Vegetarian – Page 2 – From My Table…to Yours

Shaved Fennel and Mushroom Salad

Shaved Final Salad

After a wonderful three week vacation, I have returned to Boston to start a whole new adventure — graduate school. Who knows what this will do to my cooking habit… Will I have so many hours in the house that I can finally make some headway on my Cookbook Challenge? Or will the piles of books form a barricade between my study and the kitchen across the hall, severely affecting my ability to prepare any sustenance beyond Red Bull and Power Bars? Only time will tell.

Does that mean that today I have a spectacular three course meal to share — one that will hold everyone over until next May? Nope! We’ve got a heat wave going on in Boston, and I’m not turning on the oven for any reason! So instead, I am featuring another wonderful summer salad — one that laughs in the face of all the lettuce-obsessed acacia wood bowls out there. Rather than start with leafy greens and haphazardly add ornamental tomatoes or what have you, this salad rests on a far more flavorful and refreshing foundation.

When I was first introduced to this atypical salad — during a cooking course in Paris — I thought I would hate it. To me, fennel meant ‘licorice-flavored’ and white mushrooms were meant to be eaten cooked in a pound of butter, if at all. Yet somehow this combination just works. Simple, elegant and refreshing. To jazz it up a bit, though, I would consider adding some chopped hard-boiled egg or a drizzle of premium balsamic vinegar.

Shaved fennel salad 2

Shaved Fennel and Mushroom Salad
(Serves 2-3)

1 bulb fennel, cored then sliced as thinly as possible with a knife or mandoline
4 large white mushrooms, sliced as thinly as possible with a knife or mandoline
Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler, to taste
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon (or more to taste)
Fleur du sel or other good sea salt, to taste
A couple of tablespoons of fruity, rich olive oil

Mix and toss ingredients together. Garnish with a couple of fennel fronds, if desired.

Shaved fennel and mushroom salad

Suffering? Succotash!

Edamame succotash

After over a month of awful, rainy weather, summer has come on us full-bore. We are finally seeing the sun, and feeling the heat and humidity that is so familiar to those of us in the Northeast. Yet after this year’s June, I truly welcome a bit of sweltering. Especially since I’m able to escape to the cool breezes of the coast for a sail or a dip in the Atlantic as often as I want. Trust me, I am savoring the dwindling days of my vacation…

When I think about this time last year, I remember how lucky RJ and I were to have had access to plenty of fresh bluefin tuna — the perfect summer entree. We grilled it, poached it in olive oil, made it into burgers and, of course, ate it raw. Despite the many blog posts, I have not yet broached the topic of side dishes. When straight-off-the-boat tuna comes your way, you don’t want your side dish to overpower the subtleties of the fish or contrast unfortunately with your chosen flavor profiles. Our first tuna of 2009 came to us a couple weeks ago. I had just arrived home after work, and RJ got ‘the call’ — we had bluefin to collect! My sweet husband drove an hour north and an hour back to deliver the sweet red meat to our table. I called my sister and her girlfriend over, and whipped up the following salad. I have never appreciated summer so thoroughly.

Roasted Corn and Edamame Salad, from Epicurious.com via Self Magazine [Printable Recipe]

2 ears fresh corn, unhusked, or 1 1/4 cups cooked corn kernels (I used defrosted frozen ones)
1/2 c. shelled edamame
1/4 c. chopped red onion
1/4 c. small-diced red bell pepper
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. light mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped or grated ginger
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

If using fresh corn ears, soak them in cold water about 30 minutes. Heat grill on high. Grill corn in husk, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once. Let cool. Remove husks. Cut corn from cob into a bowl; combine with remaining ingredients. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Edamame-final

Summer Lovin’ Crostata

crostata Before I ever started writing a food blog, I was reading food blogs. Many, many of them. My favorites are listed on the right-hand side of this page — those are the ones I wholeheartedly endorse. I do so because I can count on each of them, albeit for different things. When I need to know what to cook for RJ (and am unconcerned about calorie intake), I visit the Pioneer Woman. When I am feeling healthy and adventurous, I’ll often check in with Molly. And when I’m in the mood to dream of Paris, I click into Clothilde’s site. Other blogs I read daily, because they post frequently and because they provide not only recipes but also reviews, interesting links, and unique perspectives. One of these is Adam’s Amateur Gourmet site.

Adam is a reliable and lovable source, especially because he is so straightforward about his ‘amateur’ status. His pictures aren’t pristine like Deb’s, and he doesn’t have pastry chef credentials like David. But he’s witty (see his comic strip posts) and unpretentious (he did a post about the books in the Momofuku Ko bathroom) and he makes a mean pork roast. What else could you want in a daily pick-me-up read?

Anyway, I mention Adam because he hasn’t steered me wrong yet (though I’ll admit I haven’t gone up every alley he recommends: Janet Jackson Breast Cupcakes, anyone?). His roasted broccoli (via Ina Garten) is a life-changer, and he has given me many a fine cookbook recommendation, thus feeding my addiction. So when he suggested, nay, ordered me to go Crostata Crazy, I did. I cut up some nectarines and pitted some cherries and while I intended to cheat on the pie crust and use Pillsbury, circumstances (read: Whole Foods is not actually a supermarket) forced me to make my own and I’m glad I did. All the work was done by my Cuisinart — all I had to do was measure 4 or 5 pantry ingredients, pulse, then roll out the dough after a half hour in the fridge. The results? Impressive, to say the least, and bursting with summer flavors. A quarter of the recipe below makes a crostata for two. Make the whole batch to have pie dough on hand for the next time and a dessert for six on the table in an hour.

Cherry and Nectarine Crostata, adapted from Napa Style’s Michael Chiarello via Amateur Gourmet

(Serves 6)

Tart Dough:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (1/2 pound) chilled unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/4 cup ice water, or more if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:
4 cups of fruit of your favorite combination: pitted fresh cherries, sliced nectarines, berries, apples, diced rhubarb, etc.
1/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to your taste and the type of fruits used)
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk beaten for egg wash
2 teaspoons coarse sugar (like Sugar in the Raw)
Directions
Make the tart dough: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir together the 1/4 cup ice water and the vanilla; sprinkle the water over the mixture in the processor and pulse just until a dough forms, adding a little extra ice water if necessary. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a 1-inch-thick round. Wrap 1 disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour; freeze the other for a future use.

Put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF for 45 minutes. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before rolling to soften it slightly.

Place the dough round between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 13-inch round, flouring the round lightly as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Remove the top sheet of parchment. Slide a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet under the bottom sheet of parchment.

Make the filling: Combine the fruit, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and toss well. Fill the center of the dough round with the fruit in an even layer, leaving a border of about 1 1/2 inches. Fold the border up and over the fruit to make a rim. Brush the rim with egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Trim the excess parchment with scissors.

Use the pizza peel or baking sheet to transfer the crostata, still with parchment underneath, to the oven, sliding it, with the paper, directly onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the cherries are bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven with the peel or baking sheet and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Panzanella Salad

panzanella

When I wrote my recent post about my “Hearty and Refreshing” Arugula Salad, I definitely struggled over the title. Are “hearty” and “refreshing” oxymoronic? And if so, how better to describe a salad which is at once light, zesty and supremely satisfying? And now, I give you another data point to consider: a hearty salad with a cornucopia of flavors, all harmonizing beautifully, which both sates and invigorates.

Panzanella is a wonderful concept — using day-old or even stale bread to make a fantastic and substantial salad — and can be endlessly varied. A former classmate of mine from Needham (another Sweet Basil adherent, perhaps?) offers both a traditional recipe and some ideas for variants on her blog, Two Blue Lemons. As for me, I don’t see much need for tweaking with this recipe, which combines savory roasted garlic, tangy marinated onions, sweet mozzarella and lots of fresh herbs. While both the garlic and the onions take their own time and instructions to make, I recommend making the full batches outlined below and saving any extras for future creations.

Panzanella, from The Sweet Basil Cookbook – [Printable Recipe]
(serves 4-6)

1 recipe balsamic vinaigrette

6 generous handfuls mixed greens
1 cup roasted garlic

2 (8 oz) balls fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1 Tbs. marinated onions

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, wedged [I used cherry tomatoes]
2 roasted red peppers, sliced in 1/4 inch strips
1 c. kalamata olives, pitted
1 c. croutons

Fresh basil, chiffonade, for garnish
Fresh parsley, chiffonade, for garnish
Shaved cheese (such as Asiago or Parmesan) for garnish

Follow the instructions to prepare the balsamic vinaigrette. In a large bowl, toss the greens with one-half of the balsamic vinaigrette. Then, in a separate bowl, toss the remaining vinaigrette with the roasted garlic, mozzarella, marinated onions, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives and croutons. Add this mixture to the mixed greens, tossing to combine.

Evenly distribute the dressed greens among serving plates, and then garnish with the basil, parsley, and cheese. Serve immediately.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard and 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar. Once they are well combined, slowly whisk in 2/3 c. olive oil until it is incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place 4 garlic bulbs [each bulb yields approximately 1/2 cup roasted garlic] with their tops trimmed off by 1/2 inch, cut-side-up, in a casserole dish just big enough to hold the bulbs comfortably. Cover the garlic with 4 cups olive oil, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and then roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is soft. Remove the dish from the oven and allow the garlic to cool for 20 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oil, and then squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skin, reserving the oil for cooking.

Marinated Onions
Combine 1 red onion, as thinly sliced as possible, 1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.), 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, 1 Tbs. fresh basil chiffonade, 1 Tbs. fresh parsley chiffonade, kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to an airtight container.

Croutons
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Arrange 1 pound bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, on a baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, and then top with a few pinches of butter and a couple sprinkles of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bread is brown and crispy, flipping periodically to avoid burning. panz-bread
If serving the croutons immediately, sprinkle them with a bit of grated parmesan cheese; if saving the croutons for later, transfer them to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.

Panzanella Salad