Be Elegant, Be Earthy

Ina Garten is known for her simple, but sophisticated approach to food. Many also know her as the Barefoot Contessa, a moniker she earned from the Hampton's specialty store by the same name, which she used to own.

One of the reasons I admire Ina's cooking is that she always starts with good ingredients. I recently came across a group of other zealous Ina fans, where every two weeks members make the same recipe and post their results on the same day. The group, called Barefoot Bloggers, is currently about 70-members strong.

The first recipe for June is Pasta, Pesto and Peas. This was a super easy recipe and I could definitely see making this as a side dish for a summer barbecue. I made two substitutions: swapped the frozen spinach for frozen since I got a supply in my weekly CSA harvest box, and I used all fusilli pasta instead of a combo. As a superfan of all things basil, I thought the overall flavor was tasty. However, I could easily have done with about half the mayonnaise, as I am not so much a fan. It was just way too creamy for me, but cutting down the mayo is an easy enough modification.

Pasta, Pesto and Peas

3/4 pound fusilli pasta
3/4 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups

Bottle of Red, Bottle of White ... Either Works

Do you ever have those nights when you wish you could just walk in the door with dinner ready and waiting for you? I definitely do. No fishing around the pantry for ingredients or running back out the store for that one crucial piece of the recipe that you mistakenly thought you had.

While there is no promise of a personal chef in my future, there are ways to cook sophisticated, fresh meals with whatever is in the pantry or fridge. I'm not that great at this, but Nigella Lawson does this very well. Tonight I made her version of coq au vin, which actually calls for Riesling instead of the red wine traditionally associated with this dish. I didn't have exactly what the recipe called for, so substituted with items I had onhand.

Coq Au Riesling
slightly adapated from Nigella Lawson's original recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup cubed bacon
1 leek, finely sliced
2 pounds chicken breasts, each cut in half
1 750-ml bottle Riesling wine
4 cups button mushrooms, sliced
3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1–2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill

1. Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet and fry the bacon until crisp.


2. Add the sliced leek and soften it with the bacon for a minute or so.


3. Tip in the chicken, wine, mushrooms and bay leaves.


4. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes.


5. Serve sprinkled with dill on a bed of noodles.

**Updated 3/24/08**
Six servings
Weight Watchers = 9 points per serving

Waste Not, Want Not

It's inevitable. No matter how carefully I plan my grocery shopping, I still find spoiled produce in the back of the fridge veggie drawer week after week. This drives me batty! Not only do I end up wasting perfectly good food, but I may as well be throwing money right into the garbage can. In an attempt to avoid both scenarios, I've adopted the philosophy that I cannot purchase any new produce if I still have some left in my fridge.

So, what does this have to do with anything? When making Portobello Stuffed Mushrooms earlier this week, I somehow bought twice as much fennel as I needed. Ever since, I have been eyeing the leftover fennel in the fridge, trying to figure out what the heck to do with it. I rarely cook with it, so was kind of at a loss. I scoured the internet for culinary inspiration and finally found something that seemed to meet my needs, penne pasta with sausage and fennel. Sounds tasty to me. The recipe took a little longer than I would have liked for a weeknight, but it turned out well and provided enough leftovers for at least one more meal for two.

Penne with Sausage and Fennel
from Food & Wine

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 small celery rib, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped sage
One 35-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound Italian sweet sausage, pricked with a fork
1 large fennel bulb (1 1/2 pounds)--halved lengthwise, cored and sliced crosswise, fronds chopped
1 pound penne
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and sage and cook over low heat until the onion is softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of basil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
   
2. In a medium saucepan of water, simmer the sausage over moderate heat until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain, cut into 1/4-inch rounds and add to the tomato sauce.
   
3. Cook the fennel slices in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the tomato sauce. Add the penne to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain and return to the pot. Add the tomato sauce, parsley and the fennel fronds and toss. Add the 2 tablespoons of cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon of basil and toss again. Transfer the pasta to a warmed bowl and serve with the additional cheese.

Updated 3/2/2008
8 servings
Weight Watchers = 8 points per serving