Ribollita

This has been Katherine's favorite recipe to cook for guests ever since she read it in the New York Times Dining section in 2008.

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 Tablespoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper

3 cups white beans cooked with thyme, salt and fennel seeds

1 14oz can diced tomatoes, or fresh if you have them

1/2 lb spinach or kale

3 cups freshly toasted croutons (see method below)

1.  Heat oil in large, deep skillet.  Add garlic and spices.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

2.  Add beans and about 1/2 cup bean cooking liquid.  Stir and simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then add tomatoes.  Simmer another 2-3 minutes.

3.  Add spinach/kale and stir until wilted.

4.  Add croutons and mix in thoroughly so they don't get too soggy. 

5.  Serve hot with extra bread crumbs sprinkled on top.

CROUTON METHOD

Preheat oven to 350.  Chop day old or older crusty bread into cubes about 1" square.  Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle liberally with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and put in the oven.  Bake 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until brown and toasted on at least one side.  No need to cool before adding to recipe.

Ribollita, hot on the stove.

Pungent Arugula Pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 serrano or jalapeno chile sliced thin

2 Tablespoons drained capers or chopped olives

1 pound linguine

8 large plum tomatoes or 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

4 oz fresh arugula

Salt and pepper

1 cup grated romano cheese

1.  Heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, chile and capers/olives.  Cook for 1-2 minutes then set aside. 

2.  Cook pasta.  Drain and reserve 1/4 cup cooking water.  Place cooked pasta in a large serving bowl.  

3.  Add pasta cooking water to garlic/chile mix and bring to a boil.  Add tomatoes and arugula and cook only until warm. 

4.  Pour sauce over pasta.  Season with salt and pepper and top with grated cheese.

Spinach and Chick Pea Curry

3 Tablespoons neutral oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 cups cooked chick peas

3 cups diced tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

8 oz fresh spinach

4-5 sprigs chopped fresh cilantro 

1/2 cup yogurt for garnish

1.  Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions, ginger and spices.  Cook until onion is soft, 5-6 minutes.

2.  Stir in chick peas, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste.  Add the spinach one handful at a time, stirring as you go until it wilts.  Once all the spinach has been added, stir to mix and cook on low for 8-10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.  

3.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Serve over rice with a dollop of yogurt on top.

Spencer's Spinach and Eggs

2-3 eggs

Spencer's Spinach and eggs.

2 large handfuls of spinach

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook eggs any way you like - scrambled is our favorite.  

2. Place spinach on a large plate.  Lay eggs on top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Warm Spinach Salad

4 oz bacon, chopped

3/4 pound spinach

1/3 cup sliced red onions

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

1 hard cooked egg

1. Mix spinach and onion in a large salad bowl.  Toss with vinegar.

2.  Cook bacon in skillet.  Immediately pour over salad, and then place hot skillet upside down over salad for about 30 seconds.  Toss again.

3.  Sprinkle crumbled egg on top with fresh pepper.

What to do with Chard (Swiss Chard)

BUNCHING CHARD/BIG LEAVES

Removing the stems from the leaves:

Lay one leaf flat on a cutting board.  Take a sharp paring knife and slice along the stem, all the way to the tip of the leaf.  Remove the stem and chop like celery.  Repeat with remaining leaves.

Slicing the leaves into ribbons:

Take chard leaves, with stems removed, and layer them on top of each other on a cutting board.  Roll up all the leaves together, then slice crosswise into 1" thick slices.  You will be left with 1" wide ribbons of chard.

BABY CHARD/SMALL LEAVES

Braise it:

A braise is a simple cooking method involving heat, food, and liquid.  Your choice of braising liquid determines much of the depth of flavor and richness of your dish.  The simplest braising liquid is water.  Other options include broth, tea, milk, cream, or juice.  To braise baby chard, simply heat some braising liquid in the bottom of a pan, then add chard, and cook until you reach a desired sauciness.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Steam it:

Place about 1/2 " of water in the bottom of a sauce pan.  Put chopped chard in a steamer basket above the water.  Bring to a boil with the lid on, and steam for 1-2 minutes.  Remove lid and from heat when you reach desired tenderness.

Saute it:

The simplest saute involves chopped chard, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and some oil.  Heat a small amount of high heat oil in a frying pan.  Add garlic.  Add chard about 2 minutes later.  Stir and fry until chard is bright green and wilted.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Our favorite cooking method at Moose Meadow Farm!

Eat it raw:

Chopped small or left whole, the leaves of baby swiss chard are quite tender and flavorful.  Use them in any salad where you would use lettuce, spinach, or other baby greens.

Swiss Chard or Arugula Quiche

1 Recipe of your favorite pie dough

1/2 pound swiss chard, stems trimmed (see how here)

2 cups grated parmesan or cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, like basil, parsley or cilantro

1 tablespoon flour

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups cream or milk

dash of paprika

1. Make crust; roll out to a 12" diameter.  Set it in a 9" pie plate.  Preheat oven to 400F.

2.  Chop the chard stems into chunks and slice the ribbons into leaves (see how here).  Steam them in a steamer basket for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain.  Spread on bottom of pie plate.  Sprinkle fresh herbs over chard.

3. Mix together cheese and flour and spread over chard.  

4. Beat eggs, add cream/milk, and pour over cheese.  Sprinkle with paprika.

5.  Bake 15 minutes, then lower heat to 325F and bake 25-30 minutes longer, until golden and puffy.  Allow to set 10 minutes before cutting.

Arugula and Pear Salad

2 teaspoons olive oli

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

salt and pepper

1/4 pound arugula

1/2 large pear

salt and pepper

1. Whisk oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.

2. Slice pear thinly lengthways. 

3. Add arugula to serving bowl, top with pears, and pour dressing over.

Raw Kale Salad

1 bunch kale, any color or texture

Juice of 1 lemon

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1.  Chiffonade the kale into fine ribbons.

2.  Whisk the lemon juice, salt and olive oil in a small bowl.

3.  Pour the dressing onto the kale, and gently massage the leaves until they take on a wilted appearance.  Let sit at room temp to enhance the softening, then serve.

Colorful Winter Salad

1/2 lb carrots, washed and trimmed

1/2 head purple cabbage

1/2 lb beets of any color

2-3 scallions

Small bunch cilantro or parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Juice of 1/2 a lime (optional)

1.  In a food processor or with a box grater, grate the carrots, cabbage and beets to similar size shreds.  Chop the scallions and herb finely.

2.  Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, sesame seeds and lime if using in a small bowl.

3.  Mix all the vegetables together in a large bowl and pour the dressing over the top.  Mix well and serve immediately, or chill and serve later when the flavors will be more intense.

Braised Bok Choi

5-6 baby bok choi heads

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Pinch salt

1.  Fill the bottom of a shallow sided stir fry pan with water.  Place untrimmed bok choi heads in pan.  Turn heat to medium high.  Place lid on pan.

2.  In about two minutes, remove lid and add sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt.

3.  When bok choi is bright green and wilted, and almost all of the water has steamed away, the dish is finished.

The Simplest Steamed Kale

1.  Remove stems from kale, if desired.  The purple and green curly kales are best this way.  Coarsely chop the stems.

2.  Chop the leaves in a chiffonade style, or simply tear them into bite-sized pieces.

3. Place about 1" of water in a saucepan and put a steamer basket in.  Add kale stems, then cook on medium high heat until the water has been boiling for a minute or so.

4.  Add kale leaves and place lid on pot.  Allow to boil for 1-2 more minutes, then test for doneness.  The leaves are still bright green and not dull when they are steamed and not overdone.

5.  Season with any one of the following or a combination: lemon pepper, olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon or lime juice and salt, soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Carrot and Butternut Squash Salad

4 T olive oil

2 T chopped walnuts

2 T dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, diced mango, peaches)

4 carrots, peeled

1/2 medium butternut squash (equal to the amount of carrots), cleaned and skinned

juice of 1/2 a lemon

juice of 1/2 an orange

1 T honey

1) Place a small saute pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil and let heat for a minute.  Add walnuts and dried fruit and warm through, about 2-3 minutes, stirring continually.  Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the vegetables and dressing.

2) Using a vegetable peeler, peel long "ribbons" from the carrots and squash.  Place in a serving bowl.

3) To make dressing: combine lemon and orange juice, 2T olive oil and the honey in a small bowl and whisk together, adding salt and pepper to taste.

4) Toss carrots and squash together, then fold in walnuts and fruit.  Pour dressing over salad and mix together well.  Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.