Summer Doldrums with Recipe for Three Bean and Macaroni Salad with Green Olive Dressing (Φασόλια Σαλάτα με Μακαρονάκι Κοφτό και Πράσινες Ελιές)

I could come up with a million reasons why I haven’t been blogging. My computer died. Presidential politics captured my attention. Microsoft Vista is the spawn of hell.

All the excuses are true, but the real reason for my absence is that it’s summer in Alaska. The days are long, the garden is gorgeous, and I’m feeling lazy.

The worst part of not blogging is the resulting guilt keeps me from reading my friends’ blogs. Irrational? Definitely. When I was a kid I had to clean my room before I could go out with friends; I learned early that prevarication and deprivation go hand in hand. Now, my need to read favorite blogs has forced me back to the computer.

I'm also backlogged with recipes to write about. Naturally, since I have a giant backlog, I’m ignoring it and writing about the amazing bean and pasta salad I made two days ago.

Generally speaking, I hate pasta salads and think green olives are disgusting. I started making Three Bean and Macaroni Salad solely as a treat for my husband, planning not to eat any of it. But when I tasted the salad for seasoning, I loved it immediately. The dressing is uniquely tangy and delicious, while the beans and pasta balance the dressing’s strong flavors.

Summer Morsels

Our garden greens are growing like crazy and we’ve been enjoying their fresh flavors. I recently made Plasto, a Greek greens pie with cornbread crust, and enjoyed every bite. If you’re looking for an interesting greens recipe, I highly recommend it.

The salmon run has started and we’ve started restocking our freezer. Dukkah, an Egyptian spice mix, is great sprinkled over hot-off-the-grill salmon. I also use Dukkah to perk up salmon salad: crumble leftover salmon and mix it with minced onions, minced celery, minced garlic, a little mayonnaise, and a healthy dose of Dukkah. Delicious.

This weekend Costco was selling flats of perfectly ripe figs. Yesterday I quartered and wrapped them in prosciutto for a quick, easy, and addictively good appetizer. If I were alone, I’d have it for dinner.

Three-Bean and Macaroni Salad with Green Olive Dressing (Φασόλια Σαλάτα με Μακαρονάκι Κοφτό και Πράσινες Ελιές)
Serves 12
Adapted from Pasta & Co. By Request by Marcella Rosene (Sasquatch Books 1991)
A 10-ounce jar of green olives stuffed with jalapeños has about 25 olives in it. Since the salad is dressed with olive oil rather than mayonnaise, it’s a great salad for bringing to summer potlucks.

1/2 cup dry flageolet beans (or 10 ounces frozen shelled edamame beans)
1/2 cup dry cannellini beans (or 1 15-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans)
1/2 cup dry red kidney beans (or 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans)
2 tsp. salt
8 cloves garlic
40 jalapeño-stuffed green olives or a mixture of jalapeño and plain green olives
3 Tbsp. crushed dried oregano
1 Tbsp. crushed dried thyme
1/4 cup white wine vinegar plus 1-3 Tbsp. as needed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced red onion, 1/8” dice
1 cup diced celery, 1/8” dice (preferably leaf celery)
1/2 pound tubetti, mini-penne, elbow macaroni, or other salad macaroni
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

If using dried beans, spread them out in a pan and inspect carefully, removing any pebbles or debris. Soak the three kinds of dried beans in cold water overnight. Drain the soaked beans and rinse with cold water. Add the soaked beans to a large pot of water, bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add 2 tsp. salt and continue to simmer until the beans are tender but not mushy. When the beans are done, drain and put them in a large bowl.

If using canned beans, rinse well, drain, and put them in a large bowl. Thaw the edamame beans and add them to the bowl.

While the beans are cooking, pulse the garlic in a food processor to mince. Add the olives, oregano, thyme, and 1/4 cup vinegar, and pulse to mince the olives. Add the olive mix, olive oil, onion, and celery to the beans and mix well.

Bring a pot of salted water to a bowl, add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta, add it to the beans, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix well. Taste and add the remaining vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Serve at room temperature. If plating the salad, serve on a bed of greens.
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This is my entry for Heart of the Matter: Picnics hosted this month by Joanna of Joanna's Food.

Recipe: Fennel-Scented Black-eyed Peas and Wild Greens (Φασόλια Μαυρομάτικα με Χόρτα και Μάραθο)

When we return to Alaska from Greece, we carry home enough food to last until we next visit the island. We stuff our bags to the very edge of the airlines’ weight limit. Each year, one of the items in our luggage is dried black-eyed peas grown by my husband’s cousin Zafiris on an island in the North Aegean Sea.

One of my favorite ways to eat black-eyed peas is paired with wild greens, if they are available, and supermarket greens when they are not. I prefer the peas in a zesty broth to fight back the winter cold, and season them with a combination of bulb fennel and fennel seed.

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


http://www.laurieconstantino.com/cooking-with-greek-black-eyed-peas/


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

Recipe: Wild Greens with Celery-Mint Tomato Sauce (Tsigareli / Τσιγαρέλι)

On Corfu, one of Greece's Ionian Islands, residents enjoy wild greens cooked with hot peppers. The spicy greens are called Tsigareli and are served hot (in Greece, many dishes using wild greens are served at room temperature). The dish is so beloved that Corfiot restaurants attract customers by bragging about their Tsigareli.

Located off the southwestern coast of Albania, Corfu was for many years a Venetian colony, and a stop on Venetian trade routes from the Middle East. That heritage is reflected in Corfu’s traditional dishes, including Tsigareli.

Most peasant dishes are made without formal recipes. As a result, a single, correct way to make them doesn't exist. So it is with Tsigareli, whose name comes from the Greek verb “tsigarizo” (τσιγαρίζω) meaning to sauté or brown.

Today in Corfu, Tsigareli is usually made with a selection of blanched wild greens and spicy tomato sauce. Traditionally, tomatoes were not used, and the dish got its color from dried red peppers. Some recipes for Tsigareli include ground meat, some ignore tomato sauce and use potatoes and cayenne pepper for flavor, and still others sweeten the tomato sauce with carrots.

Aglaia Kremezi, a respected Greek cookbook author, suggests adding rice to Tsigareli, or serving it over Polenta with Currents and Onions. Either would make a hearty main course. Another well-known Greek writer, Diane Kochilas, suggests flavoring it with fennel bulb and fennel seeds.

In all recipes, the major components of Tsigareli are mixed greens, hot spices, and abundant herbs. These ingredients can be adjusted with the seasons, or to suit personal tastes. The dish can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or an entree. Tsigareli is best made with wild greens, but when they aren’t available, it is delicious made with supermarket greens.

For a tasty vegan main course, follow Aglaia Kremezi’s recommendation and serve Tsigareli with a starch like rice or polenta. To accompany fish, make it with less tomato sauce and sweeter greens. Lamb is complemented by strong-flavored greens in a rich, hearty tomato sauce.

Leaf (Chinese) celery enhances Tsigareli, and I add it in two stages to better accentuate its flavor. Ordinary supermarket celery is fine for this dish, although it has a milder taste than leaf celery. For more information about leaf celery, go here.

Aleppo pepper is a fruity and moderately spicy red chili pepper sold in crushed flakes. It originally came from Syria, but now may be imported into the United States from Turkey. Supermarket crushed red pepper is a spicier and less flavorful substitute for Aleppo pepper; one-half teaspoon of crushed red pepper substitutes for one teaspoon Aleppo pepper. Aleppo pepper is available from Penzey’s, The Spice House, and World Spice Merchants.

Wild Greens with Celery-Mint Tomato Sauce (Tsigareli / Τσιγαρέλι)
Serves 4 - 6
Tsigareli tastes best when made with a mixture of different kinds of greens. Use the larger amounts of Aleppo or crushed red pepper only if you enjoy spicy food. The tomato sauce used in this recipe is excellent when

served over ravioli or other stuffed pasta, instead of with greens.

Greens:
4 bunches of various greens (kale, spinach, Swiss chard, escarole, mixed wild greens) to equal 4 cups of blanched, chopped greens
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Sauce:
4 cups diced onions, 1/4” dice
3/4 cup finely sliced stalks from leaf celery (or 3/4 cups diced celery, 1/4” dice)
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 – 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
3/4 cup finely shredded leaves from leaf celery (or 3/4 cup minced parsley)
3 Tbsp. minced mint

Prepare the Greens: Wash the greens and remove any damaged portions. If using greens with sturdy but edible stems, like beet greens or chard, cut off the stems and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Tough stems, like those on kale, should be discarded.

Blanch the stems and greens in boiling, salted water, adding the stems first, then sturdy greens like beets or kale, and finally tender greens like spinach or escarole. As soon as the tender greens wilt, pour the greens into a colander to drain and cool. Roughly chop the greens when they are cool enough to handle.

Make the Tomato Sauce: Sauté the onions and celery stalks in olive oil, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until the onion starts to turn golden. Stir in the Aleppo pepper and garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, wine, and water and bring to a boil. Cook rapidly for five minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to medium, stir in the celery leaves (or parsley) and mint, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Finish the Tsigareli: Add the drained, chopped greens to the tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until the sauce is the thickness you desire and no longer watery. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Serve with crusty bread and Kalamata olives.
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This is my entry for Vegan Ventures organized by Tasty Palettes.

Recipe: Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint (Σάλτσα με Σέλινο και Δυόσμο)

Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint is for days when you want a quick meal, with lots of flavor, that doesn’t take much effort. From start to finish, this full-flavored sauce is finished in about 30 minutes.

The sauce can be used in any recipe that calls for tomato sauce, and is a good topping for all kinds of pasta. I particularly like it with cheese stuffed ravioli or tortelloni. Costco now carries organic ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese that pairs well with the sauce; the ravioli is made by Monterey Pasta Company.

Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint is made with leaf celery, which is the only celery available in the village where we live in Greece. I add the celery in two stages to better accentuate its flavor. The sauce can also be made with ordinary supermarket celery, although the celery flavor will be milder if this type is used. For more information about leaf celery, go here.

Aleppo pepper is a moderately spicy red chili pepper sold in crushed flakes. Its sharp but fruity taste pairs well with Mediterranean food. I’m never without it.

Aleppo pepper originally came from Syria, near the city of Aleppo, but now may be imported into the United States from Turkey due to trade embargos with Syria. Supermarket crushed red pepper is a fine, but spicier and less flavorful, substitute for Aleppo pepper. One-half teaspoon of supermarket crushed red pepper should be used in lieu of one teaspoon Aleppo pepper.

Aleppo pepper is available from Penzey’s, The Spice House, and World Spice Merchants.


Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint (Σάλτσα με Σέλινο και Δυόσμο)
Serve over pasta with fresh goat cheese. A watercress and curly endive salad, lightly dressed with vinegar and olive oil, goes well with pasta and this sauce.

2 cups diced onions, 1/4” dice
3/4 cup finely sliced stalks from leaf celery
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup finely shredded leaves from leaf celery
2 Tbsp. minced mint
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sugar (optional)

Sauté the onions and celery stalks, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until the onion starts to turn golden. Stir in the Aleppo pepper and cook for one minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil. Cook rapidly for five minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to medium, stir in the celery, mint, and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add the optional sugar if the sauce is too acidic. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is the thickness you desire. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Ingredient: Leaf Celery

Two readers asked for information about leaf celery, also known as cutting celery, the celery I often recommend using in Mediterranean recipes: “What is the difference between leaf celery and the celery at the grocery store? Can I substitute one for the other?” “Where can I buy leaf celery?”

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

http://www.laurieconstantino.com/all-about-leaf-celery/

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

Cookbook: Pork with Celery-Lemon Sauce (Hirino me Selino kai Lemoni)

Pork with Celery-Lemon Sauce is a popular Greek stew with countless variations, but it’s a tricky recipe to get right. Too often the sauce overwhelms the pork, or goes in the opposite direction and vanishes into blandness. Some recipes taste good, but because the sauce is thick, gloppy, and pale, the finished dish looks very unappealing.

I’ve made versions of pork with celery more times than I care to count, and tinkered repeatedly with the balance of flavors and textures. In my version, the celery is just strong enough to balance the pork, and the eggless lemon sauce is bright and sharp.

If I can find it, I make this dish with leaf celery, which has a concentrated herby flavor absent in supermarket (stalk) celery, and a hint of bitterness that goes well with pork, a mild and slightly sweet meat. In Anchorage, leaf celery is found in Asian or farmer’s markets, and may be sold as “Chinese celery.”

When celery is served on its own, more likely than not it will be as part of a raw vegetable tray with ranch dressing, or filled with peanut butter for hungry dieters. Pork with Celery-Lemon Sauce uses 8 cups of chopped celery, and provides a way to appreciate celery's distinctive flavor without it being overwhelmed by ranch dressing. You also won't have to cope with a wad of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

From start to finish, Pork with Celery-Lemon Sauce takes me about an hour to make. The recipe for it is in Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska, which can be ordered here.