Lamb Lettuce Two Ways

Local spring greens are here. Crisp, vibrant, and utterly delicious.

We've just come across a nifty gardening trick to keep the bugs from the lettuce. It included a tip on cleaning the lettuce, but no recipes. So I decided to step in and offer some recipes.

The greens recipes below suit many greens but I want to highlight a less popular yet delicious - lamb lettuce (aka Mâche or corn salad).

In my humble opinion, lamb lettuce bears no resemblance to lamb but some say the name comes from the lettuce's resemblance to lamb's tongue. So be it.

The dark leaves are long and spoon-shaped and have a distinctive, tangy flavor. It is used raw in salads as well as steamed and served as a vegetable.

The season is starting now and you can find lamb lettuce at farmer’s markets and good produce sections. Choose dark, narrow leaves that are springy and unwilted. Store in an airtight plastic bag in the fridge and use quickly because it doesn't hold well. Use as a main ingredient in salads or cooked and served as a side vegetable.

Wilted Lamb Lettuce with Shallot Vinaigrette

You can substitute with spinach or baby kale.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 pounds triple washed lamb lettuce

For vinaigrette:

1 small shallot, chopped

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon zest

4 ounces Cherry Grove Farm Buttercup Brie, thinly sliced

Make vinaigrette:

Combine the shallots, salt, and vinegar and mix well and macerate for about 30 minutes. Stir in the honey and gradually add the oil, stirring to emulsify the vinaigrette. Taste and correct seasoning.

Saute lettuce

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Saute garlic in oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add lamb lettuce to the pan in stages. Fill the pan with leaves and turn leaves in warm oil until they wilt. Add more leaves to the skillet and repeat the process until all of the lamb lettuce is incorporated. Season the wilted greens with salt and pepper. Serve warm with vinaigrette as a side dish, or top with local brie and serve with some crusty bread as a light satisfying meal.

Assemble the salad:

In a bowl, toss the greens with some vinaigrette to coat, arrange on four serving plates. . Sprinkle some lemon zest. Arrange the cheese over the greens. Drizzle some more vinaigrette. Serve immediately with some crusty bread.

Lamb Lettuce Salad with Mango and Hazelnuts

Catch the end of mango season.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 cups lamb lettuce or arugula

1 cup toasted hazelnuts broken into pieces

1/2 cup crispy bacon bits, heated just before serving.

Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar with salt and whisk until emulsified. In a bowl, mix the lamb lettuce and walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Place the mango on a platter. Toss the leaves with vinaigrette and place over the peaches. Garnish with the crispy bacon and serve immediately.

Breakfast From The Farmers Market

Did you get a lot of greens for the farmers market? Make a fritatta! You can serve it hot or at room temperature. It works as a brunch item, sandwich filling and even a light dinner.

Swiss Chard at the Princeton Farmers Market

6 cups baby Swiss chard leaves, packed (available at farmers markets) or 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves stripped from stems (save stems for another use)
Salt to taste

1/2 lb asparagus, steamed until al dente, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

6 eggs (Beechtree Farm, Lima Farm and many other form sell super delicious eggs)

1/4 cup cream (optional)

1 cup grated aged cheese such as manchego or parmesan

Freshly ground pepper

Asparagus at Stults Farm, Plainsboro, NJ

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet and add garlic. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add chopped chard and cook, stirring, until ingredients are combined and greens wilted and nicely coated with oil. Remove from heat and let cool. Chop the greens.

Heat up a generous amount of olive oil in a 9-inch ovenproof skillet. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt (about half a teaspoon) and freshly ground pepper to taste. Whisk in cream, cheese and asparagus. Stir in greens mixture.

When the oil is shimmering, scrape in the egg mixture. The bottom should coagulate right away. Cook over the stove for a couple of minutes. Place in oven and bake 30 minutes, or until set and slightly puffed. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, room temperature or cold.

Whole Wheat Pappardelle with Spring Lamb, Artichokes and Fava Beans

You’ve heard it a thousand times, but that’s because it’s true-spring has finally sprung for good! (We hope.) Is there a better way to bring in the new season than spring lamb braised with seasonal bright green vegetables? The fresh combo complements spring’s blooms and blossoms.

Fava Beans

Few vegetables play as hard-to-get as fresh fava beans. They appear for a short time in the spring and require tedious preparation. You need to remove the beans from their pod, and then peel the skin from of each one of them. Yes, you can buy them shelled, but they are not quite the same.

Local lamb is available from Double Brook Farm and Beechtree Farm. Both will participate in the up-and-coming Princeton Forrestal Village Farmers Market. Jim will cook a whole Spring Lamb Chef Dinner on May 23.

Whole Wheat Pappardelle with Spring Lamb, Artichokes and Fava Beans

Serves 10

1 lamb shoulder, boned and cut into cubes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, sliced

3 tbsp. tomato paste

2 cups dry white wine

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

¼ cup fresh shelled fava beans, frozen peas or frozen uncooked lima beans

4 large artichokes cooked and quartered, chokes and “hairy” centers removed, or frozen artichokes hearts.

Freshly ground pepper and sea salt

¼ cup fresh chopped Italian parsley

1 pound whole wheat pappardelle or other pasta, cooked just before serving according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large heavy pan on the stove on high heat. Season the lamb well with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pan and then the lamb, being careful not to splatter. Make sure you don’t crowd the pan. Brown the meat well on all sides. You may need to work in two or three batches.

Remove the meat to an ovenproof casserole. Add the garlic and onion to the pan in which you cooked the meat and cook, stirring frequently until opaque. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for about two minutes. Add the wine and the rosemary, bring to a moderate boil and reduce by half. Pour the liquid over the lamb and add 2 cups water or stock. Cover the casserole and roast for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, carefully take off the lid (beware of the steam) and add the favas and artichokes. Check for seasoning and add the parsley. Serve tossed with the pasta and pass the pecorino!

A Good Friday Ramps Recipe

Ramps, those lovely delicate shoots of wild leeks, the signals of the beginning of the season of plenty, are finally here. They grow in the wild (well, New Jersey wild) and thus hard to come by.  Occasionally they make an appearance at random produce sections and farm stores but you can forage them by yourself (see how).

Local Ramps, Photo courtesy of Zone 7

Ramps have a garlicky, oniony flavor that complements many fish. Especially when juxtaposition-ed with that crispy skin of a pan-fried fillet. Here is one gloriously simple example, just in time for Good Friday.

Ramps

Salmon Fillets with Sauteed Ramps

2 pounds ramps, trimmed and cleaned (substitute with a combination of leeks and scallions with a touch of slivered garlic)

3 tablespoon olive oil to saute ramps

Salt and black pepper

4 portions salmon or halibut fillets, skin on

Butter to cook the fish

Flour to coat the fish

Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and add ramps. Prepare an ice water bowl. Cook until tender. Transfer to ice bath for about 15 seconds. Drain.

When you are ready to cook the fish:

In a skillet heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the ramps and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute until lightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Transfer to 4 individual warm serving plates.

Simultaneously, melt the butter in a large sauté pan until just starting to change color. While the butter is melting season the fish fillets on both sides with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge in the flour on both sides and pat off excess. Place the filet into the sauté pan. Cook until well browned and crisp on both sides and the fillets are just barely cooked through. Remove each fillet and place over the ramps. Serve immediately.

A "Winter Meets Spring" Asparagus Recipe

Come April, we crave asparagus. Tender and delicate, yet those flavor notes have a distinct snap. Since the weather is still pretty wintry we’ve got the perfect recipe for you-one that combines springy asparagus with a richer, luxurious preparation, fit for the rainy chilly weather outside.

Fettuccine with Asparagus Sauce (Serves 4)

1 pound fresh fettuccine

1 bunch asparagus

2 cloves garlic

½ cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. butter

¼ cup olive oil

Fresh chopped Italian (flat) parsley

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan

Shaved parmesan to garnish

Salt and white pepper to taste

Cut off the tips and the tough ends of the asparagus. Discard the tough ends and reserve the tips. Chop the asparagus stems. Combine olive oil and garlic in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook until garlic is lightly browned. Add the chopped asparagus and a sprinkle of salt.

Cook over medium heat until tender. Add 1-½ cups of water and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture reduce by half and add the cream. Reduce by another half. Let the asparagus mixture cool and puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender.

Strain, puree, and add back into a saucepan. Add the asparagus tips and parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Strain the pasta and drain completely. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir in the cheese. Arrange on a heated serving platter (or individual bowls) and garnish with the shaved Parmesan.

When the first local asparagus and the sun both come in, hopefully soon, there are many other preparations you can try:

• Boil or steam the asparagus spears until they just sag when lifted. Then dress them very simply with good olive oil, lemon juice and coarse salt. And maybe a few shavings of Parmesan…
• The wiry thin spears are great stirred into risotto or pasta, or used to make a frittata. You don't need to peel the asparagus, just cut off the bases.

• Cut off the bases of the asparagus where they turn green, then peel with a vegetable peeler from the tip down. They work very well on the grill but you can also glaze them. Lay them in one layer in a skillet and add just enough water to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Then add some butter or a splash of olive oil. Cook, covered, over medium heat until the spears are almost tender (poke them with a small, sharp knife to make sure). Remove the lid, raise the heat to high and cook until the liquid has reduced to a silky asparagus-flavored sauce. Serve as is, or top it with a sunny-side-up egg with some good bread for a fancy brunch.
• You can use a vegetable peeler to turn the peels of the asparagus stem into long thin “noodles,” then make a little salad with olive oil-garlic-lemon vinaigrette, some capers and chopped hardboiled egg.

Cheddar Gnocchi With Brown Butter and Spicy Spring Greens

Here’s a recipe for gnocchi with Irish cheddar. Cloaked in brown butter, they work charmingly well with the first greens of the season, especially spicy ones like watercress and arugula. Yes, you can substitute Parmesan, but cheddar gives the gnocchi an earthy sharpness that lends itself well to the brown butter and the greens. We had them at Jim’s first Chef’s Dinners, series. Next Chef Dinner is coming up on April 18.

Irish Cheddar Gnocchi

2 large russet potatoes, washed

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup aged Irish cheddar cheese, such as Dubliner

1 egg yolk

¼ cup melted butter (preferably Irish such as Kerrygold)

Method:

Roast the potatoes in a 350 degree oven until tender enough to fork and set aside to cool. When the potatoes are cool cut in half, remove the inside with a spoon and discard the skins. Run the potatoes through a ricer or mash thoroughly with a potato masher.

Combine with flour and cheese. Mix until incorporated. Fold in the butter and egg yolk and knead the dough by hand. Be careful not to over-knead-stop when just smooth. Let the dough rest wrapped in plastic for at least thirty minutes in a cool area or the refrigerator.

To cook the gnocchi: unwrap the dough and put it on a large cutting board or clean counter. Cut off pieces and roll them into long ropes about the width of a cigar. Cut each roll into small bite-size pieces and dust them with a little flour to keep them from sticking together. (Traditionally the pieces are rolled off the back of a fork, giving them an authentic shape, but they do not need to be.)

Arrange the gnocchi in one layer about ¼-inch apart on a lightly floured pan. Let stand one hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. (At this point they can be frozen for up to one week. If you choose to freeze them, put them in the freezer on the pan in one layer until they are frozen solid. Then move them into a ziplock bag until ready to cook. Cook them frozen.)

To cook: Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Working in small batches, cook gnocchi in  boiling water until gnocchi rise to top and are tender, about five minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to large baking pan.

To serve:

Brown butter

Spicy greens, washed and cut to bite-size if needed

Salt and pepper

A drizzle of red wine vinegar

Before serving, heat up a few tablespoon of  brown butter in a pan. Add the cooked gnocchi and shake the pan until the gnocchi are coated in butter. Divide into four individual plates. Take the pan off of the heat, add the greens, and toss with the remaining butter. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and mound next to the gnocchi. If you wish, drizzle a little red wine vinegar on the greens.

An Irish-Italian Fusion Corned Beef Recipe

Whole beef shanks are rarely used in the US, but they are popular in Italy. That’s why I decided to use them in my corned beef. They fuse together my two culinary legacies:  the Irish one the one I was born into, and the Italian one I’ve adopted.

I’d never brined shanks before, but it made sense to me because they’re very flavorful and take well to braising.

I got the shanks whole, deboned them (see note) and brined them over four weeks.

A couple of days before I serve my shanks I will cook them with more spices, garlic, onion and water and wait for the drum roll!!

Beef Shanks Being Cured at Tre Piani

4 lbs. kosher salt

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

12 cups coriander seeds

12 juniper berries

24 black peppercorns

12 red peppercorns

18 allspice berries

8 whole cloves

6 bay leaves

About 5 lbs. beef shanks

Brine the beef:

In a large, lidded pot, bring 4-1/2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the salt and sugar and bring back to a boil.

Tie the spices in a piece of cheesecloth and add to the boiling water. Boil to dissolve the salt and sugar. Then remove from the heat, pour in 6 cups of ice-cold water, and let cool to room temperature.

Add the meat and bay leaves to the brine, making sure the meat is completely immersed, and cover tightly. Refrigerate 4 days for brisket or up to 2 weeks for a whole top round roast and 4 weeks for shanks. Turn every so often.

To cook:

3 Tbs. pickling spice

1 Tbs. black peppercorns

2 bay leaves  

2 onions, halved

5 large cloves garlic, smashed

Tie pickling spice and peppercorn in a cheesecloth.

Place a large stockpot on the stove and put in the corned beef. Add cheesecloth, onion, garlic, bay leaves and several quarts of water (at least enough to comfortably cover the meat). Bring the water to a boil. Then, turn down the temperature and allow the corned beef to simmer for about 4 hours or until it is nearly fork-tender.

Notes:

• Whole deboned shanks are hard to come by. Order them at local farms such Beechtree Farm or Brick Farm Market. Be sure to order the shanks well in advance.

• Beef shanks are best the day after they are cooked. Braise them and then let them cool in the braising liquid. Reheat them before serving.
• You can also make this recipe with top roast or brisket.
• To preserve the beef’s color you can use a little bit of curing salt.