Nourish Network » Little Bites

Sausage and Grape Skewers

Lia Huber — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 20:46:02 +0000

This recipe, my slightly off-kilter ode to harvest, was adapted from Micol Negrin’s gem of a book, The Italian Grill.

1–½ pounds Italian chicken sausage links, (fully-cooked, like al fresco brand) cut into 36, 3/4-inch slices
1 pound red table grapes, (approx 72)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Equipment: 12 long metal skewers (if you use bamboo skewers, soak in cold water for 30 minutes before threading)

Preheat grill to medium high.

Thread one piece of sausage onto a skewer, followed by 3 grapes. Repeat once more and end with another piece of sausage. Repeat with the rest of the skewers.

Brush (or spray) the skewers with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Grill 4-5 minutes per side, until sausage is heated through and grapes are just starting to collapse.

Serves 4

Homemade Gravlax with Wild Alaskan Salmon

Alison Ashton — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:31:31 +0000

‘Tis the season for fresh, sustainable wild Alaskan salmon, and there’s none better than the rich, buttery fish from the Copper River. Gravlax is a Swedish specialty that cures the salmon with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices. It’s a simple, no-cook technique requiring nothing more than a little prep work and time. There many of variations of gravlax. Our version uses a basic combination of granulated and brown sugars, coarse sea salt and black pepper that lets the luscious flavor and texture of the fish really shine. You could customize this in any number of ways – swap black pepper for earthy white pepper, add lemon or orange rind, etc. Serve thinly sliced on multigrain crackers, garnished with chopped fresh dill and grated lemon zest. Or you could go old school and serve it with fresh bagels, cream cheese, capers and thinly sliced red onion.

1/4 cup coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 (1- to 1-1/4-pound) center-cut fresh wild salmon fillet, skin on

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Place a large piece of plastic wrap in 10-inch (or other 2-quart) baking dish with enough extending over the sides of the dish to bring up and wrap over the salmon.

Cut a 4-foot piece of cheesecloth. Fold it into quarters to make a piece about 2 square feet. Lay the cheesecloth on a work surface.

Pat the salmon fillet dry with paper towels (so the salt mixture adheres to it). Rub about 1/3rd of the salt mixture over the skin side of the fillet. Lay fillet in the center of the cheesecloth. Rub the remaining salt mixture on the top and around the sides of the fillet. Wrap the cheesecloth over the fillet to cover the fish. Place it, skin side down, in the prepared dish. Bring the sides of the plastic wrap up to cover the fish.

Place a pie plate on top of the fish. Weigh it down with cans. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Remove fish from refrigerator. Unwrap the plastic and turn the cheesecloth-wrapped fish over. Replace plastic and pie dish with cans. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Remove from refrigerator. Unwrap the salmon and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Use a razor-sharp knife (a boning knife is good for this) to thinly slice the salmon.

Serves 6-8

Gigantes Beans

Lia Huber — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:43:50 +0000

I fell in love with these giant beans–often served as part of a mezhedes spread–in Athens. They’re meaty, soaked through with flavor and thoroughly satisfying. To this day, my favorite way to enjoy them is still with toothpicks and a glass of ouzo.

1 pound dried lima beans (the largest you can find)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, grated on a large grater
5 cloves garlic, grated on a large grater
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
18 ounces water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

In a large pot, cover beans with cold water and soak overnight (or do a quick soak in a pressure cooker by covering with 3 inches of water, sealing and cooking at high pressure for three minutes before cooling). Drain and rinse well. Return beans to the pot, cover again with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, until tender.

While beans are cooking, preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saute pan over medium heat over the stove. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, water, oregano, dill, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

When beans are tender, drain, reserving 2 cups of liquid. Stir them into the tomato mixture, coating well (add some of the bean liquid if there’s not enough sauce), and transfer to the oven, uncovered. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until beans are tender, adding more of the cooking liquid if need be.

Serves 10

Make-at-Home Socca

Alison Ashton — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:50:53 +0000

The French word socca refers to flour made from chickpeas, as well as the delicious, crepe-like snack that’s a specialty of Nice, where street vendors cook it over a wood fire in giant, shallow cast-iron pans. Using a cast-iron skillet, you can start the socca on the stovetop and finish it under the broiler to achieve similar results at home.

You can find chickpea (garbanzo) flour at Indian markets (where it might be labeled besan or gram flour), health food stores and even in some supermarkets with the gluten-free offerings. Serve it as a summertime starter with a garnish of coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper, and a chilled rose. Or dust it with powdered sugar for dessert.

1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to oil the pan
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt, for garnish

Whisk together flour, water, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours.

Position rack 8 inches from broiler in oven. Preheat broiler.

Pour a thin layer of oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, swirling pan to coat thoroughly. Heat pan over high heat. Pour half of batter (about 3/4 cup) into pan, swirling to distribute batter evenly. Cook 2 minutes.

Transfer pan to oven and broil 2 minutes, or until socca is golden.

Remove pan from oven and transfer socca to a clean work surface. Repeat procedure with additional oil and remaining batter.

To serve, garnish socca with fleur de sel and additional pepper. Cut it into wedges or serve it whole and let diners tear off pieces as they wish.

Yields 2 (10-inch) soccas

Sustainable Tuna Caponata

Alison Ashton — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:23:39 +0000

This is based on a Ligurian-style caponata, with tuna as the main ingredient so the a taste of a premium sustainable canned fish like Wild Planet’s Wild Albacore really shines. Think of it as a mayo-free tuna salad. It’s meant to be made ahead to give the flavors time to develop, so mix it up tonight to enjoy for lunch tomorrow. It’s a winner spooned onto crostini or multigrain crackers, or tucked into pita bread.

2 (2-by-4-inch) whole wheat crackers (such as Al-Mok)
1 (5-ounce) can sustainably caught albacore tuna (such as Wild Planet)
1/2 cup chopped green olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, or more to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Soak the crackers in water for 15-20 minutes until soft; drain thoroughly.

Drain the tuna. If it’s packed in water, discard the water. If it’s packed in oil, reserve the oil to use in this recipe. Place the tuna in a small bowl, breaking it up with a fork. Add soaked crackers, olives and capers. Gently fold in oil, vinegar and salt to taste. Chill at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Serve sprinkled with parsley, if you like.

Serves 2

Adapted from La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy (Rizzoli).

Crispy Kale Chips

Alison Ashton — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:00:09 +0000

Kale is abundant in local farmers’ markets this time of year. Oven-roasted kale becomes crispy–much like a chip–and satisfies a yen for something crunchy that’s better for you than potato chips. It’s also a tasty way to win over kale naysayers. Serve it on its own as a snack or use it as a garnish, as we do with our Colcannon Soup. Any variety of kale is fine, but choose organic, since kale is on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of produce most likely to be contaminated with pesticides. You can change the flavor by using a different oil (sesame oil will take in an Asian direction) or adding different spices.

1 (12-ounce) bunch kale, zipped, rinsed and spun thoroughly dry in a salad spinner
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rip kale into bite-sized pieces and toss to coat with oil in a large bowl. Spread kale on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until kale is crispy, stirring every 5 minutes. Toss with salt and pepper and serve.

Yields about 2 cups

Coppa-Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese

Lia Huber — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 07:33:08 +0000

This recipe is adapted from Jill Hough’s 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love, a terrific book with simple, straightforward guidance (and super tasty recipes) on enjoying wine and food … together. This little nibble, to me, is the winter equivalent to one of our favorite summer appetizers with figs and prosciutto and cooked on the grill. I’m grateful I don’t have to wait half a year! Jill suggests pairing this dish with a Cabernet Sauvignon or meaty Syrah.

12 Medjool dates, pitted and halved lengthwise
2 ounces blue cheese
12 thin slices coppa, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with foil.

Stuff each date half with a ball of blue cheese a little larger than a hazelnut. Wrap a slice of coppa around the date and set on the baking sheet. Bake until the coppa is slightly crisped and the cheese is bubbly, 5-7 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 8

Edamame Spread

Lia Huber — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:36:33 +0000

In a week exploring the power of “no,” I thought I’d give you something to say “yes” to.

2 cups frozen edamame beans (removed from pod)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook edamame for 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a food processor.

Add garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano and lemon juice to the bowl and process until smooth. Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil and blend until emulsified. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and spoon into a serving bowl or onto toasted baguette slices.

Makes roughly 2 cups, about 8 servings

Spicy-Sweet Pickled Cucumbers

Alison Ashton — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:18:21 +0000

When we lived in San Diego, Richard and I frequented Saffron, a popular Thai takeaway. One of my favorite items was their spicy-sweet pickled cucumbers, which inspired this recipe. Use thin-skinned Japanese, Persian English or pickling cucumbers, and slice them as thinly as possible. If you have a mandolin, this a good time to use it; otherwise, just use a sharp chef’s knife. Serve these cucumbers as a refreshing summer side dish, or use them as a condiment in sandwiches and tacos. They’d be delicious on a sandwich or tortilla with Grass-Fed Beef Bulgogi and Fiery-Sweet Peach Salsa.

2 cups rice wine vinegar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 medium limes)
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound Japanese, Persian, English or pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick or thinner)
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Combine cucumbers, onion, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add vinegar mixture and stir to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before serving, or transfer cucumber mixture to a clean jar and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Yields 1 quart

Lemon Verbena Honey Granita

Lia Huber — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:29:34 +0000

I planted a lemon verbena in our garden right near our Adirondacks simply because I wanted to be bathed in its heady fragrance whenever I was chilling out. And then I made this granita and fell in love with the plant even more. If you don’t have lemon verbena on hand, try lemon thyme or lemongrass, or just add the zest of another lemon.

2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon sugar
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup lemon verbena leaves, muddled in a mortar and pestle

Bring water, honey and sugar to a boil. Turn off heat, stir in lemon juice, zest and verbena. Let steep for 30 minutes.

Strain liquid into a shallow baking pan and place in freezer. After an hour, scrape the mixture with the tines of an overturned fork. Freeze for another 30 minutes to an hour, scraping two or three more times, until the texture is nice and fluffy.

Makes roughly 3 cups