The Springing of Green

As these first few bits of spring pop their determined heads out of the cold soils, we get lost in our minds somewhere between nostalgia and anticipation. Like bleeding watercolors, the world turns new shades of green, and the possibilities of our daily routines expand. What will we find? What will we plant? What will we eat? Chances are, these things will be green. Here are a few of my favorite greens, to imbibe in now, or to anticipate and covet.

WHEATGRASS
These bright green tender sprouts of nourishment gained notoriety during the juicing craze of the 90's. While the nutritional content remains, wheatgrass has become more common as a decorative accent. You can buy full trays at nurseries and healthfood stores, cut them up with a paring knife and plant them into dishes, planters or baking tins lined with a little potting soil. Yesterday I filled 3 large bread pans and a round cake pan with one $20 tray from Wild By Nature. They look fantastic around the house. When they start to fade, snip them up and add them to your juicer.

KALE
While kale is really a cold weather green, it never loses its relevance. Kale is available year round and is a superfood, hands down. Everyone should eat it on a regular basis, and braising isn't the only way to cook it...

Easy Kale Pasta: Throw a couple handfuls of chopped kale into boiling pasta water, just 2-3 minutes before pasta is done. Drain and finish with olive oil, parmesan, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Crispy Kale: Toss potato chip sized pieces of kale with olive oil and salt. Bake at 275 for 30 - 45 minutes or until crispy. Eat as a side dish or pile onto sandwiches and paninis. Try a crispy kale, fresh mozzarella and prosciutto panini with pesto.

Storage: Kale freezes beautifully. Buy big bunches, rinse, dry and slice into 1 - 2" lengths. Pile into a ziploc freezer bag and pull out handfuls as needed. Their firm texture keeps them from freezing into a solid block, so grabbing what you need is easy.

SHELL PEAS
My great grandparents had a house on King Street in East Hampton village many years ago. My most vivid memory is wandering the back gardens in the spring, eating shell peas right off the vine. I should have been collecting them for dinner, but we all know we can't trust a 7 year old to do such things. Fresh shell peas aren't always easy to find, but when you do, they are well worth it. Try farmers markets and farm stands and make sure they are fresh. Shell and saute the peas with a bit of butter and garlic as a side, add to pasta dishes or puree steamed peas into a fresh pea soup.

PESTO
Good pesto. One word. Heaven. The best pre-made pesto in the Hamptons is made by Citarella. Prepared fresh and refrigerated this pesto is bright green and garlicky. Jarred grocery store pestos are expensive and dull, don't bother. Try making your own. All you need is a food processor or blender and a few simple ingredients (basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan). Try adding parsley, spinach, mint or cilantro to the basil, reduce the oil and increase the lemon juice for a lighter brighter pesto. Just keep in mind, the oil allows the pesto to stay fresh for longer. If you are using it right away, reducing the quantity is no problem. I like lots of lemon in mine and I'll even add some zest for brightness. Cheese and nuts can be optional, if you eliminate the cheese simply add some salt.

MINT
Fresh mint grows like wildfire, needs little attention (except for maybe ripping some out), and is perennial (comes back every year). Each spring we had a patch that would pop up on the west side of our house, and as soon as it did, we had homemade iced tea with lemon and mint in the fridge all summer long. Nothing tastes quite like summer. Try making mint pestos, add mint to fresh summer rolls, thai dishes, garnish desserts and drinks, and chomp on it right off the stalk. If you don't have any, just plant a little bit someplace out of the way and watch it go. Start a new tradition to look forward to year after year.

Redux: Braising Made Easy

Oh Sunday, how I love thee. The savory aroma of slow cooked meats and vegetables can turn a house into a home, a friend into a lover, a chill into a shiver of coziness. A nostalgic, visceral comfort alluring the senses with wispy fingers of love. These incredible concoctions can be reduced into a few simple steps and a few simple groups of ingredients, leaving behind no good reason not to give it a try.

• Brown your choice of meat (5-10 minutes): a light coating of flour, salt and pepper and a nice brown crust over medium high heat adds an irreplaceable depth of flavor. Try a bottom roast, short ribs, spare ribs, pork tenderloin, chicken thighs, sausages, pork chops, whatever looks good, whatever you like. Start with a few slices of bacon if you're feeling extra indulgent. Brown your meats and veggies in the drippings and add the crumbles to your slow cooker with the browned meat.
• Pick up those brown bits (1-3 minutes): if you aren't slow cooking in the same pan you browned your meat in, make sure you grab those bits with some stock or wine and add them to your slow cooker.
• Aromatics (3-5 minutes): A classic french mirepoix is carrots, celery and onions, but feel free to add garlic if your dish has an italian or spanish edge. These fragrant veggies can be sauteed in the brown bits first or added right to your slow cooker.
• Additional veggies (3-5 minutes): Optional additions include squash, sweet potatoes, beans, white potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, mushrooms etc. Cube them up and dump them right in. Or go completely vegetarian and skip the meat completely.
• Liquid (1-2 minutes): Braising is a method of wet/dry cooking in which the liquid comes about halfway up the meats and veggies. A mixture of stock, wine and sometimes stewed or crushed tomatoes is perfect. A splash of vinegar (balsamic, cider, red wine) can be added for a little tang. Choose beef stock and red for heavier meats, chicken stock and white wine for lighter ones. It's that simple.
• Herbs/Spices (1-2 minutes): This is the last step that takes your dish in a particular direction. Some simple cubed beef can become a burgandy (bacon, red wine, mushrooms and garlic) a goulash (sweet and hot paprika and sour cream stirred in before serving) or a simple stew. Combine white beans with squash and fresh sage, or stewed tomatoes with basil, garlic and a splash of balsamic for a red sauce. Good ancho chili powder and tomatoes transforms just about anything into mexican. Pick a direction and resist overdoing it. A couple of additonal flavors is enough, the best part of slow cooking is the complexity of flavors that naturally evolves from hours of low heat.
• Leave it alone (4 hours on high - 8 hours on low or until meat is fork tender): This is either the easiest part, if you have other things to do, or the hardest part, if you are obsessive about watching and getting hungrier and hungrier. I recommend leaving the house if you have OCD. 
• Serve: Serve stews alone, over egg noodles or with smashed potatoes and fresh parsley. Serve chilis with sour cream, chives and cheese. Serve white bean dishes on their own or with short pastas like orichiette and fresh basil. Serve red sauces with the pasta of your choice, aged hard cheeses and fresh basil. 

Slow cooking isn't just about convenience, it's about making a home smell like a home, enjoying the winter, loving your family and yourself. Make up your own combination of your favorite ingredients and watch it transform into something magical. Give your dish a name and watch as future generations ask for the recipe. This is the food memories are made from. Start your own legacy today.