Polpette of Potato with Avocado, Red Onion, and Cucumber Salad
The mingling tastes and textures
of cold, crisp, fresh salad and warm, soft, rich polpette--patties--are
not to be beaten, nor forgotten either. In spring, we like
polpette for supper on their own with salad and when
summer rolls around, we make an all-tomato salad to accompany
them. In winter, we serve them alongside pork chops, roasts,
and chicken, and any time of year we like them at breakfast
with an egg on top. Children love them, too; they like to
cut them open and discover the warm, melting cheese inside.
Serves 4.
1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes,
peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 Tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut on the diagonal
into 1/4-inch-thick crescents
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large, ripe tomato, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan with cold salted water
to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until tender,
about 10 minutes. Drain well, scatter on a baking sheet, and
let cool for several minutes. Place in the oven to dry out,
about 5 minutes. Let cool, then press through a ricer, the
large holes of a box grater, or a colander.
While the potatoes are in the
oven, cut the onion half into quarters and slice thinly to
yield slim pieces about 1 inch long. Put in a nonreactive
bowl with the vinegar and oregano and let rest for 15 minutes.
Season the potatoes with salt
and pepper, then divide into 8 equal balls. Place a ball in
the palm of your hand, top with a piece of cheese, and then
a second potato ball. Shape the potato around the cheese to
form a 4-inch patty. Repeat with the remaining potato balls
and cheese. (This recipe may be prepared to this point, covered,
and refrigerated up to 1 day before cooking.)
Heat the 2 tablespoons olive
oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat or in an electric
frying skillet set at 350 degrees. Add the polpette and cook,
turning once, until brown and crispy on both sides, about
20 minutes total.
While the polpette are cooking,
finish making the salad. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup olive
oil and salt and pepper to taste into the onion-vinegar mixture.
Add the cucumber, avocados, and tomato and toss well. Arrange
a nest. Spoon the salad over each nest. Top with a polpette
and spoon more dressing over all. Serve at once.
Grilled Asparagas with Tangerine Mayonnaise
Grilling adds a wonderful flavor
to asparagus and makes this dish a popular addition to our
spring menu. Unless you serve platter after platter of asparagus
(not a bad idea at all), however, you will have more mayonnaise
than you need. But that is good news, as it tastes great on
all sorts of vegetables and on poached fish, and can be used
to bind a chicken salad or as a sandwich spread. I prefer
to parboil asparagus spears before grilling them. Unless very
thin, the spears become acrid and dehydrate if grilled raw.
Cook them over an ebbing fire. You want a delicate grilled
flavor to add complexity, rather than overwhelm the taste
of the asparagus. Serves 4 to 6.
2 cups freshly squeezed tangerine
juice
2 tangerines
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
1 egg yolk (see chef's notes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup pure olive oil, plus more for tossing
with and brushing on asparagus
2 large bunches asparagus, about 2 pounds total,
trimmed and cooked for 3 minutes
(cook in rapidly boiling, well-salted water
until they barely bend when held at one end)
Long curls of tangerine zest, fresh or candied
Coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts (optional)
Put the juice in a small nonreactive
saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup.
Let cool to room temperature. Peel the tangerines, removing
all the white pith, and segment over a bowl to catch both
the segments and the juices. Cover and refrigerate until very
cold.
Combine the reduced juice, tarragon,
egg yolk, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and blend
until well mixed. With the machine running, add the 1 cup
olive oil, at first by drops and then, as mixture emulsifies,
in a thin, steady stream until all the oil is incorporated.
Taste for seasoning. Scrape into a jar, cover, and refrigerate
until needed. You should have about 1-2/3 cups mayonnaise.
(Keeps 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
Prepare the grill and let burn
down to medium coals. Toss the cooled asparagus with about
1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill
over medium to low coals, turning the spears as needed, until
they take on a little color and are just tender, about 6 minutes.
Cover the grill if necessary to maintain the heat.
Arrange the asparagus on a platter
with the reserved tangerine segments. Dot with the mayonnaise,
and drizzle with any tangerine juice left in the bowl. Garnish
with fresh or candied zest and the nuts, if using. Serve at
once.
Chef's
Notes: Every cook has insecurities. One of mine is mayonnaise.
I always get a little anxious until I see it coming together
in the blender. If the mayonnaise is too thick, thin it with
the machine running, by pulsing in a little cool water. If
you are concerned about raw eggs, use a pasteurized egg product
or an egg substitute such as Egg Beaters.
Saltimbocca of Zucchini
Saltimbocca means "to jump in
the mouth," and that's exactly what the flavors in this dish
do! Although saltimbocca is classically prepared with milk-fed
veal, I like tweaking traditional recipes in an effort to
create lighter dishes. Serve this dish as a midweek supper
or a weekend starter. It also makes a wonderful accompaniment
to roasted meats and poultry. The zucchini taste great at
room temperature when all the flavors come through equally.
If you plan on serving this as a first course, make a small
salad dressed with citrus vinaigrette to serve alongside.
This is a fun recipe for those overgrown zucchini lurking
under the thick leaves in the garden. Serves 4 as a light
main dish, 6 as a side dish or starter.
About 2 lbs. zucchini (see chef's notes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 thin slices prosciutto (about 1/4-lb.)
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh sage
About 1/3-lb. Fontina cheese, thinly sliced
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
About 1/4 cup pure olive oil
1-1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
About 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Cut a thin lengthwise slice off
each zucchini so they can then be cut lengthwise into even
1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices. This is most easily done on
a mandoline. You will need 16 slices total. Lay them out in
pairs on paper towels or a clean tea towel and season lightly
with salt and pepper.
Arrange the prosciutto slices
on half the zucchini slices so none hangs over the edges.
Place 2 sage leaves on top. Place the cheese slices on top,
taking the same precautions you did with the proscuitto. Finally,
lay the remaining zucchini slices on top of each stack. Cover
with paper towels or another clean tea towel and press down
firmly to extract moisture and firm the zucchini.
Pour the eggs into a deep plate.
Season the flour with salt and pepper and put on another plate.
Pick up each zucchini stack by both ends and hold it securely
closed as you dip it first into the egg and then dredge in
the flour until evenly coated.
In a skillet large enough to
hold at least 3 zucchini stacks at a time, heat 2 tablespoons
of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the
zucchini, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes
on each side. Remove to a plate and keep warm until all are
cooked. Add more oil by tablespoonfuls, if needed.
Add the remaining sage leaves
to the hot pan and cook briefly until crisp. Arrange several
crisped leaves on top of each saltimbocca. Serve with a sprinkling
of parsley, a light dusting of Parmesan, and lemon wedges.
Chef's Notes: Choose
fairly fat, evenly round zucchini that are similar in length
and diameter. Those that are about 8 inches long and 1-1/2
inches in diameter work well. In addition, the zucchini should
be as even in diameter from one end to the other if possible.
It is important to work quickly, not hesitating between assembling,
coating and cooking.
Zabaglione
Zabaglione is one of the elements
that is layered into Tra Vigne's Chocolate Tiramisù,
but it's also terrific just by itself, and takes very little
time to prepare. Traditionally, zabaglione is served warm
in a wine glass immediately after it is made.
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon light or dark rum
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Prepare an ice water bath. Combine
the yolks, rum, and Marsala in the top of a double boiler.
Place over (not touching) barely simmering water in the lower
pan and whisk vigorously, or beat with an electric mixer,
until the mixture begins to foam. Add the 1/2 cup sugar and
whisk continuously until the mixture triples in volume and
thickens to form soft mounds when the whisk is lifted, about
7 minutes. Immediately place the top of the double boiler
in the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Let cool, stirring
occasionally.
In a small bowl, beat the cream
until it begins to foam. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar
and continue to beat until the cream holds soft peaks. Fold
into the zabaglione. Serve warm, or cover and chill for several
hours before assembling with other ingredients in a tiramisù.
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