Side Dish Recipes
A Friend of the Accidental Locavore's Recipe for Greek Ratatouille
Briam
For the sauce:
• 3 tomatoes
• ½ cup olive oil (or less)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano (I used 1 tbsp dried)
• ¼ cup capers
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• Salt & pepper, to taste
For the vegetables:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1 tomato, cut in 1 ½ “ chunks
• 2 potatoes, cut in 1 ½ “ chunks
• 2 medium eggplants, cut in 1 ½ “ chunks
• 3 zucchini, sliced ½” thick
• 3 red bell peppers, sliced ½” thick
• 1 cup carrots, sliced ½” thick
• 1 cup green beans, cut in half horizontally
Feta cheese and pita bread for serving
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place the tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, parsley, mint, basil, oregano, capers and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor (a blender or stick blender would be fine). Pulse well to form fresh tomato sauce. Add salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish then add all remaining veggies. Toss to coat all with the oil. Pour the tomato sauce over the top and mix thoroughly. Add a little water, if required, to cover the vegetables with sauce. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour until all the vegetables are tender. Serve with feta cheese sprinkled over the top and warm pita bread.
My verdict: Delicious, although I really strayed from the recipe. For the sauce: no sugar. I forgot to get basil and parsley, so just doubled up on the mint and (dried) oregano and added what was left of a bottle of white wine (about ½ cup) to thin it out. Amazingly, I didn’t have any zucchini or green beans left and I’m not a fan of cooked carrots, so they didn’t make the mix. For the peppers: a pimento, several padrón peppers (otherwise known as the Russian roulette of peppers and these were hot) and a pale green one. The Locavore tossed in a handful of mixed, pitted olives in keeping with the Greek theme and a bag of frozen artichoke hearts. I served it as a side dish, however it would be great over orzo. The feta adds a nice creaminess so make sure to sprinkle some on top.
Recipe for Braised Radishes
This is my version of the radishes Emeril made when the Accidental Locavore was a guest on his show. The hardest part of this? Making sure the radish greens are really well washed! Serves 2 as a side dish.
- 1 bunch radishes with their greens
- 1 cup stock, for braising (I used ½ chicken, ½ white wine)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt & pepper to taste
Cut the greens off the radishes and thoroughly wash both the radishes and the greens. In a large sauté pan (that you have a lid for), put the stock and the radishes. Bring stock to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes (depending on the size of your radishes), until tender. Remove the lid, add the greens and cook for another 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has been evaporated and the greens are cooked through. Add the butter, salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Serve and enjoy!
I’ve seen recipes that add sliced shallots — try it, if you like.
Accidental Locavore Recipe for Potato Salad With Pepperoni
Since the Accidental Locavore had so many beautiful fingerling potatoes, it was time for another potato salad. This one is adapted from the NY Times to feed 4 as a side dish. I left the garlic in with my potatoes, but you can take it out if you want. This is a pretty quick and easy recipe for a nicely spicy potato salad. It’s also a good picnic potato salad as there’s nothing to worry about spoiling (except your appetite!).
- 1 pound small potatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 6-8 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- Salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon oregano (fresh or dried)
- 4 ounces pepperoni, finely chopped
- 4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Ground black pepper.
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add potatoes, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and 2 tablespoons of salt, then boil until potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes depending on size.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add sage and oregano and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pepperoni, lower heat to medium-low, and render fat from the meat for about 2 minutes. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. When the potatoes are done, drain them, discard thyme and peppercorns, and lightly crush potatoes with the back of a fork. Keep warm in a bowl, covered with a kitchen towel.
4. Add the vinegar to the skillet and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour mixture over warm potatoes, toss and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve and enjoy.
Accidental Locavore Grilled Japanese Eggplant Salad Recipe
Figure 1 eggplant per person.
- 4 Japanese eggplants, washed, ends trimmed off and slit lengthwise in half
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts (feel free to use other nuts if you prefer)
- 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
- 2 tablespoons mint, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Light a grill, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the eggplants with some of the olive oil. Grill the eggplants until tender, about 3-4 minutes a side. You can serve the eggplants warm or allow them to come to room temperature…your choice.
Mix the balsamic vinegar, remainder of the olive oil, salt and pepper together and set aside.
To serve, plate the eggplants, top with the goat cheese, pine nuts, basil and mint. Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over it. Serve and enjoy!
The Accidental Locavore Recipe: Grilled Turnips
Turnip greens are great on their own, just be careful to wash them well as they can be sandy. Sauté them slowly in some olive oil with garlic and/or a splash of white wine or chicken stock. Here’s an interesting way to use the turnips:
- 1 pound turnips, sliced ¼” thick
- Olive oil for brushing the turnips
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
- Zest of 1 lemon
Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Brush the turnips with 1 tablespoon of olive oil on both sides. Season with salt & pepper. Grill the turnips over moderately high heat until tender, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter.
Put the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and cook until just sizzling. Reduce the heat to low and cook the garlic until golden, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic! Remove from heat, add the parsley and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spoon over the turnips, top with the lemon zest, serve and enjoy!
The Accidental Locavore Recipe for Green Beans Three Ways
The Accidental Locavore thinks there’s a lot you can do with green beans once they’ve been blanched. It’s a good idea to prepare an ice bath for them before you start. Just fill a big bowl with ice cubes and water.
To blanch the beans, either heat a large pot of water until boiling, add the beans and cook for 4 minutes until crisp-tender, or put them in a covered dish in the microwave for 3 minutes on high. Drain the beans in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove from the ice bath and pat dry. These are all for 1 pound green beans, trimmed (and cut into 1” lengths if you want) and blanched:
Indian Style
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon each: cumin seeds, mustard seeds (brown or yellow) and sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the cumin, mustard and sesame seeds. As soon as the seeds start popping (which will be almost immediately) add the beans, stir and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the salt and cayenne and stir for about a minute. Serve and enjoy.
With Grilled Lime
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lime cut in half and grilled for 10 minutes, cut side down
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the beans and cook until warmed through about 4 minutes. Squeeze the lime over the beans and garnish with the sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy.
With Toasted Pine Nuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (toast them in the pan before adding the beans, or on a plate in the microwave for a minute…be careful not to burn them)
Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the beans and pine nuts and cook until warmed through about 4 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Sugar Snap Peas With Your Favorite Herbs
The Accidental Locavore thinks sugar snap peas are pretty amenable to being paired with a variety of fresh herbs. Here’s a basic recipe for them that’s quick and easy. Feel free to use your favorite herbs and citrus. A shallot thinly sliced and sautéed with the peas would work well too. Experiment and see what you like the best. Here are some suggestions: mint with lemon, lime or orange, cilantro with lime, thyme or tarragon with lemon, lemon verbena with lemon, basil with orange or lime. Serves 4.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound sugar snap peas (Snap off the stem ends of the snap peas and pull the string down the length)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint (chopped)
Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the peas and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and sauté, stirring until the lime juice is almost evaporated. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt & pepper and stir in the mint. Serve and enjoy!
What’s your favorite herb/citrus combination?
The Accidental Locavore's Farm Box and a Recipe for Sugar Snap Peas
There were what may be the last of the asparagus, big purple ones (because Farmer Paul knows when it comes to asparagus, I’m a size queen) and some skinny green ones he threw in since we were chatting and catching up while banding asparagus and getting them ready for the market. The next morning, I tossed a spear in the microwave for a minute, then sliced it thinly on the diagonal and added them to my scrambled eggs for another great breakfast.
Two kinds of lettuce, a bunch of arugula and I’m set for lunch for the week.
And finally, a big batch of sugar snap peas to sauté in olive oil or butter and top with my favorite herbs. Here’s the recipe:
Sugar Snap Peas With Your Favorite Herbs
Sugar snap peas are pretty amenable to being paired with a variety of fresh herbs. Here’s a basic recipe for them that’s quick and easy. Feel free to use your favorite herbs and citrus. A shallot thinly sliced and sautéed with the peas would work well too. Experiment and see what you like the best. Here are some suggestions: mint with lemon, lime or orange, cilantro with lime, thyme or tarragon with lemon, lemon verbena with lemon, basil with orange or lime. Serves 4.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound sugar snap peas (Snap off the stem ends of the snap peas and pull the string down the length)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint (chopped)
Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the peas and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and sauté, stirring until the lime juice is almost evaporated. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt & pepper and stir in the mint. Serve and enjoy!
What’s your favorite herb/citrus combination?
If you want to experience Paul Wigsten’s amazing produce for yourself, catch him and his family at the Millbrook NY farmers’ market on Saturdays from 9-1. You don’t really need a black Range Rover and matching Lab, but it couldn’t hurt…
Recipes for Asparagus: Steam, Grill, or Roast and Enjoy!
This time of year, recipes for asparagus are as plentiful as tree pollen (but not quite as excessive as recipes for ramps). The Accidental Locavore shares recipes and ideas for asparagus (to see how to pick asparagus check out the “How To” section).
No recipes needed to grill asparagus, one of my favorite ways to cook them. If they’re not too big, just toss them in some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and throw them on the grill for 5-10 minutes, turn after a couple of minutes and cook until they start to have grill marks, are flexible and cooked through. If you’re working with bigger stalks, you might want to steam them (I use the microwave) for 4 minutes, then toss in olive oil and grill, or skip the steaming and just cook them a little longer over slightly lower heat (charred is not good).
This may sound a little crazy: a great recipe for grilling asparagus is to marinate them in a mayonnaise mix, then grill them. This recipe is adapted from Food & Wine. Feel free to substitute and/or add things like mustard, hot sauce, or sprinkle with something like Parmesan Cheese before or after grilling. Added bonus? The asparagus won’t stick to the grill. 6 servings if you’re not too greedy.
- ½ cup mayonnaise (make your own-it’s easy and tastes so much better)
- ¼ cup olive oil (use a good quality)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (use the back of a knife)
- 1 tablespoon sweet, smoked paprika (you can use the hot smoked paprika if you like, or substitute a little of the sauce from chipotles in adobo)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin (if you don’t have the smoked paprika, just use a little more cumin for that smoky taste)
- 1 pound thick asparagus, woody bottoms snapped off or cut
Light a grill. In a shallow dish, whisk the mayonnaise with all the other ingredients, except the asparagus. Add the asparagus, toss and let sit for 30 minutes. Grill the asparagus over moderately high heat, turning to cook evenly, until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
Asparagus are also good roasted. Same principle as grilling, just toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until they’re cooked through.
I’ve roasted them with sprinkles of goat cheese and herbs de Provence, ok but not great. Better is some lemon zest, and grated Parmesan (you can add before they go in, or sprinkle on before serving.
When you steam them (4-5 minutes in the microwave and they keep their color), or (steam them in a pan) on top of the stove, to jazz them up a little hollandaise sauce is delicious, decadent and easy to make. Recently I made an “homage to hollandaise” with about ½ cup crème fraiche, 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard and a little squeeze of lemon juice mixed together and served with roasted asparagus. Not quite the guilt of hollandaise.
What’s your favorite recipe for asparagus?
Cook-Along Recipe for Gratin Dauphinois (Potato Gratin to You)
Potato gratin to go with rack of lamb for Valentine’s Day, what’s a better combination? So the Accidental Locavore went straight to the source for this week’s cook-along recipe, Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I wanted a recipe for a classic French potato gratin and found it with the Gratin Dauphinois. The only major change I made with it was to omit the cooking on top of the stove as I’m sure the gratin pan I have wasn’t flameproof, so I just cooked it in oven a little longer. The book says for 6 people, maybe my guests were just hungry, it fed 4. Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
- 2 pounds potatoes (I used Yukon Golds)
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup (4 ounces) Swiss cheese, grated (I used a Gruyere from Murray’s Cheese)
- 1 cup boiling milk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8″ thick. Place them in a bowl of cold water, and drain when ready to use.
Rub the baking dish with the cut garlic. Grease the dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Drain the potatoes and dry them with a towel. Spread half of them in the dish. Sprinkle half the salt, pepper,cheese and butter over them. Add the rest of the potatoes, and cover with the rest of the cheese, butter, salt and pepper. Pour the boiling milk over the potatoes.
Julia says to set the baking dish over heat and when simmering move to the upper third of the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, the milk is absorbed, and the top is browned. I just popped them in the oven and cooked them until they were browned, about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
My rating: 3 stars. The potatoes were a little overcooked, and there was no sign of the cheese. Next time, I would use more cheese, and maybe substitute cream for the milk. A little fresh thyme and/or nutmeg might help. It may have been the potatoes I used, but the dish was kind of watery. However, potatoes with cheese, milk and butter, how bad can it be? I’ll definitely keep rubbing the cut garlic on the baking dish.
Frank’s rating: 5 stars
Robin’s rating: 4.5 stars…”the potatoes were PERFECT, and seasoned perfectly to let the flavor of the potato shine…the only reason it’s not higher for me is because I would have probably put a little more cheese in it, but I love cheese!”
Schecky’s rating: 4 stars,” and say it was simple and delicious – a perfect compliment for the rest of the meal.”
