My kind of people.

My first day of work was an orientation of sorts. We learned the layout, what we should wear, how to properly build the tables each morning. We learned the specifics of what we would do each Sunday and, of course, we learned each others names. We played one of those ice breaker introduction games; you know the kind you played on the first day of elementary school or summer camp or the first night in a college dorm. Except in all those situations you're usually required to give your name and maybe your favorite color or grade level or your major. Whereas here - in this light, airy, new office that the market calls home - we had to give the name of our favorite fruit or vegetable. If I didn't smile outright, as I'm sure I did, I certainly smiled inside; these are my kind of people. Not only did everyone go along with it, but they all did so as if it were the most natural thing in the world - as if people ask them this all the time. Maybe they do. As we went around the circle there were nods of approval as if everyone could taste the fruit or vegetable in question and were even having trouble deciding which they are partial to. 

Like I said, these are my kind of people.

For me it was a toss up: brussel sprouts or broccoli rabe. The sprouts put up a good fight arguing that they are easier to eat as a snack (I like to steam them and keep them in the fridge) but ultimately the broccoli rabe won out. It is absolutely hands down my favorite vegetable. One of these days years I'm going to grow my own but for now I'll continue to buy these enormous heads of it from Do Re Me Farms. 


I also truly believe that anyone who doesn't like broccoli rabe has never had it prepared properly. Yes, it can be bitter and tough but if it's sauteed just right, it's neither. It's tender like broccoli but more pungent like full grown spinach and I like it the best with garlic, oil, sausage and splash of either lemon juice, white wine or vermouth. I've made this 3 times in the past two weeks - twice with broccoli rabe and once with swiss chard. Obviously, I suggest the broccoli rabe version.

Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Chili Sausage

The chili and garlic flavors here are a theme that repeats throughout. The sausage I used was a chili-garlic pork sausage from Dickson's Farmstand but I also added red chili flakes to the oil as it was heating up. I like to add my spices directly to the oil in this manner because it heats them up and really lets them release their flavors better than if I add them later on. It kind of toasts them even though it's not in a dry pan.

You don't have to use a pork sausage here, it could be poultry or even venison. What's important is that it is fresh and not pre-cooked the way many packaged sausages are. If it's pre-cooked it will not crumble and it will also cook to quickly and dry out. Serves 2

1 large uncooked sausage, about 1/3lb (see headnotes)

2 very large bunches of broccoli rabe (I mean REALLY large, not those wimpy things the supermarket carries)

2 or 3 large cloves of garlic, sliced

juice from 1 lemon (or a 1/4-1/2 cup of vermouth or dry white wine)

a few pinches red chili flakes

a few pinches dried rosemary

olive oil

salt and pepper

Trim the broccoli rabe and chop it into large pieces. Bring a large pot of water to boil and blanch the broccoli rabe just until bright green (a couple minutes). Plunge it into an ice bath to stop the cooking and set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat a little bit of olive oil (maybe two teaspoons - you won't need much because the sausage will give off fat as well) on medium high heat. Add the chili flakes and rosemary and stir to coat about 30 seconds. Slice the sausage lengthwise to remove the skin and crumble into the pan to brown for about a minute. Add the sliced garlic and stir the mixture letting the sausage and garlic brown. Add the lemon juice, wine or vermouth (whichever you choose) to deglaze the pan and scrape the fond from the bottom and sides. Add the chopped broccoli rabe and more liquid (only if the pan is dry). Cover immediately to finish cooking the broccoli rabe but remove cover and stir it around everything 30 seconds or so to keep it from overcooking in one place.

Remove from pan and add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy immediately!

Market Pictures - September 19th

Long overdue pictures from last Sunday's Market

More over here.

Brisket and "Goop"

Everyone has a few household items or foods that they call by an odd name. Maybe it originally descended from a family member who speaks another language or maybe one day someone was at a loss for words and just made one up that stuck. Whatever the reason, the words become a natural, integrated part of your vocabulary and you forget that the general population doesn't have a clue what you are talking about (I actually do this fairly frequently). For example the first time I heard someone use the slang term "po-po" to refer to the police I was utterly confused because in my family, we called the end of a loaf of bread the "po-po". I was probably 16 and the conversation went something like this:


Friend: There's a tree blocking the road we can't go into town: but don't worry the po-po is on their way, it'll be cleared soon.
Me: Wait, what? Who's coming?
Friend: The po-po, to deal with the fallen tree.
Me: The end-of-the-bread is going to clear the tree from the road??
Friend: What are you talking about? The police are coming; po-po = police.
Me: Ohhhhhh, well not in my house it doesn't...

Or try sitting in your freshman dorm in college with a roommate that you barely know and asking her to pass the doo-hickey (TV remote or sometimes whatever it is that you want but can't seem to remember the name of, at which time you point and call it a doo-hickey).
Yea, I got a weird look for that one.

Sometimes, the real word just doesn't fit the item or food as well as the made-up word. In that case it's best to carry on as if the whole world calls it that same thing. Most likely no one will question you and in some cases they'll understand why it's so fitting. For example, the word "goop". Growing up in my house, this referred to the mixture of chopped vegetables, wine and broth that a brisket roasted with in the oven. They're finely chopped and kind of soupy, floating around next to the meat. After the brisket is done roasting (for 3 1/2 hours) the chopped vegetables get strained out of the sauce and plopped into a bowl to be served along side the meat and sauce. The words "chopped vegetables" just don't seem to fit. It's still a little liquid-y and the little bits are kind of uniformly sized, honestly I just can't think of any word for it besides "goop" and that's what has stuck all these years.

However, last night I served it to a table full of people who didn't grow up with brisket "goop" and every time someone asked me what was in the bowl, I was at a loss for words. Somehow explaining what exactly is in it just doesn't do it justice. I feel like the only way to really describe it is "goop" and eventually that's what I started telling people. I said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world and no one questioned it. I even got a few nods as if I had given them the answer they were expecting all along.

Beef Brisket with "Goop", Baby Carrots and Pearl Onions

Beef broth lends a deeper richer flavor but either chicken broth also works. Any combination of the two is fine as well. / Serves 8

1 3.5lb Flat-cut beef brisket, fat trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil

7 cups (900g) finely chopped onions

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 cup finely chopped celery

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1 750ml bottle dry red wine

8 large fresh thyme sprigs

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

2 bays leaves

13 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth

1lb baby carrots

12oz pearl onions, blanched and peeled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Sprinkle meat with salt in pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, wide pot of medium-high heat.

Brown brisket - about 5 minutes per side - and transfer to a large roasting pan. Set aside.

Add chopped onions, garlic, celery and carrots to the original pot and saute until golden, about 10 minutes.

Add wine, thyme sprigs and bay leaves to pot. Boil until liquid is reduced to about 5 cups, about 10 minutes. Add both and bring to a boil.
This is a TON of liquid but it will reduce significantly and you definitely need all of it to ensure there is enough liquid throughout the whole cooking time.

Pour wine mixture over brisket to fill 2/3 of the pan, reserve remaining wine mixture.

Roast brisket uncovered until very tender, turning and basting occasionally and adding more of the wine mixture as necessary to keep the pan 2/3 full, about 3 1/2 hours.

Remove the meat to a cutting board or platter.

Strain pan juices into a bowl pressing on solids and set aside. 
Remove the time sprigs and bay leaves and discard.
*Puree the solids (aka the vegetables or "goop") until blended but still chunky and spoon into a bowl. Gradually whisk a little of the puree into the gravy adding more as needed to thicken but not too much as the gravy will continue to thicken on its own. If you accidentally add too much just whisk in a little broth to thin out again.
Season both sauce and "goop" with salt and pepper and set aside.

Thinly slice the meat across the grain.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add baby carrots, pearl onions and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme; saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Cover and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve meat with sauce, "goop" carrots, and pearl onions.

The meat, sauce and "goop" freeze well either separately or mixed together into ready to go portions.


*I completely forgot this step last night which is why my sauce was too thin and my "goop" just looks like chopped up vegetables. It's not a huge deal but it's definitely worth the extra step.

Simple Sangria

A summer thursday night includes bar-b-que, friends and Sangria. I got this recipe last weekend from a friend (Hi Lauren!) and couldn't wait to make it. I made Sangria a few times last summer but never really settled on a recipe that I liked. This one is fruity and so simple to make. 

I planned to replace the Diet Sprite with seltzer to cut down on the sweetness (and ditch the aspartame) but in the end I forgot to add it at all. It was delicious anyway, but if you want some bubbles without the added sugar just add 1-2 cups of seltzer or splash some right into your glass. 

Simple Sangria 

I used an inexpensive Argentinian Carmenere but a Malbec, Rioja or really any red wine would be fine. Don't waste anything expensive since you're mixing it with juice and fruit anyway. That being, said an inexpensive wine is different than a bad wine. There are plenty of decent wines out there that won't break the bank but if your wine has gone bad you will taste that in the Sangria. 

Adapted from Lauren Lichtenstein / Makes 1 1/2 litres 

4 cups Red Wine (see headnote) 

1/2-1 cup Peach Schnapps 

2 cups Orange Juice (no pulp) 

Splash of seltzer (optional) 

Lot's of cut up fruit. 

I used: 1 green apple, 1 large orange, 3 nectarines 

Lauren and I also recommend: cherries, mango, pineapple, plums and grapes 

Combine wine, schnapps, juice, fruit and seltzer in a pitcher. Serve over ice and be ready to make several more batches throughout the night ;) 

To make ahead of time: combine everything but the seltzer and store in the fridge up to 8 hours. 

Lauren's Original Sangria 

4 cups Merlot 

1 cup Peach Brandy 

2 cups Orange juice (no pulp) 

2 cups Diet Sprite 

Lot's of cut up fruit.

See above for instructions.