arugula

Market Matters- Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Arugula & Pomegranate

30 Oct 2011
Persimmon Salad with Arugula & Pomegranate

It seems like forever since I walked my butt down the hill to the Hollywood Farmers Market for a Market Matters post. But persimmons are calling and they can't keep up the racket much longer. That's just how they are. Bold and assertive– then GONE!

Well before they are gone gone I suggest you pick some up and make this Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Arugula & Pomegranate. It could well be the prettiest belle of the seasonal salad ball, sure to turn heads because it's a lovely study in contrast.

The peppery arugula contrasts with sweet persimmon and tart pomegranate– both on the palate and on the plate. Because the vibrant colors are a big part of this beautie's success. I have also used contrasting vinegar styles in the dressing. Rich, sweet balsamic plays against the super bright acidic notes of coconut vinegar.

But the star of this salad is persimmon. Lots of folks are not overly familiar with persimmons. But in Southern California the Fuyus herald in the Holiday season. They stay bright orange, starkly clinging to the tree's branches long after the leaves have fallen, creating a decorative sculptural element in every garden lucky enough to boast of one. I don't think I could ever really be ready for Thanksgiving until the persimmons put on their seasonal show around here.

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Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Arugula & Pomegranate

Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Arugula & Pomegranate
By jgreghenry Published October 30, 2011
Prep time: 15
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 fuyu persimmons
  • 0.25 c extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 T aged balsamic vinegar
  • 1 T coconut vinegar (you may substitute any white vinegar)
  • 0.5 t sea salt
  • 1 pn freshly cracked black pepper
  • 3 c arugula
  • 0.5 c pomegranate seeds

Directions

Cut the top off the persimmons, then using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off too. This is optional as the skin is edible. Use a mandoline to carefully slice crosswise paper-thin slices, exposing the starburst in the center of each slice.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil with the vinegars, salt and pepper.

In a large salad bowl toss the arugula and the pommegrantae seeds with the vinaigrette to coat. Divide the salad among six plates and top each with slices of persimmon.

Earthworms, Salamanders and Flank Steak. Let's Eat!

31 Aug 2011
open-faced flank steak sandwiches with figs

Today I have a recipe and a wine pairing Open-Faced Flank Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Fig & Red Onion Jam which my brother paired with  Buehler Zinfandel Napa Valley 2009. But I also have a confession and a conundrum I'd like to present.

Here's the confession: I like steak. Especially rib-eye. But I wasn't an immediate convert to flank steak, or so I thought. Partly because I perceived it as tough. And I don't mean chewy. I like a chewy steak (a chewy, bloody steak). But most of the flank steak presented to me as an adult was overdone and improperly carved. Making it way more than chewy.

Here's the conundrum: Why did it take me so long to “discover” flank steak? My mother had a recipe for flank steak (marinated in Worcestershire and garlic) that I had been eating almost since birth. And I loved it. It was something my dad called earthworms and salamanders.

You can easily see how a sophisticated grown up gourmande (such as myself) might eschew a dish with a name like that. So somewhere between the earthworms of my childhood and the rib-eyes of my adulthood I lost track of flank steak. Surely it wasn’t my fault, I am an adventurous eater. So how to explain it?

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Open-Faced Flank Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Fig & Red Onion Jam

Open-Faced Flank Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Fig & Red Onion Jam
By jgreghenry Published August 30, 2011
Prep time: 5
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 T granulated sugar
  • 1 pn cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 t salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 lb fresh figs (any type), halved lengthwise
  • 2 oz walnuts, toasted (1/3 cup)
  • 1 pn black pepper, pluse more as needed
  • 0.5 c balsamic vinegar
  • 0.75 c olive oil
  • 1 pn red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 (1 ½- to 1 ¾-pound) beef flank steak
  • 1 bn arugula, washed and dried
  • 0 parmesan cheese, thinly sliced or grated to taste

Directions

Make the jam: Combine sugar, cayenne, and teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, about 12 minutes. Add 1/3 of the figs, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon sugar mixture, and cook, stirring often, until sugar caramelizes, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then pulse onion-fig mixture and walnuts in a food processor, adding a drizzle of water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. (Jam can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Marinate the steak: Whisk together a pinch of black pepper, vinegar, oil, and red pepper flakes in a large shallow dish. Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours.

Grill the steak: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until quite hot. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting most of it drip off. Season with salt and pepper. Grill, uncovered until lightly charred and crusty, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn steak over, moving to a cooler part of the grill, or reduce the heat to medium if using a grill pan. Cook until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes more. Do not go much past medium-rare as flank steak gets tough when overcooked. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices against the grain of the meat.

Roast the figs: Preheat oven to 400. Place remaining figs, cut sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Roast until tender and caramelized on cut sides, about 10 minutes. Spread 3 tablespoons onion-fig mixture on each slice of bread. Top each with arugula, cheese, steak slices and several warm fig halves, and cut into 3 or 4 pieces. Serve immediately.

Source: Inspired by Martha Stewart and Bobby Flay

Market Matters- Green Garlic Spring Onion Pesto Pasta

29 May 2011
green garlic pesto prep

The Hollywood Farmers Market is in transition. It's a really good time in my opinion for the market. No longer the first blush of spring, but the heat (and abundance) of summer is still a few months away. Which means there's a lot to look at and even more to consider.

You can still find favas and sweet peas. But the first of the stone fruit are starting to make an appearance too. See what I mean? Some of this and some of that. Somewhere between spring and summer. And though the market is indeed evolving with the  seasons, two of my springtime favorites can still be found. Green garlic and spring onions.

At first glance these two vegetables appear sorta similar. They look like a crude cousin of a scallion. A bit bigger, a bit leafier and slightly bulbous. But what they are really are just younger versions of onions and garlic. These vegetables are harvested early and sold fresh without the curing process that develops the dry papery skins. Green garlic and spring onions also are sold with the greens attached, which are edible. In fact they are delicious and I usually use almost all of the greens when I work with these vegetables.

Choosing both green garlic and springs onions is easy. Look for crisp tops and white, pink or purple bulbs. Once you get them home you can slice them and use them as you would a scallion. They both have milder flavors than their more mature versions and are best when used in dishes that highlight their delicacy.

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