Archive for June, 2008
Too Much “Pop” in the Paparadelle
Epic Cooking
I should have known because I got the recipe from The Greens Cookbook. It’s one of my absolute favorite books and also one of the first I turn to when I have an important dinner to cook. The dishes are complex in flavor with lots of layers, but not fussy. I was a little stumped as I was choosing my menus for this week so I turned to the spring menus page and this leaped out at me: Artichoke and Fennel Stew with Pastry.
I love artichokes and they are in season for such a short time around here so I try and use them often in the spring. Forget that they are kind of a pain to prepare, I actually enjoy breaking them down and think that the fresh taste is worth it – so much better than frozen. Recently I bought some one cup ramekins and I am always looking for ways to use them. I love bringing my clients these single serving bowls of goodness – they look so classy and there is something so indulgent about having your very own serving in your very own ramekin cooked just for you.
As with many Greens recipes, this one had many components. First you make a mushroom stock, then you make the pastry that will cover the ramekins, then you make the sauce that will get mixed in to the stew, and then you make the stew. Oh yeah, and then you roll out the pastry and drape it over the ramekins (filled with stew) and bake them. And then you make the side dish (Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf) and salad (Greens, Green Beans, and Spice Dipped Goat Cheese Rounds) that you also planned to bring your clients.
I am pretty good at looking at recipes and deciding what can be done in advance. Stock can always be made in advance and can even be frozen, so I did do that yesterday. And truth be told, I made the side dish and most of the salad components yesterday as well, but there was still a lot of work left for me today. As I was simmering the sauce and attacking artichokes with my paring knife, I wondered, “Can this dish be worth all of this work?”. I probably wouldn’t have attempted it if it weren’t from a cookbook that I know well and trust. But in a word, yes, it was worth it.
First of all, they looked great, and they smelled even better. I walked outside to get some thyme to add to the stew and when I walked back in, my doubts began to evaporate. The smell of leeks and white wine and butter was intoxicating. And they tasted really really good. I added those little turnips I bought at the Farmer’s Market last Friday and they were a great addition along with licorice-y fennel, those sweet leeks, mushrooms that had been cooked (separately! yes another pan to wash!) with garlic and lemon juice, all tossed with a sauce that had been made from the homemade mushroom stock and herbs and thickened with a little flour. The pastry draped over top had some cream cheese in it so the tang of that went beautifully with the subtle lemon from the mushrooms. Yum.
But here is something that is not epic. Salad dressing.
In this country, it may seem as though there is no reason to make your own salad dressing. There is an embarrassment of riches in the salad dressing aisle and many of them are really not bad. The problem is that even the “not bad” ones have things like Xanthum Gum in them and I’m not really sure what that is. I know it’s not in my salad dressing I make at home. I’m relatively new to salad dressing making – it started the year we moved to London.
Randy and I lived in a lovely little flat in Kensington for a year. My kitchen was tiny but had decent counter space, decent storage, an ok gas range and oven, and even a pint-sized dishwasher. But my fridge was barely better than a college dorm fridge. It was so small that I had to grocery shop every day because I couldn’t fit more than a day’s worth of food in there. If we were having people over for dinner, I often had to let things sit out on our window sill – at least the gloomy weather was good for something. Condiments? Out of the question unless it was something very very important (think Dijon mustard), because I just couldn’t give up the real estate.
And so, because of that, I started making my own salad dressing and putting it in a mustard jar. I could fit almost a week’s worth in there and if we ran out, it was so easy to whip up a new batch. It opened a whole new world for me. I have always been a big salad eater and suddenly, it all just tasted better. So here is my basic recipe that is totally no-fail. I encourage you to taste it as you go and adjust it to your liking. If you mess up and add too much vinegar, you can just add more oil to balance it. I like using balsamic vinegar here but red wine vinegar is good too and will give you a more subtle dressing. This is the time for the good stuff – best quality mustard, vinegar, and olive oil. If you are using balsamic, splurge a little. The cheap stuff is just cheap red wine vinegar that is color enhanced!
Gazpacho
I love gazpacho. What’s not to love? It’s cold and refreshing, has tons of flavor, is really healthy, and can be garnished to your heart’s content. And it looks beautiful. I even like bad gazpacho – you know, where the texture isn’t quite right or the balance of flavor is off.
Randy and I went to Spain for our honeymoon and I ate gazpacho every single day and sometimes twice a day. Lunch was always a bowl of the soup and a “tortilla” which is like a frittata made of eggs, potatoes, and onions. I looked forward to this lunch each and every day. It was always a little different depending on what town we were in, but always delicious. I often started dinner off with gazpacho instead of a salad because, after all, it is kind of a liquid salad, but oh so much better. Really cold, tangy from the tomatoes and sherry vinegar, sweet from the onion and cucumber, and all nice and crunchy.
As much as I love the soup itself, the garnishes really make it for me. Big toasted croutons are my favorite, but this time I also included diced avacado and hard boiled egg. It all just made a good thing that much better.
As our June gets off to a very wet start, I thought I would beckon summer with a Spanish menu. Along with the Gazpacho, I served a Vegetable Paella, Smoky Swiss Chard, and for the Dana Treat, a Vanilla Bean Flan.
Gazpacho
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 6-8
One of the best things about this recipe is that it is dead easy. Really all you are doing is chopping and mixing. It is a great do-ahead recipe because it can sit for up to two days in the refrigerator and needs no last-minute attention except for garnishing. To make great croutons, cut some good sourdough bread in to large (1 inch) cubes. Toss on a baking sheet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, a good dose of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown. I don’t drizzle my gazpacho with olive oil, but you certainly can!
3 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and seeded, cut in to 1/4 inch cubes
2 medium red bell peppers, cored and seeded, cut in to 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium cucumber, seeded and cut in to 1/4 inch cubes
2 large shallots, peeled and minced
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
5 cups tomato juice
1 tsp. Tabasco (optional)
Olive Oil (optional)
Combine tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, shallots, garlic, salt, vinegar, and pepper in a large glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice and Tabasco. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve cold with garnishes of your choice.
Change of Plans
6 eggs
2 tsp. mustard
3-4 tbsp. creme fraiche
1 tbsp. capers, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp. chives, chopped
Place eggs in a saucepan and then cover with cold water. Add about a tablespoon of white vinegar. Bring to a full boil, then cover and turn off the heat. After 10 minutes, drain and run cold water over the eggs. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice vertically in half.
Scoop all the yolks in to a small bowl and give them a good mash with a fork. Add the mustard, creme fraiche (you can certainly use mayo here instead), and capers. Stir with a soup spoon until everything is well incorporated. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more creme fraiche.
Using that same soup spoon, carefully fill each of the eggs with the yolk mixture. Garnish with the chives. You can refrigerate this for several hours, but pull out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving to take the chill off.