Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scape pesto with garden-fresh snow peas.
One of my favorite things about my gardening hobby is that it has offered me a world of new challenges (and I love a good challenge). It’s not always a joyous introduction, as was the case of my hostile introduction to the spinach leaf miner. They are, ironically, eating my beet greens while the spinach sits, undisturbed, only three feet away. Happily, most of the learning opportunities are positive. Recent example: answering the question, “What Does One Do With Garlic Scapes?”
Last year, I grew garlic for the first time. It was a modestly successful attempt, certainly encouraging enough to try again this year. I planted the bulbs from the largest head last autumn, and (not so) patiently watched as the plants grew up this spring. I’d learned last year that you need to cut off the scape (the immature flower) when it begins to curl, so that the garlic plant could put all its energy into bulb development. I also learned that the scape was edible–it has a mild, chive-garlic flavor. What I didn’t learn last year was what to do with the edible scapes, so I just chopped them and added to whatever I was cooking. They certainly enhanced the flavor of a dish, but I wasn’t highlighting the flavor.
Last week, my friend, writer Sherrie Flick, suggested making a pesto. I’d already made ramp pesto (miss you, dear ramps) this season, and that was a success. So, why not try scape pesto?
Blend:
5 Garlic Scapes
Slightly less than 1/4 Cup Roasted Almonds
(Soak almonds in water for 10 minutes before blending, add 2 Tsp of the water)
1/8 Cup Grapeseed Oil
1/8 Cup Parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
The pesto is terrifically versatile. I used some on grilled chicken. But the real highlight was tossing the pesto with some garden-picked snow peas and a teaspoon of bacon fat. The dish tasted like springtime bathed in rich butter; yet it was fairly low in calories and cost less than a dollar to make. Win!
Spring Garden: Spinach, Snow Pea, and Scape Stir Fry
I feel like for the last few months I’ve been beginning nearly every post with an apology for not writing very often: “So busy with school,” “other writing projects,” “traveling,” etc. I probably need to reorganize this space in a better way, too. Point is, so sorry for not writing here for over a month, I’ve been very busy finishing school (I’m a master of studying food now), with writing projects (stories on food & the environment for The Allegheny Front, a weekly column in Pittsburgh City Paper), and traveling (mostly around Pittsburgh; it’s been beautiful here). I’ve also been spending a lot of time in my garden, and now I have some delicious treats to eat.
Ramps might be the first edible sign of spring, but spinach is one of the first garden crops to really pop from the ground. I’ve been eating from my spinach patch for three weeks now, and that’s forced me to be awfully creative; one can only eat so many spinach salads or lightly wilted spinach. Luckily for me, my garlic started to scape (see my post on harvesting garlic for more information on garlic scapes), and the snow pea plants are producing (a bucket-load) of pods. That sounded like a promising start to a new recipe, so I rode my bike down to a wonderful little market called the Lotus Food Company; they sell house-made tofu, and it’s ridiculously inexpensive. I also purchased a bottle of black vinegar enhanced with “fruit and vegetable juice.” That’s about all that was written in English on the label! It’s a wonderfully complex vinegar with apricot and spice flavors. All in all, I had the makings of a terrific stir-fry.
Add 1 Tsp. Vegetable Oil to a medium-hot pan.
Pan fry Half-Pound of Firm Tofu, cut into 2-inch squares until brown.
Set aside.
While the tofu is cooking, mix:
1/4 Cup Chicken or Veggie Stock
1 Chopped Garlic Scape
2 Tsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tsp. Mirin
2 Tsp. Black Vinegar
1 Tsp. Minced Ginger
1 Tsp. Corn Starch
1/2 Tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
Set aside.
Wash and pat dry:
4 Cups Spinach
(Spinach should be loosely packed. Also, I didn’t measure this precisely.)
Wash, and halve:
Two Cups Snow Peas
Chop:
Two Garlic Scapes
Saute the spinach, snow peas, and scapes for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat.
Return tofu to pan.
Add sauce mixture.
Cook for 1.5 minutes, remove from heat, and allow dish to rest for 1 minute before serving.
Top with Toasted Sesame Seeds
More Thoughts on Ramps
My story about foraging for ramps aired Saturday on The Allegheny Front. They’re a marvelous little plant, and the experience of waking up (VERY) early to wander through the woods and harvest my own food was pretty incredible. I’d never foraged for anything before, and memories of that morning keep popping up. Now, when I pass a forested hillside, I wonder if ramps are growing on its slope. (I’ve cursed at several “No Trespassing” signs preventing me from scrambling up the hill and checking it out for myself!) I’ve considered foraging in my urban environment–but, I don’t know enough about urban foraging to decide what to harvest (though I did enjoy a nice snack of dandelion greens from my backyard the other day). This exercise was much easier to accomplish when I lived in Los Angeles; street-side rosemary grows everywhere and fruit trees overhang many sidewalks (protip: they are fair game if they are on the public side of a fence).
Back to the ramps. I touch on this in the story, but it’s worth repeating: if you forage for ramps, don’t over-harvest; experts say you should only take 5% to 10% of what you see (if you leave the bulbs in the ground you can harvest a bit more, however). If you see ramps at a restaurant, farmers’ market, or festival, don’t be afraid to ask about where they came from. This is especially pertinent if you see ramps on the West Coast–ramps don’t grow in California, so you might want to inquire about how they got there. I’m not discouraging the popularity of ramps (they truly are terrific), but we all need to be sure to consume them in a sustainable way, or we’ll be out of luck in a few years. Ramp population recuperation time is tremendously slow, and if they’re over-harvested the land where they grow can easily be overrun with invasive species.
If you do get your hands on ramps, what should you do with them? Here are a few ideas:
Quick and Easy Grilled Ramps:
Wash and dry ramps.
Rub with olive oil and salt.
Grill until ramps are just slightly charred.
Season with pinch of salt and a dash of balsamic vinegar.
Pickled Ramps:
The basic ratio is 1-1-1 rice wine vinegar, water, and sugar–plus a pinch of salt.
Boil those ingredients and pour over (washed) ramp stems.
I also added a few black peppercorns, whole coriander seeds, and pinch of dried ginger.
Roasted Bacon-Coated Brussels Sprouts (with Assorted Bacon-Coated Roots)
Sick of the bacon-on-everything trend yet? It’s gotten a bit silly, hasn’t it? It can certainly be argued that this trend directly corresponds to the recent general improvement of bacon quality (so many hardwood smoked bacons…take that Oscar Meyer!) in America. However, this trend has also resulted in people thinking it’s a good idea to give bacon lovers remarkably silly bacon-related gifts, and enthusiasts producing improperly made bacon ice creams (protip: a bit of rendered bacon fat in the mix is a good idea, but don’t mix the bacon bits into the ice cream until right before serving). This has cast a shadow of the wonderful world of bacon. Well, overexposure will do that.
But there is hope, my friends. That hope lies in another trendy tidbit of food: the once hated Brussels sprout. Everyone loves a Brussels now (almost). Properly cooked, they’re quite terrific. So why not combine the two, add some complimentary root vegetables, and toss in a maple syrup vinaigrette? I’ve conducted an experiment. Result? Success. Grand success.
Render 1/2 lb. Diced Bacon.
Separate cooked bacon from rendered fat. Save both.
Add to a large bowl:
1lb. Brussels Sprouts, quartered
1/2 lb. Yukon Gold Potatoes, cubed
1/4 lb. Carrots, cubed
1/4 lb. Parsnips, cubed
1-2 Large Shallots, quartered
Add ALL (!!!!) the reserved bacon fat to the bowl, plus salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Transfer to a baking sheet, and roast in a 425F oven for 35-45 minutes. Everything should be nicely browned. Sprouts should be crunchy–not soggy.
For the Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette:
2.5 Tbs. Maple Syrup
2 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
1.5 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
Pinch Salt and Two Pinches Pepper
Toss roasted vegetables with the vinaigrette and reserved bacon bits. Add salt if necessary.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Beets and Their Greens
I love beets because they taste of Earth and sugar. They are also ridiculously good for you; beets are loaded with antioxidants, they’re anti-inflammatory, they’re high in fiber, and full of minerals.
Beets are easy to prepare: the roots can be roasted, boiled, or steamed. I’ve been working on a steaming/roasting method that produces a tender beet with a concentrated flavor–this is my favorite way to cook a beet. I sometimes serve them with the attached greens, but you can also use the greens separately (roots keep for a few weeks in the fridge, the greens just a few days). You were going to throw the greens away? No no no. Beet greens are versatile, and, just like the beet root, very nutritious.
So look for beets with the greens attached, because you’re getting extra food for (often) the same price per pound. If you have to buy them from a bulk bin, make sure the beet feels firm and doesn’t have any deep blemishes (they don’t have to be beautiful, but if you’re going to store them, you don’t want them to deteriorate).
Rinse and peel beets.*
Crinkle foil over beets, and place in a 400F oven.
* Beets are usually peeled after cooking, but with this method it’s easier to do so before. Unless you like your hands stained with beet juice you should wear latex gloves. Also don’t wear any fancy clothes while preparing beets.
* If you can find Meyer lemons, skip the extra sugar and celebrate. They are most wonderful, and I’m jealous my parents have a tree that’s full of them in their back yard. Lucky parents!
*Don’t fear the beeturia: you might experience a…colorful…urination after eating beets. It’s not uncommon. And it’s not blood. Don’t call your doctor friend in the middle of the night and try to figure out what just happened–trust me.
Nectarine Salsa
About a month ago, tomatoes the size of my head starting amassing on the large vines growing in my garden. My feeble plan of using bamboo sticks to keep the vines vertical was looking more and more futile every day. A makeshift system of shoelaces, bricks, and more bamboo provide temporary respite from that problem, but I could tell this was going to be trouble. Then another problem arose–what was I going to do with all the tomatoes?!?! I never thought I wouldn’t know what to do with a tomato. This isn’t my first summer growing them. Every summer I lived in Los Angeles I raised a few plants, and I never had any trouble eating the harvest. A quick sauce, add them to a salad, perhaps a soup. Easy.
But this year has been different. I heard terrible things about the tomato blight that has afflicted Pittsburgh the last few years, so I decided to plant five plants as an insurance policy. One dude, five plants. No blight, many tomatoes. This year, it was time to be creative. Nectarine salsa is the first of a few dishes I created with what what around my kitchen and garden.
Combine:
2 Cups Diced Tomato*
1 Cup Diced Nectarine
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup Diced Shallot
Pinch Salt
Squeeze Lime Juice
Poblano Pepper, to taste
Cilantro, chopped
Mint and Basil, chopped (just a few pinches of each if you have them around)
Let everything sit for 1-3 hours at room temperature before serving.
...more tomatoes to come...
*Remove seeds from tomato before dicing. If you have time, let diced tomatoes drain in a colander for a few minutes–your salsa will be less watery. (Drained tomato water can be saved and used in a soup, or as part of a refreshing drink.) Also, try to use a variety of tomatoes if you can.
Beans and Bacon
I hadn’t planned on posting two recipes in a row that were basically titled X and Y. It’s not a new theme, promise. I actually had a few recipes lined up to publish, but I just got a fancy-pants new camera and wanted to show off a photo of the first thing I cooked since purchasing this camera. I’ve come to realize that as much as I think a food blog should be about content, pretty pretty pictures are also very nice. We do eat with our eyes and all that. So, perhaps my new camera will inspire new pretty pretty pictures.
But honestly, for me it’s all nonsense if the food doesn’t taste good. Visual stimulation means nothing without gustatory satisfaction. This dish is both visually and gastronomically pleasing. Hooray!
Boil, for seven minutes:
3/4 lb. Green/Yellow/Wax Beans, halved
Immediately plunge beans into ice water after boiling.
Meanwhile, saute over medium heat:
3 Slices Bacon, diced
Once bacon browns, remove it from pan.
Leave 1.5 Tbs. Bacon Grease in pan, reserve the rest for other delicious things.
Add to remaining bacon grease:
1 Shallot, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
Cook for one minute, and then add:
Pre-Cooked Beans, drained
1/2 Cup Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Cup White Wine
Two pinches each of Fresh Thyme and Rosemary, finely chopped
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Vegan Soup. What?
It’s possible that the world has gone mad. I made a vegan soup, and I liked it. Two years ago, I never would have thought I’d be boiling a big pot of kale and bulgar. Or making a beet & quinoa soup, either. Of course, two years ago I never thought I’d be living in Pittsburgh going to grad school to get a master’s degree in Food Nerdery, so there you go.
This is quite easy to make. Dice a few things, boil in liquid for a little while. You can do it. And you should. It’s delicious, and you’ll make a vegan happy if you do.
Dice:
3 Carrots
3 Cloves Garlic
2 Celery Stalks
1 Onion
1 Parsnip
Add 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil to a medium-hot pan, and then stir in the diced vegetables.
Wash, and then cut into strips:
1 Pound Kale
Add the kale to the pan, as well as:
2 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Water
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Dried Sage
2 Tsp. Dried Thyme
1 Tsp. Celery Seed
1 Tsp. Curry Powder
1/2 Tsp. Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)
Simmer for 30 minutes, and then add:
1/2 Cup Bulgar
Simmer for 45 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil. Impress a vegan.
You can make pork chops another day.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 3 so far )So Sweet
When I go out to eat with friends, a few of them always go gagagagaga over sweet potato fries. I get it. Personally, I’d rather have a really well made steak fry, but I get it. They look pretty. But frying can mask the depth of the sweet potato flavor. Plus, even though I’ve been telling you for ages to get a deep fryer, you don’t seem to be listening to me, so how are you going to make them at home?
Well, there is a way. And the way is easier and much more flavorful than what you’ll get at the local pub.
Peel Two Sweet Potatoes.
Slice them into rounds that are 1.5 inches thick.
Rub the rounds with Olive Oil and then lightly sprinkle with Salt and Pepper.
Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Gently press the tops the sweet potatoes with the back of a fork.
If you’d like (and you’ll like) put a tiny piece of Butter on each slice.
Sprinkle slices with Cinnamon, Garlic Powder, Brown Sugar, and Coriander.
Bake for 5 more minutes.
So good.
Try it with your own spice blends, too. You never know what you’ll come up with.
Broccoli Raab
Broccoli Raab (also known as rapini) is a cousin of…the turnip.
I’m sure you thought I was going to say broccoli, but, despite the broccoli-like florets, the two are not closely related. They do share a common trait though- delicious if prepared well, and horrible if prepared poorly. If you’re unfamiliar with broccoli raab, give it a shot. It has a strong, peppery flavor and is packed with nutritional goodness (Vitamins A/C/K, iron, calcium, potassium).
Flowers, leaves, and stalks are all edible. Look for bunches that are bright green, with no signs of yellow or wilting. Take them home with you, wash them, and do this:
Add to boiling heavily salted water:
One Pound Broccoli Raab
Cook for 1.5 minutes, and then immediately plunge into ice water.
Add to a medium hot pan:
2.5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
1/2 Cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
*I used a Nardello Pepper I found at the farmers’ market. Feel free to play with your sweet pepper choice.
1/4 Cup Diced Onion or Shallot
1 Teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper
Cook for two minutes, turn heat to high, and then add the broccoli raab (drain it first…).
Cook for two more minutes, and then add:
1.5 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Cook 30 seconds, taste for salt, and add a pinch more if necessary.
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