I of course was inspired by many things that I saw and ate while in Spain (tasting menu at Lasarte in Barcelona was a highlight, as were the fresh figs, vast array of seafood, and cured meats I’d never heard of). I returned and immediately made raviolis (with my new ravioli attachment for my mixer!). I am cooking for a beer tasting dinner this weekend (wine-braised pork shoulder with roasted potatoes and then butternut squash ravioli with miso-ginger butter and chives) and then making a special bday dinner for my mom next weekend. All this fancy cooking has made me realize how much I love really adventurous cooking, “special occasion” cooking.

To that end, I’ve decided to start the Underground Supper Club. For me, it will be an opportunity to stretch my culinary creativity beyond what I normally do. For diners, it will be an opportunity to get a great meal at a fair price and hopefully be surprised and delighted and sometimes shocked.

My partner asked, “why not just have more dinner parties.” Well, for me, when I invite someone into my house, I want them to be totally comfortable. If that means that I make fairly simple food because that is what they like, then that’s what I do. At dinner parties, I might make a dish or two that are a bit “out there” creatively, but I mostly stick to crowd pleasers, trying to make sure that there is something for everyone. With the supper club, I’d want people to attend knowing that they were in for a “food adventure.” I would feel free to take more risks, and my diners would be prepared to try something new.

More to come on this idea….but in the mean time – I’ve been making a lot of kimchi stew (kimchi cheegae, I think) – and it’s a recipe simple enough and delicious enough to be worth sharing.

- 2 cups well fermented kimchi (if you’ve made it yourself – see “In A Pickle” for a recipe on this blog – it should be at least a month old)
- 4 cups broth (I’ve used chicken broth as well as homemade broth made from pork bones, the traditional Korean recipe has pieces of pork belly in it, but that’s optional)
- salt and vinegar to taste

Bring all ingredients to a boil and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. This is the basic, bare bones recipe – I have also added chopped onion, kale, extra garlic and jalapenos for heat, and even an egg added at the end for some body. So great on these cold winter evenings.

- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 head of cabbage (green or red) diced
- 1 bunch of kale, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups stock and some water if needed
- 1 teaspoon dill
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste

After sauteing the onions for several minutes (however long it took me to dice the cabbage), add in the cabbage (all on super high heat, given that I was starving, and to promote caramelization of the veggies). Add in the kale and garlic and saute until wilted. Pour in stock and extra water to cover the veggies. Let the whole thing simmer for about 5 minutes (or longer if you are not in a rush) and add in the dill and stir in the eggs. I added eggs to give the soup some richness and protein, but it is optional. You could also add beans, meat, hot peppers or a million other things you find around in your kitchen. Season with salt and pepper and serve!

It’s not glorious, but it’s good and filling and cheap – and it fed me for 5 days, so I can’t complain I suspect that with some crusty garlic or cornbread on a cold winter day, it could be sublime.

- 1 block firm tofu, cut horizontally into 1 inch slices
- Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2oz fresh goat cheese
- 4 tablespoons tarragon-chive pesto
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 4 oven-roasted tomato halves

Drain the tofu well, pressing with a dish towel. Saute in some olive oil over high heat until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Spread minced garlic over the top and flip. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce to taste, about 2-3 tablespoons. Let tofu form a crust on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Spread on the tarragon-chive pesto, then crumble goat cheese over. Top with tomato half and garnish with a bit of basil pesto. Let cheese get melty and serve.

- 1 block firm tofu, very well drained and crumbled (you can also freeze it, thaw, drain, for a different texture)
- 2 carrots, peeled, grated
- 1 bell pepper (green or red), chopped fine, sauteed until soft
- 2-3 tblspns pickled jalapeno, minced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1-2 tblspns herbs: dill, oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary – whatever you have, fresh or dry
- 1/2 tspn smoked hot paprika
- 2 tblspn Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tblspn ketchup
- 1 tblspn dijon mustard
- 1 tspn hot sauce (I used Valencia)
- 3-4 eggs
- 1 cup (or more) rolled oats
salt/pepper

Mush all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. If mixture will not hold together and seems too wet, add more oats or even a bit of flour to bind. I ground some oats up to make oat-flour, but that is not necessary. Other veggies would be great in here, including mushrooms, poblano peppers, or grated sweet potato. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for an hour or so- the oats will soak up some of the moisture and make it easier to form patties.

Fry the patties in a little oil over medium heat – don’t flip until a nice dark brown crust has formed – otherwise they will fall apart. We topped ours with chevre, garlic-herb aioli, homemade spicy bread and butter pickles, spinach, and tomatoes. So good!

- 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (you can strain the yogurt or use greek style for a thicker dip)
- 1/2 lemon or lime (or dash of vinegar)
- 1/4 cup mayo (you can leave out for a lighter version)
- salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above together – now here is where you get creative – add in whatever you have on hand or can clip from a nearby garden:
- 2 green onions, minced
- handful of basil, parsley, dill, tarragon, oregano, mint
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced/crushed
- chili peppers, minced

I usually put the herbs etc. into the food processor and pulse to make a rough chop, then add the yogurt etc and blend the whole thing together, adding more of this or that until it tastes good. You could also add some blue cheese at the end or blend in some anchovies and parmesan for more of a ceasar flavor. If you have no herbs, you could go with a tablespoon or so of curry powder or add some rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and ginger for an asian aioli. Possibilities are limitless!

Cut assorted veggies into spears, slices, chunks and serve with the dip!

Summer Bounty from Dragon Fly Farms

So far, I turned the chard into a chard-ricotta pesto (can I just call anything I put into the food processor with walnuts, garlic and parm “pesto”?) and baked it on some pizza dough with roasted tomatoes, sungold tomatoes, basil and a sprinkling of bacon. I took some zucchini, summer squash and carrots and made a shredded veggie salad with a dijon-green onion-red wine vinegarette, and also made our favorite zucchini-apple-walnut-raisin-oatmeal pancakes for breakfast, topped with some sauteed peaches.

Chard-Ricotta Pesto
1 bunch chard, washed, chopped
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 oz ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt/pepper

Saute the chard and onion in a medium pan until both are soft. Pulse walnuts in food processor until coursely chopped. Add in chard mixture, vinegar and parm. Pulse until course paste forms. Add in vinegar, ricotta and garlic. Season with salt/pepper and maybe a dash of nutmeg. Add more vinegar if you want more of a “bite.” I also drizzled in a touch of truffle oil which gave it a nice “funk.” Use on pasta, as a dip for veggies, spread on toast for a canape, or like I did on some pizza dough

Shredded Veggie “Pasta” Salad
I call this “pasta” salad because I use my julienne peeler to make long thing strips from all the veggies – it ends up looking like a colorful pile of angelhair pasta!

2 summer squash
2 zucchini
2 carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced/crushed
1 green onion, minced
olive oil
salt/pepper

Julienne all vegetables and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and toss, let drain for 20 minutes. Make dressing: whisk mustard, vinegar, garlic and onion in a medium bowl, add in olive oil in thin stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.

Squeeze out the salted veggies in a clean dish towel. Toss with dressing and adjust seasoning as needed. Any fresh herbs would also be great tossed in here.

Lomi Lomi Salmon
Lomi salmon is kind of like Hawaiian ceviche, traditionally served as a side dish at luaus, but it’s also great with chips or on a bagel with cream cheese!
1 small fillet very fresh salmon
1 cup kosher salt (or you can begin with salmon that has already been salt cured)
3 large ripe tomatoes, diced small
1/2 sweet onion, minced
3 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 lime
additional salt as needed

If salt curing your own salmon, begin 3 days in advance. Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Spread 1/2 the salt in the bottom of a small glass dish, just big enough to fit the salmon in. Cover the salmon with remaining salt, wrap the dish well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 days. The salt will pull moisture out of the fish.

Remove the salmon, rinse off salt, and pat dry. Dice the salmon into small cubes and mix in both onions and the tomatoes, squeezing the lime juice over the mixture. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the salt from the salmon begin to permeate the vegetables. Taste and add additional salt as needed. My favorite way to eat this is with sticky rice and poi.

Chicken, Squid or Tofu Luau
Another simple Hawaiian dish, this consists of greens (traditionally luau leaves or taro leaves) braised in coconut milk, often with chicken or squid. I made it vegetarian, and it was just as good!

- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large bunches greens (chard, collards, kale, taro, spinach)
- 1 can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in a little oil until soft. Add the greens and toss until wilted. Stir in the coconut milk and let simmer until greens are tender – for tender greens like spinach or chard, this could be just a few minutes, but for heartier greens like collards, this could be as much as 30 minutes or more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sticky rice.

You don’t need to be intimidated by the process either – I personally don’t bother with the canning part of it all. I prefer easy-to-make refrigerated pickles. Although they cannot be stored in the cupboard for months, they are super easy to make and, in my house at least, get eaten so fast it doesn’t really matter.

The following recipe can be used for a variety of vegetables – ones you’ve probably thought of already, like cucumbers, beets and spring onions – and ones you may not have, like chard stems, summer squash and green tomatoes (or even under-ripe fruits! like peaches, plums, or pears).

For the brine:
Simmer together
- ½ cup apple cider or white vinegar (rice vinegar is great too for a more asian flavor)
- ½ cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar, honey, agave (more or less depending on if you like sweeter pickles or more sour/salty pickles)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 whole cloves
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced thin (or more, if you like pickled garlic!)
- 4 whole pepper corns
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 pinch red chili flakes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons salt

With regards to the spices, you could use any combination of the above, adding more of one thing, leaving out another etc. You could also get creative and add in some cumin seeds, stalks of bruised lemongrass, or kafir lime leaves. The basic idea is that you are making a salty-sour-sweet brine, and you flavor it with stuff.

Once the mixture comes to a simmer and the sugar and salt are dissolved, you are good to go. Now for the veggies – I like to mix it up a bit here – cut things into rounds, spears, or even a small dice for more of a relish. Get yourself a large mason jar, or other glass storage container and pack in your pickling items. I like to layer veggies garlic and onion wedges to add flavor, and because I always love adding pickled onion and garlic to dishes. Pickled jalapenos are also especially good as a flavor boost in other dishes. I never cook the vegetables first, (except for beets) because I like them to stay as crisp as possible and the hot brine will cook them a bit.

Pack the veggies in as tightly as you can – they’ll shrink after sitting in the brine – then carefully pour over the hot brine. Jiggle the jar or poke a butter knife down the sides to get the air bubbles out, and top it off with more brine to cover the veggies completely. Put the lid on and let come to room temperature. Then, stick in the fridge until cool and they are ready to be eaten. I know I’m supposed to say that they’ll keep for a week in the fridge or something, but personally, I think they are probably ok in there for a while longer. I brought a gallon jar of freshly made bread and butter pickles to a bbq last summer and it was devoured in about 30 minutes – I think this just proves that pickles count as their own food group.

As usual, this dish was born out of what I happened to have in the fridge. The same concept could be used for a variety of vegetables – try thin sliced chard or cabbage, julienned red peppers, cucumber, or shredded sweet potato (yes, raw!). If you don’t like tofu, try sprinkling with some toasted peanuts or cashews.

No-Cook Zucchini Tofu Salad

- 2 medium zucchini, julienned
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- 2 green onions, sliced thin
- 1 block firm tofu, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced chili (jalapeno, serrano, whatever you have) or chili-garlic paste
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon asian sesame oil
- furikake (Japanese seaweed-sesame condiment – my favorite has dried kimchee in it!) or sesame seeds for garnish

First, make the dressing by combining the garlic, ginger, chili, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and sesame oil. Adjust the seasoning to your liking – it should be a bit too salty on it’s own, but the juices from the veggies will dilute it a lot.

In a big bowl, toss the zucchini, carrots and green onions together. Drizzle with half of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Top salad with diced tofu and sprinkle with furikake or sesame seeds. Serve with additional dressing as desired.

ps. This is my first installment of “The Empty Basket” theme on my blog – an account of my journey through the ample CSA farmshare that we get each week. I’ll assess the basket of goodies and then catalogue my efforts to use each item in new and interesting ways – hopefully helping other folks figure out what to do with their overflow of kale or zucchini!

Andouille sausage gravy over poached eggs and cornbread. Not pretty, but oh so good!

With toasted cornbread as the base, I soft poached some eggs (in the microwave – love it! so easy – more on that later), placed them on top and then covered the whole mess with some andouille gravy. The “original” recipe includes a layer of homemade pinto beans and some tomato-cilantro salsa as a garnish – but this was very good and more traditional “biscuits and gravy” kind of meal.

Sausage Gravy
1 large onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 stick butter
1-2 andouille sausages, casing removed, small dice or crumbled
1/3 cup white flour
1 cup whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the butter over medium-high heat for about 7-8 minutes, until soft and starting to brown. Add the crumbled sausage and saute to brown the sausage and render the fat, about 5 minutes. Add in the flour, stirring to combine with the fat and coat the mixture. Turn heat down a bit and let flour cook, it may start sticking to the pan. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking to break up flour clumps. Continue to whisk until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste.

For the poached eggs in the microwave – fill a small microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup, or so, of water and a dash of white vinegar. Boil the water in the microwave. Then, carefully crack in an egg. Return the bowl to the microwave for 1-2 minutes depending on your desired level of cookedness of the yolk (1 minute was soft yolk, 2 was hard yolk- for me). Fish egg out with a slotted spoon and let drain before placing on the cornbread.

Layer the ingredients and serve. The photo above shows that it is hard to make this dish look really pretty – but it is so good, it won’t matter. A garnish of chopped green onions or some salsa as I mentioned would probably help the looks, if you are serving it for guests Enjoy!