Escarole With White Beans

2022 Week 5 Newsletter

Recipe & Pic from Food 52

Silky escarole, creamy beans, all the flavor your could ask for- in a matter of minutes you'll have a truly satisfying meal!

1 medium head escarole, about 1 pound (or substitute curly kale or mustard greens)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large sprig rosemary, plus more for frying (optional)
2 dried chiles de arbol (or substitute ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
3 garlic cloves, smashed
Salt, for seasoning

2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
Rind of Parmesan, Grana Padano, or pecorino (optional)
1/2 of a lemon
Any of the above cheeses, for garnishing

Cut the head of escarole in half lengthwise, then cut each length crosswise, into 1 1/2-inch strips. Place in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Use your hands to swish the leaves around, loosening up the dirt. Let the escarole sit undisturbed for 5 or so minutes so that the soot settles to the bottom. Lift the escarole out of the bowl, then repeat the washing process. (Escarole is very dirty—washing it twice is critical.) Don’t worry if the leaves are still a little wet. (If you’re using kale or mustard greens, clean and remove the center ribs. Then give the leaves a rough chop.)

In a large Dutch oven with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat, Once hot, add the rosemary sprig and the chiles de arbol. Let sizzle for about 1 minute, then turn the heat to medium and add the garlic. Stir until it’s soft and golden on the edges.

Add the escarole a handful at a time. Stir it and let it wilt before adding the next handful and season with salt as you throw in each new addition.

When all the escarole has wilted, add the beans, the stock, and the cheese rind (if using), season with more salt, and stir to mix everything together.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover, lower the heat to maintain a slow simmer, and cook until the greens are tender and the liquid has thickened, about 20 minutes. (If you don’t want the dish to be soupy, you can remove the lid and simmer it for about 5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced.)

Before serving, season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Garnish with grated cheese and a swirl of olive oil. Serve over slices of toasted sourdough, polenta, or al dente ditalini.

Recipe: Greens Gratin With All the Cheese

Image from Bon Appetit

from Bon Appetit

1 medium onion

5 garlic cloves, divided

2 cups heavy cream

1 rosemary sprig

1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more

4 medium or 3 large bunches of Tuscan kale and/or Swiss chard (2–2½ lb. total)

1 lemon

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

6oz. high-quality sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°. First, prep the cream sauce: Peel and quarter 1 medium onion. Smash 4 garlic cloves and unpeel. Place onion and garlic in a medium saucepan. Pour in 2 cups heavy cream and stir in 1 rosemary sprig, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are very soft, 15–20 minutes.

While cream cooks, remove ribs from 4 medium bunches of Tuscan kale. Tear leaves into big pieces and wash. It’s okay if some water still clings to the leaves—this will help them wilt later. If you don’t have a bowl big enough to hold all of your greens, pile them on a baking sheet instead.

When cream is ready, pluck out rosemary sprig and discard. Finely grate zest of ½ lemon into cream and stir in ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.

Heat a large (as large as possible—12" is the goal) ovenproof skillet over medium. Add about one-quarter of greens, cover skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid), and cook until wilted, 3–4 minutes. Scoot wilted greens to one side of pan. Add another quarter of greens, cover pan, and cook to wilt, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and place skillet on a rimmed baking sheet.

Prep the toppings: Cut 6 oz. high-quality sharp cheddar cheese into ¼"-thick slices (you’ll have about 1½ cups). Place ½ cup panko to a small bowl and finely grate in zest of ½ lemon and remaining 1 garlic clove. Add 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

Pile remaining greens on top of wilted kale, pressing down to compact as needed. This will look BANANAS, but the greens will shrink dramatically in the oven. Carefully pour cream mixture over. It’s okay if it drips a little—that’s why it’s on a baking sheet. Break cheese slices into large crumbles and evenly distribute over top. Sprinkle panko mixture over.

Bake gratin until cheese is browned and bubbling and panko is toasted, 50–55 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Try not to eat the whole thing yourself!

Recipe: Schmaltzy Hakurei Turnips With Rosemary

from Food & Wine

Try incorporating braising greens and/or other root veggies!

2 lbs hakurei turnips with tops 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, divided

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup melted schmaltz (chicken fat) or unsalted butter, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons water

Trim turnip stems to 1/2 inch; reserve greens. Cut trimmed turnips into 3/4-inch wedges to equal 5 cups. Coarsely chop turnip greens to equal 8 loosely packed cups. (Reserve any remaining turnips and greens for another use.)

Whisk together oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, vinegar, Dijon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add chopped turnip greens; massage to coat greens. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss together turnip wedges, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons schmaltz in a bowl. Arrange turnip mixture in a single layer in a 12- to 14-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until turnips are crisp-tender and browned, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, toss together turnip wedges, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons schmaltz in a bowl. Arrange turnip mixture in a single layer in a 12- to 14-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until turnips are crisp-tender and browned, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Recipe: Roasted Delicata, Chard, & Leeks With Farro

from Blossom To Stem

1 delicata squash, sliced (approx. 1/2-inch thick) and seeded

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, (use the smaller amount if you like things on the mild side, the larger if you like extra heat)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 bunch chard, de-ribbed and sliced into approx 1-inch wide strips

2 large or 4 small leeks, washed well, sliced lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

3/4 cup farro

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1/4 cup marcona almonds

salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Fill a medium saucepan about 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil.

In a large mixing bowl, add the delicata squash slices and toss to coat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes and generous pinch of salt. Lay out in a single layer on one side of a half sheet pan leaving the excess oil and seasonings in the mixing bowl. Add the chard to the mixing bowl along with a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Lay the chard out on the other side of the sheet pan–it doesn’t have to be a single layer, but it should be evenly spread out.

In a small mixing bowl, add the leeks, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and pinch of salt and toss to coat. Spread in an single layer on a quarter sheet pan or other small pan.

Roast until the vegetables are deeply caramelized in spots and tender. The chard takes about 10-12 minutes. If you have smaller leeks they’ll be ready around 15 minutes, if you have large leeks (most supermarket leeks fall into this category) they take 20-25 minutes. The squash should be take about 20-25 minutes. As each vegetable is ready, remove it from the oven and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook the farro in the boiling water until tender, about 20-24 minutes. Drain in a fine mesh strainer and add to the bowl with the vegetables. Add the sherry vinegar. Toss everything together to coat. Sprinkle with marcona almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Braised Celery and Radicchio Salad With Perfect Roast Chicken

From Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables
Alice typically doesn't like celery but she LOVES this recipe, so trust us, you can't go wrong with this one!

Chicken
One 3-4lb chicken
1/2 lemon, very thinly sliced
3-4 big sprigs each of thyme and rosemary
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature

Salad
1 cup braised celery*, cooled and cut on an angle into 1/2in thick slices
1/2 medium head radicchio, cut into 1/2in wide ribbons
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley
1/4 red onion (you can sub in the shallot from your box)
1 lemon, halved
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 cups torn croutons (make your own or use store bought)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
extra virgin olive oil

For The Chicken: Heat the oven to 400
With a pair of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut along each side of the chicken's backbone to cut it out completely. Flip the chicken over breast side up and push down with the heel of your hand on the breastbone to allow the chicken to lie flat, like you're cracking open a hard-back book.

Arrange the lemon slices on a rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan to cover the area that the chicken will be positioned on. Top with the herbs. Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper and lay the chicken skin side up on top of the flavorings. Smear the butter on the surface.

Roast the chicken until the flesh on the thickest part of the thigh is very tender when poked with a knife, the juices don't come out pink, and/or the temperature of the thigh registers 170 degrees. This should take 40-50min.

When the chicken is done, transfer it to a platter or tray to cool. Carefully pour the chicken fat from the pan (reserve it for cooking potatoes later). Pluck off the lemon and herbs. Discard the herbs, but if the lemon slices are tasty, you can chop them and add to the salad. Add a few spoonfuls of water to the pan and scrape and stir to dissolve the cooked-on juices.

For The Salad: Put the celery, radicchio, parsley, and onion (and roasted lemon if using) into a big bowl and toss. Pour on the deglazed chicken roasting juices and squeeze the juice from half the lemon and toss again. Taste and season with pepper and salt if needed.

Add the croutons and grated cheese and toss again. Taste again, adjust the seasoning, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Cut the chicken into pieces and arrange on a platter. Serve the salad on the same platter or on another one. Serve on the warm side of room temperature.

*Braised Celery: Separate the stalks and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Add about 1/4 cup dry white wine, 1/2 cup olive oil, a big pinch of salt, a few smashed garlic cloves, a pinch of dried chile flakes, and some thyme sprigs. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees until the celery is silky and tender.
A note from Alice: If you want to get crazy, reserve the olive oil that the celery braised in and use it to make a delicious aioli!

Recipe: Roasted Potatoes With Rosemary

From Ina Garten

1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)*
1/8 cup good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

*Add in some of your sweet Italian peppers and shallots!