Month: July 2015

French Green Bean & Roasted Potato Salad

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At long last my table is filling with the bounty of locally grown produce.  To celebrate I’m going to make  French Green Bean & Roasted Potato Salad.  The recipe comes from one of my favorite non-profit organizations Local Matters and stars green beans grown in my front yard along with new red potatoes and crispy romaine lettuce from my Great River Organics CSA market bag.

This post will give you a bit of an idea of a few of the things I enjoy besides cooking in my kitchen and writing for this blog, but rest assured they don’t fall far from the tree.

The first is as a volunteer for Local Matters (http://local-matters.org/).  This local non-profit does incredible things in the Columbus community and beyond to positively impact our food system and I’ve been volunteering with them for over 5 years now.  The first thing that got me hooked as a volunteer for them was the fact that they were going into pre-schools  and teaching kids and teachers about  recipes like this that came from various parts of the world.  So fun and rewarding to see food that didn’t come through a drive-through or from a box bring a smile and request for more!

In the time since I first started volunteering with them,  the number and types of programs Local Matters offers has grown dramatically. They literally reach from garden to table  and the impact they have on individual’s food choices and culinary skills among the myriad of other things is truly amazing.   My joy in volunteering for them however doesn’t stop at the important work they do.  It gives me the chance to work alongside  wonderful like-minded individuals such as their executive chef Laura Robertson-Boyd who first shared this recipe with me.

My other main ” volunteer”  gig is as a bag packer for Great River Organics CSA (http://www greatriverfarms.org).  Each week my husband and I get a first  peek at the goodies that will be delivered to a growing number of individuals in the Columbus area who choose to eat produce that  is locally and organically grown by a group of farmers that care about providing superior products, rewarding those in the time-honored profession of farming and respecting our environment.   In the literal sense we work for food because at the end of our shift we go home with some of the best produce to be found in Columbus.   Having grown up on a family farm where most of the food on our table came from our garden and pastures, I love the challenge/opportunity of creating great meals from the things that Great River Organics and I grow.   The other bonus of this gig, like my Local Matters work,  is that it allows me to work with yet another group of amazing people.  One of them is so amazing that she invited us to join a group of her friends on a cultural and culinary adventure to Italy last year.  I’ll save this story for another post(s)!

But back to the subject of this post.  This week I was able to harvest just enough green beans from my front-yard garden (I’m slowly but surely replacing things that are just ornamental with plants that either the bees and I enjoy) to go with the lovely new red potatoes and romaine lettuce from my Great River Organics bag.   Lunch just doesn’t get much better than this – at least until the vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn come along!

As with many great recipes, the list of ingredients is short which means that each one gets to shine and the quality is extra important.  So head to the farmers market or your garden and choose the freshest produce possible.  In my case I only have to step outside my front door for the beans.

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New red skin potatoes get a medium dice, a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt. 
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Then into a a 425° F oven or 400°F convection oven to roast until just tender and lightly browned.  They will tend to stick a bit to the foil, so use a gentle touch to stir/ flip them about half-way through the cook time.  Resist the temptation to eat them all as soon as they come from the oven.   
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While the potatoes are roasting, blanch and shock the green beans.  Don’t forget to salt the blanching water and have your bowl of ice water ready for the shock.  I like to use a salad spinner as my shocking vessel because it allows me to drain the beans easily and give them a spin to remove the excess water.  Beans are ready for the plunge into ice water when they are bright green and tender to the bite.  
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Next the vinaigrette.  Today I’m using a country style Dijon because it’s what I have in the refrigerator.   My personal favorite brand is Maille, probably because I had the good fortune to visit Dijon many years ago and bring home a pot of fresh mustard.  So each time I use this mustard I’m reminded of the beauty and great food to be found in the French country side and the wonderful people I met there.
The process of making a vinaigrette is simple.  Whisk the mustard and vinegar together,  then  slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you continue to whisk.   At end,  season with a little freshly ground black pepper.  
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Finely mince a shallot (if you don’t have a shallot some onion will do) and sauté in a bit of olive oil until translucent.
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Toss in the green beans and potatoes and heat until just warm.  Add the fresh tarragon or parsley ( tarragon is definitely the classic flavor for this dish, but try as I might, it is just “not my favorite” so I substitute flat leaf parsley).   Add the vinaigrette and give it another toss to combine. 
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Plate on a bed of sturdy lettuce and lunch is served.  
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 Bon Appétit and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
M.B.

French Green Bean & Roasted Potato Salad

by: M.B. Einerson

Barely adapted from a Local Matters recipe by Chef Laura Robertson-Boyd, Executive Chef 

 Servings: 2 main course or 4 side dish

  • ¾  lb. of redskin potatoes, medium dice
  • 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ lb.  green beans, snapped into ½ inch pieces (haricot vert are classic for the dish but any fresh green bean will be fine)
  • 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 small to medium shallot, minced
  • 1 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves or flat leaf parsley (optional)

Vinaigrette              

  • 1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 ½ tsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly grd. Black pepper
  • 4 cups Romaine or other sturdy lettuce, torn (optional but highly recommended )

Pre-heat oven to 425°F.   Toss diced potatoes with 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt.  Spread in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until just tender and lightly browned.   Stir once, half-way through the cooking time.

Blanch green beans in salted boiling water until just tender and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  This is called blanch and shock.

In a bowl, whisk the mustard and vinegar together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sauté the shallots in 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil in a skillet that will also hold the beans and potatoes.  When the shallots are translucent, add the cooked beans, roasted potatoes and a pinch of kosher salt.  Heat until just warm.  Add the fresh tarragon or parsley leaves.  Stir in the vinaigrette.  Serve warm or at room temperature on a bed of lettuce.

Bon Appétit
M.B.

Tomato and Cheese Tart

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To celebrate one of the first days we’ve been able to sit on the patio for a while I decided to make a long time favorite Brunch/Appetizer-Tomato, Basil & Cheese Tart.   It doesn’t exactly fit into the healthy category, but as long as the portions are small and it’s accompanied by a light green salad (I actually didn’t even put any dressing on my lettuce and tomatoes) it’s a fine way to celebrate a beautiful  Sunday in July.

The recipe comes from one of my friends in the neighborhood and has been served at many a party by both of us.  In fact,  until writing this post it was always referred to as Colleen’s “Quiche”. How it ever got that name I don’t recall,  as the only eggs that make an appearance in it come via the mayonnaise that binds the cheeses in the filling.  It does have a bit of a quiche-like appearance however with its lovely golden brown crust and top of melted cheese, so perhaps it can be considered a distant cousin of that other fabulous brunch dish.

In any case it’s definitely worth giving a try when the garden is filled with basil and the tomatoes are bursting with flavor.  I’m thinking that I may even revisit it later this summer and turn it into a BBT & C  (Basil,Bacon,Tomato & Cheese) tart.  Because as I was enjoying it for brunch this morning it occurred to me that the only thing that could make it even more tasty would be a bit of crispy bacon in the mix.  All things in moderation of course, so I’ll wait a while before indulging in that!

The first thing you may notice are some things on the left,  that from afar resemble curled green onions with no white end.  They are garlic scapes, that today I’m substituting for the garlic in the recipe.  They are one of the harbingers of spring at the local farmer’s markets and they have an amazingly long shelf life if you store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  If you ever see them be sure to give them a try. 

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I almost always have an extra disk of pastry dough in the freezer, so won’t be making any today.  If you are in a rush I suppose you could use one of the pre-made kind, but homemade is so much better and it’s really easy once you get the hang of it.

 The dough I currently have  is a 1/2  of a recipe for a single crust pie, left over from some classes I teach, so I’m down sizing the tart today and using an 8 inch tart pan instead of the 9 to 10 inch that the recipe is written for.   I like to use this size when I’m making this as an appetizer because it gives nice little small slices and I’m a big believer in small quantities of things that taste great!  

In any case it’s an easy recipe to adjust as exact quantities of ingredients aren’t critical to success.

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Roll the crust to approximately 1/8 inch thick and 2 inches in diameter larger than the tart pan or pie plate.

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Roll the dough over the rolling-pin and transfer to the center of the tart pan.  Once it’s in place, gently roll the excess crust to the inside of the pan and press into the ridges.  Be careful not to pull or stretch the dough.

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With the dough in place, line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights.  I keep a bag of beans in my pantry for this.  Just don’t ever try to cook them after they’ve been serving as pie weights as they will never be anything but bean rocks.

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Bake the crust with the pie weights in a 450° F oven for  8 to 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and beans and dock (prick) the entire surface of the crust with a fork.  Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 2 to 4 minutes or until it is lightly browned.  If the crust puffs up, gently press down with the fork to release the steam.  This is called blind baking the crust.  It helps keep the crust from becoming soggy during the final baking.

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Set the crust aside to cool and reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

Now you’re ready to prep the filling.  Grate the parmesan, shred the mozzarella, thinly slice the tomatoes (if you want you can put them on a paper towel to soak out some of the extra juice), mince the garlic scapes or garlic and chiffonade the basil. 

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Sprinkle the bottom of the cooled crust with approximately 1/3 of the mozzarella (1/2 cup if you’re making an 9 or 10 inch tart).  Top with tomato slices, basil and minced garlic or garlic scapes.

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Mix the remaining shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese, the mayonnaise and some freshly ground black pepper and spread over the top of the tart.  Don’t worry if the mixture is thick and won’t spread evenly, it will melt and spread as it bakes.

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Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.  You will want to place it on a baking sheet or place foil on the rack under the tart to catch any butter that drips from the tart pan as it bakes.

My favorite trick for removing the rim of the tart pan is to set it over a can and let it gently fall to counter.

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Garnish it with a bit more fresh basil and you have a lovely hors d’oeuvre for a summer party or a great brunch dish that only needs a bit of fresh salad. 

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The tart was so rich and tasty I didn’t even add any dressing to my salad.  But in hindsight a splash of balsamic would have been lovely.

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Bon Appétit!

M.B.

Tomato, Basil & Cheese Tart

Colleen’s “Quiche”

by: M.B. Einerson

Adapted from a recipe given to me by  Colleen 

 Servings: 12 appetizer servings or 4 to 6 entrée servings

  • Pastry for a single 9 to 10 inch pastry crust rolled fit pie plate or tart pan it should be approximately 1/8 inch thick and have a ½ inch overhang
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 5 to 6 Roma or small round tomatoes or the equivalent in cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 2 to 4 cloves garlic minced or two garlic scapes thinly sliced.
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, sliced into a chiffonade, plus more for garnish
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F

Place unbaked crust in a 9 or 10 inch pie plate or tart pan with removable bottom.  Turn the overhang under and flute or press into the sides of the tart pan.  Line with foil and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove foil and pie weights, dock the entire crust with fork pricks and bake an additional 2 or so minutes more, until lightly browned.  I the crust has puffed, gently press down with a fork or spoon.  Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 375° F.

Cut the tomatoes into thin slices, wedges or halves depending on the type you are using.  You can drain on paper towels if you like but I love the flavor of the juice, so I sacrifice a bit of crispy texture for bigger flavor.

Sprinkle the bottom of the cooled crust with ½ cup of the mozzarella.  Top with tomatoes, garlic and basil ribbons.

Mix the mayonnaise, remaining 1 cup of mozzarella, shredded parmesan cheese and black pepper.  Spread this mixture over the top of the tomatoes.  Don’t worry if it’s a bit thick and won’t spread smoothly or evenly.  As the cheese melts it will spread over the tart.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Bon Appétit

M.B.