Bacon
Zucchini Ragout with Bacon and Tomato
Officially our favorite way to eat zucchini. It's also especially good with the little yellow scalloppini squash.
This is from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, which is a great cookbook.
Clean and cut the ends from 4-6 small zucchini or summer squash
Cut into 1/4 inch slices and toss with salt. Place into a colander to drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
Add 2 slices bacon or pancetta, cut into small pieces.
1 onion, peeled and diced.
Cook for 10 minutes, until tender, then add:
3/4 pound tomatoes, peeled and diced. [She also suggests seeding them, but we never do.]
Cook for 7 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the sliced zuchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the succhini is tender and the sauc is thick. Turn the heat down if the sauce is boiling rapidly or if it starts to stick. At the last few minutes season with:
Fresh-ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons chopped parsely, and 2 teaspoons chopped basil.
Taste for salt, and serve warm or at room temperature as an anti-pasto dish or on top of grilled or toasted bread rubbed with a garlic clove.
Puerto Rico Black Beans
Dry beans are a great addition to the local diet. Our crop didn't do so well in 2010, but locally-grown black beans can usually be purchased from Elmer Farm in East Middlebury. This recipe is wicked easy and super delicious, but not for those on a low-fat diet. I don't actually know if it's traditionally Puerto Rican, but I learned from someone who was from Puetro Rico, so that's close enough for Vermont.
1 cup dried black beans or 2 cups cooked
3-4 tablespoons bacon fat (you could sub olive oil if you have to)
1 large onion
Pinch salt
First, cook the beans. The best way is to soak them overnight in plenty of water, then simmer for 45 minutes or so until done. A pressure cooker can do the job in about 15 minutes, if you have one. Drain them once they're done.
Chop the onion as small as you can - 1/4 inch pieces are best.
Warm a big cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Put in the fat or oil - you should have a good thick coating. Add the onions, and lower the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle with salt. Cook the onions until soft and translucent or slightly browned. The longer you cook them and the lower the heat, the more caramelized and delicious they will get.
When the onions are good and soft, add the beans. Stir it all together, and let stew on low heat for a while, stirring occasionally. You may want to add some more fat - it's really worth it to have it be good and bacony. I recommend adding as much as you can handle.
When the beans are getting mushy and starting to fall apart, you're done! These are great in burritos and tacos, and also make a good side dish. Enjoy!
Pumpkin and Pancetta Risotto
You could easily sub any winter squash for the pumpkin, and bacon for the pancetta. The basic risotto method lends itself to a variety of additions, and squash is one of the best. Even though it takes a while, it's very easy and the end product is SO good.
This recipe is from the Food Network.
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped pancetta
2 to 2 1/2 cups light chicken stock
2 large shallots, chopped
1 pound pumpkin flesh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Scant 1 cup risotto rice (Carnaroli, Arborio, or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons mascarpone
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat a dry non-stick [cast iron would be even better] frying pan and, when hot, fry the pancetta until browned and crisp. Drain and set aside.
Heat the stock to a gentle simmer in a saucepan.
In a large saucepan, gently saute the shallots and pumpkin in the oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes to toast the grains. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced right down.
Now pour in one-fourth of the stock and stir well. Cook gently until the liquid has been
absorbed, then stir in another ladleful of stock. Continue cooking and stirring, gradually
adding the stock, until the rice grains are just tender and the risotto is creamy. The
whole process should take about 15 minutes.
About 2 minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the pancetta, mascarpone, and half the Parmesan. Check the seasoning, then serve in warm bowls, sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan.
Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pasta
This amazing dish is based on a recipe from Alice Water's book Chez Panisse Vegetables. If you think you don't like Brussels sprouts, try it anyway.
Cut the stems off the sprouts and slice them thinly. Start cooking some pasta (I like to use big shells.) Cook some bacon until cooked through but not too crispy, and remove to a paper towel. Saute a diced onion in the bacon grease. Add the sprout leaves, red pepper flakes, and salt. Pour in a little white wine, chicken stock, or water. Cover and let simmer for ten or twelve minutes, until the sprouts are tender. Add a few cloves of chopped garlic, cook for a minute more. When the pasta is done, drain it and then add to the saute pan. Squeeze some lemon over the whole affair, toss together and serve hot with some fresh-grated Parmesan.
Officially our favorite way to eat zucchini. It's also especially good with the little yellow scalloppini squash.
This is from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, which is a great cookbook.
Clean and cut the ends from 4-6 small zucchini or summer squash
Cut into 1/4 inch slices and toss with salt. Place into a colander to drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
Add 2 slices bacon or pancetta, cut into small pieces.
1 onion, peeled and diced.
Cook for 10 minutes, until tender, then add:
3/4 pound tomatoes, peeled and diced. [She also suggests seeding them, but we never do.]
Cook for 7 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the sliced zuchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the succhini is tender and the sauc is thick. Turn the heat down if the sauce is boiling rapidly or if it starts to stick. At the last few minutes season with:
Fresh-ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons chopped parsely, and 2 teaspoons chopped basil.
Taste for salt, and serve warm or at room temperature as an anti-pasto dish or on top of grilled or toasted bread rubbed with a garlic clove.
Puerto Rico Black Beans
Dry beans are a great addition to the local diet. Our crop didn't do so well in 2010, but locally-grown black beans can usually be purchased from Elmer Farm in East Middlebury. This recipe is wicked easy and super delicious, but not for those on a low-fat diet. I don't actually know if it's traditionally Puerto Rican, but I learned from someone who was from Puetro Rico, so that's close enough for Vermont.
1 cup dried black beans or 2 cups cooked
3-4 tablespoons bacon fat (you could sub olive oil if you have to)
1 large onion
Pinch salt
First, cook the beans. The best way is to soak them overnight in plenty of water, then simmer for 45 minutes or so until done. A pressure cooker can do the job in about 15 minutes, if you have one. Drain them once they're done.
Chop the onion as small as you can - 1/4 inch pieces are best.
Warm a big cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Put in the fat or oil - you should have a good thick coating. Add the onions, and lower the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle with salt. Cook the onions until soft and translucent or slightly browned. The longer you cook them and the lower the heat, the more caramelized and delicious they will get.
When the onions are good and soft, add the beans. Stir it all together, and let stew on low heat for a while, stirring occasionally. You may want to add some more fat - it's really worth it to have it be good and bacony. I recommend adding as much as you can handle.
When the beans are getting mushy and starting to fall apart, you're done! These are great in burritos and tacos, and also make a good side dish. Enjoy!
Pumpkin and Pancetta Risotto
You could easily sub any winter squash for the pumpkin, and bacon for the pancetta. The basic risotto method lends itself to a variety of additions, and squash is one of the best. Even though it takes a while, it's very easy and the end product is SO good.
This recipe is from the Food Network.
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped pancetta
2 to 2 1/2 cups light chicken stock
2 large shallots, chopped
1 pound pumpkin flesh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Scant 1 cup risotto rice (Carnaroli, Arborio, or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons mascarpone
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat a dry non-stick [cast iron would be even better] frying pan and, when hot, fry the pancetta until browned and crisp. Drain and set aside.
Heat the stock to a gentle simmer in a saucepan.
In a large saucepan, gently saute the shallots and pumpkin in the oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes to toast the grains. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced right down.
Now pour in one-fourth of the stock and stir well. Cook gently until the liquid has been
absorbed, then stir in another ladleful of stock. Continue cooking and stirring, gradually
adding the stock, until the rice grains are just tender and the risotto is creamy. The
whole process should take about 15 minutes.
About 2 minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the pancetta, mascarpone, and half the Parmesan. Check the seasoning, then serve in warm bowls, sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan.
Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pasta
This amazing dish is based on a recipe from Alice Water's book Chez Panisse Vegetables. If you think you don't like Brussels sprouts, try it anyway.
Cut the stems off the sprouts and slice them thinly. Start cooking some pasta (I like to use big shells.) Cook some bacon until cooked through but not too crispy, and remove to a paper towel. Saute a diced onion in the bacon grease. Add the sprout leaves, red pepper flakes, and salt. Pour in a little white wine, chicken stock, or water. Cover and let simmer for ten or twelve minutes, until the sprouts are tender. Add a few cloves of chopped garlic, cook for a minute more. When the pasta is done, drain it and then add to the saute pan. Squeeze some lemon over the whole affair, toss together and serve hot with some fresh-grated Parmesan.