March 26th
Tomato And Mozzarella Salad With Microgreens
Fresh Ahi Tuna Sticks Over Micro Greens
Kumquat Salsa Recipe
Lemon Zest Spinach
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Baked Eggs with Spinach and Cream
Strawberries with Lemon and Mint
Avocados with Strawberry Salsa and Crispy Tortilla Strips
About October Beans
October beans, which are also called “fall beans” or “speckled beans,” are an assortment of old heirloom shell beans. The shells have long speckled strands of brilliant pink, and a few are colored a solid dark pink. The shelled beans are lovely, too. They’re a lustrous pearl white and speckled with pink.
The most common way to cook them is to shell the beans when they’re fresh and tender, not dried. Season them with a slice of fatback or ham hock, slow-cook them with chopped onion, and add salt and pepper to taste. I often add a sprig of fresh sage, too.
Cook them on a low boil, until they’re creamy and beginning to fall apart. Served in their broth and with a side of cornbread for dipping. They have an earthy, almost chestnut-like flavor, as complex, deep, and particular to where they’re grown as vintage wines, really the stuff of dreams
About Microgreens
Microgreens (*micro greens) are a tiny form of edible greens produced from the seeds of vegetables, herbs or other plants. They range in size from one to two inches long, including the stem and leaves. Microgreens can have surprisingly intense flavors considering their small size, though not as strong as mature greens and herbs.
The information above was copied from the Fresh Origins website.
Tomato And Mozzarella Salad With Microgreens
2 large tomatoes, or the equivalent, sliced
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into discs
2 large handfuls microgreens or other salad mix
1 small handful basil leaves, sliced thinly
Good olive oil, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Sea salt (preferably flaky)
Freshly ground black pepper
Toss the greens with the basil, then arrange on two plates.
Top with the tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle in olive oil and vinegar to taste—less is more.
Season with salt, especially on the mozzarella, and top with black pepper.
Fresh Ahi Tuna Sticks Over Micro Greens
1/2 teaspoon dried chopped chile de arbol
1 cup canned mandarin oranges
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons roasted garlic
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
1 teaspoon wasabi powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon lime
3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chipotle chile canned in adobo -- chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1/4 ye cumin
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup micro greens -- washed
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1/2 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna -- (saku maguro)
Mandarin Orange Vinaigrette: Place the dried chile de arbol in a dry saute pan, and toast for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-low heat. Remove from the pan, and set aside. Place the mandarin oranges, vinegar, garlic, toasted chile and pomegranate juice in a blender, and puree. Pour into a bowl and stir in the cilantro. Reserve until ready to use.
Wasabi-Tamari Oil: Whisk all of the ingredients to emulsify, and reserve until ready to use.
Chipotle Aioli: In a small bowl, place all the ingredients and stir to combine. Reserve until ready to use.
To Serve: Cut the tuna into matchstick pieces, 1/4-inch thick and 3 inches long. In the center of a chilled salad plate, mound one-quarter of the micro greens to form a “nest”. Stack 4 tuna sticks in a crisscross fashion in the center of the nest.
Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the mandarin orange vinaigrette in a circular design (reserve the rest of the vinaigrette for another use). Drizzle a few drops of the wasabi-tamari oil in the opposite direction, and dollop with some chipotle aioli. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and plate the other salads in the same manner.
Source: Chef Bill Wavrin
Kumquat Salsa Recipe
2 cups chopped cleaned and thinly sliced kumquats
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Dash of cayenne pepper
Pinch of kosher salt
Combine all ingredients. Add more or less red pepper and cayenne to desired heat. Let sit for 1 hour for the flavors to more fully blend.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups of salsa. Great served over steak or fish.
Lemon Zest Spinach
1 tsp. olive oil
2 green onions, chopped, including green portions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 lb. fresh spinach leaves, cleaned, dried and stemmed
1 1/2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
In a large stockpot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the green onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened slightly, about 1 minute.
Add the spinach leaves, packing them in. If you cannot fit them all at once, cover the pan for about 30 seconds to wilt the spinach a little, then add the remaining spinach in batches. Cover the pan tightly and cook, stirring once or twice, until all the spinach is wilted and tender but still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Add the vinegar and lemon zest and stir to combine.
To serve, transfer the spinach to a platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve hot or cold.
Serves 6.
Adapted from The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, by John Phillip Carroll (Time-Life Books, 1998).
Baked Eggs with Spinach and Cream
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 lb. baby spinach, large stems removed
4 eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 tsp. heavy cream
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Coat four 1/2-cup ramekins with the 1 Tbs. butter.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach and cook until limp but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cold running water. Drain again and squeeze to remove excess water. Coarsely chop the spinach.
Divide the chopped spinach among the prepared ramekins. Dot each with 1/2 tsp. of the remaining butter. Break an egg into each ramekin and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle each with 1 tsp. of the cream. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until the whites are set and the yolks are firm around the edges but still soft in the center, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cooking from the Farmers’ Market, by Tasha DeSerio & Jodi Liano (Weldon Owen, 2010).
Strawberries with Lemon and Mint
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. minced fresh mint
2 to 4 Tbs. sugar
In a large bowl, stir together the strawberries, lemon zest, mint and sugar, to taste. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to macerate.
Spoon the strawberries into individual bowls and serve. Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Desserts, by Elinor Klivans (Oxmoor House, 2007).
Avocados with Strawberry Salsa and Crispy Tortilla Strips
Gourmet | June 1997
1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chili
1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar if desired
six 5-inch corn tortillas
vegetable oil for frying
2 firm-ripe avocados (preferably California)
Wearing rubber gloves, remove stems, seeds, and ribs from chili and chop fine.
In a bowl stir together chili and remaining salsa ingredients. Salsa may be made several hours ahead and chilled, covered.
Stack tortillas and cut them in half. Cut stacks crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips and in a heavy skillet heat 1/2 inch oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Working in three batches, fry tortilla strips until crisp and golden, about 30 seconds, and with a slotted spoon transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle fried tortilla strips with salt to taste.
Halve avocados, removing pits, and peel. Slice each half lengthwise into 6 wedges and fan onto 4 salad plates.
Spoon about 1/3 cup strawberry salsa over each avocado fan and mound crispy tortilla strips alongside.
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