Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic scapes are one of the best heralds of summer. Up here in Maine, we plant garlic cloves in the fall, letting them grow some roots before the winter freeze. Then we weed and and feed them painstakingly in the spring. Garlic, like many other alliums, is day-length sensitive. It will only put on vegetative growth until the summer solstice. Then, it will start to form a bulb and mature. We try to get as much vegetative growth as we can, because a bigger plant essentially means bigger garlic!

Garlic scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic plant. Hardneck garlic varieties produce scapes, whereas softneck varieties have been bred to produce as few scapes as possible so the plant sends all its energy to the bulb. We grow mostly hardneck varieties (Phillips, German Extra Hardy, Georgian Fire, a strain of Music from NY and a strain of Music improved on in Bowdoinham) and one softneck (Inchelium Red). 

When we pick garlic scapes, we not only get a delicious vegetable, we also cause the garlic plant to send its energy back into bulb forming. So by growing lots of hardnecks, we don't get as great a percentage of energy going to the bulb as with soft necks, but we'll take the garlic scapes instead. So will you, too, if you try this pesto!

Ingredients: 
2 cups garlic scapes (about 20 scapes, and no need to be super exact)
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

Chop the garlic scapes into pieces about an inch or smaller. You can see from the picture above that I am not very scientific about it. Put a quarter of the scapes, the salt, and a big splash of the olive into a food processor and blend until it starts to smooth out. Add the rest of the scapes and olive in batches until the whole thing is as smooth as you want it. 

Note: At this stage, you can also add nuts (2 tablespoons of pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or chopped walnuts), cheese (2 tablespoons of parmesan), lemon juice (2 tablespoons), or anything else you fancy in your pesto (a 50-50 garlic scape/basil blend is very nice).

Serve on toast, pasta, grilled veggies, you name it! Alternatively, you can freeze it in any freezer container and get it out in the depths of winter when you need to remember summer.

Enjoy!

Savory Dutch Baby with Spring Greens

This yummy treat is also known as Finnish pancake. I wouldn't be surprised if it had other names also. It's simple and delicious. You can make a sweet version (I'll explain in the Notes), but I love the savory kind. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

I have adapted this recipe from The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook, by Sharon Kramis & Julie Kramis Hearn. This recipe is indeed perfectly suited to a cast iron skillet or a small Dutch Oven. It serves 4.

Dutch Baby in the Dutch Oven. Who knows how these things get named.

Savory Dutch Baby

3 tablespoons butter
8 extra-large eggs*
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 cups filling - for example:
       1 cup grated cheese and 1 cup wilted spinach
       1 cup wilted nettles and 1 cup caramelized onions
       1 3/4 cup wilted sorrel and 1/4 cup chopped chives
 

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Prepare the fillings first. This is a very forgiving recipe, so you don't have to be exact. To wilt the greens, heat a pan (I usually use a cast iron skillet) on medium-high heat with a splash of oil or butter. When the pan is hot, toss in the greens and immediately pour about 1/4 cup of water (or lemon juice or vinegar if you like tangy) over the greens. They will steam and curl up quickly. Stir them around to steam them evenly. When they are thoroughly limp but still brightish in color, remove the greens from the pan to a bowl, draining them and discarding extra liquid in the pan. You can also blanch the nettles in salted, boiling water for a few minutes (and then drain them) instead of wilting them - as always, with nettles, remember to wear gloves or use tongs!

Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet. While it is melting, whisk together the eight eggs, flour, and milk. You can also blitz them in a blender or food processor if you want a really smooth texture. 

Fold the fillings you are using into the batter, and pour the mixture into the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and bake about 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and puffy. 

As soon as it is done, slice it up and serve!

Notes

*You can substitute eggs of any size, but you want to have about the same volume of eggs. Eight extra-large chicken eggs is usually around 2 cups - see this article in the Portland Press Herald's Source for more info about cooking with varied egg sizes.

To make a sweet version, omit the fillings. Mix up the batter and bake as directed. Serve with your favorite pancake topper - maple syrup, blueberry sauce, lemon juice and powdered sugar...! 

Russian Carrot Salad

This is a favorite of ours. Carrot salads are usually sweet; this one is sweet and pungent and delicious. It is also a great fresh salad from winter storage vegetables.

Russian Carrot Salad

• 4 medium-large carrots
• 2-4 cloves garlic AND your favorite mayonnaise OR garlic aioli (recipe below)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Grate the carrots using a medium-large grate. Mince the garlic. Mix the carrots and garlic with enough mayonnaise to lightly coat the vegetables (or depending on your preference for mayonnaise). If you are making the aioli, mix the carrots with one recipe of aioli.

Aioli (from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food)

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt, a pinch or to taste
1 egg yolk, separated into a mixing bowl
1/2 teaspoon water
1 cup olive oil

Pound the garlic in a mortar and pestle with the salt. If you don't mind larger chunks of garlic you can just mince it. Add half the garlic and the water to the egg yolk. Now comes the fun part:

Mix well with a whisk OR an electric mixer. Start to dribble the olive oil into the egg yolk mixture, whisking or mixing constantly. Keep dribbling, a little at a time, until the mixture thickens, gets lighter in color, and becomes opaque. Then you can add the oil faster, still whisking or mixing until you have added all the oil. You can add more salt, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar to taste.

Note: if you use extra virgin olive oil, the mixing process releases some of the bitter compounds in EVOO, so if you don't want that flavor, use other oils (like safflower oil) in combination or as a replacement.

Note 2: if you use duck eggs, which have larger yolks, you may need to add a little more oil to reach the desired consistency. 

Sausage and kale calzones

Laura found this recipe from the StarTribune (thank you, google search!).

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Sausage and Kale Calzones 

Adapted from Meredith Deeds' recipe on www.startribune.com.

Makes 8.

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. sausage, casings removed (we used our pork garlic sausage, but you can substitute whatever kind of sausage you like - or tempeh for a vegetarian version!)
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 c. chopped kale (about 2 small bunches)
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. (3 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 c. ricotta
• 2 tbsp. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• Basic Pizza Dough (recipe follows)
• Marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade), optional

You can use any pizza crust recipe you like.

I use the one from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.

The recipe is: combine 3 cups warm water, 1.5 tablespoons salt, 1.5 tablespoons yeast, and 6-6.5 cups flour. Mix well, let rise for 2 hours.

It's ready to be used then, or you can refrigerate it until you need it - make sure to let it warm up before using if you have refrigerated it.

This recipe makes enough for 4 medium pizzas or 8 small calzones.

Calzone crust rolled out on a pizza peel.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

The cooked filling for the calzones.

To prepare filling: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up lumps with the back of a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add kale; sauté 8 minutes or until kale is tender. Stir in pepper and salt. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Add the mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan and red pepper to the sausage mixture; stir well.

To assemble: Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 1/2 cup sausage and kale mixture onto half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold dough over filling. Press edges together to seal. Beginning at one end and working toward the other, stretch sealed edge outward, pinching and rolling edge to form a rope. Transfer to baking sheet.

Place calzones on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Pierce the tops of the dough once with a fork. Lightly coat the calzones with olive oil. Bake for 14 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven. Serve warm with marinara sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.

Enjoy your delicious calzones!

Osso Buco in Bianco alla Milanese

Ben offhandedly expressed a desire to try braising beef shanks, so last Saturday we picked up four beef shanks (aka veal shanks, aka beef 'soup bone') from Eastern River Cattle Co at the Brunswick Winter Market. I used a recipe from convivial.org (link to recipe), which I have copied below and to which I have added some notes (in italics). This turned out fabulously, and it was a great way to use up some of our storage vegetables (I doubled the quantity of veggies in the recipe, and could possibly have tripled it.) I made a simple white wine and onion risotto to go with the Osso Buco since I did not have the saffron to make Risotto alla Milanese. Between the Osso Buco and Risotto I used an entire bottle of wine, so beware!

Ossobuco in Bianco alla Milanese with Gremolata (convivial.org)
serves 4

4 veal shanks, about a pound each
kosher salt & pepper
3 tablespoons. extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 small onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 medium celeriac, diced
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (optional - I omitted them)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used 1 tbsp dried thyme)
3 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken or beef stock (I used 2 cups veggie stock)
Gremolata for garnish, recipe follows

Season veal with salt and pepper. Heat saute pan over medium heat; pour in oil. Saute veal shanks on each side until golden brown; remove from pan and set aside.  Discard any excess fat remaining in pan. Return pan to stovetop and melt butter.  Add vegetables, thyme and bay leaf; saute until vegetables are soft and golden.  Add allspice and cinnamon; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Deglaze pan with wine; slowly reduce until liquid is almost evaporated. Pour in stock and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low, place veal in simmering stock, cover tightly and continue to cook over low heat or in 300° oven until meat is tender and falls off the bone with little resistance, about 2 1/2 hours. (I left it for 2 hours in the oven and did the last 15-20 minutes on the stove, testing the meat to see whether it came off the bone easily, and trying little bites of it, of course! It was meltingly tender. It could probably have stayed in the oven a little longer so that more of the collagen could dissolve, but I was afraid of overcooking it.)

Side Note: the proper amount of braising liquid should come about halfway up the sides of veal; if the veal is nearly immersed, remove it from the pan and simmer the liquid until it’s reduced to the correct volume.

Side Side Note: Braising liquid should barely simmer throughout the entire cooking process, so check it often and adjust the stove or oven temperature. If it boils hard, the meat will be very dry and no amount of liquid added to it will save your guests from choking it down.

Remove veal from braising liquid and set aside. At this point, liquid can be strained of vegetables and herbs for a more refined dish if desired. (I did not strain, but it was still sublime.) On stovetop over medium-high heat bring braising liquid to a boil. Reduce to the desired consistency and season to taste with salt, pepper, or a little red wine vinegar or lemon juice. Place veal back into pan, sprinkle gremolata over the dish and serve with Risotto alla Milanese.

Side Note 3: Braised meats and sauces freeze beautifully – either together (you know, stew) or separately.

Gremolata
1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, finely minced

Combine ingredients and sprinkle over osso buco.