Minted Pasta, Lamb Ragù

I have been thinking of this fresh pasta dish that is indicative of Spring and its great new offerings. Though this may be a little premature, there will be pea shoots, ramps, and dandelion greens that are beginning to sprout up. Peas and mint are a classic, simple, and satisfying pairing. Lamb and mint also go together for a reason. It just tastes good. Why not bring them all together in the most comforting way possible (a ragù) and bust out the pasta machine?

I like fresh pastas to be balanced. Too rich, they don't have enough chew and body. Not enough richness, I find myself craving the silkiness that more eggs and fat provide. This dough strikes a wonderful textural and taste balance. To make the dough green, I blanched and puréed dandelion, mint, and peas. Blanching sets their bright green color, allowing the vegetal dough to be transformed into a vivid hue of Spring. Pappardelle is the perfect canvas to absorb some rich, pleasantly unctuous lamb ragù.

The ragù is layered and textured, getting a long bathing for a few hours to soak up some flavor, then reduce, concentrating into a bold sauce. Topped with fresh pea shoots, mint, and pecorino, this pasta embodies spring, bringing peas, mint, and lamb all together.




RECIPE

Minted Pasta Dough:
1 1/2 C. Dandelion Greens (loosely packed, just the greens, no stems)
1/3 C. Mint Leaves (loosely packed)
1/8 C. Peas (Fresh or frozen)
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)
2 Tbsp. Milk
2 3/4 Cups AP Flour
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Whole Eggs
5 Egg Yolks

In a large pot, bring water up to a boil. Also set up an ice bath in a bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Lightly salt the water and add in the dandelion greens for about 40 seconds, or until bright green. Stop the cooking process by putting them in the ice bath. Repeat the same process for the mint and peas. (If using fresh peas, blanch for about 40 seconds longer.) After the dandelion, mint, and peas have cooled, drain as much water as possible, squeezing, and patting dry. Roughly chop and add to a blender. Add in the olive oil and milk and blend until smooth, emulsified and completely green. In a food processor add the sifted flour, and salt. Add in the 2 whole eggs and begin to process. Add in all of the green paste. Process adding in one egg yolk at a time, just until the pasta dough comes together. Turn out the pasta dough onto a floured work surface and begin to knead for about 5 minutes. Once the dough is silky and comes together nicely, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. Reserve the dough until ready to roll out.


Lamb Ragù:

Olive Oil
1 Onion, large yellow, medium brunoise
4 Carrots, peeled, medium brunoise
1 lb, Lamb, ground (rested out of refrigerator for 1/2 hour)
1/2 c. red wine
2 Tbsp. Tomato paste
1 C. Crushed Tomatoes (San Marzano)
1 1/2 C. Lamb Stock (or Chicken Stock)
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Cumin (toasted and ground)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp. Nutmeg
2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 C. Pine Nuts, toasted
Salt
Pepper

For Garnish: Peas, Pea Shoots, Mint, Pecorino

In a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat some olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and begin to let them sweat, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add in the carrots and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add salt. Some carmelization is okay. Add in the lamb and begin to brown and break it up. Add salt. Brown in well for 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add in the wine and deglaze, scraping any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Cook off the alcohol and add in the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Add in the stock along with the cinnamon, cumin, bay leaves, nutmeg, pepper, paprika, and red wine vinegar. Lower the heat to simmer and let the liquid reduce by half. Adjust seasonings. Put on lid slightly askew letting some steam out. Cook for at least 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally and until the stock has reduced and thickened. If it is too thick, add more stock and reduce.


Putting it all together:

Using a pasta machine, begin to roll out the pasta. Hand cut pappardelle (about 1/2" - 3/4" wide. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heavily salt the water. Add in batches of pappardelle cooking for about 1 minute. In a seperate saucepan, add in some of the ragu over high heat. Add in the pappardelle and some pasta water, finishing cooking the pasta for 1 more minute. Top with toasted pine nuts, peas, a chiffonade of mint, pea shoots, and a dusting of pecorino.

Collecting Wild Yeast

Over the course of the past couple of months (which has been busy and caused a serious slowdown in posting), one thing that has kept me busy is attempting to tame wild yeasts and collect it for use in bread. Despite how daunting it may seem, it's actually really simple and rewarding.

One of the many benefits of wild yeast collected at home over store bought yeast (in it's many varieties) is quality and flavor control. Different flavors can come through depending on your yeast and can be controlled through various "feedings" and stages at which the yeasts are added to the dough. Sour, sweet, nutty, fruity, and mild flavored loaves have all come out of my oven. To start my culture, I created a "starter", or simply a mixture of flour and water that I left to ferment for a few days. After fermentation, a routine set of "feedings" begin, which is another mixture of two or three flours and water that help aid the sustenance of the wild yeast which have become active from fermentation. I'm sure I have lost a few people at this point, but really, it's not difficult and the entire process really happens as you do nothing and just set it to rest.

As for that loaf up there, the only ingredients are flour, water, and salt. The "rise" comes from my own yeast and has a uniquely sweet and sour taste. The whole process is very satisfying, in the way that the whole process works in conjunction with nature but comes directly out of the kitchen.

Here is my process, which I have culminated from many sources, and developed my own way, but is perhaps most similar to Tartine's process.

Collecting Wild Yeast:

Helpful tools: A kitchen scale, a clean bowl (I use a pint plastic container, but glass would be fine)

Ingredients needed: The best quality flours you can get (I use a mix of Bread Flour, Unbleached Whole Wheat AP, and regular AP)

Day 1: Mix an equal amount of whole wheat and bread flour with water. I do this on a kitchen scale and have it come to about 120 grams. Mix it well with a wooden spoon or your hands and it should be a thin consistency but a thick batter. Keep it covered with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 3 days.

Day 3: Check your flour and water mixture for any activity. If there is a pool of water sitting on top of the flour mixture, dump or scoop some off and mix the flour and water together. You want to see small bubbles forming. If none have formed, let it sit longer for a day or two more until you see bubbles or some activity. It may be starting to smell sour at this point, which is a good sign.

Day 5: Bubbles should be beginning to form and it should be smelling sweeter, like very ripe fruit and sugar. At this point, the starter is active. If it is not, let it sit for a couple more days until it is.

At this point, the fermented mixture contains yeasts and is ready to begin being "fed" regularly on a somewhat daily basis. To feed it, discard much of the starter (a bit more than half) and mix in equal proportion of water and flour (1/3 Whole wheat, 1/3 AP, 1/3 Bread flour) until it measures 120 g on a kitchen scale . If it is a little more or a little less it does not really matter. What does matter is that the starter begins to bubble after feeding (it may take a couple hours), which means the yeast is active and feeding. Repeat this process everyday or every other day (just make sure not to skip very long periods, and make sure to check that the yeast is active after feeding) After a week of successful feedings, the starter mixture can be used in applications for baking where you would use other types of store-bought yeast. It is as simple as that, and makes a very big difference.

Vegetable Salad, Winter Flavors

After weeks of what feels like gorging, lighter fare can be a good thing. I wanted to challenge myself to make something using ingredients found in colder months, but have it bright, vibrant, and something that is still comforting. Beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, citrus, and figs fill in for the seasonal produce. This salad is bright, vibrant, crunchy, creamy, and just really good. I have always loved beets, and the golden beets are milder, sweeter and less earthy. For a salad, they are perfect. Brussels sprouts get a raw, shaved treatment adding great crunch to the salad and the "greens" component. Eat this and feel good.


Recipe

2 lbs. Beets - golden, red, or a variety
Citrus Carrot Puree*
Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette*
Fried Eggplant and Crispy Shallots*
3 C. Brussels Sprouts - shaved with a mandolin, or chopped finely
2 tbsp. Scallions - chopped
6 Dried Figs
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Begin by trimming the root and top end off of the beets. Make individual pouches using aluminum foil add the beets, salt, pepper, and about a tablespoon of olive oil to each. The aluminum foil will help steam the beets as they roast. Roast them in the oven for about 50-60 minutes, or until tender and a fork can slide in and out easily. When tender, rub off the skins with a cloth towel. Slice into 1/4 " slices and reserve.


For the Citrus Carrot Puree:

3 Carrots - peeled
1/4 Walnuts
1/8 C. Orange Juice
1/8 C. Plain Yogurt

In a 375 degree oven, roast the carrots for about 20 minutes, or until tender and just starting to caramelize. Place the carrots along with the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.


For the Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette:

Juice of 1/2 Lemon
2 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar
1 tbsp. Honey
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp. Smoked paprika
Olive oil - Extra Virgin, the best you have

Whisk all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl. While whisking vigorously, stream in olive until, smooth, glossy, and about double to triple the volume. Taste along the way and add as much as you like. Be sure to whisk thoroughly to not break the vinaigrette.


For the Fried Eggplant:
1 Medium Eggplant
2 Eggs
1 1/2 C. Panko
Salt
4 large Shallots sliced into rings

Heat a medium, heavy-bottomed pan over high heat and add about a quart of neutral oil (grapeseed, canola, etc..). While it is heating, cut eggplant into 1/4" slices. Dip slices of eggplant into eggs and shake off excess. Coat with crushed Panko and set aside. When the oil reaches 375 degrees, drop eggplant in and fry for about 3 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown. Flip over and fry the other side until golden brown. Place fried eggplant on lined paper towels and season with salt immediately. While the oil is hot, place shallots into the pot and fry until crispy and browned.


Putting it Together:

Reconstitute dried figs with a simple syrup and lemon juice for 5 minutes. Place beets, eggplant, and Brussels sprouts on the plate and arrange them next to each other. Season beets with salt and pepper. Place a smear of the citrus carrot puree on the plate and top with scallions. Top the brussels sprouts with the smoked paprika vinaigrette and crispy shallots.

Spaghetti Squash, Persimmon-Sour Cherry Mostarda, Parmesan Espuma

I had a spaghetti squash lying around my kitchen, forgotten, and not necessarily begging to be cooked - squashes aren't the most exciting vegetables. But that does not mean it can't taste great. I actually really like spaghetti squash, it's name coming from the playful strands it produces as it becomes tender from cooking. That uniqueness made me think about a riff on spaghetti with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. I wanted to take the familiar and blend it with the unfamiliar. Since persimmons are starting to become in season, it was a perfect stand in for the tomato - looking like its squat, orange cousin. And for the parmesan, an espuma, or foam is a perfect counterbalance to the squash and persimmon, which are both already heavy. Parmesan lends its flavor without bogging down the real stars - the spaghetti squash and persimmon mostarda.

In Northern Italy, they have a unique condiment paired with various meats and cheeses called a mostarda. Mostardas are fruits that have been candied but also preserved with mustard oil. They have this crazy savory-tangy-sweet flavor bounciness that they employ to their pairings. Persimmons and sour cherries get a simple mostarda treatment to play off of a simple and savory roasted spaghetti squash. This may have been inspired by spaghetti with tomatoes, but it turns out to be much more surprising and flavorful.


Recipe

For the Spaghetti Squash:

1 Squash (spaghetti, medium to large)
2 Tbsp. Butter
5 Garlic cloves, smashed
5 Thyme sprigs, whole
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. Mustard powder
Water
Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper

Preheat an oven for 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half, trimming off the root and stem end. Rub the cut side of the squash with the butter, mustard and pepper flakes. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and nutmeg over the squash. Place in a roasting dish or a baking dish cut-side down. add in the garlic, thyme and some water until it comes about halfway up the squash. Place in the oven and roast for about 25 mins. Then, take out of the oven, flip the squash so that the cut sides face up and roast for another 25-30 minutes or until very fork tender.


For the Persimmon-Sour Cherry Mostarda:

2 Whole Persimmons
1/2 Cup Cherries, dried, pitted.
2 tsp. Verjus
1/3 Cup sugar
1 Orange, juiced
2 Drops Pure Mustard Oil, or about 1 Tbsp. Mustard Powder
Salt
Water

Peel and quarter the persimmons. Slice the persimmons into 1/4" slices. Add to a medium saucepan, add cherries and toss with the sugar. Turn the flame to medium and add the verjus, orange juice, and mustard oil or powder. As the sugar begins to dissolve, add water to cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the mostarda reduce, allowing the persimmons to become tender and the cherries to plump. Add a large pinch of salt after in has reduced. Add more water, and let it reduce again, until the liquid is almost syrupy. Check for seasoning and mustard.


For the Parmesan-Persimmon Espuma:

2 Persimmons
3/4 C. Milk
1/4 C. Almond Milk (homemade, or storebought without thickeners, or omit altogether and add more milk)
3 tbsp. Sugar
1 1/2 C. Parmesan, loosely packed, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. soy lecithin (optional, helps it emulsify and hold it's foam for longer, but not necessary)

In a medium saucepan, add sugar and milk and bring milk to a near simmer. Quarter the persimmons (no need to peel) and poach them in the milk for about 15 minutes, or just until they begin to become tender. Take off heat and process (in batches, if necessary) in a blender, or food processor. Strain with a very fine mesh sieve, collecting any particles. It should be a smooth velvety texture. Whisk in the grated parmesan into the warm liquid allowing it to melt in completely. There should be no lumps. Strain once more to make sure the liquid is completely smooth. Pour the liquid into a whipped cream (or iSi canister) Charge in with a canister. Shake.


Putting it all together:

Toast a 1/2 cup of almonds in a dry pan over high heat, shaking, for about 3 minutes. After toasted chop them finely. For each serving, have about 1 tsp. chopped herbs (thyme, rosemary, and parsley) ready. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and melt about 2 Tbsp. butter. Allow it to color slightly until it is straw colored, but not quite browned. Strand the squash with a fork or pulling the flesh away with your hands. Add about half the squash into the saute pan. Coat the strands with the butter. Add in about half of the mostarda, reserving most of the juices. Stir to combine, and cook for about a minute. To plate, mound the squash with the mostarda and top with herbs and toasted almonds. Place a little serving of espuma either on top or on the side of each plate by inverting the canister and pushing some out.

A Local Winter

Some scenes from Clark Park a week ago.

The farmers' markets become a little more scarce, everything is a little more gray, and there is no more local, colorful produce to be found. Well, not exactly. As some farmers' markets have begun to close up for the winter, there are still some fantastic places to load up on local products, sustainable meats, and great artisinal cheeses.

One of my favorite markets at Clark Park in West Philly is open all year round, and comes with the added bonus of food trucks surrounding the perimeter, so you scarf down some great coffee, tacos, and cupcakes as you peruse. In the late fall and winter, there are still apples, dark, leafy greens, eggs, cheeses, honey, humanely-raised meats and eggs. Fitler Square Farmers' Market remains open and stocked with vendors all year round as well.


For another week or two, Headhouse Farmers' Market will remain open, again outfitted with various food trucks, Headhouse is one of the larger markets in Philadelphia, with a big seletion of vendors.

Pumpkin Market continues to be a local hub for local food throughout the winter, carrying a little bit f everything, from speciality goods and products from those local to Philly, and also eggs, meats, cheeses, breads, produce from around the area. They even roast their own coffee in house from Joe.

Green Aisle Grocery on E. Passyunk has S. Philly covered with amazing foods sourced locally and regionally. Trips there usually end up with long conversations about the local food scene and good vibes. They have also recently struck up a deal with Momofuku, and the local blog world is abuzz with the news that they now carry Milk Bar cookies.

Greensgrow Farm in Fishtown offers up the local goods with a Winter CSA and also their market which they keep stocked with local breads, cheeses, pastured meats, and pastries.

The Fair Food Farmstand in the Reading Terminal Market is great anytime to just see their array of rotating selections of produce, meats, and jams that they carry along with the great cheeses they keep in stock. This is another place where you can strike up great conversations about food. Their local food guide is great for local eats.

So it isn't impossible to find great local food in the middle of winter. Winter doesn't have to be a dead season if options like these continue to support local food. Let me know if I skipped over or missed any of your favorite places to stock up some local grub.