My Ten Favorite Dishes: #3

I’ve always wanted a transcendental food experience. My first awareness of the notion was when I was five years old: watching Fred Flintstone devour a pterodactyl drumstick. Every summer, at the Renaissance Festival, I would order the turkey drumstick hoping, praying I would derive such pleasure, even half the pleasure, that Fred seemed to get from that leg. Alas, it never happened. As I got older, I witnessed my father eat sushi. He would close his eyes as he popped Flying Fish Roe with Quail Egg into his mouth, waving us off to be sure we didn’t interrupt his experience.

In 1999, I traveled to Tuscany…. We dined, among other places, at a four-star restaurant in the Old City of Colle d’Val Elsa; the setting was spectacular, atop an ancient village, gazing out to the rolling hills at sunset. The service and décor were flawless. If ever I were to have a transcendental experience, this would be the place. My friends ooh’ed and aah’ed through every bite. Though I enjoyed the meal, I couldn’t muster an authentic moan of delight. I resigned myself to never having this experience.

It was not until I ate at Oishii Boston – 9 years later, that the culinary heavens opened up and shone its light on me. Specifically, the hamachi-truffle maki sang to me. Hamachi, yellowtail in English, is thick and meaty like tuna, but creamier in texture, and is my favorite fish for sushi. Truffle has no taste, per se, but has an intoxicatingly earthy scent. It keeps drawing me in, sucking my taste-buds hoping to extract more of its aroma. In this maki, the flavors and textures come together harmoniously with smokiness from torched (“bana”) yellowtail and crunchy shrimp tempura rolled inside. The roll is topped with a nibble of caviar to give it a crunchy, salty start that opens the taste-buds for the sensations to come.

The first time I tasted this roll, I immediately ordered a second despite the $25 price tag. On another occasion, as I sat eyes closed focusing inward to the sensations in my mouth, I waved off the server (just like my father waved off the family) when she asked me how everything was mid-bite. My dining companion was so incensed by my behaviour, we never spoke again. The same waitress has served me again, and she has forgiven what we both agree is justifiable behavior. I go back again and again, never tiring of the flavor, having a petit mort every time.

I think I need a cigarette....

Garden Updates and Sage Sagas

Glorious, hot sun followed by torrential downpours. Welcome to Spring in New England. As I peered out the window yesterday afternoon, streams of rainwater rushed across the fledgling zucchini plants. I wondered if they would be washed away…

Much to my delight, this morning the garden is doing well. The Brandywine tomatoes have already started to flower. This provides great relief since I tempted the weather gods by planting tomatoes in late April, even though New England can have frost as late as Memorial Day. And the brussel sprouts, though nowhere near sprouting, have big full leaves: another good sign. The zucchini plants still seem rooted in their original location

The arugula was in full force last week. I’ve been cutting salads every night, dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil, or with a few drops of reduced balsamic vinegar. Arugula does not like the heat, though. And at the first sign of summer, like we had on Sunday, the plants start to bolt. The stalks shoot up ready to flower and then go to seed. Try as I might to cut them back and stave off the process, the plants grow leggier every day. The downside is that the plants produce less leaves, the upside is that the salad gets spicier with each warm day. Photo of bolting arugula comes courtesy of Ed Bruske. If you visit his blog and read about a pig matanza and a turkey matanza... these are at my friend Brett's farm (aka Tales from the Farm). Though I was not with Ed during these adventures, I have had the same adventures on the same farm.

The sage continues to proliferate. Even after several whacks – an indulgent meal of pasta with sage brown-butter, several gifts to friends, I still have *gasp* too much. It seems that if I don’t consume it, I befall the same fate as all the other wasted food. Perhaps not as drastic, it seems if I grow it, I should eat it. Or let someone else eat it.

One solution: deep fry the leaves in plain oil until just translucent. After they drain on a paper towel, I season them with salt. The leaves seem thinner and melt in my mouth. They’re addictive like potato chips… light and crispy and salty.

A little on-line research revealed that sage has many medicinal qualities, including: reduces bad breath, reduces perspiration, reduces the symptoms of menopause and premenstrual cramps, increases brain concentration, and reduces blood sugar in people with diabetes. Be cautioned, if you are pregnant, you should not consume this wonder herb in great quantity.

And, of course, burning sage leaves can cleanse a home of negative energy.

Inspiration without Waste

Or...

Reducing the Compost Pile, Part 2

This past week, like most, involved a trip to my favorite food market: Russo’s. The produce selection is awesome (and I mean this in a traditional sense of the word, not a 15-year old sense) – as an example, they carry at least 8 varieties of eggplant (traditional American, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, white and rosetta) and mushrooms (button, American shiitake, Chinese shiitake, crimini, oyster, king oyster, hedge hogs, portobellas). If you want inspiration, this is the place to roam. They have Asian vegetables: Chinese Broccoli, Rambatans, Banana Flowers, Garlic Chives, Bud Chives, Yellow Chives, along with the usual suspects of bok choy and snow peas. They stock a deli case with 3 kinds of prosciutto crudo, and also pancetta, sopressetto and salami. They manage to cater to the Armenian, Asian, Italian and Jewish populations… giving the market a sense of being an ethnic market, when in fact they are really a green grocer.

I arrive at the market with no clear plan, which is great if one is seeking inspiration, but not as much so if you’re trying to reduce food waste. I tried to bring the two notions together as I thought about the week’s agenda: a Memorial Day get-together with a few friends, many dinners out, but lots of lunches at home. I leave with visions of culinary greatness: a strawberry-rhubarb pie; home-made cannolis with home-made ricotta; minty spring vegetables (English peas, favas and asparagus) to accompany lamb and mango chutney. For my lunches: chicken, avocado and blue cheese – to make cobb salad with the first cutting of arugula from the garden. I buy chicken thighs to brine and smoke… and even though I don’t have a specific plan for them, smoked chicken will never go to waste in this house! And, of course, more bacon and scallions for another batch of scones.

In the process of all this cooking, I discovered mozzarella curd in the freezer that had been there for at least 2 years. I figured – I might as well cook it up, if the cheese is bad, I throw it away, if not – one point in the “no waste” column. Also, I remember the beets I had roasted earlier in the week, and stumble across basil that I froze at the end of last summer’s harvest – add them to a dish, and that’s one more point! The cannoli shells flopped (minus ½ point). I had already made the ricotta, though, so I’m now left with two kinds of cheese.

The mozzarella and ricotta come together with a basil pesto and smoked chicken atop a grilled pizza. This will be the appetizer for the Memorial Day dinner.

Speaking of which, the guest count for the Memorial Day fete swelled slightly so the single mango and two lamb tenders in the freezer will no longer suffice. But I still have two chicken breasts left from my cobb salad lunch. The potatoes I bought a few weeks ago are still firm and unblemished. To stretch the minty-spring vegetables, I add in a fresh arugula salad seasoned simply with olive oil and lemon juice. While I won’t have enough of any dish for everyone to make a meal, I do have enough food to feed everyone. So rather than return to the market to buy more lamb and spring vegetables, I opt for a medley, and hope my friends excuse the lack of focus. I think this is another point in the “no-waste” column.

Grilled “Green” Pizza with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Smoked Chicken
Lamb Tenders and Chicken Breasts with Mango Chutney
Minty Spring Vegetables and Roasted Beets with Bacon
Garlic Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with Lemon Zest
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Total: 2 ½ points in the no-waste column.

For the rhubarb pie, I made them in individual ramekins. This has the double benefit of being easier to assemble and creating a more elegant presentation.

Mango Chutney
4 mangoes, peeled and chopped (or 2 cups chopped apples or strawberries)
2 cups sugar, brown or white
1 small onion, diced
2 1/2 cups vinegar, red, white or balsamic
2 in. piece of fresh ginger, peeled and choped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 - 2 tsp. chili powder
1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup raisins

Put sugar and vinegar in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add mangoes and remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat until chutney is reduced and thick, stirring occasionally, about ½ hour.

The Great Scone Caper

My friend asked me the other day, “Why can’t I find a good savory scone?” It’s not even a question of finding a good savory scone; it’s really finding any savory scone. The usual suspects of bakery-cafes – 1369, Diesel, Carberry’s – are all lacking. Rumor has it that Panera sometimes offers savory varieties, but they are not conveniently located, and on principle I try to avoid national chains in favor of supporting the local store owners.

The only true resolution is to make the scones myself.

I thumbed through my favorite (and most trusted) cookbooks for foolproof recipes – Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook and The Professional Pastry Chef -- only to find one or two recipes... for sweet scones. When I lived in San Francisco, I recall having a fabulous scone – in fact my first ever scone – at Greens Restaurant and bakery in Fort Mason. It was a cheddar-scallion scone, and I have never seen it since. Much to my dismay, their cookbook was devoid of any scone recipe, too. A search on Epicurious yielded quite a few, but based on the recipe reviews, none seemed perfect – one was deemed bland, another didn’t have the butter cut into it, and so on… I piecemealed together the “best practices” of each recipe.

I opted for bacon, cheddar and scallions. Feel free to omit the bacon or the scallions.

Bacon, Cheddar and Scallion Scones
3 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 scallions, washed and cut into rings.
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream (or combination of milk and cream)
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put bacon in a skillet, and cook over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Drain bacon on a paper towel.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter using your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese. Whisk cream, mustard and egg in small bowl, and add the scallions and the bacon. Add cream mixture to flour mixture and gently knead until just combined.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Gather dough together; divide in half. Pat each half into 6-inch round. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake scones until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Transfer scones to rack and cool at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. They can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven about 5 minutes.)

Reducing the Compost Pile, Part I

After just two weeks of composting, my bin already has a good base. Though this is not necessarily something to be proud of… much of it is the product of food waste – overly ambitious food projects, last minute dinner invitations that mean I cook less at home despite a full fridge, etcetera.

I’ve become increasingly interested in the issue food waste after reading an article in the New York Times last week. It ties in with the issue of reducing our carbon foot-print as well as rising food costs. As I blogged about earlier, and has been well documented in the press lately, food scraps in our trash ends up in land-fills and adds to greenhouse gases in the form of methane. We can reduce this effect by composting, but this does not address the second issue of rising food costs.

Do you recall being admonished (or hearing stories of others) for not cleaning your plate because there are starving children in Ethiopia, China, India, etcetera? The cynicist doubts that clearing our plates will reduce world-wide hunger. After all, how will the food from my plate get to those needy families? Another rebuttal is that I have already paid for the food, so I own it and can throw it away if I want. The answer is a matter of supply and demand. If I take more than I need, supply is decreased, and demand is increased thereby raising prices. If I only buy what I will consume, the supply is increased and prices decrease.

Again, like composting, how can the little things I do make a difference? Supermarkets and restaurants are the biggest culprits – with supermarkets throwing away produce with the slightest blemish, lest they tarnish their reputation for the freshest and best produce. And restaurants serving more than any person can eat in a single sitting – leaving the diner to waste the food or bring it home in a doggy bag and hope it makes its way into a subsequent meal. The best I can do is align my beliefs with my actions that demonstrate my concern. This alignment can be viral and incite the bigger players to take action.

You can read more about this issue at Jonathan Bloom’s Blog: www.wastedfood.com.

With dancing thoughts of reforming my wasteful ways, I embarked on some culinary adventures…. Stay tuned.

Confessions of an Urban Gardener

I have a confession: I plant seeds and seedlings too densely in my garden.

I could have kept this secret, but in light of my overgrown sage, I had to come clean. I was wondering why Lydia’s two plants behaved so differently—one spindly and thin, the other full and robust. The truth is, I know why my sage is so hearty this year and hadn’t been in years past – each plant had plenty of spreading room.

This does not come easily to me. Each year, I plant lettuce from seed. Maybe it’s just the minuscule size of the seeds and my clumsy hands or my distrust that such a small seed will produce a full head of lettuce. Either way, the little sprouts are so tightly packed now that even the Square Foot Gardner would shake his head. Similarly, the tomato plants get about 8 inches… they’re just so small when the go in the ground, I can’t seem to visualize how big they’ll become.

Then comes harvest time… and I look at the size of everyone else’s tomatoes, or my friend Brett’s lettuce (who’s using the same seed as me). I’ll admit I have size envy.

This year, I’m fighting every urge to crowd. I’ve already screwed up. On close inspection of my lettuce bed, about 5 sprouts crowd each millimeter hole. Crouched on my hands and knees, armed with office scissors, I first cut back about 50% of the sprouts. I didn’t pull them out as I would have disrupted the roots of the remaining plants. A week later, I went back, cutting out everything except 1 plant every 1/2” – 1”. From the second trimming, I yielded a gallon of baby arugula. Miraculously, the arugula is still growing strong, and I’ve managed to have a salad every day this week. Phew, I think it’s going to be okay.

My other vegetable bed is huge by urban standards, about 15’ by 4’. Nonetheless, I only planted for 5 tomatoes, giving 2 feet between each plant. This left me room so that I could also plant celery, eggplant, cauliflower and brussel sprouts, each with appropriate spacing.

Sage Gone Wild

Up until this year, my sage plants have hobbled through the seasons. Each of the 4 plants would grow anemically, with just enough leaves each week to add sparkle to maybe one dish. Every once in a while, I’d be cooking an especially sage-y meal and I would decapitate a plant. If patience prevailed and the weather gods favored me, the plant would grow back. Otherwise, I’d buy another plant and try again the next year.

We’re only a few weeks into spring, and already my sage plants have grown so large they’ve begun to flower. I pruned the bushes, donating the leaves to a friend’s kitchen. Still, if I don’t do something quick they may shade the celery plants which are also vying for sun.

Sage is a tricky herb – added fresh to a dish, a little (just a tablespoon fresh chopped) goes a long way. But if you fry the leaves and sprinkle with a little salt, they entice you like potato chips.

Here are my two favorite dishes that require copious amounts of sage…

Pasta with Fried Sage and Parmesan

1 pound pasta of choice
1 bunch sage, leaves picked
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup parmesan
2 - 4 tbs. butter (depending on taste)
1/2 cup chicken broth or cream
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium high heat in a sauté pan. Add sage leaves. Cook until they begin to look translucent. Add garlic slices. Continue cooking until garlic is lightly browned. Remove from heat

3. When pasta is done, drain. Toss with sage and butter mixture. Add chicken stock and parmesan. Stir to coat pasta. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Chicken Saltimbocca

4 chicken breast cutlets
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
4 slice proscuitto
1 bunch sage, leaves picked
3 cloves garlic, sliced.
3 tbs. plain oil
1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup sherry
2 tbs. butter (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in sauté pan. Add sage leaves. Fry for 2 minutes, or until they begin to get crispy. Add garlic, and continue frying for 1 minute or until garlic begins to turn brown. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Over the center of each chicken breast, layer mozzarella, prosciutto and 1/8 of sage-garlic mixture. Fold over to seal in filling.

3. Heat large sauté pan over high heat. Add remaining oil. Sauté chicken for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on outside, and cooked through (or you can bake chicken at 350 for 10 minutes).

4. When chicken is finished cooking, keep warm in oven. Add shallots and sherry to chicken pan. Bring wine to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and swirl in whole butter. Season pan juices to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

5. Slice chicken into medallions, and serve with pan juices. Garnish with remaining fried sage and garlic.

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #2 - Faux Virtue at the Shack

Jasper White garnered his acclaim during his years at his eponymous, white-tablecloth restaurant in the North End. Imagine everyone’s surprise when he shuttered the doors to work at the chain Legal’s Seafood, and then a clam shack!

The original Summer Shack is located at Alewife...a sprawling restaurant that, unfortunately, does not resemble a shack. Nor does it feel like summer with little natural light flowing in from the small windows. But what it lacks in décor, it makes up for in the food experience. Food is indeed love here.

One of the first things I notice when I walk in is the guy standing in the walk-in cooler (with a window so I can see him and he can see me) shucking clams. These clams don’t come from a gallon tub whose provenience is unknown; they come from fresh clams. In the open kitchen, a cook is cutting corn kernels off the cob for the fritters. As a person who opts to make fresh pasta for an idle Tuesday dinner because it’s not that time-consuming, I appreciate these extra touches for the sake of quality. The fried clams burst with sweet-brine, slightly chewy but mostly tender. The bellies, which can be a turn-off for the novice clam-eater, are subtle if even discernible.

But what keeps me coming back time after time is the Vegetable Platter: a mélange of faux virtue that allows me to order the clams and feel that I’m actually eating healthy. I’ve studied enough nutrition to know that a salad has little nutritional value and lots of fat since we make it taste good with dressing. Vegetables, on the other hand, are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. And that Jasper makes them taste good…

Brown Rice, Seared mushrooms and Corn on the Cob regularly star on the plate. The rice is firm and chewy with a richness that only butter can offer. The mushrooms are seared so hard that they are crispy and caramelized brown with a nuance of roasted garlic. The corn, despite the season, manages to be crisp and sweet. To color the plate, other vegetables appear depending on the season. In the winter, broccoli raab is sautéed with garlic and chilies and glisten of olive oil, in the summer, squash is bathed in fresh tomatoes, in spring it’s asparagus roasted with parmesan. And in fall butternut squash with a hint of sage and honey. Though, you can never be sure what you’ll get since the kitchen takes advantage of what’s at peak seasonally. No matter what’s on the plate, each vegetable has its own treatment that showcases its particular virtue. And the abundance and variety make it the perfect dish to share with the table.

Black is the New Green

I trotted over to the Department of Public Works this week to pick up my own composter. Basically it’s a black plastic bin (made from recyclable plastic, of course) with air holes and no bottom. The manufacturers claim that it is rodent safe and, if I compost correctly, will not emit any “off” odors. I set it up on a level plot of soil conveniently tucked in a corner, ironically right next to the A/C compressor. Perhaps this will off-set the pinky-toe of the carbon foot-print I leave from the summertime A/C usage? Probably not…

Scampo at the Liberty Hotel

Do you remember the days when hotel dining was considered second-class fare? The menus were dumbed down to the lowest common denominator, often leaving the more sophisticated diner unimpressed. Oh, how things have changed! At least in Boston… The hotels have become destinations for the locals as well as the tourists by offering exceptional food and service: Clio, Rialto, KO Prime, Eastern Standard, just to name a few.

The Liberty Hotel opened with great fan-fare last year. An old jail left vacant for years transformed into a tourist attraction with the same developer as the Charles Hotel in Cambridge (and home to world-renowned Rialto). The first restaurant, Clink, opened inside the lobby to mediocre reviews. Now Lydia Shire has moved in, and Scampo is bustling with hipsters, tourist and regular folk like me.

My memories of Lydia Shire’s food center around one of the last meals I had at Biba…. Five of us shared 2 appetizers to start. They were so rich and intense, that I was full after just that little bit. And I’m not one to get full easily. But I also attribute much of my culinary acumen to my time spent working in Lydia’s kitchen at Biba. So when we sat down and were handed menus, I expected the “old” Lydia: rich, decadent and eclectic.

Not here. It’s a fun menu of pizza, pastas and mozzarella. Yes, mozzarella. Just as a menu would have a section for pasta, pizza, soup or salad, this menu has a section for hand-pulled mozzarella in a variety of flavors and presentations. A few entrees round out the menu for those craving a little more.

We started with a fried artichoke and arugula salad with chick peas. A satisfying appetizer with pan-fried baby artichokes that are crunchy from a quick sear. The arugula is lightly dressed with slivers of prosciutto. The chick pea puree is garlicky and olive oil-y (??) – its strong flavor pulls out the arugula and balances nicely with the artichokes.

The pizzas offerings are a combination of traditional tomato sauce, and a more refined white pizza. The broccoli raab and shrimp pizza crust was brushed with garlic and shallot infused oil. The crust was a little soggy in the middle from all the juicy toppings. But better juicy shrimp and soggy crust than dry shrimp and crispy crust. I accept the trade-off.

Pasta carbonara is my weakness. I mean, how can you go wrong with bacon (or pancetta) and cheese? And with a few peas thrown in, I feel almost virtuous for eating my vegetables. Scampo’s carbonara does not disappoint. The pasta is firm and chewy, the sauce is creamy and cheesey and the pancetta is crispy and salty. Oh yes, and the peas were good, too.

If I had to guess a recipe for the pizza, it would go something like this:

Broccoli Raab and Shrimp Pizza
Since I assume that most cooks do not have a pizza or other contraption at home that would allow the cook to bake the pizzas at 700F, I recommend pre-cooking the dough to help get it crispy enough to hold the toppings.

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup sliced garlic
¼ cup sliced shallots
Pizza dough
2 cups broccoli raab, washed and coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 scallions, cut into rounds
½ cup ricotta salata grated
¼ cup parmesan, grated
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined.

1. Preheat oven to 500F

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add shallots and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until garlic is soft and shallots are translucent. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil, and set aside the garlic shallot mix.

3. In pan with remaining olive oil, return to high heat. Add chili flakes and cook until they start to sizzle. Add broccoli raab and cook until bright green. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice and set aside.

4. Using the same pan if you’d like, return to high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic/shallot/olive oil. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes, or just until pink. It’s okay if they’re a little underdone.

5. Roll out pizza dough as thin and round as possible. You should have enough toppings for 2-3 10” pies. Put on a baking sheet and brush with a little olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crispy and lightly brown.

6. Top pizzas first with shallots and garlic, then scallions, then cheeses, then broccoli raab and finally the shrimp on top. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the piping hot. The cheese will not melt.

Dough
2 cups water
2/3 oz. fresh yeast
1 # bread flour
10 oz. semolina
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. salt

1. Heat water to 105F. Dissolve yeast in water. Combine flour, salt and semolina.

2. Using a dough hook, combine flours, water and olive oil. Knead for 10 minutes. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let rise in warm place until doubled. Punch down and form.

Tales from the Farm - Late April

The Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay converge in Southern Maryland’s St. Mary’s County, and is home to Even’ Star Organic Farm. Brett Grohsgal, a former chef and former boss of yours truly, owns the farm with his wife Christine. In the summer on this fertile 100-acre parcel, they raise 25 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, as well as chilies (including my favorite – peachy-mamas), cucumbers, four varieties of watermelon and okra. They sell their produce at farmer’s markets in DC and Virginia, and to restaurants in the DC metro area. I treasure my visits to the farm because of the nonpareil produce and meats. The cooking is simpler because we cook mainly with farm products and other local produce.

Now that I’ve left Sebastians, I finally have time to visit the farm, and reconnect with (of course, Brett, Chris and Allesandra, but also) where our food comes from. I’ve been visiting the farm for as long as they’ve lived here – over 10 years – but it seems I am always learning and discovering something new.

The farm is “working” three seasons – harvesting the last of the winter crops, coaxing the spring crops and getting the summer crops in the ground. In terms of salable produce, the winter crops trickled down – mostly lettuces and braising green. The spring crops have not yet reached peak – the strawberries are only yielding a pint or two a day. Instead of gleaning the crops for maximum yield, Brett and his crew are working feverishly to get the summer crops in the ground.

Timing the planting of the summer crops is crucial. Last year, the farm experienced the worst drought on record, with less than 1” of rain from April 15 to October 1st. The effects were severe at best, but would have been tolerable if the crops had been in the ground long enough to establish their root systems. This year, Brett’s not taking any chances.

With a soaking rain forecast for Sunday, the mad dash begins to prepare the land. The clover that grew through the winter – 3 feet tall with red flowers -- will now be turned into the soil nourishing it with nitrogen and other critical compounds. When the rain stops, the soil will be tilled and is now ready for planting the next day. First crop in: Sweet Potatoes.

The other trick in timing is the temperature. In Southern Maryland, the last frost can be relatively early, in March or April. And every year, Brett experiments with getting a crop of tomatoes in the ground by mid-April so that he can be the first to market with ripe, field tomatoes in June. This week, the temperature may drop to 38F at night, which is cutting it close: the tomatoes seedling were just transplanted 5 days ago – but should still be fine for the tomatoes. A second round of seedlings in the green-house will put Brett at the market at the same time as other farmers… and these are his fail-safe.

End of the Season Cannellonis
With a twinkle of summer on the horizon, I’m less abashed using up my canned tomatoes from last summer.

12 Pasta Sheets cut into 4” squares
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups homemade ricotta
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons sliced garlic
1 pound braising greens
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
¼ cup white wine
2 cups home-canned (preferably smoked) tomatoes
Salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste
Cream and extra parmesan if desired.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta sheets for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add sliced garlic. When the garlic starts to brown, add the green. Cook, stirring often, until the greens have wilted but are still bright green. Remove from pan to cool. Coarsely chop.

3. Make the filling by combining the ricotta, parmesan and braised greens. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

4. In a sauce pot – melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine, and cook until evaporated. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice (and a touch of cream if desired).

5. Roll pasta sheets with about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling. Put sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 13” pyrex dish. Place rolled cannellonis top. Drizzle cream and/or parmesan on top if desired
Bake for 30 minutes at 350, or until bubbly delicious looking.

Pasta dough:
1 lb. semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
4-5 large eggs as needed
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

1. Make a well in the flour, and add 4 of the eggs, olive oil and the salt.

2. Beat the eggs with a fork, gradually bringing in the flour from the sides of the well, until the paste has thickened enough so the liquid will not run onto the counter. Switch from a fork to a pastry cutter. Bring all the flour into the already wet part and cut through the dough several times until it is evenly moistened. Start kneading with your hands until the dough forms a ball and looks homogenized, about 8 minutes.

3. If the dough becomes stiff, and refuses to bend, rub in a little of the remaining egg. If the dough becomes too moist, add a bit of the flour.

Work the dough by machine:
4. Divide the dough into 3 balls, and let rest under a damp towel for 20 minutes. Start working the dough through the pasta machine starting with the widest setting. After running it through the machine, fold it into thirds, and run it through again. When the dough is smooth, run the dough through the machine through successively smaller settings. The dough will stretch out, and be rolled very thin.

5. When you have achieved thin sheets, you can let the dough rest for a few minutes before filling or cutting

Ricotta
1 quart whole milk

1 cup heavy cream
4 lemons, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a non-reactive 2 quart saucepan heat milk and cream to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Add juice and salt, stir well and let sit for 20 minutes. Line a conical sieve with cheesecloth or coffee filters and pour through, allowing the whey to drain out. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Composting - Cambridge Style

Many farmers as well as home gardeners compost. This process converts food scraps and organic “matter” (leaves, weeds, etc) into soil. Oxygen, worms and heat decompose all this from recognizable things to soil in a matter months. The soil is rich in nutrients and fortifies a garden depleted by growing plants. Ah, what a cycle – We take what the earth gives us, return it back when we’re done and then we get back. Now, more than ever, we think about reducing our carbon footprint, and what better way than to compost. Instead of filling land-fills with our trash (and which rots and creates methane gas), we convert it to nutritious soil so that we can continue growing without artificial garden enhancers. And as an added bonus, it’s cheaper to compost ($95/ton) than hauling trash ($97/ton).

Cambridge has just launched a pilot composting program. While it’s not as evolved as San Francisco, it’s definitely a start. I picked up my composting bin at the DPW, which thankfully is just 1 block from my house. Unlike San Francisco, where the compost is picked up with the trash and recycling, I must drop off my composting at the DPW during open hours.

When I returned home, I promptly filled up the green 2-gallon bin with left-overs in my fridge that had been, em, er… aging. This is going to be a challenge. Less than an hour into the program, I’m already back at the DPW to unload. The obvious downside of this program is that I don’t want to run over to the drop-off center once a day.

I can also get a composting bin from the city. It's not particularly attractive and, unlike the bins available at Urban Gardener, the city-subsidized bins require heavy mixing. It’s a pretty basic contraption. The compost goes in the top, and drawers pull out of the bottom to get at the good soil. On the plus side, it's 1/3 the price of the "Tumbler" and require much less space. Two neighbors have used these... one still composts afer several seasons... the other gave up.

Given how quickly I accumulate compostables, I think I will try my own bin. Stay tuned…

Zen Burgers

Over the years, I have experimented with all the different factors that make a good burger: the fat content of the meat, how the patties are formed, how they are seasoned and grilled.

People often choose a higher fat content because it keeps the burgers juicy. I don't say this often, but I prefer the taste of the leaner ground beef (93% lean). If the burgers are cooked properly (see below for Zen cooking techniques) juiciness is not a problem.

When it comes to forming the patties, focus on your "inner-Zen." Gingerly form the patties, handling the meat as little as possible to achieve the desired shape. The more you work the meat, the tougher the burger. Some people do like a "chewier" burger. In taste tastes with clients, about 1 in 4 prefer this. To further complicate matters, over-working burgers causes the patties to bulge in the center when cooked. Many chefs have tried to alleviate the bulge as the patty does not sit well on the bun. Some choose to squish the burger on the grill, squeezing out all the juice and flavor. Others follow the advice from Cooks Illustrated: form the patty into a donut shape. This way, when the patty bulges, it creates a flat patty.

I prefer a simple salt and pepper seasoning. Some people like to stick a pat of butter in the center, I feel this is gratuitous.

You must reach for your inner Zen, and fight all samurai instincts when it comes to cooking the burger. Place the burger on the hot side of the grill. Flip it only once. Do not smash it. In addition to getting rid of the bulge (see above note), some people think that smashing will make the burger cook faster. In fact, this just smashes all the juices out of the burger. Flipping often is thought to cook the burger more evenly, however, every time you flip the burger, you lose more juices. To cook the burger evenly, move it to a warm (not hot) spot on the grill and close the lid.

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #1

We all have favorite restaurants: the good ole’ standbys for every occasion that we frequent as often as our wallets allow. But then, there are the favorite dishes. Those are the dishes that we’ll go to a restaurant just for that dish. The rest of the menu is good, but it’s the one dish that keeps us coming back. And tempt us away from trying anything new.

In no particular order, here’s my list of 10 favorite dishes in Boston:

No. 1: The Burger at the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons. Hands-down, this is the best burger in Boston. How do I love thee, let me count the ways:

1. The burger is always cooked perfectly….. Too often, with a lesser burger, I order medium rare and it comes out well done. At most places, I hedge my bets on how accurate the chef is… if I order rare will it come out raw or well done? At the Bristol Lounge it always comes out perfect. And it’s never overly charred. That “flame-broiled” business is a hoax. The gas grills of most restaurant kitchens give an off-flavor to the meat
2. …and seasoned perfectly. For those of you who have partaken of my salt experiments, you know that food seasoned before cooking tastes “better seasoned” than that which has been seasoned at the table. And this burger is always seasoned in the kitchen
3. The Fries are thin, crispy and salty! And if you ask, they will even substitute the truffle parmesan fries which bring the burger to a whole new level of euphoria.
4. The mustard is so good that I end up dipping my fries in that instead of ketchup which is my usual condiment. And often I use mayonnaise as well, and as would be expected, theirs’ is homemade, light, creamy and sparkling with a hint of lemon.

To be sure, it’s an expensive burger. At $20, you could get 4 burgers at Bartley’s and still come out ahead. But how else can you get the service and refinement of the Four Seasons, and still walk away with a full wallet.