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  • Collards with Potatoes

    2 bunches collard greens or a mixture of collards, kale, chard, spinach, turnips tops, etc.

    sea salt and freshly ground pepper

    3 medium yellow potatoes, scrubbed and diced

    3-4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces (optional)

    2 Tbs. olive oil

    1/2 onion or 1 bunch scallions, chopped

    1-2 garlic cloves, minced

    pinch of red pepper flakes

    hot pepper sauce or vinegar for the table

     

    • Strip the collards from the stem and wash. Bring a few quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and the greens and simmer for 5 minutes. Scoop collards into a bowl. Add potatoes to the cooking water and simmer until tender, 7-10 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet or in the oven. Set aside to drain.
    • Heat oil in a pan (you can use a little bacon grease, too). Add the onion and sautee about 5 minutes.
    • Chop the cooked greens, then add them to the pan along with the garlic and pepper flakes. Scoop some of the potato water into the pan so that everything cooks in a little moisture.
    • When potatoes are tender, scoop them out and add them to the greens. Add the bacon, toss everything together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and season to taste with hot sauce and/or vinegar.

     

  • Warm Escarole Salad with Goat Cheese

    yield: Makes 6 servings

    • 1 head of escarole, torn into large bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
    • 2 bacon slices
    • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
    • 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
    • 1 5.5-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

    Divide escarole among 6 plates. Cook bacon in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain; reserve skillet with bacon drippings. Finely chop bacon; set aside.
    Whisk olive oil and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Heat bacon drippings in skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add olive oil mixture and whisk just until heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle vinaigrette over escarole. Sprinkle with eggs, goat cheese, and bacon.
    Adapted from epicurious.com

  • Brussels Sprout Hash with Carmelized Shallots

    Serves 8-10
    This recipe might even convert the Brussels sprouts haters of the world...(ahem, Roger.....)

    • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
    • 1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
    • Coarse kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 4 teaspoons sugar
    • 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup water
    • optional: 6 slices of crispy cooked bacon

     

    Preparation
    Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.
    Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper. Crumble chunks of bacon and mix in, optional.

  • Butternut Squash Soup

    Serves 6. Takes about 45 minutes - a quick, easy fall soup!
     
    Ingredients:

    • 4 bacon slices (optional)
    • 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
    • 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
    • 1/2 pounds carrots, chopped
    • 1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
    • 3 thyme sprigs
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 1/2 cups veggie or chicken broth
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar



     
    Preparation:
    Cook bacon in a 4-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
    Add garlic and caraway seeds to fat in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. If skipping the bacon, substitute butter or olive oil for the fat. Add squash, carrots, apple, thyme, bay leaves, broth, water, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaves.
    Purée about 4 cups soup in a blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

  • Corn Chowder with Bacon, Crab and Chanterelle Mushrooms

    Fall is when the wild mushrooms, particularly Chanterelles, start mysteriously popping out of the dark forest duff around here. It's also when the corn is ripe, making a perfect marriage. This soup would go great with a pile of steamed kale, drizzled in olive oil and a splash of cider vinegar and salt.
     
    Corn Chowder with Bacon, Crab and Chanterelle Mushrooms

    Ingredients

    • 4 ears fresh yellow corn
    • 4 cups chicken or veggie broth
    • 3 cups whipping cream (or milk or milk substitute if aiming for a lower fat soup)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 7 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips (optional)
    • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
    • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 medium)
    • 3/4 cup finely chopped celery (i didn't have any and went without - it was fine)
    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1 3/4 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    • 1-2 colored sweet peppers, diced
    • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
    • 6 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, thickly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons dry Sherry
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp. dried
    • 1 pound fresh crabmeat (optional)
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

    Preparation
    Cut kernels off corn cobs. Set kernels aside and put the cobs into a large heavy saucepan. Peel the potatoes. Set diced spuds aside and add peels to saucepan. Chop the leeks. Save the butt ends and the leaves, chop up, rinse and combine with the corn cobs, broth, and cream. Simmer 5 minutes, being careful not to scorch the cream. Remove from heat.
    Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons pan drippings; add onion, leeks, celery, and fennel seeds to pot. Sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in potatoes and sweet peppers. Strain cobs, leek leaves and potato peels from cream mixture; add strained stock into potato mixture. Simmer until potatoes are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn kernels. Simmer chowder until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
    Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in Sherry and thyme. Add mushroom mixture to chowder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    Sauté crabmeat in same large skillet over medium-low heat just until heated through, about 3 minutes. Divide crabmeat, reserved bacon, and parsley among bowls. Ladle chowder over and serve.

  • Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots & Thyme
    • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
    • 1 pound medium shallots
    • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
    • Optional: 1/2 pound bacon

     

    Preparation
    Cook green beans in boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well. Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in several layers of paper towels. Seal in plastic bag and chill.
     
    Cut off and discard ends from shallots. Cut shallots lengthwise in half, then remove peel with paring knife. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until shallots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.
     
    If adding bacon, cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy and well-done. Drain fat and set aside to cool. Once cool, crumble or chop bacon into bite-size pieces.
     
    Add green beans to shallots (and bacon, if using) in skillet and stir over medium-high heat until heated through, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

  • Nicoise Salad

    Salad Niçoise (pronounced nee-suaz) is essentially a French composed salad, much like our American Cobb Salad but with tuna, green beans, and potatoes, instead of chicken, bacon, and avocado. Salad Niçoise hails from Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, though like so many foods we enjoy here of French origin, has changed a bit to adapt to our tastes. Like its American Cobb salad cousin, the Salad Nicoise takes some time to prepare, given all of the ingredients. This is one dish where setting up your mise en place (all ingredients chopped and ready to go) will help the salad come together smoothly.
     

     
    Vinaigrette
    Rounded 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste, mashed with 1 clove of garlic
    1/2 cup lemon juice
    3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    1/2 small leek, minced
    1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
    2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves
    2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
     
    Salad
    2 grilled or otherwise cooked tuna steaks* (8 oz each) or 2-3 cans of tuna
    6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and either halved or quartered
    1.5 pounds new potatoes, each potato scrubbed and diced into 1" cubes
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 medium heads butterhead lettuce or other leaf lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
    3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths
    1 small red onion, sliced very thin
    1 sweet pepper, sliced into long, thin strips
    3/4 lb. green beans, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise
    1/4 cup niçoise olives
    2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies (optional)

     
     
    *Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.
    1 Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
    2 Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.
    3 While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter (I used two serving platters, shown in the photos). Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices, coat with vinaigrette. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
    4 Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
    5 Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.