Sunday, February 25, 2018

Going Nuts and then some

Here in winter's nadir with not much left in the farmers' markets and not much in the wings, we can turn to protein, vitamin packed staples like beans and nuts. And we can make them so tasty, vivid and hearty, nobody will miss the sprightly freshness of farm food. There are still great conversation pieces you can bring to the table right now.

Before we go completely nuts though, I want to share again the delectable recipe for my favorite winter soup because it's such a cure for the late February blahs: colorful, lip-smacking delicious, hearty, very nutritious, pretty and best of all ridiculously easy to make. It's also for those allergic to nuts.

So one more time,
Turkish Red Lentil Soup
  Serves 4-6
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, diced
2 lg garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chili, seeded and minced
1/8 tsp ground chili powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 tsp fenugreek (seeds or ground?)
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 ¼ cup split red lentils
5 cups vegetable stock and water
½ tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper
½ tsp salt or more to your taste

for garnish
 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
 1 bunch flat leaf parsley leaves only, chopped
 juice of ½ fresh lemon (or lemon wedges for each bowl)

In a heavy gauge medium size lidded casserole or other such pan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, chili, chili powder, cumin seed and ground coriander, stirring to blend. Sauté over medium heat until onion is soft, 3-5 minutes. 

Add carrot and cook another 2 minutes. Add fenugreek, celery seeds and tomato paste, pepper and salt. Stir in the lentils, blending everything.

Pour in the stock and water in any combination you prefer. Bring to a boil.
Immediately cut heat to low, partially cover the pot and simmer 35-40 minutes.
The lentils should now be mushy and the soup thick.

Serve garnished with chopped scallions and parsley and lemon juice or wedges.

If you prefer a smooth soup, puree before garnishing.


AND NOW let's go completely nuts!

Georgian Kidney Bean and Walnut Salad
I just found this homey recipe from a Georgian grandmother, the Caucuses' Georgia, not the South's.
It really does need to be dressed with a lot of cilantro to keep it bright. The taste is unusual and likeable. Also, because some people are allergic--life-threatening allergic--to walnuts, I like to announce they're in a dish by throwing a few whole ones on top where everyone can see them.
Serves 4 heartily
3 tbsp corn, olive or sunflower oil
3 med onions, halved then thinly sliced
7 oz (1 3/4c) walnut pieces
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sumac (don't fret it you don't have this)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3-4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (13-14oz cans)
1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped
2 tbsp pomegranate arils
salt to your taste
1/2 tsp mild chili powder (Aleppo or chipotle pepper works fine)

Heat the oil in a large skillet and over medium/low heat sauté the onions until soft and translucent, 5-8 minutes. Try not to burn them.
almost walnut paste
Grind the walnuts in a food processor or chopper into a smooth paste. This will take a few minutes as the first efforts will be grainy and you want smooth. Part way add the spices and vinegar. Process to the consistency of thick yogurt, adding a few drops of water or/and oil if necessary.
   Put the beans in a large serving bowl and stir in the cooked onions. Salt to your taste. Carefully stir in the walnut paste to coat everything evenly. Season with the chili powder. Garnish with chopped cilantro and pomegranate arils.
   You can serve this right away or put away in the refrigerator for tomorrow.






Italian Pasta with Walnut Sauce
Something a little different yet very familiar.
Serves 4
½ c walnuts, shelled
2 pieces day-old crustless bread
¼ c whole milk
1 garlic clove
¼ c flat leaf parsley leaves
½ c extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp heavy cream or crème fraiche
¼ c parmesan cheese grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
¾ lb cavatelli (thin twisted 2” long) pasta

Soak the walnuts in boiling water about 15 minutes. Drain and remove as much of the skins as you can. It’s a pain but this will keep the sauce from being too bitter.
Preheat the oven to 225º.
Break the bread into small pieces, put it in a bowl and pour the milk over it. Let it sit 5 minutes, then squeeze out the milk. In a food processer, combine the bread with the walnuts, garlic and parsley leaves. Blitz while pouring in the oil to make a smooth sauce. Transfer the mixture to an over proof serving bowl. Mix in the cream, cheese and pinch of red pepper flakes. Season with salt and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Place the bowl in the warm oven while the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving some of the water.  Stir in into the warm bowl of walnut sauce, add 2-3 tbsps of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Serve at once with an extra bowl of grated parmesan.

Circassian Chicken
The Circassian people lived between the Black and Caspian Sea until the Ottomans dispersed them. Most moved south into the Middle East, bringing this dish with them--to the delight of the Ottoman Turks who immediately put it on their own plates. There are two ways to present this: one as a chicken salad, one as layers of chicken topped with layers of the walnut sauce. First is the room temperature salad which can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
serves 4-6

One 4 lb chicken, quartered
1 onion, halved
4 allspice berries or 1 tsp ground allspice
4 whole cloves
4 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander seeds
Water
Salt to your taste
1 pita bread, torn into pieces
1/2 c milk or half-and-half
2 cups walnuts (6-7 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp ground Turkish red pepper, such as Aleppo or Urfa or ½ tsp chili powder
   
Put the chicken in a large soup pot. Add the onion, allspice, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and coriander seeds. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is tender, 30-40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and when it is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and pull the meat off the bones in shreds. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl.
   
Strain the fragrant chicken broth and transfer 3 cups to a small saucepan. Boil until it’s reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to your taste.

In a small bowl, sink the pita in the milk and mash it down until it is completely soaked. Transfer the pita to a food processor. Add the walnuts and garlic and process to a thick paste. While the machine is on, slowly pour in a thin stream about 1 cup of the reduced chicken broth until a sauce as thick as Greek yogurt forms; add more broth if necessary. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Fold half the walnut sauce into the bowl with the chicken. Add the cilantro and half the ground red pepper. Mound the chicken on a plate, sprinkle the remaining Turkish red pepper all over and spread half the remaining sauce on top.  Garnish with a few whole walnuts and pass the extra walnut sauce at the table.
It isn’t authentically Circassian but you could put the chicken on a bed of arugula for a dazzling presentation.

AND of course you knew there'd be more chickpeas. So here's the easiest one perfect for right now if you are allergic to nuts, or even if not!
Chickpea Mushroom Loaf

serves 4

1 large Portobello mushroom, rinsed and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese 
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tbsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs , beaten
3 tbsp olive oil
¼ c cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 325º. Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs in a large bowl and mix together. Use a hand blender or a food processor to roughly blend them together (don't create a perfect paste). Then add breadcrumbs, thoroughly blend, and spoon into a greased loaf pan.
  Bake at 325º degrees 45 minutes or until the edges are crispy. Serve hot with barbecue sauce or raita.

 
Next time: in honor of March St Patrick's Day, the annual eatin' o' the greens!

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