Vegetarian
Accidental Locavore Makes Gnocchi: A Recipe
For a long time the Accidental Locavore has wanted to learn how to make gnocchi, one of my favorite forms of pasta, but classes never worked with my schedule. When Haven’s Kitchen had a gnocchi class that did fit, it seemed like a perfect opportunity. And wouldn’t a sparkling new kitchen be just the place?
As it turns out, making gnocchi is pretty easy. It’s just like making pasta, with the added step of cooking and ricing potatoes. Unlike pasta (and more like making biscuits) you need to have a light touch. What was surprising was how delicate the dough was, which was good because you automatically started to treat it with respect.
The bad news? Once you’ve had homemade gnocchi, you’ll never order it in a restaurant again. Here’s the recipe (which makes at least enough to feed 4):
- 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 eggs, very well beaten
- 1 cup of flour, divided into two 1/2 cup portions, plus flour for kneading the dough
Bring the potatoes to boil in a saucepan filled with cold water* and a big handful of salt. The water should be salty enough to taste like the sea…seriously! When the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, drain them and put them through a food mill or potato ricer into a large bowl (wide and shallow is better than tall and deep).
Gently push the potatoes to the sides of the bowl to form a well at the bottom of the bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the flour to the bottom of the bowl. Add the beaten eggs and top with the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Very gently, starting in the center, start to mix the eggs and flour. As they become combined, start to gently stir in the potatoes. When the dough is well-mixed, but not over-processed, turn it out on to a well-floured board.
If it’s not completely mixed, knead it a couple of times** until everything is thoroughly combined. Form it into a rectangle about 1″ thick. Cut the big rectangle into 1″ strips. Lightly flour your hands. Take one of the strips, sprinkle with flour and gently roll into a long rope about 3/4″ thick. Cut the rope into 1/2“ (or bigger depending on how large you want your gnocchi) pieces. Place the pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Again, gnocchi like wide and deep, rather than tall and narrow, so use your widest pot. Cook the gnocchi until they start to float to the top, about 2-3 minutes, depending on size. Toss with your favorite sauce, serve and enjoy!
* Here’s something the Locavore learned: the reason for the cold water is potatoes won’t cook evenly in hot water (the centers never catch up with the outsides).
**Something else I learned, always knead in the same direction, gluten likes a one-way street.
Accidental Locavore Recipe for Corn Soup
The Accidental Locavore can’t think of a cozier place to be on a snowy January day, then in the kitchen. Rather than shovel snow, or worse, get stuck watching football, the Locavore thought it was time for corn soup. This recipe, adapted from Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain cookbook, has intrigued me since this summer, and because of it, there were a dozen corn cobs and a large bag of frozen kernels in my freezer. It would serve about 4 big bowls and took about 1 1/2 hours, mostly unattended.
For the stock:
- 12 ears of corn, shucked
- 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
For the chowder:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2-3 slices, bacon (optional), sliced into 1/4″ strips
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
- Salt, pepper and sugar, to taste
Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the corn. Cut the cobs in half and put in a large stock pot. Put the kernels on a baking sheet. Add to the stockpot: the bay leaf, onion and 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cobs and cook until it’s reduced to about 5 cups of liquid.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Toss the corn kernels, garlic and bacon on the baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring once or twice until slightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Remove the garlic from the corn and bacon mix. Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook while stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the alcohol is evaporated. Add the corn kernels and bacon and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 30 minutes.
If you like your soup really smooth, purée it in a blender (and if you like it really smooth, strain it after blending it). If, like the Locavore, you prefer it a little chunky, remove about 1/4 cup of the kernels and some of the bacon and set aside. Purée the remaining soup in a blender, food processor, or use a stick blender until you reach the desired texture.
Stir in the creme fraiche or sour cream, the kernels and bacon you set aside. Taste and add salt, pepper and sugar as needed. Serve and enjoy!
My verdict: this was really good, maybe not as good as the corn and potato chowder I usually make, but a good variation. Bobby Flay’s original recipe has you add sugar in before blending and that made it too sweet. The Locavore likes using the cobs to make stock and next summer, will just collect them and toss them in the freezer for future soups. Since I was using frozen cobs and kernels, everything took longer, but the end result was delicious! I also tossed in a little jalapeño Tabasco sauce to give it a little kick.
Frank’s verdict: really good. He would have liked a little more texture, which was easily remedied by adding in some more kernels.
Recipe for My Green Tomatillo Salsa
The Accidental Locavore has always preferred tomatillo salsa to the classic red variety. In the winter when tomatoes are awful, tomatillos are a lot more dependable, flavor-wise. This is an easy recipe and makes about 1 1/2 cups of salsa.
- 10-12 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
- 1-2 Serrano chiles (jalapeños are fine too)
- 1-2 good sized garlic cloves, not peeled
- 2/3 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Lime juice to taste (optional)
In a medium pot, place the tomatillos in enough water to barely cover them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the tomatillos have changed from a bright green to more of an olive drab, about 5 minutes.
While the tomatillos are cooking, put the garlic and the chiles in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook until they are starting to blacken on one side, turn and blacken the other side about 5-6 minutes total.
Remove the chiles and garlic from the heat. As soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel it and put it in the work bowl of the food processor. Cut the stems off the chiles and add them one at a time to the work bowl. Drain the tomatillos, add them to the work bowl with the cilantro and a little salt. Process until the mixture is almost a purée, with a little texture. Taste and check for heat. Add the other chile if you’d like and/or lime juice. Serve and enjoy!
Fooling Frank: Recipe for Indian Style Salmon
One of the ongoing challenges the Accidental Locavore faces, is how to disguise that really-good-for-you super-food, salmon, so that my husband will eat it. Raw (salmon tartare), or smoked, he’s there in a heartbeat; it’s all the cooked versions he eschews. If I’m going to stick to my once-a-week fish resolution, it’s got to be a part of it. So, how about disguising it as something he usually loves — Indian food! This is from a class the Locavore took with Madhur Jaffrey and serves 2. It’s easy and quick, but best if you can give the fish some marinating time. If you like more heat, feel free to add more cayenne and mustard powder. I served it with basmati rice and broccoli roasted with garlic and curry powder.
For the rub:
- 3/4 pound salmon fillet, skinned (you can do this or have the fishmonger do it) and cut into 1×2″ chunks
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For cooking the fish:
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (brown or black)
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 fresh chilies (bird’s eye if you have them, I used serranos), slit lengthwise
Rub the cut salmon with the salt, turmeric, and cayenne. Put in a small dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 10 hours. Put the mustard powder, cayenne, turmeric and salt in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon water and mix thoroughly. Add another 7 tablespoons of water and mix. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop (a few seconds), add the cumin and fennel seeds. Stir to combine, pour in the mustard mix and the chilies. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the salmon in one layer. Simmer gently for about 3 minutes a side, spooning the sauce over the fish as it cooks. Serve and enjoy!
My verdict: This is a really simple and delicious way to cook salmon. Spooning the sauce over it as it cooks keeps the fish moist and tender. I’m going to turn up the heat the next time I make it, probably by simply cutting the chilies in half. I may toss some cilantro on top as a garnish too.
Frank’s verdict: “Not bad for cooked salmon”. He might have felt cheated because I told him we were having Indian food for dinner, but he did have seconds, finishing off the few pieces that were left.
Accidental Locavore: Recipe for Scallop, Potato and Beurre Blanc
Suddenly, the Accidental Locavore has been hearing a lot about finger limes. For something that wasn’t even on my radar, all of a sudden, they’re everywhere. When Fresh Direct had them as a President’s Pick recently, I decided to take them for a test drive.
If you live in a more citrus-friendly place (almost anywhere south of here), you’re probably thinking, finger limes, no big deal. Fine. For the rest of us, they’re kind of cool. Small and in various shades of red/burgundy/brown/green, finger limes have very distinct flesh, resembling grains of caviar (except prettier, being the palest pink). And treating the pulp like caviar is a great way to serve it.
The Locavore decided to use them as a garnish for seared sea scallops on sliced Yukon Gold Potatoes in a beurre blanc sauce. This, with some sautéed spinach, fed 2. Timing is a little tight, but you could do what I did and just keep all the components in a warm oven until you’re ready to assemble.
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into ½” slices (peeling optional). You need 8 slices
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used 2 tbsp white balsamic, 1 of sherry)
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in tablespoon-sized pieces
- Salt & white pepper (if you have it, it’s just for looks, otherwise use black)
- 8 sea scallops
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or a mix of butter & oil)
- 5-6 finger limes, cut off the end and gently squeeze the pellets into a small dish
Boil the potatoes in a medium pan of water with salt added, over medium-high heat until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry and set aside.
Boil the vinegar, water and shallots in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add cream, reduce heat to low. Whisk in one piece of butter at a time, until they’re all melted and combined. Strain sauce, pressing on shallots, to get as much liquid out of them. Return to pan and place in a warm (as low as it goes) oven to keep warm.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the potato slices and cook until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes a side. Put on a plate and keep warm in the oven
Pat dry the scallops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Add the scallops to the pan that the potatoes were in and cook until golden brown and just opaque in the center about 1 ½ minutes a side.
Pour the beurre blanc sauce on two plates. Place the potatoes on the sauce and top each with a scallop. Garnish with the finer lime “caviar”, serve and enjoy!
My verdict: The finger limes added a nice citrus crunch to the scallops. It was like the crunch you get from an inside-out sushi roll. I’m not a caviar fan, so this was a great way of getting that nice tiny crunch without the fishy taste (and not so budget-busting). The scallops were perfectly cooked and went well with the beurre blanc sauce. I thought about adding a little lime zest to the beurre blanc, but got lazy. Not sure the potatoes were essential and if I did it again, might use a more starchier potato. This was a very fancy looking dinner, (that tasted as good as it looked) without being too fussy or time-consuming.
Frank’s verdict: “Excellent!” He would have poured some of the sauce over the top of the scallops and spread out the lime a little more (he didn’t know how sticky it was!). Otherwise he was a happy eater!
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 Crab Cakes
Making crab cakes is essentially like making burgers, just switching out ingredients. This is the recipe the Accidental Locavore has used for years. Serves 4-6. These freeze well, I wrap them in wax paper first so they don’t stick together.
- 2 pounds crab meat
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 2 medium onions, minced
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard (if you don’t have it you could use Dijon, but add a little more bread crumbs so it’s not too mushy)
- 2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much spice you like)
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme (fresh is always better)
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup bread crumbs (fresh are better, panko is fine, but you might need a little more) divided in 2
- 2 tablespoons butter
If using fresh crab meat, check for shells. Place in a medium bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions until soft but not brown, about 7 minutes. In the bowl with the crab, add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs and all the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Shape the mixture into 2″ patties. Place the rest of the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the patties in the breadcrumbs. If you’re going to cook them right away, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the crab cakes until golden, about 5 minutes, turn and cook until both sides are golden brown, about another 4 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite hot sauce, and enjoy!
Accidental Locavore Recipe: Crab Meat Risotto With Peas
- 5-6 cups seafood stock (I used a quart of seafood stock and a cup of water; vegetable stock or water would be fine)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Pinch of saffron (optional)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
- 1 bunch scallions, the white parts and 2” of the green, sliced thin
- 6-8 ounces crab meat, preferably lump (I used my can from Miller’s and it was perfect)
- 4-6 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus a couple whole ones for garnish (optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest (I used most of a whole lemon)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated (you’ll probably want more)
In a medium pot, bring the stock and wine to a boil, lower to a simmer. In the largest sauté pan you have, or a Dutch oven (it’s easier if you have a large shallow surface), heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion is tender, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat well, about 1 minute.
Add about 1 cup of the hot stock and stir gently until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add another cup of the broth, still stirring, until that’s absorbed. Continue, one cup at a time until you’ve used 3 cups of stock. When that’s absorbed, add the saffron, peas, scallions, and about 1 ½ cups of the broth. Continue to cook, always stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. Taste the rice. If it’s still hard, add more stock or water and cook until it’s almost tender (al dente, anyone?).
Add the rest of the butter, crab meat, mint, lemon zest, salt and pepper, Parmesan and 1 cup liquid. Cook, stirring, until the crab meat is heated through, the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is plump and just slightly chewy. Garnish with the mint leaves, serve and enjoy!
My rating: 3.5 out of 5
The original recipe calls for 3 cups of peas which is what I used. I thought there were too many and they overpowered the rice and crab. However, since they were the last of what I had shucked and frozen from the spring, we agreed to live in harmony. The crab was lovely and subtle, the mint and lemon zest added a nice light touch. The next time I make this, the Locavore might replace the peas with frozen artichoke hearts. What do you think?
Frank’s rating 4 out of 5
He thought the rice was well cooked, but thought there were too many peas (and this from a pea fan) and too much crab meat.
Grilled Spaghetti Squash With Eggplant and Burrata
- 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half the long way (scoop out the seeds)
- 1 eggplant, cut in half the long way
- Olive oil for brushing
- Salt and pepper
- 8 ounces burrata or mozzarella, torn into ½” pieces (smoked mozzarella, feta or even chevre would work)
- 1 large tomato, cut into ½” cubes
- ½ cup basil, chopped (mint would be fine too)
Heat a grill to medium. Brush cut side of squash and all of eggplant with oil. Grill turning the eggplant occasionally, until they are both tender. This will take about 25 minutes. Check doneness by running a fork through the squash, it should be tender (same for eggplant).
Scoop out the strands of the spaghetti squash and large serving bowl. Coarsely chop the eggplant and add to the eggplant with the tomatoes, burrata and basil. Toss to combine, serve and enjoy.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m working on using the spaghetti squash as a substitute for rice noodles in Pad Thai. What do you think?
