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Boulangerie Beans And Leeks

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The Child does not eat meat, which isn’t really a problem – although I do love a good steak here and there. Mostly, I solve this by cooking steak on the grill, alongside a piece of salmon for her, or else we eat out and just each get what we like.

This past week, I found out about a grass-fed beef lecture and tasting, sponsored by the renowned Seattle chef Tom Douglas. Normally, I’d drag The Child with me, but in this case, there was no chance she’d do anything but be miserable for the event, or even try to persuade a few other attendees of how wrong they were to be there.

So I went with plan B: I found a friend to go with me to the lecture, and here’s a tip – if you ever get the chance to be the first person to give someone grass-fed beef, do it. The look of awe and amazement as they taste it and immediately discern the improvement is priceless.

The Child stayed home alone, and such was my guilt over this that I made her favorite dinner and left it out for her. We eat a certain amount of pasta and pizza, and tons of bean burritos, since she’s still not a terribly adventurous eater – the challenge of course being that I am, and get bored with the repetition. But, I have found a few dishes that we both like enough to serve over and over.

Mark Bittman’s Boulangerie Beans, from his comprehensive How to Cook Everything Vegetarian,  is one of them. I make it once a week, because it is simple, filling, and nutritious. The long, slow bake results in beans and potatoes that are soft and richly flavored from broth and leeks; the potatoes layered on top also have a savory, slightly chewy skin that forms and adds some texture, along with the leeks.

It takes only about 15 minutes to toss together, but it’s not a last-minute dinner due to the lengthy cooking time. That said, it can easily be made ahead of time and rewarmed when you are ready to serve. This was how I left them for The Child when I headed out for the grass-fed beef tasting.

She sent me a text message when she finished dinner: “Thanks Mom!!”

When I got home, there was enough left in the casserole for me to have one small bowl of it. In theory, the dish serves four as a main course; it could probably serve six as a side dish.

But if you have a hungry child, it serves one.

boulangeriebeans

Boulangerie Beans And Leeks
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 cups chopped leeks
  • 2 tsp dried thyme (or two tbsp fresh)
  • 3 cups white beans, drained (two 15-ounce cans)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium starchy or all-purpose potatoes, peeled
  • 1 cup low-salt vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Saute the leeks in 1 tbsp butter, about 20 minutes, until very soft.
  3. Stir a teaspoon of the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste into the beans. Spread the beans into the bottom of a large baking dish and set aside.
  4. Spread the cooked leeks on top of the beans.
  5. Halve the potatoes lengthwise and slice thinly into half-circles. Lay the potatoes in overlapping rows to cover the beans. Pour the stock over the top, dot with pieces of butter, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the remaining thyme.
  6. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is browned and glazed, another 45 minutes or so. Serve immediately or let rest for up to an hour and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Be careful how much salt you add to the beans if you are not using low-salt broth. The broth reduces during the long slow bake and you can end up with a very salty dish if using regular canned stock.
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This is my contribution to Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Why not swing by and see what other home-cooked goodness awaits?

Chard, Raisin, and Pine Nut Tart

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My friend Anne and I have, for years, co-hosted Christmas and Thanksgiving – Thanksgiving at my house, Christmas at hers. All are welcome, and everyone brings something, but the cast of characters changes each year. Every year Anne, a vegetarian, gamely bakes a Christmas ham; I usually luck out and go home with a week’s supply of ham or even a nice bone for soup – because what is she going to do with the leftovers?

This year, the guests were – all of them – passionate cooks – so everyone brought their assigned dish (salad, bread) and then whatever they thought would make a nice addition to the meal … plus a dessert.

There was one dessert per adult – and I don’t mean one slice of pie, I mean one full pie. It was a breathtaking display.

My diet started when the leftovers ran out, but it was so good that I have no regrets.

It has always struck me as rather unfair that the star of the meal – the ham – can’t be eaten by the hostess, and not only that, she’s so busy with everything that she can’t really make something special that she can eat. So I try to make it up to her by making some special side dish – one that could take center stage.

This year, I succeeded. I found this recipe for Chard, Raisin, and Pine Nut Tart when I was hunting for my lost caramels recipe, and when I read it, could not understand why I hadn’t made it before. The most difficult part – the crust – you can easily cheat by using a store bought; I used a frozen sheet puff-pastry and it was wonderful and flaky.

The filling is a superb, moist mix of savory chard and plump, sweet raisins, with the pine nuts adding a nice texture. It all plays nicely against the flaky crust.

The recipe originates in France, where it sometimes served as a dessert, dusted with powdered sugar. I don’t see it as being a great dessert, but it doesn’t need to be a side dish – with a side of spinach salad, it would make a fabulous alternative to quiche for a light lunch. In fact, it did make a nice lunch the day after Christmas.

One final note: the raisins are plumped with water, and but soaking them in wine or perhaps some cointreau could add another level of flavor and sophistication to the tart.
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Chard, Raisin, and Pine Nut Tart
 
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This tart originates in the south of France, where it is often served for dessert dusted with powdered sugar. It makes an excellent main course or side dish.
Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup water
  • 1½ pounds chard, stems and center ribs discarded
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts
  • Pastry dough for a double-crust pie
Instructions
  1. Bring raisins and water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 hour. Drain in a colander, then pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
  3. Blanch chard in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain chard in a colander, then squeeze out excess water by handfuls. Coarsely chop chard.
  4. Whisk together egg, cream, granulated sugar, zest, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Stir in pine nuts, raisins, and chard until combined.
  5. Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin and fit into 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (do not trim edges). Chill shell while rolling out top.
  6. Roll out smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin. Spread chard filling evenly into shell, then top with second rectangle of dough. Using a rolling pin, roll over edges of pan to seal tart and trim edges, discarding scraps. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a paring knife, then put tart in pan on a baking sheet. Bake until top is golden, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and cool 10 minutes, then remove side of pan. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Notes
As always, some notes: The original recipe calls for two pounds of chard, but since I used a smaller pan than it called for, I cut back the chard, putting the raisins and pine nuts more center stage. This results in a slightly sweeter center. I also did not use pie crust, but instead a flaky pastry crust.
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This is my contribution to Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Why not swing by and see what other savory surprises await?

Broccoli, Cheddar, and Crispy Shallot Mac & Cheese

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Few things say “comfort food” like homemade macaroni and cheese. Not the stuff from the box: that’s good too, but in a different way. No, the stuff I’m talking about is creamy, rich, bubbling out from beneath a crispy top, and warms the soul on a rainy Seattle winter night.

I love macaroni and cheese (can you tell?) and I have two fallback recipes: One from The New Basics Cookbook, which is a slightly updated version of my other recipe, from the back of the Mueller’s Egg Noodles box. I like both recipes, but with The Child refusing to eat meat, I’ve become somewhat tired of the same ole thing – and by “somewhat tired” I mean desperately bored.

In Mac & Cheese, Please!: 50 Super Cheesy Recipes Laura Werlin offers up fifty variations on the theme, broken into several types: Classic, those with vegetables added, those with meat, decadent, and lighter versions. I didn’t really see the point of that last one, though I probably should and can see where someone else might. I also didn’t get the point of the chapter on breakfast mac and cheese, but that might also just be me: I don’t care for breakfast burritos, either.

I appreciated the opening section full of tips for successful mac & cheese making, such as seemingly obvious things I never knew (salt the pasta cooking water, it adds flavor), lists of cheeses to try complete with explanations of how they melt (or don’t), and what pasta shapes work well. I found the intro to be very useful for those who want to experiment a bit.

I  tried the recipe for broccoli mac and cheese, because I’m game for any recipe that might induce The Child to eat the occasional vegetable.  It wasn’t difficult to make, was delightfully rich, and the addition of cayenne pepper gave it a nice kick that set it apart from the usual. I loved it; The Child liked it initially but then changed her mind (Can you guess? “Too spicy”). My local store was out of shallots  the day I looked, so I gave the dish a retro vibe as Ms. Werlin suggested and used canned french fried onions. It called Betty Draper to mind.

I love Betty Draper. Apart from the blond thing and plaid kitchen, she and I have lots in common.

 

Broccoli, Cheddar, and Crispy Shallot Mac & Cheese
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup vegetable or peanut oil
  • 6 shallots, cut crosswise as thin as possible, separated into rings
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 8 ounces penne pasta or small shells
  • 8 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
  • 8 tbsp butter
  • ¾ cup chopped onion.
  • 12 ounces mushrooms quartered (I omitted these)
  • black pepper
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (3½ cups)
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp mustard powder
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, saute shallots until browned and crisp, 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels; they will continue to crisp as they cool. Season lightly with salt. These can be made up to three days ahead and stored in an airtight container; you can also substitute canned fried onions.
  3. Butter a 1½ quart baking dish or six 8-ounce ramekins.
  4. Fill a 4 or 5 quart pan with water, and 1 tbsp salt, and bring to a boil. Add pasta. After 8 minutes, add the broccoli and cook and additional 3-4 minutes. Drain and reserve the pot.
  5. In a medium skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until soft and creamy in texture, about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  6. In the pot you used for the pasta, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour until a paste forms, 30 seconds. Continue whisking for 1-2 minutes more, until mixture starts to darken and smell a bit nutty. Slowly whisk in the milk, cream, and ½ tsp salt and cook until the mixture starts to bubble around the edges, 5-7 minutes. Add 2½ cups of the cheddar, and the cayenne, mustard, and nutmeg. Stir until the sauce is thick and creamy, about the texture of cake batter.
  7. Add the pasta-broccoli mixture to the sauce along with the onion/mushroom mixture. Stir to combine. Pour into baking dish. Distribute shallots (or canned onions) over the top along with the remaining grated cheese.
  8. Place dish on a rimmed baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes after removing from oven.
Notes
I did find an error in the recipe below as I made it; there was no instruction when to add the sauteed onion and mushroom. I've added that here, and also note that I omitted the mushrooms. Because I don't like them, not because I'm a picky eater.
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This is my contribution to Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Why not swing by and see what other culinary surprises await?

 

Note: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. The book will be released on December 4. 

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