Dish 24: Tomato Purslane Egg Poach & Summer Pizza

I don't think I can ever get sick of tomatoes. Last week's tomato and purslane soup was lovely, so I thought I'd try something similar for breakfast- poaching some eggs in the tomatoes. A lot of cultures do this- see eggs in purgatory or shakshuka- and it's just lovely.

I used another home-canned jar or tomatoes- added rosemary, a little thyme, a bay leaf and some cumin again. Chopped up my purslane a little more than last time and let it simmer a bit in a pan before adding my eggs. Put a cover on, occasionally basting the eggs with the liquid.

Ideally I wanted runny yolks. These were on a little too long- was multitasking with the summer pizza- see below- but it was still delicious.

Topped with a little gruyere. Nommy.

Notes for improvement: Don't overcook those eggs!

To go with my tomatoes: pizza! I don't tend to buy pizza unless it's something really special- like anything from SCRATCHbread or Two Boots. Beyond that it's more fun (and cheaper) to make your own dough and top it how you wish. Favorites: eggs (obviously) and/or leftover Indian.

I'll have a more detailed post once I work this method out, but for now I'll say the dough I use is from Macheesmo and summer is way too hot to cook pizza in an oven.

I had this idea to par-bake the crust in a dry pan after sprinkling a little cornmeal on either side, then topping and finishing off under the broiler in the oven. It worked relatively well, but needs tweaking.

I sliced some summer squash and garlic scapes, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary. Broiled the untopped dough for a little while (til it got some color), then flipped, topped, and put it back under the broiler until the veggies had cooked a bit. Thought a little cheese might be nice, so once it was almost there added that and put it back in for another minute.

The crust got some nice char but the center was undercooked and unpleasantly doughy. I don't like white pies- I think the cheese was a little too rich without something acidic to cut it.

Overall though the method will totally work for the hot months, just needs tweaking as I said.

Notes for improvement:
- Thinner crust or longer pan-cooking
- Rich pizzas + summer = itis
- Pre-cook the toppings, the broiler doesn't cook them through as much as I'd like

Dish 23: Beans and Chard

There's a fine line between brilliant and stupid. 

This is the stupid way to assemble this dish: saute scallions and shallots. Wilt some chard. Then, later because you're lazy but also in a rush, stir in some white beans.

It's probably going a bit far to say this is brilliant, but it's certainly much much better. I sauteed some onions and garlic, then added my beans with a bunch of the starchy bean water (honestly, it was frozen leftover from the white bean garlic scape dip). Added a little leftover turkey stock from my chard risotto. A little rosemary and thyme. A bay leaf and a little bit of cumin. Then wilted in the chard.

The chard gave the broth a nice pink hue. Tasty. I wish I knew how to make hot weather food. Not that I'm complaining. A little pecorino didn't hurt things either.

Dish 22: Purslane Tomato ...Soup? & Risotto Leftovers

This is my favorite meal so far. I started with this inspiration. And this jar of tomatoes.

 

I canned them back in September (I know, I know, I'm Portlandia) and it's been haunting me a bit. Psyching me out. Tomatoes can be a borderline canning food- heirloom ones especially. I picked these up at a farmer's market, not sure the variety. And although I used a dummy-proof method (hot pack, a tablespoon on lemon juice in each pint, etc), I was still terrified about botulism. I'd explain my fears but I don't want to freak you out too.

Today I opened a jar and had a taste. Very lemony. I felt safe on the acidity front. If I stop posting in a few days you'll know why though.

The tomatoes went into a, well, I'm not sure what to call it. Soup? Stew?

Ingredients (approx):

- 1 pint super lemony tomatoes

- 1 onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, grated

- 1/2-1 tablespoon fresh oregano

- 1/2-1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)

- 1 cup purslane, chopped

- 1/2 cup stock (ish)

- salt & pepper to taste

I need to measure things, but it's hard to do that and also talk to one's roommate.

The onion went into a pot to soften and start to brown. Added the garlic, stirred a little then added the tomatoes. I let those go for a bit to break them down, then added some fresh oregano (which still exists in my fridge, somehow) and rosemary as I had it around. Tasted. Very tart. Added some honey and tomato paste. Thought they might help, definitely didn't hurt. I wanted to give it a broader base, but I'm not sure how one accomplishes that.

This simmered away for a bit, then I added the purslane (whose stems are actually a bit tart, yay) and realized I'd probably reduced the tomato down too far and added a bit of stock leftover from risotto to thin it out.

Let it simmer a bit and finished up the rest of the meal.

As I mentioned in the risotto post I had a plan for some of the leftovers: risotto cakes! Fritters? Unsure what to call them, you know, beyond delicious. I took leftover risotto, which had set and dried a bit after two days in the fridge, and added an egg to bind it. It probably didn't need a whole egg, but whatever.

 

These got scooped in a hot pan with some oil. They didn't completely want to stay together. I didn't judge.

Post flip toasty goodness.

I had some leftover sourdough, which I ate with the soup but really didn't need.

The risotto cakes were topped with pecorino and sorrel pesto. To make up for the sheer bougieness of this post, I left my soup bowl messy. Can't be too perfect for you people.

So good.

Seriously. Work has been stressful so I haven't had much of an appetite, but these? I could eat a million of them.

Loved that sourdough but really was unnecessary. The thick soup was best just spooned on top of these guys.

I really hope I haven't peaked. But it's going to be hard to top.

Dish 21: Spinach (and Chard) Tart & Rhubarb Tart Update

 

Tart achieved!

My cooking projects seem to always take place around this time of year...which means I'm running my oven when it's super hot. I'll pay that price for deliciousness. The tart came from this recipe (NY Times). I had quiche on the brain but wanted something a little healthier. In lieu of the normal buttery crust of a quiche, this one had a yeasted whole wheat olive oil crust.

I essentially followed the recipe as written- my only difference was not having enough spinach. Somehow. I keep forgetting how much greens cook down. The recipe calls for 1.5 lbs of spinach. I had a massive bunch that was only a pound. So I made up the difference with chard. Didn't seem to affect things much.

My crust is too thick- it's obvious if you look at the picture in the link and the ones here. The doughy-ness led to underbrowning, which meant a mild bleh crust. I don't mind. The filling is delicious. And having my bread-making setup out led to a batch of pizza dough, which I'll post about soon.

It's possible the tart needed a little more time in the oven- my filling is a little...saggy. But I've developed a taste for soft boiled eggs so I don't see a bad side. Next time I'll dry out my greens more before mixing the filling, which may help as well.

Besides- I only really ate one (...and a half) pieces last night, and couldn't really offer any up to roommates as I finished crazy late and they'd already eaten. The rest will need to be reheated anyway, which may fix those little quibbles. So it's good this is undercooked. Totally intentional. (Anyone believe me?)

 

And as I had the oven on I baked up one of my rhubarb tarts! The crust was also too thick...and dry. Ah well. That filling was delicious, too.

Notes to Future Kelly:
- Dry out the greens a little more
- Weigh things before you pick out recipes
- Read up on crusts
- Make this again! Look into mini-ones so they cook faster

Dish 20: Sage & Chard Risotto

It had been a few years since I made risotto, so I read up on technique. It ended up tasty and comforting, though I'm not sure my temp was right during the toasting stage, and my pan to batch size ratio was probably off. The main problem with the first batch- years ago- was I'd taken the rice too far. But this still have a little bite which was nice. Some improvement. It was still wonderfully comforting and delicious- even though it got above 90 today.

I started with shallots and garlic. Butter and a little olive oil. My stock was homemade- turkey stock made and frozen a few months ago. I added the last of my sage and some of the new chard I'd gotten in towards the end. Neither of the latter flavors was especially pronounced in the final batch, though. I added a little pecorino at the end for extra creaminess. And a huge pinch of black pepper to cut through that creaminess.

There are a few servings of leftovers- have plans for some of that, too.

Notes for improvement:
- Make a larger batch or use a smaller pan
- Use less concentrated stock
- Add herbs/veg a little earlier so the flavors integrate a little more
- If using chard or another leafy veg- cut the ribbons thinner or shorter

Delivery 3

A few awesome parts to this new delivery. Also starting to build a backlog in the fridge. Maybe I'll start blanching and freezing.

Here's the list this week:

Red Sails Leaf Lettuce - 1 head**
(Green Towers) Romaine Lettuce - 1 head
(Butter Head) Buttercruch Lettuce - 1 head
Encino Lettuce - 1 head
Summer Spinach - 1 bunch
(Bright Lights) Swiss Chard - 1 bunch
Garlic Scapes - 6 scapes
Golden Purslane - 1 bunch
Kohlrabi - 1 bunch
Summer Squash - 2 pcs

** I couldn't deal with four different types of lettuce this week. Red Leaf has been my least favorite of the bunch, so I took advantage of the swap table and got a second bunch of the Swiss Chard. To be honest I've never had chard before but it looked so damn pretty.

Here are my highlights:

Summer Squash: I may not have been the best CSA-mate and selected two of the biggest of the crate to take...I'll be better in the future. But I'm just so excited for a non-leafy. I have a squash soup I love to make, but it's been super hot here lately. Maybe pickles? Or just a saute in some butter...

Spinach: This makes me happy like kale. I've had quiche on the brain lately. And then I see the butter and cream AND cream cheese in that recipe and am thinking more of a tart? I have a removable bottom tart pan that needs to get used.

Kohlrabi: Related to broccoli and cabbage. From the CSA email:

The variety is Kossak which yields a larger Kohlrabi. They look like they should be a root crop but really grow on top of the soil on a short stalk. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They taste a bit like broccoli stems. Peel them, slice and add to a salad. Or cube and roast. The greens are edible as well. Wash, slice and boil.   

Reading around a little online, people are comparing the crisp texture to a water chestnut or granny smith apple- under that very tough peel. So raw with a little salt? Though there are neat looking salads, pickles, or use it in spring rolls!

Encino Lettuce: Frilly Lettuce. Is it bad that when I google this I just get a bunch of lists from the farm that does my CSA for this week's delivery? I'm running out of ideas for lettuce is what I'm saying, and I wish the internet would understand and help me out here.

Purslane: It's a succulent, which is exciting. There's some good inspiration here, oh hey a chilled zucchini soup. I'm generally happy I have an excuse to buy and eat tomatoes here as well with a salad. Apparently you can sub it for spinach in tarts and whatnot. There may be another ingredient fight.

There's a spiffy bit on wikipedia about it:

At night its leaves trap carbon dioxide, which is converted into malic acid (the souring principle of apples), and, in the day, the malic acid is converted into glucose. When harvested in the early morning, the leaves have ten times the malic acid content as when harvested in the late afternoon, and thus have a significantly more tangy taste.

Mine are not that tangy, but this seems to happen more in dry times- and it's been pretty wet here. Ah well.

Swiss Chard: Taken in by the lovely colors. I asked the volunteer if there was a difference between the flavors stems based on color (they ranged from a light yellow to deep purply red), she said she thought the redder ones had a mild beet flavor, so I was all over it. Pickling the stems, sauteing the greens. This may be the week of tarts and here's one with zucchini, too.

Dish 19: White Bean & Pesto Lettuce Wraps

I'll admit, Sorrel Pesto isn't exactly a "dish," but still incredibly useful.

Came home lazy and needing something fast. Assembled some wraps with Buttercrunch Lettuce Leaves, white bean garlic scape dip, some daikon and carrot chopped up into thin sticks and a little sorrel pesto. 

Not hearty enough to be a meal but somehow meal-er than just dipping the carrots and daikon in that dip. 

Nom. 

Note 1

I'm needing to do a bit of mental juggling. On the one hand I hate posting three times in a day, in another I'd like to have each dish be its own post. On a third, there has to be a reasonable attempt to keep things up to date as I have a new delivery every week.

The Livers, Sorrel Pesto and White Bean Dip were all made on the same day. It was busy in the kitchen. I'll do my best to space things a little better, though do expect the occasional lull followed by madness in the future.

Dish 18: White Bean Garlic Scape Dip

Carb fiend. 

I'm not a big dip/dressing/sauce person. It was part of my plan to lose weight a few years ago, and beyond some hummus it's what I've stuck with. Still, with six garlic scapes this was the best use of the flavor. And beans have protein and stuff. That's healthy enough, right?

I used this recipe from the NY Times. It called for a can of beans but I found dried cannellinis...

...so I made my own with a little oregano I discovered still in the fridge. It's less a matter of cost than principle. And salt content. 

Collected my ingredients and essentially followed the recipe. A little less lemon juice than they called for. I needed all six of my scapes to get that not quite 1/3 cup. 

It ended up on the chunky side as my (roommates') food processor is tiny and crazy loud. Don't want the neighbors to hate me too much. 

The garlic flavor is there, less strong than I'd hoped, but I imagine it'll build with a day or two in the fridge. 

Hopefully I'll get something to dip in it next week, but I have a few ideas to use it up regardless. It's almost like mashed potatoes. I could eat it with a spoon. 

Dish 17: Spring Rolls

What happens when I wander places: I find projects. 

I was running errands in Brooklyn with no easy subway connection. There were busses between all these places but I don't trust them, so I walked. I love walking in the city- at the very least I get to connect up neighborhoods in my mental map. Usually I happen upon something I've heard or read about. This time it was an Asian market. It was small but decently stocked.

They had spring roll wrappers and vermicelli. So of course I needed to make spring rolls. 

Granted, I'd also seen this post on Macheesmo (one of my favorite blogs) and it seemed like a good way to use up some of my share.

The wrappers (a term I prefer to skins) were odd. Well so was the vermicelli- they looked more like plastic than anything. But it's always good to try something new. This was my first time making vermicelli- the internet told me to cook it like spaghetti so I did. 

It was a little weird. The noodles got lost in the water (they kind of turned invisible), and when I pulled them out my first thought was "jellyfish," which isn't exactly appetizing. Still, I tried them periodically and removed them from the water when they seemed about cooked. They got tossed in a little sesame oil to keep them from sticking together.

I also chopped/grated up a bunch of share and non-share veggies: carrots and daikon leftover from kimchi and mustard greens, mizuna, and red sails lettuce. In the future I would have prepped more of the grated veg.

To assemble just soak the sheets til they're pliant (not terribly long, 10-15 seconds) then put you veggies in and roll em up. No pics of the process, but there are tons of wrappers in the package so just dive in.

I ended up mixing and matching ingredients. The most delicious had the most variety- and that sesame vermicelli. Next time I'd like to wrap them a little tighter- or make sure the greens are more compact. A few wanted to fall out as I ate them.

I also need to plan more about what to put inside. They were fine, but with a considered flavor combination they could be awesome. 

Was worried leftovers wouldn't hold up but they were fine. Its a great dish for summer too- very little cooking required.

Dish 16: Chicken Livers with Sage and Mizuna

Imperfect and not really a looker but so tasty.

Yes these are chicken livers. I know, ew. But seriously they're delicious. It was my first time cooking with them. Overdid them a bit but still delicious. Very rich. 

I thought of doing a mousse. I have a recipe for one but after my previous experiments with the food processor I was a little wary. So sauté. Deglaze. Greens. Simple.

I started with this. Didn't use all the sage and added more garlic. The onions were sliced, garlic grated and sage plucked. Mizuna was roughly chopped. 

I semi-slowly browned the onions a bit, thought there were too many and took some out. Threw the garlic in later, then cranked the heat and tossed in the livers. Remembered the whole point of this was the sage so I tossed that in too. 

Maybe the livers were too wet, or the pan was too crowded but I didn't get the immediate sear I was hoping for. So they stayed in a little too long. So it goes. Lessons for later.

Took everything out and the pan went back on. I threw in the mizuna and a bunch of garancha wine vinegar (no sherry at the store). Those wilted/pickled, and I tossed back in those onions I thought were too much. They were not too much. When I tasted the greens, I thought they were a little too sour. But then I tasted the liver and it was so rich and heavy I actually added a little more more. They made the dish.

Re-added the liver back for a sec for a stir then onto the plate. 

Overall: delicious. Want to try it again. Some notes for improvement:

- don't overlook the liver (obviously)

- have more greens ready

- use more sage?

- make more! I have leftovers but not nearly enough

Dish 15 (Sauce 1): Sorrel Pesto

I don't like traditional pesto. I want to but just basil doesn't do it for me. This I love though.

Sorrel Pesto won my list of ideas, though the drink was tempting if only because I'd have it for a while. I used a few recipes as a base and started with the following ingredients:

- 2 cloves garlic

- 2 cups (packed) chopped sorrel

- (less than) 1/4 cup pecorino 

- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

- olive oil and salt as needed

Missing something? Yep. The walnuts. We'll get to them later. 

I chopped up the garlic in a (crazy loud) food processor. Added some of the greens, some of the pecorino. The rest of the greens. Drizzled in olive oil. A little salt. Tasted, decided it was good. 

I'd scooped it out into my (tiiiny) tupperware container when I realized I'd forgotten the walnuts. I toasted those up in a dry pan, chopped em up in the food pro then added the pesto, blended a little more. Still turned out well.

After it was out I added a touch more salt. 

Some recipes I read called for lemon juice. Really? Have you tasted the sorrel? It's ammmaaazing. And deadly (in theory- oh hey, so is rhubarb!). 

And before you ask, why such a tiny amount on the bread in the first pic? I used a spatula to get 95% of it out of the food processor, then sliced up that bread to pick up the rest. 

Too good to waste.