I came home from the farmers’ market with a basketful of greens—chard, kale, and arugula—plus a nice little goat’s milk cheese and a loaf of rustic pueblo bread.
I caught the market at a transitional phase. The fabulous summer tomatoes were gone (I was hoping to find some to save for seed). Although eggplants were still available, other summer vegetables have disappeared. I scored a few of the last of local mangos. It was too soon for new potatoes and onions. Cauliflowers and broccoli had yet to make an appearance, though a few cabbages beckoned. But it was a good day for greens—lettuces in many colors, several varieties of kale, multi-colored chard, bok choy, arugula galore, fresh herbs. I sampled the first local clementines, still a little green around the gills, but tasty. From stacks of pumpkins in many shapes and sizes I selected a small one—perfect for pumpkin pie for upcoming Thanksgiving feast. In anticipation of holiday meals, I’ve also got giant sweet potatoes and a bag of locally-grown pecans.
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| Caldo gallego, kale replaces grelos. |
I already have stripped the kale of stems and blanched it. I added some to a vegetable-barley soup; the remaining packets go into the freezer, maybe to make a hearty bean dish such as this caldo gallego, a sturdy Galician soup with sausage, where kale replaces hard-to-find grelos.
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| Sautéed chard is layered with queso fresco in flaky pastry crust. |
With the big bunch of rainbow chard and the goat cheese I’m making this easy tart. (Recipe below.)
Something a little different with the sweet potatoes: Salad of Sweet Potatoes, Fennel, and Clementines.
Here's a dozen or more ideas for what to do with pumpkin that aren't pie, including this luscious pumpkin-almond pudding.
It's time to replenish my stock of mango chutney before the mangos disappear from the market. A perfect condiment with roast turkey, duck, chicken, or pork. Here's the recipe for Mango Chutney and other mango recipes.
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| Pecan torte. |
More market baskets:
Chard and Cheese Tart
Torta de Acelgas con Queso
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| Chard and cheese tart. |
This recipe appears in my cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus. I am adding diced bacon to the chard, an ingredient not included in the recipe in the book, because pork products were not consumed by the Muslim population in Moorish Spain.
You will need two egg yolks for making the pastry crust. For the chard mixture, use the remaining egg whites plus one whole egg. (If not making the pie crust, use two whole eggs and bake the chard-egg mixture in a timbale mold or loaf pan.)
The chard is layered with requesón, a soft cheese, the Spanish version of ricotta. If not available, use well-drained cottage cheese or sliced queso fresco. I used fresh goat cheese, sliced. Fresh cheese doesn’t melt, but softens and adds creaminess to the chard.
1 recipe for flaky shortcrust pastry dough (recipe follows)
2 pounds chard, stems and leaves chopped (12 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tablespoon diced bacon (optional)
1 large egg + 2 egg whites (or 2 whole eggs)
2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons raisins
1 ½ cups (10 ounces) requesón, ricotta, or drained cottage cheese
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Roll or pat the pastry dough to make a disk. Place it in a 10-inch tart pan with removable sides. Press the dough firmly to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
Lower oven heat to 350ºF.
Cook the chard in boiling, salted water until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Drain very well, pressing to eliminate all liquid.
Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the pine nuts or almonds until they are lightly toasted. Skim them out and reserve.
Add the onion, garlic, and bacon, if using, to the skillet and sauté until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the chard to the onions and sauté a few minutes more.
Beat the egg and egg whites in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add the chard, raisins and half the pine nuts. Combine well.
Pour half of the chard mixture into the crust. Spread the requesón on top. Cover with the remaining chard. Scatter the pine nuts over the top and press them gently into the chard.
Bake the pie until pastry is lightly golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Release the crust from the sides of the tart pan. Remove the outer ring. Serve warm or cold.
Flaky Shortcrust Pastry Dough
Pasta Quebrada
Let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour before rolling or patting out. The dough freezes well. Thaw completely before rolling out on a floured board.
Makes enough dough for a 10-inch pie crust.
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out dough
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup olive oil
1-3 tablespoons cold water
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
Combine egg yolks and the oil. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yolks. Use a fork to blend the flour into the yolks. Add enough of the water to make a soft dough that can be patted into a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a pastry board and knead it very briefly. Cover and let it stand at room temperature for at least one hour. (The dough can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment or flatten into a disk and press it evenly into the pie pan.
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. (Hippocrene Books)
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