Pasta

February in the Kitchen – Meyer Lemon and Garlic Confit
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February in the Kitchen – Meyer Lemon and Garlic Confit

A glut of Meyer lemons has had me researching ways to use them before they rot. This recipe for Meyer Lemon Confit by Tara Austen Weaver in the Sunday Chronicle caught my eye. If you have a similar abundance, Meyers make a distinguished Lemon Curd and also do well salted and preserved. The article included a recipe for using the confit with Pasta with Kale. Since my garden also has an abundance of kale, it was a no brainer.

Meyer lemons are a hybrid cross between a lemon and an orange. Unlike the more commonly available Lisbon or Eureka lemons, Meyers are thinner skinned, juicier, and have less of a sour bite. Because of their mildness, they are not always suitable for recipes needing a lot of acid. But their flavor is slightly floral, delicate, and elusive. A bowl of them on the counter will fill your kitchen with fragrance. I once saw my son (as a toddler) pick one from the tree and eat it as if it were an apple.

Meyer Lemons

Meyer Lemons

They are named after Frank N. Meyer. Dr. Meyer was a Dutch plant explorer working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He found them in 1908 near Beijing and brought them back, it was one of about 2,500 specimens he is credited with collecting.

Meyer lemons have thrived in backyards and gardens throughout California, Texas, and Florida. But, they haven’t made it as a commercial crop because they don’t ripen well once picked from the tree and are thought to be too perishable. The Meyer almost died out in the 40’s when they were found to carry a virus, which threatened the California citrus crop (although it didn’t hurt the Meyer lemon). Trees were to be torn out and destroyed. Lucky for us an “improved” Meyer lemon released in 1975 was found to be virus free.

Meyer Lemon Tree

Meyer Lemon Tree in a Half Wine Barrel Container

There was a mature Meyer lemon tree in our backyard when we purchased the house 25 years ago. It has continued to provide us with lemons all year almost non-stop all year. The same tree will have mature lemons, immature lemons, and flowers at the same time. Meyers do well in containers, although they are frost tender and should be moved to a protected place in the winter.

Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemon and Garlic Confit

  • 3 medium Meyer lemons (organic if possible)
  • ¼ cup of whole peeled garlic cloves
  • ½ cup of olive oil
  1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
  2. Wash and dry the lemons. Cut off the ends and slice them ¼ inch thick, removing any seeds.
  3. Cut the garlic cloves so they are approximately the same size.
  4. Set a saucepan full of water on high heat and bring it to a boil.
  5. Blanch the lemon slices for 90 seconds, removing them with a slotted spoon to a strainer set over a bowl. You may need to do this in several batches. Once drained, add them to a medium bowl.
  6. Add the garlic to the boiling water and simmer for about 4 minutes. Drain but DO NOT TOSS OUT THE WATER IF YOU ARE MAKING THE PASTA DISH BELOW.
  7. Add the olive oil to the bowl with the lemons and toss to coat with oil.
  8. Lay the lemons in a single layer in a rectangular baking dish leaving space at one end.
  9. Add the garlic cloves to the remaining oil in the bowl. Toss to coat. Then add them to the empty side of the baking dish.
  10. Drizzle with any remaining oil in the bowl.
  11. Bake for 1-½ hours until the garlic mashes easily and the lemon rinds are soft. Turn the lemons every 30 minutes.
  12. When done, remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool.
  13. Finely chop the mixture and transfer it to a tightly sealed jar.

The Lemon and Garlic Confit will keep for a month in the fridge, freeze it for longer storage.

Sliced Meyer Lemons
Meyer Lemons and Garlic Cloves
Meyer Lemon Confit

 

Meyer Lemon and Garlic Confit

Meyer Lemon and Garlic Confit

Dino Kale – Tuscan Kale
Chopped Dino Kale

Pasta with Kale and Lemon Confit (serves 4-6 as a main dish)

  • 1 pound of pasta, I used linguini
  • Water from blanching lemons and garlic
  • 2 bunches of Tuscan kale (you want about 5 cups when chopped and packed down in the cup)
  • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 ½ tablespoons of Lemon & garlic confit
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • Grated Meyer lemon zest, to taste (I used one additional lemon)
  • ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  1. Wash the kale and remove any tough center stems. Finely chop the leaves.
  2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil (this can be the left over blanching water plus extra as needed). Once it boils, add the pasta and cook for the recommended time. Drain but do not rinse, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the kale, stirring while it wilts and cooks down for about 2 minutes. The kale will be slightly crispy like dried nori.
  4. Add the red pepper flakes and salt, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 10 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
  5. Stir in the Meyer Lemon Confit.
  6. Add the drained pasta to the frying pan; toss to mix with the kale. Add a little of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems dry.
  7. Add the lemon juice, lemon rind, and taste for salt.
  8. Serve hot topped with Parmesan.
Pasta with Kale and Meyer Lemon Confit

Pasta with Kale and Meyer Lemon Confit

It was also good stuffed under the skin of a chicken breast, sauteed (skin up), and finished in the oven.

Chciken stuffed under the skin with lemon & garlic confit

Chciken stuffed under the skin with lemon & garlic confit

Bon Appetit!

This post is part of the monthly link up party “Our Growing Edge“. This event aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things. February 2015 is hosted by Kim at the blog Love, Live, Life by Kim.

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I’m also taking this pasta dish to share at Fiesta Friday #54, a weekly bloggers virtual dinner party hosted by Angie at the Novice Gardener. Please come join the fun.

Fiesta Friday

 

November in the kitchen – Pasta Puttanesca
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November in the kitchen – Pasta Puttanesca

When my husband and I were first dating we had a favorite Italian restaurant in Berkeley called Café Venezia. It was a tiny place with murals on the walls, laundry hanging from the ceiling, and Italian opera singing in the background. They didn’t take reservations and there was always a line out the door, or scrunched in the tiny entryway (if it was cold and wet). We had a trick for bypassing the line. They had a sister restaurant called Restaurant Venezia across the street; it was much fancier with white tablecloths, live music, and a bar. We would put our name on the list for the tiny Café, take a large card with a number on it, go across the street to the bar in the restaurant, and have a glass of wine. When our table was ready, the cafe would post a matching card in their window (we could see it sitting in the bar). The remainder of our wine (if there was any) was poured into a paper cup, and we crossed the street to dinner.

Do you have a favorite menu item with wonderful memories?

We were very sad when that café and restaurant closed. They made the best Pasta Puttanesca we have ever tasted. My husband still orders the Puttanesca when we go out, and is almost always disappointed. So, since he requests this for every birthday dinner, I set about creating a recipe for Puttanesca like the one from Café Venezia. It took a few dozen tries to get the right balance of ingredients, but I think I have it (he agrees).

It’s his birthday this weekend and I will be making this pasta dish for him.

There are at least two stories about how this pasta dish came about. Both involve ‘ladies of the night’. In one story this a quick pasta dish to put together between customers, in another the smell of the sauce is supposed to draw in customers. It’s convievable that both are correct! This dish is vegetarian and vegan without the anchovies or cheese.

Pasta Puttanesca (serves 2-4)

  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 1 28 oz. can Italian chopped tomatoes
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons of capers, rinsed
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 15 black kalamata olives, cut in half
  • 1 small can of anchovies, about 10, chopped, save the oil
  • ½ lb. of fettuccini or linguini
  • For serving: grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled fresh goat cheese

Sauce

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, medium heat.
  2. Add the garlic and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Watch your skillet (every stove is different) carefully, you want to cook the garlic till is is honey colored or light brown. If it burns it will turn bitter.
  3. Add the tomatoes, capers, oregano, chili flakes, and olives.
  4. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
  5. After the time is up, add the chopped anchovies and the reserved olive oil from the can to your sauce.
  6. Keep the sauce on low heat while the pasta is cooking.
Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta

  1. While the sauce is simmering for the 20 minutes, start the pasta.
  2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil (the water should taste like the sea).
  3. Add your pasta to the boiling water, bring it back to the boil and cook for the time suggested on the package.
  4. When cooked, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain your pasta. Do not rinse.
  5. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and reheat all.
  6. Add the pasta water by tablespoons if it seems too dry.
  7. Taste carefully for salt, it probably won’t need any since it contains so many salty things.

Grate fresh Parmesan over each serving, or top with crumbled goat cheese.

Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca

We think the trick is the last minute addition of the oil from the anchovies.

I like mine with goat cheese.

Pasta Puttanesca with Goat cheese

Pasta Puttanesca with Goat Cheese

October in the kitchen – Pasta with Peas
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October in the kitchen – Pasta with Peas

Ok, so I don’t have any fresh peas from my garden yet. I don’t expect to see any until next spring. There is, however, a trusty package of frozen baby peas in the freezer. And, I have also been pinching the very tops of the snap and snow peas to encourage bushiness (the flowering sweet peas get pinched as well but they are not edible). Those trimmings can be tossed in a salad or used as a garnish for the following pasta dish.

I’ve been using the young fava bean leaves in salads. I don’t grow favas for the beans but rather for their ability to fix nitrogen and improve the soil, they are called a cover crop. The leaves have the subtle flavor of favas and are a lot less trouble than the beans. Because I want their energy to go back into the soil and not into making beans, I cut dig them in when they start to flower. Meanwhile the young leaves are delicious.

Pasta with Peas (Serves 6-8)

Pasta with peas and pea shoots

Pasta with peas and pea shoots

The following recipe uses 4 of the ingredients from the basic 20:

  • Pasta – 1 lb. (regular or gluten free), your choice of shape
  • Olive oil or softened butter – 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup)
  • Parmesan – grated, about a cup plus more for serving
  • Salt
  • Pepper to taste

Additions:

  • Frozen peas – ½ package defrosted
  • Fresh herbs from your garden – mint, parsley, thyme – a good handful, minced
  • Optional – Pea shoots from pinching your plants or the store (I’ve seen them at Trader Joe’s)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt (kosher) until it tastes like the sea. Toss in your pasta and cook according to the package directions, tasting to make sure it is done to your liking. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Do not rinse.

Add the olive oil or butter to the warm pot; add the peas and heat for about 30 seconds. Dump your pasta back in the hot pot, add the herbs and toss until well mixed, add a little of the hot cooking water if it looks dry, then the cheese and toss again. If the mixture still looks dry, add a bit more cooking water. The cooking water contains starch, which turns butter and cheese into a creamy sauce. Don’t add too much as you don’t want it to be watery. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Turn into a warm serving bowl or individual plates. Garnish with the pea shoots and grate some additional cheese on the top.

Yum!

20 essential items for your pantry – Pasta with Butter and Cheese
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20 essential items for your pantry – Pasta with Butter and Cheese

It is amazing how many meals you can create if you have the following 20 pantry items on hand. You don’t need a fancy kitchen, pots, or ingredients. Wonderful cooks have been producing four-star “every day” meals with just these staples. If you add good bread, and a few fresh ingredients from the garden (see my post on the 10 plants to grow in pots) you have a feast. Simplify your kitchen and therefore your life.

All of the following 20 will keep well in the pantry or refrigerator. Use them to make quick delicious meals for your family, or guests. I’ll be using all of them in future posts with menu ideas.

  1. Salt – I like grey salt and sea salt for flavoring, having kosher on hand is also nice (keep it close in a jar by your stove)
  2. Onions – brown or white, plus red for salads
  3. Garlic
  4. Fresh ginger
  5. Lemons
  6. Olive oil – extra virgin
  7. Neutral oil such as canola or sunflower or coconut
  8. Butter
  9. Rice wine vinegar
  10. Wine vinegar – red
  11. Dijon mustard
  12. Soy sauce
  13. Coconut milk
  14. Sesame oil
  15. Parmesan cheese (whole piece, not pre-grated, best you can afford)
  16. Dried pasta
  17. Canned tomatoes
  18. Various canned or dried beans
  19. Chocolate bars
  20. Sugar and/or honey

The following classic dish is difficult to beat with only 4 out of the above 20 ingredients.

Picture these two scenarios…you just got home from work, it was a long day with no time to go to the grocery store. The train or bus was late, and traffic was bad. Your family is grouchy and hungry (and you aren’t far behind).

Or, maybe you get a call from an old friend who is in town for just one night. They want to meet your family. There is no time to do anything elaborate and besides, again, you haven’t had time to go grocery shopping. You want to make something delicious and classy but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.

If you have a well stocked pantry (plus some herbs and greens in pots on the deck, and bread in the freezer) you are in for a gourmet treat.

Relax; pour yourself (and your guests) a glass of wine.

Menu:

  • French breakfast radishes, sweet putter, flaked salt, crisp baguette
  • Pasta al Burro con Parmigiano: Pasta with Butter and Cheese
  • Salad de la casa 
  • Chocolate bars, assorted types

For the starter: Go out to those herb and veggie filled pots on your deck or patio (or your garden) and pull some radishes (see “10 herbs and veggies you can grow in pots”). Wash them, cut off the root and trim the tops to an 1 inch. On a plate arrange the radishes with some sweet butter and flaked salt. If you have a baguette wrapped in foil in the freezer, it can be ready in 20 minutes. Heat your oven to 400 degrees, place the frozen foil wrapped baguette on a rack and cook for 15 minutes, remove the foil for another 5 minutes to crisp.

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This is a classic Italian pasta dish. While living with my family in Rome as an 8 year-old, I lived on it. At that stage of my life Italian food was not my cup of tea, with the exception of Pasta al Burro con Parmigiano. It was standard fare at every restaurant.

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Pasta al Burro con Parmigiano: Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese (serves 6-8)

1 lb. pasta of your choice

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving

8 tablespoons butter – 1 stick cut into 8 pieces and softened to room temperature (not melted)

Salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt (kosher) until it tastes like the sea. Add your pasta and cook according to the package directions, tasting to make sure it is done to your liking. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Do not rinse! Dump your pasta back in the hot pot, add the butter and toss until melted, add a little of the hot cooking water if it looks dry, then the cheese and toss again. If the mixture still looks dry, add a bit more cooking water. The cooking water contains starch which turns butter and cheese into a creamy sauce. Don’t add too much as you don’t want it to be watery. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Turn into a warm serving bowl or individual plates. Grate some cheese on the top.

Serve with extra cheese on the side.

Olive oil can be substituted for the butter. This is the basic version, you could add fresh herbs, a few chili flakes, a handful of frozen peas (defrosted), some toasted breadcrumbs, toasted nuts, etc. Need some meat? What about crumbled crisp bacon, slices of Italian sausage browned in olive oil, or left over rotisserie chicken. Let your imagination go wild! But, this dish is delicious just as it is, with only good butter and cheese.

Fix a salad from your pots, make a simple vinaigrette.

Salad pickings from the garden

For dessert pull out those chocolate bars, break them into pieces, put them on a pretty plate, serve with pride.

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Pasta, salad, bread, chocolate…dinner, perfecto!

What’s in your own pantry is considered an essential?