Barley And Spring Vegetable Medley

Barley And Spring Vegetable Medley

Ingredients: 

3 cups baby bok-choy, chopped
1 12-ounce package of ready baked fava bean tofu or ready
    baked soy-based tofu
1 cup dried barley, rinsed
1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup carrots, julienned
1 cup snap peas
½ cup green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sesame-ginger dressing:  

½ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch of salt, to taste
Directions:
Cook barley until tender, following package instructions, then let
cool. Cut tofu into ½-inch cubes and set aside. Blanch bok choy,
broccoli, carrots, and snap peas until just tender, then plunge them
into ice water bath to retain their vibrant color.

In large bowl, combine barley, vegetables, and green onions.
Toss barley and vegetables with sesame-ginger dressing until well
coated. Top salad with tofu and drizzle on more dressing. Sprinkle
toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro over the medley before
serving.
Sesame-ginger dressing:
Prepare sesame-ginger dressing by vigorously whisking together
grapeseed oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, 

maple syrup, and pinch of salt.
Notes: Ice Bathing Vegetables Blanching and ice bathing
vegetables is a technique used to retain their vibrant colors, crisp
texture, and nutritional content. It’s particularly useful when
preparing vegetables to be frozen or to maintain their freshness in
salads.
Directions: 

Wash and trim the vegetables as needed. Cut them into uniform sizes for for even cooking. Bringa pot of water to a rolling boil,using enough water to fully submerge the vegetables.
Carefully place vegetables into the boiling water. Allow them to cook for a short period, typically 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the type of vegetable. Blanching helps preserve color and kill enzymes that can cause loss of flavor and texture.
While the vegetables are being blanched, prepare a large
bowl filled with a generous amount of ice cubes in cold water.
Using a slotted spoon or tongs, quickly transfer the blanched
vegetables from the boiling water to the ice bath. This rapid cooling
process, known as ice bathing, instantly halts the cooking. After the
vegetables have cooled in the ice bath for a few minutes, drain them
and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.

A Spring Risotto From The Garden

                                        

A Spring Risotto From The Garden 

I never quite understood the unbridled excitement about fresh fava beans in restaurants—until I grew my own. I find such joy in these substantial beans that I can cook within a few hours—even minutes—of harvest. And while prepping them does take time, it is well worth the effort.

Two raised beds in my small backyard often yield spring harvests of fava, snow peas, snap peas, mint, and chives. If I pick a lemon on the way to the kitchen, this dish becomes a true expression of my spring garden!  Serves 4–6

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh fava beans (¹/³–½ cup shelled)

4–6 spears asparagus, woody ends removed, spears sliced into 1-inch pieces
8–12 snap peas (or snow peas), trimmed and strings removed
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion or spring onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 cups rice (carnaroli or arborio)
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons chopped mint and chives plus some whole or lightly chopped leaves for garnish
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt and finely ground black pepper to taste
½–1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Your best extra virgin olive oil for finishing

Directions:

If you are starting with fava beans in their pods, remove and discard the pods and drop the beans into boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer to an ice bath, and when beans are fully cooled, drain and remove the skin that surrounds each bean by pinching one end to pop the bright-green bean out.

Blanch the asparagus pieces and snap peas briefly in boiling water. Set aside.

Heat broth to a simmer and keep it simmering on the stove.

Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy-bottomed, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Then stir in the rice until it is evenly coated with oil. Add the wine and stir until it’s absorbed.

Add broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and keeping risotto at a steady simmer. When rice is creamy and al dente, stir in half of the vegetables.

Stir in chopped mint and chives along with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest to taste. Stir in the grated cheese (if using) and some of your best extra virgin olive oil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let risotto rest for a few minutes before serving.

Distribute the risotto into shallow bowls and divide the remaining fava beans, asparagus, and snap peas evenly among the servings. Garnish with the reserved mint and chives. Offer grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and extra virgin olive oil at the table so your guests can add more of each as they wish.

Serve as an entrée or a side dish with grilled or slow-baked salmon. A crisp white wine goes well with this dish.

Falafel

Falafel

I always like to keep vegetarian recipes on hand.  This is a middle eastern classic.

***

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas
3/4 cup dried split fava beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, quartered
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
grapeseed oil for frying

*

Directions:

Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 4".  Soak for 24 hours, checking occasionally to make sure you don't need to add more water to keep the beans covered.

*

Drain the beans and transfer to a food processor with all of the remaining ingredients except the oil. Pulse until minced but not pureed. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon if necessary to make sure the machine is able to work. You want to mixture is as dry as possible, though. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to taste. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

*

Form the mixture into balls a little smaller than golf balls and flatten just a little. In a nonstick pan, heat 1/4" grape seed oil on medium high heat until it sizzles when  a small piece of falafel is added. Turn the heat to medium.

*

Add just one falafel to begin with and fry until all sides are a deep golden-brown (about 6 to 7 minutes). If it browns too quickly, turn the heat down a little.  If the falafel sticks to the pan, dredge the falafel in a little flour. From there, cook the remaining falafel in the oil. Serve with pita bread and tahini sauce.

Spring Risotto

Spring Risotto
Big Sur Bakery

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup english peas, shelled
1 1/4 cup fava beans, shelled
1 cup fresh corn kernels
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Aborio or Carnaroli rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken stock, warmed
2 whole scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 ounces Parmesan, grated (about 1/4 cup)
2 cups rich beef broth*

*

Directions:

Fill a medium bowl with water and put about a dozen ice cubes in it and set it aside.

Bring a quart of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add 1 tablespoon salt, and blanch the peas in the boiling water until they are bright green and tender, about 3 minutes.  Immediately strain out the peas (reserving the water for the other vegetables) using a colander to place them in the ice water to stop them from overcooking and retain their color).  Let them cool for 2 minutes.  Reserve the peas and repeat the same process with the fava beans (3 minutes in the boiling water), and corn 5 to 7 minutes in the boiling water).

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and add the onions. Season them lightly with salt and pepper and sweat until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter..  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to sear the grain-this step will ensure the risotto will have a bite to it.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, and simmer it until it has evaporated.  Then add 3 cups of the warm chicken stock, and cook stirring continuously, until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.  If necessary, continue cooking, adding the remaining 1/2 cup stock if the risotto starts to dry out. The risotto is ready when it is al dente, with a thick creamy consistency.

*

Stir in the blanched peas, fava beans, and corn kernels, along with the scallions, Parmesan and remaining 1 tablespoon butter.  Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Place the risotto in individual bowls and ladle the beef broth around it, and serve.

*

Rich Beef Broth:

1 quart beef broth

1/2 onion

1/2 carrot

1/2 celery stalk

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 garlic clove

1 bay leaf

1 flat leaf parsley stem

Kosher salt and black pepper

*

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 40 minutes.  

*

Strain, put the liquid back into the saucepan, and reduce by half.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4