sauces and dressings | A Good Dish

Easy and Versatile Mango Salsa

September 14, 2016

Mango Tomatillo Salsa Porcelain bowl by James Makins — Mango Tomatillo Salsa
Porcelain bowl by James Makins

Mangoes are 3 for $4 at our local green grocer this week and freshly picked tomatillos are now in season at farmers markets. Time to make mango-tomatillo salsa! It is a simple but very flavorful recipe (and so good it is hard to stop eating) which uses a lot of late summer vegetables – tomatillos, red, green and jalapeño peppers and cilantro plus lime and pineapple juice. It’s easy to make – just a combination of chopping and blending – and delicious with tortilla chips or celery, in tacos or even an omelet and on top of cooked fish, tofu, chicken or pork. You can purée a cup of the salsa to pour over your protein of choice for a marinade. This salsa makes a delicious chicken salad – just add diced or shredded chicken, toss well and top with chopped almonds and more cilantro.

Mango Tomatillo Chicken Salad with Almonds Plate by James Makins — Mango Tomatillo Chicken Salad with Almonds
Plate by James Makins

The original recipe came from John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger’s wonderful slim volume of very flavorful sauces and relishes entitled Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys and Chowchows. I’ve altered it only slightly. It is essentially a green salsa with diced mango and peppers. I use mangoes that give just a bit when pressed but are still firm so they are easy to dice. If they are riper, they are harder to cut but sweeter. It’s always a toss up. The fineness of the dice is a personal preference. I like everything diced quite small but you may like it chunkier. If you don’t have fresh tomatillos, you may use a 12oz can of tomatillos. And if you like really hot salsa, don’t take out the seeds of your hot peppers.

Fresh tomatillos in a porcelain bowl by James Makins

Don’t be intimidated if you have never used tomatillos. They are a tangier, crisper and slightly tarter green tomato. If you don’t like mango, try papaya or pineapple. This salsa keeps in the fridge for 5-6 days and the recipe makes a lot, so you can eat it with chips, make tacos, use it in chicken salad and still give a jar to a friend.

MANGO SALSA

Purée in a blender or food processor:

6 medium tomatillos, husk removed and quartered
2 TBs minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
1-2 jalapeño or Serrano chilies, seeded and minced (the number depend on how hot you like your salsa)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup (a small can) unsweetened pineapple juice
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 limes, depending on juiciness)
2 TBs cumin seeds, toasted (toast in a hot, dry pan until fragrant and browned but don’t walk away – watch closely and be careful not to burn)
Pinch of salt

Place in a medium bowl:

3 firm but ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced small
1 medium red onion, peeled and minced
1 sweet red or yellow pepper, seeds removed and diced small
1 green pepper, seeds removed and diced small

Pour purée over diced fruit and vegetables. Mix well and refrigerate. Makes about 1 quart.

Optional add-ins:

1 cup jicama, peeled and diced small

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped instead of cilantro

1 cup peeled cucumber, diced small

1 cup pineapple, peeled, cored and diced small

1 cup diced avocado (but in this case, it will only keep one day in the fridge)

Ripe mangoes on a porcelain plate by James Makins

Labor Day Picnic Ideas

August 31, 2016

detail of picnic scene by Milton Avery in the Avery show on exhibit now at the Bennington Museum — detail of picnic scene by Milton Avery
in the Avery show on exhibit now at the Bennington Museum

A Labor Day picnic is a way to use up the contents of your produce drawer and have a lovely late summer meal outdoors. Whether you box it all up to transport to a park or beach or plate it to serve in your yard, a picnic is a fun, easy and festive way to eat on a day when we take off from our ordinary labor. Picnics often involve less complicated foods and certainly less dishes to do! When our son was young, we would picnic at a nearby playground with other families on warm summer nights. The kids could run around and we got a break from the kitchen and time to chat with other parents. Now we are more likely to take a picnic when we go to hear music outdoors and almost always when taking the train or flying somewhere.

Picnic food has certain requirements – no mayo (or other ingredients that go bad from sitting out for a while), ease of eating (often to be picked up in the hands or off paper plates) and easily transported. I usually think of Italian antipasto when composing a picnic – if food can sit out on a buffet table for hours, it will probably be fine in a cooler or picnic basket. I try, whenever possible, not to use plastic containers so for picnicking or lunch boxes, I use glass or stainless steel boxes. I know everyone is not so persnickety. Even deli sandwiches or containers of salad bar takeout provide the makings for an improvised picnic.

Tomato and cucumber salad with pesto vinaigrette

All kinds of simple foods work on a picnic – cheeses, salami or other dried sausages, olives, nuts, sandwiches without mayonnaise, rice, pasta, and bean salads with oil based dressings, whole, sliced or cut up fruit (peaches, figs and watermelon are perfect right now), cleaned and cut raw vegetables like carrots, celery, peppers, jicama, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes). With just a bit more effort you can include cooked vegetable salads (like broccoli, cauliflower, roasted peppers, corn or summer squash) with vinaigrette and even cooked chicken, ham or bacon, smoked or cold, poached fish, canned tuna or salmon prepared with oil or mustard and even a frittata can hold up to jostling and temperature fluctuations if you are careful about sauces and timing and carry some cold packs.

My favorite picnic food is pesto. It’s great on pasta, beans, rice, baked or fried tempeh and tofu, chicken, fish or lightly cooked vegetables and doesn’t spoil easily. The traditional basil is my fallback but there are terrific versions made with arugula, kale, parsley and even Swiss chard. You can make it with or without cheese and even without nuts, black pepper or garlic, if you can’t eat or don’t like them. Just make sure to wash and dry your greens before blending and add plenty of fresh olive oil and salt which help preserve the greens. I use a food processor but you could make this with a mortar and pestle or in a strong blender.

Rice pasta salad with pesto and arugula Bowl by Silvie Granatelli — Rice pasta salad with pesto and arugula
Bowl by Silvie Granatelli

So head out to a park or the beach, hiking or boating, your deck, porch or yard while the weather is mild and bring a meal with you – it’s easy to prepare ahead and you won’t spend your day off concerned with meal planning. If, by chance it rains, spread your tablecloth or blanket on the floor and invent a pretend outing. I once planned a birthday picnic in Riverside park but when it rained, everyone just brought their fixings to our apartment and we had a wonderful indoor celebration. You can picnic anywhere. Don’t forget lots of water and lemonade, beer, wine and/or a thermos of your favorite concoction to add to the festive feeling. Happy outings!

Indoor potluck picnic at a friend's apartment — Indoor potluck picnic at a friend’s apartment

PRETTY TRADITIONAL BUT DELICIOUS BASIL PESTO

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted or raw
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Pinch of salt and pinch of black pepper
2-3 cups washed and dried fresh basil leaves
Handful of washed and dried parsley or watercress or arugula, optional
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil, or more to reach desired consistency

Put garlic in processor and pulse until finely ground. Add basil and any other green, if using, salt and pepper and process until all well mixed and leaves are all ground. Add nuts and cheese, if using, and pulse until ground and combined. Stop and scrape down sides. Stream in the oil while the motor is running. Stop and scrape down sides and see if it needs more seasoning or oil to reach a smooth consistency.

Use right away, thinned with a little (a couple of TBs) cooking water from pasta, rice or vegetables, to toss with pasta, rice, vegetables, cut up chicken or cooked beans (cannellini or great northern work well but so do many other types). Grate in a little lemon zest or squeeze in a little lemon juice for a fresh taste or add a pinch of cayenne or crushed chilies for heat. If using the salad for a picnic, cool in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Pesto keeps well in the fridge for weeks with a thin coating of oil on top or in the freezer for months.

Clean basil ready to be turned into pesto

PESTO VINAIGRETTE

Shake or whisk until well blended:

2 TBs pesto
1 TBs wine or balsamic vinegar

Ray Bradley – Tomato Whisperer

August 24, 2016

Ray Bradley with heirloom tomatoes at 97th Street Greenmarket

Tomatoes are ripe and tomatoes are Ray Bradley’s specialty. According to Bradley, the New Paltz chef turned farmer who grows and sells many different vegetables throughout the year, heirloom tomatoes are his favorites. Bradley farms because he loves to eat and cook what he raises. As it turns out, tomatoes, with their short season, have become a primary cash crop.

One of the best things about shopping at a local Farmers’ market, besides all of the fresh, organic and flavorful vegetables, is talking with the people who grow that food. Each one has a back story, none more compelling and meandering through the food world than Ray Bradley. With a cooking background that ranges from Cape Cod, Shelter Island, Florida and Costa Rica and includes stints at Le Cirque, Montrachet and Bouley in Manhattan, he moved into farming in order to grow his own organic vegetables. The full bearded, hardworking Bradley drives from his upstate farm to the 97th Street Market in Manhattan on Fridays during the summer and fall and to the Grand Army Plaza Market, in Brooklyn, on Saturdays year round.

Ray (right) and his sales associate Hardeep Maharawal at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket in early spring — Ray (right) and his sales associate Hardeep Maharawal
at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket in early spring

The life of a farmer is fraught with difficulty and Bradley’s plight has been no different. He has had floods and droughts, pests and plant diseases but the good years seem to outweigh the bad, overall, he says. In order to bring in more income, Bradley has been an innovator with products – he makes and sells his own paprika and tomato juice – and events. His farm is now known for its on-site, guest chef cooked dinners, often with wine pairings, pizza or grill parties showcasing his farm products, including farm grown salads and his own pork, beer and spirit tastings featuring his own farmhouse ale, as well as a farm stand. Just last week, he hosted a BLT and beer afternoon to celebrate the tomato harvest and his just-smoked bacon. Currently, he is running a raffle to raise money to build an outdoor wood-burning oven to expand his on-farm cooking possibilities.

Bradley Farmhouse Ale from Pull Brewing — Bradley Farmhouse Ale
from Pull Brewing

Bradley grows and sells the usual vegetables – broccoli, lettuces, onions, zucchini, peas, beets, parsley, potatoes and cabbage – that you see at most farm stands, although with Bradley, the varieties are specific to his tastes. The only potato he grows, for example, is the Carola, a small yellow-fleshed type, because that is his favorite. But, perhaps as a result of his culinary experience, he also grows a wide variety of less ordinary crops – flat Italian pole beans, fennel replete with fronds, French gray shallots, haricot vert (those delicious skinny green beans), sweet delicata and buttercup squash, fava beans, bush basil (tiny, spicier leaves), sorrel and purslane, a small-leafed lemony green. But his best sellers, by far, are his heirloom tomatoes, which range in size from tiny and round to huge and rippled, and in color from pale green to orange to red to purple.

Whether oblong or circular, Bradley’s heirlooms are full of flavor. He credits this to both the quality of seeds and soil and the way he raises them. He plants the seeds he saved from the previous year’s crop (when he finds a particularly good tasting tomato, he dries and saves those seeds) in April. By May, once any chance of frost has passed, he is transplanting small seedlings into the ground to give them the best chance of putting down good roots. Besides starting with good seeds and amending what was good soil to start with, perhaps the main reason his tomatoes are so flavorful is that he doesn’t water them – he says that is what develops the intensity of flavor. Whatever the cause, the tomatoes are delicious – we’ve been eating lots of them with just a simple vinaigrette and sprinkle of fresh basil or oregano. Bradley eschews vinaigrette, preferring not to mask the taste of his tomatoes. When we eat his heirlooms mixed or side by side with other tomatoes, the difference in flavor is obvious and the Bradley’s win every time.

Besides heirlooms, Bradley grows more ordinary cooking, husk and cherry tomatoes. It’s hard to stop eating the small yellow/orange or red/green cherries from Bradley’s farm – they are sweet and addictive and I rarely get them into a salad because we devour them straight out of the paper bag. Bradley says he uses a tomato peeler with a serrated blade to peel the large tomatoes which he then freezes so he can make fresh sauce during the winter, although sometimes he just tosses them into the freezer whole. When the weather is cool enough, as it is this week, he can make sauce to use in cooking once the season has passed. That way, he can have fresh tomato flavor throughout the year. After all, the reason Bradley grows these gorgeous tomatoes in the first place is because he loves to eat them. Lucky for us!

Bradley drives his vegetables to markets in New York from New Paltz twice a week in the summer

RAY BRADLEY’S TOMATO SAUCE

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Score (cut an x) whole tomatoes with a sharp knife.

Place on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast until skin is peeling off.

Remove skins and put in a pot with some sautéed onions and garlic.

Simmer until they begin to break down.

Cool and put up in glass containers.

Ray suggests sautéing a little onion and garlic and adding the sauce to them to re-heat when ready to use.

Peeled roasted heirloom tomatoes photo by Iris Kimberg — Peeled roasted heirloom tomatoes
photo by Iris Kimberg

Onions, garlic and peeled roasted tomatoes simmering into sauce photo by Iris Kimberg — Onions, garlic and peeled roasted tomatoes simmering into sauce
photo by Iris Kimberg

Hummus on a hot day – the Mezze solution

August 18, 2016

Smoked paprika, roasted red pepper, cilantro & jalapeño and sesame hummus Porcelain bowls from Sara Japanese Pottery on Lexington Avenue — Smoked paprika, roasted red pepper, cilantro & jalapeño and sesame hummus
Porcelain bowls from Sara Japanese Pottery on Lexington Avenue

I am not going to turn on the oven or the stove – just not going to do it. With another week of over 90F and humid, with the heat index over 100, I am not going to add to the temperature in the kitchen. But we still need to eat, so I have to prepare meals without straining the groaning AC any more than I am already. And in this kind of weather, we all prefer a lighter meal.

In my mind, summer dinners should be fun, cooling and a bit hodgepodge. If you don’t have access to a grill, salads are a way to go. A few weeks ago, I shared the cucumber and pineapple salad with lime and mint that is fresh and zingy. And the tomato salads and variations (the caprese with mozzarella, the tomato and cuke with basil, the watermelon with feta, mint and lime) are another solution. Cold soup is one more direction, essentially being a liquid salad. Gazpacho, cold cucumber soup with yogurt or buttermilk or a fruit soup, like blueberry or melon are all light, cooling lunches or suppers. Or simply put out a cheese or charcuterie board with some fig jam or pepper jelly, nuts, cold grapes or sliced fruit and a green salad and be done.

One more idea, and one you probably already have in your fridge, is hummus. Boring, you are thinking? Doesn’t have to be. And doesn’t have to be served with pita or chips – carrots, celery, green and red pepper, cucumber, jicama and radishes all make excellent dipping vehicles and, when well arranged, make a lovely mezze platter. You can even start with store bought hummus and doctor it up, although homemade takes so very little time and effort it is really worth it – plus you know what is in it! Blend in avocado, pieces of black or green olives, jalapeños, roasted peppers, cooked beets or carrots, toasted walnuts, chopped chives, parsley or dill or, my favorite, smoked paprika. Pretty much anything goes. Lighten it all up by mixing in some plain yogurt or enrich it by drizzling with plain or chili infused olive oil. If you don’t eat legumes, make the recipe without the chickpeas only add a little less water and use it as a tahini dip.

The best hummus I ever ate was at Zahav, Michael Solomonov’s restaurant in Philadelphia. It was creamy, lemony and altogether full of sesame flavor. The recipe I have provided below is based on his, with a few modifications. If it were a cold weather month, I would cook my own chickpeas but with this heat, I am happy to use canned. Solomonov recommends Soom Tahini (sold on Amazon) but I’ve used a local brand (Sahadi from Brooklyn), Trader Joe’s (which happens to be organic) and several health food brands (all in glass, not a tin) with good results. Err on the side of more garlic, salt and lemon rather than too little and blend it all longer than you would think for super creaminess.

Plate your hummus in a beautiful shallow bowl (easier for dipping), drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika or sesame seeds and surround it generously with all kinds of colorful vegetables on a large platter or wooden board. To make a mezze platter, serve it with or without some stuffed grape leaves (as easy as opening a can), small bowls of olives, cherry tomatoes, those yummy peppadew or cherry peppers, sliced melon, tabbouleh or a parsley salad and an accompanying bread – focaccia, ciabatta, baguette or pita, or your favorite gluten-free crackers (try the Mary’s pretzel-like sticks with the hummus – very crunchy) – add a cold beer or glass of wine and dinner is served.

Mezze platter, heavy on the vegetables My bowls and platter — Mezze platter, heavy on the vegetables
My bowls and platter

Homemade Hummus

1 can (15.5 oz.) organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup tahini
2-3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup water or more, as needed

Combine garlic, salt and cumin and pulse until minced well.
Add lemon juice and pulse, then add tahini and pulse until it seizes up.
Add water, more if needed, and blend until smooth.
Add chickpeas and pulse until completely smooth.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt if you think it needs it – probably will.
Hummus keeps well for days in the refrigerator.

Optional add-ins:
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (reserve 1 tsp for sprinkling on top)
1-2 roasted red peppers (I use jarred)
2 green jalapeños and a big handful of cilantro with juice of 1/2 lime
1 roasted beet
1-2 TBs olive oil
1/2-1 cup plain yogurt
1/2-1 peeled and pitted avocado
1/2 cup black or green pitted olives
A handful of parsley and chives
1/2 cup sautéed onions or several cloves of roasted garlic
If you take out half of the hummus before putting in an add-in, you can make 2 flavors out of one recipe.
Whatever else you can imagine – hummus is a good vehicle for adding your favorite ingredient

Raffetto’s: 110 Years of Fresh Pasta and Still Innovating

June 22, 2016

Despite widespread gentrification and demolition, New York still has many old, unique food shops specializing in everything from cake-decorating supplies to Spanish imports. One of my favorites is Raffetto’s, a more than 100-year old Italian market on Houston Street near 6th Avenue. A charming, old-world type store with wood cabinetry and shelves stocked with all kinds of locally produced and imported Italian foods and ingredients. It is a place you need to visit for a taste of non-sarcastic “artisanal” food. Their pasta is simply delicious.

I first stumbled upon Raffetto’s in the mid-80s, when I was an art advisor and used to spend a lot of time combing the galleries of Soho (before they morphed into expensive boutiques and chain stores). Walking north across Houston Street, I would pass Raffetto’s on the way to get a coffee or hear music in the Village. When I finally stopped in, I was amazed at the other world behind its front door – a wall of different colors and shapes of dried pasta on one side and shelves full of grains, beans, soup mixes, oils, vinegars, a refrigerated case with fresh sauces, cheeses and more on the other. In the back, several women in white lab coats were packaging sauces and filled pasta in an open kitchen and were cutting fresh pasta to order, something I hadn’t seen before.

Kitchen and packing area in the back of the store

According to their website, and from the looks of it, Raffetto’s is still using the same pasta-rolling machine that their patriarch/founder bought when he opened the store in 1906. And the pasta “guillotine”, on which you have your fresh pasta cut to your choice of widths, dates from 1916. Don’t you wish more equipment was still made and maintained that well now? Three generations of the Raffetto family are working in and running the business, making the pasta and sauces and staffing the shop. But I’m getting lost in history: the real story is the food they produce.

Raffetto’s offers cut-to-order fresh pasta in traditional and non-traditional flavors Including tomato, parley-basil, whole wheat, lemon red pepper, rosemary, black squid-ink and, my favorite, black pepper. Sometimes you can get lucky and arrive when chestnut, lemon, saffron or even chocolate are available. Ravioli fillings range from the usual cheese or cheese and spinach to pesto, goat cheese, seafood and chicken with smoked mozzarella and the occasional special like arugula and ricotta, pumpkin or Gorgonzola and walnut. (My son says he doesn’t like mushrooms but he loves Raffetto’s mushroom ravioli. Go figure!) Tortellini and potato gnocchi are made and sold here in a range of fillings and flavors. Happily for all of us, many varieties of the ravioli are available at stores like Fairway and Citarella and the jumbo ravioli are available at Zabar’s. Both the fresh and filled pastas freeze well, although I wouldn’t keep them in the freezer for more than a few months.

In addition to the fresh and filled varieties, Raffetto’s stocks a selection of imported dried pastas, including spelt, farro and quinoa, and a huge assortment of shapes. If you aren’t a pasta eater, there are plenty of delicious red and green sauces, olives, anchovies, condiments and seasonings to buy for yourself or for a gift. Arriving with a bag full of groceries from Raffetto’s (easy to make dinner) would make you a dream house guest!

Raffetto’s was one of many Italian food stores in its West Village neighborhood and you can still find a few others open. Faicco’s Pork Store, dating from its first incarnation on Thompson Street in 1900, operates a couple blocks away on Bleecker Street, as does Pasticcerio Rocco, which opened in 1974, the youngster of the group. Caffe Reggio, claiming to have served the first cappuccino in New York, has offered espresso to generation after generation of NYU students and tourists since 1927 on MacDougal Street.

Unfortunately, other old establishments in this little “Little Italy” didn’t make it. Joe’s Dairy, across Houston Street, produced and sold the best smoked mozzarella I’ve ever tasted, but they moved to New Jersey where costs were less expensive. Balducci’s, which started in Brooklyn in 1900 and moved to the Village in 1946, had a large bustling market on 6th Avenue, about 10 blocks north, but it closed after being bought out by a big food company. (Incarnations have opened and closed and opened in various spots around the city). The charming Cafe Dante on MacDougal, with a case full of more than a dozen flavors of gelato before gelato was a household word, closed last year, a victim of surging rent, now replaced by an upscale restaurant of the same name.

Fortunately, Raffetto’s survives, possibly because it keeps up with what people want, continues to innovate, provides quality products and maintains a knowledgeable, efficient and friendly staff. In order to meet wholesale demands, they expanded by opening a small factory, first nearby and now located in New Jersey. It probably doesn’t hurt that they own their own building on Houston. But whatever the reasons for its success, I hope Raffetto’s continues producing delicious pastas and sauces far into the future.

Black pepper pasta with vegetables Earthenware dish by Ayumi Horie — Black pepper pasta with vegetables
Earthenware dish by Ayumi Horie

Black Pepper (or Rosemary, Whole Wheat or Parsley-Basil) Pasta with Vegetables

1/2 lb. fresh black pepper pasta, cut to your preference of width
1/2 package of frozen peas
2 or 3 handfuls of clean arugula or spinach
3 TBs olive oil
1 TB butter or ghee
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a big pinch of salt. Shake the cornmeal off the pasta and add to the boiling water, stirring immediately to break the starch bonds and avoid clumping.

Check for doneness after 2 minutes and again at 3. Just before the pasta is cooked to your liking, add the peas and greens and cook 30 seconds and then drain.

Heat the oil and butter or ghee in the now empty but still warm pan over medium heat and then add the garlic with a pinch of salt. As soon as the garlic is softened, about 1 minute, turn off the heat, add the drained pasta and vegetables and toss to mix. Add additional salt to taste. If you like, sprinkle with freshly grated cheese. Makes 4 starter or 2-3 main course servings.

Note: Preparing the fresh pasta or ravioli makes one of the easiest dinners ever. It cooks much faster than dried pasta so watch it carefully – a few minutes is really sufficient. To fortify, you can toss in some small pieces of broccoli or cauliflower and some cooked beans, with or without cheese. Alternatively, use a tomato sauce or pesto (the garlic scape pesto recipe from a few weeks ago would be delicious with the whole wheat pasta), add some cooked chicken or shrimp, sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil and you’ve amped up your main course to restaurant status.

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