The snow melted within two days, leaving room to fall again. A gorgeously sunny one on top.
We were glad that wed only had a tease of winter. We were not ready. I was not ready to leave some of my favorite vegetables and salads behind. In fact, despite the fact that we are between seasons and soon enough homegrown vegetables will become scarce, these days, I am really inspired to cook.
See? Ive been really busy making things in the kitchen. Trying new things. Revisiting old ones. And loving every piece of it. Here are a few snapshots from what happened.
Today I even found Romanesco.
I could not help but let a few words of excitement escape from between my lips when I spotted them, gloriously bundled up inside a woven basket in a corner of the local farm stand. They looked so inviting that I wanted to pick one after the other until the basket was empty and I had them all.
I wanted to store them the way squirrels sneak in to put nuts aside. So that theyd stay and keep me company during the upcoming wintry months.
Will you sell more Romanesco over the next weeks? I asked the young girl at the cash register.
She looked surprised, with a I-dont-know-why-do-you-ask expression on her face.
I didnt wait for her answer. She didnt know anyhow. And on my end, I knew Id come back to the store to check regularly.
When I returned home, it was almost eleven thirty and I was ! feeling hungry. The radio was playing a Jane Birkins song while P. was working in the office.
Are you hungry? I asked him from the kitchen.
I wanted him to be, because I had a great lunch idea in my head.
I imagined a dish of pasta loaded with greenssomething delicious and comfy to nourish our big appetite.
Linguini, I thought. Lulu will clap in her hands at the sight of pasta. I knew she would.
So it happened. I cooked linguini and then I blanched peas and baby lima beans and zucchini with my Romanesco florets. I sauteed scampi and prepared a light white sauce with a dash of Vermouth and lots of fresh herbs.
It was a lunch quick to fix. Loaded with flavor and contrasting textures. Inviting!
We loved it.
And so the next day, after a walk to the botanical garden in search of pretty leaves, I decided to experiment more and baked a Romanesco gratinand chocolate and pear clafoutis too. Which made us equally happy. Hungry for more.
I was assured that Id want to cook these dishes again this week. And hopefully the next.
As long as I can find Romanesco.
Fingers crossed, oui?
Ah fall, I really like your colors a lot.
You need:
- 3.5 oz (100 g) baby lima beans (frozen)
- 1 small head Romanesco, cut in florets
- 3.5 oz (100 g) green peas (frozen)
- Sea salt
- 1 small zucchini, julienned finely
- 350 g linguini (made with quinoa, gluten free)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more to drizzle
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced finely
- 1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
- 7 oz (200 g) scampi (cleaned, frozen)*
- 1/4 cup Vermouth
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped finely
*You can also use small shrimp
- Blanch all the greens separately in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse them under cold water; set aside together in a large bowl.
- Cook the linguini according to the instructions on the package; keep warm on the side.
- In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add the ground coriander and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Add the scampi and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the Vermouth and then cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the cornstarch.
- Add the cream and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add to the pot the linguini, vegetables and scamp! i. Toss gently and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, divide the pasta in plates. Add the chopped parsley and drizzle with olive oil (flavored with truffle, if you like).
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