Simply Organic (22 page)

1½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 apple, grated

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces; optional)

½ cup pecans, toasted (optional)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil and cook the onion for 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes longer. Add the broth, potato, celery root, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are very soft.

Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Stir in the apple and pour back into the pot. Warm for 15 minutes to let the flavors marry, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, ladle into soup bowls and top each serving with the cheese and pecans, if using.

KITCHEN TIP

I like to make soups a day or two ahead so the flavors can meld perfectly. Try making some on the weekend and refrigerate until later in the week for a speedy supper. Don’t forget a tossed salad and crusty bread.

MAKES
6
SERVINGS

These versatile dumplings make a delicious appetizer. Consider substituting other autumn vegetables for the broccoli, such as cauliflower, cabbage, or kale.

Dipping Sauce

4 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Pot Stickers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small red onion, coarsely grated

1½ cups finely chopped fresh or thawed frozen broccoli

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

24 round wonton wrappers

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds (optional)

To make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red-pepper flakes, and set aside.

To make the pot stickers: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 1 minute, or until soft. Add the broccoli and broth. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is very soft and all the broth has evaporated. Add the garlic, ginger, and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and cool.

Bring a large skillet of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer.

Place 1 teaspoon of broccoli filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten the outer edges of each wrapper with water and tightly seal using a wonton press or your fingers.

Working in batches if necessary, place the wontons in the simmering water for 2 minutes, or until heated through. Drain and place on a platter with the dipping sauce. Sprinkle with the green onions and sesame seeds (if desired).

MAKES
8
SERVINGS

This great cool-weather pasta is a favorite in my restaurant Flea St. Café, reappearing each year as soon as the last of the fresh tomatoes disappear. It’s a great way to use leftover wild rice, so make a double batch and set some aside for this quick dish.

1 pound fettuccine

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 jalapeño chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

8 ounces wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle, black trumpet, lobster, or porcini

1½ cups cooked wild rice

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup coarsely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh marjoram, or 1 tablespoon dried

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, wilting the mushrooms slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, cheese, tomatoes, marjoram, and lemon zest. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Add the mushroom sauce to the pasta and toss to coat. Garnish with parsley.

MAKES
4
SERVINGS

Spaghetti squash has a wonderful texture. The cooked strands look like spaghetti and seem to hold up well under any sauce that you might use with pasta. The clam sauce is also good served over other winter squash, such as butternut or acorn.

1 spaghetti squash (about 1½ pounds)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 can (2 ounces) anchovies, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

36 clams, such as littleneck, Manila, or cherrystone, scrubbed

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

½ cup dry vermouth

1 to 2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup grated Asiago, Romano, or Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out and discard the seeds. Place the squash, cut side down, in a heavy baking dish and add 1 cup water. Bake for 35 minutes, or until tender. Set aside just until cool enough to handle.

When cool, using a fork, scrape crosswise to pull the strands of squash away from the shell. Transfer to a large bowl.

While the squash is still baking, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, capers, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes and set aside.

Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, add the clams, clam juice, and vermouth to the skillet with the garlic mixture. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the clams open. Discard any unopened clams. Add the red-pepper flakes, if using, and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti squash.

Sprinkle with the cheese.

MAKES
6
SERVINGS

When buying petrale sole or any seafood that might have been caught by trolling, ask your fishmonger for information on how the fish was caught. Petrale sole is on the questionable-seafood list in the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guide; at my restaurant, we make sure the fish we purchase is line-caught. Also, when you purchase fish, it may be labeled fresh, but could have been out of the water as long as two weeks. Sometimes the most sustainable choice is fish that has been harvested, cleaned, and flash-frozen on board the fishing boat.

8 ounces prawns (large shrimp), peeled and coarsely chopped (see Organic Tip)

3 ounces smoked salmon, coarsely chopped

2 green onions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, grated

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 pound petrale sole fillet, or a similar flat, small, delicate fish

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, combine the prawns, salmon, onions, butter, and ginger.

Cut the sole into 6 pieces, each about 5 by 2 inches. Lay flat on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the prawn mixture evenly among the fillets, spreading it over each one.

Roll up like a jelly roll. Flatten each side and brush generously with olive oil. Place the fillets on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork.

ORGANIC TIP

Because of the large market for shrimp, too often they are produced without respect for the environment. When buying shrimp, be sure to ask questions about where they come from, how they are cultivated if farm-raised, or how they are caught if wild, to ensure that you are purchasing sustainable shrimp.

MAKES
6
SERVINGS

I prefer to roast my stuffing separately from the bird. It lessens the possibility of overcooking the meat and produces a crisp, dense stuffing. Since the stuffing is my favorite part of this dish anyway, sometimes I don’t even bother with the chicken!

Chicken

1 roasting chicken (3 to 4 pounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 teaspoons paprika

Stuffing

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon ground sage

1/3 cup slivered almonds, chopped

4 to 6 dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1½ pounds hearty whole grain or semolina bread, torn into pieces

2 large eggs, beaten

2 to 3 cups chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish.

To make the chicken: Rub the chicken with the oil and season with the salt, pepper, and paprika. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue roasting for 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted in the breast registers 180°F and the juices run clear. Let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

To make the stuffing: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the sage, almonds, and apricots and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Put the bread in a large bowl and toss with the mushroom mixture. Add the eggs, stirring to blend well. Add 2 cups of the broth, the salt, and pepper, and stir well. Add another 1 cup broth if a moister stuffing is preferred. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Place in the oven during the last 30 minutes of the chicken’s roasting time. Bake until the stuffing puffs up and the top is light brown.

VARIATIONS

This recipe is great for Thanksgiving. To roast a turkey, double the chicken seasonings and prepare as you would the chicken. Roast a 12- to 14-pound bird for 3 to 3½ hours, or until a thermometer inserted in a breast registers 180°F and the juices run clear. Let sit for 10 minutes before carving. Prepare the stuffing as directed, doubling it if necessary.

MAKES
4
SERVINGS

We need to use all parts of the chicken, even though, in the West, we have become accustomed to eating only the breast. If you use boned chicken thighs, this recipe can be prepared and on the table within 30 minutes. These chicken thighs are delicious served over hearty grains, such as barley or brown rice.

4 ounces soft goat cheese, such as chèvre

¼ cup currants or raisins

2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon mixed dried Italian herbs

½ teaspoon salt

8 chicken thighs

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, currants or raisins, bread crumbs, chives, oregano, and pepper.

In another small bowl, combine the oil, Italian herbs, and salt.

Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Lift the skin of each thigh and place one-eighth of the cheese mixture under the skin. Brush the skin with the oil mixture.

Roast for 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 170°F and the juices run clear.