Recipes
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Kale Pesto Pizza with Caramelized Onions
This is a great twist on your classic pizza. Make some substitutions to work with your on-hand ingredients: hard or soft cheese, kale or other greens, onions or shallots... be adventurous!
Pizza dough
Basil pesto OR Pistachio kale pesto (see below)
fresh mozzarella
freshly grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups roasted kale
1 red onion, sliced
1 tsp sugar
olive oil
Pesto
1 cup raw pistachios, toasted
4 cups kale, roasted and roughly chopped
fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
1 tsp lemon zest
3 cloves garlic
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450 dgF. Place pizza stone in the oven to preheat for 15 minutes. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough. Brush the dough with olive oil and transfer to the pre-heated stone; bake until dough edges begin to brown (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, thinly slice a red onion and saute with olive oil and a little honey until caramelized. Remove pizza from oven and paint the crust generously with the pesto. Spread caramelized onions over the pizza, top with kale and fresh mozzarella, and finish with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble and crust is browned.
Shallot Vinaigrette
1 large shallot, minced
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt to taste
Stir together shallot and vinegar and let stand 10 minutes. Whisk in mustard, oil, kosher salt, and pepper to taste until blended.
Fennel And Kale Pasta
1⁄2 c olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 medium fennel bulb fronds removed, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 lb spaghetti
up to 3 lb kale or other cooking green washed and chopped
1 c grated parmesan
Heat oil in a large braising pan or skillet with a cover. Add onion; sauté over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in fennel; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until fennel is tender, about 8 minutes longer. Stir in vinegar; simmer to blend flavors, 1 minute longer. Adjust seasonings.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; return to boil. Add kale; continue to cook until pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes.
Drain pasta and greens; toss with fennel mixture and cheese. Transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Garnish with reserved minced fennel fronds. Serve immediately with more cheese passed separately.
Couscous and Feta-Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Epicurious
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup couscous
4 extra-large or 5 large bell peppers, mixed colors
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 oz zucchini, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
6 oz yellow squash, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, add the couscous, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Cut the stems and top half inch off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place peppers upright in a baking dish and roast them for 15 minutes or so, until they soften, then remove them from the oven until the filling is ready. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel seeds, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and tomato paste. Using a fork, scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in the crumbled feta. Fill peppers with the couscous mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Broken Pasta with Pork Ragu
This dish hails from the restaurant Maialino in New York, where it’s on the menu as malfatti al maialino.
1 bone-in pork shoulder, about 4 pounds
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 large rib celery, cut into large pieces
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into large pieces
1 quart chicken stock, plus a splash or two more, if needed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 9-ounce boxes dry lasagna, broken into 3-inch shards
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tablespoons (although I use more) grated or shaved parmesan or grana padano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
Large handful arugula leaves, cleaned
Prepare pork: Use a sharp knife to remove the thick skin from the pork, but not trimming off all the fat — leave a thin sheen. Season generously with salt and place in fridge until ready to use — overnight is ideal but a few hours will cut it as well.
Braise the pork: Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat a deep saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When it shimmers, gently cook the onion, celery and fennel until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer, then season well with salt and pepper.
Rinse pork to remove excess salt, dry with a paper towel and add to seasoned broth. Cover and place in the oven for 90 minutes or more, until the meat just begins to pull away from the bone.
Allow both meat and broth to cool in the braise out of the oven for 30 minutes, or until you can touch the meat with your hands. Remove the pork and gently pull the meat from the bone, then tear the chunks into bite-size shreds. Place these in a large bowl.
Strain the braising liquid, pouring enough of it over the pork to barely cover it and keep it from drying out.
Pour the rest back into the pot, simmering it until it is reduced by half. Add pork and cooking liquid that has covered it, and warm it back to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Add the butter and stir to emulsify.
Bring large pot of well-salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente, or usually a minute shy of package directions. Drain and add to the pork ragu, simmering for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, half the cheese and parsley, if using. Ladle into wide pasta bowls with and top with arugula and remaining cheese. We enjoyed this with an extra lemon wedge on the side.’
Do ahead: Should you wish to freeze this — we froze half and I was overjoyed to find it again last month — shred the pork and return it to the reduced cooking liquid, stopping short of the butter; freeze them together in a bag. Once defrosted, rewarm to a simmer, add a splash or two of pasta cooking water if needed to loosen it, and then the butter (this ensures you get the most flavor from it). Add freshly cooked pasta, lemon and parmesan from here.
Harissa Carrots and Fennel with Lentils
Harissa is a north African chili pepper paste traditionally added to meat and fish stews. Harissa can be used to spice up any dish and keeps well in the fridge. You can also buy pre-made harissa paste at ethnic grocers and gourmet markets. You can make it with crushed chili flakes if that’s all you have – maybe add more tomato paste and peppers.
Harissa Paste
Makes about 1 ¼ cup
25g dried chilies of your choice (choose a few types and include one smoked and one spicy variety, if possible)
2 red bell peppers
6oz / 170g can tomato paste (1 small can)
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
a couple pinches sea salt
cold-pressed olive oil, to cover
Soak the dried chilies in just-boiled water for about 30 minutes until softened. Remove stems and seeds (wear gloves if you’re handling really spicy ones). Save soaking liquid.
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Rub the bell peppers with a little coconut oil and place on a line baking sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes until blistered and turning black in spots. Remove from oven and place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool for 15 minutes (this process will help steam the peppers making them really easy to peel). Once cool enough to handle, simply slip the skins off of the peppers, remove the stem and seeds, and the discard them. Put flesh aside.
While the peppers are roasting, toast the spices in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder and grind until powder-y.
Peel garlic and place in the food processor. Pulse to mince. Add the soaked dried chilies, roasted red peppers, ground spices, tomato paste, lemon juice, and salt. Blend on high until relatively smooth (add some of the chilli soaking liquid to thin, if desired). Season with salt to taste and add more lemon juice if desired.
Transfer harissa to a clean glass jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil – this will help prevent it from spoiling. Cover with a tightly-sealed lid and store in the fridge for up to one month.
Roasted Carrot and Fennel with Harissa, Black Lentils and Yogurt
1 pound carrots (this week's share is 1 pound; last week's bunches were about 1 pound)
1 pound fennel (about 2 medium bulbs)
2 medium red onions
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil
a couple pinches salt and pepper
1 cup Greek-style yogurt (preferably goat or sheep)
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of sea salt
1 cup black lentils (Du Puy or French lentils would also work), soaked if possible
½ tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil
a handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
flaky sea salt, to garnish
Harissa Dressing
¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil
1-4 tsp. harissa paste, to your taste (I used 3 tsp.)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ Tbsp. maple syrup
pinch sea salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Scrub carrots well and slice them in half lengthwise (if they are relatively large, slice them in quarters lengthwise). Wash fennel and slice lengthwise into thin sections. Peel and slice red onion into eights. Place carrots on a baking sheet and rub with a little coconut oil. Place fennel and red onion on a separate baking sheet and rub with a little coconut oil. Place in the oven to roast for 25-35 minutes until tender and charred around the edges (the fennel and onions may take longer than the carrots, so remove carrots first if necessary). Remove from oven and season with salt and pepper.
While the vegetables are roasting, cook the lentils. Wash lentils well, drain and rinse until water runs clear. Place in medium saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered for about 15 minutes. Add about a half teaspoon of salt, stir and continue to simmer covered, until the lentils are tender, about 5 more minutes. Drain and rinse. Stir in olive oil and season to taste.
While the lentils are cooking, whisk the dressing ingredients together. Start with a teaspoon of harissa paste and add more to suit your taste. The dressing should be spicy, but palatable. Add the roasted vegetables and fold to coat well.
Combine the lemon zest and yogurt.
To assemble, divide the yogurt and lentils among four plates. Pile the vegetables on top, sprinkle with flaky salt, mint, and drizzle any remaining dressing over the top. Enjoy.
Tarragon String Bean Salad
4 cups green beans
1.5 cups cooked beans (romano, pinto, lima, navy, chickpeas)
1/2 red onion or a few shallots
1 bunch fresh tarragon
½ cup hazelnuts or almonds, toasted
300 grams feta cheese (preferably goat feta)
Freshly ground pepper
Dressing:
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp strong mustard
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Pinch sea salt
Wash and top green beans. Steam for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy (do not over steam!).
Make dressing: Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously.
When beans are cooked, remove from heat and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl and add all other salad ingredients.
Toss green bean mixture in dressing; season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Provençal Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart
Pie pastry 1 crust
1 lb Swiss chard
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds zucchini, cut in small dice (1/4 to 1/3 inch)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)
2 oz Gruyère cheese or aged cheddar cheese grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)
3 large eggs, beaten Freshly ground pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens, and wash them. If the ribs are wide, wash and dice them, then set aside. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and the chard leaves. Blanch for one minute, until just tender. Drain and cool quickly in several changes of fresh water. Squeeze out excess water and chop. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, and add the onion and diced chard stems, if using. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the zucchini. Season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring, until just tender and still bright green, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary, and cook with the zucchini and onion until the garlic is fragrant, about one or two minutes. Stir in the greens, toss everything together, and remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste), the zucchini mixture, and the Gruyère. Mix everything together, add pepper, taste once more and adjust seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line the pan, with the edges of the dough overhanging. Freeze the remaining dough. Fill the lined pan with the zucchini mixture. Pinch the edges of the dough along the rim of the pan. Place in the oven and bake 50 minutes, until set and beginning to color. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving (preferably longer). This can also be served at room temperature.
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