A good friend of mine and his wife celebrated his anniversary recently, and welcomed a houseful of friends with this wonderful appetizer. He has an interesting history and a lot of experience with Indian food, being that he had years of involvement at a restaurant in a small town in India.

Here’s the secret recipe:

Urad dal (a white lentil available at Indian Groceries and not really anywhere else)
Chat Masala spice mixture
Vegetable oil for frying
red onion
lemon & lime
salt
cilantro
raw cashews

Soak the dal in water for 30 min-1 hour. Drain well. Heat oil to high and pan fry the dal, taking care to stir frequently so they don’t stick (use a nonstick if possible, or a wok). Once golden and oily, put into a bowl. In the bowl, add a tablespoon of masala seasoning at a time to 1C or more of the lentils. Juice the lemon/lime into it, keep extra handy for adjusting the flavor. Mince or finely dice 1/2 or 1 whole red onion. Mince the cilantro. Mix everything together with a few cashews, adding salt and additional ingredients as needed for taste to bring the whole thing together.

Wine: a dry rose or a champagne without too much acid.

1 red onion
1/2 head radicchio
1/2 head beet greens (can sub chard or chiffonade collards, don’t overdo it though)
salt & pepper
olive oil

Dice the red onion. Cut the radicchio into small squares. Chiffonade the beet greens. In a large sautee pan cook the red onion with the olive oil until translucent, adding plenty of salt & pepper, at high heat for 2 minutes and then to medium low heat until cooked through. Add the raddichio and cook 1-2 more minutes. Add the beat greens and cook until wilted. Adjust seasoning.

In a tart pan or by forming a galette, place the rolled and chilled crust, and fill with mixture. For color and tenderness, brush outside of dough with egg yolk & water mixture. Cook at 425 for 20-30 minutes until golden.

Touch it off with a bit of hard Italian cheese grated. I used something similar to Asiago but a little closer to Pecorino Romano.

Wine: A sicilian red, such as Nero D’avola, will have enough punk to stand up to the bitterness of the raddichio and greens.

1 lb brussel sprouts, washed and cut in half
1/2 pear, diced
1 inch peice fresh ginger, grated
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
salt & pepper

In a nonstick pan at medium high heat, melt the butter and then add the brusselsprouts cut side down. Cook until colored nicely on the bottom and the green has brightened andb ecome glossy, then add olive oil, ginger, and pears, turn heat to medium and stir. Add salt & pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 C water or just enough to cover sprouts halfway in pan. Cover and cook for ~ 10 minutes. Remove the lid, cook off excess water and serve.

Wine: A white blend such as a northern Italian white (Pinot Grigio blend, or dry Tocai blend) would balance nicely the sulfur of the cabbage without being intruding on the more delicate ginger flavor.

1 large head green romanesco (sub cauliflower, but not as beautiful)
cajun seasoning blend (or make your own with herbs + chili powder etc)
1/2 C – 1 C water
olive oil
salt & pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice romanesco thoughtfully, making some slices thinner and none too thick to be unevenly cooked, also trying to keep them together as much as possible. Place them on a parchment lined jelly roll sheet (lipped) or other baking container with sides and a lot of surface area. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasoning generously. Distribute for maximum surface area, and add the water. Roast for 35-45 minutes, until browned on tops and carmelized on bottoms.

I couldn’t be more pleased to open my shipment today and find my spicy sesame seared baby bok choy recipe on the back of this week’s newsletter! What an honor!

Thanks, folks! I hope y’all enjoy it. Check out the forthcoming recipes for ideas on this week’s seasonal, Capay produce!

This is a meal to be shared by two people, heavy on the greens, lighter on the wallet than would be otherwise. Last night we were both exhausted and wanted to eat at home (mostly for economical reasons) but I really wanted a great Friday night date dinner, so we grabbed a filet from Andronico’s (love/hate) as well as a bottle of Tablas Creek‘s (Sister winery to France’s Château de Beaucastel) Cote de Tablas red rhone style and went to work at home..

1 filet mignon ~ .5 lb
1 large shallot
1/2 comice pear (or other pear)
1-2 T very cold butter
1/2 C ruby port or dry red wine – sherry would probably be OK too
1 bunch golden chard
1 slice pancetta, 1/4 inch thick
olive oil, salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Wash chard, cut stems away, slice stems into small peices and set aside, slice greens into large strips, set aside seperately. Dice the pancetta by unwinding it, and slicing it in half lengthwise, then cutting into bits on the short end. Place the pancetta & the chard stems into a hot nonstick skillet, adding salt & pepper.

Bring a small, high sided pan (oven safe) to just high heat, adding a few T of olive oil. Add the salt & peppered steak, allowing to color. Once colored, flip over. Once colored again, put the pan in the oven until desired doneness (4-8 minutes). Do not allow the olive oil to smoke while on the range.

Tossing the chard mixture frequently, once stems are nearly softened, add the pear in cubes. When the pear has colored, add the greens and cook until wilted and bright. Check seasoning and adjust.

Take your steak out of the oven and place it on a cutting board to rest, placing the pan with drippings back onto the range at high heat. Add your shallot, minced, and cook until translucent. Add salt & pepper, and the port/wine. Reduce until astringent alcohol smell is gone, take off the heat and sit 1 minute. Add very cold butter and stir vigorously until melted.

Slice steak and serve sauce over it with the greens on the side.

1 pork tenderloin, salted, peppered, pan seared & roasted in the oven
5 small carrots or 3 large ones, sliced in small, even rounds
2 small red onions, sliced in quarter strips
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 apple, in large cubes
1/4 C pumpkin seeds
1 lb Bok Choy
olive oil, salt, pepper

Roast your tenderloin while you make the other items (~ 350, I pan sear mine on high eat first on all sides).

Roast the onion, carrot, garlic, and apple in the oven after tossing lightly with olive oil, salt, & pepper. Roast for 40 minutes or until carmelized and shrunk.

Wash and chop the bok choy, separating the stalks from the leaves. In a large nonstick skillet, sautee the bok choy stalks on high heat, until softened. Add the pumpkin seeds and the green tops, cooking until brightened.

Roasted Fennel – an addition

1 bulb of fennel
olive oil, salt & pepper

Wash and slice the fennel into thin strips, but thick enough to hold together. Preheat oven to 350. Toss the fennel in olive oil, salt, pepper, place flat on a baking sheet and cook until golden. If you aren’t feeling a little lazy, flip them over halfway through.

Wine: A grenache or meritage with a base of grenache will bring out the earthy in the greens and the sweetness in the pork.

Israeli Couscous
Pan steamed dino kale
Roast Pork Tenderloin
Apricot-Whiskey Compote

Serves 3-4 with appetizer or for light meal; serves 2 very generously

For the tenderloin & compote:
1 small to medium pork tenderloin, silver removed
1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, thick slivers
1-2 tsp thyme
5-10 dried apricots, sliced
1/3 C whiskey or brandy
salt & pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. In a large oven safe pan, heat olive oil to medium high or high heat, without bringing to smoking point. Dress the pork tenderloin in salt & pepper, and sear on each side until golden. Shortly after beginning the pork, add the onion, garlic, thyme. Once pork is golden on all sides, add the apricot to the onion mixture and cook it all for 10-15 minutes depending on desired donenes (I prefer medium, medium well for pork tenderloin. It is the only cut of pork you can very safely cook less than 100% and not get sick).

Once pork is cooked to desired texture/flavor/temperature, remove it from the pan, and put the pan back on the stove. Deglaze the pan with the whiskey and let it all simmer together until the harsh alcohol smell is gone. You’re done when you let the pork rest a little and slice it up.

For the kale:
Using clean chunks of kale, a tsp of olive oil, and generous pepper (with some salt), dry sautee at medium heat in a nonstick pan, adding a few tablespoons of water towards the end to steam and soften the kale.

For the couscous:
1 C israeli couscous
2 T butter
1/4 C roasted, unsalted almonds
1 shallot, minced
1 cinnamon stick
2 medium bay leaves
1 1/4 C chicken stock (low sodium)
salt to taste

Melt the butter, adding the almonds when hot. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes, until brightened (if has skin). Add the shallots and cook until golden. Add the couscous and allow to gain color, without burning (3-5 minutes), being sure to stir off and on through the whole process. Add the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves shortly after adding the couscous. Add some salt. Once couscous has colored, add the stock, bring to a boil, and steam/simmer low covered for about 10 minutes, until the couscous is still slippery but does not have a pool of liquid at the bottom. Voila!

Wine: Crazy as it sounds, I think a dry gewurztraminer would be great with the apricot-whiskey combo. Lazy Creek makes one for $26.

1 large, gorgeous head of Napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 large carrot
2 apples
1 C walnuts
1/3 lb blue cheese (preferably a good creamy one like St. Agur but the store crumbled stuff will do)
4 T cider vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 lemon’s juice
salt & generous pepper

In a medium bowl combine the vinegar, lemon juice, some salt, and generous cracked pepper. Whisk in the olive oil, then the heavy whipping cream. Whisk in 2/3s of the blue cheese, allowing some chunks to remain, but some to incorporate with the dressing.

Toast the walnuts on medium heat until fragrant and warm. Crush them with a mortar & pestle (or do like I did, throw them in a high sided pan and hit them with the rolling pin!).

Remove the outer layers from the cabbage, cut it in half, and wash submerged in water. Shake dry, and cut thinly the cabbage, leaving the core at the bottom.

Slice thinly both apples, and grate the carrot. Combine the cabbage, walnuts, carrot, and apples, layering in a large bowl with the dressing to make for easier mixing. Let it sit a few minutes, and taste for seasoning. Serve it up!

Would be most excellent with BBQ chicken or other items, but was nice this winter evening, too.

Great for breakfast or dessert served warm with ice cream, whipped cream, or custard. Makes four large personal apple galettes.

Use the recipe for crust on the Leek & Bacon Galette. These were so good my boyfriend actually thought it was dinner in its entirety (see the Napa Cabbage Salad I was busy making while these were baking!) and I had to steal the last one away from him to get a picture of the pastry inside. Can we say, “nom nom nom”?

For the crust:
1 1/2 C flour
1 stick butter
4-6 T ice cold water
Food processor would be handy

Heat your oven to 425. Cut your butter into cubes and place in freezer for 10-20 minutes to firm up.

In a food processor, combine butter cubes and flour in alternating layers so as not to loose butter on the sides of the processor. Pulse until combined and looking like bread crumbs. Put into a bowl, make a well with your hands, and add 1 T of ice cold water at a time, using as little water as possible (if you don’t, you will have hell rolling this out).

Once combined, form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and put in freezer or fridge depending when you intend to use it. Must chill at least 30 minutes, can be stored up to three days in fridge.

Half at a time (reserving other half in refrigerator), roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/3 inch thick, making sure to do this as quickly as possible so the crust is still cold. Try to make a rectangle so you can cut 5×5 inch squares out. Roll the rest out in the same way, cutting squares as you go, re rolling when necessary. If dough starts to feel room temp or too easily squished, put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. The flakiness is dependent on this, so it’s important to take the time.

Place on sheet pan with parchment or silicon lining, and put the pan into the freezer if you plan to use it in the next half hour.

For the filling:
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 apples, halved, cored, and thinly sliced

Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.

Keep the apple halves together so you can spread them evenly and they match each other in gradation. On each pastry square, sprinkle a bit of the cinnamon mixture. Add 1/2 an apple to each square, as shown in pictures. Sprinkle top generously with cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until golden and risen.

Wine: For dessert, try a late harvest white wine, or a french dessert wine like a relatively inexpensive Sauternes. If you choose to add almonds to this recipe, it would be great with Tokaj. For brunch, you could pair it with a dry champagne to cut the buttery crust on the palette, or a sparkling moscatto from Italy.