Polenta with Red Pepper and Walking Onion Pesto

Those who know me well know that I love making things from scratch - especially things that are often available in convenience forms!  Not only does it bring me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, but it also tastes infinitely better when you make something yourself.  You also have the added benefit of controlling exactly what is going into your dish (versus premade convenience food that often has preservatives and other junk). 

Polenta is one of those ridiculously simple but wonderfully flavorful Italian staples.  While it is time-consuming to prepare from scratch, once you try your own you will never go back to that nasty stuff in a tube!  The coarse texture, complex nuttiness, and comforting warmth of scratch-made polenta straight from your stove is miles away from the over-processed and flavorless stuff you find at the store.  When making this recipe, be sure to start with the best grain you can find!  I used Anson Mills' Red Trentino Flint Polenta Integrale, but the varieties are endless.  Just make sure you look for a coarse corn meal.  The label might say anything from "corn grits" to "corn meal" to straight "polenta" but they are all pretty much the exact same thing.  Just make sure you do not buy any "instant" polenta as it will not apply well to a slow-cooked recipe (but hey... if it is all you have time for, at least it will be better than the tubed stuff!).

My favorite way to eat this polenta is to have leftovers for breakfast with a poached egg on top.  It also makes an excellent dinner alongside a fresh, green salad. 


Polenta with Red Pepper and Walking Onion Pesto
Pesto:
1 cup toasted walnuts
3-4 walking onions, chopped (about 1 cup - may substitute green onions)
3 large roasted red peppers
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Polenta:
7 cups water
1 T salt
1 3/4 cups coarse cornmeal (red polenta integrale works well)

Start the polenta.  In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water to a boil.  Add salt and pour polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly.  Switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly for two minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low (so that you still get a vigorous bubble but not a full boil) and cover.  Check every five to ten minutes and stir vigorously for a minute or so each time.  The polenta is done when most of the moisture is absorbed and the mixture clings to the spoon, anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the pesto.  In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, onions, red peppers, lemon juice and zest, and salt until evenly chopped.  In a slow stream with the processor running, add the olive oil.  Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and process again until pesto is evenly blended.

When polenta is cooked, add 1 cup of the pesto to the pot and mix well.  You can serve immediately at this point or continue to the next step for polenta squares (this can also just be done with whatever you have left-over).  Grease a 9x9 square baking dish with a little olive oil and pour the polenta into the dish while it is still hot.  Use a spatula to flatten the top, then allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight before cutting into squares.  To serve polenta squares, fry in a little olive oil until lightly browned on each side, or just gently warm them up in the oven or microwave.  Serve with a poached egg or a green salad (tossed with a little leftover pesto) for a light meal.

Grilled Artichokes and Asparagus with Walking Onion and Basil Aioli

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, is there anything more awesome than the almighty egg?  The uses for this culinary golden child are seemingly endless!  There is, perhaps, no better example of the wondrous feats that an egg can achieve than aioli.  You start with eggs, lemon juice, and oil and somehow end up with a velvety, creamy, ultra-rich concoction that will make you swear off store-bought mayonnaise forever.

Admittedly, it isn't something I make often.  Aioli is not exactly what I would call "health food," but when you make it with locally-sourced, farm-fresh eggs, heart-healthy olive oil and enjoy it in moderation, there's nothing to feel guilty about!  There is also something very satisfying about making this flavorful condiment from scratch.  It is so simple and classic, yet always an elegant addition to any dish.

This recipe is full of Colorado's Spring harvest, including local walking onions from Red Wagon Farms (you can use green onions as a substitute), Penny's Eggs from Nunn, local asparagus, and some fresh basil from my porch garden.  Add a simple green salad and you've got yourself a meal (and a perfect way to celebrate a beautiful Spring day!). 

Walking Onion and Basil Aioli
makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 walking onions, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup fresh basil leaves and stems
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp coarse salt
2 fresh egg yolks
1 cup olive oil

In a food processor, add onions, basil, lemon juice and salt and pulse until combined.  Add egg yolks and pulse again to combine.  Scrape the sides of the processor bowl to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed at the bottom (so the blades catch as much as possible).  Switch the machine on and with the blade running continuously, very slowly drizzle in the olive oil, stopping periodically (about every 1/4 cup or so) to, again, scrape the sides of the bowl so that the aioli blends evenly.  Turn the machine off as soon as all the oil has been added.  Adjust seasoning, if necessary.  Transfer aioli to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Grilled Artichokes and Asparagus
Serves 4

2 large artichokes
1 bunch asparagus
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper

Prep artichokes by removing the first outer layer of leaves and trimming the pointed edges off the remaining leaves.  Cut the stem to about 1 inch in length.  In a large pot, add about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, then stand the artichokes on their stems in the pot and cover.  Steam until they are just barely tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool the artichokes off by running them under cold water for about 30 seconds, then slice each one in half.

Turn the grill on about medium-high and allow to preheat.  Brush the artichokes and asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Start grilling the artichokes first (they take longer) by placing them on the grill cut-side down.  After 8 minutes, turn the artichokes 90 degrees to create a cross-hatch pattern and grill for another 8 minutes.  In the last 5 minutes, place the asparagus on the grill and cook each side for about 2 to three minutes.  Remove vegetables from the grill and serve hot or at room temperature with aioli on the side.

Spring Greens and White Bean Salad with Mint-Walnut Dressing

This year, my parents wisely opted into a CSA and they are thankfully sharing the harvest with Obe and me!  We are so excited to have a share of Red Wagon Organic Farm's CSA.  This week's share was the inspiration for this pungent, flavorful and lively salad which highlights Red Wagon's beautiful mixed greens, sweet and tender pea greens, pungent walking onion and spicy radishes.  A true taste of the flavorful bounty Colorado has to offer!

Some of the ingredients are a bit unusual, but they will surely all be available at the Farmer's Market this month.  If you can't make the trip (although it is truly worth the effort!) you can substitute the pea greens for regular mixed greens and the walking onion for regular green onions.  It won't be quite as special, but the salad will still taste wonderful.  The pungent onion and spicy radishes are gently balanced out by the mellow white beans and toasted walnuts.  The bright, minty dressing gives it a nice tang. 

Spring Greens and White Bean Salad with Mint-Walnut Dressing
serves 3-4

4 cups mixed greens
2 cups pea greens
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 walking onion, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, seasoned with salt
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 cup mint leaves
1 tsp. honey
2 T walnut oil
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Assemble dressing.  Add vinegar, mint leaves and honey to a blender and pulse until the mint is chopped.  Slowly drizzle in the oils while blender is on.  Add salt and pepper and blend. 

In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of the dressing (or more, if desired) over the salad and toss well.  Serve immediately.

Zucchini & Feta Fritters with Mint Yoghurt

Here is a slightly naughty but oh-so-delicious addition to the recipe archives:  Zucchini & Feta Fritters with Mint Yoghurt! 

'Tis the season for zucchini!  It's everywhere and in abundance, and I know few people who aren't trying to come up with ways to use all theirs up!  These fritters are not only a clever use for zucchini, but they also taste wonderful.  The addition of rice flour gives them an extra crispy texture, but you can substitute wheat flour if you don't have any on hand.  These make a delicious accompaniment to Tabouleh salad (or any other type of Middle Eastern-style salad) and eaten with any other type of vegetable or mezze dish, they are filling enough to make a meal. 

This recipe was adapted from Greg and Lucy Malouf's cookbook, Saha.  My version is a little more heavy on the batter (maybe it's an American thing, but I like a truly crispy pancake rather than a just-enough-flour-to-barely-hold-things-together kind of recipe.  It makes them far less fussy to work with!).  Their version also calls for plenty of fresh and dried mint, but I felt that the mint flavor was really hard to taste in the final result, so I made a lovely minted yoghurt to spread liberally on top of each fritter.  The results are just marvelous!   

Zucchini & Feta Fritters with Mint Yoghurt

Serves 4

Fritters:

2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchini)

salt

2 fresh eggs

1 small yellow onion, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup white flour

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 T fresh dill, chopped

1/4 cup peanut oil, for frying

Yoghurt:

1 cup strained yoghurt (I used 0% Fage brand)

1 T olive oil

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

First, place the grated zucchini in a strainer or colander, sprinkle with salt, and drain for about 30 minutes.  Using a dish towel or paper towels, gently squeeze the zucchini as dry as you can get it. 

Meanwhile, make your yoghurt.  Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl (reserving a sprig of mint for garnish, if desired).  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Get your frying pan ready.  Add the peanut oil and heat over medium (you want to be able to fry the fritters as soon as the batter is assembled.  Otherwise, the zucchini will begin to seep liquid and the batter will become runny).  Add the eggs to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.  Add zucchini, onion and garlic and continue to beat until eggs increase in volume, slightly (just a minute or so).  Add flours, feta and dill and stir well with a wooden spoon.

Wet your hands with cool water and form fritters.  Take about 1/4 cup of batter and shape into a patty in your hand.  Carefully drop into the hot oil and pat down the center so the fritter is flat (use a spatula to do this if you are nervous about spattering oil).  Fry each side until golden-brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Allow to drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little finishing salt while still hot.  Serve immediately with yoghurt on the side.

Tabouleh Salad

In honor of Obe's 33rd birthday this Monday, I decided to put together a Lebanese-style ensemble of mezze dishes.  Mezze are a little bit like Spanish tapas in style.  They are a collection of small-plate dishes served for either lunch or dinner, and the variety is almost endless!

Middle Eastern cuisine has always been a favorite in this house, especially since Obe is half Lebanese.  He is particularly fond of anything with a lot of garlic and lemon juice, and I love all the wonderful spices.  Most of my inspiration came from my new favorite cookbook, Saha by Greg and Lucy Malouf.  Not only is it filled with beautiful pictures and delicious recipes but they also include detailed stories of their travels through Lebanon.  It is a marvelous cookbook and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to explore authentic Lebanese cuisine.

This recipe is a playful twist on Tabouleh.  It has all the main elements of Tabouleh but with some feta to add richness and romaine lettuce to add bulk and crunch.  It can be served as a mezze dish or in larger servings as a lighter-than-air but incredibly flavorful entree.  Enjoy it right away and you get lots of heat from the pungent raw garlic.  Allow it to sit overnight and the garlic flavor mellows and the parsley and lemon juice have a chance to infuse the bulgar to make for a more complex taste.  Either way, this salad is absolutely delicious! 

Tabouleh Salad
serves 4 as a main course

1/2 cup bulgar
juice of 1 large lemon
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1-2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large cucumber, seeded and diced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

First, soak the bulgar.  In a small bowl, add dry bulgar and enough cold water to just barely cover.  Allow to soak until the water is absorbed and the bulgar has expanded to about 1 1/2 cups (at least 30 minutes). 

Meanwhile, assemble the dressing.  In a medium bowl, add lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper to start.  Using a microplane, grate the clove of garlic into a paste and whisk into the lemon juice.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly.  Add feta and whisk to break up the larger crumbles and incorporate the cheese into the dressing.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the bulgar, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and parsley and toss to combine.  Pour dressing over the mixture and toss well.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve with warm flatbread or naan, if desired. 

*Storage note:  If you wish to make this salad ahead of time (or are planning on having leftovers) keep the lettuce and tomatoes separate and combine dressing with remaining ingredients.  When ready to serve, add lettuce and tomatoes and toss to combine.