Local produce makes for enticing menus
Beet, Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad
Pour a chilled dry Gew
ürztraminer to accompany the salad and offer crusty bread
throughout dinner.
Local produce makes for enticing menus
Beet, Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad
Pour a chilled dry Gewürztraminer to accompany the salad and offer crusty bread throughout dinner.
6 small beets, trimmed (about 18 ounces)
6 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Pinch of sugar
12 cups mixed baby greens (or other fresh lettuce)
2 green onions, sliced
½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 ½ ounces)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (about 2 ounces)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap beets in foil, enclosing completely. Bake until beets are tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Peel and slice beets. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refridgerate.)
Whisk olive oil, Sherry wine vinegar, garlic and sugar in a medium bowl to blend. Season with dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine greens, sliced green onions and beets in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Divide salad among 6 plates. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts and serve. Serves 6.
Bon Appetit, October 1995.
Easiest Strawberry Shortcakes
Enriched with a little cream and sugar, jumbo-size refrigerator biscuits become shortcakes worthy of the season’s best berries. Since there are more biscuits in the tube than you’ll need, you could bake extras at the same time and save them for breakfast the next day.
*note to readers: this recipe was tested using refrigerator biscuits. Although this resulted in a very easy dessert, substituting angel food cake or biscuits made from scratch could yield an even better desert.
1 10.8-ounce tube large refrigerator biscuits
1 tablespoon plus ½ cup chilled whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1-pint basket strawberries, hulled
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place 2 biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with 1 tablespoon cream and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, about 14 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
Place half of the berries in a bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Crush berries with a fork. Slice remaining berries and add to bowl. Mix in lemon juice. Whip remaining ½ cup cream to soft peaks.
Slice warm biscuits in half horizontally. Place bottoms on plates. Spoon most of berry mixture over, dividing equally. Cover with tops. Top with cream and remaining berries. Serves 2. Can be doubled.
Bon Appetit, July 1995.
Tabbouleh
2 cups bulgur wheat
1 ½ cups green onions, finely chopped
¾ cup tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup olive oil
1 cup lemon juice, or more to taste
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (optional)
fresh mint leaves for garnish
Soak the wheat in water to cover in a bowl for 2 hours. Drain well and squeeze out excess moisture. Put in a large salad bowl. Add onions, salt, pepper to taste, parsley, tomato, olive oil, lemon juice and cucumber, if using. Toss well to keep grains separate. Taste for seasoning and add salt and lemon juice to taste, if necessary. Garnish with mint leaves.
Courtesy the family of the late Alice Gabriel
Braised Chicken with Green Garlic
1 large chicken (about 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup water
3-5 stalks green garlic, trimmed and cleaned as you would a leek, chopped
1 ¼ cups white wine
1 ½ cups chicken stock
Remove the wings from the chicken and discard. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces, each breast piece cut crosswise into 2 pieces, 2 thighs, and 2 drumsticks.
In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown on one side, 6-8 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown on the second side, another 6-8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter, cover with foil and keep warm. Pour excess fat from the pan and discard.
Reduce the heat to medium, and the water and garlic, and cook until the garlic is soft and the water has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add more water during cooking if necessary. Puree in a blender on high speed until very smooth. Reserve.
Return the chicken to the pan and increase the heat to high. Add the white wine, chicken stock, and garlic paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken can be easily skewered, about 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Over high heat, reduce the sauce until slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. Serves 6.
From Weir Cooking in the City by Joanne Wier.
Stir-Fried Kohlrabi
3 kohlrabi, peeled
3 medium carrots
4 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 inch piece gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1-2 fresh chili peppers, sliced, optional
salt
4 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)
3 teaspoons sesame oil & soy sauce, each
Slice kohlrabi and carrots into thin ovals. Heat oil in large heavy skillet; when it begins to smoke, toss in garlic and ginger. Stir once then add kohlrabi and carrots; toss and cook 2 minutes. Add green onions and chilies; stir-fry 1 minute, then pour in ½ cup water. Cover, reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and toss in a little salt and the sesame and soy, and oyster if using. Serve with rice.
From The Goodness of Potatoes and Root Vegetables
Carrot Scallion Fritters
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
3/4 cup coarsely grated carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
vegetable oil for deep-frying
In a bowl combine well the carrot, the scallion, the egg, the bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet heat 1 inch of the oil until it registers 375¡F. on a deep-fry thermometer, in batches drop the carrot mixture into the oil by tablespoons, and fry the fritters for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until they are golden. Transfer the fritters to paper towels and let them drain. Serve the fritters as hors d’ oeuvres or as a side dish. Makes about 10 fritters.
Gourmet, November 1990.
