Heat the oven to 400°F. Line the pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with dried rice or beans. If you’re using foil, fold it toward the center so it doesn’t get stuck in the pastry. Bake until the edges are puffed and very light brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Carefully remove the foil and weights and bake for another 20 minutes to dry out the center of the crust. Make sure the crust edges aren’t getting too brown. If so, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
Pour the filling into the partially baked crust and bake at 325°F until the filling is just set. It will still be very soft, but the top will have puffed a bit and when you shake the pie, you won’t see actual rolling liquid in the center, just a bit of a jiggle. This should take about 1 hour.
Let the pie cool completely before cutting. It is very good for breakfast.
In the field Eliot Coleman of Four Season Farm calls his late-season carrots “candy carrots” because the frost has made them so sweet.
Swiss Chard
If you don’t like beets, you may not like Swiss chard. The two vegetables are in the same family and in fact a bunch of beet greens can pass for Swiss chard in a pinch. Their common trait is a mineral earthiness—as in they taste a bit like dirt—which you either love or hate.
Sturdier than spinach. That earthiness in chard is balanced by a green flavor, with just a hint of bitterness from oxalic acid, a substance also contained in spinach. Given a choice between chard and spinach, I always go for chard because it maintains the textural integrity of the leaves even after long cooking. Spinach, on the other hand, can be wimpy and almost slimy . . . hence no spinach in this book!
Cook the ribs. The central rib on a chard leaf is thick and fibrous, so cut it away from the leaf to cook separately. Lay the leaf flat and slice along either side of the rib. Use the leaves whole, as is, or stack them, roll them into a loose cylinder, and slice across into ribbons, thick or thin as you like. Slice the ribs crosswise, lengthwise in strips, or on an angle and sauté them first, so they’ll have a chance to soften and integrate into the dish by the time the leaves are ready.
Rainbow Chard with Garlic and Jalapeños
When I was at Four Season Farm, I thought it would be a good idea to grow a lot of chiles. Well, Maine has cold nights, and Mainers don’t seem to like chiles much anyway, so in fact it was a bad idea, but as a result, the farm staff got to eat plenty of chiles in our staff meals. This was a favorite. Be generous with the garlic, vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil.
» Serves 4
1 bunch Swiss chard (rainbow chard, sold as Bright Lights, is beautiful in this dish), dried ends trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves—2 smashed and peeled, 1 halved
1 or 2 medium jalapeños, seeded, deribbed, and cut crosswise into thin slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
4 thick slices country bread
If the chard stems are very slim and tender, you can just sauté them along with the leaves. If they are thicker, prep them this way: Fold the leaves in half lengthwise and slice along the edge of the center rib and stem to cut away the stems. Cut the stems across into thin slices, or if very slender, split lengthwise into strips. Rinse the stems well in a colander and pat dry. Stack a few leaves, roll them into a loose cylinder, and cut or tear them into wide ribbons. Repeat with all the leaves. Rinse the leaves well in a colander and shake dry.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and cook slowly to toast the garlic so it’s soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown—but not burnt—about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeño slices and cook another minute or so until slightly softened. Then add the chard stems, season with salt and black pepper, and sauté until they lose about 75 percent of their crunch, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the chard leaves; if they won’t all fit into the pan, just add a few handfuls and toss them with tongs until they’re wilted, and then add the rest. Add a splash of water and cover the pan. Cook over medium heat until the chard is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan at this point, increase the heat and boil most of it off. Add the vinegar, season with salt and black pepper, and toss well. Taste—the chard should have an appealing sweet-and-sour flavor.
Remove from the heat, pour in a healthy glug of olive oil, and let the chard rest so all the flavors and textures meld nicely. This is best served 1 to 2 hours later. It’s also fine to make a day ahead; just be sure to bring it to room temperature.
Toast or grill the bread slices, then rub the surface with the halved garlic. Put the toast on plates or a board and arrange the greens and their juices on top. Finish with a ribbon of olive oil and serve.
Spaghetti with Swiss Chard, Pine Nuts, Raisins, and Chiles
All these ingredients come together to create a simple, sweet, salty, spicy, earthy pasta that is dead simple to make. Leftovers make a great frittata: Warm them in an ovenproof skillet, add some cheese, pour in beaten eggs, and bake. The bits of pasta that stick out will get crunchy in the oven.
» Serves 3 to 4
½ cup raisins
Red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces spaghetti, tagliatelle, or angel hair
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ cup pine nuts
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 bunch Swiss chard, dried ends trimmed, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn into strips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating
Combine the raisins, a splash of vinegar, and warm water just to cover in a bowl and plump for 20 minutes. Drain.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt until it tastes like the sea. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions. Start tasting a minute or so ahead of time so you don’t overcook it. With a ladle or a measuring cup, scoop out about ½ cup of the cooking water, and drain the pasta well.
Meanwhile, pour a healthy glug of olive oil into a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts and let them toast very slowly until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chile flakes and cook for another 10 seconds so they can bloom, then add the drained raisins.
Increase the heat to medium, add the chard stems, season with a bit of salt and black pepper, and cook slowly until the stems are slightly tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the torn chard leaves and a splash of water (use the pasta water, if the timing works), cover the pan, and cook until the leaves are wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the drained pasta and the butter to the chard and toss well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, black pepper, or chile flakes. Grate a bit of Parmigiano over everything, drizzle with more olive oil, and pile into bowls. Serve with more grated cheese.
Swiss Chard, Leek, Herb, and Ricotta Crostata
Leafy greens are meant for pies and tarts, like this chard crostata—an open-faced, freeform tart that doesn’t require a tart pan. Here I pair wilted chard with sweet leeks and lots of fresh herbs. It’s at once fresh tasting and comforting, perfect with a glass of cider.
» Serves 4 to 6
1 bunch Swiss chard, dried ends trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cleaned well, and cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup lightly packed fresh herbs: a mix of dill, cilantro, mint, and parsley
2 teaspoons ligh
tly packed grated lemon zest
2 eggs
1 recipe Walnut Dough (substitute walnuts for pecans in Pecan Dough)
If the chard stems are very slim and tender, you can just sauté them along with the leaves. If they are thicker, prep them this way: Fold the leaves in half lengthwise and slice along the edge of the center rib and stem to cut away the stems. Cut the stems crosswise into thin slices. Rinse the stems well in a colander and pat dry. Stack a few leaves, roll them into a loose cylinder, and cut or tear them into wide ribbons. Repeat with all the leaves. Rinse the leaves well in a colander and shake dry.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook slowly to toast the garlic so it’s soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown—but not burnt—about 5 minutes. Add the chard stems, leeks, and chile flakes, and season with salt and black pepper. Sauté until the leeks are soft and fragrant and the chard stems are soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the chard leaves; if they won’t all fit in the pan, just add a few handfuls and toss them with tongs until they’re wilted, and then add the rest. Add a splash of water and cover the pan. Cook over medium heat until the leaves are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan at this point, uncover the pan, raise the heat, and boil most of it off.
Transfer the vegetables to a bowl or platter to cool. Meanwhile, put the ricotta, Parmigiano, herbs, lemon zest, and eggs in a bowl and stir to blend well.
Add the cooled chard and fold together. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, black pepper, or chile flakes.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Lightly dust the work surface and roll out the dough to a rough 15-inch round. Roll the dough gently around your rolling pin, move it over the baking sheet, and gently unroll it into position, allowing it to drape over the sides of the sheet.
Pile the ricotta-chard filling into the middle of the dough and gently spread it in an even layer to within about 3 inches of the edge. You should have a round of filling that’s about 9 inches in diameter.
Gently fold the border of dough up and over the filling, pleating loosely as you work your way around the crostata. Don’t aim for perfection.
Bake the crostata until the dough is nicely browned, on the underside as well as the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325°F and bake until the crust is cooked all the way through, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Carefully slide the parchment onto a rack and let the crostata cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. You can serve it slightly warm or at room temperature.
Collards
Mention “collards” and everyone thinks of a big pot of greens, simmered all day long with a meaty ham bone. They’re a Southern staple. Soul food. Something we eat alongside a big plate of barbecue. That’s all true, but it’s also just the beginning.
Collards are like kale. You know that kale salad you love, or those kale chips you can’t get enough of, or that braised kale gratin that had you licking your fork clean? You can totally swap out the kale for collard greens. They’re similar in flavor and texture, both providing a sturdy backdrop for a wide range of assertive ingredients. They don’t have to be simmered all day, although they’ll stand up to it just fine if you do, and become exquisitely tender in the process. But really, just remove the ribs (see kale) and slice the leaves into shreds for salads, or toss into pasta or soups. Blanch them whole and use them like wraps, and of course you can braise them into silky submission.
Color is key. Size doesn’t matter when it comes to leafy greens (unless you’re talking immature baby leaves or microgreens). A medium collard leaf will have the same flavor as a big one. What you want to look for are perky leaves with a deep green color. Any evidence of yellowing, wilting, or slimy edges means they’re past their prime. Wrapped in plastic in the fridge, they’ll keep for several days.
Shaved Collard Greens with Cashews and Pickled Peppers
Collards are a member of the brassica family, closely related to kale. So if we can make a raw kale salad, why not a raw collards salad? The cashews and cashew butter are unexpected with collards, but after one bite you’ll see that they make perfect sense.
» Serves 4
6 ounces mushrooms (creminis are fine, or use wild mushrooms if you have them)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
¾ pound collard greens
6 ounces red or green cabbage (about ¼ small head)
6 tablespoons cashew butter
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons pickle liquid (from the pepperoncini jar)
Extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup seeded and chopped pepperoncini or other pickled peppers
¼ cup roughly chopped toasted cashews
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast them—with no oil—until they have lost much of their moisture and are slightly dry around the edges. The timing could range from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the type and moisture content of the mushrooms. Toss them with some salt after they’re roasted and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, cut out the thick rib from each collard leaf and compost or discard it. Stack a few leaves on top of one another and roll them into a tight cylinder. With a sharp knife (all your knives are sharp, aren’t they?), slice across the roll to cut the collards into very thin strips, pretty much as thin as you can get. (This technique is called chiffonade.) Put the collards in a bowl.
Cut out the core from the cabbage and slice in the same way as the collards. Add to the bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cashew butter, vinegar, and liquid from the pickled peppers. When the ingredients are blended, whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with salt and black pepper. Taste and tinker with the balance until the sauce is irresistible.
Add the mushrooms and pickled peppers to the greens, pour on the dressing, and toss until it’s completely integrated. Because the dressing is thick, you’ll need to toss a lot; using tongs makes this easier. Taste and adjust with more vinegar, pickle juice, salt, or black pepper. Top with the chopped cashews and serve.
Collards with Freekeh, Hazelnuts, and Grapes
In this salad, the freekeh itself provides plenty of chewiness, so I add cooked collards rather than raw. The grapes add juiciness, but also the flavor of fall. If you can’t find hazelnuts, use roasted almonds or lightly toasted walnuts.
» Serves 4
1 cup freekeh
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Red wine vinegar
1 bunch collards, ribs cut out, leaves sliced into 2-inch-wide ribbons
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
½ cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dried chile flakes
Cook the Freekeh and when you drain it, drain the water into a large saucepan in which you’ll cook the collards. Spread out the freekeh to cool, as per the recipe.
Put the cooking liquid pan back on the stove and add the garlic, a splash of vinegar, and the sliced collards. Adjust the heat to a lively simmer, cover, and cook until the collards are tender but still retain some tooth to them, 12 to 20 minutes depending on their maturity. Drain the collards and let them cool.
Combine the collards and freekeh in a large bowl. Add the grapes, hazelnuts, and scallions and toss. Add ¼ cup vinegar, season well with salt, black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon chile flakes, and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Finish with ¼ cup olive oil or more if needed. This salad tastes best after the flavors have
had at least 15 minutes to mingle.
Stewed Collards with Beans and a Parmigiano Rind
The classic Southern dish has you stew the collards with a ham hock or some other pork product. In my version, I keep the greens vegetarian, but I don’t give up one bit of the savory umami flavor of meat—a Parmigiano rind does the trick. Not to mention that you now have something to do with all those bits of leftover cheese!
» Serves 6
Basic Recipe for Perfect Shell Beans
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia, sliced
1 rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 big sprig rosemary
1 small whole dried chile, such as chile de árbol
1 bunch collards, ribs cut out, leaves cut into wide ribbons
Grilled bread, for serving (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Follow the recipe for the perfect shell beans, but once the beans are about half-cooked, add the garlic, onion, cheese rind, rosemary, chile, and collards. It may take a few minutes for the collards to wilt enough to actually submerge them in the bean liquid, but add a bit of water if you need to.
Simmer until the beans are fully tender as well as the collards. The cheese will just soften and contribute its flavor to the dish.
When the beans are fully cooked, take the pot from the heat and let everything rest for at least 30 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprig and whole chile. You can reheat a bit before serving, if you like, but the flavors and textures will be best if the dish is warm, not hot.
Six Seasons Page 27