Blog | La Domestique | Kitchen – Pantry – Garden

Ingredient of the Week: Rhubarb

By Jess On May 6, 2012 · 18 Comments

Rhubarb is a sight for sore eyes! Like an oasis in the dessert, she appears to bridge the hungry gap between citrus season and the fresh berries and stone fruits of summer. I might not notice her then, surrounded by fuzzy peaches and plump cherries. But now, the stage is all hers, and just as an understudy in the theater, she’s prepared. She’s learned the lines for every role, seamlessly transitioning from pies and tarts to jelly preserves to crisps and crumbles. Rhubarb is versatile, adding life to savory dishes such as Middle Eastern stews or chutney paired with cheese, pork, or luxurious foie gras. Left to stew in sugar and orange juice, the mouth-puckering syrup rendered infuses cocktails with her blushing pink hue and electricity, as if the energy of spring could be bottled and sold.

I’ve seen her in the garden, lengthy cherry-red petioles splaying unabashedly, voluptuous leaves basking in the sun. No need to worry about pests bothering rhubarb -the grand leaves are all for show, full of poisonous oxalic acid. I’ll enjoy the peak of rhubarb season from April to June, taking her home to my kitchen and straight to the cooking pot. Once plucked from the precious soil rhubarb quickly deteriorates, drying up and surrendering to her mortality. It’s best not to waste any time. Sugar is the only thing that can tame her brash tartness. A few minutes under the heat and rhubarb disintegrates into mush, politely called a compote, which I will spoon over ice cream or stir into my morning oatmeal. For this moment, rhubarb is the most beautiful taste of spring, and she owns it.

Have you cooked with rhubarb? Share your impressions of this tart, fruity vegetable in the comments section. Click Here.

You may have noticed that the la Domestique website is getting a makeover! Over the next couple of weeks things will be changing around here, and we’re super excited for the face lift plus some new functionality that will make it easier to find inspiration for cooking with the seasons utilizing what you’ve got on hand in the pantry. Stay tuned!

Cook in the Moment: Grilled Spring Onions with Romesco Sauce

By Jess On May 3, 2012 · 14 Comments

I’m not into celebrity chefs, per se. My favorite cookbooks are penned by self-taught home cooks with an interesting story to tell and a reverence for the craft of writing. Paula Wolfert, Nigel Slater, David Tanis, even Nigella Lawson. I want more than recipes. Give me history, culture, tradition. Let me be lost in your story and see the world through new eyes. I’m drawn to people who have a contagious enthusiasm for life. José Andrés is one of those cooks. He’s joyful and driven in his mission to share Spanish food with the world. Sure he is a celebrity, but to me, he’s not a celebrity chef. It’s substance and meaning and tradition re-imagined that gives his food depth. When I traveled to Washington D.C. for the first time (in April), I knew I had to visit one of his restaurants.

During the trip, my traveling companion and I ended up at Jaleo for lunch, José’s tapas restaurant just off the National Mall. From the street I saw big red letters on glass spelling out, “Jaleo,” and broke free from the crowded sidewalk, in through the glass doors, to be greeted by an über-professional hostess dressed in black from head-to-toe. It was a slick operation, the kind of service I miss out here in Boulder, Colorado. I was struck by the balance of genuine friendliness and confident professionalism exuded by the restaurant staff. “Jaleo” means “revelry” or “uproar” in Spanish, and the John Singer Sargent painting, El Jaleo inspired the restaurant concept. The hostess lead my friend and I through the lively restaurant with its bright colors and modern decor, and we were seated at a table for two by the window. I was eager to taste the food and experience meals I’ve cooked from José’s books. I’ve got a real thing for Spain- the language, the small plates and brash flavors, the artisinal meats and cheeses, afternoon siesta, eating late- I love it all.

When it came time to pick a wine off the iPad wine list, I knew it had to be rosé. I can’t wait to enjoy the first bottles of blushing pink wine each spring, and always associate this ritual with happy times and celebrations. We ordered two glasses of Llopart Brut Rosé, 2008, an effervescent blend of Monastrell, Grenache, and Pinot Noir grapes. The cava was bone-dry with essences of strawberry and a minerality that begged to be paired with charcuterie, so I ordered a plate of Chorizo Palacios (spicy cured pork sausage flavored with pimentón) and the famous Jamón Ibérico Fermin (made from black-footed Ibérico pigs of Spain). The whole idea of tapas is a steady stream of small plates, and we followed the charcuterie with Pimentos del Piquillo Rellenos de Queso (seared red piquillo peppers filled with Caña de cabra goat cheese), Papas Arrugás (Canary Island-style potatoes cooked in salt until wrinkled and tender, served with mojo verde and mojo rojo) and two bowls of soup. I felt an obligation to try the Gazpacho (a chilled purée of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and bread) and found it refreshing, but my friend ordered the Sopa de Ajo (a garlic infused broth with black garlic and a poached quail egg), which was spectacular- deeply comforting, intense umami, a real mystery in a bowl.

In my opinion, every meal must end with a little something sweet. We chose a decadent dark chocolate mousse and hazelnut ice cream, paired with two espressos to keep us going the rest of the day. Our experience at Jaleo was that of a fun, vibrant restaurant, a celebration of Spanish tapas infused with the joyful spirit of Chef José Andrés. I returned home to Boulder, Colorado with tapas on my mind. Today, I share with you a technique I found in José Andrés Tapas cookbook: the Spanish tradition of grilling spring onions.

In the book, José Andrés shares a recipe for Calçots al Estilo de Valls (Early Spring Onions with Romesco Sauce). Calçots are a type of spring onion, thicker than a scallion, with a sweet, mild flavor. In early spring they are harvested and friends and family gather in celebration to enjoy the onions grilled on a wood fire until charred and infused with smoke, then wrapped in newspaper and allowed to steam. It’s a messy, eat with your hands kind of meal that really reminds me of the revelrous spirit of Jaleo. The outer charred layer is pulled off the calçot, which is dipped in romesco sauce and eaten whole by lowering the onion carefully into the mouth. Romesco is a rustic, ruddy colored sauce made by blending smoky sweet chiles with onions, garlic, and olive oil in a purée flavored with Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón) and sherry vinegar. Ground almonds and breadcrumbs add body to the sauce, allowing it to cling to the slippery grilled onions. The spring tradition of grilling the calçots and sharing them with friends is known as a calçotada, and José believes it has a “great future in America.” I enthusiastically agree. We could all use a bit more jaleo, that Spanish flair for uproar and revelry, in our home cooking.

Each week I contribute an article to the Whole Foods Market Cooking Boulder website expanding on one of the 10 Ways Tuesday ideas. This week I shared a recipe for Grilled Spring Onions with Romesco Sauce. For the entire article and recipe, click on the icon below.

10 Ways Tuesday: Spring Onions

By Jess On May 1, 2012 · 4 Comments

I’ve got creative recipes for cooking with spring onions:

1. Frittata

Basically a quiche without the pastry crust, the frittata is a rustic Italian baked egg dish that’s best suited to spring cooking. It’s a forgiving technique: sauté thinly sliced vegetables in a skillet, pour over beaten eggs, and sprinkle cheese on top. Start cooking the eggs on the stovetop and finish under the broiler for a browned and puffy frittata. Look for my favorite spring version: Spring Onion, Pea & Chive Frittata with Goat Cheese, on the blog this week. In the meantime, Martha Stewart’s Mushroom and Scallion Frittata would be delicious made with spring onions.

2. Grilled

In Spain, grilled Calçots are a spring tradition. I first learned of this reading José Andrés Tapas cookbook. The Calçots, a spring onion, are cooked whole (minus the roots) over hot coals until tender and infused with smoky flavor. It’s a meal for a crowd, and a messy one at that, as the onions are meant to be eaten with your fingers, dragged through a spicy red romesco sauce and chased with plenty of wine. I’ll be preparing grilled spring onions inspired by this tradition tomorrow on the blog.

3. Pickled

I always look to Chez Panisse Vegetables for simple preparations of seasonal produce that really highlight fresh flavor. Alice Waters’ instructions for Pickled Spring Onions is one of those techniques that can kick a meal up a notch with spectacular flavor. Spring onions are cleaned and trimmed, then simmered in a pot of 5 parts water to 1 part white wine vinegar and aromatics such as coriander seed, peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, and fresh thyme sprigs. Once the onions are tender, take the pot off the heat and allow it to cool. Refrigerate in jars and serve the pickled spring onions in salads, to garnish soups and stews, or as a side for grilled meats.

4. Spring Pilaf

The book I use as my ultimate reference for cooking with grains is Ancient Grains for Modern Meals, and in it you’ll find a recipe for Spring Pilaf with Artichokes and Green Peas. Maria Speck writes, “This quick dinner side is perfect for the days when you are tired, overworked, and simply done with the day.” She uses the always available green onions, but substitute spring onions for their fresh, lively flavor. Sauté the onions with garlic and rosemary for the base of the pilaf. Add instant brown rice (or par-boiled long grain brown rice) and cook in chicken (or vegetable) broth with green peas, artichoke hearts, and dill. Instant rice will absorb all the liquid in about 5 minutes. Let this pilaf inspire grain salads like a wheatberry or barley tossed with spring vegetables, lemon juice, and olive oil.

5. Roasted

This is easygoing spring cooking at its best. Cut off the tops and roots of spring onions and toss them in olive oil along with whatever other spring veg you’ve got on hand: radishes, asparagus, artichokes, carrots, turnips, garlic, etc. Follow along with Bon Appétit’s roasted spring vegetables: season the veg with sea salt and pepper and pop them into a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

6. Bruschetta

Slices of toasted baguette topped with avocado, pea tendrils, chopped green onion, and maybe some blanched fava beans or peas, are perfect as a snack with a glass of white wine for happy hour. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast it under the broiler or toss it on the grill. Or maybe leave off the avocado and go for a tangy, salty sheep’s milk cheese like shavings of pecorino. Or mozzarella! Fresh herbs like mint, chive, or tarragon would also be lovely.

7. Compound Herb Butter

Use mildly pungent, slightly sweet, herbal spring onions diced in a compound butter with garlic, dill, parsley, and lemon for Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches a la the Barefoot Contessa. I like to spread the flavorful butter over rye or hearty-whole wheat bread before topping with slices of rich smoked salmon. The onions add an essence of spring, and the sandwiches are perfect for tea time with a friend.

8. Terrine

A terrine is a dish made by layering ingredients, usually into a jar or other vessel, often un-molded before serving to showcase the beauty of color and shape in each layer. If you love design, Stéphane Reynaud’s cookbook, Terrine, is a feast for the eyes (and the mouth)! Though you may think pork or paté, my favorite terrines are made with vegetables or seafood. Reynaud’s Avocado and Shellfish Terrine makes for an elegant spring dish that is great for entertaining as it is prepared ahead of time and left to chill before turning out. Toss cooked shrimp with basil and olive oil. Using a biscuit ring as a mold, place the shrimp in the base for the first layer. Top with slices of avocado, then a mixture of crab meat and spring onions. Spring onion leaves can also be used to line the inside of the mold before layering for a pretty green wrap around the terrine. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes before un-molding.

9. Spring Onion Pancakes

Use seasonal spring onions in Martha Stewart’s Scallion Pancakes for a slightly stronger flavor. In this Chinese pancake, thinly sliced spring onions and sesame oil add Asian flavor that is complimented by a soy-chile-rice wine vinegar dipping sauce. Serve the pancakes as part of a big spread with spring rolls, dumplings, stir-fry, and other Asian dishes for dinner, or make them with the kids for an afternoon snack.

10. Atop Pizza or Flatbread

One of my favorite spring recipes is this Flatbread Topped with Mint, Feta, and Lamb. It’s a weeknight supper I keep in my bag of tricks- quick and easy but full of Mediterranean flavor. Sliced leeks and scallions (or in this case, spring onions) are sautéed in butter, then sprinkled over the flatbread along with browned ground lamb, mint, and feta. A generous drizzle of olive oil is the only sauce you need for this bright and herbal dish. If I’m too tired to make the dough myself, I serve the toppings on store-bought naan bread. Really, really good.

What is your favorite way to cook with spring onions? Share it in the comments section. Click Here.

Ingredient of the Week: Spring Onions

By Jess On April 29, 2012 · 2 Comments

Spring onions are the pantry ingredient of the week at la Domestique. These sweet and succulent Alliums are merely immature red, yellow, or white onions. Harvested early, spring onions have generous green leaves and long thin stalks. Their flesh is moist and delicate, and their mild onion flavor is delicious eaten raw or cooked. At the farmers market, the pungent aroma of spring onions can be detected in the air long before reaching the farm stand stacked high with dangling roots and bound stems. Here in Colorado, the growing season gets off to a slow start, as night frosts are a regular occurrence through May. Spring onions are a welcome sight after so many weeks of only spinach.

When selecting spring onions, look for bright green, perky tops and firm stems- nothing dry or shriveled. Keep spring onions in the fridge loosely wrapped in a plastic bag. Use them within a day or two, as the tender stems will turn limp and rapidly loose their flavor. To prepare spring onions for cooking, slice off the roots and green tops and peel off the outer layer. Spring onions can be grilled whole or thinly sliced and eaten raw in salads, tacos, or to garnish soups. Tomorrow is 10 Ways Tuesday and I’ve got creative recipes for cooking with spring onions.

Pictured above is a spring onion I picked up at the Boulder Farmer’s Market, the Egyptian Walking Onion, a variety I’ll be cooking with all week here at la Domestique. They form a bulb at the root like a regular onion, but also produce buds at the tips of the stems with mini-bulbs. As the mini-bulb matures, it gets heavy, causing the stem to bend down to the ground where the bulb develops roots and carries on the cycle. One Egyptian Onion plant can “walk” across the garden. Crazy.

Farmer’s markets are a great place to find colorful, flavorful spring onions. Variety is the spice of life, and I encourage you to seek out the unique as that’s where the great meals can be found. Look for grand green, leafy stalks with purple streaks, pearly white mini-bulbs, and even wild onions. You never know what you might find.

Do you have a favorite local spring onion variety? Tell us about it in the comments section. Click Here.

Cook in the Moment: Spring Pea & Herb Salad with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

By Jess On April 26, 2012 · 14 Comments

Olive Oil, More Than Just a Commodity

Olive oil- to us, it’s just food. Many of us here in the U.S. have never seen a gnarled olive tree. Olive oil comes from isle 9 in the grocery store, with no history, no context, only pictures on bottle labels depicting romantic Italian villas. Olive oil is a commodity. Merriam Webster defines commodity as “a mass-produced unspecialized product.” Reading Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, by Tom Mueller, took me on a journey through the olive growing regions of the world, beginning in Italy, passing through Spain, Greece, Australia, and California. Amongst discussion of olive oil pressing methods, olive oil tasting notes, and corruption in the olive oil industry, the pit stop that stuck with me most was Palestine. In an interview with Ehud Netzer, an archaeologist at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Mueller explores the olive branch as a symbol of peace since ancient times, now warped into an emblem of conflict:

“Olive trees are power,” he said with surprising vehemence. “People here, both Palestinians and Israelis, grow them to control land- to occupy it.”

Netzer had watched olive trees being planted by the opposing factions, until their beauty had become tainted in his mind. “Now all I see is their other side. I see power struggles, I see places where rock throwers and killers can hide. In my mind, this universal symbol of peace, for Jews and Arabs alike, has become a picture of conflict, hatred, danger.”

I needed to know more. This idea that the olive branch is no longer a symbol of peace made a big impression on me. Like many in the U.S., I didn’t know much about Israel and Palestine. I knew about unresolved differences and violence, but nothing about the people and their cultures. I didn’t know the importance of the olive tree in the whole situation, named The Olive Tree Wars by the press.

Researching the olive tree wars, I came across a law from the Ottoman Empire regarding land ownership that Palestinians embrace to this day. Peasants must farm the land to maintain ownership of it. Over time, for a people who relied mostly on verbal rather than written record, olive trees became a symbol of land ownership. As Israeli settlers encroached on their space, Palestinians began planting thousands of olive trees in open space to signal their territory. The Israeli-Palestine conflict is marked by the Israelis destroying Palestinian olive trees, moving onto land Palestinians have farmed for generations, and planting their own olive groves to claim land ownership. Another alluded to theme of the story is the juxtaposition of Israel as a nation with a good economy and highly educated people against rural people of Palestine whose livelihood is dependent on farming. In an interview with Father Firas Nasib Aridah, a Catholic priest living peacefully amongst 1300 Muslims and 900 Christians in a small Jerusalem town, Adriah says,

“For our families, the olive tree isn’t just a symbol of life, it is life.”

Knowing this, how can we go on treating olive oil as a commodity? We are so far removed from it all- the cultivation of olive trees, the generations of families pressing olives to enjoy the life-giving oil, the cultural and religious significance of it. Reading the life-stories and interviews in Extra-Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil left me with a reverence for these people and their struggles. It reminded me to be conscious, to be present, and to be discerning when buying olive oil. A book about food, but really so much more, left me with a deeper appreciation for the opportunity to choose an extra-virgin olive oil in the store that’s well-made by passionate people who devote their lives to celebrating its peppery, fruity, unique flavor and not producing a tasteless commodity. With each drop of olive oil I eat, I will savor the freedom I enjoy, and say a prayer for those who struggle in this world.

For a little more info on the complicated subject of the Israel-Palestine Conflict, you may want to listen to this episode of Talk of the Nation on NPR.

Each week I contribute an article to the Whole Foods Market Cooking Boulder Website. This week I celebrated extra-virgin olive oil with a recipe for Spring Pea and Herb Salad. To see the original article and recipe notes, click on the icon below.

Spring Pea & Herb Salad with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups frozen peas
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 cup (a small handful) sorrel leaves, stems removed, leaves sliced into ribbons
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup watercress leaves
3 scallions or spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons high quality extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
a handful of edible flowers, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Cook the edamame in simmering water for 4 minutes, until just tender. Using a strainer spoon, remove the edamame from the boiling water and submerge it in the ice water bath to set the color and stop the cooking. Now add the frozen peas to the boiling water and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain the peas and place them in the ice water bath. Discard the boiling water. Once the peas and edamame are chilled (just a minute or two) drain the vegetables in a colander and place them in a salad bowl.

Add the sorrel leaves, mint, watercress, and spring onions to the peas and edamame.Gently toss the salad to combine, drizzling over the extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with edible flowers. The salad will taste best at room temperature after it has marinated for a few minutes.

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