Romano Bean Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette & Egg

I love this salad. It includes a just hard-boiled egg, which as you know, makes everything better.  It takes less than 20 minutes to prepare, a major win when on those nights when you just don't feel like putting a lot of time into dinner.  And even the little man in my life loves it.  He first sucks off all the dressing, then delicately pries open the pod to fish the inner bean out with his tongue.  It is a specific and sweetly enjoyable process.

Romano Bean Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette & Egg

Ingredients  

• 1 pound fresh Romano beans, washed and ends trimmed
• 1 just hard boiled egg 
• 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• Salt & Pepper

Directions 

• Steam the romano beans to your liking. I prefer them still crispy, just 3 - 4 minutes in a inch of boiling water
• Meanwhile,  hard boil an egg, keeping it in the water about 10 minutes post boil so the inner most yolk is still tender
• Make the dressing by whisking the finely minced shallot, olive oil, vinegar and mustard, then add salt and pepper to taste.  You want this dressing to be bright and bold to stand up to the thick beans, so add more vinegar if necessary
• Arrange the beans on a plate, crumbling the hard boiled egg over top, and then drizzling with dressing 
• This salad is best warm, or brought back to room temperature before serving 

Lauren Lately: Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta

"Lauren Lately" is a series featuring the latest quick meals in my rotation when I cook but don't necessarily create a blog-worthy meal. 

  

This is my new midweek staple. It's barely a recipe and so easily uses up all those summer squash in your crisper.  Make it the next time you are long on squash or tonight for a easy mid-week meal. And the little hand grabbing at the vegetables is pretty cute too. Yes, I am biased, but who doesn't love a blurry chubby wrist?

Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta 

100 Days of Real Food 

Ingredients  

• 3 - 4 cups of one-inch cubed summer vegetables such as zucchini, peppers, eggplant, carrots and/or tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, basil or oregeno
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper  
• 1/2 pound of pasta
• Chili oil (optional) 

Directions 

• Lightly coat all the diced vegetables in oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs.  Toss with the white wine, and roast in a deep dish or pan at 425 for 35 minutes, stirring once.
• Meanwhile, cook 1/2 lb of pasta according to instructions, drain and set aside. 
• Tear up the chunk of mozzarella into bite size pieces.  
• Remove the veggies from oven, toss in the cooked pasta, 1 cup of sauce, the shredded cheese and if you wish a 1 - 2 tablespoons of chili oil, toss to mix.
• Bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts. 
• If desired, top with more chili oil, then enjoy!

Genius Grilled Fava Beans

This recipe single-handedly changed my view on the large lump of fava beans that frequent my CSA.  It literally transforms them into the loveliest, gooiest summer appetizer.  No need to peel, no need to boil, no need to pop out the little inner bean out... just toss, grill and enjoy!

It, of course, comes by way of the amazing Kristen Miglore at Food52 who scours the internet and cooking world for transformational recipes. And it makes for gorgeous photos to boot!

Genius Grilled Fava Beans

Ingredients  

• 1 pound fresh fava beans in their pods
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground chile pepper
• 1 teaspoon  rosemary
• 3  cloves chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 lemon
• 8 canned anchovies in oil, chopped finely

Directions 

• Mix all the ingredients except the lemon and anchovies together in a bowl, toss the fava beans well to coat and place them on a grill over medium-high heat. 
• Grill the favas for several minutes, until charred, then flip them over and char the other side.
• Remove from grill, and plop them back in the bowl.  Toss the pods to re-coat, and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.   
• Add the anchovies to the bowl, and mix well.
• Arrange the pods on a serving platter and serve! 

About Fava Beans
It's not all Hannibal Lecter and Chianti, though the latter sounds like a wonderful addition.  Fava beans or broad beans as they are referred to in the UK, are native to North Africa and Southwest Asia and can withstand very harsh climates. 

Quick Strawberry Rhubarb "Jam"

There is a reason these two summer staples are so frequently paired.  The sweetness of the berry  complements the tartness of the rhubarb.  When combined, the sturdy rhubarb strings bind so the result isn't too thin. 

Roasting, my undoubtedly favorite quick cooking technique, brings this together in a snap.  Pop it in the oven and less than 30 minutes later you have "jam".  Enjoyed over ice cream, on toast, or mixed with goat cheese and spread over crackers, this quick jam is a keeper.

Quick Strawberry Rhubarb "Jam"

Ingredients  

• 1 quart of strawberries, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half
• 4 stems of rhubarb, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch crescents
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• Toss the berries, rhubarb, sugar and balsamic vinegar together
• Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer
• Roast for 20-25 minutes, mixing once
• Let cool, blend until chunky but combined

And so it begins!

At last, it's late June and my first box has arrived.  Isn't the bounty just gorgeous?  I am dreaming of omelets, grilled radishes with mint, and garlic scape pesto.  A new friend and soon to be neighbor signed up for the same share.  Her instagraming of dry-aged meats, home-cased sausages and all around delicious looking meals has me totally inspired as I head into summer blogging.  I can not wait to talk veg and share ideas with you here.  Happy CSA Season indeed.

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Oh my.  I disappeared for a bit. Sorry about that!  But spring and its wonderful mass of produce is here.  I am feeling inspired again, over my winter root vegetable rut.  The farmer's market in town just opened, my CSA will begin next month and just moments ago my girlfriend and I lapped up a fabulous lunch of roasted mushrooms, from enoki to hen of the woods.

I have been cooking in my absense, and one particularly enjoyable meal was Elissa Altman's stuffed cabbage leaves from her new book, Poor Man's Feast.  I omit the sugar in her recipe and skip the raisins but otherwise loved these little pockets of tender goodness.  They kept all week, feeding the baby for dinner three out of four nights.

Elissa Altman's Galumpki (aka Stuffed Cabbage)
Serves 6
Ingredients 

• 1 medium onion diced
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef 
• 2 tablespoons long grain rice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 large head cabbage
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 28-ounce can crush tomatoes 
• 1 cup of golden raisins (optional, but really who likes raisins in meat?)

Directions

• Bring water to boil in a large stockpot, add the cabbage and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.  Remove from the pot, let cool on a platter and then pull off leaves, flattening each one as you go
• Meanwhile, place the diced onion in a large saucepan and cover with water by two inches.  Add the paprika and simmer over low heat
• Combine the meat, rice and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside
• Add the vinegar and half of the tomatoes to the onion pot and stir.  Raise heat to medium-low
• Place 1/4 cup of meat into middle of each cabbage leave, rolling and tucking as you go until all meat is rolled
• Carefully nestle each stuffed cabbage leave, seam side down, in the onion mixture.  Add the remaining tomatoes on top, increase heat to high and boil for 10 minutes covered.  Decrease eat to low simmer and cook, covered, for 2 hours.  
• Serve with rice or bread

Stir Fried Cabbage with Fennel Seeds

While this dish may seem somewhat ordinary at first pass with it's monochromatic hues and functional title, don't be fooled.  It packs a wonderful flavor punch without being too hot.  I craved another batch for weeks after first consumption. 

Need further convincing?  My husband, typically a cabbage naysayer, sopped it up in seconds, commenting not once BUT twice how much he was enjoying it.  Basically, get chopping and stir frying.  Top it with a fried egg for extra protein and deliciousness points.

Madhur Jaffrey's Stir-Fried Cabbage with Fennel Seeds
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound green cabbage (half a large head)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut lengthwise into fine half rings
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Directions

• Remove outer leaves of the cabbage, cut it in half lengthwise and cut into long shreds discarding the core.
• Heat the oil in a nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin, fennel and sesame seeds. As soon as the sesame seeds begin to pop, add the onion stir frying for 4 minutes or until the onion has started to brown.
• Add the cabbage and stir fy for another 6 minutes until the cabbage has browned. Mix in the salt and cayenne, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring now and then, for another 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions appear caramelized and soft.
• Add the lemon juice and garam masala. Mix well and enjoy over rice, or with a fried egg.