Simply Organic (6 page)

This recipe is quite flexible. Try using sweet potatoes instead of the white, and fresh asparagus instead of the peas.

MAKES
4
SERVINGS

This recipe was inspired by my love of fresh goat cheese from one of our favorite local producers, Harley Farms, in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Artichokes are not easy to grow organically, so when we can find them, we buy as many as our hands can hold.

4 medium artichokes

8 ounces soft goat cheese, such as chèvre

2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of 1 large lemon

Put a steamer basket in a large pot and add 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Using scissors, trim off the sharp tips of the outer leaves of the artichokes. Put the artichokes in the steamer basket and steam for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tender. Turn the steamer upside down over a plate to remove the artichokes, and cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Gently open the center of each artichoke. Using a teaspoon, remove and discard the inner chokes and thistles.

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, chives, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the cheese mixture evenly among the cavities of the artichokes. Press the leaves back in place and rub gently with the oil. Season generously with the salt and pepper, and sprinkle the lemon juice over the artichokes.

Place the artichokes in a shallow pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Cut each artichoke in half. To eat, dip the leaves into the cheese mixture.

MAKES
6
SERVINGS

At Flea St. Café, we are lucky enough to have as a friend Todd Spanier, the king of mushrooms, who brings us treasures through the back door of our kitchen. This simple recipe works with both wild mushrooms and domestic buttons. If it seems wasteful to use a lot of expensive wild mushrooms in soup, but you don’t want to sacrifice those deep, enticing flavors, try a combination of wild and domestic.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1½ pounds wild or domestic mushrooms, or a combination, cleaned and coarsely chopped

¼ cup Madeira or cream sherry

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

5 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes, or until very soft. Add the Madeira and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Gradually add the broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the soup thickens slightly.

Add the sour cream, parsley, and paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

KITCHEN TIP

Any blend of mushrooms works well. I like shiitakes mixed with regular button mushrooms. When wild mushrooms are available, consider a combination of the somewhat mild chanterelles with porcini or other full-flavored mushrooms.

MAKES
4
SERVINGS

This is a perfect dish for springtime, served with fresh rolls and a crisp white wine.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 whole canned chipotle chile pepper, puréed or minced

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 pound sea scallops

¾ cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Lime wedges for garnish

In a small bowl, combine the oil, lime juice, sugar, garlic, chile pepper, and cilantro. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Remove and discard the tough muscle from the scallops.

In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Toss the scallops in the cornmeal mixture and set aside.

Pour ½ cup water into a heavy skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 4 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Remove to a platter and keep warm.

Wipe the skillet and add the butter. Place over medium heat to melt the butter. Add the scallops and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned and opaque.

Divide the asparagus evenly among 4 plates. Top with the scallops. Drizzle with the chipotle dressing, and garnish with lime wedges.

KITCHEN TIP

Often scallops are soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) to help keep them moist. To avoid chemical-laden scallops, look for scallops labeled Day Boat, Diver, Dry Pack, or Chemical-Free. These scallops are more readily available these days and, of course, are a much healthier choice. They may not be perfectly white and uniform in size, but those qualities are not natural to scallops; they are human-induced. As always, opt for the most natural products available. And, as always, ask questions. The fishmonger should know exactly where the fish is from and how it has been treated.

MAKES
12
SERVINGS

When my oldest son, Joshua, was young, he loved this tomato-less lasagna. It was a great substitute for the more traditional version during the winter, when tomatoes weren’t in season. It became a year-round favorite because of its luscious appeal. Around the holidays, when we felt like splurging, we mounded fresh crab-meat on top.

12 ounces lasagna noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups firmly packed, very thinly sliced red or green chard

2 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

1 pound ricotta cheese

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks

½ cup grated hard Jack cheese (about 2 ounces)

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with oil.

Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain thoroughly.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chard and shallots and cook for 4 minutes, or until soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a large bowl. Whisk the flour into the liquid remaining in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes, or until the sauce reaches a simmer and thickens. Stir in the chard, shallots, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Simmer for 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, hard Jack, egg, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Spread one-quarter of the chard sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer one-third of the lasagna noodles on the sauce. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture on top of the lasagna. Spread another one-quarter of the sauce over the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining lasagna, ricotta, and sauce.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top and heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

MAKES
4
SERVINGS

In the spring, when I’m thinning beds of all kinds of greens, I like to steam them rather than tossing them into the compost. I mix them with slow-cooked onions and slip the mixture under the skin of chicken breasts or thighs. The juices seep into the meat, enhancing the flavor and adding moisture.

1 small chicken (2½ to 3 pounds), whole or cut into parts

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups coarsely chopped spring onion (green and white parts)

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups firmly packed, coarsely chopped greens, such as tatsoi, mizuna, arugula, or spinach

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons salt, plus extra for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

3 tablespoons herbes de Provence

Rinse the chicken under cold water, pat dry, and set aside in the refrigerator in a baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the greens and dill and toss well.

Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the greens are wilted.

Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the greens to a bowl to cool, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Reserve any juices.

Pull the skin back from the chicken and stuff the cooked greens under the skin.

In a small bowl, combine the herbes de Provence, the 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Rub the mixture over the chicken.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan and add the reserved juices from the greens. Roast in the oven until a thermometer inserted in the thigh joint registers 175°F, about 15 to 20 minutes per pound for a whole chicken, and a total of 45 minutes to 1 hour for cut-up chicken.

Let the chicken stand for 15 minutes before serving. Skim off the fat from the pan juices and pour the juices over the chicken as a sauce.

ORGANIC TIP

Whenever possible, opt for free-range, pasture-raised organic chicken; it is worth the extra cost. It is best, when possible, to buy a whole chicken and use all the parts. In general, we want to try to use as much of an animal as possible.

MAKES
4
SERVINGS

Before the industrialization of poultry, the wilder, more sustainable approach was to hunt game birds and eat what you brought home. We also didn’t think that the breast meat was the only desirable part. A more holistic approach to eating game birds such as quail, or any animal for that matter, is to find ways to eat the entire animal. And give gratitude for the opportunity.

4 quail or other small game birds

1 cup red wine

5 whole peppercorns, crushed with the side of a knife

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 wedges preserved lemon (about ½ lemon), rinsed and finely chopped (see Kitchen Tip)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Pinch of ground red pepper (cayenne)

½ cup olives

Rinse the birds under cold water and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine the wine, peppercorns, rosemary, half of the garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the birds with salt and pepper and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

In a medium bowl, combine the preserved lemon, parsley, the remaining 6 tablespoons oil, the remaining garlic, and salt, pepper, and ground red pepper to taste. Set aside at room temperature.