Look at What I Found! Purple Summer Radishes

I am not fond of radishes, but when I went past Lloyd's stand at the Davis Farmer's Market, I was taken by the lush beauty and vibrant colors of his plum purple summer radishes. Glorious! For a moment no one seemed to take notice of the beautiful, fresh mounds of greens and all hues of purple, pink and white....and then the crowds came and scooped up the lovely bunches as if they were gold.

I took the bunch you see here, the one that has one white radish (the rest are pink and purple), home with me -  certain of their beauty, uncertain what to do with them. I was particularly interested in the greens. Lloyd told me I could steam the tops...and so I was hooked. I soaked the green tops for a couple of hours until they revived and then in a minimum amount of salted boiling water, I cooked them ever so briefly. I drained the greens in a colander as they continued to steam. Later I sauteed them briefly in a little olive oil, fresh red chilis, and a finely chopped clove of garlic - the classic! They were sweet and tender like spring. With the radishes, I finely sliced them into green salad with fresh tomatoes. They are lovely...but I'm still not sure I'm keen on radishes!

Fast and Easy: Steakettes or Bistecchine

Fast and Easy: Steakettes or Bistecchine

As long as I can remember, steakettes, bistecchine, also known as fettine di bistecca, thin beef steaks, have always been a staple in the kitchen, mine and my mother’s. They are a meat of choice in the Italian household when busy mothers like my Zia Vittoria would come home at noon to put a full meal on the table with a pasta, a meat or fish, vegetables, salad and fruit. Fast and easy was important! When I got married, bistecchine, simply pan fried with a little olive oil, onion salt, and pepper, became a favorite of my husband’s as they reminded him of his mother’s cooking. They are economical and go a long way when served with rice, potatoes, or pasta. As they grew up, my sons loved them in all sorts of ways and would fight over the last piece. They especially loved La Pizzaiola, a classic way to serve the thin beef steaks with the same ingredients one finds in pizza! My son Marco would ask for them on his birthday and I would make them for him, a detail I didn’t remember until he reminded me the other day. Since my youngest son is busy at college and cooking for himself and his roommate, I thought I would share two fast, easy, and economical ways to use a variation of fettine di bistecca, a quick solution for a last minute meal.

You will need fresh (not frozen!) beef steaks, also known as “sandwich” steaks or carne asada, the ones typically used for fajitas. I prefer sirloin, but top round works well too, even though it may turn out a little tougher.  I stock these in my freezer so I can always reach for them in a pinch. Be careful when you defrost them or they will become tough and dry. In fact, don’t defrost them all the way because the more water lost, the tougher they will cook.

Al Limone

Ingredients:

1 lb. thin beef steaks. Top round or sirloin

1 Tablespoon olive oil or enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan

Salt or onion salt to taste, pepper

Thin slices of Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack or fresh mozzarella

1 lemon cut in half 

1 Teaspoon thyme

Heat a 9 inch skillet to a high temperature until it is smoking. Add a drizzle of olive oil so it coats the bottom of the pan. Place the steaks in the skillet and pan fry them until you see the blood seeping through the edges. Salt and pepper the steaks then turn them quickly. Salt and pepper again and add the thyme. You will see that the steaks give out lots of liquid. Allow it to evaporate and wait until the steaks are slightly caramelized or brown. Place slices of cheese on the steaks, then take the lemon halves and squeeze the juice over the steaks. Cover and lower the heat until the liquid is somewhat evaporated and the cheese melted. Serve at once.

                                    La Pizzaiola

 

1 lb. thin steaks or fettine di bistecca

1 Tablespoon olive oil or enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ¼ Cup fresh chopped ripe tomatoes or 1 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 Teaspoon dried oregano (origano in Italian!)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a 9 or 10 inch skillet until very hot, then add the olive oil. Quickly add the steaks and let them sizzle until brown on one side. Salt and pepper them, then turn them, add the garlic, tomatoes and oregano. Let them cook at high heat for about 5 minutes, adding a little water or wine and turning the steaks as needed. Cover, lower the heat to medium and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with white rice, buttered pasta, or my favorite, mashed potatoes.

The Basics: Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta e Fagioli 

The humble cranberry bean reigns supreme in Italian cooking especially in the classic Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneziana. Not to be confused with the pinto bean, which has a different taste, texture, and darker color, cranberry beans have a special quality that makes them highly sought after. When cooked, they are much larger than the dried variety and provide more beanlike creaminess to the dish. They are difficult to find, so you can imagine my joy when they appear at the Davis Farmers Market at the beginning of summer! 

Only one vendor sells them and for a short period of time between the beginning of August to the beginning of September. With this small window of time in mind, I buy five, six pounds at a time and start freezing them so I have enough to carry me through the winter. Each bean is unique. When you open the pod, you may find pearly white beans with a few delicate striated red marks on them, or you may find entirely red ones. Holding them in your hand they are smooth and pearly. 

You will find them in an astonishing variety of preparations – some unusual – such as calamari and fagioli, or short pasta such as farfalle with a sauce made with beans and zucchini. Sounds strange, but it does work! I love them cooked in a tomato sauce with sausage served over polenta. The most classic dish, of course, is Pasta e Fagioli, the queen of soups -  la regina delle minestre, whose origin is from the region of Veneto where my mother’s family originated. Pasta e fasioi as I heard my mother call it in Venetian dialect, is a simple, hearty soup whose greatness relies on the beautiful texture and creaminess of the cranberry bean.

The recipe I have to offer has several options because Pasta e Fagioli, like many Italian dishes, is homegrown – every home cook has a special variation depending on the ingredients at hand. I hardly ever make it the same way every time, depending on my mood!

Ingredients:

3 lbs. cranberry beans (fresh and unshelled) or 2lbs. dry (soak the night before)

1 medium sized onion or 1-1/2 cups onion

1 carrot (optional)

1-2 stalks celery

1 potato

½ - ¾  C  guanciale or…

cotiche (outside fat of prosciutto or the heel)  (optional)

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)

1 Tbl. tomato concentrate from a tube (optional)

2 quarts chicken stock or 2 dadi (Knorr bouillion cubes)  - (optional)

1 cup (or 2-3 handfuls) ditalini pasta  (or any small pasta like pennette) or

fresh egg pasta such as maltagliati.

1 Tbl. olive oil

1 Tsp. salt

Freshly grated parmigiano or grana gratuggiato to taste

 There are two ways to begin – one, a freddo – or cold method, in which you put the shelled and washed fresh or soaked beans in a stockpot with the onion and other ingredients of choice including the potato (but not the pasta!), cover it with water or stock, and let it cook for about an hour or until cooked through, the stock has reduced and beans are tender. This method is fast and produces good results. I often cook this way when I don’t want to spend too much time messing around with the ingredients and I’m short on time.

Before I added the water

The other day, feeling more patient, I used the other method which begins by sautéing the tris of vegetables in olive oil. The results were, I must say, exceptional!

1. Prepare the ingredients. Shell the fresh beans, wash and set them aside. If you are using dry beans, soak them the night before, then drain and rinse them for use. Dice the onion, the carrot, and the celery and set them aside. Sometimes I don’t use carrot and celery – these are optional, but do provide depth of flavor. This time I didn’t use rosemary because I didn’t want an “herby” flavor preferring to enhance the flavor of the bean with no masking.

2. In an 12 quart stockpot or enameled cast iron pot, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil, move the chopped onions, carrot, and celery to the pot and saute’  until slightly golden. Add the beans and quickly give them a stir to pick up the flavors of the vegetables.

3. Cover the beans with water or chicken stock, about 2-3 quarts. The liquid should cover the beans with about 2 inches to spare. Peel and wash the potato and add it whole to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and add a tablespoon of tomato concentrate (this is primarily to give some color – not absolutely necessary). Add salt – go easy here if using bouillion cubes and guanciale.

4. Optional at this point is the addition of the “meat.”  Most often I prefer to go vegetarian, but the most classic preparation of Pasta e Fagioli is the addition of the cotenna or cotiche, or outer fat or skin of a prosciutto. You can ask for it in the deli section of a good grocer. I sometimes buy the heel (bone) of the prosciutto and add it to the pot. This time, not having it, I used a chunk of guanciale or jowl bacon cut in three pieces (about one and a half inch blocks) and added these to the soup.

5. Lower the flame and allow the soup to simmer covered for about an hour and a half. From time to time, stir the pot to make sure the beans are not sticking on the bottom. As the cooking comes to the end, the beans are cooked through and tender, take out the potato and place it on a small dish. With the back end of a fork, mash it, maybe adding a little broth to make it smooth, and return it to the pot. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, then add the pasta.

6. I add the dry pasta by hand, usually a handful at a time because I don’t want to add too much. Judge it by the amount of liquid you have in the pot. The pasta will absorb quite a bit. This time I had a fresh pasta sheet in the freezer, so I took it out, let it defrost until it was malleable enough to manipulate. I lightly floured the granite workspace and rolled the sheet until it was about an 1/8 of an inch thick. I wanted a little heft to the pasta, giving it a rustic feel. I cut it in long strips and then in diagonal shapes. These are known as maltagliati, meaning “poorly cut”! 

Add these to the pot, cook them stirring delicately until tender. Fresh pasta will absorb more than the dry; if need be, add a little more water to give the soup a smooth consistency. Correct the seasoning by adding salt if necessary. Cool the soup for about 10 minutes before serving.

7. Ladle into bowls with a generous sprinkle of parmigiano. Heavenly…and even better the next day!

Serves 4-6. Pair with a red wine.

Look What I Found?!? Shishito Peppers!

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I discovered Shisito Peppers at Blackbird Restaurant in Sacramento where they were served as an appetizer. I was intrigued by the name and beauty of appearance. Diners dipped these little beauties  springing out of a bowl, in a salt and pepper mixture. Later I found them at the Davis Farmers' Market, sold and grown by Capay Valley Farms, the same organic farmer that supplies to restaurants. Consequently, because these peppers are in high demand, they are not always easy to find.  But how lovely they are! Of differing sizes, the peppers' bright green skin is slightly striped and shiny. Saute' them at high heat in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, dress them with a sprinkling of Himalayan salt, a shaving of hard Asiago or Parmigiano Reggiano... lovely! The last time I made the I threw in a few tiny cherry tomatoes with their stems into the pan and sauteed them together. Shisito peppers hold their shape, so they have a certain crispness when you bite into them - and maybe this is the charm of their existence.  They remain sweet, never spicy and convey a certain butteriness of flavor. Place them in a bowl as an appetizer or side dish and enjoy!