meals

Un-Shabbath-like

in ,

Shalom from Israel!

I feel not the slightest remorse in telling you that I am absolutely thrilled to be sitting beachside in 24 C weather and typing this out, even as I know that my home and most of the North-Western Hemisphere is being smothered by freezing cold. 

But, even if you are cursing me while snuggling into your fleeces, I have something warm for you in today's post in a spirit inspired by my location and my undying new-found love for tahini. So, if you are pissed off with me for being in  warm country and just want the recipe, scroll straight down. If not, let me regale you with what I saw in my first day in this interesting country.

To be specific, getting here is not easy. If anyone has ever traveled El Al Airlines, you must be painfully aware of the interrogation that you go through at check in. In my case, this almost-and-justifiably-paranoidal attitude began when I applied for a visa to travel. Nevertheless, since leaving India, I have had to put up and politely answer entirely intrusive, personal and politically incorrect, questions for the first time. It was rather amusing to be honest, as they were polite and apologetic to dig so much but yet persistent in the line of questioning. This entertaining bit of schizophreny I realized was to set the tone of the visit.

Let me start by saying that the people are amazing, in every way. Tel Aviv is a beautiful city! By that I mean, it is filled with stunning, gorgeous, sexy and amazingly fit people, of all ages. On a run along the promenade, I must say that I felt rather inadequate for the first time I can remember, watching all the nary-a-sweat-cracking toned Israelis happily running and chatting away. In perspective, I have never felt out-classed in fitness in NYC!

What makes this an interesting is that, the food is amazing! Or, perhaps that is the contributor to the above. While I find it hard to resist eating it all up because I don't think I am going get it all again, I feel people here true connoisseurs of moderation as, well, they have it everyday. Every morsel I have tasted so far, and there were far too many as you can see, has been fresh, flavorful and unfussed. The last is what impresses me. Nothing is overdone. Flavors are clean and vibrant and the food is all surprisingly local! Apparently, the country grows most of the produce it uses, and even some exotic Asian ones.

Well, today being Shabbath, I am going to take a leaf from the country and not spend too much more time here and spend it with life and exploring the city. I will do more on the country in a later post with more details on food experiences and my explorations of the culture.

As promised, I leave you with the recipe for a Leek and Turnip Soup with Cauliflower Croutons and Tahini emulsion. This soup gets a touch of sour spice with an added daikon, crunch from the flash sautéed cauliflower. And, of course the binding gel and flavor component of sesame. This is a region inspired dish in affirmation of the super flavor and versatility of the humble sesame seed. Tahini sauce is a great vegan alternative for many creamy  dishes and cheeses while adding amazing depth of flavor.

Roasted Leek and Turnip Soup 

with Cauliflower Croutons and Tahini Emulsion

The soup itself makes a little more than one meal for two people and the leftovers are fantastic for lunch. The croutons are best eaten immediately for the crunch. 

The soup is deliberately lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper, to allow unsullied flavor interaction between the vegetables. It also presents a clean canvas for the tahini itself to shine and do its magic in building up flavor into the meal.

As such, you can break this into two meals, with the soup on its own and making the cauliflower croutons a snack all by themselves served with the tahini emulsion.

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4 leeks, chopped

2 medium turnips, chopped 

1 medium daikon, chopped

1-1/2 cups, unsalted stock, warm

 

For the Crouton:

3/4 cup cauliflower flowerlets

1 tsp coarse ground aleppo pepper

salt, pepper and olive oil as needed

 

For the Tahini Emulsion:

2 T ground sesame seed paste

4 T cold water

1/2 tsp lemon juice

pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a baking pan, toss the leeks, turnips and daikon together with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 10 minutes, until soft and slightly browned.

Puree with all the roasted vegetables with the stock. 

Bring the soup back to a boil on the stove and adjust the seasoning.

The soup can be made ahead and actually tastes even better the next day.

To make the croutons, toss the cauliflower-lets in aleppo pepper and salt. Heat oil on high in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. 

When hot and oil is rippling, add the cauliflower along with a sprinkle of water and cook for 2 minutes covered. 

The cauliflower will be softened but still crunchy in the center.

To make the emulsion, whisk all the ingredients by hand, adding water to make it runnier if preferred.

Serve the croutons atop the soup with sprinkled parley and finished with a drizzle of the emulsion.

 

Husk Tomato Tart with Glutenfree Corn Crust

in ,
Ground Husk Tomato Corn Galette

I had not been to the Union Square market in over a year and I guiltily made my way through the stalls that I so regularly patronized only sometime back. I was half hoping the stall owners would not see me and half hoping they would remember me. Okay, I confess, I would have really liked one of them to have spotted me and given me a wide smile of recognition and the "It's good to see you again" cheer. But, hey, whom am I kidding! This is New York City, land of the fleeting, transient, and anonymous.

After the first five minutes, I realized I was not going to run the risk of accusatory stares of "Where the heck were you?!". Neither was I going to be enveloped in warm embraces of "Welcome back!". So, I huffed about it for a space of two minutes and then decided to simply accept it and move to leisurely engaging with the produce which has always been a more productive way of spending time anyway. Mooching along the aisles and dodging the crowds, I made my way through the various produce stands. More importantly, I was looking to prove that there was nothing here that was not in my own little weekend farmers' market, where, by now and by virtue of going there literally every week, the vendors said hello to me!

Ground Husk Tomato

I nearly made it to the end without anything really caught my eye. It was the same couple of great vegetable and fruit stands, the honestly, arrogant goat cheese guy, the lovely flower shop and the shop in the corner that has the best ricotta I have ever tasted outside Italy. Then I walked into a random vendor whose stall I don't remember ever buying anything from. There was a huge mound of what looked like gooseberries. I love them but I remember they are terribly pricey at my market. The sight of the large quantity here gave me hope that this may be more affordable.

I tasted one and it tasted nothing like a gooseberry. Confused, I queried the vendor and I discovered a whole other class of tomatoes! Ground Husk Tomatoes. Related to Cape Gooseberries, they are adorable tiny fruits fully encased in a dried leafy husk. They were entirely intriguing. The guy said he eats them on their own and I can see how that would happen. These are entirely addictive just to figure out the flavor and each one is a little different. Was that a berry like one? or a pineapple one? or perhaps a touch of mango? In any case, nothing like a tomato.

Ground Husk Tomato Corn Galette
Ground Husk Tomato Corn Galette

Obviously, as I mulled about it, I snacked on a fair few of them. But, I had bought a good amount of it as they were rather well priced for its exotic allure. I decided the best use other than eating it raw would be to bake it. I made muffins with them and then I decided to make the galette. That was a momentous decision. You see, since learning that I am wheat allergic, I have not had a tart. Now, that is a sacrifice. It is not just that I love this genre of meals, it is also the easiest full meal to make on any day. I was excited and slightly intimidated about the thought of creating a recipe that was completely gluten free.

I thought long and hard about it. Eventually, I decided to go completely grain free. I figured using any nut or quinoa or buckwheat would lend its own flavor to the tart and I wanted these intriguing berries to play the lead and only role. Cornmeal is both easily accessible and has the cleanest flavor palate for this purpose. It is also extremely crumbly. I thought google may offer some help but I found no recipe that used only corn meal. I decided I had to simple test and try my own.

Ground Husk Tomato Corn Galette

The important thing was to figure a way to overcome the rather crumbly texture of ground corn. It simply does not come together. Psyllium would not work here as it does not have enough fluid to bind to. It had to some form of starch. I settled on potato starch, which, I have at home and is not expensive. The first time I made this I followed standard tart making process of balling the dough, tamping and letting it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. I learnt the hard way, that the dough seizes up quite a bit when cooled and it takes ages for it to thaw back. The next time, I just rolled it out immediately and it was just fine.

Also, even though the starch helps pull it together, the dough will still be crumbly. You can always just press it into a mold and that is really easy. If you want to make a galette, you will need a little patience, some gentle elbow grease and two sheets of parchment paper. Also, don't get angry with it when it tears as you try to fold it over the filling. Just smile and give it a hug and it will come together just fine. The real binding agent here is a butter, so, don't skimp on it and use it to advantage.

Ground Husk Tomato Corn Galette

I kept this tart clean and simple. Just the husk tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. You need nothing more. The corn crust comes out soft and so let it sit for a few minutes so it hardens into a crispy crunch. That against the sweet flesh of the roasted wrinkled tiny tomatoes is a delight!

Oh! On the question of, did Union Square have anything over my little market? Despite this happy find... Not at all! ;-)

Husk Tomato Tart

For the Grain free Corn Crust:

1 cup corn flour, fine ground {I just used the blender to pulverize the coarse cornmeal I had}

4 tsp potato starch

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 T cold butter, in small dice

scant 2 T cold water

For the filling:

1-1/2 cups of de-husked tomatoes

few leaves of basil torn

olive oil to drizzle

salt and pepper as needed

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix together the corn flour with potato starch with salt and baking soda.

Rub butter pieces into the corn mix.

Add the water and mix to just form a ball. Only if the butter feels melty (like if you are doing this in the middle of a heat wave), cool in fridge for a few minutes.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on the table and sprinkle potato starch on it.

Place the dough ball on the paper and top with another sheet. Gently roll out the dough into a rough circle about 1/4 inch thick.

Remove the first sheet of parchment. Pile the tomatoes in the center leaving a 1 inch border.

Gently fold the edge over the tomatoes. If it tears, simply press the edges to seal again.

Sprinkle the basil, salt, pepper and olive oil over.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400F and then lower to 350F and bake another 15 minutes.

The corn crust comes out soft and so let it sit for a few minutes so it hardens into a crispy crunch.

Garnish with a more basil and touch of oil or balsamic vinegar and serve.

13 Clam Chowder

in ,
13 Clams and Sweet Corn Chowder

It is the middle of the week and I have lovely soup for you.

And, there is more to this story. I could wax eloquent about these clams and how they are the local waters and caught by the fisherman who then sells it at the mid-week market a couple of blocks from me. Truth be told, I had never cooked them before.

I wanted to make mussels in saffron broth for a dinner with a friend. For the record, I love mussels. I love picking out the flesh from a huge broth filled bowl and thoughtfully munching on them. I love cooking them too. So easy and delightful. I would tell you how when I went to the market and looked skeptically at these clams, because I really wanted mussels for a saffron broth, he tried to entice me with ways to cook them.

13 Clams and Sweet Corn Chowder

I would tell you how, as I remained undecided, the Japanese guy and the bread lady from the adjoining stalls joined in on the conversation and we all had a good chat about fish and clams and ideas and how I ended up buying the clams after all. Elated by all this camaraderie, conversation, I told my friend about the changed plans that was still going to be awesome and he snorted at my idea of substituting clams for mussels. So, I had to go back to the fish guy and guiltily buy a couple of slabs of blue fish for dinner.

Gently, though, he told me that the shell fish will wait in the fridge unspoiled for a week. They are clearly forgiving and patient creatures. And, I think we give them altogether little notice! They deserve more, I say.

Steamed Clams

Just for a bit I want to ruminate on this whole shell fish not being as popular thing. Oddly, I have found they do not have many takers in the circle of folks I eat with. They are by and large pleasured eaters, yet none find the joy in these creatures as I do. I think I just like the idea of getting my hands dirty, picking through their bones and shells to get to their sweet flesh. My favorite is crab and we cook it whole. It takes patience, nimble fingers and a lot of time to finish eating a carb served whole. I inordinately love the experience. My food would grow cold but I relished picking out the flesh from the nooks and crannies and popping them delightfully into my mouth. When I happen to look up from my plate, beaming with joy, I realize that my company rarely reflects the same expression. More than usual, I read a slight helplessness with the whole shell thing and how awkward it all is. So, in my cherubic happiness, I offer to help and I don't think that goes quite well. LOL.

So, my point is this. I think they deserve more love because as all things difficult, the result is delicious and sweeter, whether perceived or real! And, when someone offers help with coaxing that hard to get flesh of these sea creatures, I say, let them do it. Because, it ain't the shell's fault. It is an amazing lesson in patience. Of course, if you don't like someone touching your food, then there are always loads of helpful kitchen tool that aid in getting anything done!

13 Clams and Sweet Corn Chowder

On the subject of clams, they are prettier than mussels, for sure, but my verdict is still out. I think I need more acquaintance with them. Oh wait! It is market day ;-)

And with that, I will leave you with a generously chunky clam and corn chowder. This is not a New England clam chowder, it is simply my chowder. The market now has fresh fennel and I find them fragrant and warming and so much better than onions. So, I try and use it, for the few weeks they are around, as much as possible. I also use a fair bit of cabbage to this chowder for heft and of course the fiber helps. Finally, I used sweet potato for a touch of sweetness to offset the brine. You can always use a regular potato of course. Topped with fennel fronds and whatever herbs you have and it is a feast.

Oh! The 13 is because that is interesting number I had when I bought them. Odd number that but made for an even stew!

13 Clams and Sweet Corn Chowder

Clam and Corn Chowder

{You can clean the clams the same way as mussels. That is put them in a shallow pan with 1/4 cup of water and sprinkle some flour on them and toss. Leave for 15 minutes and the grit comes out}

1 lb clams, live

1/2 small fennel bulb

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2T of pancetta, cubed

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

1 good sized sweet potato, diced into half inch cubes

2 slivers of jalapeño {optional}

handful of fresh corn kernels

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup + 1/4 cup heavy cream

3 cups of water

2 T potato starch

small bunch of thyme

1 T chopped fennel fronds, for garnish

chopped basil for garnish

salt, pepper and olive oil as needed

In a deep pot, place the cleaned clams in water. Close the lid and bring to a boil. Simmer the clams until the shells are fully opened. Remove the clams, strain and reserve the broth.

While the clams are cooking, heat a little oil in a soup pot and sauté the pancetta until the fat has rendered and the meat is crispy. Add the thyme, fennel, garlic and jalapeño (if using) and cook until soft.

Add cabbage and sweet potato and stir with seasoning. Close the pot and let the veggies sweat, about 4-5 minutes.

Remove the lid and sift the potato starch all over. Toss for a couple of minutes.

Add the reserved warm clam stock and quickly whisk, so the starch does not lump. Close the lid again and cook until the vegetables are just soft, about 7-8 minutes.

As they cook, pick the flesh out of the clam shells and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

Add the corn, clams, milk and 1/4 cup cream. And bring to a quick boil.

Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes.

Just before serving, warm to appropriate temperature. Remove the thyme sticks.

Divide into bowls, swirl more cream in and top with fennel fronds and other herbs.

 
Long Island Clams