Asparagus Carbonara

Saturday, May 12, 2012

In case you missed it, the farmer’s markets have returned and brought asparagus with them.  I think my problem with asparagus is a common one: it is such a relief from winter and early spring that I overindulge while relying on the same recipes.  This year, like every other year, I am determined to try something new.  This year, unlike last year, I have already succeeded.  It may only be one new recipe (so far), but that’s one more than last year.

The idea came after watching No Reservations.  Anthony Bourdain was in one of those “authentic” trattorias in Rome that no foreign tourist can ever seem to find on their own.  The carbonara was served with zucchini flowers, tossed with pasta at the last minute so that the flowers barely wilted.  Reasoning that if the flower works well so would the fruit, I diced one small zucchini and added it with the onion.  The results were encouraging enough to try other vegetables - like asparagus. 

Simply poach the asparagus in salted water for four minutes, slice into small rounds (leaving the tips whole), and add to the saute of of onions and pancetta (or bacon) prior to adding the egg, cheese, and pasta. 

When Life Hands You Yogurt: Uses #4-6

Well, I did it.  Two people, five pounds of yogurt, and not a single tablespoon wasted.  Granted, I did cheat a bit: I liked the yogurt flatbreads and baked eggs with arugula so much that I decided to have it again.  However, I did find two other uses for the yogurt.  One, it makes an excellent substitute for mayonnaise in potato and tuna salads (as pictured here).  Two, in a pasta full of greens, herbs, and lemon.  Had there been been yogurt left, this would have been next.

Sicilian Style Pizza

Philly is known for soft pretzels, Peanut Chews, and TastyKakes, but there’s also some decent pizza in the area. I used to love hitting Lorenzo’s on South Street after a show. All the really good pizza I’ve had in town has been of the thin crust variety, but my heart really belongs to sicilian style pizza with a thick crust. Not deep dish—that’s something different—but great, thick, yeasty crust. That kind of pizza is few and far between in Philadelphia, but you can make your own . . . almost entirely from locally grown ingredients.

My favorite crust recipe comes from Serious Eats. They have absolutely perfected a simple sicilian style crust. The secret is kind of weird but perfect for Philly area localvores—potatoes. We’ve always got lots of options for buying potatoes, it seems!

1 medium russet potato, about 7 ounces
15 ounces (3 cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 ounce (about 2 teaspoons) kosher salt
1/4 ounce (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) rapid-rise yeast
1/2 ounce (about 3 teaspoons) sugar
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 cup warm water

Boil the potato until tender, then put it through a ricer; let cool. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixer with a paddle attachment; blend until the dough comes together, and then add the riced potato. Mix on medium-high speed for about six minutes.

Spread a thin layer of olive oil over a rectangular baking sheet (I use a typical cookie sheet). Dump the dough onto the oiled sheet. The original recipe calls for you to allow the dough to spread by itself over a period of two hours. I’m a little on the anxiety-ridden side, so I like to press the dough into the pan with my hands and then let it rise for a few hours.

From there you can use local tomato sauce or pesto as well as local cheese for toppings (Cherry Grove Farm does a decent locally made mozzarella, or you could go with some of the great locally made cheddar or goat cheese). And, of course, there are all sorts of locally grown vegetables in season right now: spring garlic, sorrel, asparagus, mustard greens, spinach, and herbs.

How do you finish the pizza after it’s topped? Bake at 500 degrees for thirteen or fourteen minutes. It should be noted that this dough would also make amazing breadsticks. Depending on how long you let it rise, my dough has turned out anywhere from an inch to two inches thick.

Dessert, with a Side of Drinks

Thursday, April 26, 2012

While I am not a fan of normal cheesecake, I’ve always loved the Italian variety made with milky ricotta instead of cream cheese.  This ricotta cheesecake gets an extra splash from the addition of rhubarb, which starts to pop up right about now. I actually used rhubarb from last year’s crop this time, since I like to freeze bags of it for off-season use, but you should be able to find this year’s rhubarb in your local market soon if it isn’t there already.

As a bonus, the poaching liquid for the rhubarb can, after the fruit is added to the cake, be simmered until reduced by about half, leaving you with a beautifully pink, slightly tart syrup, which can be added to iced tea, lemonade, or fizzy water, or used as the basis for a fancy springtime cocktail.

Rhubarb Ricotta Cheesecake (with a rhubarb syrup bonus)
(Adapted from Nick Malgieri, How to Bake)
Serves 8-12

For pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
12 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch cubes
3 large eggs

For rhubarb layer:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups water
Half a vanilla bean, split
1 ½ lbs rhubarb, leaves trimmed away and sliced into 1-inch pieces

For cheesecake layer:
1 15-ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
⅓ cup granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix.  Add the butter and pulse again until powdery, then add eggs and pulse until the dough begins to come together.  Pat into rectangular block, wrap tightly in plastic or in a quart-sized zip-top bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, bring the sugar, vanilla and water for the rhubarb to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the rhubarb and immediately turn off the heat.  Let the rhubarb cool to room temperature and drain well, setting it aside while rolling out the dough and preparing the ricotta filling.  Return the poaching syrup to the pan and simmer briskly until reduced by half, decant into a glass jar, and refrigerate for use in drinks later.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a quarter sheet pan or 9-inch tart pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to overhang the sides all around.

Slice off one third of the pastry for the top lattice, and roll out the remaining two-thirds on a floured sheet of parchment paper into a rectangular piece large enough to overhang the edges of the pan by about an inch and a half.  Tuck the pastry into the prepared pan.  Roll out the remaining third of dough into a rectangle just larger than the pan, and use a pastry or pizza roller to slice into strips one inch wide.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the ricotta on the lowest speed just until smooth.  Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar, mixing again on low for 30 seconds, then repeat with lemon zest and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down between additions and mixing only until each egg is incorporated.

Lay the poached rhubarb in an even layer on the bottom of the pastry-lined pan.  Pour the ricotta filling gently over, spreading it all the way out to the edges.  Lay the strips of pastry lightly over the top of the filling, fold the overhanging edges of the pastry over to seal in the ends of the strips, and crimp all around.

Bake 35-40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling has set.  Cool to room temperature on a wire rack before using the parchment to lift the cheesecake out of the pan, and slice into 8-12 squares.  If not serving within a few hours of baking, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spring Sesame Collard Greens

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Last October, one of my housemates came home with a few little collard seedlings and I planted them in our backyard. They kept on growing all winter, and for the last month or so I’ve been harvesting the still-tender leaves for raw collard green salads. This past weekend was the last hurrah though, since the plants started flowering and my farmer friends at Mill Creek Farm encouraged me to harvest what was left and then take them out. Fine with me, since I can certainly use that space for my other plants!

I was surprised by how delicious this simple dish turned out.

Ingredients:
1 bunch collard leaves
2 T vegetable broth or water
3-4 T sesame seeds (toasted, optional)
1 T sesame oil
spices to taste (I used McCormick Far East Sesame Ginger Blend, a mix of garlic, sesame, ginger and red pepper, orange peel, coconut, onion, and soy sauce)

Heat the broth in a wide skillet and lightly saute the greens until bright and slightly wilted. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds, sesame oil, and seasoning. That’s all!

Asparagus Season Underway!

Friday, April 20, 2012

One of the most thrilling parts of spring for me is the abundance of fresh asparagus. My husband and I tried to plant asparagus in our home garden a few years ago without much luck, so I get inordinately excited when the farmer’s markets start getting big piles of it. Fair Food Farmstand is getting their first asparagus of the season (from NJ Sheppard Farms and Fifer Farms). Speaking of Fifer, Fifer Orchards is celebrating the early asparagus harvest this year with their Asparagus Peak Party tomorrow from 10am to 4pm.

One of the local restaurants near the orchard will be featuring a few ways to cook up asparagus, including beer battered asparagus and shaved asparagus salad.

Now, true: fresh spring asparagus doesn’t exactly need much in the way of cooking. Even raw, it’s delicious. Still, when there’s so much good asparagus going around it almost seems criminal not to experiment. Some ideas:

• asparagus vichyssoise
• asparagus lemon gelato
• mascarpone, ham, and asparagus tart
• asparagus with lavender, pine nuts, and bocconcini
• asparagus cake with parsley cream

However you enjoy asparagus, don’t miss out while it’s in season!

When Life Hands You Yogurt: Use #3

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

I’ve written about Jamie Oliver’s brilliant use of yogurt as a substitution for bechamel before.  That time, I was heeding his recipe, using it in manicotti.  This time, I used it as a layer in a mushroom lasagna. 

When Life Hands You Yogurt - Lots and Lots of Yogurt

Saturday, April 14, 2012

As I’ve said before, Winter Harvest is a wonderful program.  Every month, I am astounded by the variety and availability of fresh produce, meat, poultry, and prepared foods – all of them locally grown or made. 

Nonetheless, I am prone to error when ordering for the month.  For example, several years ago, I ordered 22 half-gallons of milk rather than 2.  The good people of Farm to City caught that mistake.  This time, however, I had to live it: last week, I brought home a five-pound container of Pequea Valley plain yogurt. 

For some of you, perhaps, this is not much of a purchase.  For a household of two, I can assure you that it is.  However, with flexibility that CSAs require, in which you cook with what’s available, we decided to use up all five pounds of yogurt in as many different ways as we could. 

Uses 1-2: Yogurt Flatbread and Baked Eggs with Arugulga and Yogurt

Eager to use our newest cookbook, Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty, we first opened the container for breakfast last weekend.  The flatbreads called for greek yogurt, a much thicker consistency than the five pounds in front of me. Following Mark Bittman’s advice, I strained two cups of yogurt through a flour sack dishcloth and a mesh strainer.  Within a few hours, I had the requisite ¾ cup of greek yogurt.

The yogurt and whole-wheat flatbreads were cooked on a griddle.  Meanwhile, we baked Rineer Farm eggs and Silver Mine Farm Sylvetta Arugula, and topped them with yogurt spiced with paprika (see here). 

We made substantial progress with these, and the yogurt did not feel repetitious coming, as it did, in two very different forms.  However, there was plenty more yogurt to go. 

Dinner Pilfered From Friends

Monday, April 09, 2012

Recently, my wife was explaining to a friend how she had learned to replant Jerusalem artichokes to propagate more.  Our friend warned us to be sure we planted them in a pot, as they tend to spread quickly and become very difficult to extirpate.  “In fact,” she continued, “I’ve probably still got some in my (community garden) plot right now.  You’re welcome to dig them out for yourself.”  And so we did.

This soup was pilfered from her plot and combined with some chicken stock of ours.  We’ve had some excellent creamed Jerusalem artichoke soup – most memorably at the Farm and Fisherman. But here I wasn’t looking to create anything complicated; instead, I wanted to have an effortless soup that also focused on the taste of the artichokes.  There are innumerable ways to elaborate on this, so think of it only as a starting point.

Springtime Greens

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Fritters made from spinach or chard were one of my favorite comfort foods as a kid, and are still one of my favorite ways of using greens as an adult.  It’s also a great recipe to keep in mind now that we’re on the cusp of every-kind-of-greens season.  Any kind of relatively mild and tender green works, including beet greens and arugula in addition to the spinach or chard my mom generally used.  You could also use a heartier leafy vegetable, like kale or Asian greens, but they’ll take a bit longer to cook.

Like any fried foods, these fritters are best when served immediately, but I confess to also liking the leftovers almost as much cold as a midnight snack.

Beet Green or Spinach Fritters
Serves 4 as a side dish

2 large bunches beet greens, spinach, chard, arugula or other leafy greens of choice (or one bag frozen spinach)
1 large egg
¾ cup milk
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
Salt, pepper and nutmeg
Oil for frying

Roughly chop the greens and either steam them or cook them in a covered dish in the microwave until limp but still bright green.  Squeeze them until absolutely dry in a clean kitchen towel or piece of cheesecloth, then further chop them until quite fine.  (You don’t want long stringy bits that will be hard to scoop out of the batter later.)

Whisk together the egg, milk, flour and baking powder.  Season with salt, pepper and several grinds of fresh nutmeg.  Stir in the cheese and the cooked greens.

Heat several tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick frying pan.  Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, flattening them slightly to an even thickness .  Fry the fritters until nicely browned on one side, then flip and cook the other side to the same degree of doneness. 

Drain the fritters on a rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels or brown paper bags, and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Serve immediately.

Nigel Slater’s Rutabaga and Potato Cake

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Before this month’s challenge, I didn’t give much thought to the rutabaga.  If it happened to show up in one of my late-season CSA shares - another burden of “farmer’s choice” - then I would add it to stews, soups, or roasts as just another root vegetable.  In other words, I was using it for as a substitute for potatoes, not as something with distinct flavors of its own.  Spurred by this month’s challenge, I found this from Nigel Slater.  It isn’t difficult to make (assuming you have a mandoline), and I made only minor adjustments with excellent results. 

Serve with a green salad (It went particularly well with some watercress from the Fair Food Farmstand).

Potato Rutabaga Cake

1 lb. potatoes, sliced thinly (with a mandoline)
1 lb. rutabaga, sliced thinly (with a mandoline)
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
7 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, chopped finely
6 tablespoons chicken stock

Follow instructions as directed.  However, I would make two suggestions.  First, be sure to thoroughly dry the rutabaga and potato slices.  Second, while Slater suggests that the potatoes and rutabaga can just be thrown in the pan, I would strongly recomend that you carefully layer them in the pan as though you were making a gallette.  I find that the slices coalesce better as a true layered cake rather than a jumble. 

Winter Harvest: Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Sunday, February 12, 2012

By this point in the winter, I’ve managed to satisfy my cravings for those substantial soups and stews rounded out by crusty bread that absolutely must be eaten next to a fire.  After the spare, bright acidity of summer food, I get nostalgic for muted, buttery flavors complemented by woody herbs like thyme and sage.  Yet, that only goes so far; long before its time, I start craving a fresh spear of asparagus.  One of the first vegetables to suffer my change in mood is the butternut squash.  Yes, it is versatile, but there are only so many roasts, soups, and gratins you can make.  So, with great relief, I discovered butternut squash gnocchi.

I make this with Hillacre Pride Ricotta, Daisy Flour, and nutmeg as well as salt added to the dough.  Be sure to refrigerate the dough, as it is infinitely easier to work with afterwards.

The flavor of the butternut squash is quite subtle and surprisingly pliable.  So far, I’ve sauced them with brown butter, sage, and parmesan and mushrooms, thyme, shallots, parmesan, and walnuts (pictured here). A gorgonzola sauce might work as well, and I’m sure I’ll find even more possibilities than that.  It should tide me over almost until May…almost.

Winter Harvest Dinner

Friday, February 03, 2012

Two weeks into my winter CSA share, I found myself confronting bags of turnips and carrots in my fridge, not to mention the onions, potatoes, and garlic in the pantry—plus a chubby buttercup squash on the kitchen counter. Possibilities were endless, but I decided to start out simply roasting the veggies while perusing cookbooks in search of a more creative way to use the squash.

Roasted Winter Veggies

a few of each: turnips, small yukon gold potatoes, and carrots, all peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces (well, I only peeled the turnips, it’s personal preference)
a garlic clove or two or three
half of a sweet onion, cut into chunks
small bunch of fresh herbs—I used rosemary, sage, and thyme scavenged from an overgrown neighborhood garden
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
salt and black pepper to taste

Toss veggies with oil in a shallow baking pan, add herbs, and bake at 375F for approximately 45 minutes until veggies have softened (can be pierced by a fork) but aren’t mushy. I added a dash of balsamic vinegar about halfway into the cooking time just to add a little extra flavor.

While my veggies roasted, I peeled and chopped the squash and then got right to work on this:

Mole-Inspired Butternut Squash and Black Beans

Not authentic in the least, the mole-ish sauce inspired by Chili-Chocolate Mole in Veganonomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero adds a wonderful complexity to the ordinary mixture of squash and beans.

3-4 cups black beans (I soaked mine overnight and cooked them right beforehand)
1 buttercup squash, peeled, seeded (save the seeds for roasting!) and cubed

for the sauce:

¼ c sliced almonds
2 T sesame seeds
2 tsp anise seeds
2-3 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼  tsp ground allspice
1 T brown sugar (optional)
1T cocoa powder (melted dark chocolate would be better if you have it)
2 tsp coffee granules (optional)
2 tsp molasses (optional)
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
small onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and toast the almonds, sesame seeds, and anise seeds until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes . Remove from pan and set aside. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until soft, then begin to add the spices, sugar, coffee, and cocoa powder, stirring often for several minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and molasses, and when bubbles form, reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, adding a little extra water or vegetable broth if the sauce seems too thick. Then combine the sauce, black beans, and squash in a casserole dish and bake until squash is tender. Top with roasted squash seeds and serve.

From the Last Person on Earth to Try No Knead Bread

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

I’m probably the last person in the world to have taken to Jim Lahey’s No Knead Bread, I know.  I made a few attempts back when Mark Bittman first wrote about it in 2006, but they were all failures.  I have no idea why, but they were. (Bittman revised it two years later.)

So, after additional failures with Peter Reinhart’s bread recipes, I decided to give Lahey another try.  Please note that the common element among my attempts at the three recipe-writers – Bittman, Lahey, and Reinhart - is me, so I think the evidence clearly suggests that my baking is deficient rather than their recipes. 

Happily, my latest cracks at Lahey’s method were far more successful.  There have been many, many comments about Lahey’s recipe all over the internet, so I’ll keep my comments to a minimum.  In fact, I have only two contributions of my own.

One, whole wheat needs water.  Lahey’s whole-wheat bread recipe is actually 300 grams of white bread flour to 100 grams of whole-wheat bread flour. I’ve been slowly attempting to increase the amount of whole wheat; right now, I am at 250 grams of white to 150 grams of whole wheat.  I’ve noticed that I need to add additional water (20-30 grams) to properly hydrate the dough.  If you’re interested in increasing the amount of whole-wheat flour, make a couple of loaves of white-only, until you have a good sense of how wet the dough should be.  You should then be able to increase the whole wheat and water with confidence.

Two, shaping is key.  After the 18-hour rising, Lahey advises that you shape the dough into a ball.  The accompanying picture, however, suggests something different.  What I’ve found is that if you lay the dough out, pat it into a rough square, and pull on each end and fold it into the middle (I do each side at least twice), you greatly increase the surface tension.  It’s very similar to method of shaping ciabatta, which is another “wet” dough.  The shape of your dough, and final loaf in turn, will be more square than circle, but I find that that has its own appeal. 

Ultimately, Lahey has given me a recipe I can easily make during the week.  I don’t think twice about making a loaf (or two) after work on any given day.  For home cooking, what more could you want?

My Favorite Root Vegetable

Monday, January 30, 2012

I’ve never been able to understand why so many people dislike beets, since ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved their sweetness and their fun ability to turn everything they touch violently pink.  Another fantastic thing about beets is that they’re still in markets this time of year, like many other root vegetables, and if you can find them with the tops still attached, you also get a nice bunch of tender, mild-flavored greens for use in another meal.

Roasting is by far my favorite way to cook beets, since it concentrates their flavor and prevents them from going watery, as they would be if boiled. Here, they’re combined with French lentils and herbs as a topping for whole wheat pasta, mixed with locally-produced fresh goat ricotta.  You could use a creamy blue instead of the ricotta, since both beets and lentils can easily stand up to a more aggressive cheese.  This would also make a nice vegan dish without the cheese, although in that case it would be a good idea to add back some of the pasta cooking water along with the olive oil and herbs, for extra moisture.

Whole Wheat Penne with Goat Ricotta, French Lentils and Roasted Beets
Serves 4

2 small bunches of beets
1/2 cup French lentils
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons garlic-flavored olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
8 ounces whole wheat penne
4 ounces fresh ricotta, preferably goat
2-3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the tops off the beets, wash any dirt off, and wrap each one tightly in foil.  Place on a baking sheet and roast at 400 F until easily pierced with a sharp knife.  Let the beets cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into half-inch dice.

Boil the lentils until tender, then drain and mix with the roasted beets. Dress with the garlic olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper and fresh thyme.  Taste and add more oil or vinegar if needed.

Boil the penne in ample salted water according to package instructions, being careful not to overcook. Drain and toss with the ricotta, oregano leaves, salt and pepepr, and enough olive oil to moisten everything.

Plate the penne, and mound the lentils and beet salad on top.  Allow diners to mix the pasta themselves, as the bees will turn the pasta magenta if mixed ahead of time.