Archives for category: Savory

Greenmarket Breakfast

May 3, 2011 //

Full disclosure: I went to the greenmarket in Union Square on my lunch break yesterday in search of more ramps. The season is fleeting and my appetite persistent. By 2 pm, however, they were gone. I’m glad others will get to enjoy them.

I stumbled upon some over-wintered spinach that looked bright and green and threw it into my sack for $4. I thought about the green garlic but, looking a little wilted, it will have to wait for another time. Added some brown eggs and multi-grain bread and called it a day.

I like the sound of over-wintered spinach, or broccoli rabe. Because it sums up how I feel: over winter, indeed.

When I woke up this morning I wanted something savory and hearty, not my usual yogurt-fruit-cereal breakfast. I heated a little olive oil in a skillet and threw in the spinach, to wilt, for about one minute, adding salt and promptly removing the spinach from the skillet. Meanwhile I toasted slices of the Bread Alone loaf, slathering on avocado*, kosher salt and pepper. In the same skillet I had warmed the spinach I added an egg, covered the pan with a lid, and let the egg cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, then turned off the heat. On top of the avocado toasts I added the wilted spinach and egg and got to work.

*The avocado came from the Park Slope food co-op. I am proud to announce I have officially rejoined! Although this FTOP thing looks tricky – I could barely find one, let alone two, shifts during May so I’m told I will be on “alert” until I can complete my first shift in June. I came home with overflowing bags of green lentils, rice shakes, dried apricots and mango, bananas, broccoli, and spices. It’s good to be back.

Categories Breakfast, Co-op, Farmer's Market, Savory, Spring

Fagioli alla Toscana

April 29, 2011 //

I don’t want to crowd this blog with bean posts, but a friend did make a special request for this recipe. And no one should be denied this gem of a dish, it has become one of my favorites. It was a hit at a recent dinner party, and thus the recipe request.

More of a fall or winter meal, truth be told, I still enjoy it year round, usually just changing the protein according to the season.

The first time I made these Cannellini beans was for my birthday a few years ago and I’ve been making them and tweaking the dish ever since. The recipe is adapted from Danny Meyer and Michael Romano’s 1994 Union Square Cafe Cookbook, a book I stole from my sister, or she was getting rid of it, I can’t remember. Thanks Hope! It’s my go-to book for simple, inspired Italian cooking (along with the Silver Spoon).

1 c dried Cannellini beans from Cayuga Pure Organics if possible
Homemade chicken or vegetable stock, approx. 2-4 c
kosher salt
1 celery rib
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise
1 onion, cut in half and stuck with 2 cloves
3-4 juniper berries (or 1 bay leaf)
about 1/3 c good olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp each minced rosemary, sage, and thyme
1/2 c Pecorino or Parmigiano, grated
freshly ground black pepper

Soak the beans for approx. 3 hours, covered, in cold water. (Soaking time will be longer if the beans aren’t as fresh.)

Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan on the stove, covered by the stock or water or a combination of both, to cover by about 3 inches. Add the salt, celery, carrot, onion, and juniper berries and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover, and continue to simmer for about one hour, or until the beans are thoroughly cooked and tender. Discard the vegetables, but be sure to reserve 1 1/2 c of the cooking liquid.

In a large skillet, heat the olive and garlic over medium heat, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the beans to the skillet with 1 1/2 c of the cooking liquid, bring to a boil, then add the herbs and three quarters of the cheese. Continue to boil until the liquid reduces to the consistency of a sauce, about 10 minutes. Don’t worry if some of the beans begin to disintegrate into the sauce. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the beans to a serving dish, adding the remaining cheese and some additional olive oil if you’d like.

I like to serve these with sauteed broccoli rabe, and either a white meaty fish (cod, hake, arctic char), or a braised meat, pork tenderloin, or sausages. If there are leftovers (I recommend doubling the recipe) they make for a great lunch on their own the next day.

Categories Beans, Farmer's Market, Savory

Ramp Time

April 28, 2011 //

Yesterday, for the first time, I saw ramps at the greenmarket in Union Square. Hello spring! Ramps, also known as spring onions or wild leeks, have become somewhat fashionable in the foodie world these last years. They taste earthy, garlicky, strong or mellow depending on the preparation, and always tasty.

Ramps can be used in a similar way you would cook with scallions or leeks: raw, grilled, in soups, sauces, pesto, and my favorite: pastas. I wasn’t able to cook these beauties last night but looked forward to coming home all day today. They didn’t disappoint.

It’s important you wash ramps thoroughly. To do this I cut the bulb and stems from the leaves and soak them in a big bowl of cold water. I change the water at least three times to get all the dirt out. After washing, peel the skin off the stems. Dry the ramps thoroughly with a towel.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add your pasta — tonight it was linguine but any shape will do.

Heat 2 or 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet, and when warm, add the white stems. Cook over medium heat for about ten minutes which mellows out the flavor and infuses the oil with an oniony aroma. Meanwhile cut the leaves in halves or thirds, crosswise. When the stems have been cooking for about five minutes, add a couple cloves of chopped garlic and crushed red pepper.

Drain the pasta when it’s al dente, reserving a few tbsp of the salty cooking liquid, and set aside.

Turn the heat down on your skillet and add the ramp leaves, fresh lemon juice or lemon zest, salt and pepper. Just wilt the leaves, about one minute. Turn off the heat and add the pasta and the reserved cooking liquid. Grate a hard, salty cheese like Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano over the top. Serve with some crusty bread or a green salad. Exquisite (if I do say so myself).

And because I’m greedy when it comes to greens, I also added some spinach leaves to the mix at the same time I added the ramp leaves. A gal needs her greens.