Recipes
I readied heat-safe bowls with scoops of pillowy potato, shimmied a tablespoon in the middle to make a divot and lay a healthy pat of butter in there. They rested peacefully covered with foil at the back of my stovetop, where the oven sends its most precious residual heat. When it was time to eat, I plopped crunchy fronds of cabbage atop the bowls.
The very first cookbook anyone ever got me was Eric Ripert’s On the Line. I was still very new to seafood, so many of the recipes seemed out of my grasp. I flipped all the way through and at the end were the garnishes and pantry items.
Tomato confit was the first recipe I tried from a book. Most of the time it was Food Network or watching people cook out of the corner of my eye. When you hear the word confit, you mostly think of duck, but in this case, it refers to the slow process of baking for a long time. The original recipe calls for a 200-degree F oven and peeled tomatoes. Why do French people hate tomato skins? I don’t know.
I took plum tomatoes, cut off the stem cap and halved them. The oven was on at its lowest setting (240 degrees F). Since my oven can’t go any lower, it balances out the fact that I’m using thick tomato pieces. Lined up in a single layer the tomato babies received a shower of salt, fresh ground pepper and a touch of olive oil. I turned the pans every hour until the tops dried out and the fruit still firm enough to hold together. The ideal result is when you take a bite, you get this concentrated tomato flavor with a bit of sweetness. The water has evaporated but enough left for a squish to leave all the goodness for you to gobble.
Any thinner slices and longer time in the oven will give you sundried tomato junk. I may hate them but if you like that sort I nonsense, it does keep pretty well in the fridge.
The business of actually making these is very easy. 4 ingredients. But the morning I decided to try it had a lot more going on. Perhaps 45 minutes before my guests Mo and Ramsey were to arrive at my house, I decided to surprise them with shamrock shakes. It couldn’t be hard! I googled around and found that I had everything except ice cream. So, still in my pajamas, I threw on a coat and went down to the store. French Vanilla. The register.
I get back to the door and reach into my pocket for the keys. Hoo boy. No keys. It’s freezing and I’m holding a cold package of ice cream. I make futile attempts at buzzing my own apartment. Futile because my roommate Dylan is notoriously difficult to wake. Jeff was out of town. I buzz my neighbors and thankfully, they let me in. However, I still had to get into my own apartment. I survey my wallet for a card that I wouldn’t mind ruining (the insurance one) and Ocean 11’d my way back into the house. I did a little dance and rushed to get the shakes pre-made.
Do not, I repeat, do not put all 48 ounces of vanilla ice cream into the blender at once. I had put in a cup of milk and 6 drops of green food coloring. It exploded. All over the counter and floor. And it was GREEN. Don’t be like me. Overall, I used a cup and half of milk with half a teaspoon of mint extract.
My guests arrived right when I was washing the blender. Two hours into brunch, I asked, “Do we want another beer or do we want the surprise?” All smiles, I went to the freezer and revealed the pitcher of shamrock shake. There were jigs.
As part of my Local Roots CSA, I'll be sharing easy ways to use up your produce. From prep to leftover hacks, I hope you learn to love cooking at home as much as I do!
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Gorgeous Styker Farms eggs with big orange yolks are part of my CSA share every other week. As much as I love a porn-y egg yolk pop, I've always wanted to make tamagoyaki . It is a rolled Japanese omelette that is served at the end of an omakase meal. It is sweet and custardy in the middle as a result of the meditative and methodical way of rolling it in a pan. I've researched a bunch of recipes and mine contains less sugar than most.
The first couple of rolls will look ugly, but have faith and keep going. It's worth the effort!
| Things you'll need: | |
| 3 tablespoon dashi stock 2 tablespoons mirin 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce |
1 teaspoon salt 6 large (US extra large) eggs, beaten 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon black radish, grated 1 tablespoon beet grated |
Mix the cold dashi stock with mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a bowl. Crack in the three eggs and beat until uniformly yellow. Check that the sugar has dissolved into the mix thoroughly.
Heat a square pan over medium heat. Soak a paper towel in the vegetable oil and use tongs to wipe the pan with it. You can use any shape pan, just note that the omelette will have irregular edges that you can cut off.
Pour in enough egg mixture to coat the pan and tilt it to spread it around. When the omelet starts to set, roll it up away from you using a spatula. It’s ok if it’s isn’t perfect or breaks. Re-oil the exposed part of the pan with your paper towel.
Pour in more egg mixture into the empty part of the pan, lift up the first roll and let the egg mixture runs underneath. When it looks set but still a little wet, roll the omelet around the first roll to make a single roll with many layers. Repeat the process until you use all of the egg mixture.
Let the egg cool for 5 minutes. Move the roll gently onto a sushi rolling mat covered with a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the omelet firmly into the mat and leave to stand rolled for 10 minutes in the fridge so it sets.
Cut the omelette into 1.5” pieces and serve with the grated black radish and beet.
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Are you a member of Local Roots? Tag both @Randwiches and @LocalRootsNYC with the hashtag #MadewithLocalRoots when you use your produce. We want to see what you're making!
If you have cooking questions about anything you receive from your farm share, please ask me! I might have a few suggestions.
I already drag my feet about baking, so what's the absolute laziest thing I can do for Pi Day? Pre-made, pre-portioned hand pies! Store bought pie crust plus a punchy ground beef and cheese filling make for an easy snack to store in the freezer for an after school / work snack.
Help yourself to these hamburger pockets!
| Things you'll need: | |
| 2 14" circular pie crusts 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup shredded cheese 1 shallot 1 tsp paprika |
1 tsp fish sauce 1 tbl mustard 1 egg Sesame seeds Ketchup for dipping |
Defrost the pie crusts completely before unrolling them onto a cutting board.
Grate the shallot and combine with the beef.
Sautè the beef in a dry pan until completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Break it up into as small granules as you can with a spoon. Drain off the beef fat (save for a broth or gravy!).
Continue to cook the beef and add the paprika, fish sauce and mustard. Once mixed, remove from heat and let it cool.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut the pie crusts into quarters, you should have eight triangles.
Add two to three tablespoons of beef on half of every pie and a sprinkle of cheese on top of it. Fold it over and crimp the two open edges with a fork.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Brush all the pies with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the pies are golden brown.
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Love it? Try it with different savory fillings!
I want to see your hamb pies. Tag @Randwiches on Instagram or Twitter to show yours off.
Pictured here with chicken fried chicken and gravy.
Fried foods and bbq are great with slaw. The crisp vegetables and tangy vinegar help balance out fat and smoke. You won't believe how easy it is to make your own slaw! Swap out my rice vinegar for any other variety. Julienne root veggies like celeriac, beet, or parsnip to replace the carrot.
| Things you'll need: | |
| 1 head of cabbage 2 large carrots 1 cup of radish greens |
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 grinds of pepper |
Shred the cabbage with a mandoline, food processor slicer or sliced thinly with a sharp knife.
Julienne or shred the carrot.
Combine the cabbage, carrot, and other hearty vegetables with the rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Finish with the radish greens, sprouts, or any soft herbs.
If you have cooking questions, ask me on Twitter!
As part of my Local Roots CSA, I'll be sharing easy ways to use up your produce. From prep to leftover hacks, I hope you learn to love cooking at home as much as I do!
***
Roasting your winter root vegetables not only warm up the house, but they help you prep for a busy week ahead. With the hard part out of the way, you'll have supplies to chop up and easily toss into your meals.
Above, I have a simple spoonful of hummus, a fried egg and veggies that I already prepped the night before so I can I begin my day right away.
Here's how to prep the beets and parsnip from this week's share.
Beets can be peeled and eaten raw if you slice them thinly with a mandoline. You can also mince them or run them through a grater before tossing them in a pickle brine for a quick pickle.
To roast the beets, wash and scrub them thoroughly in cold water, they are roots from the ground after all! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss them in a little olive oil to coat and roast for 20 minutes, turn them with tongs and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes until they are fork tender. When I say "fork tender" that means the fork goes in without forcing it and slides right out without getting stuck.
When they are done and if you prefer to peel them, put them in a container with a lid to steam off the skins. Alternatively, transfer them to a cool bowl and cover with plastic for 10 minutes. They will be easy to peel. Beware that the red beets will stain your hands and cutting boards! So wear powderless latex gloves if you have them. Or, you know...the pink looks kind of cool for a couple days.
Once prepped, you can eat them whole or slice them into coins for salad. If you don't think you'll eat all of them this week, submerge them into a pickle brine! They'll last a couple more weeks.
It looks like a carrot, kinda tastes like a carrot but it is not a carrot. Parsnips are woodier and taste a little sweeter. It can be eaten raw, but you'll have to chew through it. It is not crisp like a carrot.
You can roast a whole parsnip but be warned that the fat end will cook at a different rate than the skinny end. To combat this and to cook it evenly, I cut it into chunks (ideal portions for my meals!).
Similar to the beets, coat all sides with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, turn them over with tongs and continue for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Let them cool for 10 minutes before biting into it. They get soft and sweet. Great for a grain bowl, eating with hummus or in a salad.
Are you a member of Local Roots? Tag both @Randwiches and @LocalRootsNYC with the hashtag #MadewithLocalRoots when you use your produce. We want to see what you're making!
If you have cooking questions about anything you receive from your farm share, please ask me! I might have a few suggestions.
For those of you who have been following along, I'm a bit obsessed with the Crunchwrap Supreme™. I've been experimenting with new types of sandwiches and fillings in this format. The best part about it is that it can hold pretty much anything as long as it isn't too wet.
It is an excellent way to repackage your leftovers and take it with you, wherever you go. My friend Damon suggested making a Thankgiving crunchwrap. Here's how I tackled it:
| Things you'll need: | |
| 1 large burrito sized tortilla 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce 1/2 cup shredded turkey 1 tablespoon mayo |
1 stick of celery 1 Scallion 1 small bag of Funyuns salt |
First, make a salad of the shredded turkey, mayo and chopped celery bits. Season it with salt and pepper to your liking. Set aside.
Start your wrap with a spoonful of cranberry sauce in the center of the tortilla. Next, add the salad, scallion and crushed Funyuns.
Now you're ready to fold! Fold the bottom flap up to cover the center and continue to fold the other edges to the center to form a pentagon.
Sear it closed in a dry pan on medium heat. Flip it over and brown the other side. Enjoy!
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Love this? It's part of my Crunchwrap party guide.
Let me know if you try it! Tag @Randwiches on Twitter or Instagram.
Upgrade the tuna sandwich you've been bringing to work. Transforming this familiar lunch into a convenient pocket will make everyone in the cafeteria jealous.
| Things you'll need: | |
| 2 14" burrito tortillas 1 tuna filet 1/8 cup furikake 1 tablespoon pepper 1 large carrot, julienned 1 shallot, sliced into rings | 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1 small cucumber, sliced into thin discs 1 tsp wasabi 1/3 cup sour cream 1 bag tempura seaweed crackers Olive oil |
Combine the furikake and pepper on a small plate. If you can't find furikake, a mix a tablespoon each of pulverized seaweed and sesame seed. Add a bit of green tea powder and a sprinkle of salt.
Pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Then press it firmly into the spice mix. Repeat on the other side.
Prepare a frying pan on high heat. Pour in a swig of olive oil and sear the fish for 3 minutes on each side.
Drain the tuna on a paper towel and let it cool. Slice into 1/4" thick pieces.
Bring the rice vinegar and a half cup of water to a boil. Add the carrots and shallot and let it boil for 1 minute. Then turn the heat off.
Mix the sour cream with the wasabi and set aside.
To assemble: Drain the quick pickled vegetables and put half of them and a few slices of cucumber in a small stack in the center of the tortilla. Layer half of the tuna pieces on top of it, this will prevent overcooking the fish when you sear the whole pocket. Then add on the wasabi sour cream and a handful of tempura crackers. If you can't find the tempura seaweed, opt for shrimp chips.
Fold the edges over the center to create a closed pentagon. Sear the pocket, seam-side down in a dry pan on medium heat for two minutes. Flip it over and brown the other side.
Enjoy it now or slice in half and let it cool completely before wrapping for later.
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Love this? It's part of my Crunchwrap party guide.
Let me know if you try it! Tag @Randwiches on Twitter or Instagram.
The cool thing about local butchers is that they each have some special item that no other shop makes. In the case of The Meat Hook in Brooklyn, they sometimes have lamb pastrami. It's sliced thin and excellent for your charcuterie board. It fries up like bacon and is so decadently fatty with the familiar peppery spices of a pastrami sandwich. Folding it up in a crunchwrap-style pocket is one way to enjoy it on the go.
Blue potatoes are just like regular potatoes, except they are deep, dark blue when you cut into them. They boil, roast and fry just the same. Just like beets that bleed, onto your plastic cutting boards may have marks on them for a bit.
A fun thing to note is if you mix in white or red taters into your blue mashed potatoes, the turn a cute pastel purple. I used mine in a crunch wrap! You can read my guide to constructing crunchwraps here. I fried cubed blue potato in oil until they were soft, then I added in chorizo and garlic. Piled with tortilla chips, shredded white cheddar, sour cream, chermoula, and hot sauce in a flour tortilla pocket and seared on the stove top.
| Things you'll need: | |
| 2 10" flour tortillas 1/4 lb lamb pastrami (sourced from The Meat Hook) OR 2 merguez sausages 4 small potatoes, cubed |
1/4 cup grainy mustard 1 clove garlic, skin still on 1/4 cup olive oil Pita chips Salt |
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Parboil the cubed potatoes in a pot of salted water for 8 minutes.
Drain thoroughly and place on a baking sheet with the mustard, garlic and olive oil. Toss to coat. Salt the whole pan lightly.
Roast the potatoes for 15 minutes, toss them around making sure they are coated on all sides with mustard and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry up the lamb pastrami with a little oil. They will act a lot like bacon and will shrink. If you are using the sausage, fry them whole for 3 minutes on each side.
Slice it up and then cook the smaller slices on both sides to make sure the inside is cooked through. Drain on a paper towel.
6. The potatoes should be fork tender, forming a mustard crust and crispy edges. When they are done, fish out the garlic clove and peel it. Smash it with a fork and toss it with the potatoes.
7. In the middle of each tortilla, layer the lamb, a scoop of potato hash and a handful of pita chips.
8. Fold the edges to the center to make a pentagon and sear it seam-side down in a dry pan on medium heat. Flip it over and brown the other side for just a minute or two.
This is so unlike me, but I quite enjoyed this without an egg, but if you feel like you want more protein and heft, please ADD AN EGG! If you like your vegetables (ugh, who are you?), a little patch of lemon-dressed frisée will match very nicely with the fatty lamb.
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Love this? It is from my Crunchwrap party guide.
Let me know if you make this lovely pocket of lamb.
Tag @Randwiches on Instagram to show it off.
