Green on Green
I think all cooks are on one of two teams. The first team cooks with confidence, fearlessly making substitutions with whatever they have on hand, audaciously adding little bits of this or that as they go along. Recipes are jumping-off points; instructions are guidelines. I call these cooks Team Intrepid.
Then there are cooks who cling to each and every word of a recipe, wondering just how big a “pinch” of salt should be or how fat a “fat” garlic clove actually is. Recipes are cannon; instructions are gospel. I call these cooks Team Verbatim.
Before I started this blog, I was a staunch member of Team Verbatim. I tend to proceed with caution in the kitchen, but I am shedding my fears and trusting my instincts more and more when it comes to cooking. I’m learning that a “keeper” recipe is one that initially excites you and as you come to rely on it, you start to make that recipe your own.
I was so delighted by a comment on A Comfort Food Dinner by a reader named Anthony. He complimented the glazed roast chicken recipe (hooray!), and then he ran with it, substituting an ingredient he didn’t have and improvising with ones he did. He even shared an added step to the roasting technique in the recipe, because he had done it before and learned to depend on it. He had made that recipe his own. His final comment was, “I’ll definitely make this again,”and I’m sure that when he does, he’ll change it up again. As Leslie Orlandini, who developed that recipe for the blog, said so matter of factly: “Well, that’s the way you cook!”
This time around, I’m asking us all to join Anthony on Team Intrepid by combining what we have at home with what we can find at our local farmers’ markets. It’s summertime, and the markets are brimming with inspiration for bone blasting “substitutions” and “this and thats.” Between the buried treasure in your fridge and pantry, the fruit in your centerpiece bowl that has overstayed its welcome, and the fresh bounty from the market, you’ll be able to riff on recipes with abandon and discover that it’s possible to cook with freedom and seasonality -- with the extra bonus of choosing ingredients that are ever so good for your bones. We’ve got three “template” recipes, followed by riffs and pairings designed to inspire you to make the dishes your own. Trust your intuition, have some fun, and you’re bound to be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
Pass the Peas, Please! Soup
Serves 4
A first course should wake up your taste buds and offer a hint of things to come. Filled with a cool, refreshing sweetness, the combination of peas and mint delivers on flavor and nutrients that benefit your bones. Peas are a good source of vegetable protein, and by adding vitamins C and K, manganese, phosphorus, and folate to the beginning of the meal, they benefit the collagen found in your bone matrix. Studies point to the importance of dietary vitamin K for better bone quality, which prevents bone fracture in the long run, especially at the hip. Mint adds extra C, manganese, and trace amounts of copper, also good for collagen, plus extra calcium.
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 sprig fresh tarragon
4-5 cups shelled, fresh peas (or 2 10-oz. bags frozen peas)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish:
Leaves from 1-2 sprigs fresh mint
1/4-1/2 cup blanched, peeled fava beans
1 small purple scallion bulb, thinly sliced
In a medium saucepan, saute leeks in olive until tender, 5-10 minutes. Add stock and tarragon. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, then add the peas. Lower heat and simmer until peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. If using frozen peas, bring the stock back to the boil after adding by partially covering the pot (this will happen quickly), then remove from heat. Flavor with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. After the soup has cooled, puree in a blender until smooth.
To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves, a few fava beans, and slices of purple scallion. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe Riffs
For a heightened bone-blasting profile, and if your garden is as overgrown with mint as mine is, replace the tarragon with a full sprig of mint. Like where that’s headed? Add 2/3 cup finely chopped mint leaves just before blending. The extra calcium, vitamin C, manganese and copper further boost bone strength and collagen flexibility.
Too many lemons in your bowl? Add 1½ tablespoons lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil before blending.
If you’ve got too much creme fraiche in the fridge, whisk in about ½ cup after blending to get your tang on.
It’s easy to change up the garnish. Replace the creme fraiche with a dollop of plain yogurt if that’s what you’ve got on hand. When watercress finds its way to the market, add a snip or two for a peppery, nutrient-rich crunch.
If purple scallions are too hard to find, the green scallions or chives that are already in your vegetable bin will surely suffice.
For an easy main course, serve this soup on its own, warm, with a poached egg on top for added vitamin D, a drizzle of olive oil and a small pinch of the smoked salt that’s been hiding in your pantry since Christmas. That alone will satisfy you for a light lunch on a warm day. Serving with some whole grain toast and a side of our Green-On-Green Market Salad, below, makes for a hearty and healthy dinner.
Green-On-Green Market Salad
Figure on 1½-2 cups per person for a generous side salad portion
One of my truest pleasures in life is going to the farmers’ market. There’s something about oogling the produce that makes me feel...content. Cookbook author, food stylist, and recipe developer for this month’s post, A.J. Battifarano, cannot emphasize enough: Shop Seasonal. Shop Local. I couldn’t agree with her more, and where better to do so than at the farmers’ market?
I asked A.J. to compose a side salad brimming with the diverse bounty of the market, which we’ve dubbed “Green-On-Green”. She chose baby bok choy (calcium, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins C and K), pea shoots (potassium, vitamins C and K), sugar snap peas (calcium, vitamins C and K) and purple scallions (calcium, potassium, vitamins C and K), from the farmers’ markets she scouted. If your choices are limited to a grocery store, large or small, look for the freshest available greens, and if organic, all the better. Your purchase will be money well spent.
Begin your salad by washing and thoroughly drying your greens so they stay crisp and the dressing clings to them. I gently roll mine in a thin dish towel to soak up extra moisture, or you can use a salad spinner.
Tear bok choy and pea shoots into small pieces. Remove strings from tops of sugar snap peas. Thinly slice purple bulbs from scallions for a bit of contrast. Toss in a bowl and dress just before serving with a squeeze of fresh lemon and olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Organic pea tendrils ready to hit farmers markets in upstate New York.
Recipe Riffs
Make your own signature Green-On-Green market salad by taking advantage of the variety of lettuces, fresh herbs and baby veggies you’ll see this time of year.
Play with different greens
The delicate flavors and textures of a bibb and butter lettuce combo makes for a simple, yet elegant salad. A traditional lemon vinaigrette, parsley and dill is all you need to dress up this combo, but if you’d like more zip, drop the dill and add some mizuna leaves for a peppery accent and tatsoi for its mustardy tang.
Are you into crunch? Then anchor your salad with romaine lettuce. Romaine is quite versatile. It pairs as nicely with less assertive gem lettuce as it does with the nuttier, bittersweet flavors of frisee (also known as curly endive). Brighten either combination, or a combination of all three, with shaved baby zucchini, thyme, and a mustard vinaigrette (below).
Chicory and escarole simultaneously hold both bitter and sweet flavor cues within their leaves. I love them mixed together with a bold, anchovy-spiked dressing that’s made with balsamic vinegar, oregano and basil.
Arugula, known for it’s bitter, peppery bite, is usually used as an accent green. It’s often paired with the sweet crunch of romaine or the delicate flavor of little gem, but I’ll take a bowlful of arugula (and its calcium, potassium, vitamins C and K!), sans anything else, dressed in lemon, olive oil and some snips of oregano just about any day!
Herbs are a win-win
When you’re at the market, keep an eye out for fresh herbs. It’s great to see them liberated from their shrink wrapped packaging and made into the fragrant bundles that grace so many purveyors’ stalls. Their tiny little leaves are packed with bursts of enticing flavors, and a nutrient profile that truly supports bone health. My new favorite obsession, lemon thyme, contains calcium and potassium and inhibits osteoclast activity, and oh my gosh, it smells SO GOOD! SO VIBRANT!
Once your salad is dressed, start with a sprinkle of herbs rather than a shower, then taste. Trust your taste buds — remember, you’re a member of Team Intrepid now. You’ll find that fresh herbs, when not overused, are the true harbingers of great meals to come.
Customize your dressing
Dress your greens with one of the suggested vinaigrette recipes offered below for a pitch-perfect finish to your salad combo. To taste your dressing, simply dunk in a lettuce leaf. You’ll get a closer read this way than if you just taste the dressing itself.
A simple vinaigrette of lemon juice and olive oil is a delicious and simple way to let your Green-On-Green salad shine, but it can be tweaked and dressed up for any flavor profile. I intrepidly start with a squeeze from half a lemon and and pour a glug of olive oil around the diameter of the greens, then toss and pray for the best. But if you’d like proportions, a traditional vinaigrette is balanced with 1 part acid to 3 parts extra virgin olive oil.
To increase the tartness for sturdier greens like escarole and curly endive, try one part acid to two parts olive oil. Pour into a covered jar and shake. My go-to acid is freshly squeezed lemon juice, but that’s because my husband hates vinegar. Tisk tisk is right! I do miss the sweet/sharp bite of a good balsamic and highly recommend its use, as well as less assertive sherry and wine vinegars.
For an extra kick, build on the vinaigrette with 1 tablespoon dijon mustard before shaking. (There’s always a jar of dijon in my fridge. How about yours?) Or, pull out all the stops with bold flavors to bolster bitter lettuces by adding 1 to 2 finely minced anchovy fillets or a tablespoon of capers to the vinaigrette, with or without the dijon.
Roast Salmon with Pantry Twists
Serves 4
Salmon in one form or another will continue to pop up on my menus from time to time. It’s so adaptable and so healthy for those of us who are concerned with strengthening our bones. It’s a great source of protein and contains calcium and vitamin D, so how can we go wrong?
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or sherry vinegar
1-2 teaspoons fresh, chopped tarragon (or another hearty herb like thyme or dill)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 4oz. salmon fillets, patted dry and at room temperature
1 cup fresh peas, blanched
1 small bunch chive flower stems
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Make a simple dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, fresh tarragon, salt and pepper. Brush salmon fillets with half the dressing and set aside. Preheat a nonstick ovenproof skillet on high heat. When the skillet is very hot, turn down heat to medium-high and place the salmon in the skillet, flesh-side down. Sear until browned, 2-3 minutes.
Using a pot holder on the handle, turn salmon over, then place skillet into a 425-degree oven. Roast until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
Plate, then drizzle with remaining dressing. Garnish with peas and chive flower stems and serve with your Green-On-Green salad. Or, if your salad is made with hearty greens that stand up to heat, center the salad and plate the salmon on top. Each forkful will have a little bit of everything you gathered at the market that week!
Recipe Riffs
Citrus does a great job of keeping salmon’s oily richness from getting too heavy, so the next time you’ve got a citrus build-up, don’t hesitate to use it as the bedrock for a simple roasted salmon.
In a nonstick pan that has been brushed sparingly with a neutral oil, saute thinly sliced, unpeeled oranges and lemons that have been tossed with salt, pepper and olive oil. (I use 2 each when cooking two 4-6 oz. salmon fillets, but you’re the boss now!) Saute on medium heat until they start turning brown on one side. Remove and set aside.
Increase heat to high, then add salmon, skin side down. Sear for 2-3 minutes, until skin starts turning brown, then lower heat to medium. Top salmon with citrus slices. Don’t worry if citrus falls down into the pan. Cover and continue to cook until salmon is done, about 8-10 minutes, depending on size and thickness. Serve with a variety of chopped or torn fresh herbs scattered on top and all over the plate.
When playing with what is in your pantry, try taking your inspiration from regional cooking. For a Mediteranean twist, try roasting the salmon with a buttery, homemade anchovy paste. Use a mortar and pestle to mash 2-3 anchovy fillets with 2 cloves of garlic, ¼ teaspoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter. Melt half the paste in a nonstick, ovenproof skillet. Sear fillets skin-side down for 3 minutes. Brush the salmon with the melted paste, then put into a preheated, 425 degree oven to roast. Check for doneness after 10 minutes. When cooked through, plate fillets and melt the remaining anchovy paste in the hot skillet. At this point, you can sprinkle in some drained capers from the jar that’s been living its life wedged between the mayo and the ketchup in your fridge. Drizzle the fillets with pan drippings before serving.
If you feel inspired by Asain flavors, marinate the fillets in a dressing of 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil, 2 tablespoons low salt tamari, a 2- inch piece of ginger, grated, and a fat clove of garlic,minced. Saute skin-side down in ½ olive, ½ sesame oils until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick the fillets are and how well done you like your salmon.
I’d love to know how you make these recipes your own and whatever else you’re inspired to riff on -- leave a comment below and we can all share in your inspiration!
Recipe photographer, Mark Ferri; Food Stylist and template Recipe Developer, A.J. Battifarano; Prop Stylist, Francine Matalon-Degni; Logo and Graphic Designer, Zoe Miolla; Editor, Sarah Marie Degni