Leftovers Schmeftovers

I just finished reading the book Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish. This is Millie’s memoir of growing up on an Iowa farm smack dab in the middle of the Great Depression. It is an amazing book, chock full of farm knowledge that is probably all but dead now, from recipes for the best strawberry shortcake to home remedies for warts.

One of the things I particularly love about this book are Millie’s descriptions of how food was grown on the farm and in their garden and then used in her household. Her family was thrifty in the extreme and never wasted a morsel. One of the great pleasures I’ve discovered in my own culinary experiments is the sheer creativity in using things up. I’ve often hypothesized that this is how some of the great dishes of all times were accidentally invented.

Pizza is a perfect example. I can just picture an old Italian nana deciding one evening to use the leftover tomato “gravy,” some fresh mozzarella and extra garden veggies to create a pie. Presto – pizza is born!

The two recipes below are new takes on two old favorites – pesto and wilted lettuce salad. For the pesto, I used a wonderful aged gouda cheese I discovered a Roots several weeks ago. I think it complements the nutty arugula nicely. Of course, I love basil, so I still had to include it here.

For the salad, I tried a new variation on wilted lettuce. Now, my mom swears that nothing but bacon grease works for a “real” wilted lettuce salad. But as a mostly vegetarian, I think olive oil and sautéed veggies are a fine substitution.

Arugula Pesto
1 large handful arugula (Sunflower Fields item)
2 handfuls basil
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup aged gouda cheese (this is a hard gouda)
1 garlic scape (Sunflower Fields item)
¼ tsp. sea or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Puree in food processor until smooth. Add olive oil if you want a bit thinner consistency. Serve at room temperature over your favorite pasta or serve with warm bread, fresh mozzarella and diced tomatoes.

A Truly Gifted Garden Salad
1 large bunch arugula (Sunflower Fields item)
1 small head lettuce (Sunflower Fields item)
1 garlic scape
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
Sugar snap peas
1 head and stalk of broccoli (peel stalk and chop)
2 scallions,
2tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. basalmic vinegar
½ tsp. sugar
¼ cup dried cranberries
salt and pepper to taste

In a wok or skillet, sautee the scape, radishes, broccoli and snap peas in 2 tsp. olive oil (this is addition to the olive oil listed above) until tender-crisp, about two minutes. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper and toss over arugula and lettuce to wilt slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar and olive oil. Toss over wilted salad mixture. Add cranberries. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

TIP: save the radish greens and add to your next stir fry or the Friday Night Greens recipe. Yum!

Homemade Garlic Scape Croutons
½ day old French baguette, cut in small pieces
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small pat of butter
1 garlic scape
¼ tsp. red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Sautee scape in olive oil and butter. Add bread and red pepper and sautee until the bread soaks up the oil and butter. Heat oven to 325 and toast the croutons for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve over salad or in soup.

Comments

[Andrea]

I am just a little over half way in this book.....it's amazing how many things she speaks to in her childhood that I had in MINE .....passed down through my grandparents. It's a wonderful read!