Fish Dinner for 2, Featuring Celery Root!

Ahhh celery root. Or celeriac if you prefer. Such a wonderful fall root vegetable. It is not the root of your average celery stalk as you might think, but rather a celery plant grown for it’s edible root.

Recently I wrote about The Pasta, such an often eaten dish in our house, that when I told Brad I was working on a post about it he said, “You haven’t written about The Pasta yet?!”. Well, here’s another Thomason family favorite for you. This one is my standard weekend “date night at home” meal. We call it Fish Dinner.

Fish Dinner is a formula I regularly riff on: a base of a vegetable puree (at this time of year it’s celery root or cauliflower, but it’s always delicious with potatoes), followed by a quick sauté of either mushrooms or spinach. The star of the dish is some fresh, pan-seared Blue Moon fish, either scallops or a white fish like flounder or cod. And what seals the deal is a spoonful or two of parsley and caper relish.

On a recent evening when I chose to document Fish Dinner, I had been won over by some particularly beautiful hen-of-the-woods mushrooms at the Greenmarket. They were lovely paired with the scallops and celery root. But if I were to choose, my favorite to use in this dish would be oyster mushrooms (this is Fish Dinner after all).

Consider this more a template than a recipe. Grab yourself a nice bottle of white wine. Find the freshest fish around. And remember, the romance is in the quality of the ingredients and the dim-the-lights magic happens in the assembly.

Here’s how it goes:

Make the parsley and caper relish and set it aside (recipe below)
Cover your celery root/cauliflower/potatoes or root vegetable of your choosing in salted water (peeled and cut up as needed) and boil/simmer until tender, drain and puree. Stir in a bit of butter or creme fraiche if you’re feeling decadent and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a bit of olive oil, sauté the mushrooms or greens, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper.
Finally, rinse and pat dry your fish and season it with salt and pepper. In a hot skillet, generously greased with olive oil, butter, or a fat of your choosing, sear the fish, turning once, until golden and just cooked through (for scallops or flounder fillets this is usually about 3 minutes per side).
As the fish is cooking set out your plates and start to portion some of the puree. Top it with a scattering of the sautéed vegetables, then gently set the seared fish on top. Pick up your parsley and caper relish and spoon a bit over the fish and around the sides of the dish, allowing the oil to pool around the edges.
Pour some wine, light some candles and enjoy.

Parley and Caper Relish

Handful of parlsey, coarsley chopped (about 1/4 cup cut up)
1 tablespoon capers, coarsley chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and allow to rest while cooking until ready to serve.

A few notes

I prefer salt-packed capers if you can find them. Just soak them briefly in a bowl of cold water and then drain.

Be careful in a multi-part dish like this not to season any of the individual parts too heavily, otherwise it’ll come together and be too salty in the end.

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A Very Successful Bash

Some of you may be wondering by now, “How was the Blue Moon Bash?!” Well, it totally lived up to it’s name.

Bluemoon bash crowd from the stage — photo by Etienne Frossard

The event took more than a month of planning by our small but dedicated crew – a group of women I loved getting to know in the process. As we reached out to local businesses and restaurants for sponsorship and donations, we were met with so much generosity. It would not have been possible to pull off a successful fundraiser had it not been for the contributions of many. But even as the day of the event approached, and we all scrambled to put the pieces in place (it was admitted, I was not the only one who suffered nightmares that something crucial had been forgotten), we knew it would come down to attendance. A bash isn’t a bash without people at the party.

And a bash it was. Almost 400 people came out to Southpaw to support and celebrate our farmers this past Sunday. Friends and neighbors, market goers and market staff, and even strangers who simply cared about our cause – the place was packed with people having a truly great time. I can’t even begin to express how inspiring this show of community was. Among our little planning committee we set a very ambitious goal of raising $10,000. And I’m proud to say that we very nearly met it.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Blue Moon Bash. Collectively we made a significant contribution toward the livelihoods of 2 amazing people and let them know just how much they mean to us. And boy was it fun! It’s not often that you get to see your farmers (and fisherman) cut loose.

Brussels Sprouts, Meet Potato Pancakes

potato and brussels sprouts pancakes — Potato and Brussels Sprouts Pancakes

I don’t know if anyone has told you this, but Brussels sprouts are all the rage. Who cares if kids don’t like them, all the grown-ups I know love them, which means more for us. At this time of year I just love to roast them to a golden crisp and OMG, have you had the deep fried Brussels sprouts at Sssam Bar? If you’re tired of traditional preparations, lately I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter about shaved Brussels sprouts for perfect Fall salads and slaws. But no matter how you make ’em, you ought to have plans for these little guys on your Thanksgiving table.

You know what else is great about Brussels sprouts, they just love to be paired with bacon.

So the other day Brad and I returned home from the Greenmarket hungry for a big old weekend brunch. Brad was craving bacon, I had a hankering for some potato pancakes, and I also had Brussels spouts on the brain. I was thinking about how beautifully the shaved sprouts would crisp up if fried – perhaps in bacon grease – and that’s when inspiration struck. I folded a pile of them into the potato pancake mixture and before you know it, we were breaking some runny fried egg yolks all over a plate of delicious.

Brad now swears by this method for cooking bacon. Previously, he was doing it all wrong.

breakfast-at-home — This is what I call a party. Or motivation for the gym, however you look at it.

I’m pretty sure these would tempt any Brussels sprout hater. Don’t you just love the green color in the pancakes? Next time around I think I’ll try upping the ratio of sprouts to potatoes because I love those little suckers so much. And yes, I recommend you serve some harissa on the side with the eggs and bacon.

Potato and Brussels Sprouts Pancakes

You should get 12-16 pancakes depending on the size

1 1/2 lbs. starchy potatoes (like Russet), washed and peeled
1 small onion
1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablepoons bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Butter, bacon grease, or duck fat* for frying

In a large bowl or food processor, grate the potatoes and the onions and mix together. Trim the hard root end off the Brussels sprouts and remove any discolored leaves. Holding each Brussels sprout by stem end, cut into very thin slices (you can do this with a knife or a mandoline). Add to the potato and onion mixture and toss to separate layers.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs and a good dose of salt and pepper over the mixture. Pour in the eggs and mix together thoroughly.

In a large cast iron skillet or frying pan, heat 2 Tbs. of fat or butter on medium heat. Make sure the entire bottom of the pan is covered. Test with a drop of water, it should sizzle when ready.

Fry the pancakes by dropping large spoonfuls of the potato mixture onto the greased skillet (I use my ice cream scooper). Gently press to flatten and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the bottom is nice and crispy brown and then flip them over to cook and crisp the other side. If the fat in the pan gets low, add more as needed.

Place them on a paper towel or brown paper bag to drain a bit of the oil and then kept them warm on a plate in the oven (at 200 degress) until ready to serve.

Whenever I hear people discuss the secret to potato pancakes, it always comes down to the fat used for frying, and duck fat is said to be the best. But if you don’t have that on hand – or happen to be making bacon! – I don’t think there is anything that isn’t delicious when fried in some bacon grease.

Bonus: More on Brussels sprouts

Dislike for these delicious little cabbages is an unfortunate side effect of bad cooking. As explained by wikipedia:

Whatever cooking method is employed, it is important not to overcook them, which will render them gray and soft.[1] Overcooking releases the glucosinolate sinigrin, which has a sulphurous odour. The odour is the reason many people profess to dislike Brussels sprouts, having only ever tried them overcooked. Generally, six to seven minutes boiled or steamed is enough to cook them sufficiently. However, they taste best when sauteed or roasted.

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Hail the weekend, and this Fish Soup!

I for one have had a long week and am happy it’s finally Friday night. If you live in Brooklyn I recommend you do one thing this weekend, go to the Blue Moon Bash. If you don’t live in Brooklyn (or do, and are up for 2 things this weekend), then I recommend you make this fish soup.

I remembered enjoying this recipe from a beautiful Moroccan cookbook Brad gave me a few years ago. It was my motivation for making harissa – that wonderfully spicy North African chili paste I wrote about earlier this week. But this fish soup, in a rich tomato broth grounded with spice and full of roasted red peppers, was so much better than I remembered it. Once you’ve got harissa and some fish stock on hand, it’s pretty quick and easy to make. Serve it with some crusty bread and enjoy your weekend.

According to the cookbook, this soup is typical cuisine of the Northern city of Tetouan, where there is still much influence from Spain. I used a combination of monkfish (did you know that in Italian, the word for monkfish translates to frog fish?) and sea bass. The only other thing you need to know is that is was delicious.

Chorba Bil Hout, a Moroccan Fish Soup

2 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 teaspoons harissa to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin
3 cups fish stock
water
14 oz chopped tomatoes (I used some last chance Fall tomatoes, but canned tomatoes will work just fine)
1+3/4 lbs boneless firm, white fish fillets, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Cut the peppers into quarters and remove the membrane and seeds. Place under a broiler or grill until the skin blackens. Remove and place in a paper bag and close until cool enough to handle. Remove the blackened skin from the peppers, cut into thin strips and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot and cook the onions until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the harissa, tomato paste, garlic, cumin and 1/2 cup of water and cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes until the mixture is thick and sticky. *If you’re using fresh tomatoes, add them now and stir occasionally for 5 minutes until they start to release their juices. Otherwise, proceed and add the fish stock, tomato, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and add the bay leaves and fish. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through and opaque.

Remove the fish from the broth with a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard the bay leaves, then puree the remianing mixture (an immersion blender is ideal here). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the fish to the pot along with the peppers and gently reheat if necessary. Serve garnished with the chopped coriander and crusty bread.

*This recipe was adpated from the cookbook Food of Morocco by Jane Lawson

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Better than Hot Sauce: D.I.Y. Harissa

Harissa is a traditional North African chili paste. One of the many delights my Tunisian friend Salah introduced me to. It was in Santa Fe New Mexico, the land of chili peppers, that I learned about this spicy condiment that is so much more than your average hot sauce. For a while I bought it, sampling various brands, but I never really found any that I liked as much as the homemade stuff Salah would serve me, and it turns out it’s incredibly easy to make at home.

Traditionally harissa is added to tagines or couscous. You can use it as a condiment, incorporate it into marinades, or just straight up rub it on grilled or roasted meats. You can add a spoonful to the base of any soup, stew or braise, for an underlying layer of spice and heat. I often enjoy it with my morning eggs, or simply spread on toast.

The type of chili peppers you use will greatly affect the heat of the harissa. Try a combination of peppers for varying spice and flavor. I like to use abut 3/4 hot peppers, either piquin or de arbol, combined with 1/4 guajillo peppers to mellow out the otherwise fiery paste. If you prefer less heat, a combination of ancho and guajillo peppers will give you a mildly smokey spice. I use the chilies seeds and all, but slitting them open to remove the seeds (either wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly afterwards!) will also reduce the amount of heat.

Of the most commonly found and used dried peppers, here’s the heat based on the Scoville scale:

40,000 – 58,000 – Piquin
15,000 – 30,000 – Chili de Arbol
2,500 – 5,000 – Guajilla
1,000 – 2,000 – Pasilla

Have fun and be careful. This is one spicy chili paste!

Harissa

Makes about 2.5 cups
4 oz. dried red chilies, stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander
1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin
1 tablespoon freshly ground caraway seeds
1 tablespoon kosher salt
10 garlic cloves, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil

Cover the chilies with boiling water and soak for 1 hour. Drain and add to the food processor with mint, spices, salt and garlic and puree until well blended, stopping to scrape the mixture down the sides as needed. Add the lemon juice, and with the food processor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream.

Spoon the harissa into a clean, glass jar. Cover the surface with olive oil and store in the refrigerator. If stored like this it should keep for several months. I find the flavor improves with time as the heat mellows and the spices permeate the mixture.

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Make This Now: Broccoli and Spinach Soup

This is the ultimate health food soup, and it’s also outstanding paired with a golden, gooey, grilled cheese sandwich. Broccoli grows in cool seasons and we see it in the Northeast during Spring and Fall. It’s broccoli season again here in Brooklyn and time to share this gem from the recipe archive.

Spinach is also a Spring green that reappears in the Fall and I just love seeing piles of the stuff on tables at the greenmarket. It cooks down to nothing, so you can eat a ton. Eat your greens people! They’ll make you healthy and strong like Popeye and when you add them to the soup they create wonderful, bright green flecks.

This broccoli and spinach soup is simple and bright. Adding the oatmeal was a trick from a similar recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook to give the soup a silky, almost creamy consistency.

If you’re on a diet, just slurp it up. Toss some in your freezer for busy days or nights. It reheats like a charm with a bit of water. But what I really recommend is that you introduce this soup to some sharp cheddar cheese.

Broccoli and Spinach Soup

(makes 4-6 servings)

1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 big stalks of broccoli, florets separated, stalked peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/3 cup quick rolled oats, pulsed in a food processor
6 cups water of light veggie stock
1 bunch spinach, cleaned and stemmed
juice of 1 lemon

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic, stirring frequently until softened (5 minutes). Stir in broccoli and toss for about 2-4 minutes until bright green. Add oats and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth, adjust seasoning if necessary (you may need to season generously if you didn’t use stock) and serve.

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Feasting on the Opposite Coast

In Italian there is a simple expression, ‘si mangia bene’, one eats well. In San Francisco, one eats well. There is a lot of creativity and community around food, and as someone who is inspired by seasonal, local food, California has a lot to give.

I wandered through the aisles of Bi-Rite with the lovely Kimberley of The Year in Food, where we picked up some local figs and a bottle of a bright, lightly sparkling wine from Kermit Lynch before heading across the street to the Bi-Rite Creamery (why has someone not lead me here sooner?!) where I sampled the famed salted caramel and some dreamy honey lavender ice cream. We enjoyed all of the above and each other’s company one sunny afternoon in Mission Dolores park.

I caught up on a whole decade of experiences with my old friend, Brian, while we leisurely worked our way, course by coarse, through the inspired daily menu at Bar Jules. Truthfully I savored every dish – grilled sardines and white beans might have been my favorite had we not given in to the Chocolate Nemesis – but rekindling an old friendship was the ultimate pleasure of the evening.

Brad and I waited in the daunting line for happy hour at the Hog Island Oyster Co. in the ferry building (which is an artisanal food heaven all on its own). We slipped in just in time to order several dozen oysters – my favorite being the Sweetwaters from nearby Tomales Bay – and the day’s special glass of Fume Blanc which we enjoyed as we watched the sun set just beyond the bustle of this amazing little place.

We joined forces with our trusty hosts and dining companions Amanda (sister-in-law) and Alec for an epic meal at the hip Mission eatery, Delfina. The four of us took on many dishes in many courses, paired with a several fantastic bottles of Italian wines, and I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite – although well over a week later, the memory of the ‘Hay and Straw’ pasta which I would liken to ‘Carbonara on crack’ (with a quail egg) still lingers in my mind. That and the profiteroles, oh my….

The next day we went north to eat and drink some more.

Brad and I were also in town for a wedding – one hell of a party to celebrate the union of Emily and Joe. We drank “Joe and Juice” (bourbon and elderflower cocktails) and cut a serious rug to 4 (!) sets by the very funky Breakestra.

This event brought friends from the East Coast west, and when you have so many good friends, some residents and some visitors, in the same city at the same time, there is no better party than a massive dinner party. A month or so back, Amanda called me to tell me she and Alec were going to make my braised pork tacos – with a 7lb. bone in pork shoulder. The result, they reported back, was insanely delicious. A joint effort at an encore seemed the perfect foundation for our menu for 10.

And the crew we assembled, well, we have a history and we don’t take collaborative dinner parties lightly. We always go all out. The menu also included red snapper ceviche, a salad of endive, fennel and oranges (oh California citrus, and avocados, how I wish you could grow in my Brooklyn backyard), and two different homemade ice creams – resulting in a goat milk kefir chocolate chip vs. honeyed peanut and chocolate smack-down. There was of course plenty of wine, endless sidesplitting conversation and a finale of crazy cat dancing.

I feel a delicious food coma coming on just reminiscing… All in all it was an amazing week of food, sun and most important, friends. I suppose it’s the presence of these people, with whom I shared many great meals and conversations, that made me feel so at home in a city that’s not my own.

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Home Is Where “The Pasta” Is

Whenever I travel, no matter how far or for how long, I am always happy to return home to my kitchen. Often I’m eager to try new dishes inspired by memorable meals I encountered during my trip, but for the first meal at home, I will always make one of my staple recipes.

In my house, Brad and I refer to this recipe for pasta with sausage and kale as “The Pasta”. We eat it whenever we need a quick and easy weeknight meal, we eat it when we want a satisfying weekend meal, we serve it to dinner guests and we love it the next day, eaten room temperature for lunch. Chances are if I’ve ever given you a recipe, I’ve given you this one, and I’d be willing to bet it now makes a regular appearance in your repertoire. It’s so easy, and so delicious, and if I say to Brad, “What should we have for dinner, “The Pasta”?” I know the answer will always be an enthusiastic yes.

It started years ago when I discovered a recipe for orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage. You’ll find this dish on many Italian restaurant menus, but its origins are vegetarian – from the Apulian region of Italy, where the ear shaped orecchiette are handmade with semolina flour. On feasts days they might be served with a meat ragu, but the classic preparation is to serve orecchiette with boiled bitter greens – broccoli rabe, chicory, dandelion greens – that the Pugliesi are so partial to. I’m unsure of when it became tradition (but it seems to be of Italian-American origin) to add Italian sausage, but as a sausage lover I am happy the evolution took place. This is the kind of pasta that combines a few simple ingredients to make magic.

I still love to make the traditional orecchiette dish (I’m partial to Rao’s orecchiette) when broccoli rabe is in season. But the irresistible combination of hearty greens, fatty sausage, and garlic! quickly became something I craved and transformed into a recipe using kale (which is a big part of our regular diet as it’s one of the few greens that continues to thrive through the long, cold Northeast Winters) and whatever short pasta I have on hand.

I like to use campanelle or fusilli, but any short pasta will do. I choose to sauté instead of boiling the greens, and am also partial to the dark Lacinato or Tuscan kale, but you can use curly kale or even swiss chard if that’s your thing. I opt for a sweet Italian sausage with fennel seeds, and then add plenty of spice with red pepper flakes. I can’t stress enough how much room for improvisation and personal preference exists in this dish – I even make a vegetarian version subbing some caramelized onion and French green lentils for the sausage. The other key ingredient is garlic, lots of it.

Pasta with Sausage and Kale

(Makes 4 servings)

1 pound dried pasta (any short pasta like campanelle, fusilli or orecchiette works great)
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch kale (or swiss chard), stems removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
additional 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
fresh grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) for serving

Heat a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente and drain, reserving 1 cup water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat and brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks – about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes, stirring until fragrant (about 1 minute more). Add the greens and toss/stir until the color brightens and they are all wilted (about 3-5 minutes depending on what type of greens you’re using). Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with additional olive oil and set aside.

Toss the greens with cooked pasta and 1/2 cup reserved water (add more if the mixture seems too dry). Taste for salt and pepper, garnish with cheese and serve.

Variations:
For a spicier version, use hot Italian sausage.

When in season, I like to coarsely chop a tomato and add it along with the garlic and hot pepper.

For a vegetarian version, sauté a diced onion instead of sausage. You can also simmer 1/2 of a cup of French green lentils covered in several inches of salted water (add a bay leaf if you’d like) while the pasta water boils (about 20 minutes), drain and stir them into the greens mixture.

Sunshine Visions from the Golden State

The day before we left San Francisco, Brad and I skipped out of the city and headed north into wine country with his sister, Amanda, and our friend Alec. Thanks to recommendations from other friends who scouted the area while road tripping the week before, we drove right on past Napa and Sonoma to the Anderson Valley. This region is known for its Pinot Noir and is truly country – an idyllic valley of farms and vineyards where the four of us spent the afternoon meandering from one tasting to the next.

As the sun and the day began to wind down, we all paused for bit to admire some sheep and the scenery that surrounded us – happy and tipsy from the day’s events. I took a photo while gazing out into the valley that reminds me of everything wonderful about that afternoon, and the California sunshine I’ve been craving since we returned to a crispy Fall in Brooklyn.

I’m still catching up from my travels, unpacking suitcases (and wine bottles), unloading cameras and processing photos and memories. A longer post about tasty adventures in San Francisco is in the works, but if you’re curious about our favorite vineyards in the Anderson Valley, just ask.

*Update from 10.26.11: Amanda just informed me that California is not the Sunshine State (as it was in my previous post title), but the Golden State. I stand corrected (and am still dreaming of golden sunshine).

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A Party to Benefit Our Local Farmers: Join Me at the Blue Moon Bash!

Things are going to be a little quieter than usual around here for another few days. I’m in San Francisco celebrating the wedding of friends, visiting with others, and doing a bit of work for Bad Feather. The weather is warm, and following the cold summer here, something like spring fever is in the air. I’ve already had some great meals, and there are plans for food adventuring on the horizon.

In the meantime, I have some exciting news to announce. I’ve been working Steph Villani of Blue Moon Fish and a small group of wonderfully dedicated people to organize a benefit event for Ray Bradley and Kira Kinney. Remember the story about the flooding of the farms? These farmers (who are also our friends) are still a long way from recovering and we’re hoping to raise a ton of money to help them pull through to next season when they’ll be growing our food again.

Ray Bradley, Alex Villany and Kira Kinney at the Grand Army Plaz — Ray Bradley of Bradley Farm, Alex Villani of Blue Moon Fish, Kira Kinney of Evolutionary Organics. Photo by Etienne Frossard.

The Blue Moon Bash ought to be one hell of a party, and a chance to hang with local farmers and fishermen at Southpaw in Brooklyn. We’ve got some awesome local restaurants contributing tastings (and Alex Villani will be making his famous Blue Moon clam chowder), there will be bands, raffles and of course, adult beverages. I’ve been working to design promotional materials and this week Brad and I launched a website where you can buy tickets, or make a donation if you can’t attend. I hope to see you there!

Blue Moon Bash

Sunday, November 6th, 2011
Southpaw, Brooklyn
3PM – 8PM | $20 Donation
GET SOME TICKETS!