Pan Seared Gnocchi with Leeks & Tomatoes

When you think of Italian food you probably go to pizza, spaghetti, and other pastas. Further down the list, and too often overlooked, is gnocchi. Gnocchi (pronounced N'YAW-key) comes from the Italian word nocca, meaning knuckle. Gnocchi, as food author Mark Bittman describes it, is:

"A simple Italian dumpling made from cooked potatoes, flour, and sometimes an egg. They're boiled and sauced."

One popular brand available.

One hopes they should be readily available in most supermarkets (depending on location). Take some
time next time you're in your pasta aisle to look for them. They're usually in a plastic tray and come in 2 cup servings.

Since I've been serving gnocchi, I've always "boiled and sauced" it with pesto, tomato sauce, or olive oil. I was recently reading an Eating Well magazine and found a recipe that called for crisping the gnocchi in a skillet with olive oil. No boiling needed. The pan searing adds a nice toothy texture but the "potato pillow." as it's often described, still absorbs the flavors that you add. I'm a convert! This is a great simple weeknight meal and the common denominator is the crispy gnocchi. The most basic recipe would be to add either pesto or a tomato sauce for the most simple and quick meal. You can play with adding basil leaves, mushrooms, onions, sun dried tomatoes, whatever you have in the fridge.

I adapted the Eating Well recipe as a starting point but decided to start fairly true to the original.

Pan Seared Gnocchi with Leeks and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Gnocchi - 1 package (15-17 oz.)
• Leeks - 2 medium, cleaned and sliced
• Cherry tomatoes - 1 pint basket, halved
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves, minced
• White wine - 1/4 cup
• Parmesan cheese - 1/3 cup finely shredded
• Butter - 2 tbsp. 
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a 12" skillet over medium high heat. Add gnocchi. Use a spatula to create a single layer. Let sit untouched for at least 5 minutes. Add some salt and pepper while it cooks. Shake pan to turn over the gnocchi and use the spatula to turn over any that need turning. Let the other side sit undisturbed for a period of time. Continue to shake the pan until the gnocchi has gently browned. Total time around 10-15 minutes. As you shake the pan you will hear the difference as the gnocchi gets crispy. When sufficiently crispy (but not blackened) transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add more olive oil to the skillet and add the sliced leeks. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. The rings will start to separate.
3. Add the halved tomatoes and stir to mix. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Add butter and wine and cook for a few minutes. The tomatoes should just start to soften. 
4. Return the gnocchi to the skillet and stir until everything is coated. 
5. Turn off heat. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to mix. Plate and top with some black pepper or red pepper flakes. Garnish with more shredded cheese, some dried herbs such as parsley, basil, or a mix. 

 Serves 2-4

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Fall into Winter. The CSA box is delivering lots of apples, baby bok choy, butternut squash, and leeks. So we are eating with the seasons.

In October,  I found some of this soup in our deep freezer. It was quite good. The different sweetnesses definitely marry over time. The coconut milk adds a nice silkiness.

Since I had the ingredients on hand, I decided to make the soup again tonight fresh. I might try to roast the butternut squash next time to see if that adds another layer of flavor.

It was still quite tasty. The butternut squash flavored is tempered with a little sweetness from the pears. The coconut milk adds its own dimension. A good one for cold fall and winter dinners.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Ingredients:

• Olive oil - 3 Tbsp.
• Butternut squash - 1 medium or 2 small - peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1 inch blocks
• Leeks - 1 large or 2 medium, white and tender green parts chopped
• Bartlett pears - 2 or 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch blocks
• Broth - 5 cups
• Coconut milk - 1 14 oz. can of light coconut milk
• Garnish: Dried chives or roasted pumpkin seeds or be creative
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add chopped leeks and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
• Prepare butternut squash and pears and add to leeks. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add broth and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until squash is fork tender (minimum 20 minutes).
• Using an immersion blender or standard blender, puree the soup.
• Season with salt and white pepper.
• Add coconut milk.
• Cook down to desired consistency.
• Garnish and plate.

Serve with some crusty, high quality bread with either butter or olive oil.

Original inspiration:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/butternut-squash-bartlett-pear-soup/

Gingered Carrot Soup

A good friend made this recipe for a recent dinner. It was tasty, complex, and interesting. Normally, you might think of carrot soup as somewhat sweet but the ginger and mint add a whole new layer. A good recipe as we move into the cooler, winter months.

Gingered Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 medium leek, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 
• 1 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 lb. carrots 
• 2-3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• Zest from 1 orange
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• sugar to taste
• salt to taste
• ground black or white pepper to taste

Preparation:

Slice leek, grate ginger, finely chop mint leaves, peel carrots and cut into 3/4 inch lengths (if using large carrot you can also cut them in half lengthwise).

Cooking:

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leek and gingers and saute until the leeks are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and saute until coated with butter. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 30-35 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth (The soup can be made up to this point the day before and refrigerated. Add the orange juice and prep the mint the next day).

Juice the oranges and add juice to pot. Heat the soup gently and adjust seasonings, adding sugar, salt and pepper as needed. White pepper does well with this dish.

Serving:

Soup can be served cold or reheated. If reheating, do not boil.  

Garnish with mint leaves, citrus slices, or orange zest.

Recommended wine:

Riesling

Leek and Potato Day

The leeks have been coming at us with a steady pace from the box. They were piling up in the fridge, so today was a day of action. Get through those leeks! It started with:

Potato and Leek Frittata

 

This frittata could have been just a basic leek and potato frittata but I also added some leftover ingredients to help clear out the fridge

• Get some herbed butter melting in a professional medium skillet (one that can go directly into the oven)
• Preheat oven to 400 degree
• Peel some potatoes, dice them, and get them started in the skillet. I used 3 medium red skin potatoes that came in the box
• Clean and slice the leek and add them to the potatoes and butter
• Chop up some onion or shallots
• Chop up a leftover Tofurky sausage
• Dice a leftover bell pepper half
• Toss everything in the skillet with the potatoes and leeks
• Add some salt and pepper along with some Foxpoint Seasoning
• Add some freshly chopped basil
• Crack four eggs into a bowl and mix well along with some parsley and black pepper and a generous splash of milk
• Add egg mixture to the skillet
• Let it start to set on the fire for about 5 minutes or so
• Sprinkle the top with some cheese. I had some leftover feta
• Transfer to the oven and cook until the top begins to brown. Around 15 minutes.
• Remove from the over and let it cool for a few minutes
• Quarter the frittata and serve 

The evening focused on a new soup that we think we saw in a Sunset magazine. It's a healthy and tasty take on the potato and leek soup that has no cream but uses spinach "making it a beautiful electric green and good for your waistline."

It was a tasty soup and definitely one I'd make again. It's quick, easy, and healthy.

Spinach, Leek, and Potato Soup 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 large leeks
• 2 tablespoons of butter or herbed butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups broth
• 1 large golden or white potato - I used the last 4 red skin potatoes from the box
• 1 8 oz bag spinach
•  Croutons - optional

Preparation:

• In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat
• Add leeks and salt and cook until limp stirring often, about 5 minutes
• Peel and dice potatoes and add to pan
• Add broth and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork
• Add spinach and cook until wilted
• Puree with an immersion blender

Final score: 4 leeks gone; 1 still to go.

Leek Confit

Whenever leeks are in the box, the obvious choices come to mind: soup stock or leek and potato soup. While both are excellent choices, there are times when you don't have the ingredients, time, or inclination. Two leeks were sitting in the fridge from last week's box and they were starting to look a little tired. Then I came across this article in Bon Appetit which helped me see new possibilities for the leeks.

This morning I adapted the recipe that comes with the article for Leek Confit. The end product is something so simple, tasty, and adaptable to a variety of uses. As the article says:

Serve warm with fillets of salmon, in scrambled eggs or pasta, or on crostini with goat cheese.

I used a good portion (along with some sauteed arugula) in this morning's scrambled eggs (Yum!). The remainder will be added to tonight's flatbread pizzas.

Leek Confit

• 2 leeks, green stalks cut off using only white and pale green parts, cleaned, cut lengthwise, and then thinly sliced
• butter, 2-3 tablespoons
• salt, no more than 1/4 teaspoon
• water

• Melt butter in a medium skillet
• Add leeks and stir to coat. I gave them some time to soften in the butter stirring often
• Add water and salt. I didn't measure the water. I just added enough to cover less than half of the bottom of the skillet
• Cover pot and reduce heat if needed
• Simmer until leeks are soft stirring often
• Uncover and continue to cook until remaining water evaporates

Can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Also explore:
http://rahchachow.blogspot.com/2008/12/recipe-that-made-me-love-leeks.html
http://thecosmiccowgirl.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/leek-confit/

Leek, Potato, and Bean Soup

We got a single, large leek in the box this week. Whenever I see 2-3 leeks my mind immediately goes to my vegetable broth where leeks are an important ingredient. But this was just one leek and it was going to be a busy week. We also received 1.5 pounds of Yukon potatoes and then I thought that potato-leek was a very common soup combo. So I went to work. I adapted an Alice Waters recipe in The Art of Simple Food using the ingredients I had on hand and this is was what opened tonight's meal:

Ingredients:

• 1 large leek
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 sprigs of sage (original recipe called for thyme. I happened to have some extra sage on hand so I used that instead. Be creative.)
  
• 1 large bay leaf
• Salt
• 1 pound of Yukon yellow potatoes, peeled and quartered
• Cannelli beans (I used some home-prepred beans but 1 can of commercial beans will do. More on the homemade beans later.)
  
• 5 cups water or broth (Tonight I used TJ's vegetable broth from the pantry)
  
• dried parsley as garnish
• black pepper to taste

Procedure:

• Trim off the root and green end of the leek
• Slice thinly and soak in water to clean
• Drain and dry sliced leeks
• In a medium pot melt butter and add leeks with bay leaf, herbs, and salt
• Cook for about 10 minutes until leeks are soft
• As leeks cook, peel and quarter the potatoes
• Add potatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes until coated
• Add broth (or water)
• Bring to a boil and then turn to simmer for about an hour until the potatoes are soft enough to mash on the edge of the pot with a wooden spoon
• Allow to cool, remove bay leaf, herb sprigs, and puree the soup with a hand blender
• Add cannelli beans and stir in freshly ground black pepper
• Let simmer for 10-15 minutes
• Add a pat of butter and garnish with dried parsley
  

Serve with good crusty bread and wine.