Swiss Chard and Tomatoes over Soft Polenta

I've been on a really big polenta kick ever since returning from Venice.  I can't get enough of it.  I've gone so far as to contemplate buying relatively expensive, very high maintenance freshly stone ground polenta from the internets.  I still might.  In the meantime, here is a little recipe that I made using Bob's Red Mill Polenta Corn Grits, available at your friendly neighborhood Whole Foods, and probably lots of other groceries as well.  Bob's are par-boiled, so the cook time is really short compared with true, long cooking polenta that takes an hour or more.  Start cooking your chard and tomatoes about 10-15 minutes into the polenta cooking process.

Polenta


3 c water
1 c polenta
1 t salt
2 TB butter or olive oil
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese


In a heavy bottomed pot, boil 3 cups of water.  Whisk in the polenta and salt.  Turn down the heat and stir constantly until the polenta is suspended in the water and no longer settles to the bottom of the pot.  Cook for 30 minutes at a bare simmer.  Stir frequently, being careful not to burn yourself if the polenta bubbles pop and splatter.  Add water if the polenta gets too thick.  You want the it to stay soft.


Stir in butter and Parmesan.  Taste and add more salt if needed. 

For the Chard and Tomatoes:

1-2 bunches swiss chard (1 bunch if you are cooking for two, 2 if you are serving 4)
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/4 ts crumbled red chili pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, sliced finely or minced
a handful of grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

Prepare chard by washing,  rinsing and drying thoroughly.  I dry mine after it's cut (in a salad spinner) but it can also be dried with towels while still in whole leaf form.   Pull or cut the leaves from the center rib.  Chop the ribs into slices and cut the leaves into ribbons, approximately 1 inch wide.

When your polenta is about half way through the cooking process, start cooking the chard.  In a heavy pan, heat the olive oil until it shimmers over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute until it just begins to be fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.  Add the chili pepper and quickly stir.  Add chard ribs and saute gently until they begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes.  Add chard leaves and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard leaves begin to wilt and become tender.  Add a tablespoon of water if the pan begins to dry out at any point.  Add tomatoes and saute gently until they are warmed through but not breaking down.  Taste for seasoning and salt if desired.  If you have a good finishing salt like Fleur de Sel de Guérande, this is really nice place to use it.

Serve immediately by placing a large spoonful of soft polenta into a bowl and using the spoon to create a dip in the center.  Top with sauted chard and tomatoes.

Read more...

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

This is an easy and lovely dish using one of my favorite pastas, the tiny orecchiette.  Shaped like (and named after) a "small ear", its delicately curved, disc-like shape is perfect for capturing tiny bits of deliciousness in every bite... hence the broccoli.  Cutting the broccoli florets into very small pieces ensures that they will nestle into the hollows in the pasta, along with the pine nuts and grape tomato halves, to delicious effect.

1/2 lb (8 oz) orecchiette pasta
boiling water
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb (a medium sized) broccoli crown
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 ts crumbled red chili pepper flakes
a large handful of grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 TB pine nuts
freshly shredded Parmesan to top
salt to taste

Here is how I time things so that they all finish simultaneously.

Start your pasta boiling water and when it is getting close to boiling (but not really there yet), begin to chop your garlic and broccoli.  Cut the broccoli a bit obsessively (and wastefully, to be honest).  You want only the florets, chopped to their smallest parts, discarding the stems and stalk.  Mince your garlic.

Add pasta to the boiling, salted water.  Cook for the amount of time dictated by the package (usually about 11 minutes).

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large skillet until it shimmers. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan.  Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the broccoli.  Lightly salt.  Saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes.  Let it rest at times, so that you get a bit of caramelization on the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, lightly toast your pine nuts over medium low heat.  Toss them frequently, since they burn easily.  As soon as you see them begin to get a golden hue (after about 2 minutes or less), add them to the broccoli.

When broccoli is wilting and beginning to get a glossy, garlicky coating and the pasta only has a minute or two left on it, add the halved tomatoes to the broccoli skillet.  These should only cook for about 2 minutes, long enough to warm through but not really break down.  You want them to retain their shape.

Drain pasta and add to the broccoli pan.  Mix well.  Salt to taste.  Serve immediately, topped with shaved Parmesan.

Serves 2 with seconds or 4 with salad and bread.

* adapted from a recipe in the Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe Cookbook to have no pancetta but a ton of flavor anyway.

Read more...

Green Pea and Lemon Risotto with Roasted Asparagus

I was craving spring...

...so I made a simple pea risotto with a touch of lemon, roasted some asparagus to put on top and covered the whole thing with thick shavings of Parmesan Reggiano.

Green Pea and Lemon Risotto

2-3 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil
1 cup arborio rice, uncooked
about a 1/2 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
juice and zest of half a lemon
2 TB butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano + more shaved for topping

First, get your stock into a spare saucepan and heat it to a simmer on a spare stove burner.  You will need this to be warm later.

Add olive oil to a heavy bottomed medium pan (I used a dutch oven but any sauce pan with good heat distribution will do) over medium heat.  When hot, add shallot and garlic.  Saute until soft.  Add the rice and stir gently until every grain is covered in oil and they begin to go translucent.  Add wine and stir in until absorbed.  Now, begin adding your chicken stock in increments.  I add two or 3 small ladles at at time and stir gently until the rice absorbs it, then add more.  Continue to add the stock for as long as the rice will continue to absorb it.  Taste occasionally for texture.  When the rice is beginning to get soft enough to eat, add the peas and lemon juice and zest.  Continue to cook until risotto is the texture you desire. If you run out of stock before the rice is finished being thirsty, add small amounts of boiling water to supplement it.  When risotto is softly al dente, add butter and parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top with a generous portion of shaved Parmesan and a side of roasted asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bundle of asparagus, trimmed of woodiness, washed and dried
1-2 TB olive oil
juice of half a lemon
grated or shaved Parmesan Reggiano for topping

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place asparagus on a baking pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and roll to coat all sides of the asparagus with oil.  Season with kosher or sea salt.  Place in oven for 8-12 minutes or until they are starting to caramelize lightly.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and Parmesan Reggiano.

Voilà!  Spring!

Read more...