by Jonell Galloway
Click here to find the best in current food news and trends in the world of real food, Slow Food and mindful eating.
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What to Eat in Switzerland: A Geneva Christmas: Cardoon Gratin Recipe
From the archives
Cardoon gratin is a classic Geneva Christmas dish, but only brave souls should try to prepare them because they are prickly, and the preparation can be long and tedious. Many farmers markets in Switzerland now sell them prepared sous vide, in plastic vacuum-packed packages, which is probably the best option for those who don’t get a thrill out of getting a few pricks. In any case, it is important to schedule it carefully into your meal preparations, because it is time-consuming any way you go about it.
Cardoon Gratin Recipe
Preparation of Cardoons for Gratin
- Throw out any hard stems and any that are wilted.
- Peel the cardoons by removing leaves, spines and stringy parts. The exterior will then be covered with a fuzzy layer. Use a cloth to rub stalks gently to remove fuzz.
- Cut stems into 8 cm (3 cm) slices. Rub with lemon, or if you intend to use them later, put slices into lemon water so they won’t turn dark.
- You now have two choices: you can either cook them in a white vegetable broth you’ve made ahead of time, or you can cook them in the lemon water you soaked them in.
- Bring to a boil and boil until tender. It should take about 30 minutes for them to become tender, but if they are larger in diameter it can take up to 2 hours, so allow plenty of time.
Recipe
All these steps can be carried out while the cardoons are cooking. There are actually several ways of doing this. You can either make a Béchamel (white) sauce and sprinkle cheese on the cardoons before you put them in the oven, or you can make a Mornay (cheese) sauce and pour it on the cooked cardoons before putting in the oven to brown. I think it’s tastier to make a Mornay sauce, and then sprinkle a bit of cheese on the top before putting it in the oven. Here’s my recipe.
Ingredients
Click here for British/American/metric recipe converter
Approximately 1 kg of cardoons 30 g of butter 1 tablespoon of flour 2.5 dl of whole milk 1 dl of cream 50 g of cheese, type Gruyère or Swiss (see photo below), grated Lemon juice, freshly squeezed Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Make a Béchamel sauce, using the proportions of ingredients above.
- When finished and seasoned, add cream and cheese, setting aside a tablespoon of cheese. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 250° C.
- Once cardoons are tender, drain, making sure all water is drained off.
- In a large bowl, mix cooked cardoons and Mornay sauce.
- Pour into a baking dish of the appropriate size, so that there is a layer of about 3 cm high.
- Sprinkle evenly with remaining grated cheese and a few knobs of butter.
- Put in hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes: It is important to use a hard, Swiss-type cheese. Cheddar cheese would have too strong of a taste. If you can’t find cardoons, the same recipe can be made with Swiss chard, thus eliminating the long, meticulous preparation. Simply cut them as for the cardoons and cook in chicken broth until tender, then follow the other steps in the recipe for making the gratin. Its texture is quite similar to that of cardoons.
Related articles
- Switzerland: About Cardoons, Geneva’s Favorite Winter Vegetable
- Switzerland: A Geneva Christmas: White Wine Potatoes
- Switzerland: A Geneva Christmas: Longeole Sausage
- Thanksgiving and Christmas Recipes: Cranberry-orange Relish
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My Favorite Hanukkah Foods: Grandma’s Latke Recipe
From the archives
Hanukkah recipes are passed down from generation to generation. There are hundreds of recipes floating around on the Internet, but I thought it best to consult a friend with trained taste buds. Here is what Warren Bobrow has to say.–Jonell Galloway, Editor
My Favorite Hanukkah Foods
Of all the holiday foods I look forward to, there are two dishes that clearly connect my stomach to the past. The first is a rousing bowl of matzo ball soup. The other, specifically a Hanukkah dish, is a plate of crispy potato latkes, cooked in a heavy cast iron pan.
Ur-Bubby’s Latkes
I forewarn you. This is a Jewish story, so it is repetitive and sometimes fahklumpt (a confused story, for those who are not in the know), told by a kvetch (a complainer) who secretly loves life and food and words and work, and tells a story full of fond memories.
My great-grandmother Yetta made excellent latkes. During these eight days of Hanukkah (eight chances to get it right . . . to be exact), we celebrate the past by reliving these flavors and the stories that go with them each time we bite into a steaming morsel of grated potato, egg, onion and a bit of vegetable oil, made straight from her recipe.
Generations of cooks have grated potatoes for latkes in celebration of Hanukkah. You will not be the first or the last. And every family has their own special recipe, their own special stories.
Bubby Yetta was particularly interested in not scraping her knuckles. Even so, she used to say that if you don’t catch your knuckle on the potato grater, the latkes couldn’t possibly taste good. Something about the physical act of grating potatoes already connects me to the old days when Bubby made the latkes every evening during Hanukkah.
Onions also resonate in my memory: the tears that ran down her cheeks as she grated the onions were not tears of joy. We heard the same kvetching every year, and carry on as we make our own history.
Every day of Hanukkah, Ur-Bubby Yetta would scrape and grate until the job was done. Much hushed conversation would follow. Were the latkes going to be good? If not, what would we do, there was no place in those days to buy frozen latkes in the supermarket!
And with each potato and onion grated, each tear fallen, each latke fried, another memory was made. Years of latke conversation would follow . . . How about the ones we made twenty years ago? Did potatoes taste differently then, or was it a specific taste that stuck in our memories?
So careful with the grater, and accept that you’ll invariably catch your knuckle at least once, and that you may well have the battle scars to prove that you made them from scratch. And stories to tell.
Recipe
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Wild Woman on Feral Acres: Eating in Season? Pick a Pack of Parsnips!
by Esmaa Self
From the archives
Consider the parsnip. Sweet. Nutty. recipe. From fritters (recipe) to soup (recipe), homemade gnocchi (recipe) to curry (recipe), the mighty parsnip delivers folate, vitamin C, fiber and flavor. Even if you’ve never before tasted parsnips, my bet is that if you try one of these recipes, you’ll not only want more parsnips, you’ll want to grow your own (tips on that below).
Photo courtesy of Sharon Mollerus
Speaking of yum, here’s a recipe from Simple Organic Kitchen & Garden that I’ve adapted to fit the items in my pantry, notably dried tomatoes and porcini mushrooms. The original recipe is known as Parsnips and Chickpeas in Garlic, Onion, Chili and Ginger Paste. I added ingredients, skipped a couple others and decided to shorten the title to the equally descriptive Parsnips Piquant.
Incredible flavor, marvelous nutrition
RECIPE
PARSNIPS PIQUANT
Ingredients
Click here for Imperial-metric recipe conversion
½ pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 2 cans)
1 ½ cups dehydrated tomatoes, reconstituted and chopped
1 ½ cups dehydrated porcini mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped
2 ¼ cups vegetable broth (made from reconstituting mushrooms and tomatoes, see below)
½ cup chopped mixed salted nuts (set aside)
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 medium Serrano chilies, chopped
4 Tbsp porcini and sun-dried tomato infused olive oil (or plain olive, sesame, or peanut oil)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Fresh ground pepper
Plain yogurt
Instructions
- Presoak chickpeas.
- Cover chickpeas with fresh water and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, letting it boil gently. Let cook for 60 to 90 minutes, or until done. Drain and set aside. (If using canned chickpeas, simply drain and set aside.)
- Set tomatoes and mushrooms in a bowl; cover with boiling water. Let cool. Reserve broth.
- Set about a quarter of the minced garlic aside. Put remaining garlic in a blender with the ginger, onion and half of the chilies. Add enough vegetable broth to make a paste (about ¼ cup).
- Heat the oil in a frying pan; add coriander seeds, turmeric and chili powder. Add garlic-ginger-onion-chili paste. Stirring constantly, cook until broth begins to evaporate. Add tomatoes; stir. Cook another minute or two.
Simmer until liquid is reduced
- Add the parsnips, chickpeas and remaining water; boil, stir then simmer, uncovered 15 minutes or until the parsnips are tender but not mushy and sauce has been reduced.
- Stir in Serranos, sesame seeds and reserved garlic.
- Plate Parsnips Piquant, add fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and a dollop of yogurt. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.
- Chapatis, naan and kulcha make a lovely accompaniment, as does homemade sourdough or wheat berry bread.
Growing Parsnips
Photo courtesy of Matthew Folley
The parsnip’s full flavor emerges after the plant has been exposed to near freezing temperatures, thus this root crop is considered a winter vegetable. Here in Colorado where we redefine cool, if not winter, a person may scoff at the very idea of growing a slow maturing vegetable. But parsnips are the only root crop that can survive in the ground all winter. Indeed, it is one of the few crops with which high elevation gardeners might achieve success. (source)
According to Shane Smith, in his book, Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion, parsnips require bright light, cool temperatures and may go to seed if overwintered. So you might wonder if I’ve slipped a cog when I mention that I grew two small patches of parsnips last winter in our attached passive solar greenhouse and that both test plots were partly shaded and further that one of the beds regularly reached air temperatures above 87 F.
However, if I mentioned that I fully intend to seed parsnips again for Colorado’s less industrious, though longer, growing season (AKA winter), you might want details regarding these attempts. You are in luck.
Two tries, two successes
I planted one batch in early August for inclusion in December’s root crop rich menus. This first sowing was in the raised bed nearest the southern greenhouse vent, which is the bed furthest from the main house’s southern wall and which is largely shaded in winter, thus the coldest spot in the greenhouse. The soil does not freeze, though air temps do occasionally reach the mid 30s. The parsnips we harvested from this test plot were every bit as large and straight and lovely (not to mention sweet) as those we’ve purchased in the store.
In addition, I grew a dozen parsnips in the west wing. This second test plot is within three feet of the main house’s west wall. The bed receives afternoon sun, which in the winter months, means that air temperatures reach the nineties, but soil temperature remains between 50-65 F. In addition, overnight air temps are generally a few degrees warmer than those in the first plot. We planted the second crop of parsnips in mid-October and harvested them in late January. They were two-thirds the size of the others, but possessed incredible flavor. Parsnips from this plot are featured in the images of Parsnips Piquant, above.
Companion plants include peas, potatoes, peppers, beans, radishes and garlic. Get more parsnip growing tips here.
Read more about Esmaa’s organic farming techniques on her site Middleground Farm.
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Simple Sustenance: Herbal Warmth — Rosemary Potato Soup with Paprika Oil Recipe
Simple Sustenance: Herbal Warmth — Rosemary Potato Soup with Paprika Oil Recipe
by Renu Chhabra
Herbal Warmth — Rosemary Potato Soup with Paprika Oil
As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship, whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language.” — Sir Thomas More
Rosemary potatoes are my favorite all year long.
I always find myself circling around the oven when potatoes are roasting. Is it the intoxicating aroma of rosemary, or the anticipation of a warm bite of the potatoes?
I think it is both.
Hot from the oven on cool nights or at room temperature on warm days, they are always delicious. A cold nibble from the fridge does not disappoint me either. It is a classic combination that is very satisfying.
And who needs chips or french fries when oven-roasted spuds can treat our taste buds guilt free?
But today it’s about soup. My first pot of warm soup this season. And it’s rosemary potato soup.
A pot of familiar flavors simmered on stove top.
This soup has the same foundation of flavors. Fragrant rosemary perfumes the soup and garlic gives it pungency. In addition, I added sauteéed onions and fresh scallions to it. Sautèed onions also used as garnish in this recipe, give a deep flavorful bite. A drizzle of paprika oil adds color and warmth to this soup.
This recipe is vegan, but you can add a little milk for creaminess. Also garnish with your favorite cheese, if you wish.
The basic soup can be dressed several ways with your choice of garnish. I have enjoyed a few combinations.
- Kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, Pecorino cheese, and a drizzle of rosemary oil or plain extra virgin olive oil
- Sauted or oven-roasted mushrooms with paprika oil
- Basil pesto and bits of sun dried tomatoes
- Caramelized onions, Parmesan cheese, and roasted hazelnuts.
Be creative and let your palate guide you. A basic soup with so many options to dress it with, See what you have in your pantry and fridge to brighten it to your liking.
I would love to hear your ideas.
Recipe
Paprika Oil
¼ cup olive oil½ teaspoon paprika
- Warm olive oil in a small pot. Remove from heat. Stir in paprika. Whisk lightly to dissolve well. Set aside.
- If you like spicy, make chili oil instead.
Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil2 cups onion, diced small
6 cups potatoes (3 large), diced small
5-6 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or to taste)
Sea salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4-5 green scallions, chopped plus for garnish, chopped fine
3 cups water or vegetable stock
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pot and add onions. Sauté on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until golden. You want some color, but be careful not to burn the onions.
- Set aside a tablespoon or so for garnish.
- Stir in garlic, potatoes, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Cook for a minute and add scallions and water or vegetable stock.
- Bring it to boil and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
- Let it cool a little.
- Puree with immersion blender or in a blender to desired consistency according to your taste — smooth and creamy or rustic and chunky.
- Add a little water or stock if it is too thick. Adjust seasonings. Set aside.
To serve, heat the soup and ladle into bowls. Garnish with browned onions. scallions, and a drizzle of paprika oil. Serve hot.
Note: I used water but if you wish, you can use vegetable stock. Potatoes absorb a lot of flavors, so adjust flavors to your taste. Add as much or as little garlic, salt, pepper. Rosemary can be overpowering, if used in excess. Garnish to your taste. If you like spicy food, make chili oil instead of paprika oil.
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Recipe: Parsnip Gnocchi with Ruccola Cashew Pesto
Recipe: Parsnip Gnocchi with Ruccola Cashew Pesto
From the archives
Rock solid! That’s what the ice on my windscreen this morning was. It was so hard that here was no way my ice scraper was going to break any ice. At -5 degrees C my hands were freezing onto anything that had the slightest bit of moistness!
Winter has settled down comfortably in our parts. There was beautiful snow all through the Thanksgiving weekend and ever since, it’s been a bit dull, cold and icy.
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Arroz con Leche and Rice Pudding: Every Country has its own Version
Small Plates: Rice Pudding
Arroz con leche in South America. Arroz Doce in Portugal. Kheer in India. Rice Pudding in the United States. What makes rice boiled in milk and sugar so irresistible? The secret may be in the grain.
The Indian version, made with basmati rice, spiced with cardamom and garnished with almonds and sultanas is exotically delicious. The Portuguese version, which calls for short-grain rice, egg yolks and cinnamon, is a creamy Iberian dream. My Venezuelan grandmother’s recipe called for long-grain rice and condensed milk.
Both the grain and the cooking method impact the creaminess of the final pudding. Whereas my grandmother’s and the recipes from Portugal boil the rice in water first, kheer is cooked in the milk. The major disadvantage of cooking the rice directly in the milk is that it tends to stick to the bottom of the pan and requires constant stirring to keep it from burning.
The recipe I have concocted after traveling the world as a Destination Chef and after experimenting with several exotic grain varieties is the best of all worlds. It includes my grandmother’s condensed milk, the Portuguese egg yolks in moderation, toasted almonds, and it is made with sushi rice. It is also true to both my eating and culinary philosophy that you can turn almost any guilty pleasure into a small plate to better savor it without the guilt.
In a final twist against the grain, I serve it warm, rather than chilled.
The Long and Short of it
Not all rice grains behave equally under pressure. Of the short grain rice varieties I tested for this recipe the sushi rice, also known as japonica, turned creamiest in the least amount of time.
The other varieties I used are listed below, along with some of their most distinctive features.
Varieties of Rice in the World
Arborio
This Italian short-grain rice is named after the town of Arborio in Italy’s Po Valley. It is often used for risotto and to make rice pudding as well. Because it is both creamy and chewy at the same time, arborio is great for rice pudding.
Arborio rice
Carnaroli
A medium-grain rice grown in the Vercelli province in the Italian Piedmont, carnaroli has a higher starch content than arborio. It is also a little firmer and the grain is a little longer than arborio’s. It worked great for the arroz con leche, but it takes about 40 minutes to cook and it is expensive.
Carnaroli rice
Sushi Rice
The Japanese short-grain rice used for sushi is oftentimes called japonica. It takes years of practice and patience to make sushi rice that is suitable for a sushi roll. After taking a class with a master sushi chef and realizing I could not wait 10 years to make the perfect rice, I decided on a shortcut: Why not use sushi rice to make rice pudding? The grain is very short and it absorbs the milk beautifully. You may also use a sushi rice variety grown in California, known as calrose.
Bamboo Rice
This isn’t a variety of rice, but rather a short-grain rice which has been infused with bamboo juice. This exotic grain has a lovely hue of jade and a slightly grassy taste reminiscent of green tea. It is also moist. I really hoped this would be my finalist because the color of the grain is lovey, the taste is subtle and the rice is full of nutrients. In the end, though, I found that to better appreciate its flavor subtleties this rice is better steamed or boiled. But if you want to indulge your inner panda, try it with white fish, sea scallops or chirashi (Edo-style scattered sushi).
Basmati
Of the long-grain varieties, basmati remained the crunchiest, even after boiling it in 10 cups of milk. I was aiming for creamy, so this wasn’t the rice for me.
Grown in north central India and Pakistan, basmati is a variety of long-grain rice. It is often used to make biryani, pulao and kheer. It has a sweet aroma reminiscent of pandanus leaves.
Basmati rice
Jasmine
Originally from Thailand, jasmine rice has a nutty taste and fragrant aroma. The grains will stick together when cooked, though it isn’t as starchy as the short-grain varieties. Of the two long-grain varieties jasmine made for the creamiest arroz con leche, but not as creamy as sushi rice.
Close-up of grains of jasmine rice
The two secrets to this recipe are boiling the rice in water first and using sushi rice. Boiling the rice first also substantially reduces the overall cooking time. Because some of the starch is removed during boiling, I find this method keeps the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan as well.
To download and print a PDF copy of my Arroz con Leche Condensada y Canela recipe, click here.
Recipe
Arroz con Leche Condensada y Canela
INGREDIENTS
For the Arroz con Leche:2/3 cup sushi rice (4 ½ oz/125 grams)
6 cups water (48 fl oz/1.5 liters)
1/8 tsp salt4 cups milk (32 fl oz/1 liter) 1 tablespoon ghee, or clarified butter
1 cinnamon stick
1/3 cup sugar (2.5 oz/67 grams)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
½ cup sweetened condensed milk (4 fl oz/125 ml)
For the garnish:
1/3 cup blanched almonds (1.3 oz/ 36 grams)1 teaspoon ghee, or clarified butter
Ground cinnamon
METHOD
Arroz con leche:
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rice and salt. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Drain.
- Warm the milk in a saucepan. Add the ghee, cinnamon stick, sugar and vanilla extract and cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the drained rice, lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking.
- Beat the egg yolk in a small bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk until combined. Gently stir condensed milk mixture into the rice and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Spoon arroz con leche into small serving cups and sprinkle with cinnamon. Garnish with toasted almonds. Serve warm.
Garnish:
- In a small non-stick pan toast the almonds in ghee over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until almonds turn a light golden color, about 4 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
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Chef Marisol Murano is an international destination chef, writer and show host. Her latest book, Deliciously Doable Small Plates from Around the World, is an engaging travel adventure featuring 60 world classics in small plate format and glorious photographs from every corner of the world where she has worked as a destination chef. For more information, visit her site Marisol Murano.
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