Recipe: Kale Galette with Yogurt Crust (Χορτόπιτα με Φύλλο Γιαουρτιού)

A few days ago we left Athens on a sunny 80°F day, warm enough to welcome airport air-conditioning. Thirty-six hours later, back in Anchorage, the sun still shone, but the temperature was only 40°F. A chill north wind cut through the lightweight clothing I’d donned on another continent.

When we arrived home, the first order of business was inspecting the garden. We’d heard there’d been a killing frost in Anchorage, so expected the worst. Zucchini, peas, Swiss chard, and most lettuce had been taken out by the cold. Broccoli and cauliflower had gone to seed. Cabbages were perfect and ready to harvest, as were arugula, garlic, onion, herbs, and a small second planting of Lau’s pointed leaf lettuce that inexplicably was unaffected by frost.

The garden’s best producer this year was Tuscan/Lacinato/dinosaur kale. The blue-green strappy kale leaves are lush and healthy despite nighttime temperatures well below freezing. Its perfect condition is remarkable; nearly every other garden plant was plagued by a horde of slugs brought forth by this year’s record-breaking rainy summer.

Having a kale glut seemed like the perfect opportunity to try Ayse Gilbert’s sour cream crust recipe. I used Greek yogurt, an ingredient I always have on hand, rather than sour cream. The dough mixed up easily and was a pleasure to roll out. This is a good crust recipe for beginners; it’s much easier to work with than standard pie crust dough.

With the tangy crust, I wanted a little sweetness to complement kale’s earthy flavor, so included dried currants and lightly sautéed onions in the filling mix. Feta always goes well with greens and I’d just brought some back from Greece that’d been mauled by a customs agent (don’t get me started) and needed to be used right away. So feta went in the mix, along with some garlic and Aleppo pepper.

The filling was well-balanced and its flavors worked well with the deliciously crunchy, flaky crust. Best of all, my friends liked it, the true measure of a recipe’s success.

Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to


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Recipe for Kale Puttanesca (Μακαρονάδα Πουτανέσκα με Κατσαρό Λάχανο)

Kale added to spicy puttanesca sauce makes a surprisingly delicious topping for chewy pasta. We recently enjoyed Kale Puttanesca for dinner and spent the whole meal alternating sounds of satisfaction with “this is really good” and “mmmmm -- I want this again.”

My recipe calls for more capers, garlic, and anchovies than are often used in puttanesca recipes; kale and chewy pasta balance the strong flavors.  Even so, Kale Puttanesca is best served to those, like us, who like assertively seasoned food.

To complement Kale Puttanesca sauce, I used Maccheroni al Ferratto, rustic artisanal pasta, originally from Calabria, that was traditionally shaped around iron umbrella spokes.

Lately, I’ve been comparing regular dried pasta from the supermarket with more expensive “artisanal” pastas found in specialty stores and upscale markets.  All dried pasta is made using extrusion dies, metal patterns that create unique pasta shapes.  However, the dies used to make regular and artisanal pastas differ: regular pasta is made using dies with a Teflon insert and artisanal pasta is made with bronze dies.

Regular pasta has a hard, slick finish, while artisan pasta is rough and uneven: “Traditional dies made entirely of bronze make the pasta surface rough [and more porous], which helps to capture the sauce, whereas the Teflon insert gives the product an even surface and a smoother texture,” according to food scientists. On the other hand, makers of Teflon-die pasta claim “the rougher surface [of bronze-die pasta] allows cooking water to penetrate too quickly, making for less-than-ideal quality.”

The two types of pasta also differ in how they’re dried. Regular pasta is dried in ovens “the size of a football field” for 2-4 hours over high heat.  Artisanal pasta is dried for 24 to 50-plus hours “in very warm (but never hot), humid environments in which moisture can be reduced slowly, without damaging the texture of the finished product.”

I prefer artisanal pasta with very simple pasta sauces, such as oil and garlic, where the texture of the pasta makes a significant difference. I also prefer artisanal pasta in dishes, like Kale Puttanesca, that call for thicker, chewier pastas.  For all other purposes (and when I don’t want to spend the money on artisanal pasta) I happily use regular dried pasta from the supermarket.

No matter what type of pasta you use, be sure to cook it al dente; soft, overdone pasta is the bane of even the best pasta sauce.

Kale Puttanesca  (Μακαρονάδα Πουτανέσκα με Κατσαρό Λάχανο)

Serves 4

Any sturdy green, wild or domesticated, can be substituted for kale. The amount of crushed red pepper depends on how spicy you like your food.

Sauce:

1 bunch kale

3 Tbsp. capers, preferably salt-cured

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

10 anchovy fillets, minced

1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1/2 cup oil-cured black olives or throumbes, pitted and roughly chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

12-16 ounces Machheroni al Ferratto or other chewy-style pasta

Wash the kale to remove any dirt.  Strip the greens from the tough center kale stems. Shred the kale greens and discard the stems (or save them for another use).

Rinse the capers well. If using salt-cured capers, soak them in a bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes.

Fill a large pot with enough water to cook the pasta, salt it well, and put on a burner over high heat.

Heat the olive oil until it's just warmed though, using a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients. (If oil is too hot, garlic will burn; it’s best to warm the oil over medium heat.) Stir in the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, olives, freshly ground black pepper, shredded kale, and drained capers. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the kale is tender.

While the sauce is cooking, and when the salted water reaches a full boil, cook the pasta until it’s al dente (exact cooking time depends on the type of pasta).  Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.

When the kale is tender, stir in the cooked pasta, making sure all of it is coated with sauce. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, as needed. If the sauce is too thick for your taste, thin it with a little pasta cooking water. 

Serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread and a crisp green salad.
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This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, sponsored by Haalo and hosted this week by Winnie from Healthy Green Kitchen.

Recipe: Kale and Myzithra Crostini (Χόρτα και Μυζήθρα Κροστίνι)

Before I left Alaska to fly south, we'd had days of snow followed by a windstorm. After wind packed down the snow, it warmed up and started raining. Rain on top of hard-packed snow turns into glare ice.

When the plane landed in Seattle, it was 50°F and the sun was shining. Crocuses and other early bloomers stood proud against the dark soil. A first blush of pink cherry blossoms lit up leafless branches. Dog walkers were everywhere; half weren’t wearing coats. Spring is racing to arrive in the Pacific Northwest.

At Whole Foods, the entryway was brimming with a colorful explosion of locally grown tulips and daffodils. A women and her daughter debated which was better: yellow tulips with red stripes or red tulips with yellow stripes.

Whole Foods’ produce section is always amusing; mountains of glowing vegetables spread out in every direction. Luckily, I’m staying with my sister, who has a fully equipped kitchen.


We were drawn to the crinkled, darkly green leaves of Lacinato kale and decided to turn it into crostini for that night’s dinner. Giant, first-of-the year, frost-kissed artichokes were also too good to pass up. We opted to pair the artichokes with garlicky aioli and grilled pork and fennel sausages.

As we picked out kale, we decided to use it for a crostini topping seasoned with garlic, hot peppers, and dried currants. Then we passed the cheese counter. My sister snagged a chunk of myzithra, a semi-dried Greek sheep cheese that would add the crowning touch to kale crostini.

Back at home, I destemmed kale, while my sister minced garlic. I remembered how fun it is to cook with her and how much I enjoy my rare opportunities to do so. She has finely tuned taste buds and excellent kitchen skills, the two ingredients most necessary for good cooks.

A healthy dose of garlic in the crostini topping bound the robust kale, spicy peppers, and salty cheese together. The finished kale mix was something I’d enjoy for dinner, on its own, any day of the week.

Kale and Myzithra Crostini made a savory and unusual vegetarian appetizer. They were delicious hot, and retained their full flavor when served two hours later at room temperature.

Kale and Myzithra Crostini (Χόρτα και Μυζήθρα Κροστίνι)
Makes 16 crostini

1 bunch of kale or other greens, cleaned and stemmed (1 1/2 cups blanched and chopped)
4 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. sambal oelek or sriracha (fresh chili paste)
3 Tbsp. dried currants
1/2 cup sliced and crumbled myzithra or ricotta salata cheese
16 slices of baguette, 1/2” thick

Blanch the kale in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, or until it is tender (older greens may take longer). Drain and squeeze out excess water. Roughly chop the kale.

Over medium heat, sauté the garlic, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chili paste and kale, and stir to coat the kale with oil. Stir in the currants and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, adding a little water if the greens seem too dry. Turn off the heat and stir in the myzithra. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Lightly toast the slices of baguette, and top each one with a large spoonful of kale mix. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipes: Braised Chicken, Peppers and Greens & Chicken, Beans and Greens Soup (Κοτόπουλο, Πιπεριές και Χόρτα & Κοτόπουλο, Φασόλια και Χόρτα Σούπα)

When it’s winter in Alaska, the good news is that it’s greens weather in California and the Pacific Northwest. Since vegetables in Alaskan markets come from outside the state, we share our West Coast neighbors’ bounty of greens. (In summer, we happily grow our own.)

For the last couple months, our CSA box from Full Circle Farm has been full of greens: lacinato kale (cavolo nero), beet greens, curly endive, Swiss chard, radicchio, and lettuces. My favorite is the bag of mixed baby “braising greens” that Full Circle sometimes offers. The bag usually includes 3 kinds of baby kale, Swiss chard, and mustard greens.

“Braising” is a method of cooking in which meat or vegetables are browned in fat and then simmered in liquid until done. When raw, greens like kales and beets are usually tough and fibrous. Braising turns them soft and tender.

Last week I wanted braised greens for dinner, so dug out bunches of lacinato and purple kales, plus a bag of baby braising greens. To balance the slightly bitter greens, I added onions and red peppers for sweetness, and finished the dish with chunks of chicken and plenty of herbs.

The final dish was flavorful and filling; a feast for the eyes and senses. The kale’s curly edges trapped the herbs and cooking juices, and bathed our mouths with flavor.

Leftovers: I made more Braised Chicken, Peppers, and Greens than the two of us could eat at one sitting. With the leftovers, I put together a wonderful soup by adding stock, beans, and seasonings. The soup took 5 minutes of mixing and 30 minutes of simmering; a perfect meal for a busy day.

Braised Chicken,Peppers, and Greens (Κοτόπουλο, Πιπεριές και Χόρτα)
Serves 4 – 6
I prefer serving this on its own, but it is also good over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. For vegans or those who are fasting, this tastes great if you leave the chicken out or substitute white beans for the chicken. You can also substitute Italian sausage for the chicken. Adjust the amount of Aleppo or crushed red pepper depending on how spicy you like your food. If I know I’ll have leftovers, I make this using tough greens like kale, because they don’t fall apart or turn mushy when reheated.

1 1/2 pounds braising greens, such as kales, beet greens, chard, broccoli raab, dandelion (about 3 bunches or 3/4 pound cleaned greens)
1 pound onions (1 - 2 large)
2 red bell peppers
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 thighs) or 1 pound leftover chicken
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed
1 Tbsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 – 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Wash the greens and remove the tough stems. Cut into 1 – 2” pieces. Cut the onions into 1 – 2” chunks. Clean and seed the bell peppers, and cut into 1 – 2” chunks. Cut the chicken thighs (or leftover chicken) into 1 – 2” chunks, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.

Sauté the onions and bell pepper, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until the onions soften and are translucent. Stir in the chicken, garlic, fennel seeds, and Aleppo pepper. If using raw chicken, cook just until the chicken starts to brown; if using leftover chicken, cook for one minute. Stir in the cleaned greens, and cook just until the greens start to wilt. Stir in the wine and vegetable stock, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender. Stir the pot from time to time as it simmers to prevent the greens from sticking. This takes 15 – 30 minutes depending on the size and age of the greens; the only way to tell whether braising greens are properly tender is to taste them. When the greens are done, taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Serve immediately with crusty bread and a crisp green salad.

Chicken, Beans, and Greens Soup (Κοτόπουλο, Φασόλια και Χόρτα Σούπα)
Serves 4

4 cups leftover Braised Chicken, Peppers, and Greens
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 – 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 Tbsp. minced garlic

Mix all of the ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately.

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This is my entry for Antioxidant Rich Foods/5-A-Day Tuesday hosted by Sweetnicks. I am also submitting it for Leftover Tuesdays #11 hosted by Pam at Project Foodie.

Recipe: Greens and Beans Soup (Fasolia me Horta)

Greens and Beans Soup is a particularly welcome recipe because its ingredients are not cast in stone. If I don’t have kale, I make it with Swiss chard or spinach (although I add these tender greens later in the cooking process than I do kale).

Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to


http://www.laurieconstantino.com/the-best-kale-for-soup/


Please click on over and visit my new site. Thank you!