Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 pound gemelli or penne rigate pasta
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan plus additional for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Cook onion in oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden. Finely chop squash pieces in a food processor and add to onion with water and salt to taste. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until squash is tender. Add sage and simmer 1 minute more. Cook pasta in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid in a cup and drain pasta. Return pasta to pot and add squash mixture, parsley, 1 cup parmesan, butter, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, stirring until butter is melted. Season with salt and add some of reserved pasta cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Serve sprinkled with additional parmesan.

Red Lentil and Winter Squash Dhal

From Cook With What You Have

-Inspired by Dana Treat's Red Lentil Dhal which was inspired by The Modern Vegetarian

Serves 6

Yes, list of ingredients is long but most of it is spices and the dish comes together quite quickly. If you use veggie bouillon you'll need much less salt that the recipe below calls for. It's extra delicious with the bouillon so by all means use it if you have it, or make it if you don't:)!

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tsp. black or brown mustard seeds (can omit in a pinch)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 ½ inches of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded, finely chopped (can omit and just use more chili flakes/powder)
• 1 ½ tsp. curry powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. turmeric (can omit in a pinch)
• Pinch of chili powder
• Salt - about 2-3 tsp. kosher salt (it takes more salt than you might think unless you're using veggie bouillon)
• 2 cups red lentils
• 2-3 cups diced winter squash (acorn, butternut, kabocha, pumpkin, etc.)
• 5 cups veggie bouillon or water
• 1 15-oz. can coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ a bunch of mint, chopped (can omit in a pinch)
• ½ a bunch of cilantro, chopped (can omit in a pinch or substitute parsley)

Heat just enough oil to coat the bottom of a large pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds.  As soon as they begin to pop (only takes about 30 -90 seconds) add the onion, turn down the heat to medium, and cook until softened - about five minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, minced jalapeno, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and chile powder and fry for 3 minutes.

Panzanella

From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

This is the classic Tuscan bread salad made at the height of tomato season. Tuscan bread goes stale very quickly so there are lots of recipes to use it up in flavorful ways. The success of the dish depends on using really flavorful, ripe tomatoes and a good olive oil. And you can use fresher bread if you don’t have stale—see directions below. You do need basil for this, though you can certainly add some chives as well, so I hope you have some in your garden or pick some up.

I know that when you order Panzanella in restaurants in the US you get toasted chunks of bread more like croutons, tossed with tomatoes, etc. This version is what I learned and ate in Tuscany. Please give it a try. The texture is completely different than what is served here but much more integrated and I think much better. Would love to hear reports if you make it.

4 cups diced stale bread (white or partial whole wheat is fine – Grand Central Como or Peasant is perfect for this or something similar—it just can’t be soft, enriched sandwich bread)

4 ripe and juicy medium tomatoes, cut into large dice

1 cup chopped cucumbers (if the lemon cukes are super juicy you could scoop out some of the seeds and discard)

3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

1/2 small red or yellow onion, very thinly sliced and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained and patted dry, or ½ a small Walla Walla Sweet, thinly sliced (no need to soak since it’s so mild)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

2-3 tablespoons, chopped fresh basil

¼ - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

If the bread is quite stale, soak it in water for 15 minutes (Tuscan bread gets much harder than the bread we typically have here) If it’s not terribly stale you can just sprinkle it with a bit of water to moisten it slightly. 

Combine the vegetables, basil and garlic in a large salad bowl. When ready, drain the bread cubes (if you soaked them) and squeeze all the water out of them using your hands. Crumble the bread over the vegetables. In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir well. Pour over salad and toss to combine really well. Adjust seasoning to taste. This salad should have a good vinegary kick and be strongly flavored with the basil, capers and garlic.

Swiss Chard and Polenta Squares

 

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 cups green onions, chopped
• 1 cup polenta or yellow corn meal
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bunch chard, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk ricotta and milk in large bowl to blend. Mix in Parmesan, polenta, salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and fennel seeds. Cover and cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add chard, cover and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir chard mixture into polenta. Transfer to prepared dish. Brush 1 tablespoon oil over top. Bake until brown around edges and firm in center, about 35 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

 

French Lentil and Swiss Chard Risotto

Martha Stewart

• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons leaves
• 1/3 cup French green lentils, picked over
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 large leeks (about 3/4 pound), white and light-green parts only
• 4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup finely shredded radicchio, for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 6 cups water, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add lentils, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain lentils, discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, wash Swiss chard, and remove the leaves from the stalks. Slice the leaves into very thin 2-inch strips, and cut the smaller stems into 1/4-inch dice. Discard the larger stems. Cook Swiss chard in a wok or a large skillet over high heat, tossing constantly, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Set aside in a colander.
3. Cut leeks in half lengthwise, and slice into very thin semicircles. Place in a large bowl of cold water, and let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes to rid them of dirt and sand. Lift out of the water, and drain in a colander. Set aside.
4. In a medium saucepan, bring stock to a boil, reduce heat to low, and keep at a bare simmer.
5. Heat olive oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat; add leeks, onions, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add rice and thyme leaves, and continue stirring until the edges of the rice are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all the wine is absorbed, about 30 seconds.
6. Raise the heat to medium high, add salt and pepper and about 1/2 cup of the simmering stock, and cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock, about 1/2 cup at a time. Cook, stirring constantly, allowing each addition to be nearly absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy but still a little firm in the center, about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in lentils, Swiss chard, and Parmesan. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Divide the risotto among six plates, and garnish with the shredded radicchio. Serve immediately.

Lima Beans with Wild Mushroom and Chard

Bon Appetit

• 1  pound  dried lima beans
• 3  1-1/2-ounce packages assorted dried wild mushrooms [don’t have to be wild mushrooms, though there are great mushrooms at both the Salem Public Market and Salem Saturday Market.]
• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 4  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried crushed red pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 6  cups  (lightly packed) sliced stemmed Swiss chard

Place lima beans in large bowl with enough water to cover by 5 inches. Soak overnight.

Bring 2 cups water and dried mushrooms to boil in small saucepan. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to medium bowl; reserve liquid in saucepan. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender, 10 minutes. Drain beans; add to pot. Pour in mushroom liquid, leaving sediment behind. Add 6 cups water. Bring to simmer; skim foam from top. Stir in red pepper and thyme. Simmer partially covered until beans are tender, 45 minutes. Season with salt. Chop mushrooms; add to pot. Simmer uncovered over medium heat until beans and mushrooms are very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water to thin as needed, about 15 minutes longer. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool, then cover and chill. Rewarm beans before continuing. Add chard to beans. Cover pot; cook until chard is tender, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Winter Vegetable and Chicken Stew

Martha Stewart

• ·  2 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4 pieces)
• ·  1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 pieces)
• ·  1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for cooking water
• ·  1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ·  4 slender carrots, peeled
• ·  3 large celery ribs
• ·  2 medium parsnips (6 ounces), peeled
• ·  4 small onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise with roots attached
• ·  3 cups water
• ·  One 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
• ·  1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• ·  1/2 pound wide egg noodles
• ·  1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ·  1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ·  4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ·  1 bunch Swiss chard (1 1/2 pounds), coarsely chopped with stems
• ·  2 ounces shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces; season with salt and pepper. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add half of chicken to pot; cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining chicken; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cut carrots, celery, and parsnips into 3/4-inch pieces. Place vegetables, onions, water, broth, and rosemary in Dutch oven; scrape browned bits from the bottom. Cover; bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Cook noodles in a saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente; drain. Stir noodles, parsley, chicken, and any collected juices in the bowl into pot. Cook on low until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add chard; cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Divide chard among six bowls. Ladle soup on top; serve with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Winter Minestrone

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large potato (skin on), cubed
• 8 ounces (or one big bunch) Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, fire roasted preferred
• 1 ¼ cup dry cannellini beans, cooked (or 3 cups canned cannellinis)
• 1/2 cup dry barley, cooked (it will yield about 1 ½ cups cooked)
• 6-7 cups vegetable broth (water may also be used)
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh
• If meat eater- add bacon or pancetta (traditional recipe) for more flavor 
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper

[Cook's Illustrated adds Parmesan rind for more flavor- cook with stock/water then remove at end.]

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the potato and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the Swiss chard and cook for two more minutes. Add canned tomatoes, heat until tomatoes begin to break apart and then add 6 cups of the broth. Stir in beans, barley, and all of the seasonings except parsley. At this point you may want to add the other cup of broth, depending on how thick or thin you like your soup - entirely up to you. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until potato cubes are soft. Give the pot a good stir so that the beans and tomatoes begin to break apart, adding a nice texture to the broth. Stir in fresh parsley, salt and pepper, then serve. Grate some fresh Parmesan/Reggiano to garnish.

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard and Garlic

Smitten Kitchen
Adapted from Secrets of the Best Chefs, where it was provided by Gina DePalma

This soup is hearty and intense and the absolutely best remedy for a brittle, cold winter day — a meal in a bowl that also leaves your home smelling amazing. (I kinda wanted to eat the air.) A few other things I liked about it: it didn’t require you to have broth or stock on hand; you only need to use water because the other ingredients are so aromatic and deeply flavored, it’s not necessary. You could easily make it vegetarian by skipping the sausage. And you could veganize it by skipping the sausage and romano cheese. What you are absolutely not allowed to skip is the sizzling garlic oil as a finish. Drizzled onto the bowls at the last minute (especially with the salty romano cheese on top), it raises the bar, unforgettably.

One P.S. I have a weird aversion to overcooked greens in soups, so only added what I needed right before serving, into the portion we were going to eat. It kept them vibrant, and I kept the leftover greens for today’s eagerly anticipated leftovers.

Serves 6

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 4 large links of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used half of this, preferring the sausage to not dominate the soup’s flavor)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced or diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons or diced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced (reserve half for later in recipe)
• Kosher salt
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 cups shredded or thinly ribboned Swiss chard leaves or kale
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese to finish

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pot) in a large pot on medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about five minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrots, first two garlic cloves, a pinch fo salt, and if you like your soup spicy, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook with the sausage until the vegetables soften a bit, another 5 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, water, more salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. (It might be necessary to add more water if the soup gets too thick, though we preferred ours on the thick side.)

When the lentils are cooked, add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender, just a few minutes more. Discard the bay leaves.

To finish, divide soup among bowls, then add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 garlic cloves to a small skillet and heat over medium until the garlic softens and hisses. Drizzle this over soup bowls, and top with fresh Romano, passing more at the table. Leftovers will keep for several days in the fridge.

Purple Potato Salad

Ingredients

2 pounds small purple potatoes
1 purple onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the potatoes until fork tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain, then rinse in cold water, and cut in quarters. Place the warm potatoes in a large bowl and toss with onion, celery, dill, and parsley. In another bowl, stir together mayonnaise, mustard, celery seed, cayenne, vinegar, and lemon. Check seasoning. Add the dressing to the vegetable mixture. Toss gently to coat taking care not to mash the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/purple-potato-salad-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Black Bean, Quinoa, and Peppers salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds black beans
• 1/2 or 1 serrano pepper
• 1 pound corn kernels
• 3 roasted poblano peppers, seeds and skin removed
• 3 roasted red peppers, seeds and skin removed
• 3 small yellow onions or 2 large one
• 1 cup cotija cheese (or other hard cheese, grated, or crumbled salty softer cheese like feta)
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cumin 

Directions

Wash and drain the beans and put them in a saucepan. Cut up the pasilla pepper (or jalapenos, if using them) and add to the pot. Make the pieces large so you can retrieve them later.  Cover the beans with water by 1" in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, but not mushy, maybe 15-20 minutes. Drain and remove the peppers from the beans. Dice the poblano, red peppers and onions all to about 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse the onion in a strainer under cold water to remove some of the sulfurous bite. In a dry skillet, roast the corn until it browns over high heat, stirring and tossing frequently, but don't burn it. Take the corn out when you have some nice brown spots on most kernels. Mince the garlic and put it in the skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil for about two minutes over high heat - just enough to soften it up, not enough to burn it or caramelize. In a small pot, combine one cup of quinoa with a cup and a half of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until all the water is absorbed - maybe 12 minutes. Mix the corn, peppers, onions, quinoa, garlic, and beans together and toss well. Add the olive oil, cheese, lime juice, cumin, and cliantro. Salt and pepper to taste. Put in a refrigerator to cool for at least an hour before serving. If you'd like, add diced avocado, tomato, mango, or papaya as mentioned earlier.

Basic Green Chile Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped green chile (roasted, peeled, seeded)
• ½ cup chopped tomato, fresh or canned
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste

Directions

Heat the oil and saute the onion a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook until softened. 
Stir in the flour, cook 2 minutes, then slowly add the stock. Add the chile, tomato and cumin.
Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add water or stock if sauce gets too thick. Add salt to taste. Makes about 3 cups.

Stuffed Peppers

From Food Network

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound breakfast sausage
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 20 Anaheim or Poblano peppers, cut in 1/2, seeds removed

Directions

In a saute pan over medium-high heat add the oil. Once heated add the celery, bell peppers and onion and saute for about 8 minutes. Add sausage and garlic and brown. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Take off heat and stir in parsley, hot sauce and bread crumbs. Let cool. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Stuff peppers with vegetable and cheese mixture and bake for 15 minutes or grill until char develops. 

Sasuage and Sweet Pepper Sandwich

From John Mitzewich

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large red bell peppers, seeded, cut into half-inch strips
• 1 large green bell peppers, cut into half-inch strips
• 1 yellow onion, halved, and cut in quarter-inch slices
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• pinch of cayenne
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 4 grilled Italian hot or sweet sausage
• 4 soft rolls, split

Preparation:

Add the olive oil, pepper strips, and onion to a cold, large skillet, and turn on the heat to high. When you can hear the peppers and onions sizzling, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until the peppers and onions become soft and sweet. Add the garlic, and cook for one minute, stirring. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar, cayenne, salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. 

Divide the hot pepper mixture evenly over the four rolls and grilled sausages.

Pea and Pea Shoot Risotto

From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

Risotto may seem like lots of work but if you’re in the kitchen anyway for half an hour before dinner than you might as well stir the rice occasionally. And it’s really pretty forgiving and pea risotto is one of my favorites. Pea shoots are a wonderful addition if you have them. You can also add bacon to this—a wonderful combo. Add two slices, cut into small dice to the onion at the beginning if you wish. If you use the bacon you should omit the lemon juice and zest.

Ingredients

• 2 cups snap and/or snow peas, washed, strings removed and cut into ¾ -inch lengths
• 2 cups pea shoots, washed and roughly chopped (optional)
• 7 cups vegetable or chicken stock or veggie broth
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or other grated, hard cheese)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Directions

In a saucepan bring a chicken or veggie stock of your choice to a boil and then turn down to barely a simmer. In a large sauté pan cook onion in oil over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in rice, stirring until each grain is coated with oil and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine (if using) and cook, over medium-high heat, stirring, until wine is absorbed. Add about 3/4 cup simmering broth and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, cooking, stirring and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until about half of broth has been added. Continue adding broth in the same manner until rice is tender and creamy looking but still al dente, about 18 minutes. About five minutes before the rice is tender stir in the peas and pea shoots and a cup of broth. Keep cooking and stirring until both rice and peas are tender. Italians cook peas a bit longer than we might or than you would in the fried rice above. They are better a bit softer in this dish so don’t feel you need to keep them crisp. Salt and pepper to taste. Add butter and parmesan and a little more broth (it should be quite soupy at this stage and much of the liquid will be absorbed as it rests before serving), mix well and remove pan from heat. Let rest for 5-10 minutes, covered, before serving. Serves 6

Fried Rice with Peas

From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

This is the quintessential quick dinner, utilizing whatever bits and pieces you have on hand. Snap or snow peas, pea shoots, chard stems (if you made the Swiss Chard pancakes below), all work well in this dish. Quantities are all approximations and you can vary them as you like. You just want to be sure you cut the vegetables finely and fairly uniformly and you don’t want to crowd your skillet or wok. To avoid a soggy dish you need to be brave with the heat level and steer away from vegetables that give off a lot of liquid like tomatoes or zucchini, though finely diced zucchini would work well with enough heat, later in the season!

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked, cooled rice (I recommend making short-grain brown rice as described below, if you can)
• 2 tablespoons coconut, sunflower or olive oil
• 1/2 a medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic,
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1-2 ounces of bacon, cut into small dice
• 1 1/2 cups of peas snow and/or snap peas, cut into 1/2-1-inch pieces
• 2 cups pea shoots, chopped
• 1 Serrano chili, seeded (if you don’t want it very spicy) and finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2-3 teaspoons Tamari or soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or to taste)
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped basil, mint or cilantro (or a combination)
• Salt

Directions

Heat the oil in a wok or wide skillet over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, peas, Serrano chili, and bacon and cook stirring very frequently for about 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the rice and pea shoots and mix everything very well. Cook for about three more minutes to heat the rice through and wilt the pea shoots. Then push the contents of the pan to one side and add the eggs to the empty spot and scramble them until almost set. A few stray peas or rice kernels will make their way in which is just fine. You just don’t want to mix the raw egg into the rice right away since you’ll loose track of it as it just coats the kernels instead of scrambling. When the eggs are almost set, mix them gently into the rice, add the soy and fish sauce, stir well and then mix in the herbs. Adjust seasoning–it may need salt or more soy or fish sauce or a squeeze of lime juice–and serve immediately. Serves 4 (more or less)

Spring Greens with Capers, Aioli and Hardboiled Egg

Notes from Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have 

Lettuces this time of year are so tender and crisp and perfect. The summer heat hasn’t made them bitter yet and this salad is perfect for them. It includes eggs in two forms (hard-boiled and in the aioli)! And the salad is begging for adaptations. Add some chopped tarragon if you have it or other herbs (mint, parsley, basil, chives). You could add canned tuna for an even heartier version.

Ingredients

•  4-6 cups lettuce, washed and dried well and roughly torn
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 2 hardboiled eggs (eggs that have been brought to a boil in a plenty of cold water and then taken off the heat and left to sit for 8 minutes in the hot water and then drained and covered in cold water. The yolks will be set but still a bit creamy.), roughly chopped
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup croutons or roughly torn, toasted, good crusty bread
• 3 tablespoons aioli
• a little lemon juice or red wine or champagne vinegar
• a bit more olive oil or cream or water to thin it down a bit (optional)
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

Put the lettuce, eggs, capers, onion and croutons in a salad bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and then toss well with the lettuce, etc. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Homemade Aioli

Aioli is basically garlicky mayonnaise. Green garlic lends itself very well to this technique since it’s milder and sweeter than mature garlic. Traditionally it’s made with mature garlic so use whatever you have. Homemade aioli takes about 5 minutes to make and keeps well for a week. I’ve always made it by hand but I know it works really well in the food processor too so by all means use that if you want. It’s so delicious and endlessly useful and adaptable. Potato salad, deviled eggs, egg salad, sandwiches, spread for grilled fish, dressing for anything.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs yolks
• 2-3 stalks green garlic or garlic scapes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 3 teaspoon lemon juice or more to taste
• about 1 ½ cups oil. I use a combo of two thirds neutral oil like Sunflower and one third good tasting olive oil. If you use all olive oil it tends to be too bitter and strong.

Directions

Mince 2-3 stalks of green garlic (the tender parts—trim off anything that seems at all fibrous) as finely as you can with a sharp knife for mince in a food processor.

Whisk the garlic into the eggs yolks with the lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper. Then very slowly start adding the oil, almost drip by drip for a bit until you things get nice and emulsified. Then you can start adding the oil in a thin stream, whisking all the while (or do the same in the food processor).

Traditionally aioli is served as a dip with raw and steamed vegetables. This week it could be carrots and turnips and radishes – raw or quickly blanched or steamed. It’s good with chickpeas, potatoes, asparagus, etc. It’s also wonderful with grilled foods, in a sandwich or spooned in soup or pasta or used instead of mayonnaise in deviled eggs.

Ginger Soba Noodles with Mustard Greens

from 101 Cookbooks

Note from MIG: Add mustard greens to this by sautéing (just until wilted) in olive, grapeseed or canola oil and maybe a bit of rice vinegar or any of the following: lime juice, soy sauce (just a bit), more grated ginger

12 oz / 340 g dried soba noodles

Ginger Dressing:

1 tablespoon freshly grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup / 2.5 oz / 70 g chopped white onion
1 teaspoon mirin (optional)
2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 celery stalk, strings removed, then chopped
1/3 cup / 80 sunflower oil or untoasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons of chopped tarragon, plus more to taste

a few big handfuls of cubed tofu, pan-fried or baked until golden

1/3 cup + toasted squash seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or sesame seeds

Cook the soba noodles in well salted water, drain, rinse under cold water, and shake off as much of the water as possible.

In the meantime, make the dressing by combining the ginger, toasted sesame oil, lemon zest and juice, onion, mirin, sugar, salt, vinegar, celery, and sunflower oil in a food processor. Blend until very smooth, then press aggressively through a strainer. Taste and tweak a bit if needed - the dressing should have a bit of bite, and an edge. It'll hit the pasta and you want it to be able to cut the starchiness. Set the dressing aside.

In a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with most of the tarragon, the tofu, most of the squash seeds/nuts, and about 2/3 of the dressing. Really get in there and toss well. Add more dressing if needed (I use all of it), and season again until the noodles are to your liking. It's nice to serve this with a few wedges of lemon on the side, or a bit of brown rice vinegar. Finish with the remaining tarragon and seeds.

Serves 4 - 6.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 20 min

Chicken Fricassee with Carrots, Mustard Greens Avgolemono Sauce

For chicken:

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 7 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 3 1/2-pound chickens, each cut into 8 pieces

• 2 cups chopped peeled carrots
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

• 2 bunches mustard greens, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

For Avgolemono Sauce:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, separated
• Pinch of salt

Make chicken:
Mix 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons parsley, lemon peel and minced garlic in large glass baking dish. Whisk in 6 tablespoons oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chicken. Turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate chicken overnight, turning once.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove chicken from marinade. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook chicken until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl.

Add carrots, sliced garlic and oregano to pot. Sauté over medium-high heat until garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add wine and remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Return chicken to pot. Place pot in oven. Bake uncovered until chicken is cooked through, turning chicken occasionally, about 35 minutes.

Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken, carrots and sliced garlic to large bowl. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Boil cooking liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour 1 cup reduced cooking liquid into small bowl. Set aside.

Return cooking liquid remaining in pot to simmer. Add mustard greens. Cook until greens are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in green onions, dill, Dijon mustard and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Cover and keep warm.

Make avgolemono sauce:
Whisk lemon juice and cornstarch in another small bowl to blend. Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and pinch of salt in medium stainless steel bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in egg yolks, then lemon juice mixture. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Gradually add reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Add sauce to mustard greens; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce and mustard greens over chicken and serve.

Quiche Lorraine

From Smitten Kitchen, Adapted from Le Pain Quotidien

So, curiously enough, one of the few places I could reliably find something I wanted to eat during my 9-plus months of no appetite this year was a chain restaurant(Quelle horreur! Except it is not.), Le Pain Quotidien. I loved their barely sweet granola bars, their hefty miche and countless simple lunches like this. (I believe they had a cookbook at some point, but it is either AWOL or out of print or maybe I’m just making this up?) Nevertheless, I found this recipe online and was chomping at the bit to make it, stat. No seriously, like the minute I got home from the hospital.

What sets this apart from other versions of this quiche is the piles of caramelized leeks and the richer-than-rich sour and heavy cream custard, two things I implore you not to miss out on. I hadn’t made this tart crust before, but was very impressed by how easy it came together and how crisp it remained as a shell without requiring a par-baking. I will definitely use it again.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups diced leeks, white and light green only (from about 2 large leeks, although I think you can get away with one super-big leek)
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil (I needed a tad more)
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, diced
• 4 eggs, divided
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch pepper
• 1 1/2 cups diced ham (1/4 -inch dice; I used about 1/2 pound)
• 3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Heat a large sauté pan over low heat. Sauté the leeks and onions in the olive oil 30 to 40 minutes until caramelized, occasionally stirring. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and one-fourth teaspoon salt. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or two knives until it is in very tiny bits. Add one egg (a fork works great for this) and mix it until a dough forms. (Dough can also be made in a food processor, or in theory, and as the original recipe suggests, in a stand mixer.)

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate (I used an 8-inch deep tart pan, though ended up with extra filling) and press to remove any air bubbles. Crimp the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. While the quiche shell chills, mix the heavy cream and sour cream in a medium bowl. Whisk in the remaining three eggs. Add a pinch each nutmeg, salt and pepper and combine to form a batter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

5. Remove the quiche shell from the refrigerator and spread the leek and onion mixture evenly over the base. Sprinkle the ham and then the cheese over the leeks and onions. Pour in the batter and place the quiche in the oven.

6. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes (a deeper pan, such as the one I used, will require extra baking time). Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.