glacier grist
Issue #61 • Thursday, March 18, 2010
DID YOU KNOW?
Those cute little orangey ovals are kumquats! The edible golden orange rind is sweet, while the flesh is very tart. The entire fruit, skin and flesh, is eaten. You can slice them and serve in salads or just enjoy as a snack. You can also cook them in preserves or marmalades. They do like to be refrigerated wrapped in a plastic bag. They contain large amounts of potassium and vitamins A and C.
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recipes
for glacier grist Issue #61
colcannon
(contributed by Nancy)
With St. Patrick’s Day coming up I thought you might enjoy this classic Irish dish. Sometimes it is made with
green cabbage and sometimes with kale or chard. Traditionally, you spoon everything into a casserole,
with a well in the center that you fill with butter. You can skip this step if you like.
2 ½ lbs (approximately) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
coarse salt
1 ¼ cups milk
½ yellow onion, chopped finely
1 lb (approximately) chard, tough stems removed
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by at least an inch, add a good pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover partway, and cook until the potatoes are very tender.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, take a small saucepan and add the milk and onions. Scald over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile sauté the chard in a little water just until it is tender. Rinse in cold water and gently squeeze to remove the excess water. Roughly chop the chard.
4. As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain and return them to the pot. Set over medium heat for a minute or two, stirring so the potatoes don’t stick, but until they have evaporated some of their water.
5. Remove from the heat and mash with a hand masher. Stir in the milk and onions into the potatoes, one-third at a time. Stir in the chard and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the colcannon to a 2-3 quart casserole dish and make a small well in the center.
6. If you are serving the colcannon right away, heat the broiler and brown the top of the dish quickly. Just before serving scoop the butter into the well and serve it up.
7. If you are making this in advance, heat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the colcannon until heated through and the top begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Spoon the butter into the center and serve piping hot.
pasta with greens
(contributed by Nancy)
This is originally from Alice Waters’ cookbook, Chez Pannise. Her main focus is about using the best ingredients possible and use other flavors sparingly so they don’t overpower each other. She calls for making your own pasta. I do occasionally make my own pasta, but the sake of everyone’s sanity, here is my shortcut.
1 lb pasta
1 pound mixed tender greens (escarole and/or chard), tough stems removed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ to 1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper
1. Cut the greens into ½ inch strips and dry well.
2. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.
3. Put the greens in a pan with 4 tablespoons melted butter and ½ to 1 teaspoon minced garlic over low heat. Cover and cook until the greens just wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water until it is al dente.
5. Drain the pasta and toss it with the greens and butter. Season with salt and pepper.
chilled beet soup
(contributed by Nancy)
I know it is a little wacky to put in a chilled soup while we are still in the middle of winter, but I made it recently and really enjoyed it even though it is cold outside. This is not a borscht, and even though I got the recipe from Ina Garten, this type of soup has been around for a long time. This is a great version! It mildly tastes of beets so if you are not a big beet fan, please try it. You can easily make half the recipe.
5 medium beets(about 2 pounds without tops)
salt
2 cups chicken stock, low salt
16 ounces sour cream, plus extra for serving (low fat is ok to use)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced english cucumber, seeds removed
1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving
1. Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper.
3. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.
Cook’s note: I have used either regular or low fat yoghurt in place of the sour cream with good results. I do recommend at least a little sour cream for richness.
sauté broccoli rabe
(contributed by Nancy)
Broccoli rabe is also called rapini and is well known by Italian cooks. This sauté would be great over your favorite pasta or grain or all on its own as a side dish. The leaves can be a little bitter, so the raisins sweeten things up a bit. This is combination of recipes from Marcella Hazen and Giadi De Laurentiis.
approximately 8 oz broccoli rabe (rapini), stems trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons raisins
kosher salt
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1. Cook the broccoli rabe in a pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the cooled broccoli rabe and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the reserved cooking water, the raisins, and cook until the broccoli rabe is heated through and the stems are tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, to taste. Toss the mixture with toasted pine nuts, serve immediately.
cauliflower salad
(contributed by Nancy)
For fresh, healthy recipes I like to check out Eating Well Magazine. This is from years ago, but it was so good I tore it out and saved it.
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 lemon, zested (2 teaspoons) and juiced (2 tablespoons)
1 head cauliflower florets cooked until tender-crisp (see Tip)
1. Whisk garlic, capers, oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Add cauliflower to the bowl and toss to coat. Chill the salad for 30 minutes, or overnight. Serve cold.
Tip to cook florets: In a steamer basket, cover and steam 8 to 10 minutes for tender-crisp or 15 minutes for very tender. Or microwave, covered, with 1/4 cup water for 2 to 4 minutes for tender-crisp or 3 to 5 minutes for tender.
