Japanese turnips
Radishes
Mutsu apples
Mutsu apples, also called Crispins, are a variety of heirloom apple first developed in Japan and now increasing in popularity in the United States. An excellent dessert apple, Mutsus are extremely juicy and their flavor strikes a perfect balance between sweet and tart.
Fettucine with sheep’s milk ricotta, wilted spinach, wild mushrooms and nasturtium flowers
Japanese turnips
I bought a whole mess of greens at USGM this weekend. Turnip greens, French breakfast radishes, radish greens, mustard greens and spinach. In addition, I have some leftover baby bok choy.
Got any ideas? I have some leftover Rancho Gordo borlotti beans. I figure that’s probably good for a bean stew, along the lines of the broccoli rabe from a couple weeks ago. I’m playing around with the idea of mustard greens tossed with some onion confit and bacon ends. There’s a warm salad of turnip greens, Bintje potatoes and Italian sausage. Maybe a vegetable plate for dinner on Friday night.
I’m curious to see what some of you might think of.
By next week, ramps season will be gone until next spring. Get them while you can.
Fiddlehead ferns run for about two weeks in most locales. The season usually begins in early April in the South until mid to late July in Canada. Some people think they taste like pond scum. For me, however, they remind me of asparagus. They have a delicateness that’s accentuated when briefly sautéed in butter.
Wild asparagus and ramps frittatta, fiddlehead ferns sautéed in butter
Spring garden salad
Roasted fingerling potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, with fiddlehead ferns, wild asparagus, ramps, nasturtium flowers and a poached egg
You can leave out the root vegetables if you prefer. I had a bunch of vegetables in the crisper from a few weeks ago that needed to be used. What better than a salad for brunch?
fingerling potatoes (1)
Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced on a bias
olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly milled black pepper, to taste
unsalted butter
8 stalks wild asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2″ lengths (2)
1 bunch ramps, trimmed and sliced (separate stalks and leaves)
fiddlehead ferns, cleaned
1 egg, poached
nasturtium flowers
fresh thyme, chopped
onion chives, minced
Combine fingerlings and Jerusalem artichokes in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and drizzle 2 T. olive oil. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 F or until vegetables are golden brown. Stir in a handful of thyme and chives. Set aside.
Boil fiddlehead ferns in 2 cups salted water for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Immediately shock the ferns in ice water to halt the cooking process. Set aside.
Melt 1 T. unsalted butter in a large skillet. Add ramp stalks and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat or until stalks take on a bit of color. Add asparagus, ramp leaves and fiddlehead ferns. Sauté for 5 to 8 more minutes, stirring frequently. You can add an additional 1 T. unsalted butter if you wish, for additional richness. Check seasoning.
To assemble: Spoon potatoes onto a salad plate or wide-rimmed soup bowl. Place 2 generous tablespoons of the vegetables amidst the potatoes. Nestle a poached egg atop everything. Sprinkle with chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Garnish with a nasturtium flower, and serve immediately.
(1) — Normally I leave the fingerlings unpeeled but if you have time, peeling them makes for a more aesthetic presentation.
(2) — These are sweeter and milder than regular asparagus. In addition, the stalks are thinner and thus require shorter cooking times. Substitute regular asparagus if unavailable.
Roast cod with lemon-shallot viniagrette, mesclun salad
This is as fresh as it gets. Cod, courtesy of Blue Moon Fish, from eastern Long Island. Very likely this was caught either Friday or early Saturday morning. Can’t beat that.
1 cod fillet
5 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 T. grated lemon peel
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. white wine vinegar
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
onion chives
mixed herbs (parsley, chives, nasturtiums, arugula, etc.) or mesclun
Put fish in a Pyrex or glass baking dish, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and season with a scant pinch of kosher salt. Roast until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes at 350 F.
While the fish cooks, combine shallots, lemon peel, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and the remaining olive oil in a medium bowl. Whisk together and check seasoning.
Arrange fish on plates. Spoon 1 T. viniagrette over fish. Toss salad with the remaining viniagrette. Serve salad with fish.
Warm asparagus salad with bacon and egg
I have to confess: this is my favorite time of the year. It’s seeing the leaves come out, flower buds slowly opening and the return of songbirds from the south. It’s the majesty of spring’s glory as the first green things appear at market. And thus the cycle begins anew.
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
2 strips bacon, cut in pieces (1)
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 egg
1 t. white wine vinegar
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon juice
chopped parsley or chives
Combine asparagus, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a Pyrex or glass baking dish. Toss. Roast at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and cool slightly.
Bring 1/2 cup water to a gentle simmer in a small or medium saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar. Gently crack an egg atop the surface of the water and poach for 1 to 2 minutes. Lift egg out with a slotted spoon.
Fry bacon until crisp. Add onion to pan, saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion has wilted and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat, add asparagus and a little lemon juice, to taste. Check seasoning. Toss.
To assemble, place the poached egg in a bowl, spoon asparagus-bacon mixture atop, and sprinkle some chopped parsley or chives. Serve immediately.
(1) I used bacon ends from Flying Pigs Farm but this works just as well with regular bacon from the supermarket. Remember to adjust salt accordingly prior to service.
Thanks to everyone who commented below. I really appreciate the support.
Pasta with ramps “pesto” and fresh peas
The past few days have been raining cats and dogs. I needed something bright to chase the gray away.
3/4 cup cleaned ramp leaves, packed
kosher salt
extra-virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
lemon zest
Pulse ramp leaves in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Add a pinch of salt. Pour olive oil in a thin and steady stream until the desired consistency is reached. I like my pesto less “paste”-like. Check seasoning. At this point, you can add some lemon juice or chopped lemon zest to brighten the flavor, if you like. Check seasoning. Use immediately or reserve as needed.
If you wanted to make this a traditional pesto, you can use pignoli. Almonds or chopped walnuts are good substitutes. The sauce really doesn’t need much else.
That pasta is just cooked rotini tossed with the ramps “pesto”, fresh peas, minced onion chives and some grated Parmesan.
Pesto — it’s not just for basil anymore.
I was diagnosed with HIV in December 2003. The news struck me with the force of a sledgehammer. You cannot imagine what it’s like living with a disease that has no cure. Although I am thankful that I have had relatively few side effects and afflictions in the past five years, the psychological toll is immeasurable. It is beyond crushing.
I do try to take care of myself. I eat right, maintain my weight as best as I can and workout (although that’s fallen by the wayside recently). More importantly, I try to keep a positive attitude. I try to focus on things I can control instead of the unknown.
My future is one of great uncertainty. I know that a long time down the road my immune system will cease to function. The medical cocktails I take on a daily basis are instrumental in improving my present quality of life. I can only hope that at some point in the future, perhaps one or two years from now, or more likely in the next twenty years, that a vaccine will become available to every individual afflicted with this most terrible of diseases.
And thus my blog. As I said, I try to focus on a positive attitude. One of the things that continues to give me immense pleasure is food — be it cooking and eating, or being with a community of like-minded people and friends. A year and a half ago, I had dinner at Blue Hill Stone Barns. My experience was magical. It was then that I decided to seize the opportunity to focus on the beauty in the world around us, beauty that many people take for granted or don’t really think of beyond what’s for dinner.
I started an experiment in February 2008. I decided that I would eat and cook more seasonally and locally, with an eye towards freshness and quality. In turn, that helped stimulate my creativity and expanded my culinary skills. It also increased my environmental awareness and established an indirect connection to the land. It allowed me to look forward, not just from day to day but throughout the year, as the seasons progressed and the leaves changed color. In this way, it’s helped me cope with living with my condition.
Oh, I won’t try to whitewash life as a poz person. The psychological burden is ever-present. I still have occasional bouts of night sweats and long periods of depression and self-doubt. But the picture is less bleak these days. I’d like to think that my change in lifestyle has a tremendous and positive impact.
I turn 40 in 20 months. I know I’m looking forward to that milestone.
Ramps
Rotini with slow-cooked ramps
A variation of a classic Italian preparation involving pasta with garlic, greens and peperoncini, this version uses ramps, olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt to form a luscious sauce that hints at the arrival of spring.
2 bunches fresh ramps, cleaned and trimmed
extra-virgin olive oil
a pinch of red pepper flakes
a pinch of kosher salt
pasta secca — I used rotini but penne, linguine or orecchiette will do
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese
Separate bulbs from leaves and reserve both.
Combine ramp bulbs, olive oil and a scant cup of water in a medium skillet or saute pan. Cover and cook over low heat until bulbs are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. I’ve left off proportions as I rarely cook from exact measurements. Figure 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/3 as much water. Since I’m cooking for one, quantities won’t be as much as if I were cooking for a crowd. Add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add the ramp greens along with a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the greens are softened completely and the water has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set pan aside.
Prepare pasta; drain, reserving a ladleful of pasta cooking water. Add pasta and pasta cooking water to ramps. Toss to coat. Check seasoning. Serve immediately, passing cheese at the table.
This is wonderful with toasted herbed breadcrumbs in place of cheese. Use a loaf of stale Italian bread or a baguette. Tear or break bread into coarse pieces and crumbs. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, an anchovy fillet and some minced garlic and fry, stirring constantly until crumbs are golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Watch closely, taking care not to burn the crumbs or they will become bitter. I like to add some chopped Italian parsley at the last minute.
The Spreading Taint is the largest LGBT-friendly guild in World of Warcraft with over 2,691 unique guild members as of this writing. That comes out to about 6,897 characters of which the vast majority belong to nine sub-guilds under the Taint umbrella. Game parameters restrict the number of characters that a guild can hold to 500 characters. As you can see, we’re on track to become the largest guild in-game worldwide.
I joined in Sept. 2006 and haven’t looked back. It’s been a wild ride for the past two years and there’s more to come.
This morning, a bunch of us met — some for the first time, at a get-together at Jing Fong in Chinatown. This being a foodblog, there’s lots of pix of food and if you’re lucky, maybe a bear or two. 
By the way, because I feel strongly about privacy rights, I’ve only posted my guildies’ character names rather than their real first names. Better for all concerned in my opinion.
Kaimetsu
Quorniya
Left: Devetaki
Right: Quorniya
Other
Left: Whitley
Right: Quorniya
Cressida
Finlandia
Steamed pork buns
Shrimp dumplings
Chicken and Chinese mushrooms in rice wine, with ginger and scallions
Left: Conpoy and baby corn with vermicelli noodles
Right: shiu mai
Steamed egg custard tarts
I went food shopping at Union Square Greenmarket afterwards while the others went sightseeing.
I’ve finally figured out why I hate Rachael Ray. It’s not her usage of annoying catchphrases. It’s not her upbeat personality which borders on certifiable. It’s the notion that the less time you spend cooking, the better your sanity will be.
Rachael’s whole schtick is a complete meal in 30 minutes or less. Yes, that includes prep time. Forget braised short ribs in wine. Forget roast chicken with garlic and rosemary. Risotto milanese? Hah! Don’t bother with chicken and sausage gumbo. You could probably get away with half her recipes, sure, if you use convenience products and cut corners. Her version of clam chowder uses canned chicken stock and canned clams. What’s wrong with that, you ask? Over-reliance on canned goods means less quality control. There’s something to be said for cooking from scratch.
People will say, “well I don’t want to cook for three hours just to make dinner.” That’s fine; I’m not advocating that. 90% of the meals on this blog don’t require a significant time investment either, and of those that do, the oven does the work for you. Ultimately it boils down to your priorities. If you value food as sustenance, then this blog entry is probably not for you. If you care about what you eat and how its prepared, then you might want to consider that expedience is not necessarily a good thing.
Sucrine salad with roasted asparagus, Japanese turnips and poached egg
sucrine
asparagus
turnips
eggs
olive oil
white wine vinegar
kosher salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, to taste
chives
For the asparagus and turnips: Trim asparagus and turnips. Asparagus peelings can be saved for asparagus stock. If the turnips are young, they can be left unpeeled. Slice turnips into halves or quarters depending on size. Chop asparagus into 1/2″ length pieces; be sure to leave the tips whole. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes in a 350 F oven. Let cool and set vegetables aside.
For the salad: Poach eggs. Lift with slotted spoon and set aside when done. Tear sucrine into bite-sized pieces. If you can’t get sucrine, butter or Bibb lettuce are good substitutes.
For the dressing: Whisk together 3 T. olive oil from the roasting pan, a splash of white wine vinegar or lemon juice and 1 teaspoon chopped chives or parsley.
Assembly: Combine sucrine, asparagus and turnips. Dress the salad; toss to coat. Top each salad serving with a poached egg, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Heirloom potato and turnip green soup, adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Deborah’s version uses mustard greens and parsley; this is the same recipe except for the substitution of heirloom potatoes, turnip greens and lovage.
Contributions to the Fellowship