Escarole Salad with Apples and Walnuts

Think beyond lettuce when you want a green salad. Escarole, a broad-leafed endive, is a chicory, like radicchio. Escarole is somewhat less bitter than radicchio and can be prepared raw or cooked. Escarole is often found in salad mixes, particularly in winter salad mixes. In this salad, escarole is the sole green and its slight bitterness works really well with the apple. If you want, add some crumbled bleu cheese.

Ingredients
1 lb. escarole
1 apple
¼ cup walnuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine or sherry vinegar
~ salt
~ pepper

Steps

1. Toast walnuts until lightly browned. Let cool, then rub skins off with a towel.
2. Wash and dry escarole. Tear into bite sized pieces.
3. Core and thinly slice apple.
4. Whisk together oil and vinegar in a large salad bowl. Add escarole, apples, and walnuts. Toss, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Bean, Kale, and Polenta Soup

from Ayers Creek Farm newsletter (link):

There are various versions of this classic northern Italian soup, Infarinata, that bring dry beans, cornmeal, and kale together with a bit of pork. In a conversation over lunch, Linda Colwell reminded us that La Jota of Trieste is also a variation on this rustic soup, using sauerkraut instead of kale, and fragrant with cumin. Our friend and former neighbor, China Tresemer, helped us put together this recipe.

The recipe calls for unsmoked but cured pork: guanciale or pancetta, but in a pinch, a piece of salt pork will do. You can make this dish without the meat as well. Likewise, savoy cabbage, rocket or escarole can be used for the greens. For beans, we use Borlotto Lamon which has a deep nutty flavor and pleasant sweetness. The water the bean cooks in yields a delicious broth. There are several reasons why this variety is not more available commercially: Pole beans cost more to grow. The Lamon must be handpicked and has just three or four beans per pod compared to the usual five to seven. It also ripens late, splits in the rain, and is prone to viruses. Mere details, other than that it is perfect, the most glorious of the cranberry beans.

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 cups (525g) Borlotto Lamon dry beans
Water
4 ounces (100g) unsmoked but cured pork, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, minced
1 onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 sage leaves, fresh or dried, minced
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, preferably your own
~ Salt and pepper
8 stalks of kale, collards, or lacinato kale, rib removed, minced
1 1/2 cups (210 g) medium-coarse flint cornmeal
~ good olive oil

Steps

1. Soak the dry beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain the beans, add fresh water to cover the beans by about 2 inches (5 cm), bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, and simmer until tender, 40 to 90 minutes.
2. In a soup pot, sauté the pork in the olive oil until it begins to turn golden. Add the minced carrot, onion, and celery, and sauté gently until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and the minced sage leaves. Add the tomatoes. Cook until the mixture thickens a bit, about 12 minutes. Add salt to taste. Chop the kale leaves and add to the pot. Add the beans and their liquor, topping the soup off with more water to create a good broth. Season with salt to taste.
3. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. While the soup is simmering, trickle in the cornmeal, and stir occasionally until the polenta is tender, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
4. Serve the thick soup in shallow bowls with a good ribbon of the olive oil on top.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are an oft-maligned vegetable. But this brassica is pretty tasty especially when roasted. As with many other vegetables, roasting brussels sprouts gives it a lot of flavor.

Ingredients

1 lb brussels sprouts, washed, ends trimmed and cut in half
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
~ salt
~ pepper

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet until oil begins to shimmer. Lay sprouts, cut-side down, in skillet.
2. Cook sprouts until they begin to brown. Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir briefly to mix in garlic and place skillet into the oven.
3. Roast sprouts for 25- 30 minutes, shaking skillet occasionally, until brussels sprouts are brown and tender. Remove from oven, add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or warm.

Vegetable Minestrone

Ingredients
For the beans:
1⁄2 cup dried beans
3 sage leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

For the soup:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1⁄2 cup chopped bacon (optional)
4 cloves garlic, chopped, or 3 green garlic shoots (in the spring)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (such as a mixture of thyme, sage, rosemary, and oregano)
1 leek, chopped (about 2 cups) or spring onion (with green top)
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped turnip, plus 1 cup of chopped turnip tops
1 cup chopped fennel bulb, plus 2 Tbsp. chopped fennel fronds
1⁄2 tsp. tomato paste
Kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
pinch of chile flake
2 1⁄2 cups Kamut pasta, such as vegetable spirals
2 cups spinach cut into ribbons, or substitute another leafy green (such as Swiss chard, kale, or escarole)

Steps

1. Pick over the beans, sorting away any stones or bits of earth. Cover the beans with cold water and allow them to soak several hours or overnight. Drain the beans, then cover them by 2 inches with fresh cold water. Add the sage leaves and the crushed garlic cloves and simmer the beans until tender. Remove the cooked beans from the heat and season with 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt.


2. To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the bacon. When the bacon is rendered and starting to crisp, stir in the chopped garlic or garlic shoots. Let the garlic sizzle for a few seconds, then add the chopped herbs. The herbs will sizzle and give off their fragrance. Add the leek and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for several minutes, until the leek has softened. Add the chopped carrot and celery. Cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the chopped turnip and fennel bulb and fronds. Stir to combine and cook for another minute.


3. Add the tomato paste to the vegetables, mixing to coat the vegetables, and allowing it to fry a bit. Season the vegetables with 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of chile flake. Add 4 cups cold water. Keeping the heat at medium, slowly bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes (or until the vegetables are tender).


4. Add the cooked beans, plus one cup of the bean cooking liquid, and the chopped turnip tops (if your turnips don’t have tops, you can substitute another green such as Swiss chard or kale). Stir in 4 cups additional water and 1 tsp. salt. Taste and adjust seasonings. If you would like, you may make the soup ahead to this point. If you want to freeze the soup, allow it to cool, then ladle the soup into containers and refrigerate until cold. Once the containers of soup have chilled, cover them, & place them in the freezer. When you are ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil and add the Kamut pasta. Return the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the pasta in the soup for about 7-10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the spinach ribbons, adjust seasonings, and serve hot. If you are adding a heartier green, allow as much time as needed for it to soften in the soup.


5. If you’d like, top the soup with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.


6. Leftover soup makes a fabulous base for a Tuscan bread soup called Ribolita. Literally “re-boiled”, the re-heated soup is ladled over day-old, or stale, crustless ciabatta bread (or another airy Italian-style loaf) and the whole dish is baked in the oven until bubbly hot and pudding-like in consistency. It is eaten as a savory porridge, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It is ideal to omit the pasta from the recipe if you intend to make ribolita, but it will work with the pasta added as well.

makes about 3 quarts

Chef Kathryn Yeomans The Farmer’s Feast http://thefarmersfeast.me

Eggplant Rollatini with Fresh Tomato Sauce

“Rollatini” are little filled roll-ups made with eggplant. These eggplant roll-ups, stuffed with ricotta cheese and fresh basil, are fun to dip into the tomato sauce. Children will enjoy helping with this dish. Once the eggplant has been grilled, kids can fill and roll the eggplant slices themselves. Make this basic recipe, or experiment with other filling ingredients – try adding chopped cooked spinach, pine nuts, or dried currants, other herbs or cheeses. Eat them for lunch, or as a supper vegetable dish.

makes about 6-8 rollatini

Ingredients
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 small eggplant, about 8 ounces, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1⁄4 inch slices
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, separated, plus more for brushing eggplants
~ salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmigiano Reggiano, or Asiago, or ricotta salata)
1 cup cored, peeled, and seeded ripe heirloom tomatoes

Steps

1. Spoon the ricotta into a fine-mesh sieve or colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Set the sieve over a bowl and wrap the ricotta with plastic wrap. Set the bowl and sieve in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid that accumulates in the bowl.
2. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season them with salt. Grill them over a bed of hot coals until they are tender and lightly browned. They should not be mushy. Line up the grilled eggplant slices on a baking sheet.
3. Make the filling. Combine the drained ricotta, chopped basil leaves, and grated cheese. Stir in 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
4. Make the tomato sauce. Place the prepared tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend or process until pureed. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Place a dollop of filling at the widest end of the eggplant slice. Beginning at the end with the filling, roll up the filling into the eggplant slice. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

from Kathryn LaSusa Yeomans, The Farmers' Feast

Cantaloupe-Arugula Salad

Ingredients
3 cups cantaloupe balls (approx. 1 small or ½ medium cantaloupe)
2 cups arugula
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
~ pepper
~ salt

Steps

1. Mix together olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Toss together cantaloupe, arugula and half of the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Divide salad among serving plates and add remaining dressing equally.

Romano Beans in Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb. romano beans, ends trimmed
1 lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
~ salt
~ pepper
6-8 basil leaves, chopped

Steps

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add onions and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently.
2. Add beans. Stir for a few minutes then add tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, cover then simmer until beans are tender. Stir occasionally to insure that the vegetables don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Dish may be served hot or at room temperature. Add basil just before serving.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a parsley-based sauce from Argentina. Look a lot like a liquid pesto, chimichurri is a great condiment for grilled meats, chicken and seafood. It's very easy to make and will keep for a few days. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
5-6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Steps
1. Finely chop (by hand or with a food processor) the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic. Place in a small bowl.
2. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving.

Eggplant Salad with Basil

Ingredients
2 lb. egglant cut into 1½ inch cubes
½ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup basil, coarsely chopped
~ juice from 2 lemons
~ pepper to taste

Steps

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees.
2. Toss eggplant, ¼ cup olive oil, salt and garlic in a large bowl. Put mix on a roasting pan. Bake until eggplant is soft but not mushy, 25-35 minutes. Cool slightly then place in a large salad bowl.
3. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, lower heat and cook until onions are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add onions to the eggplant.
4. Season to taste with black pepper. Add basil and lemon juice and toss. Adjust seasonings to taste.