Posts by: Andrew Cohen
I really like salads with oak leaf lettuces. I love the shape of the leaves and enjoy the flavor/texture combination. This salad has lots of color to it, and the beets, carrots, and creamy blueberry dressing all have earthy notes as well as bright top notes to contrast and compliment each other. Although I usually dress the lettuces in my salads in a bowl before serving, I like the colors of the lettuces, so drizzle the dressing over the leaves once they are on the plate for this salad. If you prefer more dressing, just put the leaves into a bowl with some dressing and toss to coat, then plate the lettuces and top with the rest of the ingredients.
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Kohlrabi is unfamiliar to many people except as a very Seuss-ian looking vegetable at the store or Farmers Markets. The flavor ranges from very mild to a little sweet, with faint tones of turnip or daikon in the background. It crisp and sometimes almost succulent, and it can be chameleon-like in taking on the flavors of the surrounding seasonings. Here it acts as a foil to horseradish, with the crunch contrasting with the creamy dressing which plays up the inherent sweetness in the vegetable.
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Here, the zucchini is cut into thin strands resembling spaghetti. For this dish you will need a fixed blade slicer (a.k.a. mandolin) of some sort such as a Ben-Riner. Use the comb that gets you closest to spaghetti. If you have fava beans, sauté them up and add just before service. They become “sauce” to the “pasta” that is the squash.
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Favas and mint are a classic combination, and you will find the two in many recipes. Here is another. The prosciutto is optional, but provides a nice bit of savory saltiness that goes well. This role could be filled by shavings of Pecorino cheese or fricco*, which is a sort of cracker or tuile made of melted cheese. This is the sort of salad that could be served as a course on its own or could be used as an accompaniment to a main course item such as grilled salmon or chicken.
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This is pretty much the standard dipping sauce for the rice paper wrapped spring-rolls and sauce you pour on Bun (rice noodle dishes). Add a little neutral flavored oil to give it a more western texture and you have a very versatile dressing, useful for things like a kohlrabi salad or light coleslaw.
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INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of green onions, greens and whites separated, whites sliced ¼ inch, greens sliced 1/8th inch or finer
3 green garlic stalks, white only, split lengthwise, rinsed, and sliced finely
¼ cup cilantro stems, sliced finely and well washed
1 bunch chard, ribs and leaves separated, ribs washed and cut into
¼ inch bits, leaves stacked, rolled and cut ½ inch and washed
1 bunch of green onions, greens and whites separated, whites sliced ¼ inch, greens sliced 1/8th inch or finer
3 green garlic stalks, white only, split lengthwise, rinsed, and sliced finely
¼ cup cilantro stems, sliced finely and well washed
1 bunch chard, ribs and leaves separated, ribs washed and cut into
¼ inch bits, leaves stacked, rolled and cut ½ inch and washed
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All those bright green things in the box just look like Spring, don’t they? The “ground bean paste” in the recipe is a Chinese iteration of a dark miso that is finer than most standard miso pastes, and is more liquid, so it mixes into the dish more readily. Miso can be used as well, just thin it with some water until it is slightly pourable. The shrimp are an option of course, but they look pretty against all the greens, and the flavors go well together. To omit them simply start the recipe right after the shrimp get removed from the pan.
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When my rosemary plant flowers, I like to collect the flowers and infuse honey with them. I use this fragrant honey to glaze vegetables and pork, for lacquering poultry, and on yogurt. I love the floral notes this infusion gives up. See recipe below for making rosemary flower infused honey.
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Although this recipe calls for fresh red bell peppers, feel free to substitute the ones that come on a jar. They keep it simple, and allow you to enjoy this wonderful sauce now. You can use whole canned tomatoes, although I have gone ahead and made the recipe without tomatoes. Instead I put in a dollop of tomato paste and added more oil. It tastes different, but still excellent.
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This is a traditional Catalonian dish made with an onion similar to spring onions. There are festivals dedicated to eating calçots, and these are called a calçotada. The usual accompaniment to calçots is a romesco sauce, made with red peppers and tomatoes. Although these are not in season, I have made a perfectly fine version of this with jarred peppers and canned tomatoes, and so I will include the recipe.
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This is something that was inspired by a bag of frozen black-eyed peas I bought on an impulse one time. I have since made it using dried beans and canned beans as well. I have varied it using various beans and different pork products, changing the seasonings as well. I have even substituted mushrooms for the meat. This version goes great with cornbread. Pass the Tabasco, please.
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This recipe comes by way of my friend Jeff, who not only makes great wine but also this killer dessert. He gave me the recipe over the phone, and as so many recipes are given, it was just a list of ingredients, not much in the way of amounts, loose instructions for the method, and the addendum of, “You get extra points for serving it with vanilla ice cream and rhubarb bitters.” I agree. We like the crumble topping, and the filling is almost just there to sauce it, but you can add more rhubarb to the dish if you wish.
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This dish is based on something from, I think, a Pierre Franey book a roomie had 30 or more years ago. I am not a huge fan of mayo on sandwiches, but I do love to use it as part of other things like dressing or this lovely golden glaze for fish. Really, there is only a little mayo per person, so it is not such a bad thing, and it glazes beautifully under the broiler. This dish can be prepped and cooked in the amount of time it takes to cook a pot of rice, and is a great way to show off the unique flavor of dill.
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Not quite a stir-fry, this is a dish where a small amount of liquid is introduced to steam the vegetables and form a bit of sauce. In traditional Chinese cooking this is viewed as a braise. This sort of braising is used on vegetables with a more delicate texture or flavor. For this dish you will need a 10 inch pan or wok that has a tight fitting lid.
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This sauce will seem creamy, but the texture comes from the pureed green garlic and leek or onion, not from any dairy product. Use this on fish and seafood, chicken, or tofu. It can be stirred into soups or pots of grains or beans to add depth of flavor as well. When the green garlic season is over, you can still use this recipe, just use blanched or roasted garlic cloves instead. This sauce can be used hot or cold.
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I have to confess to loving potato chips when they are well made. I also think parsnips are great. I love them for their earthy sweetness. This dish combines the best of them both. There are two ways to cook them here, and there are two shapes that are discussed as well. The round chips are, well, chips, and are great for snacks or as a side, while the ribbons are great as a garnish as well as snack. Having been spoiled by using restaurant deep fryers, I seldom deep fry anything now. If you do wish to deep fry, be sure to use oil at least 1½ inches deep and not to overload the pan or the chips won’t get crisp.
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Tagged with: parsnips
Although this dish seems ridiculously simple, the flavors meld to yield a sophisticated tasting dish which dish is quite popular here, even with the kids, who normally don’t care for hot spinach dishes. The flavor of the mushrooms helps mitigate the sometimes strong earthiness of spinach. This dish is easy to riff on, making it flexible and fun to make. Add tofu and leftover grains for a one-dish meal. Some spinach has stems that are unpalatable-chewy or stringy-but some have tender, succulent stems. If this spinach falls into the latter class, by all means use the stems. You will have to chew on a couple stems to know if they will work. If they do not, just ignore the recipe instructions pertaining to them.
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This is a simple salad of big earthy flavors and it makes a nice foil to rich dishes. It can also be a base for an entree salad, draped with strips of grilled beef or tofu, or bits of roast chicken. I would not add much in the way of lettuce, although the addition of mizuna and cresses such as peppercress or watercress would certainly work. Some softer, mildly sweet blue cheese such as Bleu d’Auvergne, Gorgonzola, or Fourme d’Ambert would go well, and you can scatter some dried cranberries or cherries over as well.
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This dressing goes especially well with the Arugula Roasted Beets, and Almond salad. I like the Tourangelle line of oils, especially the nut oils. I find them to be full flavored, fresh, and relatively inexpensive for the quality, which I find to be consistent. Toasted almond oil is one of those “secret ingredients” that will add verve to many dishes, and can even be used for sautéing.
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Inspired by South Western flavors and things you find in a taqueria, this is a colorful dish with a mildly piquant flavor.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of radishes, Purple Plums, Cherry Belle, what have you, washed well
5-6 scallions, roots sliced off and cleaned, outer skin of white part removed with a paper towel
Olive oil as needed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon each cumin seed and coriander seed, freshly ground
Salt and pepper to taste
1 juicy lime, halved
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Food from the UK has some of the noisiest names, and can be so, ummm, bland. Bangers and Mash. Bubble and Squeak. And Champ… When made right, this is not a bland dish. Although usually made with green onions, I have tweaked this traditional Irish recipe and used green garlic instead. It is a simple recipe that is all about the ingredients.
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INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch green garlic
1 medium brown onion*
Thyme leaves from two sprigs
1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil/ butter combined
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
½ cup water, white wine, white vermouth, or a combination
1 teaspoon sugar (or as needed)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (you may or may not need this)
1 bunch green garlic
1 medium brown onion*
Thyme leaves from two sprigs
1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil/ butter combined
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
½ cup water, white wine, white vermouth, or a combination
1 teaspoon sugar (or as needed)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (you may or may not need this)
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These appear in many Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes, as well as elsewhere. They add a lemony tartness and imbue dishes with lemon fragrance as well, but they are subtler. Typically, only the skin is used with the pulp being discarded. Some preparations call for pureeing the skin, which adds a silkiness to the dish.
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Not sure what to call this. Not quite a sauce, not quite a salad. I guess I’d call it a condiment or topping, which is how this came to life. I had a bunch of Meyer lemons to use up, and was looking for something to top some grilled fish with, and stumbled onto this idea. This won’t really work with other lemons as they are too sour and the rind is usually too thick. Look for Meyers with the thinnest skin, or cut back a little on the amount of lemon you use. Try this on grilled fish or chicken, pan seared scallops, or toss with boiled shrimp. Goes well with broccoli and pasta, too. You will want to use a very sharp knife for this recipe!
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Inspired by Indian and Middle-Eastern cuisine, this dish has some heat to it coupled with big flavors. Make it without the chilis if you are not in the mood for heat. I use green Du Puy lentils here because they hold shape better than the more common brown lentil, but you can use either one.
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This dish is easy to throw together and has big impact in the flavor department. Given that vegetable sizes are not exact, the measurements for the oil, butter, and salt are more of a guideline, really, and should be adjusted as needed. Be sure not to have too much liquid in the pan bottom or you may get mushy vegetables. A little bit of liquid in the pan bottom is fine, and will make a nice sauce at the end to be poured over the vegetables. If you do not have the turnips, skip them and use more parsnips or try adding carrots. Cut the carrots like the parsnips, but maybe a little smaller as parsnips cook faster than carrots. You could also use leeks here. Try cutting a leek on the diagonal into 1-inch long rounds and adding them into the mix.
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“Sformato” sounds more elegant than “Flan of Broccoli”, but I think more people get the idea with the latter name. I know, sounds funky, but vegetable custards have a long tradition. Think of quiche, or frittatas. Pretty much the same thing, just bigger and has a crust. These are a bit more elegant, and work well in a fancy menu as well as every day cuisine. They are easy to add things to, play well with other items on a plate. For instance, I can see laying down a bed of the Carrot Sauce (Using thyme or sage instead of curry.), then putting the flan on top of that, and then drizzling the plate with a balsamic vinegar reduction syrup. Bold colors on the plate and big flavors in the mouth.
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Tagged with: broccoli
This is a riff on part of a recipe from “Eleven Madison Avenue” that caught my eye. I like to play with vegetables in the kitchen, treating them as one might a piece of protein like a roast or steak. Here carrots get to be the roast. I like how such a simple recipe can yield complex flavors, and how the flavors can vary by merely cooking the carrots longer. This recipe will work with any carrot, as long as you adjust the recipe to accommodate the size of the carrots. This was made using bunched Chantenay carrots that averaged 6 inches long and 1½ inches at the widest part of the crown. Although the cooking time is lengthy, once the carrots are in the oven there is nothing to do to them. You could also cook these ahead of time and reheat them later, although the texture will be a little different.
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