parsley

Not Ferret Fritters... Farro Fritters!

25 Jan 2012
Farro Fritters

I am pretty proud of today's Farro & Sun-Dried Tomato Fritters though I admit they don't really look like much. That's one of the problems facing food bloggers these days. If you want to reach a wide audience (and who doesn't) your food has to look extra special scrumptious, be super colorful, get wrapped in bacon, or at least have a peanut butter swirl. These foods may look pretty (especially when they are tied up in a bow), but they don't always ignite the imaginations of the more mature palates amongst us. It is kind of a Catch 22. Because the very sites (FoodGawker, TasteSpotting and more and more Pinterest) that have brought food bloggers together as a powerful community have also played a part in limiting what defines good food on the web. Leaving really delicious or super sophisticated food cast aside as un-loved and un-clicked.

That's why I feel so sad for these fritters. Sure they look like hard brown hockey pucks. But they're not, I promise you. Farro is delicious. It's got a nutty taste and a terrific texture. Farro contains a starch similar to that found in Arborio rice. It releases a creamy, binding liquid when cooked. But it retains its tender, distinct bite, much better than rice. Making it a perfect choice for fritters. But I have a feeling none of that matters. In fact I may as well have titled this recipe Ferret Fritters, at least I'd get the friends of ferrets society up in arms. Hmmm... just how big an audience are ferret lovers any way? GREG

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Farro & Sun-Dried Tomato Fritters

Farro & Sun-Dried Tomato Fritters
By jgreghenry Published January 24, 2012
Prep time: 30
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 5 T olive oil
  • 1 c farro
  • 0.5 small onion, minced
  • 2 c vegetable broth
  • 1 c parmesan cheese
  • 2 T oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced
  • 2 T flat leaf parsley, minced
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 pn each kosher salt & black pepper
  • 2 c or more vegetable oil, as needed for frying

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the farro and cook, stirring occasionally until the grains are coated and you begin to hear a popping sound sound. Stir in the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the farro is cooked through but al dente, about 12 more minutes.

Transfer the farro to a bowl let it cool about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and the eggs. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile heat about 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat until quite hot, but not yet smoking. Using a large spoon, drop batter in 2-tablespoonful mounds into oil. With a small spatula or butter knife, gently flatten each mound and fry until golden, about 4 minutes per side, carefully flipping once (adjust heat if browning too quickly). Drain on paper towels. Season with more salt and serve warm.

Market Matters- Flirting with Grilled Squid & Miner's Lettuce Salad

15 Jan 2012
Grilled Squid with Miner's Lettuce Salad and Mint, Parsley, Anchovy Pesto

The Hollywood Farmers Market inspires me. This Grilled Squid with Miner's Lettuce Salad & Mint, Parsley, Anchovy Pesto is proof.

I didn't wake up this morning thinking that this was what I wanted for lunch. But a trip up and down Ivar filled my bag with all the ingredients (except the garbanzo beans) that I needed to fully realize this recipe. I guess it's been sleeping inside me for some time. Waiting for its moment.

It's moment came when miner's lettuce showed itself to me. It was right there. Just across the street from the Hollywood branch of the public library. Saying, "Look at me, I am an ingredient you've read about but have never used before. Lettuce make some trouble".

It was practically a illicit proposal, I'll have you know. I mean I always knew greens were hot. But these greens were smokin'! How could I resist? I am mean if lettuce could talk, this lettuce was screaming, "Take me as I am, or watch me as I go."

So I countered, "If beauty were time, you'd be eternity." After all, if you know me at all then you know "I can resist everything except temptation!"

GREG

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Grilled Squid with Miner's Lettuce Salad & Mint, Parsley, Anchovy Pesto

Grilled Squid with Miner's Lettuce Salad & Mint, Parsley, Anchovy Pesto
By jgreghenry Published January 15, 2012
Prep time: 150
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 t finely grated lemon zest, separated
  • 2 T fresh lemon juice
  • 2 clv galic, peeled & minced
  • 1 t pimentón de la vera (smoked spanish paprika)
  • 1 c extra-virgin olive oil separated
  • 2 c chopped flat-leaf parsley, chopped and separated
  • 1 lb cleaned small squid bodies
  • 1 pn salt & pepper as needed
  • 4 oz anchovy fillets, chopped
  • 2 T drained capers
  • 2 medium shallot, minced and separated
  • 0.5 c mint leaves, chopped
  • 0.75 c extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 bn miner's lettuce
  • 1 c cooked or canned chickpeas
  • 0.25 c whole mint leaves
  • 0.25 c whole flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 1 clove minced garlic, pimentón, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup of the chopped parsley. Add the squid and toss to coat. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
In a food processor, combine the anchovies with the capers, 1 minced shallot, remaining minced garlic, 1 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup chopped mint, chives and remaining lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and pulse the machine 10 or 12 times, scraping down the sides once or twice until finely minced. Then with the machine running, slowly pour in 1/2 cup olive oil. Season the pesto with additional salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice over the remaining minced shallot and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the miner's lettuce, chickpeas, whole mint leaves and whole parsley leaves and toss the salad.

Meanwhile, light a grill. Remove the squid from the marinade and season with salt. Grill the squid over high heat until it is lightly charred and just cooked, about 2 minutes per side. Mound the salad on 4 plates. Spoon the green sauce onto the plates, top with the grilled squid and serve.

Source: Adapted from Matthew Dillon for Food & Wine

Simple Lessons in Roast Tomato Soup with Mussels & Fennel

26 Dec 2011
Roast Tomato and Mussels Soup

I don't know whether to say I have a cooking lesson or a history lesson to share with you today. Either way it all starts (and ends) with Roast Tomato Soup with Mussels & Fennel, so I hope that much catches your attention and you'll stick around for the lesson.

It's a lesson I picked up from an old book. You see, I like old cookbooks. I grab them when I see them. I have one called Italian Bouquet from 1958 and I turn to it again and again. Though technically it's not a cookbook as it contains very few recipes. It's really more of a food lover's epicurean travel guide to Italy. It offers all sorts of interesting information about regional Italian cooking traditions.

Recently I was flipping through this book and came across the section on Sicily. Many of the foods typical to the region are described here, and since Sicily is an island a lot of space is dedicated to seafood.

Which sets the stage for an interesting culinary technique I learned from this book. It's a great way to add authentic of the sea flavor to soup, without using a whole lot of actual seafood. Which may seem odd. But remember Sicily is traditionally a land of extremes. So when a Sicilian cook's fishmonger was unable to supply her with all the fish she wanted for her brodu di pisci, or the family's budget didn't allow for an elaborate array of fresh fish, she had a trick. She'd use a combination of garlic, parsley, chilies, and salt pounded into a rough paste and then fried in local olive oil. This paste could be added to water and used as a simple stock for soup. The miracle of this method is that it produces a stock that does indeed taste a bit like the sea.

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