A Scallion Grows in Brooklyn

I know.  I know.  The whole whatever you're growing grows in Brooklyn joke gets pretty overused.  But it's true! It's garden time in Brooklyn and though the actual planning and garden work is chiefly my husband's domain, I stick my nose in there when it comes to garden design and requests for ingredients for our kitchen.

After reading a recent Re-Nest post about how easy it is to start scallions for your garden reminded me of my friend B-Side's scallion experiment, I knew the universe was calling out to me to get my own scallions on.  I've got a lot of scallions in the kitchen right now, so it seems like a great time to get some bulbs in a jar.  We're not quite ready for planting yet, but these suckers will be ready soon.

The scallions you see above are the end of the last bunch I had.  I'll be adding some more stems after tonight's dinner.  I'll keep you posted!

Become a Fan on Facebook!

I've set up a fledgling little fan page on Facebook for the Brooklyn Forager.  If you feel so inclined, take a look and become a fan.  It's another way to keep track of updates and for now will be the home of additional photographs.

See you there!

Meatless Monday: Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

Back in the cold of winter, my friend Alissa of Simply Wholesome Kitchen invited me over for a cozy warm lunch with her and her adorable toddler.  She and I have a lot in common when it comes both to our food values and our love of food, period.  Therefore, it was with great interest that I tried her Macaroni and Cheese with Squash. 

She prefaced the dish by saying that it was healthy, but gave me few other details.  I have to honestly say that I did not guess that aside from the whole wheat pasta and a not-so-gooey cheese base, there was a secret healthy ingredient.  But, as you may have guessed from the title, there was - the squash. 

The recipe immediately moved to my "to-try" list and popped back up when I found myself with a craving for something cheesy and creamy, but on the healthier side.  However, instead of frozen pureed winter squash, I found myself with a late winter farmers' market butternut squash.  I figured I would give it a go.

With a fresh squash, there is no hiding the vegetable content of this dish.  Not to mention, the simplicity of throwing it together is eliminated when you have to peel, cut, seed and steam the squash before you get to the other prep.  Still, totally worth it.  If you want the easier version, I recommend heading over to Alissa's version or the Elie Krieger version she worked with originally. 

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash (adapted from Simply Wholesome Kitchen who adapted from Food Network)

• Olive oil mister or other cooking spray
• 1 pound whole wheat short pasta
• 1 medium to large butternut squash
• 2 cups lowfat milk
• 4 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, reserving 1/2 cup for topping
• 4 oz. Monterey Jack, grated
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp powdered mustard, such as Colman's
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino, divided
• 2 tbsp plain bread crumbs (or 2 slices whole grain bread, crumbled)
• 1 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with olive oil spray.
2. Peel, seed and cube butternut squash into approximately 1-inch pieces.  Place in skillet with water and steam until fork tender.  Mash and set aside.
3. While squash is steaming, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
4. Combine bread crumbs, half the pecorino and 1 tsp of olive oil in small bowl and set aside. 
5. When squash is ready, add to empty pasta pot along with the milk.  Cook at medium-low, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth and very hot.  
6. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining pecorino, Monterey Jack and all but 1/2 cup of grated Cheddar, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper.  Add pasta and mix well. 
7. Transfer mixture to baking dish and top with cheddar and bread crumbs. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and broil for 3 minutes or until top is golden brown. 

Serves 6-8

Sausage and Leek Pasta, or New Experiences with Local Pork

The last couple of weeks have been intense in Forager land, with excitement happening as far away as Mexico and, of course, right here in Brooklyn.  I'm back on track on this spring day that feels like summer to tell you about a recipe that was born out of a winter day that suddenly turned into spring.  

I love spring! It offers up brief baths of sunshine in the coldest days of winter and, for a couple of weeks, plays hide and seek as well.  On one of the first beautiful spring days, I hit the Grand Army Plaza Farmers' Market to take advantage of the textile recycling and see what was on offer.

In poking around the booths, I found Bradley Farm , based in New Paltz, NY, with beautiful pork sausage on display.  I loaded up on onions for the Tigress Can Jam and got some late winter butternut squash and greens.  These seemed like the perfect ingredients for a last cold weather casserole, until spring came out from hiding in full force, screaming for something lighter - less squash, more leeks.

I went with a recipe from Lidia Bastianich using sausage, leeks and campanelle.  I've actually not made one of her recipes before and can't imagine why I never did.  The recipe was simple, flavorful and really beautiful.  I found tricolor vegetable radiatore at Trader Joe's that mimicked the campanelle just enough to catch the sauce and bits of sausage.  It also called for just a small amount of sausage which stretched a pricey and amazingly tasty product a long way. 

Sausage and Leek Pasta (adapted from Lidia Bastianich)

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed), crumbled
• 2 large leeks, trimmed, light green and white parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces, washed well, and drained
• 1/2 small white onion, minced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups frozen young peas
• 1 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. campanelle or other shaped, dried pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving if you like

1. Heat large pot of salted water for the pasta.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage, breaking up the lumps, until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook for 1 minute.
4.  Add 1 Tbs. of the butter, the peas, and the broth. Heat to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover the skillet, and set aside; keep warm.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the sausage and leek sauce to the pasta and toss well. Remove the pot from the heat, add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the grated cheese; toss well.
6. Transfer to a warmed serving platter or individual bowls. Serve immediately, with more grated cheese on the side, if you like.

Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Way back when I made risotto with my homemade stock, I also found myself with tons of shredded chicken straight off the bone.  The process of making stock made the meat literally fall off the bone, so I wasn't faced with my usual situation - I'm somewhat averse to the whole bone thing, so I leave way too much meat on the bones when faced with them without assistance. Those bones were picked clean this time!

With so much meat, I really should have made an effort to see how many different recipes I could make like some other challenges I've seen out in the blogosphere.  I intend to do that in the future, but this time I had one thing in mind.  Enchiladas! I used to consider this dish an unhealthy indulgence that I made once in awhile since there are very few dishes where I use something from a can that isn't beans or coconut milk (okay, there are probably more things....but you get the drift). Now, I found a recipe to make enchilada sauce from scratch which eliminates the processed factor and makes things all around more fun!

Besides the development in sauce, this recipe packs in more vegetables than your typical enchilada recipe and certainly could handle even more.  I thought about mixing in some black beans (especially if you want to use less chicken) or chopped spinach.  As usual, you could throw in chopped sweet peppers if you actually eat those things :) I'd love to hear about other suggestions.

And finally, besides all of the fun that I had making the enchiladas and thinking up revisions, I will leave you with the ultimate eater's recommendation - my husband says: Best.  Enchiladas.  Ever. 

Chicken Enchiladas (adapted from Tyler Florence)

• 1 4lb organic free-range chicken, shredded
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 red onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or chicken drippings if you cook the chicken yourself)
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 4 chipotle peppers in adobo, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp pickled jalapeno slices, roughly chopped
• 1 28 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce
• 12 whole grain or whole wheat tortillas (or more depending on size and stuffing)
• 2 cups of grated Cheddar and Jack cheeses

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Add cumin, garlic, paprika, chili powder and cayenne to shredded chicken. 
3. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil (or chicken drippings) until fragrant and soft.  Add corn and chiles and mix well. Add tomatoes and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add chicken to tomato mixture and stir until heated all the way through and well combined.
5. Cover the bottom of 2 13 x 9 inch baking dishes with a thin layer of enchilada sauce. Spread small amount of sauce on a tortilla; fill with chicken mixture.  Roll tortilla closed and place seam down in the pan.  Top tortillas with remaining sauce and shredded cheese.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.

 Chicken Enchiladas