Lamb Pastitsio

This recipe makes enough for a large family, so after discovering it, I waited to make it until I knew I'd have enough family visiting to eat it all! We love lamb so I knew the meat component would be a success, but I do have a daughter who is not particularly fond of pasta. Even she liked this dish.
It was described as "Greek Lasagna", but it's really not as heavy a dish as I often think lasagna is. We loved the spices in the sauce and I served it with a salad and some crusty, cheesy French bread. 
I had to smile at my photo. The original, on Coconut and Lime, was a piece of art, I swear. How ever did she get everything all layered neatly and cut to perfection? A razor sharp knife? Or perhaps she was alone in the kitchen without hungry people standing next to her. I was fortunate to even take a photo!
Messy slicing, but yummy on the tummy.

Lamb Pastitsio
From Coconut and Lime

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 3/4 lb ground lamb

28 oz canned whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon crushed rosemary

4 sprigs worth of thyme leaves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons merlot vinegar

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta:

1 lb ziti (or if you can find it, Macaroni Pastitsio no. 2; I ordered it from Amazon)

3 egg whites, beaten

3 tablespoons grated kefalotyri cheese (or Parmesan)

For the béchamel:

5 tablespoons butter

4 cups milk 

1/2 cup flour

3 egg yolks, beaten

3/4 cup grated kefalotyri cheese (or Parmesan)

pinch nutmeg

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the lamb and continue to saute until the lamb is fully cooked, breaking up any large pieces as it cooks. Drain off excess fat. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to slightly less than al dente. Allow to cool, then toss with the egg whites and cheese. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter for the béchamel. Whisk in the flour and when smooth, add the milk. Whisk to incorporate the flour mixture. Cook on low, whisking occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour half of the pasta into a 2 1/2 quart casserole. Top with half of the meat sauce. Press the mixture down firmly and make sure the sauce goes to each edge. Top with half of remaining pasta then all of the remaining sauce. Arrange the remaining pasta on top of the sauce and then top with the béchamel.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the béchamel is golden. Loosely tent with foil and allow to sit 20-30 minutes prior to serving.

Fusilli with Meyer Lemon Cream Sauce

Such a scrumptious dish and you probably have all the ingredients in your fridge and pantry. The recipe is almost too simple to post! And I'm certain we all throw this kind of pasta dish together frequently.
Nonetheless: this lemon pasta is a quick dinner for summer, easy to make and full of Meyer lemon flavor. The touch of garlic is perfect and it's nice and cheesy. 
(Another of my favorite easy pastas is Ina's Summer Pasta!)

Fusilli with Meyer Lemon Cream Sauce
From The Corner Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 pound fusilli pasta
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
salt & fresh ground pepper

Method:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a high-rimmed sauté pan or a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute. Pour in the cream and cook until it's about one-third of the way reduced. It should thicken slightly. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Toss with pasta with the sauce. Divide between plates or top with additional Parmesan cheese and Meyer lemon zest.

Pasta Pie

Fair warning: this could not be classified as a quick and easy dinner. Not that it was difficult, but oh so time-consuming. If you've got some teens who like to cook, you've got it made. Or if you have more patience than I, go for it. Cathy at Noble Pig thought stuffing the rigatoni with the sauce was a "weirdly satisfying task". Hah!  Not so. Tedious and boring was my take.

What balances tedious out is the clever pasta pie idea and it's a fun presentation; I've been wanting to make this since I first saw it, so I'm relieved I got it out of my system. If I had made the whole recipe, I'd still be in the kitchen. I used my 6 1/2 inch springform pan, so I cut this recipe in half. Cathy calls for a 9 inch pan, which is the recipe below. The smaller pan would serve about 5-6 people, depending on the size of the wedges you cut, so the bigger one maybe 10. Let me know if you've ever made it....I'd love to know if you found fatter rigatoni; I could barely stuff my little finger in those holes! But if you have some smaller hands available for this chore, set them to work.! That's the answer. Little fingers. 

Pasta Pie

From Cathy at Noble Pig

Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
2 garlic gloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Method:
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone. One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more. 
Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. (good luck with that)
Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold. 
Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

Ina First Fridays: Conchiglie al Forno with Mushrooms and Radicchio

While having lunch the other day, I was watching Ina Garten's TV show (no doubt a repeat) and she made this pasta dish. I don't eat a lot of pasta, but looking down at my boring salad and then looking up at this pasta dish coming out of the oven, what do you think I decided? I had to make it. That day and for dinner. 
After driving over to Whole Foods for the pasta, I was ready to go. This is a snap to make, doesn't take much time to put together and only 10 minutes in a really hot oven to finish. Ina was right. Again. This dish was fantastic. All those cheeses, the slight bitterness of the radicchio, those garlicky shiitake mushrooms and the crisp pasta on top! Best pasta dinner in ages. And....how easy was that?

Conchiglie al Forno with Mushrooms and Radicchio
Barefoot Contessa, International Pasta; recipe by Johanne Killeen, Al Forno Restaurant

Ingredients:
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups (2 medium heads) finely shredded radicchio
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup coarsely shredded fontina (1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola (3 ounces)
2 teaspoons ricotta
6 leaves fresh sage, chopped (see note)
1 pound imported conchiglie rigate (pasta shells)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and slice the mushroom caps about 1/4-inch thick. Heat 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet; add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms, radicchio, cream, cheeses, sage, and remaining salt.

Parboil the pasta shells for 4 minutes; drain and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Toss to combine.

Divide the pasta mixture among 6 to 8 individual, shallow, ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2 cup capacity). Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Ina's notes: In the absence of fresh sage, do not substitute dried. As a substitute, choose one of the following: 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon OR 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves OR 8 leaves fresh rosemary OR 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed.
Makes about 5-6 servings.

                                             **********************************************

• Ina Fridays participants:
  
  
  •  Alyce @ More Time at the Table
  •   Anna @ Cheese with Noodles
  •   Barbara @ Moveable Feasts  
  •   Bhavna @ Just a Girl From AAmchi Mumbai..
  •   Chaya @  Bizzy Bakes
  •   Linda,  @ Tumbleweed Contessa
  •   Mary @ The Egg Farm
  •   Minnie @ The Lady 8 Home
  •   Mireya @ My Healthy Eating Habits
  •   Patti @ Comfy Cuisine
  •   Peggy@ Pantry Revisited
  •   Rocky Mountain Woman @ Rocky Mountain Woman
  •   Veronica@ My Catholic Kitchen
  • Linda @ There and Back Again

Lemon Chicken Pasta

This is one of those recipes you read and then put in the back of your mind to make and/or adapt later. Got leftover chicken? Check. Got lemons? Of course. Pasta? Yes. Herbs from your garden and Parmesan and you're all set with a really speedy meal. Love the tang of fresh lemons with chicken!

Lemon Chicken Pasta
Found on Framed Cooks

Ingredients:
8 ounces linguine 
1/2 stick butter 
2 cups cooked shredded chicken 
1/4 cup mixed chopped parsley, chives and thyme, plus extra for garnish 
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish 
Thin lemon slices for garnish

Method:

Cook pasta in heavily salted water until done. Reserve one cup pasta water and drain. Meanwhile, melt butter and add the chicken. Stir until ever so slightly brown and heated through completely.Stir in herbs and lemon juice. Add pasta and cheese to chicken mixture and toss. Add just enough pasta water to form a light sauce. Garnish with more herbs and lemon slices and top with more Parmesan.

Louise's Pasta Party: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

If you follow Louise from Months of Edible Celebrations you'll know October 25th is World Pasta Day. Louise is celebrating with a giveaway, a new Pinterest Board and pasta recipe links from her blog buddies.
Now I've posted this dish before and while I rarely repost, this recipe is one of my favorite fall pasta dishes. I don't usually include photo-instructions either, but it's easier to fold these when you have a guide. You'll love these flavors...and it makes such a pretty presentation.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:
For the squash filling: 
1 butternut squash, approximately 2 pounds, cubed (about 3 cups) 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons 
1 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 
2 large shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup) 
2 garlic cloves, chopped 
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese 
4 small amaretti cookies, crushed (about 1/3 cup) 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1 package small wonton wrappers 

For the brown butter sauce: 
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks) 
2 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves 
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped 
1/2 cup dried cranberries, or chopped dried cherries, or mixture of both 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Method:
To make the ravioli, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a foil-lined baking sheet toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. 
In a food processor, combine the butternut squash mixture, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies, the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The tortellini filling can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. 

To put together the ravioli, lay out 6 wonton skins, keeping the remaining skins inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel. Place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of each skin. 

Dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edges of the skin. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. 

Dampen the two bottom corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed ravioli on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. 

Before laying out another 6 wonton sheets, be careful to dry the work surface. This will help keep ravioli from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the butternut squash mixture is used. There should be approximately 36 ravioli. (The ravioli can be formed, frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container and stored for up to six months. To cook, simply toss the frozen ravioli into the salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.) 

To make the sauce and serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sage, walnuts and cranberries and let cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and season with salt, and pepper. 

Stir to combine. Then, gently place the ravioli in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float they are done, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently spoon the ravioli onto a serving platter, Top with the brown butter sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. 

Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts

I rarely order pasta when dining out.....mainly because the pasta portions restaurants serve are g-normous. Who could eat all that? But making it at home is a different matter. With dishes like this, you have control over portion size and while I am not a huge pasta eater, now and then I like to make easy pasta recipes. One of my favorites is Ina Garten's summer pasta, which I posted recently. And now I've found another, perfect for one or two. While we prefer the nutty taste of whole wheat pasta in my family, this recipe caught my eye and I bought regular spaghetti to make it. Makes for a prettier presentation with the mascarpone sauce. It was lemony and altogether fabulous. Love the crunch from the hazelnuts.


Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts
Slightly adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients:
1 Meyer lemon, zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice) 
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of fresh pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 pound spaghetti
5 cups (loosely packed) fresh spinach, washed, spun dry, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts

Method:
Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Bring a pot of water to boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Return the pasta to the pot, and set over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone sauce. Add the spinach and toss so that the spinach begins to wilt. If you need to, add some pasta water to keep the sauce somewhat fluid. (I didn't) Continue to cook and toss until the spinach is cooked. Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Serves two.

Monnezzaglia and Cheese

In Naples Italy, pasta was once sold by weight, not in packages. At the end of the day venders were left with broken pieces and small amounts of various shapes. They were all combined and sold as munnezzaglia, dialect for "all garbage".  Wandering through Williams Sonoma one day, I came across a package of monnezzaglia. (I've seen it spelled with both with a "u" and an "o", but "o" is the spelling used on this package, which is imported from Italy, so let's go with that.)

Doesn't it look like a party in a package? I couldn't resist so I made mac and cheese with it, using Ina Garten's recipe for "Grown Up" Three Cheese Mac and Cheese. But I made the crunchy topping with just butter and fresh bread crumbs and sprinkled it generously on top before baking. Ina adds chopped fresh basil to her topping and crisp bacon to the cheese sauce, which I didn't have in the pantry (and forgot to buy), although those two ingredients would certainly add more layers of flavor. 

Three Cheese Mac Monnezzaglia and Cheese
Adapted from Ina Garten, 2007

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil 
Kosher salt 
2 cups monnezzaglia 
1 1/2 cups milk 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated 
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated 
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
Pinch nutmeg 
bread crumbs

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the monnezzaglia and cook according to the directions on the package. Remember, slightly undercooked as you're going to bake it. Drain well. 
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes. 

Basic bread crumb topping: Place some bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Dump the bread crumbs in a bowl and add some melted butter; sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top. 

Would you like to see a healthier recipe idea I found for monnezzaglia? Check HERE. The fun variety of the pasta shows up better in this recipe as well.

Easy enough to make your own Monnezzaglia: try to use one brand of quality artisanal pasta and add bottom of the bag leftovers and broken spaghetti. I bet you were already doing that and didn't realize there was a name for it!

Summer Pasta

We've never been pasta eaters in my family. I have a great old spaghetti sauce recipe I used to make for a crowd and, of course, mac and cheese when the kids were small, but these days I rarely make pasta dishes. My mother didn't either...mac and cheese, but that's it. I don't know about my boys any more, but I know my daughter doesn't eat pasta much (if at all) either. 

So normally, I wouldn't jump right in and make Ina's Garden Pasta, but I was intrigued with the way she "marinated" the tomatoes and wanted to see how they turned out. Another thing I liked about this recipe was I had all the ingredients needed without a trip to the store. Always a plus. 
The sweetness of the tomatoes shines through in this dish; I thought it was delicious. Here's a pasta dish that you can adapt for just one person. Or two.

Summer Garden Pasta
2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:
4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried angel hair pasta
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Method:
Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.
Just before you're ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful - it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!). Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving. Serves six.

50 Women Game Changers in Food: #22, Amanda Hesser

Amanda grew up in a family where everyone cooked so it was something that came naturally. While in college getting a degree in economics and finance, she realized she still needed food to be part of her life. She took a job at Michaela's Bakery in Cambridge (now called Rialto) and after graduating from college, ended up With a grant from Les Dames d'Escoffier, working in bakeries and restaurants in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France.

While in France, Amanda worked for Anne Willan (#27 on our list of game changers and the founder of Ecole de Cuisine LaVar), living in her house and helping her write cookbooks. During this time, Hesser's writings began to appear in newspapers and magazines. There was a gardener at Anne's house she befriended which gave her the idea to write her first book, The Cook and The Gardener and she returned to the states and finished the book.

Following publication, Hesser was hired as a food reporter for The New York Times. Since, she has written the award-winning books Cooking for Mr. Latte (really a memoir about her courtship with her husband Tad Friend) and edited the essay collection, Eat, Memory. Then came a New York Times bestseller (which took 5 years to test and write) and the winner of a James Beard award: The Essential New York Times Cookbook, which Merrill Stubbs, chef and food writer, assisted in writing.

During the entire time Amanda and Merrill were cooking and writing the Essential New York Times Cookbook, they had conversations about what was happening on line and how wonderful it would be to crowd source recipes. They decided to do an experiment and create a contest for the best 52 recipes of the year by the week. (Hence the name Food52) Amanda and Merrill have created a real business with the best home chefs across America under the umbrella of Food52. They recently published The Food52 Cookbook.

Amanda and her husband live in Brooklyn with their twins, Walker and Addie.

I've already posted a fabulous Hesser recipe...Lemon Chicken....and had been tempted by a photo of her mac and cheese I'd seen around the same time. This post finally gave me an excuse to make it. Wow. The calories. But it was the best (and simplest) mac and cheese I've ever eaten, especially if you love it crunchy around the edges the way I do. :)

Amanda Hesser's Baking Sheet Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter 
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated 
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated 
1 pound pasta spirals (or other small shape) 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne  
Salt  
2/3 cup whole milk

Method: 
Heat oven to 475 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine the grated cheeses and set aside 2 heaping cups for topping.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne and salt to taste. Spread the mixture in the baking sheet and evenly pour the milk over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, dot with the remaining butter ( I didn't use this extra butter on top...insult to injury) and bake, uncovered, until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.

Join Mary from One Perfect Bite and all the other participants in this fun series.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets 
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Kathleen Van Bruinisse - Bake Away with Me 
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Martha - Lines from Linderhof
Amy - Beloved Green
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Nancy - Picadillo
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Fiddling Around

Every year in late spring or very early summer, I read something or other about fiddlehead ferns. One of the articles mentioned they grow wild in New England along mossy stream banks. That kind of lets Florida out, or so I thought until I found them in both the Fresh Market and Whole Foods. So I brought some home, did more reading and made them for dinner the other night.

So what are they exactly? They are the immature leaf fronds of ostrich fern plants that have not yet opened. Fern leaves are poisonous once they open and can only be enjoyed in this early stage. 
What do they taste like? A cross between artichokes and asparagus, kind of earthy and nutty.

Where do you find them? The ostrich fern is native to the northeast as well as to the upper Midwestern states. Ostrich fern also grows freely in Alaska and in many parts of Canada. It is grown in the Northwest where wild-food enthusiasts consider it high on the culinary list. Ostrich fern will grow in the home garden in regions with moderate to cold winters and mild summers. It does not do well in areas that remain warm year round. The winter chill period is important to the growth cycle of this fern.

So, look for them in late spring and very early summer. Fiddlehead ferns are only available for a short time, so grab them while you can. Because Florida does not have fiddlehead ferns growing by mossy stream banks or anyplace else, I looked to see where mine came from. The label said: Alpine Foragers Exchange Inc. in Portland Oregon. That's a long trip from Oregon to Florida for sure. I'm rather surprised someone in New England isn't supplying them, but maybe the prices are higher or perhaps nobody's thought of it.

I also read they are fabulous served with morels, which you lucky northerners can forage for at just about the same time. Those two earthy flavors combined must be a gourmand's dream. I think next spring I'm going to splurge and buy some dried morels just so I can taste these two together. But if you love mushrooms and don't want to spring for morels, use shiitakes or any other commonly available mushroom.

How to prepare them for cooking? If more than 2 inches of stem remains attached beyond the coiled part of the fiddlehead snap or cut it off. If any of the paper chaff remains on the fiddleheads you may rub it off by hand. I rinsed them in water and used a soft brush to get the chaff off. After the chaff is removed wash the fiddleheads in several changes of cold water to remove any dirt or grit. Drain the fiddlehead completely. Use them fresh as soon after harvest as possible.
When I made them, I got some salted boiling water going and parboiled them for a couple minutes. Not long, because you don't want them soft. Put them in an ice bath and then dry them completely. The first time, I fried them along with some shallots and garlic and seasoned them with salt and pepper, eating them as a vegetable. Double yum, people. 
Then I read Mary's blog.... Ocean Breezes, Country Sneezes and she had made them with pancetta, something I noticed a few other recipes suggested. Mary also mentioned you can freeze them. I'll try that next year, although I should think getting them absolutely fresh (which I can't) would be key to successful freezing.
The next night, because I had some angel hair pasta, I cooked that and at the same time, browned some pancetta, browned shallots and garlic with the parboiled fiddleheads, tossed it with the pasta and topped with a bit of Parmesan. Oh Lord. Deeee-vine. 

But next time, I'm using bacon which would be just as good if not better (and I almost always have some in the fridge), and mushrooms. Morels would be perfect if I could get them, which I can't, darn it, but we already discussed that. Next spring, if you find fiddleheads in your market or if you can forage for them, take some home. Make them with bacon and mushrooms. What a treat. So here's the recipe...with by-the-seat-of-your-pants instructions;  a combination of several recipes. 

Fiddlehead Ferns with Pancetta

Ingredients:
Fiddlehead ferns
Pancetta, 1/4 inch thick, diced (or bacon)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, diced
pasta, your choice
Parmesan
mushrooms, morels if you're lucky (optional)

Method:
Clean the fiddleheads as described above. Boil them in salted water for a couple minutes, then plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking.
Dry thoroughly. Brown the diced pancetta and remove from pan onto paper towels. I discarded the grease, wiped the pan and added some butter. Add the shallots, garlic and fiddleheads. Brown them lightly and then add the pancetta.

Cook your pasta as desired, drain and toss with the fiddlehead/shallot mixture. Top with some Parmesan and serve.

Nana's Baked Noodles Antin

I know exactly what you're thinking: who's Antin?  I've asked myself the same question. And I couldn't find a thing about it online, with the exception of one lone copy of the recipe....very strange.  It was on Cooks.com, where one often finds reprints of really old recipes usually with no explanation. The kind that were in those wonderful old church cookbooks. The recipe was identical to Nana's (my dear MIL), so I guess she wasn't the only one making this. One thing I do know, this is a really old recipe. I'd guess 40's or 50's at least, if not older. Would love to hear from anyone who might have heard of this before and if you know the background.

I imagine one of Nana's friends passed this recipe on to her....she had so many. One her nicest ladies' groups called themselves The Menopause Mamas. (no need to explain how that got started) The MM's for short. When I was pregnant with my first, the MM's had a baby shower for me and I got the most beautiful things! Wouldn't surprise me if the recipe came from one of those really fun women. They did everything together.

   

                                                                                                
At any rate, my MIL served this dish a lot with a grilled steak. Back in those days, that was pretty much the only thing anyone grilled.....well, perhaps chicken once in a while. I think it's much like a savory kugel, without the eggs. This would be even better made with whole wheat noodles, but I was using up what I had left over. Sort of a mac and cheese side dish. You might even have most of the ingredients in your pantry; toss them all together and you have one fast side dish. It wouldn't surprise me if this dish was invented to use up leftovers. Probably by someone whose last name was Antin! You can substitute some lo-cal sour cream and cottage cheese, although I've never tried that. (Will it curdle?) Anyway.. this is quick, easy, cheap and if you're a crunchy noodle lover like me, you will be eating the top off this casserole and then picking at the sides after dinner.

Baked Noodles Antin

Ingredients:
 5 ounces egg noodles
 1 cup  cottage cheese
 1 cup  sour cream
 1/2 clove  garlic, crushed
 1 sm.  onion, minced
 1 Tablespoon  worcestershire sauce
 dash tobasco
 salt and pepper
 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Method:
Cook noodles until barely done. Drain well  and mix with all other ingredients. Put into a buttered casserole, Top with Parmesan cheese and bake in a 375 oven until brown. 


Serves 6