This week’s box features fresh, local kale. Wandering around the store today, I noticed that there were lots of Vidalia onions as well as beautiful white mushrooms.
Vidalia onions have a mild, sweet flavor that just screams, “Caramelize
me!” While you can use these in any
recipe that calls for onions, you might want to save these for something where
you can cook them loooooow and sloooooow.
A little butter, a small pinch of salt, and a good bit of time over a
medium-low flame turns them into magic.
Don’t crinkle your nose over plain ol’ white mushrooms,
either. Chefs around the world prize
these mushrooms, due to their versatility and flavor. Remember to never wash mushrooms. All
they need is a soft brush to remove any debris on them (a clean paper towel
works well too), and they’re ready to go.
Quarter the big ones and halve the small ones, toss them in with your
caramelizing onions, and you’ll have a great side for steaks or topping for
brats.
Kale has become quite the nutritional star lately. It’s a great source of fiber and
vitamins. If you’d like to show off your
skills in the kitchen a bit more, make a frittata. Sounds impressive, right?
Just between you and me, that translates to, “Fancy Italian
omelet.” It sure sounds more impressive
to say frittata, though. Making them is
about as simple as an omelet, too. So,
your mushrooms and onions are done caramelizing, right? The kale goes quicker. First, tear off the leafy part from the firm
stems. You can save the stems for stock,
or even prepare them like a root vegetable.
In a hot skillet, add a little olive oil and put in the leaves. Toss them with tongs, and in a minute or two
they’ll wilt. You still want them to be
bright green, so take them out as soon as they do wilt, and mix with your
mushrooms and onions. Now, the omelet
part. It’s meant to be shared, so figure
2 eggs per person and beat them all together.
A splash of milk in the eggs makes it fluffy. With a frittata, you beat the eggs until
they’re a little foamy so that it’s lighter.
The “fixins,” meaning your kale, mushrooms and onions, are mixed in with
the eggs, too. Don’t forget salt and
pepper. Pour into an oven safe skillet
(a cast iron pan is even better) over medium to medium-high heat and just let it sit. Yes, the bottom and sides will set up
before the top does. When all but the top
has set, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place under a low broiler until the
top sets. See, now you’re impressing
everyone!
When I told one of my foodie friends what would be in the
box this week, she said, “Oooh, you have to tell them to make Sexy-Time
Pasta!” Pardon me…? Well, here’s the details:
Sexy-Time
Pasta
ingredients:
1-2 tbsp olive
oil
3-6 slices of thick
cut bacon, cut into bite size pieces
(the more bacon you
use, the less olive oil you'll need)
10 oz sliced
mushrooms
1 pint cherry
tomatoes, sliced in half
1 med onion, diced
small
1 bunch of kale or baby
spinach
1 lb short pasta (e.g.,
rotini)
3/4 c. grated Parmesan
(Or more. I love cheese.)
Salt & pepper to
taste
directions:
1) Heat olive oil and
bacon in skillet over medium heat until bacon is golden.
2) Bring a large pot
of salted water to boil. Add pasta and spinach, cook about 3 min until spinach
is vibrant green. Scoop out spinach and rinse under cold water to stop the
cooking. Drain well and set aside. Continue cooking pasta for another 7 min
until almost al dente. When draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
3) Move bacon to
edges of pan and add mushrooms, onions and a pinch of salt to middle of pan, in
as close to a single layer as possible. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook
until mushrooms and onions start sizzling and turning brown (about 5 min). Reduce
heat to medium, add cherry tomatoes and stir bacon and mushrooms together, cooking
until mushrooms are tender. (5-7 min)
4) Reduce heat to
low. Add drained pasta to skillet. Gradually stir in 1 cup of pasta water. Toss
over low heat until sauce is silky and pasta is well coated.
5) Turn off heat. Add
spinach and cheese and season with pepper. Toss well. When serving, sprinkle
more cheese on top. (And then maybe some more. Because really, I love cheese.)
Serve immediately for best results, but can also be served cool as pasta salad.
It’s a variation on pasta
carbonara, with tomatoes instead of the rich egg, and you could easily
merge the two recipes. Yes, I asked her
why it’s called “Sexy-Time” pasta. And
no, she wouldn’t tell me.
Oh,
did you see the cool
trick for slicing cherry tomatoes?
What a time saver!
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