Kohlrabi & Kale Salad (with sour cherries & lemon)

From Dish Danielle:

What’s a dish to do with the ugliest character in her winter CSA share!? Eat ‘em fresh! I personally had never been confronted by this mysterious German turnip before, and I will admit, that I left it abandoned in my fridge’s crisper for far longer than I should have… Once I finally worked up the nerve to peel, slice, and sample this crunchy orb, I found it surprisingly mild in flavor and still very fresh considering it’s relegated hibernation…ahem. A fresh winter salad recipe is below. This is loose so feel free to add/subtract & riff on it to create the perfect winter salad for you:

Ingredients:
-1 medium Kohlrabi, peeled
-1 medium bunch Lacinto Kale, destemmed and chiffonaded.
-1 bunch of dill, rough chopped
-1 c dried sour cherries
-grated zest of 1 lemon
-4-6 tbsp, fresh squeezed lemon juice
-few splashes of olive oil
-a squeeze or two of honey
-2-3 garlic cloves, minced
-S&P to taste
-1c alfalfa sprouts (if you’d like)

Peel the kohlrabi and cut into thick matchsticks that are 1/4″ wide & 2″ long.

Place all ingredients, (minus the sprouts if you’re using them), into a medium sized salad bowl. Get in there with your hands and massage the mixture–this allows the lemon to soften both the kale & kohlrabi just a bit. Let the salad sit for about 10minutes.

*chef’s note: I only had 1/2 a bunch of kale, so I used a mixture of kale and added 2 large handfuls of my CSA mesclun salad mix, which was great!

Add the sprouts and mix once more–making sure to separate the threadlike bundle and incorporating thoroughly. Now’s the time to taste and adjust the salt/honey levels if needed. If you find a puddle of dressing at the bottom of your salad bowl, using tongs, lift the salad and place into another bowl leaving the juices behind.

Happy crunching!

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Supper in INDY: Coq au Vin, a cozy winter feast

From Dish Danielle:

Over holiday break I spent a cozy week in Northern Indiana’s cornfield country with my beau and his family. It was much colder than it’s been here in Brooklyn, and one snowy evening, I caught a hankering for some sort of ‘red wine & chicken’ supper. After a short trip to their local organic market and an even shorter trip into Evelyn’s pantry (where she’s got her summer garden’s remaining bounty) she & I decided to whip up our own speedier rendition of the French classic ‘Coq au Vin.’

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 2 large chicken breasts w/skin, cut in half
• 4 chicken thighs with skin
• cumin
• S&P
• about 2 c dry red wine (we used a pinot noir that was on hand)
• 3 shallots, diced
• 1 HUGE leek, sliced & rinsed thoroughly
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 fresh rosemary springs
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 add’l garlic cloves sliced thin
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tbsps all purpose flour
• 1 ½ c chicken stock
• 1 c beef stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 carrots, peeled & diced into 1½ ” pieces
• 4 parsnips, peeled & diced into 1½” pieces

The first thing we did was prep the chicken: I consulted a few recipes online, and most of them called for an overnight marinade. As it was already after 7pm, Evelyn and I decided to give the chicken a nice flavorful rub to ensure its deliciousness and eliminate the need to put the meal off another day. So: pat chicken dry and sprinkle cumin, salt & pepper on all sides liberally. Then rub the minced garlic onto chicken on all sides.

Place a deep cast iron over medium high heat. Add a splash of olive oil. Sear chicken on all sides and remove from pan. Reduce heat to med-low. Sprinkle flour into same pan and stir into oil/juices leftover from chicken.

Add shallots & leeks and sauté for 4mins. Now add wine, 3 of the thyme & rosemary springs, sliced garlic, peppercorns, and both stocks to the pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and add carrots and parsnips. Cover and cook for 5 mins.

Now place the chicken back into the pan, cover and cook for about 12-15 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, (about 6mins in I removed the wilted thyme/rosemary sprigs and replaced with the remaining fresh ones). You’re almost ready for a cozy winter feast! At this point, some recipes remove the chicken & root veggies and reduce the liquid further. We were starving and didn’t bother with that nonsense. Either way your meal will be delicious—no matter how thick your sauce.

Serve with a winter green, (we chose brussel sprouts); pour a round of red, and bon appétit to a lovely winter meal in with the family.

….Is that just a leek in your grocery bag or are you just happy to cook an SLD!!??

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How to Make Beans

From Dish Amelia:

A person makes beans for a lot of reasons…economy and health spring immediately to mind..I made these ones in honor of Rico, a very good bean maker, a remarkable “maker” in general. My dad gave me a bag of these Anasazi beans a while ago from New Mexico. They are in the pinto family, but maybe slightly larger and differently dappled. He also gave me the awesome micaceous pot I used, which is as fabulous for cooking beans as it is to look at.  He also gave me a number of old New Mexican cookbooks, (almost all pamphlet-size, as old regional ones often are), which I consulted before riffing on the bean making. He actually gave me all those nice items at different times, they just happened to convene at the perfect moment early in this New Year.  (Thanks Dad). And here you go Rico.

2.5 cups dry beans

3 cloves garlic, smashed

A few pinches dried New Mexican red chile

1 tsp sugar

1 tablespoon lard

2 tsp kosher salt

Wash the beans and then cover them with an inch of water and let them soak overnight.

It’s great if you have a bunch of work to do at home the next day, and you can mind the beans. (It doesn’t take forever, and there are ways of shortening the process, but if you have the time, why not take the long way. It’s prettier. )

Put the beans and the remaining soaking liquid into your pot. Add the smashed garlic and tsp of sugar. Bring this to a boil. The first time it does this it will kind of foam up, so turn the heat down a little and it goes away.

Cook the beans, giving them a stir once in a while. You may need to add a little water as it evaporates. One of the benefits of the form of this pot is that it’s deep and the shape sort of restrains the way the contents evaporate. Cook for 2 hours. When beans are tender and nearly done, add the salt, chile and lard. Stir a bit and let it come together maybe fifteen minutes more. They really taste fantastic. These Anasazi beans cook a little faster than regular pintos, which could take up to four hours. The beans should be getting somewhat dry, but I like all that soupy business with rice etc, so you be the judge. Here’s to health, wealth, and timing.

 

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