.S. Some say that the more expensive dry-aging process creates beef with a more concentrated beef flavor.

Grass-fed simply means that the cow ate grass and hay during its lifetime. Some beef cattle are grass-fed and corn-finished, which means their last meals consisted of calorie-rich corn to fatten them up before slaughter. Lewis Waite Farm produces grass-fed, grass-finished beef; young calves are occasionally fed corn as an energy supplement during really cold winters.

There are many reasons for choosing grass fed beef; some of them are included in a link at the bottom of this entry. To sum up what I know off the top of my head: 1. cows are ruminants, designed by nature to eat grass, 2. grass-fed beef has a healthier ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids, and 3. if the cows are pastured, it means they're not kept in CAFOs and not eating minced-up parts of other cows, which can infamously lead to BSE (aka Mad Cow disease). Keep in mind that the U.S. has only partial restrictions against animal byproducts in animal feed, and several countries have prohibited the import of American beef because they think our inspections are too lax.

Organically raised generally means that no antibiotics or hormones were fed to the cows, and they were allowed to roam around. Though the farm isn't certified organic, they practice organic and sustainable techniques.

The first thing John and I noticed about this beef was that it was deeper and richer in color than what you'd find in a plastic-wrapped styrofoam tray at your local supermarket. After seasoning it with some salt, pepper, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, I made two half-pound burger patties that John proceeded to cook in bacon fat (!) in a ridged grill pan.

The second thing we noticed was that there was very little shrinkage during cooking, and very little moisture was released. Makes sense, since this beef was very lean (higher fat content leads to greater shrinkage), and it lost a lot of moisture during the dry-aging process.

The third thing we noticed was that these were the best &$*#%!@ burgers we have ever made. We dressed them up with havarti cheese, a homemade sundried tomato and roasted pepper spread, and spinach leaves, and sandwiched everything in some kind of chewy Italian rolls I found at Zabar's that afternoon. The accompanying yukon gold potato wedges made use of one thing you can count on finding at the farmer's market this time of year, as well as a stash of herbes de Provence that was lounging in the pantry.

During the last few years, I've cut down on the amount of meat I eat, partly because good meat can be expensive, partly because I have a good number of vegetarian friends, partly because industrial farming grosses me out when I think about it really hard, and partly because I already get a lot of protein from dairy products, eggs, tofu, and other non-meat sources. It's safe to say, however, that I will never be a full-blown vegetarian. I will, however, continue to seek meat that is produced and raised with some kind of conscience, and eat it in moderation.

Here is some light reading about...

...the costs of heavy meat consumption. [New York Times]

...what might happen when the animals we eat are fed antibiotics. [San Francisco Chronicle]

...why dry-aged beef is so fancy and delicious. [Wikipedia]

...why people choose grass-fed beef. [eatwild.com]

Cold Lunch: Soba with Chicken, Spinach, and Carrots

2008-01-22T13:15:00.002-05:00

Here we are, nearly a month into 2008. I know a lot of people are big into New Year's resolutions. I also know that I am not one of them. My self-disciplinary issues include getting to bed and waking up on time, staying focused on work (and not, say, online Scrabble) at work, and overeating (you laugh, but I can probably eat more than you). Since these are super-basic life skills, I'd rather not insult/humiliate myself by making official proclamations about how I will essentially try to be a successful, functioning "adult" this year.

One thing that I do feel strongly about, however, is eating good food. That means food that is raised well, prepared well, and enjoyed with people I enjoy. This month, John and I have begun ordering meat from our CSA. That's right, though vegetable deliveries are over, we can still get all kinds of fresh organic meat and eggs. For our first order, we're starting with the basics: chicken breasts, ground beef, and eggs.

One sub-category of this goal is weekday lunch at work. Ideally, I'd love to have a healthy, tasty, and cheap meal that is substantial enough to keep me from raiding the office vending machine at 3pm. Sometimes, this means dinner leftovers. Some other times, it means I make a big bowl of something one night and we get to spread it out over a couple of lunches or frantic dinners. The recipe below is a good way to maximize leftover chicken and save some cash; the whole thing was fast and easy to make, and the ingredients cost less than $7 total.

makes 3 servings

12 oz soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 small carrot, julienned
3 oz baby spinach or chopped spinach
2 scallion stalks, finely chopped
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp finely grated ginger (optional)
sesame seeds for garnish

Cook soba in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine soy sauce with vinegar, sesame oil, pepper, and ginger to make a dressing. Taste it and adjust if you need to, because I totally estimated those amounts I just listed. Toss all ingredients together and refrigerate.

Pasta with Winter Squash, Kale, and Tomatoes

2008-01-12T13:04:00.001-05:00

I've been buying lots of kale lately. As previously noted, this leafy green gets sweeter as the weather gets colder. You can also find some hefty winter squash at the farmer's markets these days; I picked up a five-pound butternut squash at Tompkins Square Park that was the runt of its bushel. Canned tomatoes are also an essential winter staple.

Below is a modified version of a New York Times recipe from a Mark Bittman article advocating a higher ratio of veggies to pasta in the usual pasta dishes. Pasta, after all, is a refined carbohydrate just like white bread. I added beans for some protein, and kale because I had some sitting around.

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 15-oz can whole tomatoes
1 1/2 to 2 pounds peeled, cubed butternut or other winter squash, about 5 cups
4-5 large leaves of kale, stems and central ribs removed, leaves chopped
1/4 to 1/2 c broth or water
1/2 pound cut pasta, like ziti or penne (I used whole wheat pasta)
1/2 15-oz can chickpeas, cannellini, or small white beans
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots, and pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute; add sage, tomatoes (including juice), and squash, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add just enough broth or water to barely cover squash cubes. Stir occasionally, and let simmer over medium-low heat.

When squash is tender (about 15 minutes for 1/2-inch cubes), add chopped kale and beans. Simmer until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until it is al dente. Combine sauce and pasta, garnish with Parmesan.

Grilled Cheese Season

2007-12-17T21:39:00.001-05:00

Why I'm really into grilled cheese sandwiches right now:

Cold weather leads to soup consumption. Warm sandwiches go well with soup.

When I trudge home through dirty snow after a long day at work, I can't be bothered to make much more than a sandwich for dinner. But I can't let it be a boring sandwich.

I really like cheese (all the time).

What you see above is my autumn/winter grilled cheese: smoked ham, sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, and sliced apples nestled lovingly between slices of sourdough bread (wheat would've been good too). My late summer grilled cheese includes arugula, sliced tomato, smoked mozzarella, and homemade olive tapenade.

Grilled cheese tips:

Let the butter soften to room temperature before slathering it all over the bread.

Don't use bread that is too thick; if you insulate your sandwich fillings, they're not going to melt.

Have some cheese touching each slice of bread. It acts as a savory glue that holds your sandwich together.

Use low heat. Your patience will result in a buttery crunchy exterior and a hot gooey interior.

Press down on each side of the sandwich with a spatula. It's the right thing to do.

When the sandwich is ready to serve, put the "cold" side (the side that wasn't touching the pan last) down on the plate, so that your sandwich doesn't soak in condensation. This is my overly-detail-oriented way of preventing a semi-soggy grilled cheese sandwich.

For more grilled cheese ideas, check out 10 tasty combinations from Chow.

Thanking and Giving

2007-11-28T22:53:00.001-05:00

CSA season is over! :-(
I am now left to roam the aisles of various grocery stores, aimlessly and indecisively. Sadly, the greenmarket near my apartment is also gone for the year, and the big one at Union Square is too far for regular Saturday shopping.

But that doesn't mean the seasonal eating has ended.

A very heartwarming Thanksgiving was had in Pittsburgh with John's family. We even packed a few CSA veggies into a suitcase and contributed two items to a very luxurious (fresh, organic, heritage) turkeyfest: stuffing and some roasted acorn squash.

And yes, the big bird:

Here's what remains of the CSA goods:

Tiny brussels sprouts...

and big colorful squash.

Week 22: Pretty Purple Produce

2007-11-10T21:07:00.001-05:00

Actually, the cabbage is considered "red" and so is the kale.

Here are some interesting facts about this week's produce:*

Red cabbage juice can be used as a pH indicator: it turns red in acid solutions, and blue in basic solutions

When chopped, shallots (like their cousin the onion) release a gas that turns into sulphuric acid when it hits your eyes, famously causing irritation and tearing. This reaction can be avoided by freezing or chilling members of the onion family, or by preparing them under running water. You could also wear goggles or use a fan.

Red Russian kale, like all kale, becomes sweeter after it is exposed to a frost.

The tops of turnips become purple (or some other color) when they peek out above the ground and are exposed to sunlight. The rest of a turnip's skin stays pasty white. It's like a classic farmer's tan for vegetables.

*Thanks Wikipedia!

Collard Greens Soup with Ham and Black-Eyed Peas

2007-11-06T00:16:00.001-05:00

Leafy greens + cured pork = gastronomic harmony

adapted from Gourmet

1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz cooked ham, cut into small cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small bunch collard greens
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
3 c chicken broth
1 16 oz can black-eyed peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp cider vinegar

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook onion, garlic, and ham in oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is pale golden.

While onion mixture is cooking, remove stems and center ribs from collard greens. Chop leaves into small pieces or thin strips. Add collards, cayenne pepper, and broth to onion mixture and simmer until greens are tender, about 20 minutes.

Rinse and drain black-eyed peas. Stir into soup and simmer 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper and stir in vinegar.

Week 19-21: Juggling

2007-11-04T23:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, juggling. I've been (semi-)skillfully tossing around the usual mundane responsibilities of existence with the pleasures of home cooking. I even bought an adjustable blade slicer (that has yet to be used).

Anyway, we're deep into autumn, with weekly shares starring winter squash, dark leafy greens, and things that grow underground. Below is an excerpt from an e-mail exchange I had with Rick, who is back in San Francisco.

Rick:
PS - Eve and I signed up for a CSA program in SF! We get our first box Thursday!

Me:
I'm excited for your new CSA share! You [expletive deleted] in California are lucky... do you get vegetables year-round? Because if you do, I will be insanely jealous. Ours runs out in like a month :-( Can you imagine me and John eating pickled everything with boiled potatoes for the rest of the winter, like it's the 1200s in the European countryside?

Rick:
Pickled veggies and boiled potatoes sounds funny. And yes, we do get vegetables year-round! MUAHAHAHA!

A Pumpkin Story

2007-11-01T22:29:00.001-04:00

You know how Native Americans used every part of the bison out of respect for the hunted animal? I did that once, with a giant pumpkin. I drew a face on it for Halloween. Sometime in November of that year, I cut it up, and roasted both the giant fruit's seeds and the many many pounds of flesh that housed it. The roasted, salted seeds were eaten by my friends in seconds. The juicy orange flesh, however, had to be roasted in something like three batches in a quasi-functional oven over the course of something like 12 hours. I remember having to set my alarm to wake myself up to rotate another batch into the oven, because the kitchen timer only had 60 minutes on it.

Since I didn't have a food processor, blender, or any other electrical food-mixing appliances in college, I mashed every last bit of that pumpkin by hand, using a potato masher. Of course, it was stringy and not quite worthy of being deemed a "puree." Nevertheless, I produced a few loaves of cranberry-studded delight known as "Mitch's Smashing Pumpkin Bread" (tragically, I lost the recipe). I even handed out portions to all of my friends, with handwritten labels that said things like "Rick likes [dirty unmentionable words that I don't want my parents to read]... and pumpkin bread." I sealed and froze the rest of the pumpkin (about half), and made some unseasonable pumpkin and black bean soup in the middle of May.

Anyway, this is what I love about cooking. The challenge, the handiwork, and the polite smiles and "mmm's" and nods of approval that people give you even if your food tastes terrible.

Oh, and for the record, canned pumpkin is totally worth it for baking.

Not Quite Pad Thai

2007-10-26T13:16:00.001-04:00

This is, as the title suggests, not quite pad thai. At Thai restaurants in the U.S., this common noodle dish usually contains chicken and/or shrimp, an assortment of vegetables, and is covered in a very sweet and very oily orange-red sauce. I totally loved it until I had pad thai on the streets of Thailand. In its home country, pad thai is street food, served from roadside carts in a styrofoam box and costing no more than a dollar and some change. It is drier than its American counterpart, with more tang and spice to balance the sweet taste of the sauce. No colorful vegetables, just bean sprouts, garlic chives, tofu, eggs, and little dried shrimps.

Earlier this year, I tried to replicate Thai pad thai at home with CSA garlic chives. Recently, I made the following version, using the proper noodles and sauce, but loading it with untraditional carrots, daikon, and broccoli. This was also a delicious use of CSA garlic and shallots.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 segment (or whatever you call it) of a shallot, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 inch segment of a medium daikon, julienne
1 medium carrot, julienne
a few small stalks of broccoli, stems julienned and heads chopped
4 oz marinated baked tofu, sliced into thin strips
8 oz rice stick noodles
2 Tbsp palm sugar
2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
2 Tbsp fish sauce (and/or soy sauce)
1 tsp (or more, or less) sriracha sauce
2 eggs
1 scallion stalk, chopped
crushed peanuts
lime segments

Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes. They should become softened and pliable, but not soggy.

Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a wok or wok-like apparatus. Add shallots and garlic, and cook until fragrant but not burnt (just a few minutes).

Add daikon, carrot, and broccoli. Stir-fry until slightly softened (another few minutes). Add tofu.

Combine palm sugar, soy/fish sauce, and tamarind, making sure the sugar has mostly dissolved. Add softened noodles and sauce mixture to wok. Stir to coat everything evenly.

Once the noodles look floppy and cooked, push them aside to create some space at the bottom of the wok. Add eggs, scrambling them a little, and let them cook until they're mostly set. Stir to combine with the noodles and vegetables. Top with scallions, crushed peanuts, and a few squeezes of lime.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

2007-10-23T21:22:00.001-04:00

The butternut is the least intimidating member of the winter squash family. It has a lovely complexion, and is pretty easy to hack open and peel. The long "neck" is great because it has no seeds and is a breeze to dice.

I decided to make chili to celebrate the (finally!) chilly weather here in New York. It is so good that even though we were already past full and exploding out of our clothes, John and I ate more simply to please our taste buds.

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 small butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 small roma tomatoes
1/2 c vegetable or chicken broth
salt
crumbled cotija cheese (optional)
scallions or cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions, cook for a few minutes until they are translucent. Add squash, jalapeño, and beans. Cook for another few minutes.

Add chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Stir to evenly coat everything. Add tomatoes and broth, stir. Bring to a simmer, then turn heat down to low. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.

Season with salt, top with crumbled cheese and chopped scallions or cilantro.

Blue and Gold Hash

2007-10-16T01:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, Saturday was kind of heartbreaking. I had this perfect-for-the-occasion Blue and Gold Hash for breakfast, hoping to see the greatest university in the world launch a football team to No. 1. Well, it didn't happen.

Anyway, this is just red flannel hash made with gold beets instead of red beets and blue potatoes instead of red potatoes.

Go Bears.

Winter Squash Curry

2007-10-14T00:23:00.001-04:00

It's funny, I used to dread preparing winter squash (this was about two weeks ago). The careful unskilled peeling using a chef's knife. Scooping out all the slimy seeds and saving them for later roasting. The waxy residue on my fingers.

These days, dealing with these guys is no longer such a terrible chore. Here's an easy way to make something spicy, warm, and comforting for dinner. You can adjust how much coconut milk you want to use according to how terrified you are of (tasty, delicious) saturated fat. In fact, you can even omit the broth I used, and go all-out with coconut milk.

2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/2 to 3/4 c coconut milk
1 small-ish (1 to 1 1/2 pound) winter squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
8-10 oz seitan, firm tofu, or chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 lb green beans or long beans
small can of pineapple chunks in their own juice (optional)
vegetable or chicken broth
2 kaffir lime leaves (optional) or shredded basil

Heat a wok or large pot over medium heat. Add chili paste and about 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Mix together, and bring to a simmer.

Add seitan, tofu, or chicken, and cubed squash. Stir-fry to coat in curry paste mixture. Add remaining coconut milk, and just enough broth to cover the squash mixture (if necessary). Bring to a simmer, then turn heat down to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Add green beans or long beans, pineapple chunks, and lime leaves. Simmer for another 5 minutes, uncovered. Top with basil and serve with rice.

Cold Weather Vegetable Soup

2007-10-13T00:58:00.001-04:00

This soup was too easy. All I did was simmer a bunch of our naturally harmonious CSA vegetables and herbs together in a pot with some beans and broth. I've also been on a grilled cheese kick lately, and soup is the perfect accompaniment to buttered toasted bread oozing with fancy cheeses (a recent hit included sourdough, smoked mozzarella, tomato slices, arugula, and olive tapenade).

2 Tbsp olive oil
red pepper flakes (optional)
1 medium carrot (or 2 small ones), diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp flour
1 bunch of kale, chopped
a few sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large tomato, chopped roughly
1 15oz can of white beans, such as cannellini
3-4 c vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot. Add red pepper flakes, carrot, and onion. Cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until onion is translucent and carrots are tender. Add flour, stir to coat everything, and cook for a few more minutes.

Add kale, herbs, and a little bit of broth (1/4 cup or so), stirring to blend everything. Cook for a few minutes until kale gets soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, and beans. Stir to coat everything in herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Add enough broth to cover the vegetable mixture. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Week 17 and 18: Fall is Here

2007-10-10T23:13:00.001-04:00

Ahh, autumn is here. This means big leafy greens, big heavy squash, and... tiny little fruits? The mini-pears and crab apples in the photo above aren't from my CSA share (I really do need to sign up for a fruit share next season), they're from the farmer's market down the street (as is most of our fruit from now on).

I made some kind of gumbo z'herbes (a stew of smothered greens, basically) with the collard greens. The photos were terrible, so I will refrain from sharing them in this public forum.

Another cool-weather CSA staple is squash. All kinds of hefty winter squash. However, the temperature in New York has been about 20 degrees above the average of 60-something Fahrenheit for the past couple weeks. Not exactly ideal conditions for hacking open a butternut squash and roasting it in the oven for an hour while you simultaneously roast yourself and your sweat-stained apartment. Fortunately, they store well, and I will get my hands all over them when the daytime high dips below 65 degrees.

Here's my wonderful menagerie of winter squash, which includes the delicata, acorn, and kabocha varieties. There was also a baby bear pumpkin (the most adorable name for a fruit, ever), but we made some curry out of it before this photo was taken. The ones with the skinny necks are actually decorative gourds, so they will not be eaten.

And finally... this, my friends, is a black radish:

A Tale of Two Hashes

2007-10-03T00:40:00.003-04:00

Beets. We've been getting more than I can keep up with. Sometimes we get the greens with the root part, which is nice because the greens are pretty easy to prepare (and should be removed right away anyway, because they draw moisture from the beetroot). But while the greens are sauteed and added to pasta dishes, polenta dishes, or just as a simple side dish, their detached roots pile up and roll around in the produce drawer.

I started to think that maybe the cooking time required of beets was deterring me from incorporating them into my daily meals. So I tried cooking all of them at once--roasted in a 425 degree oven for 90 minutes, or cooked in simmering acidulated water for about the same amount of time--only to end up with a bunch of foil-wrapped cooked, peeled beets rolling around in my fridge for weeks at a time.

I can only think of three things to do with cooked beets: add them to salads (gets boring after a while), make borscht (soup weather has not yet arrived), or make red flannel hash (the most appealing, but artery-clogging option). I am stuck. Do you know of any other ways to eat beets?

Anyway. The red flannel hash really keeps getting better and better each time I make it (even the photos get better). Recent weeks' shares have included beets, red potatoes, and parsley, so I just had to.

Then one day I had the spectacular idea of making a chicken hash with CSA white potatoes, sweet red peppers, scallions, and parsley, along with grilled chicken from the local deli, some half and half, and hot paprika. Alongside poached eggs and toasted multi-grain bread, this was a big filling homemade weekend brunch.

Remember how I mentioned that the first time I had red flannel hash was at Rick & Ann's in Berkeley? Well, the first time I had chicken hash was at Ella's in San Francisco, during a power outage. I remember my clothes smelling like they had been deep fried during that meal (since the fan thingies in the kitchen were down), but I also remember the chicken hash being deliciously crisp and golden on the outside, and moist and fluffy on the inside. While I made my hash chunky, Ella's mashes the potatoes and forms big patties that get pan fried. And if you're curious about Ella's recipe, you're in luck--it's their recipe of the month.

Early Autumn Stew and Salad (+ Thoughts on Salad Dressing)

2007-10-03T00:17:00.002-04:00

I'm loving the potatoes we've been getting (and the ones that we dug up ourselves during our visit to Stoneledge Farm. I cooked up a simple peasant stew based on that recipe that I just hyperlinked. CSA potatoes, carrots, leeks, rosemary, and parsley all in one pot. Serve it up with some kind of "rustic" bread, and you'll feel like you've been toiling in the fields all day and it's 1300 again.

The salad included the last of this season's buttercrunch lettuce, some apples from the weekly greenmarket down the street (I should get a CSA fruit share next year), some feta cheese that was on the verge of rancidity (so as not to stray from this pre-refrigeration era theme), walnuts, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.

A side note about salad: I stopped buying bottled salad dressing a few years ago when I discovered how easy and great it is to make my own. I enjoy variety when it comes to salad dressings. In the past, my refrigerator shelves would become crowded with half-empty bottles of colorful and diverse salad dressings that had reached their stamped-on expiration dates long after I had lost interest in them. Since then, I have come to appreciate--nay, love--simple oil and vinegar combinations. I can even mix it up with things like miso, honey, citrus juices instead of vinegar, fresh herbs, mustard... you get the idea. And if I feel like having a creamy dressing (for example, blue cheese), I like to use yogurt. The best part is that I can use only as much as I need for whatever salad I'm making, without making the other condiments in the refrigerator uncomfortable. No wait, the best part is that I don't have to douse my raw veggies with xanthan gum, calcium disodium edta, red 40, blue 1, and high fructose corn syrup. Actually, every part is great.

Chiles Rellenos with Green Sauce

2007-09-29T01:50:00.001-04:00

What it is:
Chile relleno means "stuffed pepper" (I know, I know, you're really impressed by my menu translation skills). Not-too-hot Anaheim or Poblano peppers are roasted and stripped of their skin, then stuffed with cheese, or meat, and even raisins and nuts, then coated in a fluffy egg batter and fried. A layer of sauce goes on top.

The inspiration:
What is it about "stuffed" foods? Ravioli, potstickers, tamales, my mom's pork-stuffed fried tofu (the best)... There's something endearing about the care that goes into making them; it's like someone wrapped a bunch of little edible gifts for you. I've had homemade chiles rellenos once, chez Leikauf. They were delicious. I will admit that fried cheese-stuffed Poblano peppers are tastier than grilled quinoa-stuffed Poblano peppers.

The ingredients:
- CSA Poblano peppers, tomatillos and jalapeños for the salsa, tomatoes for the seasoned rice
- panela cheese and eggs for the peppers; garlic, onions, and cilantro for the salsa

This time, I remembered to wear gloves while handling the peppers.

Aloo Gobi and Chana Masala

2007-09-29T01:46:00.001-04:00

What it is:
Aloo gobi means "potatoes and cauliflower." I swear I figured that out myself by reading over lots of menus at Indian restaurants. Chana masala, I think, means "spiced chickpeas."

The inspiration:
I saw cauliflower AND potatoes in this week's share, and aloo gobi seemed obvious to me. I immediately e-mailed Rajen for guidance. I figured seasoned chickpeas would make a nice (and filling) addition.

The ingredients:
- CSA potatoes, cauliflower, and tomatoes
- an arsenal of seasonings and spices, including garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, black mustard seeds, hot peppers, garam masala

Aside from the mustard seeds flying all over the kitchen after they were lightly fried in oil for a bit (it looked like a scene from a World War II movie), this dinner turned out pretty well. It was far from restaurant quality though, because I couldn't bring myself to add cup after cup of vegetable oil or clarified butter to give these dishes that rich (but delicious) veggies-swimming-in-grease quality. I think I will keep it that way.

Okonomiyaki

2007-09-29T01:31:00.001-04:00

What it is:
Okonomiyaki is a specialty of Hiroshima and the Kansai region in Japan, which includes the cities of Osaka and Kyoto. At its most basic, it is a big pile of batter, eggs, and cabbage cooked on a griddle and smothered with a thick brown sauce. In Hiroshima, okonomiyaki typically includes noodles (such as soba or udon), and the ingredients are layered rather than mixed up together. Sometimes it's called "Japanese pizza" or "Japanese omelet," which I find odd. It's kind of like calling pierogi "Polish wontons."

Okonomiyaki translates roughly to "cook what you like," which is your cue to add whatever you want to the basics. Common items include pork, squid, shrimp, green onion, cheese, and mochi. I used bacon because that was the only pork I had laying around (and I have fond memories of all kinds of delicious bacon-wrapped things in Japan).

The inspiration:
My trip to Japan! John and I had okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, and it really hit the spot.

The ingredients:
- CSA cabbage and scallions
- eggs, bacon, soba, flour, water

Okonomiyaki should also be topped with a thick, sweet and tart brown sauce (similar to tonkatsu sauce). However, I didn't have time to head out of my way to the nearest Japanese grocery store, so I used Worcestershire sauce instead (hey, about.com said it was okay, okay?). It was too thin, but it was the best I could do. Also missing: dried seaweed flakes, some more scallions sprinkled on top (meant to do this but forgot, as you can see in the photo), mayonnaise (it's everywhere in Japan) and maybe some dried bonito flakes that crackle, squirm, and jump around when they're sprinkled on hot food.

Here's a picture of okonomiyaki at a place called Mitchan in Hiroshima:

Week 14-16: All Over the Place

2007-09-28T00:05:00.001-04:00

Well now. I haven't been keeping up with my own blog, and I've barely been keeping up with my job, but somehow I've managed to keep up with eating all my CSA vegetables.

Remember when everything was broadly Asian-themed during the beginning of the summer? When I have bok choy on my hands, I can't not make some kind of dish involving corn starch and noodles. I didn't even know what mizuna was until this past June (only to eat lots and lots of it during my trip to Japan in August). Garlic chives? Of course I made some street-cart-style pad thai. Napa cabbage? I could've gone the kimchi route, but decided to make really time-consuming things like potstickers (with the remaining garlic chives, naturally) and really time-liberating things like lazy stir fries involving but two main ingredients.

Remember when later in the summer, every night was (vaguely) Mexican night? When life gives you tomatillos, jalapeños, and cilantro all in the same week, you make a green salsa, no questions asked.

Well, over the past few weeks I've been visited by food muses from all over the world. But of course, the first and easiest thing I prepared was the classic Pasta with Assorted CSA Vegetables and Herbs (and white beans and feta cheese for protein and flavor).

Field Trip/Farm Trip

2007-09-22T01:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm really behind on everything.

Two weeks (two weeks!) ago, Stoneledge Farm had its annual open house of sorts for all of its CSA members. Some were from Carnegie Hill/Yorkville, some were from Chelsea, and some were from just a couple miles down the road from the farm.

Deb, our farmer, gave us a tour and fed us many interesting tidbits about the farm and what's grown on the fields. We were also free to pick as many tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos as we'd like. I pretty much sat in front of a cherry tomato vine and snacked on everything it presented.

And this wasn't just any open house, this was a potluck extravaganza, with fresh grilled corn, a roasted pig, all kinds of yummy home cooked food...

...and some really nice fruit.

I roasted the week's tomatoes and one (remarkably hot) jalapeño pepper in the toaster oven, then threw it all in a blender with some garlic, lime, cilantro, and salt. And voilà, one of at least six salsa contributions to the day's lunch.

I had a nice time. Joining a CSA is easily one of my Top 5 Favorite Things I've done in New York during the past year.

Week 13: End of Summer

2007-09-06T23:48:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back from my three-week excursion to the West and, Eurocentrically, the Far East. The weather is getting a bit less slimy, the kids are all going back to school, and the weekly two-pound collections of summer squash are long gone. Summer has come to an end.

And though I gave up "real" summer breaks when I matriculated my way out of college two long years ago, I still feel that characteristic mix of wistfulness and anticipation that the summer to fall transition brings.

But enough about that. It's great to be back! I haven't cooked a thing in three weeks. And this week's vegetables are as beautiful as ever. I'm glad I haven't completely missed out on the tomatoes.

Week 10, 11, and 12: On Vacation!

2007-08-11T17:03:00.000-04:00

That's right, the Mister and I are skipping out on three weeks of CSA veggies to travel around Japan and sweet home California! Our share will be adopted by some neighborly friends while we're away.

Meet you back here for Week 13.

Enchiladas Suizas

2007-08-10T03:02:00.004-04:00

Of course the salsa verde was leading to this. It is my easy, lazy man's version; I bought a grilled chicken breast from my local deli, cooked just enough for two people in a toaster oven, and prepared the green salsa the night before (the most labor intensive part of the meal, perhaps).

6 corn tortillas
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
4-6 oz shredded asadero, Oaxaca, or Monterey Jack cheese
1 batch of salsa verde
sour cream and cilantro for garnish

Heat the tortillas directly on a burner if you have a gas stove, turning quickly. You can also fry the tortillas in a shallow pan of oil, just enough to soften them.

Spread a couple tablespoons of salsa on a foil-lined toaster oven pan. Fill each tortilla with shredded chicken, some cheese, and a small spoonful of salsa, then roll it up and place seam side down in the pan.

Cover rolled-up tortillas with remaining salsa (if you want the sauce to be rich and greasy the way it is in a restaurant, try mixing in a little vegetable oil). Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake in a 425-degree toaster oven for 5 minutes, or just until cheese is well-melted. Let them cool off a bit, then top with sour cream and cilantro.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

2007-08-10T03:02:00.003-04:00

Sure, the Poblano peppers could've been classically stuffed with cheese, then battered and fried to make chile rellenos. I chose to stuff mine with a mixture of cooked quinoa, black beans, chopped tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and jack cheese, seasoned with a bit of cumin and a lot of salt (you want the filling to be salty because the pepper itself sure ain't). I cooked the peppers over medium heat in a grill pan, turning them to char all sides, and covering them towards the end to cook everything through. You could also try this with seasoned rice, other mixed vegetables, and/or meat. Make sure to remove the seeds and inner white parts of the peppers before stuffing them, unless you want them to turn out really spicy.

Salsa Verde

2007-08-09T03:02:00.001-04:00

Delicious with chips, or smothered on enchiladas.

5 tomatillos (about 1/2 lb), roughly chopped
1/4 c minced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced (remove seeds to cut down on heat)
a few squeezes of lime juice
a few sprigs of cilantro
salt to taste

Cook the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the tomatillos soften and turn army-ish green (about 15 minutes). Let the mixture cool, then blend in a food processor with remaining ingredients.

Week 9: Mexican-ish

2007-08-09T03:01:00.001-04:00

When one receives a bundle of tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, poblano peppers, and tomatillos, one cannot help but decide to prepare something that resembles Mexican food.

The remaining eggplant, string beans, and zucchini were thrown into less-than-memorable stir-fries.

Zucchini Fritters

2007-08-08T02:56:00.001-04:00

I thought about making zucchini bread or zucchini muffins, I really did. Though there are pounds and pounds of zucchini in my possession just screaming to be eaten, 90-degree heat with 90 percent humidity don't quite make for ideal baking conditions. Instead, I slaved over the stove for but 10 minutes to make zucchini fritters. They're kind of like latkes made from squash instead of potatoes. They're even good as cold leftovers.

3 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 egg
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
1 scallion stalk, chopped finely
olive or vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine 1/2 tsp salt with grated zucchini in a bowl. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then squeeze all the excess moisture out with your hands, or by rolling the grated zucchini in the middle of a clean dish towel and wringing it out using both hands.

Combine squeezed-out zucchini with remaining ingredients. Heat oil in a pan. Place small, flattened mounds of mixture in the pan; use about 2 Tbsp per patty. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Week 7 and 8: Colorful

2007-08-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

The artfully arranged plate you see above includes red ace beets, provider string beans (neat names), and fresh dill from Week 7. I topped it off with a squeeze of orange juice, some chevre, and walnuts.

And check out these purplish bell peppers:

Week 8 also included some very sweet cherry tomatoes that I could've eaten au naturel. We also got some cilantro, spinach, scallions, and little red onions. I threw all these items together with black beans in the form of tacos.

And finally, here's a picture of a little guy who snuck into my apartment by hiding in some spinach.

Cold Lunch: Cucumber Salad & Baba Ghanouj

2007-08-02T03:00:00.000-04:00

Ah, the pleasures of brown-bagging it. Recent trips to San Francisco, evening outings, and oppressively hot and humid weather have left me with very little time and patience to fix dinners that go beyond "pasta with assorted CSA vegetables" and "throw something on a loaf of bread," let alone lunches that save me from the mediocrity of "how will $7 stop my stomach from growling today?"

This week, I decided that I had had enough stomach-wrenching Chinese food lunch specials, deli counter pasta salads, and cafeteria-grade burritos, and it was time for a change. It was time to drag myself out of that mire, if only for a day. I had a crisper drawer full of CSA vegetables and herbs, and it would be a shame to let them go to waste.

I grabbed a couple of cucumbers, chopped them up, threw them together with some feta cheese and fresh dill, and doused it all with some red wine vinegar.

I also made a small serving of baba ghanouj with the one eggplant I had. I pierced it all over with a fork, and roasted it in a 450 degree toaster oven for about 45 minutes. After letting it cool, I sliced it in half lengthwise and scooped out all of the cooked eggplant flesh with a spoon. Then I added about 1/2 tsp of tahini, a few squeezes of lemon juice, half a clove of minced garlic, and some salt. I mashed it together with a fork, and voilà, baba ghanouj.

With pita bread and hummus, the cucumber salad and baba ghanouj made a nice fresh workday lunch that makes it hard to go back to cheap pizza meals.

Red Flannel Hash

2007-07-30T00:22:00.000-04:00

A previous week's share included red Norland potatoes and beets, which instantly inspired me to make red flannel hash. My first experience with this brunch item was at a lovely place called Rick & Ann's in Berkeley, California. My version included scallions, instead of the usual chopped parsley, since scallions were part of the week's share. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are also a tasty addition.

1 lb small red potatoes
2 small beets (with at least 1 inch of stems attached, and long taproot attached)
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped scallions and/or parsley
4 slices bacon
1/4 c half and half
salt and pepper

Cut potatoes into quarters, and boil them in salted water until they are tender and cooked through, but not falling apart. It usually takes about 20 minutes or so, but always take a test bite.

In a separate pot, simmer beets in water with a splash of white vinegar added, until tender. It should take about 30 minutes. The vinegar helps the beets retain their bright red color. Though this makes them highly dangerous around white clothing, it keeps 'em pretty. Dunk the cooked beets in a bowl of ice water. I've read that the skins should slip off easily, but this hasn't been my experience (what am I doing wrong?). Alternatively, you could wrap the beets in foil and roast them in a 400-degree oven (or toaster oven) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Peel and chop the beets into 1/2-inch pieces.

Combine potatoes, beets, chopped onion, scallions and/or parsley, and half and half in a bowl. Smash them up a little. Season with salt and pepper.

Fry bacon in a large pan over medium-low heat, turning often, until it's all crispy. Remove and let it drain on some paper towels. I know it looks horrifying, but leave at least half of the bacon fat in the pan. It makes food awfully tasty. Chop up the bacon and add it to the hash mixture.

Add hash mixture to pan, and press down. Fry until edges of potatoes are crispy. Serve with fried or poached eggs on top.

Too Much Swiss Chard on Your Hands?

2007-07-26T00:25:00.000-04:00

Here's what you can do:

Saute it, then scramble it with some eggs, caramelized onions, and crispy bacon for brunch. Serve with bread that has nice adjectives attached to it, like "crusty" or "country." If you want to get fancy, you can turn this into a stuffed omelet, a frittata, or even something that resembles Eggs Florentine (stack poached eggs atop Swiss chard, bacon, onions, and an English muffin).

Saute it with some garlic, golden raisins, and chopped kalamata olives. Top slices of dense, soft bread with fresh mozzarella, chard mixture, thinly sliced shallots, and crumbled fresh goat cheese. Bake in a 400 degree toaster oven (this a seasonal cooking technique for hot weather) for a few minutes, just until things get melty. Top with lightly toasted pine nuts.

Fill some heated corn tortillas with a mixture of chard sauteed with onions and garlic, black beans, and cheese. Roll them up and place in a baking pan (or a foil-lined toaster oven pan if it's really hot in your kitchen and you're only cooking for two). Smother with sauce made from tomatoes, cumin, coriander, oregano, and chile powder. Top with more cheese, and bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. This is an ugly picture. Thankfully, the food itself didn't taste ugly.

The great thing about these ideas is that you can use leftover sauteed chard (or spinach, or beet greens, or kale, or broccoli rabe) from, say, that recipe for polenta and sauteed greens that I posted earlier.

Week 5 and 6: So Many Squash, So Little Time

2007-07-17T11:40:00.000-04:00

Beets with their chard-like stems and leaves attached. Shiny green Genovese basil. Big scallions that didn't have their tips cut off the way their supermarket brethren do. Red bok choy, red potatoes. And of course, one bunch of colorful Swiss chard and a big stash of summer squash. Such was Week 5.

Dark purple slender eggplant. Fragrant sage with soft leaves. The big cucumbers that are usually waxed, unwaxed. Tiny purplette onions. More beets, more Swiss chard, more squash. Such was Week 6.

The last couple weeks have gone by so fast. Once things slow down a little, I'll give this blog (and all the squash I've collected) the attention it deserves.

Sauteed Swiss Chard and Beet Greens with Polenta

2007-07-15T02:56:00.000-04:00

I've always wondered, how should recipes be named? It seems long-winded to mention all of a dish's ingredients and cooking methods in its title, but what if you're not making something that already has a name (Caesar salad, steak tartare)? For this one, I didn't have much room to mention the crimini mushrooms I threw in, or the white cheddar cheese in the polenta, or the garlic and spinach chicken sausage sitting right on top. Nope. CSA items get top billing on this blog.

1 small bunch Swiss chard
about 5 beet leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
8 crimini mushrooms (fact: they're just immature portabellos)
3 chicken sausages, grilled
3 1/2 c water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 c polenta or medium-grind cornmeal
2 Tbsp butter
1 c shredded white cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to season

Combine water and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in polenta gradually, and reduce heat to low. Cook polenta until it gets thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan, whisking often. It'll take about 20 minutes. Add butter, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Its consistency should resemble pudding.

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Coarsely chop beet greens and Swiss chard, separating the stems from the leaves. Add stems to the pan and saute for a few minutes. Lightly scrub and slice mushrooms. Add leaves, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, until the greens are no longer crunchy, but still green. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon hot polenta into serving dishes. Top with greens and grilled sausages.

Nous Les Avons Mangés Tous

2007-07-10T21:06:00.000-04:00

Here's what I learned about snow peas:

They are a type of sugar pea.
They might get the "snow" part of their name from the white film found on the pods.
Though they are assumed to be Asian, they were first cultivated by the Dutch. In fact, the Chinese name for "snow pea" is 荷蘭豆 (pronounced hé lán dòu in Mandarin), which means "Holland pea."
More trivia about the name: the French call snow peas mange-tout, which means "eat it all" (because the pods and the little guys inside can all be eaten).

John and I certainly did eat all of our snow peas. And we ate them plain and fresh, unadorned and on their own, as a seasonal snack.

Bottle-less and Box-less Caesar Salad

2007-07-09T23:36:00.000-04:00

Caesar salad, it turns out, has nothing to do with the Roman Empire (maybe people who design labels for bottled salad dressing should take note). In 1924, the legendary salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico, by an Italian chef named Caesar Cardini. How or why he did it doesn't seem entirely clear, but some have said it was improvised one evening when the kitchen was understocked. My kitchen was partially-stocked, conveniently, with a leftover half of a lemon, some stale sourdough bread, and a head of romaine lettuce. Making ensalada Caesar from scratch is pretty fun.

1 medium head of romaine lettuce
1 clove garlic
1 egg
1 Tbsp lemon juice
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
stale sourdough bread (a fist-sized chunk or 1-2 slices should be enough)
lots of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
a little bit of salt, and a lot of fresh black pepper

To make the croutons:
Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. I'll explain this later, but peel and cut the garlic clove in half, then rub it all over the bottom of a large salad bowl. Add the garlic clove to the pan, and remove and discard it after it starts getting golden brown. Add bread cubes to garlic-infused oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toast over medium-low heat, tossing frequently, until the croutons are browned and crispy.

To make the dressing:
If your egg isn't sketchy, use it raw. If you're not comfortable with totally raw eggs, cook it in simmering water for 1-2 minutes (a technique known as "coddling"). Dunk the egg in some ice water to stop the cooking and make it bearable to touch. Finally, if you're not ok with runny egg yolk, maybe this Caesar salad recipe isn't really for you. If you're a vegan, my friend Mabel has a good animal-free version of Caesar dressing that I can share with you.

Anyway. Add just the egg yolk to the garlic-scented bowl you have already prepared. Add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce and whisk everything together. Slowly add remaining 3 Tbsp of olive oil while whisking. Season to taste with some salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad:
Wash and dry romaine leaves. Leave them whole, or chop them up into whatever size you want. Add romaine to the dressing bowl, and toss until the lettuce is coated. Top with croutons, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and some extra pepper if you'd like.

Week 4: All Kinds of Green

2007-07-05T13:34:00.000-04:00

This week: snow peas, romaine lettuce, garden cress, perpetual spinach (looks like chard, tastes like spinach), opal basil, little white turnips, and lots of summer squash. Note the reusable eco-bag... also "green", right?
Opal basil is a variety of herb that I have never seen before. Its leaves are deep purple on one side, dark green on the other.

I read in our CSA newsletter that the leaves turn pink when you place them in white vinegar. I assumed this meant I could play kitchen scientist and make some kind of amazing technicolor pesto of sorts, but it turned out to be some kind of optical illusion. The purple leaves just appear pink in the vinegar; their color does not actually transform. It's a neat bit of information anyway.