Dandelion Greens and Ramps with Spaghetti

Or Spaghetti with Dandelion Greens and Ramps, whatever you want to call it, it is a simple delicious dish! I've written about ramps before, see - Springtime is Ramp-time.  

Brunswick Stew

Ah, Brunswick Stew that mysterious concoction born in the South that so wonderfully compliments smoked pork ribs or pulled pork BBQ. Brunswick Stew has many variations so it's difficult to pin down exact ingredients but essentially there's a meat, or a combination of meats - pork, chicken, beef, rabbit, even squirrel and possum, and a few vegetables like corn, butter beans - baby Lima beans to Yankees, green beans, okra or potatoes and who knows what else, all in a tomato sauce base with a tart sweet-sour background. Like BBQ sauce, it all comes down to the seasonings in the right proportions and balance that make this stuff sing. 

Here's a little more background just to confuse things even more. There are a couple schools of thought on where Brunswick Stew originated
1 - On St Simon Island, Brunswick, Georgia there is a monument with the original pot the first Brunswick Stew was actually cooked in in 1898.
2 - Another story claims a Virginia state legislator's chef invented the recipe in 1828 on a hunting expedition. 
3 - Then there's a goofy story about England's Queen Victoria loving a Brunswick Stew that was made in someplace in Germany. Really?

We are going with the Brunswick Stew from Georgia story because, well damn, they still have the original pot it was cooked in. 

This is our take, but not putting in seasoning amounts because that is all in the hands of the cook.... So just use this as a guide, go easy on the seasonings and taste along the way. The brown sugar and apple cider vinegar give it the sweet and sour background. You can see, however we chose not to use rabbit (although it is available, maybe next time) or squirrel or possum (we like live possums).

Ingredients - 

1 - 2 lb ground pork
1 - 2 boneless chicken breasts minced or ground chicken
Tomato sauce or canned diced tomatoes
Ketchup, yes ketchup (per Paula Dean)
Light brown sugar
Bragg's apple cider vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Ramps about 7 - 9 - optional because of availability
Ramp wine - optional because of availability
1 medium sweet onion finely chopped
Fresh corn cut off the cob - 2 - 3 cobs worth
1 cup butter beans, OK, baby Lima beans
Sticky Fingers (or comparable) Mustard base BBQ sauce
Chili powder
Hot red pepper flakes
Shot or two of Rye Whiskey or Bourbon 
Vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste along the way

Brown the ground pork and chicken in a little oil in a Dutch oven and remove when done
In the same Dutch oven add a little vegetable oil and saute the onions, butter beans, corn, ramps, ramp wine. 
Add back the meat
Add some tomato sauce and stir together
Add the rest of the ingredients plus add water if it is too thick.
Keep tasting and adding a little more of what you think it needs - more brown sugar if too tart, more apple cider vinegar if too sweet. 
Cover and cook on a low simmer for an hour or so checking for consistency and taste along the way.

Have fun and ENJOY!!!

Maryland Style Crab Cakes

I think you will agree crab cakes are a real treat. With warmer weather coming, summer is near, well, pretty near and that's good enough for me. To us, certain foods just speak summertime. Crab cakes are one of them. This is not an old family recipe or a friend's secret recipe. We looked at a number of preparations and came up with one of our own using ingredients we felt would play well together give the best straight forward flavor to the crab. The simple sour cream lime sauce is a nice addition and pulls it all together. We think you will like them.  

Ingredients – (makes 6 crab cakes, but we made 6 plus a runt with what was left...)

1 lb. jumbo lump or back fin lump crab meat, fresh or pasteurized

1 large egg

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1-1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Sea salt

1-1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs - from soft white sandwich bread

1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp olive oil 
Lemon wedges for serving - optional

Sour cream lime sauce -
1 cup sour cream mixed with the zest and juice from 1 lime 

Preparation –

Drain the crab meat, if necessary, and pick through it for shells. Put the crab in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pour the mixture over the crab and mix in gently until well combined. Do not over mix.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and the parsley over the mixture, and mix them in thoroughly but gently with your hands; try not to turn the mixture into a mush—it should still be somewhat loose. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours. Shape the crab mixture into 8 cakes about 1 inch thick.

And place on wax paper on a cookie sheet then into the freezer for an hour. Cooking in 350 degree oil from frozen insures everything stays together. 

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is frothy, add the cakes to the pan (8 should fit comfortably but don’t overcrowd). Cook until dark golden brown on the underside, about 4 minutes. Flip the cakes, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking until the other side is well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Serve with a dollop of the sour cream lime sauce. 

Possible Sides - Jasmine rice or roasted baby potatoes, coleslaw, sautéed zucchini or pan fried escarole or rainbow Swiss chard.

Pork and Ceci Bean Stew

Like a well made chili, this stew is one of those dishes that is completely satisfying on a cold winter day. Just a few simple ingredients and seasonings that play well together cooked low and slow for hours. We have this wonderful old clay cooking pot from Italy called a pignata that is perfect for this but if you don't have one, and I'm guessing you don't, use a crockpot or get yourself a clay bean pot like one of these cool redware pots from Old Sturbridge Village - Old Sturbridge Village Redware BeanPot.  You will find yourself wondering why you just now discovered clay pot cooking. 

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Ingredients

1 lb boneless pork country spare ribs cut into 1" pieces 

2 cans chick peas

2 carrots chopped

1/2 sweet onion cut into half moons

2 stalks celery with leaves - chopped

1 Sweet bell pepper (not a green one) chopped

3 cloves garlic sliced thin

1 can vegetable broth

1 Tbsp Rosemary

1 tsp Herbs de Provence

1 tsp Fennel Seeds

1 bay leaf torn in three pieces

1 small dried chili pepper - keep whole

Salt & Pepper - season as needed

Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Brown the pork in a skillet with the herbs and fennel seeds. Then remove to a warm plate.

In the same pan add some olive oil and sauté the carrots, onion, pepper and garlic for 5 minutes.  Mix in the chickpeas and the browned pork.

Spoon everything into the pignata or bean pot or crock pot along with the torn bay leaf and chili pepper vegetable stock.

Since we used a pignata, a dough lid needed to be made. Just simple flour and water. making sure to cut a steam vent.

Put the bean pot in the oven and turn the heat to 250. Let cook for 2 hours. Or set the crock pot for low. Walk away.

Out of the oven

And in the bowl topped with a little parmesan.

Chicken Kiev - Yes, You Can

Chicken Kiev is one of those special occasion dishes that sounds both elegant and a little exotic. It also makes a great impression on the plate when cut open and that rich herby buttery center runs out. Sure, you can get them already made in the frozen food section of most supermarkets, which we have done - yes we do sometimes buy pre-prepared food... but we decided that we needed  to make these things ourselves from scratch. We figured they can't be that difficult, and they really aren't. Like most culturally based dishes, there are variations but there are several key common components - chicken breast, of course, butter and tarragon. The tarragon infused butter is key to the correct flavor. 

This recipe is for two people (think Valentine's Day, Anniversaries) but the ingredients can easily be increased. for more.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large whole eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine butter, parsley, tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl and mix together well. Place mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into small log; place in freezer.

Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Squirt chicken lightly with water and squirt the top of the plastic wrap as well. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.

Lay 1 chicken breast on a new piece of plastic wrap and place 1/4 of the compound butter and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs in the center of each breast. Using the plastic wrap to assist, fold in ends of breast and roll breast into a log, completely enclosing the butter; roll very tightly. Repeat with each breast. Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Place egg and water mixture in 1 pie pan and 2 cups bread crumbs in a different pie pan.

Heat 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375 degrees F.

Dip each breast in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Gently place each breast in oil, sealed-side down, and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove to a cooling rack set in sheet pan and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Rice and roasted Brussels sprouts make good sides.

Stuffed Pepper Jackalannerns and Skull Pears

Halloween's over but had to post this. Lisa turned these orange bell peppers into what looks like whimsical rotting jackalannerns! "Whimsical rotting jackalannerns", now there's a phrase you don't hear often... Maybe not the most appetizing of descriptions, but these were delicious and they were for Halloween after all. The peppers were stuffed with multicolored fusilli, strips of eggplant, onion, garlic, kalamata olives, Parmesan and ricotta. Sauteed up some shrimp to round out the dish.

Ingredients for the peppers:

2 Orange Bell Peppers

1/2 box Multicolored fusilli

1 Asian Eggplant cut into strips

1/2 Sweet Onion diced

3 Cloves of Garlic minced

Kalamata olives

2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Sautee the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Remove to a bowl.

In the same pan, saute the eggplant strips.

Cut the top off each pepper and set aside. Remove the seeds and trim the inside. Cut a face into each pepper. 

Meanwhile boil the pasta.

Ingredients for the Shrimp:

1/2 lb medium shrimp

1 hot pepper sliced into thin rings

1/2 tsp Herbes de Provance

1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup white wine

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

And to top things off - Skull Pears (or Pear Skulls).  

Ingredients:

Directions:

Polpette di Melanzane - Eggplant "Meatballs"

Many people go through their whole life without ever tasting or wanting to taste a dish made with eggplant. Some because they just never had eggplant growing up, some because they simply are not curious enough eaters, some because they had it made improperly the first time, didn't like how it tasted or how it looked, and never went back. But if you like eggplant, you will love these.    

They aren't really "meatballs" because they have no meat in them, they just look like meatballs and can be used in place of them in pasta dishes. Polpette di melanzane or purpette di milangiane in Calabrian dialect means little balls of eggplant. You could also call them eggplant fritters. Crunchy on the outside, soft inside with a savory aroma and taste. Delicious alone or served with a simple marinara sauce for dipping. They are perfect as part of an antipasti plate, part of a tapas meal or with pasta and tomato sauce. Leftovers are good for a late night snack or even breakfast the next day. No kidding!

One large eggplant should make about 15 - 20 balls depending on how you roll them.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

1/3 cup pecorino cheese plus more for serving - preferably Locatelli brand

1/2 cup unseasoned coarse breadcrumbs - home made is best from ciabatta or similar bread pulsed in a food processor - don't use panko or the fine Progresso type in a canister.

1 egg yolk

3 cloves of garlic minced

Nice handful of fresh basil leaves chopped

Olive oil to drizzle on cut eggplant and for frying
50/50 Olive oil/Canola oil for frying

Salt and Pepper

Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the eggplant in half and score the top. Place on a cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for half an hour. 

The eggplant will be soft and easy to scoop out of the skin. Put the eggplant meat on a cutting board and chop finely. Add a pinch of salt. 

Scrape the chopped eggplant into a sieve over a bowl and let drain for half an hour. You want it to have some moisture so it holds together with the dry ingredients but not too wet.   

the chopped eggplant, pecorino cheese, basil, garlic, egg yolk, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix together and roll into balls - a little smaller than golf balls.

Fry in olive oil or a 50/50 olive oil and canola oil blend. 

Polpette done and ready to eat. Crunchy on the outside and soft inside. The aroma of basil, garlic and pecorino coming off them is awesome!  

Pasta with Salmon

This has become one of our favorite ways to have salmon and I want to share it. What could be better - delicious buttery salmon and pasta paired with these happy flavorful ingredients - capers, fennel, tomatoes, onion, chili pepper, anchovy and white wine! I based it on Gennaro Contaldo's recipe for Salmon Tagliatelle. 

Watch the video here - Salmon Tagliatelle

Ingredients  for two people with leftovers, double or triple, as needed, for guests

1/2 lb Salmon filet skin removed

6-8 Cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/2 Sweet onion sliced thin

2 Anchovy filets

1/2 Fresh chili pepper sliced

1 tablespoon Capers rinsed

1 tsp Fennel seeds crushed

Nice handful of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

Olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper

1/2 box Spaghetti, Linguine or Tagliatelle

Options - add 1/2 a fennel bulb sliced thin

Procedure

- Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it comes to a rolling boil, add a tablespoon of salt.

- In a pan, in a little olive oil, saute the capers, anchovy filets and chili - about 2 minutes

- Add the onion and fennel seeds or sliced fennel - saute for about 3 minutes

- Add the tomatoes and a little of the pasta water - saute for about 3 minutes

- Add the pasta to the boiling water in the pot

- Slice the salmon crosswise into 1/4 -1/2 inch thick slices and add to the pan with the capers, onions and tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes adding the white wine and parsley. Season with a little salt and pepper. Then turn down the heat to low. The salmon will break up into chunks as it cooks but don't overcook it

- When the pasta is almost done, add to the pan and stir together with the salmon and other ingredients to finish cooking. Squeeze and add the lemon juice.

Plate up and drizzle with some nice extra virgin olive oil and enjoy. 

Cucuzze Frittelli - Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini fritters are another summer treat. These things are addictive and easy to make. If you need to make a bigger batch for a party, a picnic or family gathering, use the ratio of ingredients and simply bump up the amounts.

Ingredients

one large zucchini or two medium - shredded 

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup pecorino cheese

1 egg

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper
Optional - crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Shred the zucchini and squeeze the water out then let drain in a colander. 

Shredded zucchini with the bread crumbs, the flour, the pecorino cheese, egg, flat leaf parsley, fresh basil, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if using.

Mix it all together, it will look like a thick batter 

Pan fry in a little olive oil

Serving suggestion, a side with pan seared salmon and Israeli couscous. Or alone as part of antipasti, party food, picnic food, etc.

Springtime is Ramp-Time

Oh boy, Ramps!  Ramps are fragrant plant cousins to onions, garlic and leeks and while they can be described as having an oniony/garlicy/leeky taste, they have a flavor all their own that can be strong and will stay with you. Here's what they look like -

Most people have never heard of ramps let alone eaten one. Because they are not grown commercially and must be foraged for and harvested by hand, they aren't found in the big supermarket chains. They are only available for a brief month or so in the Spring, growing wild in the Appalachian mountains. Many communities where ramps are plentiful hold ramp festivals and ramp cooking competitions this time of year. All of these factors add to their allure and mystique. Basically food nerds and hillbillies - and I use those terms affectionately - are the only people who really have any idea what ramps are and what to do with them. But if you have a good farmers market anywhere close by, check regularly through the Spring to see if they've brought some in. They are a treat.

To get you started, here is a link to an article that will surely wet your appetite for ramps, aptly titled "Recipes That Will Make You Love Ramps" from the Huffington-Puffington Post :

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/01/ramp-recipes_n_1428780.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000034 

When we would drive to Pittsburgh to visit my parents we go through West Virginia. On the way we liked to stop at Kirkwood Winery in Summersville, West Virginia. Among the wines they produce is Appalachian Ramp Wine. And why not? It's a cooking wine, not a drinking wine. Pretty interesting stuff - http://www.kirkwood-wine.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=4

And here is a pictorial recipe of how we've made linguine with ramps and olives -
   
Linguine with Ramps and Kalamata Olives
1 pound dried linguine
20 - 24 ramps
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup coarsely grated Pecorino Romano

Pitted kalamata olives

Chopped

Cut the leaves off the ramp bulbs

Rosemary and Flat Leaf Parsley

Chop up a few of the ramp leaves

 While the linguine is boiling, saute the ramp bulbs in olive oil and butter until starting to brown, .

Add the olives and the chopped ramp leaves

Add the linguine, rosemary and parsley and a little of the pasta water

Sprinkle with Pecorino cheese and enjoy!!!

And ramp pizza - with sautéed ramps, hot Italian sausage, roasted grape tomatoes, ramp leaves and ricotta cheese.