In Season: Fava Beans - Gemelli With Fava & Frisee

Meatless Monday is here again and we are using it as an excuse to check out a seasonal specialty, the delicious Fava Bean. Also known as Broad Beans, Favas are a favorite in many corners of the world, but they are notably well loved by my ancestral people, the Italians. Since we often enjoy Meatless Monday with the help of vegetarian pasta preparations, it only seemed right that these herby, firm, green beans be served atop our favorite starch. We were very happy with the result - a garlicky, spicy and lemony mix of flavors that play off the more delicate Fava flavor. Gemelli Is a fun pasta shape with great texture, but any short, curly pasta will do. 

Gemelli With Fava Beans, Frisee, Chili & Lemon, Photo: NK

Some folks describe prepping Favas as a labor of love. They aren't entirely wrong either. Favas are easy to handle but they definitely they take a little time and doing. Never seen a Fava before? Well they look like this when you buy them: 

Fava Beans, before preparation, Photo: NK 

To prepare, pop the Fava Beans out of their pods (as pictured below) and blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain Beans immediately

Shelled Favas with waxy skin still on, Photo: NK

under cold water. Taking each individual bean in your hand, carefully slit the waxy outer skin and pop the inside of it out, trying to keep the interior bright green bean whole. Discard the waxy layer. 

Alternately you can actually eat the waxy outer skin, as it doesn't taste badly at all, but when I have the time, I prefer to unsheath the bright green inside, time consuming though it may be! 

It's also worth it to note that this dish tastes fantastic at room temperature and would make a great, innovative pasta salad for your next summer get-together if you so choose. 

Let's get down to the business of building today's satisfying meatless meal. 


Gemelli With Fava Beans & Frisee
Serves 4 

Ingredients: 
1 Pound Fava Bean Pods, shelled and waxy skin optionally removed (read above)
1 Pound Gemelli or other short, textured pasta
1 medium-sized, moderately spicy Red Chili, (or hot pepper or your choice) minced. (*I like to leave the seeds in but you can omit if you are spice averse)
2 large Cloves of minced Garlic

Frisee, Photo: NK 

Zest of 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 small head of Frisee Lettuce, chopped
15 Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped 
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
1 Tablespoon Salted Butter
Salt 
Black Pepper
Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Method: 

1. Prep and chop all ingredients above. 

2. Meanwhile, set a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Once it is in the boiling water, begin step 3. 

3. In a large skillet over medium low flame, melt one Tablespoon of Butter with 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil. Add the Garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Add the Chili and sauté another minute. Add the chopped Frisee to the skillet and stir as it wilts a bit, just 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat. 

4. Season the Frisee with a few turns of Black Pepper and about 3 generous pinches of Salt. Stir. Add the Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice to the Frisee and stir. 

5. By this time, your pasta should be close to done. When it is finish, drain it through a colander and add the Gemelli to the skillet with the Frisee. Sprinkle with chopped Olives and toss Pasta together gently with the vegetables, add add the remaining Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Taste for seasoning and add about 1/4 teaspoon of Salt if you feel it is needed.

6. To serve, plate pasta and sprinkle with Fava Beans and optional Pecorino Romano Cheese. Enjoy! 

Elegant App + Wine - Clams With Lemon, Thyme & Parmesan

A Sunday or two ago, as I paged lazily through an issue of Food & Wine Magazine, I zeroed in on a feature that included recipes from all around the world that pair wonderfully with vino. But I ask you, is there really a food that doesn't? While we only had a beautifully dry Rose on hand, I decided to try these simple and bright broiled Clams that were instead recommended for pairing with Sauvignon Blanc. 

Clams Broiled with Lemon, Thyme & Parmesan, Photo: NK

Clams are a favorite around our house, and this easy appetizer immediately captured me and seemed perfect for our special night in. That said, it would also be a fantastic way to kick off an elegant dinner party or even wine tasting get-together. As for the actual "magazine-endorsed" pairing, F&W recommends  "a citrusy Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, like Casa Marin's 2011 Cipreses Vineyard or 2012 Matetic EQ." The results were lovely and this recipe is both easy to execute and quite tasty. Enjoy!!

Now for the recipe, directly from Food & Wine.

 Clams Broiled with Lemon, Thyme & Parmesan

 Recipe By Gerardo Valenzuela

 Serves 4

Fast, Fabulous & Frozen - Apricot Mint Sorbet

Today's post is going to be really quick, just like this wonderfully refreshing sorbet for your high powered blender - coming to you just in time for the warm weather. If you're looking for a sweet, tart fix, why not whip up a frozen treat using beautiful in-season Apricots. Healthy though it may be, this dessert really delivers. The twist? Fresh Mint Leaves. Mint goes

Apricots - very delicious this time of year, Photo: NK

so well with sweet stone fruit; the combo is really surprising and makes for a very complex yet subtle flavor profile. 

I created today's speedy Sorbet recipe quite by accident. I had some leftover Mint leaves from our recent Gnocchi with Peas & Spring Herbs that I didn't want to waste. Then a week or so later, my bunch of Apricots I'd been looking forward to eating were ripening at a faster pace than I could enjoy them. Whenever fruits and herbs are at their peak, it's a great idea to freeze them in order to minimize waste. So I pitted and sliced up my Apricots, and weeks before that, to preserve my mint, I had placed three or four leaves in the bottom of each compartment of an ice tray before covering with water. Fast forward to the present day, and in rummaging through my freezer, the thought occurred to me that these two ingredients might just work wonderfully together.

A great way to store & preserve herbs, Photo: NK

Mint Ice Cubes make a fun addition to summer drinks, and in this case they provide a great way to add both ice and Mint to your blended creations. 

To recap: Make Mint Ice Cubes using 3 or 4 leaves of Mint in each ice cube compartment, cover with water and freeze!

Fast Apricot Mint Sorbet 

Serves 2

4 Mint Ice Cubes (see note above /with about 12 leaves of mint, three leave in each cube)

2-3 very ripe Apricots, pitted, cut into small slices and then frozen

2 teaspoons Agave, Honey, or other sweetener if your choice

1 Tablespoon Water (only if needed to thin out the consistency)

~Blend in a high powered blender until very smooth, scoop out, and serve immediately! 

Apricot Mint Sorbet is super healthy and delicious, Photo: NK 

MISSION: FIGS - In Season & Ready To Eat

Mission Figs (come into season in June), Photo: NK

So much of my weekly menu-making is dictated by what looks fresh and in season at the market. When I am not ordering the heck out of the great produce often available at Freshdirect.com, I am perusing the aisles at specialty stores and, when I can, farm stands. Nothing brings me inspiration faster than grabbing a good lookin' ingredient and building a menu around it. 

Entire food movements swing on this very basic principle, and you don't need to be a serious home cook to benefit from using it yourself. 

Next time you have the urge to create something in the kitchen, try starting with whatever item calls to you, and build and research what you'll do with it from there. With the internet at all of our fingertips, there's never been an easier time to get creative. Today's ingredient muse is in-season Figs, just now appearing on the scene at stores everywhere. The world of figs is a wide one, but we'll be using the well known Mission Fig variety. 

Beautifully ripe, Photo: NK 

With these beauties ready for prime time, I decided I'd turn them into a very simple yet flavorful salad using just a few ingredients. Peppery Arugula would be a great foil for the sweetness of the Figs. A mellow mix of Balsamic Vinegar,Olive Oil, and a bit of Dijon Mustard serves both as a marinade for the Figs and a light dressing to tie the greens together. Shaved Parmgiana curls provide the salty counterpoint. Let your figs sit for thirty minutes in the marinade, and from there, this 4-ingredient salad makes itself. Dress it just before serving and enjoy (and never forget to let the season inspire you!). 

Marinated Fig & Arugula Salad, Photo: NK 

Marinated Fig & Arugula Salad
Loosely adapted from Southern Living
Serves 4 

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 teaspoons Agave or Honey
1 teaspoon Grainy Dijon Mustard
A few pinches of Salt
A few pinches of Black Pepper
8 Ripe Figs, sliced in half (we opted for Mission Figs)  

1/8 Lb Parmigiana Cheese, shaved into curls 
5 Ounces Wild Arugula (Rocket), hand torn
1/4 Small Red Onion, very thinly sliced

Method:
1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the Figs, gently stir, and allow the Figs to sit in the Marinade 30 Minutes. 

2. In another bowl, combine the Arugula with the sliced Red Onion. When Marinating has finished, spoon out a 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the Marinade onto the Arugula. Toss slowly and add additional dressing as needed, taking care not to overdress salad and make it soggy.

3. To serve, plate the arugula down the middle of each bowl. Place 4 of the marinated figs on each portion or to the side of it. Finish with shavings of Parmigiana cheese and some extra Black Pepper. Serve immediately.