Currently viewing the tag: "onions"

This is a sort of modern California riff on the steakhouse classic of steak with maître d’hôtel butter served with spinach. While a baked potato or frites might be what comes to mind as a starch, I’d go for Pommes Anna instead. The recipe calls for a hanger steak- there is one per animal and it has a strip of gristle running down the center that must be cut away (ask the butcher to do it) – which has a wonderful “beefy” flavor. However, if you like meat cooked more well done, this is not the cut for you. Anything past medium and the steak is chewy as wet saddle leather. Other cuts that are flavorful and off the beaten path include flap, chuck eye, and flatiron. The last is a steak that is flavorful like a chuck steak, but has the tenderness of filet, except for a strip of gristle running through the middle. Cut it out after you have cooked it or you end up cutting the steak into tiny bits that cook too fast. Be sure you use a hot flame or pan so the meat chars a bit, as that flavor is part of the overall appeal.

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The profile of this dish can easily be changed by altering the spices. Go with thyme, marjoram and fennel seed for a French flare-you could even add some lavender- or use oregano or sage for a more Italian turn. Use some Moroccan spices and go North African/Mid-East. Curry will take you to India, and you can add hot chili for an incendiary approach or use fennel seed with a sweet curry for mild but fragrant. Use this for topping fish, boneless chicken breasts or cubed chicken chunks, or cut cauliflower into large pieces and roast them after oiling and seasoning. You could serve at room temp or cold as part of a mezze or thali lunch. It would also do well with cooked chickpeas or kidney beans heated up in it. This is the iteration for roast cauliflower, or for topping fish or even shrimp.

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Here, Butternut squash slices replace potatoes in variation of a typical gratin. Vegetable stock stands in for the usual dairy, and bread crumbs are there to soak up moisture and add some texture and loft. Chard adds a contrast to the sweetness of the squash, and you could mix potato slices into the squash slices if you wish to tone the sweetness down as well.

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This is the sort of thing that can be thrown together with help from the pantry and leftovers, and is just right for a cold evening or lunch time. Or, if like me you are tired of cereal or omelets for breakfast, fire this up and add a couple poached or basted eggs on top and enjoy. You can also skip the eggs and have a piece of toast spread with some soft goat cheese smoked olive oil and you have a complete protein breakfast.

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…and maybe other things too, if you wish. You could add chard and chard stems, or just stems if you have them left over from another dish. Olives, artichoke hearts, beans, mushrooms…Serve with avocado chunks, labne (I use it instead of sour cream), some fiery hot sauce and slabs of toast.

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I hesitate to call this a jam as it is useful for more than toast. Try this with pork, chicken, or turkey. Good on sandwiches or as a smear, and would be nice on a cheese plate. This would be good made with berries that are a little over-ripe or starting to look less than perfect.

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For this salad, a tender lettuce like Butter or Oakleaf is the perfect contrast to the dense beets and crunchy quickles. If you can’t find small red onions for your quickles, go with shallots instead. Although very simple, this salad is so satisfying with the range of textures and flavors. Also, the beets and quickles can be done days ahead, along with the dressing.

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Pistachio oil is pricey, but is a wonderful indulgence. It works magic in dressings, lentils, and grains, and is a nice way to finish scallops or fish. It matches well with orange and other citrus. Look for smaller bottles and keep it in the refrigerator. If you do not have pistachio oil, just use a plain red wine vinaigrette.

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The dice of colorful vegetables and the mix of flavors and textures is like confetti, making this easy soup a celebration of the season. If you have pesto in the refrigerator already, go with the pesto in lieu of the basil leaf shreds as it will reduce the workload. If you wish to make this a more substantial soup, think about adding beans or some pasta.

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This is a substantial salad that could serve as a light supper, and is about the interplay of the sweet, fruity, and acid, and soft components of the peppers, onions, and tomatoes in contrast with the crunchy, salty, slightly fatty roast pancetta wheel. Red Oak leaf lettuce is perfect for the bed. If you do not want to make the basil oil, substitute basil shreds and just use olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In lieu of pancetta, you could use buffalo mozzarella or goat cheese rounds. See Chef’s Notes for ideas.

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Here is a basic “recipe” I use a lot, especially in the summer; this is for “roasted” onions. It is more of a technique than a recipe, as it only calls for onions and flame, really. These onions are a key ingredient to my dark vegetable stock as they lend a depth of flavor, deep color, and the pectin helps to produce a density or viscosity to the stock that is usually derived from animal products. I use these onions in braises, soups, and salsas. Tossed with a little vinegar (red-wine or balsamic) then placed on toasts they make a nice quick appetizer. They elevate roasted peppers. These onions find their way into eggs, pastas, and sandwiches. Good for pizza, too. Grill a few and keep them in a sealed box in the refrigerator. They last 4-5 days.

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An all-vegetable and grain stuffing makes this lighter than the usual version with ground beef stuffing. This is a great way to use up left-over grains such as farro, bulgur, rice, or quinoa.

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This can be eaten on its own as a bowl of “chili”, but it came about as a vegetarian filling for tacos or enchiladas. The inspiration for this came when Hatch and pasilla chilis were spotted at the local farmer’s market. The Green Sauce is not usually spicy, but you can adjust your chilis to make it so.

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This gets the “Provençal” from the use of fennel and “pastis”, which is an anise flavored liqueur from France. As it is most often consumed in Provence and the surrounding areas, it is associated with the cuisine of the area as well. You can make the dish without the pastis, but it does taste better with it. Fennel is also used a lot in the cuisine of the area, both as a main ingredient and as a flavoring agent.

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Quick and easy using staples and delights of the season.

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This dish is loosely based on Cashew Chicken from Chinese restaurants. While this has no chicken in it, you could add some if you wish.

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INGREDIENTS:

1 pound asparagus-as thick as you can find
½ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and reserved for stock
½ cup white wine such as Grenache Blanc
½ teaspoon fresh minced ginger

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This is a variation on the classic Red Flannel Hash of New England. There are many versions of this dish, some starting with raw vegetables, some use already cooked vegetables (left over from the corned beef dinner of the night before), some with eggs, all usually with corned beef. This version uses some cooked veg, some raw, and does not call for any meat, although there is an option for that. Also, this version calls for a smaller dice than most recipes, but this yields more crunchy surface while allowing the vegetables to cook all the way through without burning the surface. If you wish to use eggs, you can either cook them separately or add them to the mix and bake the lot until the eggs are done.

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Roasting the squash adds depth of flavor, and the apple and squash are a great combination. There are different options for seasoning the soup that, while they are small changes, they move the soup a lot in terms of flavor.

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We offer several members of the allium family in our boxes including spring onions, scallions, purplette onions, leeks and green garlic.

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INGREDIENTS:

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets and florets halved
1-2 bell peppers or Corno di Toro (any colors are fine), seeded and cut into ½ inch dice
1 tomatoes, cut into medium dice
2-3 “spring” onions, cut into medium dice (around ¾ to 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced

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With summer here, the time is perfect for gratins. Sure, everyone is firing up the grill, but let’s face it-grilled vegetables only hold their appeal for a while, and then you want something with a little more depth of character. All those vegetables that are great on the grill are also great in a gratin. Easy to make, gratins can be made in advance and will keep overnight, and are good hot from the oven, or at room temperature. What’s not to like?

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This is a great salsa to make when you have firm and flavorful tomatoes. Feel free to use other colored tomatoes if you have them.

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This is a more delicate salsa than standard Pico de Gallo. The garlic is blanched to mellow it, and the amount of chili is pretty light. And instead of straight cilantro, cilantro oil is used. Use this as a topping for grilled or poached fish or chicken, or on slices of barely wilted summer squash.

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This is a simple variation on basic braised chicken. By changing the herbs and spices and some of the aromatics, you can take this dish from Mexico and the American South West to the Middle East or even South East Asia. Typically, braised chicken would be sautéed first to brown, and then liquid is added, the pot is covered and then cooked in the oven until done. This is the method I learned at Chez Panisse and is so simple. Simmer the chicken covered, skin down in liquid, and after 30 minutes, turn the chicken so the skin is above the surface of the liquid and cooked, uncovered, until browned on top (around 15 minutes) and serve. This recipe is made with legs because that is what was used, but you can use any parts you want with fine results. If you used all wings, though, you might wish to cut back the time to keep the meat from falling off the bone. Although the recipe seems long, it is not really. It also gives you meat and veg in one dish and can be assembled and cooked in about an hour. Excellent when cooked a day ahead and re-heated.

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This is the first of my “quickle” recipes from which the rest derive. These always seem to disappear so fast, and I am always interested to see what they get used for. Once you have done this, you’ll find it takes longer to read the recipe than execute it. This is another dish where a Ben-Riner or mandolin is really helpful, or a razor sharp knife is essential.

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This is called blond vegetable stock rather than “Light Vegetable Stock” because it is light in color, or blond, and to avoid confusion that it is somehow light in flavor or calories.  Use this where you would a light chicken stock, as a soup base, or in vegetables. Be sure to start with cold water, and skim frequently.

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Onions are usually relegated to supporting roles in cooking, and I am always trying to find ways to make them the “star”. The inspiration for this came from a Silver Spoon cookbook, and this recipe definitely does that. Like onions in recipes, this dish could go with most anything. It is a little sweet, a little savory, without being “oniony”. The onion shows various shades of purple, and the shape of the wedges lend themselves to nice arrangements on the plate. If you like onions in the least, try this dish. It doesn’t hurt that it is quite easy. The hardest part is peeling the onions. Be sure to use a sharp knife for this. This dish is popular with kids.

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This is a traditional Catalonian dish made with an onion similar to spring onions. There are festivals dedicated to eating calçots, and these are called a calçotada. The usual accompaniment to calçots is a romesco sauce, made with red peppers and tomatoes. Although these are not in season, I have made a perfectly fine version of this with jarred peppers and canned tomatoes, and so I will include the recipe.

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INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch green garlic
1 medium brown onion*
Thyme leaves from two sprigs
1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil/ butter combined
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
½ cup water, white wine, white vermouth, or a combination
1 teaspoon sugar (or as needed)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (you may or may not need this)

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