Rhubarb-Orange Cream Tart

                                           “You can never hold back spring.

                                        Remember everything spring can bring.

                                          Baby, you can never hold back spring.”*

                         

                               

It’s time to begin year three of “Pie Night," our weekly evening of pie with friends. And we begin with rhubarb, one of the early signs of spring although in complete honesty it hasn’t pushed its way up toward the sun around here just yet.

For this year, it’s a tart filled with an orange pastry cream, topped with rhubarb and a simple crumb mixture. I know it might appear to be a lot of steps, but relax.  The different “components” of the tart can be made over a couple of days and assembled when needed. Each step will take a small amount of time and then they will all be ready when you are.

Since it’s a new season I included the sablee crust recipe below so you don’t have to go digging through the archives for the recipe. And if you panic at the thought of making a crust, this is easy to make. It’s essentially a cookie dough and it’s very forgiving. Any mistakes can be easily repaired. It’s not the prima donna that some find the standard flour-shortening-water pie crusts to be. The sablee dough needs be made at least a day in advance and allowed to chill in the refrigerator. It can hold for well over a week, longer if frozen. The pate sablee can be made by hand, mixing it together in a bowl the way you would make a cookie dough or with an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

The pastry cream filling should be made at least a day in advance. Pastry cream is usually thickened with flour or cornstarch (I prefer the texture of cornstarch) but lately I have been playing with rice flour and use it for the pastry cream. If rice flour isn’t available to you, you can substitute with cornstarch.

The crumb topping can be made in a mixer or by hand. You can make it ahead of time and store it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Rhubarb- Orange Cream Tart

For one 10” tart

1 pound rhubarb stalks, sliced into ½” wide pieces (about 4 cups sliced rhubarb)

½ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Orange Pastry Cream

1 Grade A large egg

1 egg yolk (from a Grade A Large egg)

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ Tablespoons rice flour (or cornstarch)

pinch salt

1Tablespoon grated orange zest

1 cups milk or half & half

1 to 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg and yolk together. Whisk in the sugar and then add the rice flour (or cornstarch) and salt, mixing until smooth. Set aside.

2. Place the milk/ half & half and butter into a stainless saucepan. Place the pan onto the stove over medium-high heat until the butter has melted and the milk is hot. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk some of the hot milk into the egg mixture (This is known as "tempering" the eggs). Pour the egg mixture back into the pan, whisking it together with the milk in the pan. Place the pan back over medium-high heat and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove pan from the heat. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl or a container. Cover the top pastry cream with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the pastry cream. Let the pastry cream cool then place it into the refrigerator to cool completely.

Pate Sablee

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 Grade A large egg yolk

1 1/3 cups plain cake flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1. Place the butter into a medium-sized bowl and beat until smooth. Add the sugar and blend until fluffy.  Mix in the egg yolk and then add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Remove dough from the bowl. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Crumb Topping

1 cup all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup dark brown sugar

pinch salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground (dry) ginger

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Place all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces. Add the butter to the bowl and mix together until small crumbs form. This can either be done in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or by hand using a pastry blender or mixing it with your impeccably clean hands. Set aside completed crumb mixture or store it in a sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator until needed.

Assembling the Tart

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. When you are ready to roll the dough remove it from the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow it to begin to soften. While you are waiting for the dough to soften, rinse the rhubarb under cold water. Slice the rhubarb crosswise into ½” pieces. You should have about 4 cups sliced rhubarb. Place the sliced rhubarb into a bowl. Add ½ cup sugar and mix together. Set the rhubarb aside.

3. Working on a floured surface, cut the dough into pieces and knead until the dough is smooth. Roll

the dough out to 1/8^th” thickness; for a 10” tart, the dough should be  about 12” in diameter. Use extra flour to prevent the dough from sticking as you are working. Fit the dough into the tart pan. Lift and place the dough into the pan; don’t stretch it into place. Remove any excess dough by cutting it off of the edge of the pan. Save any scraps if you need to make any repairs. Just press pieces of the soft dough into the crust if necessary. Using a fork, lightly prick the crust on the bottom and sides. Refrigerate before baking.

3. To bake the crust, line the dough with a piece of aluminum foil. Fill the foil with rice, dried beans, or pie weights. Place the tart shell onto a baking tray and bake the tart shell for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Carefully remove the foil with the rice/beans or pie weights. Return the empty tart shell to the oven and bake for 5 additional minutes. Remove and let cool. Any rice or dried beans used to line the foil can be saved and reused.

4. Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees. Remove pastry cream from refrigerator and stir with a spoon until smooth. Spread the pastry cream in an even layer in the tart shell. Mix the rhubarb with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Spoon the rhubarb and half of the juices in an even layer on top of the pastry cream. Cover the rhubarb with the crumb mixture; there will be some crumb topping left over.

5. Place the tray with the tart into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for an additional 45 to 55  minutes, when the rhubarb is bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool.

Serve with some whipped cream. Spring is here.

*"You Can Never Hold Back Spring" by Tom Waits

If you'd like directions for a plain rhubarb crumb pie, that's available in the archives, May 4, 2012. My first post.

                                                               

Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes

   “I think the President put it best

                                                            When he gave his big address

                                            He said, I know what they told you in the press

                                                But people, spring is just around the corner

                                                 Trust me, spring is just around the corner.”*

I was listening to the radio the other week when I heard a comment that surprised me. It was that while many people cook confidently, many get apprehensive when it comes to cooking something vegetarian.

Well, this is vegetarian and I hope most cooks will find this easy, the experienced and the apprehensive alike. Don't be put off by the number of steps; it's just a way of making each step clear as you will see when you read it.  Although there is an added step of making a cauliflower puree as a sauce base, you can ignore it (and I’ll give you an easy substitution) but I’ve included it to boost the flavor of the dish. The puree makes use of leftover cauliflower. You can use the stem or some florets or both. The puree enriches the pasta without using cream. It's an easy technique to add to your skill set. And it uses something you might think of tossing out. Remember, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." That was Teddy Roosevelt, not some famous chef, who said that but that's what cooking is all about.

This is a dinner for spring, when cauliflower is enjoying its last days of “winter vegetable” status but it will also work in the summer. Cauliflower and tomatoes appear at our local farmers market about the same time so don’t think about this as only for early spring, although some may question my sanity by suggesting that you roast cauliflower on a hot summer night. 

Since I’m most often cooking for two, I select small-sized heads of cauliflower but sometimes that isn’t an option.  I added some grape tomatoes for sweetness. They can be roasted at the same time as the cauliflower. I used whole wheat pasta because it works well with the flavor of the roasted cauliflower. I chose rotini because I thought the sauce would work its way into the little spirals of the pasta, which it does, but you can use what you like.

Whole Wheat Rotini with Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes

For two servings

4 ounces (dry) whole wheat rotini (or other pasta)

2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bit-sized pieces

16-18 grape tomatoes

1 cup chopped trimmings from the cauliflower

1 cup water

½ teaspoon salt

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

2 to 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 to 3 Tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan cheese)

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, optional

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the cauliflower pieces with salt and pepper and olive oil to coat and spread the cauliflower out in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place the cauliflower into the oven and roast for 16 minutes; remove the cauliflower from the oven after that time and turn the cauliflower so it browns evenly. Return the cauliflower to roast for and additional 5 or 6 minutes. The cauliflower should be tender; a knife should easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove cauliflower from the oven. Wrap the foil around the cauliflower to allow it to steam while it cools. Set aside.

2. At the same time, place the grape tomatoes into a second foil-lined pan. Drizzle the tomatoes with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes into the oven to roast for 16 minutes or until slightly blistered. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. While the cauliflower and tomatoes are roasting, place the chopped cauliflower trimmings into a small saucepan with the water and ½ teaspoon salt. Place onto the stove over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the cauliflower pieces are completely soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool slightly before pureeing.

4. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for one minute less than suggested cooking time: the pasta is going to finish cooking in the pan with the sauce. While waiting for the pasta to cook, puree the cauliflower pieces until smooth using either an immersion blender or regular blender and set aside.

5. Place a sauté pan onto the stove over medium-high heat. When hot, swirl in about two tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the roasted cauliflower and tomatoes to the pan; add any juices from the tomatoes, too. Add the cauliflower puree (or ½ cup of the pasta water) to the pan. Let the sauce begin reducing.

6. When the pasta is ready, drain the pasta and add it to the pan; season generously with ground black pepper, the chopped basil and cheese. Mix together and let the sauce thicken. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Add the butter, if using, right before serving and mix together.

7. Divide the pasta between two bowls and serve. Add additional cheese if you wish.

*from Spring is Just Around the Corner, by Richard Julian 

The Rice Bowl Project-Mushroom Rice

"Endless rice." These two words appear on the inside of the menu at a Filipino restaurant which I read about recently. Oldest Daughter's Southern Beau is half-Filipino and believe me, rice runs deep with him. So much so that I have learned to adjust the amount of rice I make when he comes. The first time I made rice with dinner, my daughter leaned over to him and whispered, "The rice is for everyone." You learn and make adjustments. Rice is to him what mashed potatoes are to her: comfort.
This recipe was influenced by one of the rice pots on the menu at SakaMai, a Japanese restaurant in New York City. It’s simple and filled with the satisfying flavor of  umami, the “meaty” flavor called the “fifth” taste in Japanese cuisine. At Saki Mai, they take it over the top with shaved truffle, but we’ll overlook that here. For the rice’s cooking liquid they use dashi, the traditional Japanese broth/cooking stock made from kombu (edible kelp) and kezurikatsuo (preserved and fermented tuna). The kezurikatsuo imparts umami to the rice, but I rely on the flavors of the mushrooms and some soy sauce for that in this recipe. Both of those ingredients are rich in umami.

Any rice will work. I chose brown Japanese rice but as long as you follow the cooking directions for the rice you choose, the recipe will work just as easily. I used a 4 ounce package of mixed mushrooms (crimini, shiitake, and oyster) that were readily available to me. It’s too early for fresh wild mushrooms so I will have to put off making this with wild mushrooms for a few weeks longer. You could also use dried mushrooms. You won’t need four ounces since they expand when they hydrate. 1½ to 2 ounces should be enough. If you do use dried mushrooms, cover them with hot water and leave them to soak until tender. Carefully drain the soaking liquid watching for any sediment and use the flavor rich liquid as part of the cooking liquid for your rice.

I skipped the truffles. Not practical. SakiMai also uses some truffle butter. My local grocery store had D’Artagnan’s truffle butter but I found that it didn’t add that much additional flavor. I drizzled some truffle oil on the completed rice but that was only because I had some on hand. (I am the lucky recipient of food gifts from friends and family).

I know it’s just a bowl of rice and mushrooms, but what is a mushroom risotto after all? You could also use the mushroom rice to accompany a protein of your choosing. Or pair it with a salad or with a sautéed vegetable. It’s your choice. 

Mushroom Rice Bowl

For two servings

4 ounces mushrooms (your choice)

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and ground black pepper

olive oil, for cooking the mushrooms

½ cup rice

1 cup water

½ teaspoon light soy sauce

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

1. Rinse and slice the mushrooms. Place a medium-sized sauté pan onto the stove over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, swirl in about two tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Add the mushrooms; season with some salt and pepper and cook the mushrooms until tender, about five minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

2. Place a medium-sized saucepan onto the stove. Add the water to the pot and season with the soy sauce. Add the butter (if using). Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the rice. Place the cooked mushrooms and any cooking liquid in the pan into the pot. Stir, then cover the pot. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook the rice until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Mix the cooked rice together with the mushrooms and serve.

The bowl, or chawan, pictured here and above was made by Mitch Iburg, a gifted potter currently

living and working in Mendocino, CA. You can view his work at his website: 

http://www.mitchiburg.com/

Milanese

Milanese ( or the phrase a la Milanese,“ in the style of Milan”) often refers to the method of preparing cutlets (either veal, pork, chicken, or turkey) by pounding them thin after which they are breaded and pan fried. The German speaking parts of the world refer to this as schnitzel (from the German word “sniz” meaning “cut”). Similar preparations are found worldwide and no wonder since it’s an easy and quick meal. You could finish the cutlets with lemon wedges or in a simple tomato sauce but I prefer topping the cutlets with a tangle of mixed greens. It’s light but deeply satisfying. Vegetarians, don’t despair. You can use eggplant. Slice it thinly. There’s no need to pound it. And while it has nothing to do with Milanese, the breading method works perfectly for firm, white fish fillets, such as fluke, tilapia, grouper, etc. It could just make a fish eater out of your pickiest eater. Or at least make your Friday night fish fry a little fancier.

I am guessing that this preparation came about from finding a way of dealing with tougher cuts of meat. By pounding the cutlets thinner, you break down the meat fibers thereby tenderizing them. Today that’s not as important but the thin nature of the cutlets means fast cooking. Ideally the oil in your pan should be hot enough so that as the bread crumbs brown on each side, the meat cooks through. A few minutes cooking on each side and you’re done.

As I said, you can use any meat. Thin sliced boneless pork loin that you find in the store is perfect since it will require less pounding. As for chicken, make slices from a breast. Don’t pound an entire breast. Turkey cutlets may be harder to find so you could make thin slices from a boned breast. If it’s more than you need, slice, wrap, and freeze the remaining turkey breast to use at a later date. (Those of you close to Philly’s Reading Terminal Market have Godshall’s as your go to place for all things meleagris).

When you are pounding the meat, don’t think of it in the same way as you would if you were hammering a nail. You want to thin the meat, not take out your frustrations on it. Place the thin slice of meat between plastic wrap and pound it out to about twice its original thickness without tearing it. A meat mallet will work but you can substitute with a rolling pin.

The breading step is the classic combination of flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs. This method uses the “wet hand, dry hand” technique where one hand dredges the cutlet in the flour—your dry hand—while your other hand puts the floured cutlet into the egg wash and then into the bread crumbs, preventing both hands from becoming a floury, crumby mess. While an Italian might use plain bread crumbs, I like the not-so-traditional Japanese panko bread crumbs. You could also season the bread crumbs with a tablespoon or two of your favorite herb.

The salad for the cutlets can be any mix of greens or just one such as arugula. You could add some cheese to the mix, perhaps some shaved Parmesan, or goat cheese or a blue. Keep it fresh by making your own vinaigrette for the salad. It can be as simple as some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I include our “house” vinaigrette recipe below if you want it.

Milanese

For two servings

6 to 8 ounces pork, chicken or turkey (or eggplant), sliced thinly

1/4  cup all purpose flour

salt and ground black pepper

1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water

1 cup bread crumbs

olive oil, for cooking

lemon wedges, optional

two good handfuls of salad green and some vinaigrette

1. Pound the cutlets gently to twice their size between pieces of plastic wrap then set them aside. Pounding hint: Place a folded kitchen towel under your cutting board. This will help to muffle most of the noise.

2. Place a baking rack onto a baking sheet. This will be for the completed cutlets after they have been breaded and later after they are cooked.

3. Set up your breading station: Place the flour onto a plate and season with 1 teaspoon salt and some ground black pepper and mix together. Beat the egg and water until blended and place it onto a second plate. Place the bread crumbs onto a third plate and season them if you wish, mixing the herbs evenly into the bread crumbs.

Going one at a time and starting with your left hand, dredge each pounded cutlet into the flour, shaking of any excess. Pass the cutlet to your right hand. Use your right hand to coat them in the egg wash and lastly into the bread crumbs, coating both sides. Set the breaded cutlet onto the wire rack. Repeat until all of the cutlets are breaded. Discard any leftover flour and bread crumbs; it should work out that you will use up most of the flour and crumbs.

4. Place a large sauté pan onto the stove over high heat. Add enough oil to the pan so that there’s about 1/8 ” of oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, add the cutlets to the pan; you may have to do this in two batches. Cook the cutlets until the bread crumbs are nicely browned. Turn the cutlets over and cook on the opposite side until brown. You can always flip them back over if they haven’t completely browned. Remove cutlets from the pan and place them back onto the wire rack. Cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to keep warm. Repeat until all of the cutlets are cooked; reduce the heat under the pan if they appear to be cooking too quickly. You may need to add more oil to the pan.

5. Place the salad greens (and cheese) into a bowl and mix with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette. To serve, divide the cutlets onto two plates and top each with some of the salad. Alternately, you could serve the cutlets with lemon wedges with the salad on the side. I like mine with the salad on top. My red-haired food co-pilot prefers the latter presentation. Crispy, crunchy, and delicious, what more would you want?

“House” vinaigrette

A classic vinaigrette has 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar but when I make it, I change the ratio slightly because I like a slight vinegar bite. I like a combination of red wine and sherry vinegars but that’s me. I also use a mix of canola oil and extra virgin olive oil. Do as you wish. The vinegar/oil ratio is the most important part of a vinaigrette. You can use the shallots and/ or garlic or not. It depends on your taste.

This makes a small batch of dressing, more than you will need for the recipe but it can be stored in the refrigerator for future use. I make and store my vinaigrette in a small container. If you have a small clean jar, it’s perfect for the task. Just add everything and shake.

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons finely minced shallot

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon honey (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

ground black pepper

9 Tablespoons oil (extra virgin olive oil or canola, or a combination of both)

1. Place the vinegar, shallots, and garlic into a small jar and let stand for a few minutes (The acid of the vinegar will pull out some of the flavors from the shallot and garlic and flavor the vinegar). Add the mustard and honey and stir together; season with salt and ground black pepper. Add the oil. Close the jar securely and shake until the vinaigrette is mixed together. Shake again before use. Spoon enough vinaigrette over the salad to even coat (but not drown) the salad and toss to distribute the vinaigrette evenly. (Alternately this can be made in a bowl. Mix everything except the oil together. While whisking, slowly add the oil to create a smooth vinaigrette. Store the vinaigrette in a small container in the refrigerator until needed. (If you had a small container in the first place you wouldn’t be using a bowl, would you?)

Irish Soda Bread

                    “Tomorrow was St. Patrick’s Day, I’m a layman now I don’t have to pray.”*

“There is no bread to be had equal to it for invigorating the body, promoting digestion, strengthening the stomach, and improving the state of the bowels.” -from an article in the Newry Telegraph, a N. Ireland newspaper, about 1836.

Irish soda bread is a bread born out of poverty. Flour? Got it. Baking soda? Salt? Got it. Buttermilk? Got it.” In this recipe I swap out half of the white flour for whole wheat flour. This is a little more “complicated” than many soda bread recipes that by their nature are as bare bones as you can get. I make no claims for it like those in the Newry Telegraph, but it is good. You could use this for a Leopold Bloom-style gorgonzola sandwich on Bloomsday (June 16^th). Glass of burgundy is optional. “God made food, the devil the cooks.”

Irish Soda Bread

An easy recipe to make.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup brown sugar (either light or dark; dark will lend a molasses accent to the bread)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup dried currants or raisins

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place all of the dry ingredients and the butter into the bowl of a stand

mixer. (Alternatively, this can be mixed by hand). Mix the dry ingredients with the paddle attachment to break the butter into the flour. Add the buttermilk and mix until the dough comes together; if the dough appears to be a little dry, add a little more buttermilk until it comes together.

2. Empty the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead the dough together. Pat the dough out into a circle about 7” round. Lightly dust the top with flour. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf about ½ “ deep. Place the soda bread onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake the soda bread for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, slice and serve. Irish butter is optional.

*from Me and My Friend the Cat, Loudon Wainwright III

Braised Beef Shanks

You may have read once before when I wrote about the steep rise in the price of what were once called “cheap cuts,” those less desirable pieces of beef whose magic is revealed only after a long, slow, flavorful braise. Let’s face it, everything has gone up in price. And I know my profession is somewhat to blame since the demand for these cuts has been driven by a new generation of chefs looking for menu offerings beyond the all-too-familiar steak.

But there is a slightly not-so-expensive alternative, the beef shank.

This cut is becoming more familiar in the meat section. They often get suggested as being used for soup, but you’d be missing something. They might be labeled as either "shanks" or "shins (shin could refer to the fore shank). Whichever way it may be labeled won’t make a difference in the end product

The most well known preparation of beef shanks is osso buco, the Italian classic that uses veal, not beef, shanks. After the long braise, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference and I doubt you’d care.

I used two beef shanks for the two of us, two big pieces cut crosswise like something out of a Flintstones fantasy. Each shank weighed about a pound which is enough for four servings, or for us, two meals.

I like to use a combination of red wine and port for braising. I like the sweet flavor that port imparts. If you use port, make sure it’s the inexpensive variety, not the one you might pull out to drink after dinner.  You could use just red wine or even a white wine, the traditional choice for osso buco.

I served this with a gorgonzola risotto. (“So why no recipe?” More on that later.*) Risotto is often the traditional accompaniment to osso buco in Northern Italy. I got the gorgonzola idea inspired by the rich and delicious gorgonzola gnocchi I once had with the osso buco cooked by my friend chef John Bruno at his place Ristorante Toscano.
You can serve it with whatever you desire.

I served the shanks with the meat taken off the bone since the two shanks had enough meat for four servings. You don’t have to. It all depends on the size of the shanks you get, how "restauranty" you want to be in your presentation or just how much of a Flinstones mood you’re in at the time.

Braised Beef Shanks

Like any braised dish, this can be made a few days ahead and kept in the refrigerator until needed where it will get even better.

Tying the shanks with a piece of kitchen twine around the outside will help the shanks maintain their shape while cooking.

2 beef shanks

1 cup diced onion

2 carrots, sliced into ½” pieces

1 rib celery, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½” pieces

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

½ cup red wine

½ cup port

6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied in a bundle

1 cup beef or chicken stock

Salt and ground black pepper

Olive oil, for cooking

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat the beef shanks dry with paper towels. Tie a piece of kitchen twine around the outside edge of each shank. Season both sides of the shanks with salt and pepper. Place a 6 quart Dutch oven onto the stove over high heat. When the pot is hot, swirl 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil into the pot. Place the shanks into the pot; depending on the size of the shanks, you might have to brown them one at a time. Cook the shanks for 3 to 4 minutes until nicely browned. Turn and brown the shanks on the other side. Remove the shanks from the pot to a plate and let the pan cool down slightly.

2. Place the pot back over medium-high heat. Swirl about 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pot and add the onions/carrots/celery mixture. Stir to loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Season the vegetables with some salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes to soften the onions. Push the vegetables to the side of the pot and add the garlic; cook the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the garlic into the vegetables and push them aside again. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir, cooking to toast the tomato paste, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir it into the vegetables allowing it to cook for another 30 seconds. Pour the wine (and port) into the pot, stir and cook for a minute or so, then add the bundle of thyme and the stock to the pot and stir together. Return the shanks to the pot and nestle them in among the vegetables and liquid. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Place the pot into the oven and cook for 2 ½  to 3 hours. The meat should be fork- tender and falling off the bones. Remove from the oven. (If you are putting the shanks away to use on another day, let cool and store the shanks along with the vegetables and cooking liquid in the refrigerator. When you reheat the shanks you might want to brighten the flavor of the sauce with a splash of wine). When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone if you so desire. Taste for seasoning and serve with the sauce and vegetables.

*About the gorgonzola risotto- It's’s a risotto finished with pieces of gorgonzola cheese stirred in at the end. Nothing difficult there. But I am saving a new, easier technique for risotto for a future post. I figured that including it now would only drag this out longer than necessary and it really isn’t essential to enjoying the shanks. So get braising and we’ll catch up later.

**And yes, you can make this in a crock pot. It helps if you have one that allows you to brown the meat. If not, you could do the initial cooking steps in a pot then transfer it to your crock pot.

Kale Sprouts

                                                                                                                                           (photo credit: Tozer Seeds)

                                                                                                      

We’ve all heard or read a lot about kale or Brussels sprouts and how good they are for you. I’m just as guilty for the word count on these two veg. Now imagine that there could be a love child of these two ultra popular brassicas. It’s as if someone thought, “Hey, kale and Brussels sprouts are really hot. What if we crossbreed them?” What you would get is the kale sprout. But it took 15 years of hybrid research, so that they have arrived at the peak of kale and Brussels sprouts popularity is sheer luck.  It was all the hard work of Tozer Seeds in England.

Kale Sprouts are a cross between red Russian kale and Brussels sprouts and like Brussels sprouts, they grow on tall, upright plants. One grower remarked that kale sprouts can be tricky to grow and that they take twice as long to mature than most other crops.

Now it gets a little confusing.

In England, Tozer Seeds sells their hybrid under the trademarked name of “Kalettes.” In the United States, the seeds are marketed as “Flower Sprouts.” In grocery stores they are sold labeled as “Lollipop Sprouts,”  “Lollipop Kale,” or “Kale Sprouts,” which is how they are sold at Trader Joe’s where I found them.  But they’re all the same thing.

If you are someone who is put off by kale or Brussels sprouts for a personal reason, you will probably prefer Kale Sprouts.  They are milder in flavor than either of the “parent” plants and there is no bad way to cook them.

Since they are tender, they can be chopped and served raw in a salad, perhaps with some seasonal orange segments (Cara Cara anyone?), sliced red onion, and a toasted nut of your choice. And go ahead and add a little cheese, too. Roasting kale sprouts takes no time: slice them in half lengthwise, toss them with some olive oil, salt and ground black pepper, spread them onto a baking sheet and roast them a 425 degree oven for about 5 minutes until slightly charred and crispy.

Kale sprouts can be blanched then sautéed, alone or mixed with other vegetables. And if you are interested in the numbers, 3 ½ ounces of kale sprouts contain twice the amount of vitamin B6 and twice the vitamin C of a similar amount of Brussels sprouts. They are also high in vitamin E.

The other night I sautéed some kale sprouts and served them over salmon along with Cheddar potato cakes. Wonderful.

Sautéed Kale Sprouts with Pancetta and Lemon

For two servings

I used prepackaged diced pancetta. You could also use diced bacon or prociutto, too. Vegetarians, you can omit the tasty meat part.

4 ounces kale sprouts

2 Tablespoons diced pancetta

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

olive oil, for cooking

salt and ground black pepper

juice of half a lemon

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, optional

1. Rinse the kale sprouts in a colander under cold water and let drain. Trim off the bottom of the sprouts and set aside.

2. Place a sauté pan filled with ½ “ of lightly salted water onto the stove over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add the sprouts, cover and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and drain the kale sprouts into a colander. Refresh the sprouts under cold running water until cool. Set aside.

3. Return the sauté pan to the stove over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, swirl in about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook the pancetta (or bacon) until it is brown and crispy. Reduce the heat and add the garlic and hot pepper flakes to the pan and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Since the pan is hot, watch the garlic so it doesn’t brown or burn. You might need to pull he pan off the heat). When the garlic is fragrant, return the kale sprouts to the pan, season with salt and ground black pepper, and stir together. Right before serving add the lemon juice, and the butter, mixing everything together. Easy. Simple. Delicious.

(When I served the kale sprouts with the salmon, I added a little extra olive oil so that the liquid in the pan with the sprouts became a simple sauce to spoon over the fish).