Ingredients:
2-3 spring onions, thinly sliced into rounds
white wine vinegar
12 beets, including greens
olive oil
sea salt
marjoram pesto with capers and olives (recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Toss the onions with the vinegar nearly to cover and refrigerate until needed. They will turn bright pink.
2. Discard beet stems and any wilted leaves. Wash the rest of the greens and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to drain then chop coarsely. Toss with a little olive oil and salt.
3. Leaving an inch of the stems and the tails on the beets, steam until a knife pierces them easily, about 25 minutes. Slip off the skins. Trim the tops and the tails, quarter and sprinkle with a little vinegar.
4. Make the pesto, setting aside half the toasted pine nuts as garnish. Toss the beets with the pesto, leaving ample streaks throughout. Place dressed beets over the greens. Remove the onions from the vinegar and strew them over the beets. Garnish with the reserved pine nuts and serve.
Marjoram Pesto
Ingredients:
1 small slice country bread
2 tablespoons aged red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup marjoram leaves
3 tablespoon drained capers
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons pitted Greek olives
½ cup olive oil
Directions:
1. Remove the crust from the bread then soak it in the vinegar on a plate.
2. Pound the garlic with ½ teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle until smooth then work in the marjoram, capers, pine nuts, parsley, and olives until you have a smooth paste. Add the bread and the olive oil and work until the pesto is well amalgamated. Season with salt and pepper, taste for vinegar, and add a little more if you think it needs it. The pesto should be very thick.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccolini, bottom stems trimmed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 spring onions, small dice
2 tablespoons finely chopped olives of choice
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or oregano
3 cloves green garlic, coarsely chopped
Directions:
1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil; add salt then the broccolini. Cook for 5 minutes (even if the water barely returns to a boil) then scoop into a colander to drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. You can chop the broccolini into small pieces if you like, just smaller than bite-size.
2. Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet then add the onion, marjoram or oregano, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the onion is softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the olive paste; add the broccolini and stir well to coat. Taste for seasoning, add pepper to taste, then the lemon zest. Add the reserved cooking liquid and simmer very gently just until the broccolini is slightly tender, about 10 minutes or less.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 bunch of chard or kale
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely diced
3-4 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces. Optional: use 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) smoky paprika in place of the bacon!
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
1-2 spring onions, finely diced
2 plump green garlic, finely chopped
good pinch of red pepper flakes
hot pepper sauce or vinegar for the table
Directions:
1. Strip the leaves from the stems and wash the greens. Bring a few quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and the greens and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes for the kale and about 5-6 for the chard. Scoop them into a bowl. Add the potatoes to the cooking water and simmer until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Set aside on a paper towel to drain and discard the fat, wipe out the pan.
3. Return pan to heat, add the oil, and when it’s hot add the onion. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
4. Coarsely chop the cooked greens, add them to the pan with the green garlic and pepper flakes. Addsome of the potato water to the pan as well so that everything cooks in a little moisture, adding more water as needed.
5. When the potatoes are tender, scoop them out and add them to the greens. Add the bacon or, if using instead the smoky paprika, then toss everything together. Taste for salt and season with pepper. You can keep everything distinct or you can mash the potatoes into the greens- it’s messy looking this way, but especially good and comforting. Season with pepper sauce or vinegar.
Ingredients:
1-2 pounds fava beans, shelled and inside skin removed
1 bunch spring onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped basil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
water or stock
¼ cup whole milk yogurt
Directions:
1. Finely slice the white parts of the onions and an inch of the greens. Chop the rest of the greens into 1/2–inch pieces, keeping them separate from the bottoms.
2. Warm the oil in an 8-inch skillet. Add the onion bottoms and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the fava beans, two thirds of the parsley and basil, 1 teaspoon sea salt and water or stock to cover. Simmer until the beans are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the green part of the onions and cook until the beans are completely tender, about another 10 minutes or so. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
3. Turn off the heat, stir the yogurt into the hot fava beans, add the remaining parsley and basil. Serve warm.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
¼-½ cup softened butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon each poppy and sesame seeds
2 bulbs of green garlic, minced
8 slices of French bread
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Stir together the softened butter, tarragon, poppy and sesame seeds, and minced green garlic in a bowl.
3. Spread butter mix one side of each of the slices of French bread. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup green olives plus 3-4 tablespoons of the brine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 small bulbs green garlic
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 medium jalapeno, stemmed and seeded
a few handfuls of mizuna or Tatsoi
a few handfuls of arugula
1 lettuce, chopped to bite size pieces
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Puree the olives, avocado, oil, vinegar, garlic, and jalapeno in a blender or food processor until smooth, adding enough brine to make the dressing to your desired consistency, thick or thin, as you like.
2. Mix the dressing with the greens and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with the walnuts.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1½ pounds kale, stems discarded and leaves thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon brown miso
1 teaspoon sweetener
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 or 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup unsalted pistachios, chopped
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, toss the kale with the lemon juice and a generous pinch of sea salt.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the sesame seeds, miso, and sugar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Add the dressing to the kale and toss well. Scatter the green onions and pistachios on the top and serve.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 head Savoy cabbage, cut into quarters, then into 1/8-inch strips
1 tablespoon finely slivered orange zest
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
1 small green garlic, minced
8 radishes, cut into rounds, then thinly sliced into strips
½ cup grated carrot
Directions:
1. Blanch the orange zest for about 10 seconds to get rid of any bitterness. Toast the sesame seeds in the same pan until the white ones begin to color.
2. Combine the cabbage, onions, garlic, radishes, carrot, and cilantro then toss with the dressing below.
The Dressing:
1 scant teaspoon Sichuan or black peppercorns
4 teaspoons freshly chopped ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red chili oil, or if you don’t have the oil, use a finely minced small jalapeno or serrano pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Directions:
1. Lightly toast the peppercorns in a dry skillet until the aroma is released, about 10-20 seconds; then grind them in an electric spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and whisk together. Be sure to taste and adjust flavors if necessary, as different brands of soy sauce and oils can vary greatly.
2. Variations: Add small cubes of firm tofu; or include the orange segments; or use mandarin oranges or tangerines in place of the orange.
Ingredients:
6 slender leeks, about 3/4–inch across
3 small Yukon gold potatoes
6 small turnips
1½ tablespoons butter
a few sprigs of thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
cream
chopped parsley or thyme
Directions:
1. Slice the white parts of the leeks crosswise and wash them well. Scrub the potatoes, quarter them lengthwise, and chop. Quarter the turnips and chop.
2. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, give them a toss then add ½ cup water and the thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes then add 5 cups of water and 1½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil then simmer until the vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and stir in a few spoonfuls of cream. Garnish with parsley or thyme.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
The Noodle Nests:
2 eggs, separated
1¾ cups fine egg noodles, such as fideo or capellini, uncooked
1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
sea salt
peanut oil for frying
The Soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bunches scallions, including an inch or two of the green, finely chopped
1 celery rib, diced
1 cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves
leaves from 1 bunch of chard, about 6 cups packed
6 cups vegetable stock
cilantro sprigs for garnish
Directions:
1. Beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks then stir in the yolks, noodles, cheese, and cilantro. Season with a few pinches of salt then really work the mixture with your hands or a wooden spoon so that is more or less homogenous. It will look impossibly dry and stiff.
2. Heat enough oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat to float the noodles, at least 1/3–inch. When it is hot, drop the batter into the oil, dividing it into 4-6 portions by eye. Fry until golden, about 1 minute, then turn and fry the second side, another minute. Set aside on paper towels. These can be made hours ahead of time.
3. Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the scallions and celery and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. After a few minutes, add the cilantro and ½ cup water so the vegetables stew rather than fry. Add the chard leaves and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt then cook, covered, until the chard is wilted down. Add the stock.
4. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the noodle nests to the pot. Simmer until the chard is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt, and season with pepper. Ladle the soup into soup bowls, include a noodle nest in each bowl, serve garnished with a sprig of cilantro.
Serves 4-6