NEW RECIPE: Farmer Market's Chitarra with Kale, Nectarines, and Truffled Turkey Meatballs

© Constantine William Spyrou

While it's always much cheaper and efficient to go and purchase ingredients from the supermarket, I love going to the farmer's market when I can during the week and on weekends. I've found there's no better place to get inspired to make a new dish or try something new than at the farmer's market. Not only will you find some of the freshest produce around, but people are coming up with new, trendy ideas and hybrid vegetables as well, making it a great place to have some fun with your food.

I was really fortunate a couple of weeks ago to run into a friend of mine at the farmer's market who was working at one of the stalls. I was looking through different varieties of kale at this stand, and wanted to get a bunch of the Lacinata Kale (which is amazing when cooked and isn't bitter at all when picked fresh). To my surprise, she gave me the bunch for free, but on the grounds that I had to make a dish out of it! 

This took me on an adventure through the farmer's market, trying to get ideas and ingredients to make something innovative with the kale and other fresh produce at the farmer's market. I selected some fresh caracara (kind of like blood orange), nectarines, spring onions, parsley, fresh cheese curds, and this amazing pasta called chitarra (basically fettuccine, but a thinner cut). Using this and some ingredients I had at home, I transformed the produce into an amazing pasta dish.

I really liked this dish because it had a balance that I hadn't thought possible with Italian cuisine and pasta before: a perfect mix of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy! The sauce was made using pureed tomatoes and cayenne for an Arrabiatta style sauce. The caracara, nectarines, and kale were tossed into it as well to add another level of flavor from their sweet and tart flesh. The sourness of the caracara also played in perfectly and kept the nectarines from being too sweet. 

I paired the pasta with cheese curds, fresh parsley, and some turkey meatballs I made with the caracara zest, spring onion, and some white truffle oil. It added so much to the pasta that it made perfect mouthfuls each time! This is probably one of my favorite recipes that I've made in a while, and I'm excited to share it! :D 

Recipe serves up to 3 people.

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey
Salt and pepper to season
1 tsp white truffle oil
1 1/2 cups chopped spring onion
1 1/2 tbsp caracara zest
1 egg

For the Pasta:

1 package (~10 oz uncooked) chitarra pasta, fresh
1 cup pureed tomatoes
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili flake
1 white nectarine, roughly chopped
1 yellow nectarine, roughly chopped
1 medium caracara, segmented
2 cups Lacinta kale, cut into strips
1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to season
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Cheese curds and parsley for garnish

Cooking/Assembling:

1) Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs together until well-mixed. Form into baseball-sized meatballs.

2) Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Add your meatballs to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes until brown on the first side.

3) Turn over the meatballs, and cook for another minute. Add a small amount of water to the pan, then cover for 3-4 minutes to allow the meatballs to steam through and cook. Let the meatballs rest.

4) At this point, put the water on for the pasta, making sure to salt it.

5) Add the olive oil, kale, garlic, and basil to the same pan that the meatballs were in, cooking until the kale has shrunken down, about 4-5 minutes.

6) Make some space in the pan and caramelize the nectarines for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Add in the blood orange, and stir.

7) Cook the pasta for 3 minutes after it floats.

8) As the pasta cooks, add in the chili flake, cayenne, and tomato puree. Stir together the sauce.

9) Drain the pasta, leaving some of the water to add into the sauce, and stir the pasta and about a tablespoon of the pasta water into the sauce.

10) Toss in a handful of fresh parsley and stir before taking off the heat. Serve with the meatballs, and garnish with chopped cheese curds and more fresh parsley.

This dish is interesting because all of the flavors together work so well! The richness of the tomato sauce is cut by the freshness of the cheese curds and fruit (which is already a great combo). The caracara and nectarines have almost a sweet-and-sour effect on the pasta, which pairs well with the heat of the cayenne, aromatic notes of the parsley, and savoriness of the meatballs. All in all, it makes for a tasty meal of fresh farm produce! 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =) 

PS Thanks Jamie Bratman, you rock! 

NEW RECIPE: Minted Patsitsio

© Constantine William Spyrou
As much as I love creating unique fusion dishes, there are times where I just want to sit down to traditional comfort food. As a Greek, Patsitsio is one of the ultimate comfort food dishes of my cuisine. It is hands down one of my all-time favorite dishes. It also is challenging to make at first, because it involves a custard-like savory topping that is hard to master. However, once you though, this is one of the creamiest, richest, and savoriest dishes around! This version of Patsitsio has a couple of little twists from the traditional by incorporating ingredients like tomato paste, fresh mint, and ouzo to add acidic lifts to keep the dish from being too rich. This is probably one of my favorite versions of Patsitsio that I have made, and one that I'm keeping in the recipe book for a long time to come. 

Recipe serves up to 15 people.

For the Bechamel Topping:

1/2 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/2 pound all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp dried mint

For the Pasta Base:

1 package pastichio pasta (hollow spaghetti, essentially)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to season
1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 1/2 oz ouzo
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp nutmeg
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano for the topping

Cooking/Assembling: 

1) Cook the pasta according to package instructions. After draining, mix with a tablespoon of the olive oil and some seasoning, and set aside.

2) In a large pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Stir in the flour, and cook for 5 minutes until you can no longer smell the flour.

3) Add the milk into the pot a little at a time, making sure the mixture inside is smooth before adding more. When all of the milk is incorporated, add in the salt, nutmeg, and dried mint. Whisk continuously, scraping the sides down often with a spatula.

4) Bring up to a boil, then turn to a low heat for 10 minutes, whisking throughout.

5) Whisk in the Parmigiano Reggiano until melted, then take off the heat and let cool.

6) Heat up the remaining olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, some salt and pepper, and the meat. Cook the meat until browned throughout, about 5 minutes.

7) Make a hole in the center of the pan and cook out the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir into the meat along with the nutmeg.

8) Deglaze the pan with the ouzo, and toss in the fresh mint. Once it's thoroughly combined, mix the meat with the pasta.

9) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a casserole dish, layer the pasta and meat mixture on the bottom, leaving at least 1/2 an inch to an inch of space. Cover that space with the bechamel, and then top with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

10) Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

This dish is comforting, rich, and flavorful all around. The spike of ouzo, tomato acid, and aromatic notes of the mint keep it from being too rich, and the dish itself is amazing, with a solid bechamel topping and a savory pasta base with lamb and beef. This is the top comfort food of the Greeks, without question.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =) 

NEW RECIPE: Red Beans and Rice

© Constantine William Spyrou
To a college student, some of the best food is made on a really cheap budget. Red beans and rice, a classic Cajun dish, follows that tradition. It uses very cheap ingredients throughout, and makes a hearty meal that can last for several days or even feed a crowd of people! This particular recipe fed 15 people comfortably, and is one that I'm keeping in my recipe book for when I need it! 

Recipe serves 15 people.

Ingredients:

3 cans kidney beans, with liquid
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock/water
Salt and pepper to season
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 bay leaves
4 cups uncooked rice
1 tablespoon avocado oil (or vegetable oil)

Cooking/Assembling:

1) Place the oil in a pot on medium-high heat and add in the garlic, bay leaves, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the onions soften, taking about 2-3 minutes.

2) Add in the paprika and cayenne pepper, and stir until well mixed.

3) Make a hole in the center of the pot for the tomato paste to cook down in for 30 seconds, then stir into the onions.

4) Deglaze the pot with the vinegar, then add in the cans of beans and tomatoes. Bring up to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.

5) Cook the rice in a rice cooker, making sure to season it. Serve with the beans.

Again, this is a very simple yet effective recipe for any situation to cook in bulk, but to also impress!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =)