Archives for posts with tag: Parsley

My First Hortopita

February 2, 2014 //
2

IMG_4700

A couple of weeks ago I came across this article for hortopita, and being the cooking masochist/enthusiast that I am, decided that would be just the task to tackle this weekend. Or, more like, the idea of making a savory pie filled with greens and herbs in a semolina-olive oil crust sounded like perfection to me. I was not, I repeat not, intimidated by making my own phyllo dough. Without a stand mixer.

There’s a fun video you can watch of Diane Kochilas, the mostly Greece-based food writer and cooking instructor, showing Mark Bittman how one makes hortopita and rolls out the phyllo. Turns out it’s the same technique as for this Turkish walnut pastry I made back in the fall, whereby you use a dowel rather than a rolling pin, gently applying pressure along the dowel as you flatten the dough. (Don’t be intimidated though because a rolling pin works fine as well.)

After my coop shift on Friday—which consisted of 2 1/2 hours of packaging black mission figs, raw whole cashews, and organic dried mango—I stalked the produce aisle looking for the brightest greenest greens (sweet, not bitter, according to Kochilas) and wondering how it would all fit in my bicycle pannier without overflowing downhill onto Vanderbilt Avenue.

Below is the recipe of what I ended up making, adapted from the original. I think it came out rather well for my first try. (I politely devoured my first piece standing up in the kitchen.) You need neither the stand mixer the original recipe calls for (but by all means use it if you have one) nor the exact list of greens and herbs. For instance I had neither pumpkin nor butternut squash so I used shredded carrots. I think this would be a pretty forgiving recipe should you substitute one green for another or can’t quite manage to find the hartwort. Opa!

(As a bonus, this is one of those foods I find perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacking…)

IMG_4681

Hortopita

For the phyllo dough:

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 c semolina flour, finely ground, like Bob’s Red Mill
1 scant tsp salt
1 1/4 c water
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
1 tbsp lemon juice (or you can use red-wine vinegar)
Flour for rolling out the pastry

For the filling:

Extra virgin olive oil (about 1 c)
2 red onions, chopped
3 carrots, shredded
2 bunches Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 c fresh dill, chopped
1 c fennel fronds, chopped
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
1 small bunch fresh oregano, chopped
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
Coarse sea salt
1/4 c feta cheese (optional)

To prepare the phyllo dough I followed these instructions except mixed the dough by hand rather than with a mixer, kneading it for about 10 minutes.

IMG_4682 IMG_4687

To prepare the filling:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Heat a large skillet with 2 tbsp olive oil and sauté the onions until they’re soft, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat an additional 2 tbsp olive oil, then wilt the chard and spinach and transfer to the bowl. (You may have to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your skillet.) Add the herbs to the bowl mixture, and salt this mixture generously. Transfer to a large colander and let drain for at least ten minutes, pressing lightly to get out any remaining liquid. Transfer back to the bowl. Add the feta and gently combine, if using.

horto_3

Assembling:

Lightly oil a 15-inch round pan or a shallow, rectangular roasting or sheet pan. Roll out the first dough ball (you will have 4) on a lightly-floured surface, so that it is slightly larger than your pan. Transfer to the pan, leaving about 2 inches hanging over the edges. Brush with olive oil. Roll out the second round of dough, transfer on top of the first layer of dough, and brush this with olive oil as well. Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.

Repeat the process for the third and fourth sheets of phyllo, placing the layers on top and brushing with olive oil. Score the pie into serving pieces without cutting through to the bottom. Transfer to the oven and bake on the center rack for 40 to 50 minutes or until the pie is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

IMG_4675 horto_2 horto_1

Tags , , , , , , , ,
Categories Brooklyn, Co-op, Farmer's Market, Feta, Herbs, Mint, Pastry, Savory, Winter

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad

July 21, 2013 //
3

IMG_3772

It’s no secret: I am possibly cooking my way through the entirety of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Jerusalem. I’ve blogged about a couple of the recipes here—Lentils with Broiled Eggplant and Preserved Lemons; and from his earlier book Plenty, Hummus & Ful, Caramelized Garlic Tart. This month’s Recipe Lab at the New York Times is even focusing on Jerusalem and soliciting fan favorites. I’ve been meaning to write in.

I was flipping through Jerusalem the other day before shopping at the food co-op. I had almost settled on the Helbeh—a honey-soaked, fenugreek-infused cake—when I remembered the outside temperature (97 F) and how much I have been avoiding the oven. I stumbled next on a recipe for Spiced Chickpeas and Fresh Vegetable Salad, a gorgeous mélange of crisp vegetables that are all currently in season, accompanied by chickpeas coated in spices then quickly fried in olive oil. Served with greek yogurt it seemed like the only other thing I’d like to eat in this heat other than cold watermelon. (Check out Bittman’s Watermelon All Day Long in this weekend’s Times’ Magazine.)

IMG_3755

You need to get a head start on this the night before by soaking 1/2 cup chickpeas in cold water with a pinch of baking soda. The next day, as the chickpeas are cooking, you can assemble the rest of the salad. I improvised and bought what looked best at both the co-op and the farmer’s market—crunch Kirby cucumbers, local radishes, an assortment of cherry tomatoes from Hepworth Farms, purple scallions, cilantro, and parsley. It’s that time of year in the Northeast when you can’t really go wrong in the produce department if you stick to buying locally.

IMG_3761

I’d love to serve the salad as brunch for friends, along with some good pita and homemade hummus. To the salad you could add a salty cheese like feta; or maybe even watermelon!

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad

1/2 c dried chickpeas
1 tsp baking soda
2 small cucumbers
2 medium or large tomatoes, or a small basket of cherry tomatoes
1/2 pound of radishes
1 red pepper, seeded, with white pith removed
1 small or 1/2 large red onion, peeled
1/2 cup scallions (green or purple), chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar (such as sherry, champagne, or combo white and balsmic)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
Yogurt (optional)
salt and black pepper

Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water with a pinch of baking soda. (In this hot weather I put them in the fridge overnight.) When you’re ready to cook them the next day, drain and transfer to a large saucepan. Cover with water (about twice the amount, in volume, as the chickpeas) and bring to a boil, cooking on high for up to an hour. Mine were thoroughly cooked in 30 minutes. Skim off the white foam as needed during cooking. Drain and set aside.

Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and red pepper into small (roughly 1/2-inch chunks, and place in a bowl. Add the chopped scallions, parsley, and cucumber. Mix together.

To make the dressing, combine 5 tbsp of the olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and sugar in a jar and shake well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Mix together the cardamom, allspice, cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Spread out over a plate, then toss the cooked chickpeas in the spice mixture. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan and add the chickpeas, cooking for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Divide the salad onto plates and serve with the warm chickpeas and a dollop of yogurt.

IMG_3767

Tags , , , , , , , , ,
Categories Brooklyn, Co-op, Cookbooks, Farmer's Market, Farms, Herbs, Salads, Savory, Summer

Herbs Are For Eating

August 14, 2011 //
0

Another Sunday, another column by Mark Bittman in the New York Times Magazine. Earlier this year his long-standing column, The Minimalist, ended its run in the Wednesday Dining Section and it appeared, more or less intact, in the weekend mag.

I was flipping through the magazine on the subway yesterday, primarily reading Mireille Silcoff’s profile of Kris Carr, Every Cancer Has a Silver Lining, when I came across Bittman’s column, all about herbs. The photo had me at hello, or mangia, or Eat! Truth is, I’ve been cooking more with herbs this summer anyway and a friend has been espousing the virtues of more chlorophyll in our diets. One way to do this is of course eating more greens, and it helps to chew them really well or drink in the form of smoothies.

But mostly it was the photo that prompted me to declare that Sunday’s dinner would be green meatballs with linguine and herb sauce. The basil in my garden was practically shouting “pick me now!” and I hadn’t eaten meat all week, so I figured a few meatballs would make for a nice Sunday sup.

I made a few substitutions to Bittman’s recipe. I couldn’t find any chives so I used finely diced scallions instead. And my favorite butcher in Manhattan is closed on Sundays so I couldn’t get the veal-pork-beef combination I would’ve liked—even though I was running errands in that neighborhood, arg!—opting instead for grass-fed ground Sirloin. Sirloin is a pretty lean cut, which is why it’s nice to add in the juicier pork and veal if your butcher isn’t closed.

Oh, and one more change. I didn’t have a food processor or blender nearby so instead of pulsing the herb mixture into a sauce or pesto I just chopped the herbs and garlic as finely as I could and mixed the ingredients by hand.

The thing about this dish is you could use whatever herbs you have on hand, or growing in your garden, or whatever you happened to pick up at the farmer’s market. Chives, cilantro, basil, chervil, tarragon, basil, oregano, parsley (curly or flat), all would work. Serve with a green salad and some homemade garlic bread, and you may enjoy eating your greens as much as I did.

Pasta With Green Meatballs and Herb Sauce
From Mark Bittman, 14 August 2011

2 c finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 c finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c finely chopped fresh chives
1 thin slice white bread
1/4 c milk
1/2 lb ground sirloin, pork, lamb, or a mixture
Salt and black pepper
6 tbsp olive oil
1 lb pasta (linguine works well)
1 garlic clove
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Mix together the basil, parsley, and chives. Soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes then squeeze out the excess milk; discard the milk. Combine the bread with the meat, half of the herb mixture, salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Put 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, 5-10 minutes until cooked through.

3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. While the pasta is cooking purée 1 1/2 c of the herbs with 4 tbsp oil, the garlic, salt, and pepper in a hand blender or food processor. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 c of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the herb sauce, adding the reserved liquid if the mixture is dry. Top with the meatballs, garnish with Parmesan and any remaining herbs. Serves 4.

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories Herbs, Pasta, Savory, Summer
%d bloggers like this: