Recipe for Salad of Bitter Greens with Sherry Truffle Vinaigrette (Σαλάτα για Τσικνοπέμπτη)

With 11 days to go, Greek Orthodox Easter Lent is fast approaching. For the devout, Lent is a time of spiritual cleansing, and includes fasting from meat and most animal products. Lent ends with the arrival of Easter, which this year is April 19.

Today, however, thoughts of fasting are far, far away. Today is Tsiknopempti (Τσικνοπέμπτη, pronounced “tseek-no-PEMP-tee”), the day Greeks celebrate grilled meat in all its glory. The magnificent smell of meat on the grill wafts through the air of cities, towns, and villages across Greece, and gives the holiday its name: Burnt Meat Smell Thursday.

In Alaska, we’ll cook our grilled meat in the fireplace. To accompany it, I’m making a celebratory Salad of Bitter Greens with Sherry Truffle Vinaigrette.

The Vinaigrette is unusual, but it’s a surprisingly good partner for meat of all kinds. When mixed together, tart sherry vinegar and pungent white truffle oil form an entirely new flavor that tames greens’ bitterness and helps balance meat’s richness.

Happy Tsiknopempti!

Salad of Bitter Greens with Sherry Truffle Vinaigrette
Serves 8
To preserve the greens’ crispness, dress the salad right before serving. Extra Sherry Truffle Vinaigrette keeps in the refrigerator about a week.

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. white truffle oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1 small head frisée (curly endive)
1 small head Chioggia radicchio (round-head radicchio)
1 bunch arugula
1 bunch green onions
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

Make the Vinaigrette: Put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and close tightly. Vigorously shake the jar until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and emulsified. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed. If the oil and vinegar separate, shake the Vinaigrette right before dressing the salad.

Make the Salad: Wash the greens and onions, remove any damaged parts, and spin dry. Slice green onions very thinly on the diagonal. Tear the frisée, radicchio, and arugula into bite sized pieces, and mix with the parsley leaves and green onion slices in a large salad bowl.

Just before serving, lightly sprinkle the greens with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the salad with an appropriate amount of Sherry Truffle Vinaigrette (there will likely be dressing left over). Serve immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook.

About Pancetta with Recipes for Pasta with Squash, Arugula, and Pancetta & Pasta with Pork in Garlic-Wine Sauce (Ιταλική Πανσέτα με Ζυμαρικά)

Alaska has been having a cold snap.

I imagine many of you thinking, “So what else is new?” Even though Alaskans expect and are used to cold weather, the last couple weeks really have been colder than usual. To see what cold weather looks like, check out Marc Lester's lovely photo-essay showing Southcentral Alaska’s chilly wonderland.

Hearty food, including pasta, is a good antidote for cold weather blues. One of my favorite ways to boost the flavor of winter pasta sauces is adding pancetta (cured Italian pork belly). Only a small amount of pancetta is needed improve the taste of savory sauces (a corollary to the principle that everything tastes better with bacon).

Salumi's hand-crafted pancetta

Pancetta is often sold in packages of very thinly cut pre-sliced meat. Although I use pre-sliced pancetta in a pinch, I mostly buy pancetta direct from the deli counter. I ask for either a chunk of pancetta, which I hand slice and dice at home, or have the deli staff cut the pancetta into slices the thickness of regular bacon. With thicker slices, eaters enjoy bursts of pancetta flavor when devouring the sauce; thinner slices tend to melt into the other flavors.

I was recently at Seattle’s Metropolitan Market where I bought several pounds of hand-crafted pancetta from Salumi Artisan-Cured Meats. This is far and away the best pancetta I’ve ever eaten; Salumi’s hand-rolled pancetta is meaty, with superior texture and flavor. Although more expensive than pre-sliced pancetta, Salumi’s product is well worth the price, and may be ordered online.

Two delicious pasta sauces that benefit from pancetta are Pasta with Squash, Arugula, and Pancetta and Pasta with Pork in Garlic-Wine Sauce. Either is just right for even the coldest winter day.

Pasta with Squash, Arugula, and Pancetta
Serves 4
Inspired by Cookthink
If using artisan-cured pancetta, it may be quite salty, so be careful not to over-salt the other components of the dish.

Squash:
1 small Kabocha, butternut, or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 3/4” chunks (4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Pancetta and Onions:
3 thick slices pancetta, cut in 1/2” dice (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups diced onion, 1/2” dice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp. minced fresh sage

Pasta:
1/2 pound casarecci or similarly shaped pasta
4 cups arugula, cleaned and roughly chopped
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Make the Squash: Preheat the oven to 515°F. On a baking sheet with rims, toss the squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Put the squash in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 475°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the squash cubes halfway though, until the squash is cooked through and lightly browned.

Put a large pot of salted water on a burner over high heat.

Make the Onions and Pancetta: Sauté the pancetta in olive oil until it begins to brown. Stir in the onions and freshly ground black pepper, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and sauté until the onions soften. If the onions start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water. When the onions are lightly browned, stir in the garlic and sage and keep warm over very low heat.

Make the Pasta: Add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, put the arugula in a large bowl. When the pasta is done, remove 1 cup of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta well, and put the drained pasta on top of the arugula in the bowl. Add the roasted squash and cooked onions to the bowl and toss all the ingredients well. If the dish is too dry, add as much of the pasta cooking water as necessary (usually 1/4 - 1/2 cup). Taste and add freshly ground black pepper or salt, as needed.

Serve sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Pasta with Pork in Garlic-Wine Sauce
Serves 4
Spruce vinegar and salt-cured spruce buds add interesting highlights to the sauce, but aren’t necessary to the success of the dish. If you’re among the 99.99% of people who don’t have either ingredient, red wine vinegar and capers work equally well. For capers, I prefer the taste of salt-cured; when I can’t find salt-cured, I use capers in brine. If using artisan-cured pancetta or salt-cured capers, they may be quite salty, so be careful not to over-salt. Bacon may be substituted for pancetta; it adds a pleasant smoky flavor.

Sauce:
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), cut in 3/4” dice
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed
1 Tbsp. spruce vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 thick slices pancetta, cut in 1/4” dice (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion, 1/8” dice
1/4 cup sun-dried or regular tomato paste
1 Tbsp. salt-cured spruce buds or capers, well-rinsed and minced
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken stock

Pasta:
1/2 pound gemelli or similarly shaped pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Mix the pork, garlic, peppercorns, and vinegar and let marinate at least 1 hour (overnight is fine).

Sauté the pancetta in olive oil until it begins to brown. Add the pork mixture and cook until the pork is browned on all sides. Stir in the onion, using the moisture in the onions to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the onions soften and begin to turn golden. Stir in the tomato paste until it is thoroughly combined. Mix in the wine and cook until it is reduced by half. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 40 - 45 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and toss it with the pork sauce. Serve sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

The road we live on

Garden Treasure with 4 Recipes for Arugula: with Eggs, in Salads, and in Pasta Sauce (4 Συνταγές για Ρόκα)

Arugula (also known as Roka, Roquette, and Rocket) wins my garden’s miracle plant of the year award.

We’ve grown arugula often over the years. We usually get a salad or two before it bolts; a common problem in Alaska. With our long days, nearly 20 hours of daylight at the solstice, many herbs and green vegetables go to seed prematurely.

Despite its tendency to bolt, we grow arugula because we enjoy its bite in salads. Last year, the arugula followed its typical pattern: two salads at the beginning of summer and it bolted. I assumed that was it. I was wrong.

This spring, after the snow melted, we noticed radicchio we’d harvested last year, but hadn’t pulled up, coming back. In the same bed, mystery plants were emerging; they had tiny green leaves growing around slender dead stalks.

We had no idea what they were (I guessed domesticated Italian dandelions we grew last year in the same bed), but let them grow so we could find out. As the plants grew larger, I realized last year’s arugula had wintered over.

I was initially confused, as I’d thought arugula was an annual (Eruca vesicaria subspecies sativa). Although I'd only grown annual arugula, it turns out “arugula,” actually refers to three separate plants: E. vesicaria ssp. sativa, Diplotaxis tenuifolia, and Diplotaxis muralis.

Last year we planted arugula seeds brought back from Greece. When I dug out the seed packet, I discovered it was Diplotaxis tenuifola, also known as wild arugula or Selvetica, an extremely cold hardy perennial (as plants must be to survive Alaskan winters). I’m thrilled to have stumbled upon it, and will give it a permanent place in my garden.

Most commonly I use arugula in mixed green salads, or on its own with blue cheese and best quality balsamic vinegar. This year the arugula was so prolific I branched out. Arugula, briefly sautéed with shallots, adds a nice bite to omelets and frittatas. Mixed with tomatoes and anchovies, it makes a delicious pasta sauce.

My mother, upon hearing of my arugula glut, recommended the wonderful Arugula and Tomato Salad from Carol Field’s In Nonna’s Kitchen: Recipes and Traditions from Italy’s Grandmothers. Mother was right; arugula goes really well with tomatoes.

Anchovies are the secret ingredient that makes both the salad and pasta sauce special. When minced and incorporated into other ingredients, anchovies add flavor without overwhelming the taste buds.

More Arugula Recipes:
Grilled Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Parmesan Shavings
Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad

Arugula and Eggs
Serves 2 – 4

4 large eggs
1 cup diced shallots, 1/4” dice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 packed cups cleaned arugula
3/4 grated kasseri or fontina cheese
1/4 cup minced chives

Crack the eggs in a bowl, season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and whisk to combine.

Sauté the shallots, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until they soften and start to turn golden. Add the arugula, in batches if necessary, and cook just until all the arugula has wilted.

Evenly distribute the arugula in the pan and pour the eggs over. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Keep checking the eggs and when they’re almost-but-not-quite set, sprinkle the cheese and minced chives over, cover, and cook until the cheese melts.

Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, cut into wedges, and serve.

Arugula and Tomato Salad
Serves 4
Adapted from In Nonna’s Kitchen: Recipes and Traditions from Italy’s Grandmothers by Carol Field (HarperCollins 1997)
Lightly salting the tomatoes helps bring out their flavor, but be careful not to overdo as anchovies can be quite salty. I made this with the smaller amount of anchovies, but we both thought it would benefit from more; next time I’ll use the larger amount. I originally made this with whole anchovies, as shown in the picture, but we prefer the salad when the anchovies are minced in the dressing. Either way, it's tasty.

8 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/2” thick
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
8 - 16 anchovy fillets (1 - 2 ounces)
2 cups thinly cut shreds of arugula

Divide the tomato slices between 4 salad plates and salt lightly. Whisk the olive oil into the red wine vinegar and season with freshly ground black pepper. Mince the anchovy fillets and mix them into the dressing. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper or salt as needed. Toss the dressing and arugula (there may be leftover dressing), and mound on the tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Arugula, Blue Cheese, and Balsamic Salad
Serves 4
I never tire of this tasty salad. Because there are so few ingredients, it’s important to use best quality balsamic vinegar.

4 packed cups arugula
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. best quality balsamic vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Wash and dry the arugula and tear large leaves into pieces. Add the arugula, red onion, and half the blue cheese to a salad bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients. Taste and add more balsamic vinegar, if needed. Sprinkle with the remaining blue cheese, grate freshly ground black pepper over the salad, and serve.

Arugula, Anchovy, and Tomato Sauce with Orecchiette
Serves 4
This recipe calls for a large quantity of arugula, which I measured after it had been cleaned and roughly chopped. If you don’t have arugula, dandelions or other wild greens are the best substitute; the dish may also be made with radicchio, Swiss chard or spinach. Toast the pine nuts in a 350°F oven or dry frying pan. In either case, pine nuts burn easily and must be watched carefully as they cook. Onions cook more evenly when lightly salted before sautéing, however, anchovies are salty so be sure not to over-salt the onions.

1/2 pound dried orecchiette or any other pasta
2 cups diced onion, 1/2” dice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
16 anchovy fillets (2 ounces)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 pound cleaned and roughly chopped arugula or other strong-flavored greens
2 cups diced fresh tomato, 3/4” dice
1/3 cup water
1 cup chopped green onions
3/4 - 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water and cook until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with a little olive oil.

Sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until they soften and start to turn golden. Add the anchovies, garlic, and Aleppo pepper and cook for one minute. Stir in the arugula, tomatoes, and water, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and green onions, and cook just until the pasta is warmed through. Toss with 1/2 cup cheese and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pine nuts and serve immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp.

How to Harvest and Use Wild Dandelion Greens

The dandelions are coming! The dandelions are coming!

Actually, the first dandelions of the season have arrived. They’re still few and far between, but I was able to find enough to make a salad.

In honor of the occasion, I bought a piece of the best beef tenderloin I could find and made Carpaccio. I cut the tenderloin into thin slices, pounded it even thinner, seasoned it, drizzled it with white truffle oil, and topped it with fresh dandelion salad dressed with lemon and olive oil. Thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese crowned the salad.

It was glorious.




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


http://www.laurieconstantino.com/how-to-harvest-and-use-dandelion-greens/


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



Carpaccio with Dandelion Greens Salad and Truffle Oil (Καρπάτσιο με Ραδίκια και Λάδι Τρούφας)Serves 2
........

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by me - I'm looking forward to receiving a zillion entries by Sunday afternoon (May 11).

Spring is Springing with Recipe for Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad (Δροσερή Σαλάτα με Καρπούζι, Ρόκα και Φέτα)

I wore boots and a wool coat for my Friday shopping. After the first stop, I dumped my coat in the car and basked in being able to walk around unencumbered. I saw women in sleeveless tops and men in shorts. It may be cold according to the thermometer, but Alaskans respond to the first sunny spring weather with outbursts of irrational exuberance.

The grocery store’s produce aisle was stacked high with reasonably priced melons, reflecting South America’s seasonal bounty. I couldn’t resist a cut of juicy red watermelon, and decided to make a Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad and pretend the snow was long gone.

The salad is one of my favorite dishes at Kuzina, a restaurant near the Ancient Agora archeological site in downtown Athens. Kuzina has an interesting menu, a very competent chef, and specializes in creative Greek cuisine.

Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad (Δροσερή Σαλάτα με Καρπούζι, Ρόκα και Φέτα)
Adapted from Kuzina Restaurant, Adrianou 9 (Thissio), Athens, Greece

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

http://www.laurieconstantino.com/spring-is-salad-time-in-alaska/


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

Recipes: Grilled Radicchio & Grilled Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Parmesan Shavings (Ψητό Ραδίκιο & Σαλάτα με Ψητό Ραδίκιο, Ρόκα, και Παρμεζάνα)

Treviso Radicchio and Knife (Click entry)

Radicchio drizzled with olive oil and grilled has lots of flavor and takes very little work. Grilling tames radicchio’s natural bitterness, and changes it into an ingredient that enhances everything with which it is paired.

The outer leaves of grilled radicchio are charred, soft, and slightly smoky; the inner leaves warm yet crunchy. Mixed with garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and sometimes a little good quality balsamic vinegar, grilled radicchio makes a wonderful topping for egg-yolk rich, Piemontese tajarin (or any other pasta).

The form of radicchio most commonly found in US supermarkets looks like a small red cabbage. Occasionally, the market has Treviso Radicchio, which is elongated and, when the outer leaves are stripped away, looks like a large red Belgian endive. For most purposes, the two radicchios can be used interchangeably.

Friday night we had no snow near the back shed; this is Sunday morning (April 6, 2008).

We planted radicchio in our Alaskan garden last summer and harvested it on our return from Greece in October. Today we ignored the 12” of snow that fell yesterday and started this year’s radicchio seeds in the garage.

Grilled Radicchio (Ψητό Ραδίκιο)
Serves 4
If you don’t have the time, weather, or inclination to start a fire, it’s easy to grill radicchio on a cast iron grill pan.

2 heads radicchio, round or elongated (Treviso)
Olive oil
Salt

Rinse off the radicchio and discard any damaged portions. Cut round radicchio in quarters, and elongated radicchio in lengthwise halves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.

Preheat a cast iron grill pan until it is very hot (if you're grilling over fire, you need moderately hot coals), and grill the radicchio on all sides until the outer leaves are nicely browned. Remove from the grill.

Serve immediately drizzled with a little best quality balsamic vinegar. For use in another recipe, cut out any tough center core, and roughly slice or chop into pieces.

Grilled Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Parmesan Shavings (Σαλάτα με Ψητό Ραδίκιο, Ρόκα, και Παρμεζάνα)
Serves 4
Save leftover salad and wrap it, with a few parmesan shavings, in a warm flour tortilla for one of the most delicious vegetarian sandwiches you’ll ever eat. To make parmesan shavings, you need to start with a chunk of fresh parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salad:
4 cups roughly chopped grilled radicchio
4 cups loosely packed torn pieces of arugula
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion or shallot
Parmesan shavings

Whisk together the sherry vinegar, mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Taste the dressing and add salt or pepper as needed. Mix all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Toss with the appropriate amount of dressing just before serving (there may be dressing left over).

Using a vegetable peeler, or very sharp knife, shave off very thin pieces of parmesan and arrange over each serving of salad.

Serve immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Radicchio Recipes

Lentil Salad with Radicchio, Celery, and Capers (Ilva makes an easy salad with marinated lentils and fresh radicchio and celery.)
Radicchio Stuffed with Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette (Cris gives directions for a beautifully composed fresh radicchio salad.)
Roasted Radicchio di Treviso (Susan tells how to simply roast radicchio with grated cheese.)
Bruschetta with Burrata and Radicchio Marmalade (Luisa tests Russ Parsons’ recipe for Radicchio Marmalade and finds it “delicious beyond words.”)
Radicchio Soup – Minestra di Radicchio (Susan makes radicchio soup, flavored with vegetables, pancetta, and ham.)

To find more radicchio recipes, Food Blog Search is a great tool.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Jai and Bee from Jugalbandi.

The first picture, of the Treviso Radicchio and Knife, is my entry for Click, a food photography event hosted and created by Jai and Bee from Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is Au Naturel: food photographed in its natural state.