Cube Marketplace | Gourmet Food Blog

beef week! part two: zuni cafe short ribs braised in chimay ale

Rachael — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:52:39 +0000

BEEF WEEK! part two

With snuggly pre-spring cool weather comes this easy braised short rib recipe from Judy Rogers of the famous Zuni Cafe. I have a secret to share with you: I absolutely looooove Judy Rogers. I love the Zuni Cafe. It’s probably my favorite restaurant and I urge you to go there if you’re ever in San Francisco.

So, what’s the secret? Maybe I’ve hid from Judy Rogers. Just a little bit. Under a table. I can’t meet her. I just can’t. I’ll embarrass myself. It’ll be like that time that I spilled coffee all over my white sweater while telling Joey Mcintyre he was my favorite New Kid.

It’s better if I admire her from afar and drool over her inspiring cookbook. If you don’t own this cookbook, please buy it. The chapter on salting meat will blow your mind!

Short Ribs Braised in Chimay Ale
recipe by Judy Rogers
from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

For 4 Servings

About 2-1/2 pounds short ribs, cut across the bone into 2-inch wide bands (have the butcher do this)*
Salt
1 to 2 tablespoons mild tasting olive oil
1-1/2 pounds yellow onions (about 3 medium), sliced to 1/4 inch thick
2 bay leaves
A few whole white peppercorns
A few slices dried wild mushrooms, rinsed in warm water and coarsely chopped (optional)
Up to 1 cup Beef Stock or Chicken Stock
Up to 1 cup Chimay ale or similar Belgian-style ale or a mellow porter or stout
About 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Trimming and seasoning the short ribs (for the best flavor and succulence, do this step 1 to 2 days in advance, or at least a few hours ahead):

Trim most of the fat from the short ribs, but leave the silverskin and tough sheathing around the bones intact. This will help keep the meat succulent and will give body and character to the braise. Salt evenly all over (we use a scant 3/4 teaspoon sea salt per pound of meat). Cover and loosely refrigerate.

Cooking the short ribs
Warm the oil in a 3-quart saute pan over medium heat. Wipe the pieces of meat dry. Browm the short ribs evenly and gently on the three meaty sides, about 4 minutes per side. Pour off the excess fat.

Rearrange the meat bone side down in the pan. Add the onions, bay, peppercorns, the optional mushrooms, and equal parts stock and ale, porter, or stout to come to a depth of about 3/4 inch. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat, until fork-tender, about 2 to 2-1/4 hours. (You can cook the braise in a preheated 300 degree oven if you prefer). Check two or three times to make sure that the liquid in barely simmering, and turn each piece of meat each time you check. When the meat is done, uncover, prop the pan at a slight angle, and leave to rest for about 5 minutes.

Turn on the broiler.

Skim the fat that has collected at the lower side of the pan. Taste the juice and simmer as needed to concentrate the flavor. Salt as needed. Make sure each piece of meat is bone side down, then brush the tops with the mustard. Set the pan under the broiler, about 5 inches from the element, to brown the mustard and glaze the surface of the onion stew, about 5 minutes.

Serve the short ribs very hot, mustard plaster up, with a spoonful of the syrupy sauce and onions.

*This is the only part of the recipe I varied from. I used whole short ribs as shown in the photo above. I then cut them into serving-size pieces when done.

Serve this delicious braise with Cube’s Creamy White Polenta.

Enjoy!

Cube Downtown this Saturday, 3/13! Classes and SALE!

Cube Marketplace — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:26:13 +0000

Spaces in our Gardening and Wine classes are still available!

To register, click here.
Class descriptions follow below, but don’t hesitate to email us with any questions at: Downtown@CubeMarketplace.com

Gardening Classes with Marta Teegen, Cube Downtown Master Gardener and founder of Homegrown Los Angeles

KITCHEN GARDEN BASICS
10am-noon $50.00
For those with some space – turn your front or back yard into an organic kitchen garden with raised beds. Learn everything you need to know about soil, water, plants, harvesting and more. Soon you will be growing food year-round!

GROW DELICIOUS TOMATOES
1-2pm $30.00
A bountiful harvest of tomatoes can be grown at your home this summer! Learn trellising methods, growing in the ground versus in pots, soil preparation, planting techniques, watering, pest management and more.
Wine Classes with David King, Cube’s Wine Assistant

PIEDMONT: AN EXPLORATION OF ITALY’S GREATEST WINE REGION.
12:00 P.M. OR 3:00 P.M., $45.00
Piedmont is the home of the Nebbiolo grape and the highest number of D.O.C.’s in Italy. Nebbiolo has been described as the next “it” grape, the next Pinot Noir if you will. We will explore to what extent this is true as well as try to understand the differences between Nebbiolo and Piedmont’s other up-and-coming variety: Barbera. As with all Cube Marketplace Downtown regional wine classes, we will focus on understanding how the wine of the region is a reflection of both the local land and its people. Tastings for this class will include a Roero Arneis, a Gavi, a Barbera d’Asti, a Barbera d’Alba, a Barbaresco, and a Barolo.

VINO ITALIANO–INTRODUCTION TO ITALIAN WINE.
1:30 P.M., $45.00
Cube wine assistant David King discusses how to understand wine classifications and addresses general misunderstandings about Italian wine. Explanatory tastings of five to seven of Italy’s most famous wines will also be included.

__________________________________________________________________________

Cube Marketplace Downtown is located at 550 Ceres Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
Parking is available in our gated lot.
Cube Marketplace Downtown hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, March 13th, 2010.
Contact: Downtown@CubeMarketplace.com or 213-542-3316

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beef week! part one: beef stew with parsley cornmeal dumplings

Rachael — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:10:02 +0000

I have a protein problem. Let’s just get that out of the way. Red meat and I are friends. I’m from the Midwest, it’s in our blood. In honor of this cold and rainy week may I present to you:

BEEF WEEK!

First up: Homemade Beef Stew with Parsley Cornmeal Dumplings.

There’s really nothing better than a hearty beef stew, especially when you can pair it with dumplings, mashed potatoes, rice or buttered noodles. Here’s my recipe for classic beef stew with potatoes and carrots. Don’t skimp on the bone marrow! It really makes the dish.

Beef Stew with Parsley Cornmeal Dumplings

3 pounds grass fed beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
2 celery ribs, cut in half
1 brown onion, peeled and quartered
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 T. peppercorns
1 2″strip of lemon peel
2 T tomato estratto
1/2 bottle red wine
4 3″ beef marrow bones
6 cups beef or chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 T extra virgin olive oil

4 cups peeled carrots, cut into 1″ chunks
2 cups potatoes, either peeled and cubed into 1″ chunks or pee-wee potatoes
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Dumplings:
2/3 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup fine ground cornmeal
2/3 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
4 t. baking soda
3 T. parsley

For this recipe you need a large dutch oven.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the beef chuck into 2″ chunks, don’t trim the fat! You want all that fatty goodness in your stew. Dry the beef with paper towels and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt.

Heat your dutch oven over high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the beef, do not crowd, and brown on all sides. About 4 minutes on each side. You’ll probably have to brown the meat in 2 batches. Remove the browned beef to a bowl and add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook the vegetables until soft and browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato stratta and cook for 3 minutes more.

Add the wine scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the dutch oven. Add the stock, sprigs of rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns, lemon peel and the browned meat. Stir the mixture together and gently place the marrow bones into the liquid, one on each side of the pot, cut side up.

Allow this mixture to come to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover your pot with parchment paper and place the lid on top. Put it in the preheated oven and cook for 3 hours. Check the stew periodically to make sure the stew is not boiling too rapidly. If it is, lower the oven temperature by 15 degrees. If the stew is not boiling at all, raise the temperature by 15 degrees.

Cook the stew until the meat is fork tender. Remove the stew from the oven. With kitchen tongs, remove the marrow bones to a plate to cool. Put the stew into a colander placed over a large bowl. While the stew drains, wash out your dutch oven. Remove the meat from the colander and return it to the cleaned dutch oven. Using a wooden spoon, push on the solids in the colander collecting all the juice. Discard the solids. Return the broth to the cleaned dutch oven and set over medium heat.

Using a small spoon or butter knife, scoop the marrow out of the bones and add it to the stew. Once the stew is boiling, add the remaining potatoes and carrots. Make sure the vegetables are fully submerged, if not, add one cup of water (or enough to cover the veggies). Boil at a slight simmer until the veggies are tender, about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chopped parsley.

Make the dumplings:
Whisk eggs into the milk. Add the four, cornmeal, salt, parsley, and baking powder. Let stand for 3 minutes.
Drop by spoonful onto the top of the simmering stew. Put the lid on top and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until a knife inserted into the dumplings comes out clean.

Serve hot! Enjoy.

Cube Marketplace Downtown Returns on Saturday, 3/13!

Jessie — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:39:52 +0000

For all of our friends following the schedule for Cube Marketplace Downtown, a friendly reminder that our monthly pop-up shop and educational center returns on Saturday, March 13th, 2010. Come on downtown and join us for fabulous shopping (gourmet pantry items, handcrafted tabletop and housewares, and garden accessories), and classes galore! Sample our homemade sweets and coffee bar selections as you browse, or take-in the best view of Downtown LA from our rooftop garden! Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Spaces are still available in our March 13th classes! To register, visit: http://www.cubemarketplace.com/e-category.aspx?cid=233

Class descriptions follow below, but don’t hesitate to email us with any questions at Downtown@CubeMarketplace.com

Gardening Classes with Marta Teegen, Cube Downtown Master Gardener and founder of Homegrown Los Angeles

KITCHEN GARDEN BASICS 10am-noon $50.00

For those with some space – turn your front or back yard into an organic kitchen garden with raised beds. Learn everything you need to know about soil, water, plants, harvesting and more. Soon you will be growing food year-round!

GROW DELICIOUS TOMATOES 1-2pm $30.00

A bountiful harvest of tomatoes can be grown at your home this summer! Learn trellising methods, growing in the ground versus in pots, soil preparation, planting techniques, watering, pest management and more.

Wine Classes with David King, Cube’s Wine Assistant

PIEDMONT: AN EXPLORATION OF ITALY’S GREATEST WINE REGION. 12:30 P.M. OR 3:30 P.M., $45.00

Piedmont is the home of the Nebbiolo grape and the highest number of D.O.C.’s in Italy. Nebbiolo has been described as the next “it” grape, the next Pinot Noir if you will. We will explore to what extent this is true as well as try to understand the differences between Nebbiolo and Piedmont’s other up-and-coming variety: Barbera. As with all Cube Marketplace Downtown regional wine classes, we will focus on understanding how the wine of the region is a reflection of both the local land and its people. Tastings for this class will include a Roero Arneis, a Gavi, a Barbera d’Asti, a Barbera d’Alba, a Barbaresco, and a Barolo.

VINO ITALIANO–INTRODUCTION TO ITALIAN WINE. 2 P.M., $45.00

Cube wine assistant David King discusses how to understand wine classifications and addresses general misunderstandings about Italian wine. Explanatory tastings of five to seven of Italy’s most famous wines will also be included.

__________________________________________________________________________

Cube Marketplace Downtown is located at 550 Ceres Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking is available in our gated lot.

Cube Marketplace Downtown hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, March 13th, 2010.

Contact: Downtown@CubeMarketplace.com or 213-542-3316

No related posts.

After a long week, pancakes for lunch.

Rachael — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:40:24 +0000

It’s been a long week of research here at Cube. Many new products, many new artists. I feel so completely lucky to be able to jump up from my desk and cook lunch for everyone. To be able to play with the ingredients I love so much is such a treat. This week I’ve made a roast chicken (with a fresh bird from Lily’s Farm) paired with a salad dressed with Citron Vinegar, a pork loin with cavalo nero and strozzapretti pasta, and fresh chanterelles with pappardelle. Today, however, it’s breakfast for lunch. I popped into the web room and grabbed a bag of Moretti Taragna Polenta, it works perfectly for cornmeal pancakes, giving them a nice crunch and a subtle buckwheat flavor. We had berries left over from the market and I made my favorite Brown Butter Maple Syrup. Perfection. Happy, happy Friday!

Buckwheat Cornmeal Pancakes with Brown Butter Maple Syrup and Strawberries serves 6-8
For the cakes:
6 large organic, free range eggs
3 cups well shaken buttermilk
1 cup all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups Taragna Polenta
1/3 cup sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 stick butter, melted and cooled

For the syrup:
1 stick butter
1 cup Pure Maple Syrup

1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut into slices

Large cast iron skillet

In a sauce pan, melt the butter for the pancakes. Allow the butter to brown until it smells nutty. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and set aside.

Beat eggs in a large bowl, add buttermilk, cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together until smooth and then mix in cooled brown butter.

Place your cast iron skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is warming melt the butter for syrup in another sauce pan. Again, allow it to brown until it smells nutty. Do nut over cook. Add the maple syrup. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat.

Once you have made the syrup your cast iron skillet should be preheated. Add a good knob of butter to the pan, and once the foam subsides, add the butter by scoopfuls. Depending on the size of your skillet (and the size you want your pancakes) this can be anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of batter. Cook the pancakes until some bubbles begin to form and break, carefully flip them over and cook and additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving plate and repeat with more batter.

Serve pancakes with warm syrup and fresh strawberries.

Enjoy!!

Polenta + Cabbage + Egg = Awesome

Rachael — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:40:22 +0000

I really love cabbage; cabbage cousins include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, and cauliflower but for me, cabbage sauteed in butter with loads of black pepper really takes the cake. Which leads me to my other love: poached eggs, or fried eggs, or soft boiled eggs. Are you an egg with a runny yolk that adds deliciousness to everything? I love you. I love you on pizza, on caesar salad, with toast (cut into strips, or “soldiers” for marching into said runny yolk). I love you on a grilled tomato, atop buttered noodles with parmesan, or with homemade salsa and warm corn tortillas. Putting the two together with creamy polenta on a rainy day equals brilliance in my book. Pairing that with a Vermentino. Heaven.

Creamy Polenta with Black Pepper Cabbage and Poached Eggs

2 cups Polenta

3 cups milk

4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock

1 cup Cream

1/2 cup mascarpone

1/2 cup grated parmesan (we use Red Cow pram)

1 TBS minced garlic

1/2 TBS chili flakes

1 TBS minced rosemary

3 TBS each butter and olive oil

1 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped, about 8 cups

1/4 cup butter

fresh cracked black pepper

8 organic, free range, super fresh eggs

2 t. unflavored vinegar

2 T Salt

2 quarts water

fresh cracked black pepper

grated parmesan cheese

Step One:

Start Polenta.

I like a coarse ground polenta for this dish to add some texture, but if you prefer fine ground, by all means: go for it.

Creamy Polenta

recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

In medium saucepan heat oil and butter, add garlic, chili flakes and rosemary and cook till garlic is soft but not browned. Add milk, cream and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in polenta and continue to cook over medium heat until polenta is thickened, whisking frequently to prevent from sticking to bottom or clumping. Add mascarpone and parmesan, season with salt and pepper to taste.

**For coarse polenta add about 1/2 to 1 cup more each of chicken stock and cream; cook about 20 minutes longer over a lower heat.

Step Two:

Sauté cabbage as polenta cooks. Cut the cabbage into a large 1″ dice, removing the core. – in the butter until translucent, soft and delicious. Add salt to taste and tons of fresh cracked black pepper.

Step Three:

Poach eggs

Add 1 teaspoon unflavored vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt to 2 quarts water. Bring to a rapid boil, and lower the flame until the water merely shivers.

With a wooden spoon, stir water in a rotary movement so as to form a whirlpool in the center. Crack egg into a cup. Lift the cup with your left hand while you are stirring with your right, and in a simultaneous motion, stop stirring and slide the egg into the very center of the whirlpool.

Cook 3 1/2 to 4 minutes

Putting it all together:

Scoop polenta into warm bowls, top with sauteed cabbage and 2 poached eggs. Crack black pepper over the eggs and sprinkle with a little grated parmesan. Enjoy.

Creamy Polenta with Black Pepper Cabbage and Poached Eggs

2 cups Polenta

3 cups milk

4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock

1 cup Cream

1/2 cup mascarpone

1/2 cup grated parmesan (we use Red Cow pram)

1 TBS minced garlic

1/2 TBS chili flakes

1 TBS minced rosemary

3 TBS each butter and olive oil

1 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped, about 8 cups

1/4 cup butter

fresh cracked black pepper

8 organic, free range, super fresh eggs

2 t. unflavored vinegar

2 T Salt

2 quarts water

fresh cracked black pepper

grated parmesan cheese

Step One: Start Polenta.

I like a coarse ground polenta for this dish to add some texture, but if you prefer fine ground, by all means: go for it.

Creamy Polenta

recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

**For coarse polenta add about 1/2 to 1 cup more each of chicken stock and cream; cook about 20 minutes longer over a lower heat.

Step Two: Sauté cabbage as polenta cooks.

Cut the cabbage into a large 1″ dice, removing the core. – in the butter until translucent, soft and delicious. Add salt to taste and tons of fresh cracked black pepper.

Step Three: Poach eggs

Add 1 teaspoon unflavored vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt to 2 quarts water. Bring to a rapid boil, and lower the flame until the water merely shivers.

Step Four: Putting it all together.

Scoop polenta into warm bowls, top with sauteed cabbage and 2 poached eggs. Crack black pepper over the eggs and sprinkle with a little grated parmesan.

Enjoy.

cube marketplace downtown, feb 13th, 2010!

Jessie — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:42:25 +0000

We are excited to announce that the big day is almost here! CUBE MARKETPLACE DOWNTOWN will debut this Saturday, February 13th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 550 Ceres Avenue, LA CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets on Ceres). In addition to our full collection of gourmet food products, Saturday’s visitors will be among the first to shop our brand-spankin’-new housewares, tabletop, and garden collections! We are so excited to debut these incredible pieces from an array of truly special and worldly artisans and artists–we know you will love them as much as we do. While you’re shopping, you can snack on Cube’s house-made sweets, or sip Prosecco or coffee bar selections. And, last but not least, classes!! Cube Marketplace Downtown is as much about learning as it is about great shopping. We’ve enlisted a roster of experts to create educational programs to run at our pop-up each month. February’s class schedule follows below–classes are filling up fast, and enrollment is extremely limited. To register, please email the contacts listed next to each class, or call us at 213-542-3316 with any questions. Please note, email is the preferred method to register for all Cube Marketplace Downtown classes.

CUBE MARKETPLACE DOWNTOWN: EDUCATIONAL CLASS SCHEDULE & INFORMATION:

Kitchen Garden Basics with Marta Teegan, master gardener and creator of Homegrown Los Angeles. Learn how to turn your backyard into an organic kitchen garden with raised beds. Topics include soil, water, plants, harvesting and more. 10 a.m. to noon. The fee is $50. E-mail marta@homegrownlosangeles.com to register.

Introduction to Composting with Marta Teegan. Learn to compost at home using either the two-bin method or worm composting. 1 to 2 p.m. $30. E-mail marta@homegrownlosangeles.com to register.

Vino Italiano, Introduction to Italian Wine. Cube wine assistant David King discusses how to understand wine classifications and addresses general misunderstandings about Italian wine. Explanatory tastings of five to seven of Italy’s most famous wines will also be included. 11 a.m. to noon; 1 to 2 p.m.; or 3 to 4 p.m. $40. E-mail davidking@cubemarketplace.com to register.

Cube Marketplace Downtown: 550 Ceres Avenue, Los Angeles, 90013. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ph: 213-542-3316. email: downtown@cubemarketplace.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR WITH THESE UPCOMING CUBE MARKETPLACE DOWNTOWN DATES:

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Saturday, April17th, 2010

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Saturday, June 12th, 2010
# # #

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Pre-Valentines Artisan Fondue for Two at Cube = Cheesy Romance.

Jessie — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:41:07 +0000

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner–have you made your plans? This year, in addition to our regular dinner menu, Cube will offer a special Artisan Fondue for Two menu on Saturday, February 13th. The wallet-friendly menu, which follows below, features pours of Prosecco, Cube signature fondue with farmer’s market accompaniments, a seasonal dessert, and house-made dark chocolate truffles and confections to take home for a sweet late-night snack. There is no better way to celebrate Valentine’s weekend than getting extra cheesy with your loved one at Cube! For reservations, visit our Open Table page, or call 323-939-1148. Scroll down to see the full menu…

Searching for the perfect gift for your foodie lovah? The Cube Marketplace shelves are stocked with unique sweets such as Isabella Devetta’s Organic Rose Syrup from Tuscany, which with its vibrant red color and lovely scent and flavor makes an ideal addition to cocktails and desserts galore. Those who favor the can’t miss classic gift of chocolate will have plenty of options to choose from, including the Cube-favorite Tcho-A-Day 30 Day Artisan Chocolate Supply, and La Molina Dark Chocolate Gianduia, the most decadent of treats. Pair chocolate with a bottle of 2001 Monte Rosa Franciacorta “Cabochon Brut”, which has the quality of an aged Dom Perignon at a third of the price, or mix a drizzle of Rose Syrup with Bisol Prosecco “Jeio”, both from Cube’s in-store Wine Boutique.

CUBE’S ARTISAN FONDUE FOR TWO

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13^TH, 2010

$35.00 Per Person

Serves Two

-Pour of Prosecco-

-I-

Cube Signature Artisan Cheese Fondue

Roasted Farmer’s Market Winter Vegetables

Seasonal Farmer’s Market Fresh Fruit

House-Baked Bread

-II-

Meyer Lemon Coeur a la Crème

Seasonal Farmer’s Market Berries

Citrus Cookies

-To Take Home-

House-Made Dark Chocolate Truffles & Confections

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Beans. On the Cheap.

Rachael — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:57:37 +0000

I’ve been yelling at you, our beloved customers, about heirloom beans for years now. I think you’re maybe sick of me talking about it. And I know, maybe $8 for a pound of dried beans seems like a lot when you can get regular varieties at the supermarket for less. I also know that you care about saving heirloom varieties of beans (and plants, and tomatoes and flowers) and that you appreciate organic, artisan products. None of these things are up for debate. But with the economy, you’re probably more likely to spend extra money on your organic half and half or organic meat. And I would agree with you. Times are tough. Money is tight.

The other day I was uninspired at the office; this tends to happen when I’m faced with a lot of computer work. I get ants in my pants. I decided to make a pot of beans using a new variety from the super snuggly Steve Sando at Rancho Gordo. Just some pot beans, nothing fancy. And they were goooood. Friends, they were excellent. Not because I’m super girl in the kitchen (though I do make mean Chocolate Chip Cookies) but because heirloom beans don’t need any help to be nuanced, delicious, nutritious and amazing. The best part? The dish consisted of 6 ingredients, serves 4 and cost $12, total, to make.

Here’s the deal: this is my basic recipe for Italian pot beans. If you wanted to, you could jazz this recipe up (but honestly, I don’t think you need to). I give suggestions for “jazzing” at the end of this post. Plus a suggestion for leftovers.

Pot Beans for a Cozy Weekend

Serves 4

1 pound bag Rancho Gordo Heirloom White Beans (I used Alubia Criollo)

4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Loaf of Crusty, Italian Bread (I highly recommend making the Basic White recipe from Jim Lahey’s new book My Bread).

The day before:

Empty the beans into a large bowl, cover with water by one inch and refrigerate overnight.

The next day:

Pour the soaked beans and their soaking liquid into a large pot. Make sure the beans are covered by 2 inches of water. You’ll probably need to add at least 2 cups of cold water to the pot. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves. Set over medium heat and allow to come to a boil. Once the beans have come to a full boil, turn the heat to low. The beans should be barely boiling. Continue to cook for 2 hours adding more water so that the beans are always covered by at least an inch of water.

After 2 hours, test the beans. They should be tender. If not, continue to cook until the beans are soft. Once soft, remove the garlic, set it aside and let it cool. Add the parsley, the juice of one lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Unpeel the garlic, break the garlic apart with your fingers, and add it back to the pot. Remember, the beans should be covered by at least one inch of water. Bring back to a soft boil. Get out a big wooden spoon and while stirring, smash some of the beans against the side and bottom of the pan. Taste the beans for seasoning and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

Cut thick slices of the bread. Toast. Set 1-2 slices of toast in 4 warmed bowls. Ladle the pot beans over the bread and pour Extra Virgin Olive Oil over each bowl (probably a tablespoon).

Eat. Enjoy.

Some suggestions for jazzing:

1. Add chopped carrots, onion and celery to the beans and soaking liquid at the beginning of boiling. When you add the parsley also add one can of San Marzano Cherry Tomatoes.

2. Add shredded cabbage to the beans at the beginning of boiling. At the end add copious amounts of fresh cracked black pepper and shredded duck confit.

3. Add parmesan rinds and a thick slice of prosciutto to the beans at the beginning of cooking. Add greens like escarole and black kale when you add the parsley.

4. Play around with the herbs. Instead of parsley, add chopped rosemary and thyme.

5. Use Pinto Beans! Think you know Pinto Beans? You don’t. Steve’s Pintos are incredibly flavorful. Follow the recipe above exactly, but substitute pinto beans. Instead of bread, make Masa Organic Brown Rice. Top the Rice with the hot Pinto beans and chopped cilantro, chopped white onion, a squeeze of lime, chopped tomatoes and avocado and a spoonful of creme fraiche.

Leftovers?

Use the white beans to top crostini with thinly sliced shallot and good quality Italian canned tuna.

Pot Beans for a Cozy Weekend

Serves 4

1 pound bag Rancho Gordo Heirloom White Beans (I used Alubia Criollo)

4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Loaf of Crusty, Italian Bread (I highly recommend making the Basic White recipe from Jim Lahey’s new book My Bread).

The day before:

Empty the beans into a large bowl, cover with water by one inch and refrigerate overnight.

The next day:

Cut thick slices of the bread. Toast. Set 1-2 slices of toast in 4 warmed bowls. Ladle the pot beans over the bread and pour Extra Virgin Olive Oil over each bowl (probably a tablespoon of oil for each bowl).

Eat. Enjoy.

Some suggestions for jazzing:

1. Add chopped carrots, onion and celery to the beans and soaking liquid at the beginning of boiling. When you add the parsley also add one can of San Marzano Cherry Tomatoes.

2. Add shredded cabbage to the beans at the beginning of boiling. At the end add copious amounts of fresh cracked black pepper and shredded duck confit.

3. Add parmesan rinds and a thick slice of prosciutto to the beans at the beginning of cooking. Add greens like escarole and black kale when you add the parsley. Top the beans with an organic poached egg.

4. Play around with the herbs. Instead of parsley, add chopped rosemary and thyme.

5. Use Pinto Beans! Think you know Pinto Beans? You don’t. Steve’s Pintos are incredibly flavorful. Follow the recipe above exactly, but substitute pinto beans. Instead of bread, make Massa Organic Brown Rice. Top the Rice with the hot Pinto beans and chopped cilantro, chopped white onion, a squeeze of lime, chopped tomatoes and avocado and a spoonful of creme fraiche.

Leftovers?

Use the white beans to top crostini with thinly sliced shallot, good quality Italian canned tuna, and more chopped fresh parsley.

Risotto alle Carote

Rachael — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:19:15 +0000

Weiser Farm French Nantes

Oh, the humble carrot. I once read that the orange carrot as we know it was actually invented by the Dutch to pay homage to William of Orange in the 17th Century. I love this story and it’s a great bit of food geek trivia, say for your next dinner party. The purple, red and yellow carrots we think of as exotic today were actually quite common. Most historians now say that the fun bit about William of Orange is probably false (even though orange carrots did take hold in the Netherlands in the 17th Century). I still like the story, though. It makes the humble carrot feel romantic somehow. Grown to honor a country.

Carrots are often overlooked, chopped up for stock or mirepoix, doused in butter after being steamed, boiled or sauteed, or, my least favorite: coated in honey. Blech. I hate that. Boring. After my last trip to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, I started pouring through cookbooks trying to find a recipe that would make this humble and healthy vegetable the star of the show. Carrot Soup? Meh. Carrot Cake? Yes, always. But I was looking for more of a savory dish. Carrot Rutabaga Puree? Delicious, but I needed something a bit more substantial. Then “The Silver Spoon” came to the rescue. Carrot Risotto. Yes, please. Perhaps with braised Breast of Veal? Oh yes. And maybe some spicy dandelions for good measure.

Carrot Risotto

Risotto alle Carote

from The Silver Spoon

about 6 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock (I used homemade chicken stock)

4 young carrots, chopped (I used French Nantes from Weiser Farms, about 4 cups, chopped)

3/4 cups dry white wine (or Vermouth)

1/4 cup butter (I used 1/4 cup butter plus 2T olive oil)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups risotto

2 ounces Emmenthal cheese, shaved

2 T. cream

salt and pepper

Bring the stock to a boil in a small stockpot. Meanwhile, put the carrots and wine in a food processor and process to a puree. Melt the butter (and olive oil if using) in another pan and add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the carrot puree to the pan, increase the heat to medium and cook for a few seconds, then add the rice. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, and stirring until each has been absorbed. This will take about 18-20 minutes. About 5 minutes before the rice is tender, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in Emmenthal and cream. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let stand for 2 minutes before serving.

Weiser Farm French Nantes

Risotto alle Carote

from The Silver Spoon

Serves 4

about 6 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock (I used homemade chicken stock)

4 young carrots, chopped (I used French Nantes from Weiser Farms, about 4 cups, chopped)

3/4 cups dry white wine (or Vermouth)

1/4 cup butter (I used 1/4 cup butter plus 2T olive oil)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups carnaroli risotto

2 ounces Emmenthal cheese, shaved

2 T. cream

salt and pepper