fava bean ragout

 

 Copyright © 2011 Andrea Gentl all rights reserved

 Fava beans are one of the fleeting mid-Summer vegetables that are quite easy to miss. They show up at the market for a short time only. They start appearing in the late Spring and are gone by mid to late July. I was just on the cusp of not finding them this year and may have found the last of them. The Fava bean, sometimes called the Broad Bean is popular in Europe and the Middle East. It has long been a staple in the Mediterranean diet. I was first introduced to the Fava bean as a kid by my grandmother, as Fava Beans and Chicory is a popular Puglian dish. You can find them dried year round in many US. markets. They are a long oversized fuzzy  grean bean and require quite a bit of work to prepare, this may account for thier somewhat obscure status.

When looking for a recipie for the odd or unusual vegetable. I always turn, with out fail, to Alice Waters. One of the cookbooks I cannot live without is Alice Water's Chez Panisse Vegetables. If i were only allowed one book, this is the book I would choose.  I love it because I can look up any seasonal vegetable in the index and go to a complete section of recipies using said vegetable. Today, I chose Fava beans. After two long weeks of work and catering everyday, I really wanted to be in control of my own food choice. I had some fava beans I needed to use from last week's farmers market upstate.

I was a little torn between Fava bean ragout and Fava bean puree but decide to go with the former. I used Alice Waters recipie as my guide and then improvised a bit as I usually do.

I substituted  fresh lemon balm and fresh mint for the rosemary as that is what I had on hand. I sometimes find rosemary to be a bit heavy in the summer.  I used far less beans because I didn't have as many as the recipe called for. I added a little bit of Bhutanese red pepper at the end and lime instead of lemon and some shavings of pecorino.

 

FAVA BEAN RAGOUT FROM ALICE WATER"S CHEZ PANISSE VEGETABLES

3-4lbs of young fava beans

1 large clove of garlic

1 small sprig rosemary

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 lemon

Shell the fava beans and discard the pods.

Bring a pot of water to boil, add the fava beans and simmer for 1 minute.

Drain and cool immediately in cold water ( i used an ice bath)

Pierce the outer skin with a thumbnail and squeeze each bean out of it's skin with thumb and forefinger.

 Peel and chop the garlic very fine.

Put the fava beans in a suacepan with a mixture of half water and half olive oil enough to just cover them.

Add the garlic and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the beans are tender, 5 minutes or so more or less. finish with a squeeze of lemon and another grind or two of pepper.

This ragout is great over pasta or on toasted crostini.

My improvised version is below.

Fava Bean Ragout

Follow above steps for shelling and cooling

Add shelled peeled fava beans to a large cast iron skillet, cover with 1/2 olive oil 1/2 water until just covered

Add  1 clove of finely chopped garlic and 1/2 cup of finely choped mint and lemon balm

salt to taste 

Simmer for 5 minutes or so or until the beans are tender and some of the liquid has eveaporated

Remove from the heat

Add the juice of 1/2 lime and some red pepper flakes

 If seving with pasta:

transfer to pasta and add some shaved pecorino romano.

For Crostini

Cut a nice crusty loaf of bread into thick slices

Rub each slice with a garlic

Brush with olive oil and toast under the broiler for a minute or until just brown

Add the fava bean ragout add a drizzle of olive oil and a shaving of pecorino.

Villa Catignano

This week last year a small group of us gathered at Villa Catignano on the outskirts of Siena Italy in the Italian countryside for Tali and Craig's wedding. After a powerful thunderstorm, the skies cleared and the sun shone down and the most beautiful wedding happened to be.  Auguri dear ones! 

 The gardens at Villa Catignano

 Campo Siena

  

Statue, Villa Catignano 

Streets, Siena.

 

Our lunch of apricots, cherries and melons. 

 

Lu.

 Sam inside Villa Catignano.

   All Photos Copyright © 2011 Andrea Gentl all rights reserved

Da Nerbone at The Mercato Centrale/ Florence

Copyright © 2011 Andrea Gentl all rights reserved

 

See this man's face? Remember it. Don't forget it! He is the man you will  want to find when you are Florence, for he will hand over one of the most delicious sandwiches you will ever eat!!!

When I went for a semester in Siena, Italy many years ago, one of my favorite things to do was to take the bus early Saturday mornings from Siena to Florence to The Mercato Centrale (the great food hall), located in the center of the Mercato San Lorenzo near the Basilica San Lorenzo. It was at this market that I ate my very first panino bollito. Last Summer, I found myself standing in front of  Da Nerbone, a small unassuming food stall, there since the 1800's, once again! Da Nerbone is inside the Mercato Centrale tucked into a corner on the outer ring of the market. It is popular with both locals and in the know tourists. During the week it can be quite crowded with the lunch time working crowd. Go early, for the panino bollito con salsa verde (a boiled beef sandwich with a green herb sauce) on a crusty Italian roll.  though popular at lunch, I think it is the  perfect breakfast sandwich. Take some time to wander through the market, have a sandwich, wander some more  then come back to Nerbone for lunch. You can't go wrong with a plate of pasta and a glass of local Tuscan wine. You might have to stand in line for a bit as it is very popular, but have faith! If they are out of the beef as sometimes does happen quickly, they will offer up their other specialty, lampredotto a tripe sandwich.

The Mercato Centrale was designed in the mid 1800's by Giuseppe Mengoni, a famous Italian architect. Mengoni used a beautiful design of cast iron and glass to create this gorgeous landmark market. He based his design on the grand market halls of Paris, Les Halles. The Mercato opened in 1874 soon after an older market was torn down.The building still stands today, much as it was when it was built. Stalls on the first floor sell meat, fish, cheese and pasta as well as some prepared foods and food made to order. Vegetables are sold on the upper floor where you can see the gorgeous vaulted  glass ceiling. If you have never been to one of these amazing European food halls you must go! You will find everything from rabbits to wild boar (cingale) to locally harvested mushrooms and the tiniest most flavorful Fragola di Bosco'!(tiny Alpine strawberries) Buy! don't touch or the Italian fruit vendors especially the ladies will get quite cross with you! If you are patient and kind they will most likely give you a taste.

While doing a little research on the market I came across another bloggers ruminations and admiration for the Market and for the very same sandwich at Nerbone. Samin Nosrat is a chef, teacher, writer, and from what I can tell a gastronmic dervish, liviing and working in San Francisco. She came up through the ranks from bussing tables to cooking in the kitchen at Chez Panisse, where she trained before moving to Italy to work with butcher Dario Cecchini and chef  Benedetta Vitali. Samin was somewhat obsessed with finding and eating the panino bollito from Nerbone as soon as she set foot in the magical city of Florence. Another chef at Chez Panisse had been somewhat obsessed with it as well and told her she must try it upon her arriaval. In her post for the  Food Section where she guest curated an entire week of posts on Florence, she talks about that experience. I think her post is worth sharing as she has many great personal recommendations for vendors at the market that she got to know quite well while living there. See her post below and check out her blog at www.ciaosamin.com.

If you are lucky enough to live in SanFrancisco, you can take one of her home ec classes such as a hand pulled mozzarella or fresh pasta . Samin is the co founder of Oakland's Pop-Up General Store  along with former boss Chris Lee of Eccollo  and if that isn't enough... she partners with Tartine Bakery for the dinners Tartine Afterhours.  Tartine Afterhours is a  three course family style dinner occurring  once a month or so at Tartine Bakery  for the way economical price of 35 dollars.

I am more than a little sad that she does not live in NYC!

Check out her full week of posts on Florenece!

 Nerbone 

Stall #292, 1st Floor, Mercato Centrale (Central Market), entrance on Via dell'Ariento, Florence, Italy +39 (055) 219-949

Samin was kind enough to  supply me with a recipe of her version of the famous Nerbone sandwich!

thank you Samin!

 

Panino Bollito al Nerbone

Serves 6-8

3-4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of major fat

Salt

Pepper

1 onion, peeled and halved

1 carrot, peeled

2 ribs celery, chopped finely, plus 1 whole rib celery

1 bunch parsley, picked and finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, peeled and finely diced

Red wine vinegar

1/2 cup pickled red chilies, such as these Calabrian peppers

6-8 Crusty round buns (in a pinch, seedless Kaiser rolls will do)

The day before you plan to cook the brisket, season it generously with salt and pepper.

The next day, place the brisket in a large pot, cover with cold water, add the onion, carrot, and celery rib and bring to a boil.  Add a healthy pinch of salt to the water for good luck.  If the brisket floats to the top and is exposed, place a plate on it to submerge it.  Reduce the heat and keep the water at a simmer.  Cook until the brisket is knife tender, about 3.5 hours.  

In the meantime, make the sauces.  In a small bowl, cover the diced shallot with red wine vinegar.  Let it macerate for at least 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the finely chopped parsley and celery with enough olive oil to make an unctuous sauce.  Season with salt.  

For the chile sauce, you can either chop the peppers by hand or whizz everything in a blender or food processor.  Mince the peppers however you like, then mix them in a separate bowl with a generous amount of olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, and season with salt.

When the brisket is cooked, remove it from the cooking liquid and slice the meat thinly against the grain.  

Slice the buns in half.  Finish the salsa verde by combining the shallots and red wine vinegar with the parsley oil.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  

Skim any fat from the cooking juices, then lightly dip the inside of the bottom bun in the bollito broth.  Assemble the sandwich with sliced meat and each of the two sauces.  

Serve immediately.  

 

:: samin nosrat ::

writer, cook & teacher 

notes from the road/sicily

 Photographer and Hungry Ghost contributor, Paola Ambrosi DeMagistris writes in from her travels in Sicily... 

On our day of location scouting we ended in San Vito Lo Capo (Trapani) named this year cleanest beach in Italy and very close to the natural park "Riserva Naturale Dello Zingaro".  San Vito is famous for its cous cous festival, http://www.couscousfest.it/ held June 2-5. I treated myself to a taste of "Cozze al Pomodoro" (mussels in tomato sauce) and an amazing "cous cous di pesce" (fish cous cous).

On our last day before departure I spent a few hours at the "Mercato di Sant'Agata" in Catania, famous for its fish section where you can still find sicilian fishermen selling the catch of the day as well as the freshest fruit and veggies...

The previous night I had the pleasure to eat at "Osteria l'Antica Marina" http://www.anticamarina.it/it/index.html right by the market where the most amazing variety of fish antipasti are served in small bowls quickly passed through the hands of the diners..."panzotti con ricotta al nero di seppia" is one of their pasta speciality as well as the "linguine ai ricci" and I had the luck to taste both! If you ever are in Catania make your palate happy and make sure you have the time to stop for lunch or dinner! BUON APPETITO!

honey hoarder

 

 

Copyright © 2011 Andrea Gentl all rights reserved

I am somewhat of a honey hoarder. I say this to myself as I look at the many half used jars of honey in my cupboard that I have collected from all corners of the Earth.

I buy honey everywhere I travel. I have Bhutanese honey, Italian honey, French honey, Upstate New York honey, Mexican honey  and now Brooklyn Honey after the city has lifted a decade old ban on beekeeping in the city.

This hording would be ok if I just consumed all the honey I purchase, but you see… I like to keep some of the more special jars just to look at because they are so beautiful!

To me honey is the ultimate gift to bring back from afar; it is the sweetest way to later remember a  trip. It is available practically everywhere, you need only to open your eyes and it will find you.

I have jars of honey I have purchased simply for their sheer beauty. One of these is a small glass purchased at a famers market in the South of France. I admit to finally eating this honey, but I still have the empty jar, and the hand painted bee reminds me of that trip. Another I am particularly partial to is from France as well, and the typography and color of the honey made me swoon. It has long since separated out into two distinct and beautiful layers, and I have every intention of leaving it that way.

The most interesting thing about honey is the wide spectum of flavors and scents. Honey ranges in color from dark brown to almost black to the palest of whites and everthing in between. Some honey is dark and robust while others are the color of straw with flavors of maritime flowers and sea spray.

The flavor and color of the honey is dependent on what the bees are eating. The nectar of the flowers mixes with enzymes from the bee's saliva to create a sticky liquid that is honey. The bees then come back to the hives and deposit the liquid into the hives. The flavors come through accordingly. Honey is the perfect litmus test to the the bee's immediate surroundings be it herbascious or otherwise. Take for instance the the Red Hook honey, Bees where found to be producing red honey tinted with flavor of maraschino cherries because they were greedily drinking up the syrup from the Red Hook Brooklyn maraschino cherry plant! According to an article in The New York Times  Andrew Coté, the leader of the New York City Beekeepers Association, has said

“Bees will forage from any sweet liquid in their flight path for up to three miles,” Mr. Coté said. While he has not yet visited the factory, he said that the bees might be drinking from its runoff, and that solving the problem “could be as easy as putting up some screens, or providing a closer source of sweet nectar.”

The Brooklyn beekeepers were somewhat dissapointed to find that thier bees had produced a cloying dye riddled substance, but this just goes to show you how honey is the perfect example of surrounding environments. Hopefully the problem has been solved!

You can imagine that bees that frequent such a factory in Brooklyn will produce vastly different tasting honey than bees that live in sunlit pine forests of Italy or in the wide open wild flowered fields of Southern France or the windswept hills of Sardinia.

Bees are the ultimate mixologists. Local honey flavors can range from any of the following: sea, pine, chestnut, sunflower, truffle, forest, blackberry, mint, orange blossom, clover, eucalyptus, cardoon, millefiori, corbezzolo, and in the case of the Brooklyn bees... maraschino. These are only a few of the local flavors you might find if you choose to branch out beyond the good old honey bear.

For me, honey is a vehicle or the starting point for inspiration when it comes to cooking. I am usually first inspired by the  flavor of honey, then comes the food. You can't go wrong with a combination of fresh ricotta and honey.

A couple years ago I found the recipe below in Gourmet, and I have been making it ever since! It really couldn't be easier.

 I always start with this simple recipe. This ricotta is delicious in fresh pasta or on a crostini, it is really good paired with toasted semolina raisin bread or fresh rhubarb compote. be inspired and go crazy!

below I made fresh ricotta crostiini with millefiore (a thousand flowers) honey and thyme and coffee with chestnut honey. My friend Paola always starts her day with honey in her coffee.

All of the gorgeous handmade ceramics used in this shoot  are from the very talented michele michael of elephant ceramics.  Food inspires me but so do vessels...but that is another story altogether. Look for her very coveted sales on line and follow her blog at http://elephantceramics.blogspot.com/, be quick because she sells out fast!

Richard Ferretti's fresh riccotta from Gourmet 2006.

2 quarts whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Line a large sieve with a layer of heavy-duty (fine-mesh) cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.

Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered; it will keep in the refrigerator 2 days

Crostini with fresh ricotta, honey thyme and sea salt

lightly toast some of your favorite rustic bread

spread some fresh homemade ricotta on top

drizzle with your favorite honey

add a little herb, in this case lemon thyme

and finish with a pinch of grey sea salt.

If you read Italian pick up Dizionario Dei Mieli Nomadi from Liccu Manias, the leading authority on honey in Italy! I am definitely visiting his farm next time I am in Sardinia.