Noodles with Carrot Tops and Radish Greens

Okay, this one uses the unusual parts.

1 bunch spinach or other greens
tops from 1 or 2 bunches of carrots
leaves from 1 bunch of radishes
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
handful of dill
4 celery leaves
1 cup yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
salt
1/4 lb. spaghetti or linguini
1/2 cup pine nuts
crumbled feta cheese

Sort the greens, wash and chop them coasely.

Pour yogurt into a fine mesh strainer to drain.

Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the chile and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent. Add the greens, with water clinging to their leaves. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until greens are wilted. Turn with tongs while cooking.

Purée cooked greens with the drained yogurt, the keep on low heat to warm the mixture. Do not get too hot.

Cook the pasta in the water, drain.

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet until golden.

Add past to sauce, toss, add salt to taste. Scatter the cheese and pine nuts over the top.

Roasted Artichokes

Makes 1-2 servings from each artichoke

break off and discard outer leaves. Slice the tips. With scissors, cut off thorn tips from leaves. Tirm the dark base from stem ends. Peel coarse fibers from stems and bottom. Cut in half lengthwise.

Choose a pan in which the artichokes will fit closely together so the juices will not scorch.

Pour in 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil for each artichoke. Add 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. Roll artichokes to coat and turn cut sides down. Slice 1 think lemon slice and 1 peeled garlic clove under each artichoke. Seal pan with foil.

Bake at 375° until artichoke bottoms are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Transfer artichokes to a platter, top with lemon and garlic. Sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with pan drippings or add butter and lemon juice to roasting pan, place over high heat to melt the butter and drizzle over artichokes.

Using Fresh Local Produce

Amanda Gold is starting a column in which she uses fresh local produce and makes a family meal in 30 minutes. Here’s the first. Look for a Kale salad and fennel and pork salad.

Porcini-Zucchini Blossom Pasta

1 lb. dried orecchiette pasta
1 1/2 cup zucchini blossoms
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 ounces fresh porcini or common mushrooms, rinsed, tough stem ends removed, sliced thinly
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, basil or Italian parsley
2 cups cherry tomatoes, rinsed, stemmed and halved if larger than 3/4 inch
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

In a 5-6 quart sauce pan over high heat, bring 3-4 quarts of water to a boil. Add orecchiette and cook, approximately 15 minutes, to reach barely tender to bite.

Rinse and drain zucchini blossoms. Reserve some for garnish. Pull the petals from the remaining blossoms, cut lengthwise into quarters, discard tough stem ends.

Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 10 -12 inch frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add garlic, mushrooms, and stir until mushrooms are limp. Stir in herbs and remove from heat.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup liquid and return to pan. Add mushroom mixture, tomatoes, zucchini blossoms, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix gently over medium low heat until warmed. Use reserved pasta liquid should the pasta become too dry.

Spoon into wide bowls. Garnish with reserved zucchini blossoms and parmesan cheese.

Braised Fennel

2 tablespoons olive oli
1 carrot, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
several thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
3 large fennel bulbs, quartered but attached at the core, plus 3 tablespoons greens, chopped
4 basil leaves
1 tablespoon butter

heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté until the onion begins to cover, about 5 minutes. Then work in in the tomato paste and cook. Add the wine and reduce to syrupy. Season with salt and pepper. Scrap into a bowl.

Cook the rice.

Brown the fennel in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat, stirring, about 15 minutes. Add the diced vegetables to the pan, tear the basil leaves over all and add 1 tablespoon of fennel greens. Add 1 cup of water. Cover and cook until the liquid has evaporated. When the pan is dry, and another 1/2 cup water. Cook until the fennel is tender.

Transfer the fennel and vegetables to a platter, return the pan to the stove, add the remaining wine and butter on high heat. Scrape any bits from the pan. When the wine and butter are reduced by 1/2, add the rest of the chopped fennel greens, taste for salt and pepper.

Serve rice in the center of the plate with vegetables around it.

Yellow Beans

1 pound yellow beans, or other fresh beans
sea salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots (minced)
1 yellow tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon thyme
champagne vinegar

Tip, tail beans then cut into 3 inch pieces. Boil them in salted water, uncovered until tender-firm.

While the beans are cooking, melt the butter with olive oil, add the shallots. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add tomato and thyme.

Drain the beans. Add them to the shallot/tomato/thyme mixture and cook briefly. Season with a few drops of vinegar and serve.

Pasta and Fennel

2 or 3 large fennel bulbs, including tops
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
grated zest of 1 lemon and juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 to 1 pound fettuccine
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Peel the outer layers of the the fennel, then quarter the bulbs. Set aside the greens and slice the bulbs thinly.

Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.

Melt one tablespoon of butter with the olive oil in a wide skillet. Ad the fennel, sauté over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned in places, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss with lemon juice, then add 1 cup of water. Reduce heat, cover and cook until liquid evaporates. Add another 1/4 cup water, continue cooking until the fennel is very soft and deep gold in color. Season with pepper. Chop a handful of fennel greens, with garlic and lemon zest.

Add salt an the pasta to boiling water. Cook pasta. Scoop it out and add to the pan with the fennel. Add the chpped greens. Season as needed with salt and pepper.

Grate or shave cheese to serve on top the pasta/fennel mix.

Fennel and Carrot Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium fennel bulb, stalks trimmed flush with the bulb, coarsely chopped, fronds reserved
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the butter in a soup pot and heat until foamy. Add fennel and cook over medium heat, stirring until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add carrots and garlic. Cook for another minute. Pour in enough water to just cover the vegetables, season with salt and simmer, covered until the carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Ladle the soup into a food processor, puree with orange juice, sour cream and salt and pepper.

Pour the soup back into the pan. Heat, stirring, until heated through. Do not let it boil. Use the fennel fronds (in pieces) to garnish the soup. give it one last stir.

Sweet Potatoes

Here’s a great idea for Sweet Potatoes: cook them with coconut oil, brown sugar and nutmeg. There are health properties of coconut oil that are being recognized now.

Swiss Chard Pesto Pasta

2 large garlic cloves

2 cups packed chopped Swiss chard leaves

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus shaved parmesan as garnish)

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 oz. whole wheat angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions

Pulse the garlic in a food processor to chop. Add chard, walnuts, grated parmesan and parsley. Whirl until finely chopped. Scrap down the inside of the bowl. Add oil, salt and pepper. Process just until smooth.

Sever with pasta. Top with shaved parmesan.