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A Good Dish

making food simpler

Transition Soup: When A Salad Isn’t Warming Enough, Make Flavorful Green Minestrone

October 12, 2016

Green Minestrone Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty
Green Minestrone
Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty

When the temperatures start to drop at the end of the day, I want something warming but not heavy to eat. Earlier in the week, I rooted around in the refrigerator and came up with some spinach, celery, parsley and green beans from last week’s market. With the help of some frozen peas, a can of white beans, a box of stock and a handful of grated Parmesan, green minestrone was on the table in less than an hour. A warm, nutritious dinner couldn’t be much easier.

Minestrone is usually a red, tomato-based soup with beans and pasta, traditionally a small pasta like baby shells or ditalini, tiny pasta tubes. Because I try to avoid white flour when I can, I substituted potatoes for pasta in my version. And because I had no tomatoes but did have some lovely arrowhead spinach and parsley from our farm share, green minestrone seemed the logical choice. I tested substituting a bag of frozen spinach for the fresh and it worked fine but made the soup thicker. If you use frozen, consider using less spinach or add more stock. If you still have a zucchini in your crisper, cut it into bite-sized pieces and add with the green beans. If you don’t have white beans, use garbanzo or pinto beans, or fresh shell beans. If you aren’t being a purist about the green of the soup, add some carrots with the beans – the color contrast of green and orange is beautiful and seasonal.

Spinach, celery and Parmesan are all fairly salty so they seasoned the soup well enough. I only added a ½ teaspoon of salt but taste and judge for yourself. If you want more zing, add some scallions, jalapeño or cayenne. A little fresh dill added at the end could be tasty. If you don’t have an immersion blender, purée in a standard blender a few cups at a time. (Use a ladle to transfer soup to the blender and watch out because it will be very hot.) Please be careful not to overcook the vegetables – you don’t want them to turn to mush. If you need to reheat your soup, take care just to warm not cook it again.

Because it was National Clay Week, I served the minestrone in cups by Karon Doherty, one of the most passionate, generous and whimsical ceramic artists I have known. These colorful earthenware cups illustrate her playful approach to creating clay art, which was often boldly autobiographical. Karon was an enthusiastic maker, teacher, mentor, friend and artist who we lost much too soon (d.1999) but her spirit lives on in her delightful artwork.

Karon and Louie Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty
Karon and Louie
Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty

GREEN MINESTRONE

  • 2 TBs olive oil
  • 1 large (Spanish sized) onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large or 3 regular cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 lb. bag or 5 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach, washed with thick stems removed
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 2 cups potato, chopped (about 4 small)
  • 1-2 cups fresh green beans, cut in bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup (about 2 stalks) celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 – 2 cups cooked white beans, like Cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy Pea or a 15.5 oz. can
  • 4 cups (1 32 oz. box) of vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional)
  • 1 cup carrot, chopped (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium stockpot.

Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent and starting to turn golden, about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the spinach and 1 cup of peas and stir until the spinach wilts.

Add stock, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook about 4-5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and use an immersion (stick) blender to purée until smooth.

Turn on the heat and add the potatoes, celery and carrots, if using and cook 5 minutes.

Add the other cup of peas, green beans, white beans and parsley, if using.

Cook 3-4 minutes until beans are just tender then turn off the heat.

Stir in the grated cheese and taste for seasoning. (I added 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper)

Serve garnished with a little bit of grated cheese or a sprinkle of parsley.

Serves 4-6, depending on portion size

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Filed Under: Potters, Recipes, Soups, Vegetables

Planning to find a good meal on the road (and getting lucky)

October 5, 2016

Chupe de Mariscos (Seafood Chowder)
Chupe de Mariscos (Seafood Chowder) Mezón Tapas Bar &Restaurant

 

Finding a decent place to eat while driving on the highway is often a challenge. Recently, I met my mother for lunch in Danbury, Connecticut on a strip of road that one could find almost anywhere in the country running alongside an interstate. There were plenty of chain stores, gas stations and and I thought our choices for lunch would be between the local diner and a sub shop. Happily, I was wrong.

 mezon

I am often leery of online reviews – you need to read them questioningly. This time a little research in advance proved rewarding. Yelp and TripAdvisor steered me to Mezón Tapas Bar & Restaurant, set back slightly from the hum of route 6 on one side and the roar of I-84 on the other. Inside there was music playing (which they very accommodating turned down when my mother asked them to) and plenty of space between tables. The restaurant is divided into 2 rooms, one with a bar and the other more of a dining room. Since it was lunch, we ate in the bar and watched it fill up quickly with locals. Our waitress was friendly and patient, explained the “Spanish/Latin/Caribbean fusion” menu, kept our water glasses full and even got the chef to write down the ingredients in a sauce Mom liked.

Yucca Fries - crispy and tender
Yucca Fries – crispy and tender
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Asparagus

Everything we tried was delicious. From the yucca fries ($5) and grilled asparagus ($5) to the fish tacos (3/$14) and seafood stew($14) with sea bass and rice, the food was well seasoned and flavorful without being over salted, my main complaint with most restaurants. We didn’t order them but the sandwiches looked appealing and there were many tapas, salad and meat choices, as well. Prices were quite reasonable for lunch and portions were generous. If you are heading north to see the changing leaves, to ski or for any other reason, remember Mezón. I’m happy to know a tasty place to stop off the highway and you will be, too. And for those of you who live too far afield for this specific information to be of any use, remember to do a little research before getting in the car. You, too, may be rewarded with a surprisingly pleasant meal en route.

Generous Fish Tacos
Generous Fish Tacos

 

Mezón Tapas Bar and Restaurant

56 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, CT 203-748-0875

mezonct.com

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Filed Under: Places, Restaurants

Letting farmers and the seasons tell us what to make for dinner

September 28, 2016

September sunflowers
September sunflowers

Now that the dog days of summer are behind us, we have a couple of months of gorgeous days stretching out ahead of us. When nights get cooler and days get shorter, all kinds of cooking are once more possible. As I put away my shorts and t-shirts and pull out long pants and cardigans, I will shift from light salad dinners to more substantial soups, grains and proteins.

Eating local food has become much easier with the growth of CSA’s and farm markets. And food stores are listening to customers who want to buy local. From neighborhood grocers (in our case, 2 delightful brothers – Taki and Taso -who are always accommodating to their customers and stock all sorts of interesting gourmet items and fresh produce) to giant Whole Foods, grocery stores are stocking more regionally grown fruits and vegetables. (By the way, the Whole Foods app offers discounts otherwise not available).

September farmer's market at UNC Asheville
September farmer’s market at UNC Asheville

Learning to eat seasonally means trying to eat according to what the local farms are delivering. In New York, as well as most cities at this point, it is possible to eat almost anything at any time of year. We don’t even look twice at cantaloupe in January or sugar snap peas in November or think about the fact that they may have been shipped from 5,000 miles away. This cannot be good for our climate or energy problems nor is it as nutritious to eat food that has been sprayed with chemicals or wax so it remains fresh looking after transit.

Over many years of belonging to a CSA and shopping the farmer’s markets, I have become more aware of the rhythm of cooking with the seasons. I make lots of lighter green salads, string beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers during the summer, more squashes, cauliflower, potatoes, and kale in the fall, and peas, fiddleheads, ramps, and asparagus in the spring while during the winter I rely more on storage vegetables such as beets, sweet potatoes, cabbage, parsnips, beets, and carrots. Of course, I supplement with frozen and sometimes buy non-local greens to satisfy a craving. Nowhere near me is coffee local (even if locally roasted) nor are spices, citrus fruit, most grains, avocados or olive oil but I use them anyway. More and more, however, I try to pay attention to the local growing season, especially for fruits and vegetables. This also makes it easier to decide what to cook and provides variety in our diet. Whereas I would never dream of cooking a bean soup with root veggies in the summer, it is the perfect meal for a cold winter day. And while a salad of baby lettuces would leave me chilly in January, it might help me feel cooler in the heat of July.

I can heartily recommend a book that helped me make the transition. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (with her daughter and husband) is the most inspirational story I can think of that describes learning to eat local and, therefore, seasonally. She and her family decided to eat only foods grown or farmed within their region (in Virginia) with only a few exceptions. It’s an engaging, fun read and explains how they learned and managed.

September on Long Island Sound
September on Long Island Sound

Eating this way can be challenging, especially in winter. But here, too, a little planning goes a long way. If I made and froze pesto during the summer when basil and parsley were abundant (and garlic scapes in the spring), I will have a fresh tasting local source of greens with pasta, potatoes, fish, or chicken, even toast, through the winter months. There is still some fresh basil around in the markets here, as well as arugula, cilantro and kale, all of which make tasty pesto to freeze without cheese, which you can add later, if you wish. Pickles, dilly beans, and sauerkraut taste pretty refreshing on a cold night when nothing else green is available. There is still time to make a batch of dried or stewed tomatoes or tomato sauce to put up or pickle cucumbers, radishes or jalapeños for a mid-February treat. The Google machine is chock full of recipes and techniques. And don’t forget there are some greenhouse vegetables, like watercress, that are grown year round and can add some fresh green whenever needed.

I don’t have enough space in my little apartment freezer compartment to freeze my own vegetables but I am a big fan of and stock frozen peas, brussel sprouts, and corn for side dishes and pastas and frozen spinach and kale for spanakopita and lasagna. Cabbage, carrot or beet salads are delicious without any lettuce in sight and those storage vegetables last well even until spring. (Squashes make gorgeous arrangements on a counter or table while most of the others like onions and the root vegetables need either a dark or cold place). Now is the moment when I wish I had a dehydrator for all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Dried tomatoes, apricots, herbs, onions and peppers can enliven a winter meal. Hang up a bunch of dill, thyme and rosemary now and they will reward you in a couple of months. If you keep any of these items in your kitchen, winter becomes a lot tastier.

September farmer's market in Lund, Sweden
September farmer’s market in Lund, Sweden

Now that autumn is upon us, I will restock my supply of lentils, rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, oats, garbanzos and miso so when I want to make soup, rice and beans, paella or grain patties, I will be ready. These aren’t local but I will cook them with local vegetables. I will be cooking with well raised lamb, pork, eggs and beef as well as wild fish and shellfish now that the days are cooler but in smaller quantities than the pulses and grains. Frittatas, quiches and heartier salads with fennel and celery root will soon be on my table. When I’m out of ideas, I will walk through the farmer’s market to get inspiration. What will you make this fall?

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Filed Under: Farm to table

Succotash – Summer’s Last Laugh

September 21, 2016

Succotash with cranberry and Romano beans and cherry tomatoes Porcelain bowl by Heather Knight, Elements Clay Studio
Succotash with cranberry and Romano beans and cherry tomatoes
Porcelain bowl by Heather Knight, Element Clay Studio

Just say the word out loud 3 times – it will make you smile, if not laugh, thinking of Daffy Duck or Sylvester the Cat saying “suffering succotash”. The actual dish is a delicious way to use the end of summer vegetables while we can still get fresh and local – corn, yellow wax or Romano beans (the flat Italian green beans), cranberry or other shelling beans, limas, zucchini and red peppers. My favorite version is very simple and one I make whenever I have leftover corn on the cob. Truth be told, I often buy and cook more corn than we need just so I can make this dish.

Fresh cranberry beans waiting to be shelled
Fresh cranberry beans waiting to be shelled
Shelled cranberry beans ready to be cooked
Shelled cranberry beans ready to be cooked

Traditional succotash includes lima beans but since they aren’t often available fresh, I use cranberry beans. If you don’t want to use a starchy bean, just leave it out. I’ve tried making it both ways and they are equally tasty, the one with shell beans being more substantial. You can use zucchini, okra, green peppers, cooked carrots or almost any other vegetable that will hold its shape, including chopped cooked greens. The succotash definitely benefits from tossing in some chopped fresh green herbs. If you no longer have fresh corn available, you can use frozen. Cooked succotash keeps for several days in the refrigerator and holds up well in a lunchbox.

Take care when cutting corn kernels off the cob
Take care when cutting corn kernels off the cob

The recipe is so simple, in fact, that it really just involves steaming or cutting the vegetables and tossing them with some butter, in which the onion is sautéed, and salt and pepper. But for your ease of mind and precision, here are some measurements for guidance. (A tip when cutting corn off the cob – hold the corn upright by the thicker end with the point in the bottom of a medium sized bowl. Use a sharp knife to slice down the cob to release the kernels and catch any milk that is released. Keep turning and cutting while you carefully slice down into the bowl). The amount of jalapeño or Serrano pepper you add will determine the heat level. The most important thing is not to over cook the vegetables. And chuckle away!

Lighter succotash without starchy beans and with more green herbs Bowl by Heather Knight, Elements Clay Studio
Lighter succotash without starchy beans and with more green herbs
Bowl by Heather Knight, Element Clay Studio

END OF SUMMER SUCCOTASH

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 tsp neutral oil, like avocado or grape seed
  • 2 TBs butter
  • 2-3 cups fresh corn kernels, cooked and cut off the cob
  • 1-2 cups Romano, yellow or green beans, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1-2 cups cranberry or lima beans, shelled and cooked
  • 1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and minced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, basil, dill or a combination
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir just until warmed through.

Add salt and pepper to taste. (I used 2 big pinches of salt and 1 of black pepper)

Serves 4 as a main course or 6-8 as a side dish.

Optional add-ins to boost flavor:

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup zucchini, cooked and diced
  • 1 cup okra, cooked and sliced
  • 1/2 cup kale, arugula or collards, cooked and chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, cooked and diced
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and diced

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Filed Under: Recipes, Vegetables Tagged With: succotash, summer vegetables

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
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
Ripe mangoes on a porcelain plate by James Makins

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Filed Under: Recipes, sauces and dressings, Vegetables

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Welcome to A Good Dish

Here you will find recipes and ideas for easy to make and tasty meals, sources for interesting dinnerware on which to serve those meals and resources for ingredients, classes and food related travel. My goal is to make daily cooking simpler and to inspire you to try different recipes beyond the handful you already make repeatedly. I hope that relaying my experiences will enhance yours. Follow along and let me know about your own cooking and food journeys.

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