spicetart

Yummy Broccoli

Broccoli is my stand-by veggie, I either eat it or salad just about every night.  I love it, love it, love it, love it.  The usual way to make good broccoli better is to add a couple tablespoons of butter and some salt.  Oh yeah, now that glistening, hot broccoli beckons you.  Right?

So in the spirit of eating vegetables new and different ways, and in the spirit of avoiding dairy, I did something completely different.  I didn't make enough, I could have eaten all of it for dinner.  Chris made me share.

Easy Yummy Broccoli
Broccoli, as much as you want, trimmed into medium-sized florets
5 or so anchovy fillets in oil* or salt, minced (if in salt, rinse and dry)
3 garlic cloves, sliced
good Olive oil

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for NO MORE THAN 2 minutes, just to make a tad tender.  Drain.  Saute garlic and anchovy in 2 or so tablespoons olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant and starting to brown.  Add drained broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally.  Test broccoli for how done you want it, about 6 minutes for still a bit crispy.  Add salt and pepper to your taste.  Eats!

*note: I use Talatta Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil from Whole Foods that I keep refrigerated and just use a few fillets at a time.  This has worked well, so I don't have to use a whole thing of anchovies or throw them away.  These are also better quality than most of the ones in tins sold at grocery stores.  I have yet to use anchovy paste but I think that I may try some if I can find some really good stuff.

What am I doing?

I have no idea.  The lady at the Riverdog Farms stand at the Berkeley farmers' market said that this was a variety of radicchio, so even though it looks like plain old lettuce, it's really a much hardier and MUCH more bitter green.  It definitely deserved to be cooked.  It deserved to be cooked and eaten and it deserved to taste good.  So I treated it bad, so so bad.  Olive oil in a hot pan, funny radicchio variety in the olive oil, salt and pepper on top, swirl it around a bit, and then add some good chicken stock and braise for about 15 minutes with the lid tightly on.  Conclusion: Good but VERY bitter, could probably have used a chopping before braising.  Trying to braise these bad boys whole was really out there.  Crazy. I'm wild like that.

Riverdog Farms
At the Berkeley Farmers' Markets on Saturdays at Center & MLK and on Tuesdays at Derby & MLK

And the beet goes on

I am sure they have been doing it for centuries, "they" being either people without food coloring or people who hate food coloring and "it" being coloring things with beet juice.  Fabrics and paints were dyed naturally by the Egyptians and Chinese, and right here in America, betalain is produced from a specially bred "high pigment beet" to be used as a natural food dye in the food industry.

I have accidentally "dyed" many things with beet juice, towels, tile grout, carpets, but had yet to use it for coloring something on purpose.  So when I was recently in the throws of pickling some beets, it occurred to me that they could be used to liven up the butter-cream frosting that was at that very moment being whipped up in my Kitchen Aid.  I did a quick test by squeezing a handful of beets skins into a tiny bowl with a tablespoon of frosting.  This resulted in a beautiful, soft pink and no beet flavor which was exactly what I wanted for the cupcakes Chris was making (yep, and he makes the best cupcakes on the planet).  So I squeezed away (squozed? squeezeded?), and whipped away until we got the perfect color.  What simple pleasure I get out of this discovery, to be able to use a food I love to naturally enhance the beauty of another food I love makes me giddy.  No, I'm not totally nuts.  I just have this crazy thing about beets.

Baby Artichokes

Spring time was always a good time growing up because it meant giant artichokes appeared on the dinner table (or TV tray).  Anything that I got to eat with my hands, and scrape on my teeth no less, was a real winner in my book.  Let's face it, artichoke leaves are a butter delivery system (or mayo delivery system for you heathens - snort) and the heart, well, let's just say coagulated cold butter never tasted so good. 

I've also always been a big fan of marinated artichokes, especially with pesto and melted cheese sandwiches, and my pizzas often proudly display a layer of the canned variety.  But not until recently did it occur to me to actually pick out some baby artichokes and explore some fresh possibilities.  So a pound of baby artichokes, some bacon for the fatty goodness, and dandelion greens for a bit of a bite, and I was off to cook these little beasties myself.

Trimming the outer leaves is easy, and after cutting them in half, I made sure to place each tender, exposed choke into acidified water (with lemon) to help prevent browning.  They turned a bit brown anyway, but I cooked them in a vinegar bacon sauce so it didn't really matter.  I love wilted salads with a warm vinegar sauce and used this recipe as a base.  I added a lot more vinegar though, (and way less mustard) it didn't seem like enough dressing for me and I like it with a lot of bite.

A layer of dandelions, a layer of artichokes and the dressing, sprinkled with bacon and egg.  The artichokes were tender and perfect with that characteristic astringent artichoke flavor, and the bacon always adds a nice smoky contrast.  The dandelion greens were beautiful and tasty, though next time I would select some that are a bit less woody and perhaps cut the leaves smaller.  It also could use some shallots in the dressing for that oniony sweetness, but overall, a somewhat healthy and definitely fun way to cook with these spring lovelies.

Beets Me

The last of the vegetable series has arrived!

My love of beets started when my good friend Nova returned from Russia.  She lived with me a bit and, while I was familiar with her and her family's extensive cooking skills, I was wary of her extolling the virtues of the beet.  In my experience, beets were those crinkly cut, sour, mystery-veggie at salad bars.  That was it.  But I decided to at least try it and was instantly smitten.  I became a life long beet fan, it was all beets all the time.  For a while I talked about my love of beets so often that my mother starting cutting out every article and recipe containing any word of a beet.  My collection is many volumes strong.

First, roasteda unpeeled beets in, what else, olive oil, salt, pepper, covered with foil.  They could just be wrapped and roasteda in foil as well.  These ones were small, the size of a large walnut, so they cooked for about 35 minutes.  I don't trim them much because if their skin gets cut they seem to leak all their juice out.  Then, when cooled, the peels just slip off and take all the dirt and stuff with them.

Gorgeous, right?

We ate these with some miso-ginger-lemon marinated chicken and with the beets greens that had been braised in the chicken marinade.  Eating beets and their greens is like injecting my body with Mom Nature, they are so darn good for you.  Check it out.

Carrots, roasted

By now you're probably saying to yourself "Sheesh Molly, enough with the vegetables already".  You can't say I didn't warn you.  Plus, it's my blog and I happen to be cooking vegetables right now and feeling that I should share it with you, my dear reader.

So I roasted some carrots.  The End.

These were just so beautiful, I had to take a picture.  Olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.  Because thyme won’t give me thyme, and thyme makes lovers feel like they’ve got to roast some carrots, you know what I'm sayin'? 

Asparagus and Leeks, Together At Last

The Farmer's Market has incredible looking asparagus right now, of all thicknesses, and so I grab a couple of bunches each time I'm there.  I also got some lovely leeks, not too big and thick, begging to be made into soup!  While I am a fan of asparagus, it is not really one of my favorite spring vegetables.  But cook it up with some leeks, shallots and chicken stock? Oh yeah!  Based on the Asparagus Soup in my Gourmet book here, off I went to make my soup.  I made this soup on a week night, it was an incredibly easy and fast recipe with great results.

The recipe includes a Parmesan Custard that is served in the soup (not loaded with fat, I swear!) which looked delicious, but I really just wanted some straight up asparagus soup.  I imagine the parmesan custard could only make this better, and it would impress dinner guests too!

I used twice the leeks and shallots that the recipe called for and I used half-and-half instead of cream because I didn't have any cream.  I also did not strain it because I like blended soups with a little texture and chunks (as long as it's not potato-based, then it gets all gummy).  Anyway, it was excellent, this recipe is very flexible and could be changed even more to your individual whims.

Rabe Rocks

So one of my major scores at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market lately has been Watermelon Radish Rabe.  Get some at the stand with the baskets full of those beautiful red, orange and yellow carrots (that's my favorite stand).  I am a fan of the more common Broccoli Rabe, in fact one of my top 10 favorite recipes (from Luna Park in the LA Times) uses Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, lemon and Parmesan to make a yummy, chunky sauce.  Much thinner and more bitter than broccoli rabe, watermelon radish rabe has a distinct spicy bite that mellows with a little cooking.  I made a simple saute last week, with garlic and olive oil but decided this week to try a little bean pasta.  This is my first attempt at a semi-original recipe ( I was inspired by pastas with beans and basil), and I was pretty pleased with the result.  It even illicited "that's good" from Chris, and this dish had no meat. Go figure.

Penne with Watermelon Radish Rabe and Fried Chickpeas

8 ounces penne (or other shaped pasta)
extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves fresh garlic, whole, crushed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or use fresh cooked)
1/3 cup basil, julienned
1 pound cleaned watermelon radish rabe
1/3 cup good dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken stock
lemon zest and lemon juice of one lemon
good Parmesan
salt and pepper

Cook pasta al dente, according to directions, reserving about a cup of cooking water.

Place about 6 tablespoons oil in a warm skillet, add garlic and cook over medium until fragrant and browned but not burned, about 5 minutes. Remove from oil and discard.

Add chickpeas and saute until they begin to lightly brown and get a bit crispy, 8-9 minutes. Remove and reserve.

Add rabe, wine, and stock. Cover and cook until rabe softens, about 6 minutes. Stir in basil, lemon zest and juice and saute for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Add pasta and beans and reheat in mixture for a couple of minutes. If more sauce is desired, add some or all of the reserved pasta water. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with good olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan of course. Makes 4 servings.

In My Backyard: Nettles Fritatta

Take the plant that used to cause painful welts on the arms and legs and face of this young Indiana Jones, as I hacked a path through my backyard jungle in the rugged hills of Oakland, enduring the bites and stings of the poisonous (I imagined) thorns of the exotic nettle plant, take it and make a frittata.  Show it who's boss!

I was excited to see a basket at the farmer's market and, stuffing as much as I could into a bag (with tongs), I managed to just touch a piece to my skin, enough to feel a little tingly stinging.  Memories flooded back of summer days playing in the dusty, green hills, of that sharp, astringent scent I remember on my shoes and clothes, and I realized that I was preparing to eat a plant that I had avoided for many childhood years.  Just please don't tell me that poison oak will be appearing in our spring mix...

Nettles are used in cooking internationally but the first I heard of using them in food, was an incredibly delicious Nettles Parpardelle at Quince a couple of months ago.  They appear from March - May (celebrate), when the plant reaches about 6 inches; any taller and they start to get woody and inedible.  A woman at the market also buying nettles, about 3 pounds worth, for tea and said they were her medicine.  Nutritional, delicious and a rich medicinal history, all this in a plant growing in our backyards.

Nettles Frittata
Recipe by Alice Waters, Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook

1 pound nettles
1 medium  onion, thinly sliced
good extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup young pecorino or Sardo
6 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

     Wash the nettles thoroughly WITH GLOVES ON, they will sting.
     Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat (in a pan large enough to hold the nettles) until softened.  Add a bit more olive oil, add garlic. Season with salt and cook a minute.  Add nettles and turn the heat to high, cooking until nettles are wilted and most of the water they release has evaporated.  Drain in a colander and then when cool, chop coarsely.
     Mix chopped nettles in a bowl with the cheese and about 1/4 cup olive oil.  Add the eggs and season well.
     Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet, and pour in eggs and nettles mixture, cooking over medium-low until just set and starting to brown.  Slide the frittata onto a plate and then invert back into the pan.  Cook until done (I had to check inside, total cooking time was about 13 minutes).

THEN EAT!  I mostly followed this recipe, though I used half the cheese and olive oil, I just didn't think it needed it, and it was still excellent.  It was also excellent cold.

More wonderful nettles info and recipes at Mariquita Farm and Prodigal Gardens.

Spring Has Sprung All Over the Place

The first sign is the blooming of those trees that you never really noticed before, suddenly puffed pink and white blossoms that create a snowy carpet after it rains.  Bunches of fennel and asparagus, nettles and watermelon radish rabe, beets and artichokes - the farmer's market has blown up!  And then there's the flowers - iris, daffodil, narcissus, ranunculus, tulips - bustin' out all over, and the wildflowers carpeting the hills...I don't think there is a better time of the year.

I went way overboard at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market this weekend, and will be making my way through my vegetables this week.  Beets, baby lettuces, nettles, puntarella, watermelon radish rabe, asparagus, leeks - OH MY!  Despite the forecast of a miserable weekend, there was not a drop of rain after 9:00 a.m. Saturday and the day was absolutley perfect.  Go support your farmers!