by Suvir Saran
Makes 12 roasted peppers
12 red bell peppers
¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
6 roasted garlic cloves or 3 fresh garlic cloves
Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler to high. Place the bell peppers on an aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet, and broil them until they’re blackened on all sides, 12 to 16 minutes. Wrap each pepper in a damp paper towel, and place them in a large paper bag to steam. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Open the bag and remove the peppers. Remove the stems, and turn each pepper upside down over the sink to drain. Peel the blackened skins. Make a lengthwise slit in the peppers so that thy can lay flat, and use a knife to scrape away the seeds.
Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt in a 9-by-13-inch/23-by-33-cm baking dish. Place the peppers flat in the baking dish and place the garlic cloves between them. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week before serving.
VARIATION: MARINATED EGGPLANT AND PEPPERS
Reduce the quantity of roasted red peppers from 12 to 8. Slice a 1-lb/455-g eggplant lengthwise into ¼-in-/6-mm-thick slices. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt, and set aside for 15 minutes. Pat dry, brush with a little olive oil, and place the eggplant on an aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Heat the broiler to high and char the eggplant on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Slice the eggplant into thin strips, and layer with the peppers in the marinade.
RECIPE NOTE: QUICK “ROASTED” GARLIC
For quick roasted garlic, adjust an oven rack so it is in the uppermost position (about 3 in/7.5 cm from the broiler element) and heat the broiler to high. Place the unpeeled cloves on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil the garlic until the paper is brown-black, 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to turn the cloves. Repeat until both sides of the garlic are browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set the garlic aside to cool. Peel off the skin and store covered in olive oil until ready to use.
Summer Tomato Pie
This tomato pie and I go back more than a decade to Salisbury, Connecticut, and a lovely tea café called Chaiwalla (named for the tea vendors in India) owned and tended to by Mary O’Brien. It was at Chaiwalla where I taught my very first cooking class in 1997. During the course of several weekends, Mary and I got to know each other, and I got to know Mary’s überdelicious tomato pie.
A thin, biscuit-style crust props up ripe and juicy Roma tomatoes that are cushioned within a base of sharp aged cheddar and a combination of fresh and dried herbs. The tart is deceptive—while it appears fancy and sophisticated, it couldn’t be easier to make, being no more difficult than any rustic-style pie. I often add harissa to the mayonnaise base to give the pie a spiciness that works really well with the sweetness of the tomatoes. Mary insists that the pie is best made the night before you plan on serving it and recommends reheating it in a 350°F/180°C/gas 4 oven for thirty minutes. I trust her implicitly.
Serves 6
FOR THE BISCUIT CRUST
2 cups/255 g all-purpose flour
¼ tsp Herbes de Hebron or herbes de Provence
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup/180 ml milk
FOR THE PIE
2 lb/910 g Roma tomatoes or two 25.5-oz/715-g cans or jars of plum tomatoes, drained and pressed between sheets of paper towels papers to remove excess moisture
2/3 cup/165 g mayonnaise, store-bought or homemade (see recipe)
1 tsp Herbes de Hebron or herbes de Provence
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups/220 g grated aged cheddar cheese
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
To make the crust: Place the flour, Herbs de Hebron, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until there aren’t any pieces larger than a small pea. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and pour in the milk, stirring until the mixture is shaggy and no wet spots remain. Knead just a few times to create a ball of cohesive dough. Use a knife to divide the ball into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other.
Place the larger dough ball on a long sheet of plastic wrap or baking paper and cover with another sheet. Roll the dough out into a 12-in/30.5-cm circle that is about ¼ in/6 mm thick, then place the circle on a baking sheet and refrigerate it for 20 minutes. Repeat with the other dough ball, rolling it out to a 12-in/30.5-cm circle (it will be thinner than the first), and then placing it in the refrigerator to chill.
To make the pie: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place a large bowl filled with ice water next to the sink. Slice a small X in the bottom of each tomato and then plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to the ice-water bath, adding more ice as it melts. Remove the tomatoes from the ice-water bath and place them on a paper towel–lined plate to drain, then peel and slice them into ¼- to ½-in-/6- to 12-mm-thick rounds (if using canned plum tomatoes, skip this step). Carefully remove the seeds and set the tomatoes aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and Herbes de Hebron, and set aside.
Remove the thicker dough circle from the refrigerator and peel off the top layer of plastic wrap, using the bottom sheet to transfer the crust to a 9-in/23-cm pie pan. Trim any overhang to just ½ in/12 mm over the edge of the dish. Brush the dough with the olive oil, and then arrange half of the tomatoes in overlapping layers in the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle with half of the basil and chives, season with salt and pepper, and finish with an even layer of 1 cup/110 g cheese. Layer the remaining tomatoes over the cheese, sprinkle with the remaining basil and chives, season with salt and pepper, cover with the herbed mayonnaise, and finish with the remaining 1 cup/110 g cheese.
Remove the other rolled-out crust from the refrigerator, peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap, invert the dough over the top of the tart, and peel away the remaining sheet of plastic. Fold the overhang under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top of the crust with the melted butter.
Bake the pie until the crust is golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, for at least 1 hour, before serving warm, or let cool for longer and serve at room temperature.
Farm Yarn:
Trading County Fair for Country Fare
At the end of August, the Washington County Fair opens for a glorious and fun-filled week of cattle and livestock competitions, scarecrow contests, tractor pulls, pig races, and, of course, lots of festival food. While it’s all good fun, experiencing this slice of Americana is always a tad bittersweet, making us hungry to bring change to the North Country lifestyle.
In the city, the talk is all about the farmers in the country who grow the beautiful tomatoes and leafy greens and raise the heritage-breed animals sold in urban farmers’ markets and gourmet stores. But in the country, the food at the fair reflects a different story—if it’s fried or loaded with fat, it seems like it’s at the fair. As a result, Charlie and I dream up ways to bring in more locally grown vegetables and cleaner, greener, and more artisanal-style cooking to the realm of the program. We conspire with others who have similar aspirations (and who have leverage with county leaders and USDA-funded 4-H educational and agricultural program heads). Some programs that we introduced to the fair include a farmers’ market stand, where fresh, locally grown produce was sold, and fair-wide recycling.
Our friends Brian Gilchrist and his partner, Jim, from Windy River Farm, always take a ribbon at every level for their beef cattle. Besides running the farm, Brian heads Cornell’s Cooperative Extension for Washington County, a
nd he integrated recycled servingware to the fair circuit in 2009. (His future aspiration is set on a coleslaw competition, in which the winner’s slaw gets featured as the coleslaw of the day.)
It’s little steps like these that we hope will culminate in a big impact down the line. Change comes slowly, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing healthier food (for our bodies and the planet) to the fair to complement the always-popular burger and hot dog stands.
Penne with Popped Tomatoes and Bacon
A bumper crop of cherry tomatoes, a slab of bacon from Jason Huck’s Huckleberry Hill Farm in Mount Holly, Vermont, and our good friend and food novelist Kim Sunée, author of Trail of Crumbs, provided all the inspiration needed to create this decadent, mouth-watering summer pasta dish. One summer, Kim spent nearly a month on our farm while teaching at Battenkill Kitchen, and she and Charlie turned our kitchen into a seasonal country test lab, cooking up a storm every day using beautiful peak-season ingredients gathered from our garden and from local farms and farmstands. While Charlie and I try to keep our cooking as light on animal protein and fat as possible, we are happy to splurge when it makes sense. The addition of thick-cut slab bacon to this dish brings pleasure that is beyond words! This is truly food fit for gods.
Serves 4
1 tbsp kosher salt, plus 1 tsp
One 14.5-oz/410-g box whole-grain, multigrain, or nutrient-enriched penne pasta
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
½-lb/225-g slab bacon cut into ½-in/12-mm cubes
1 large red onion, quartered and sliced crosswise
1½ lb/680 g cherry tomatoes, halved if large
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the 1 tbsp of salt and the pasta and cook following the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Drain through a colander and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil and pepper in a large frying pan over medium heat until the pepper is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and basil and then add the bacon, cooking it until it starts to render some fat, about 1 minute. Stir in the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp salt and cook until the onion wilts and the bacon takes on a bit of color around the edges, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, cover the pan, and cook until the tomatoes are starting to shrivel and shrink (but aren’t mushy), 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the pasta and divide among bowls. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
VARIATION: WINTER PENNE WITH BACON AND CREAM
Substitute ½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche, store-bought or homemade (see recipe), and ¼ cup/60 ml cream or milk for the tomatoes. Once the crème fraîche and cream comes to a simmer, add the pasta, toss to coat, and turn off the heat. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Farm Yarn:
A Proud Pantry
In today’s world, where Americans face a pandemic of diabetes and children are at as much risk of diet-related health issues as adults are, it makes sense to pay attention to each and every ingredient that goes into our food. The first place to start is by reading the nutrition labels on boxes and cans of food. Even a pasta recipe can be made healthier by using whole-grain, multigrain, or nutrient-enriched pasta (Barilla Plus is our favorite house brand). When a pasta is made with some or all whole grain, it has a lower glycemic index. And you’ll hardly taste the difference.
Also read the nutrition panels on canned and boxed tomatoes—you might be shocked by the over-the-top sodium levels in just one serving of the canned variety. But tomatoes specially packaged in boxes (Pomí and Lucini are my favorite brands) retain their freshness and flavor without added citric acid, sodium, or preservatives.
Another item that we upgraded in our pantry is all-purpose flour, the workhorse go-to flour for many baking recipes. Instead of always reaching for it, I often use other flours either in combination with or instead of all-purpose to boost the nutritive quality of a recipe. It also opens you up to new textures and consistencies—for example, I make the breading for my fried chicken (see recipe) from a mixture of peanut flour, corn flour, and amaranth or rice flour. Used in tandem, they create a beautifully crisp crust that all-purpose flour could never replicate. Chickpea flour (besan) is also in our pantry, we use it instead of white flour in the batter for Bread Pakoras. Others that we keep on hand include potato flour (for lighter-than-air cakes), whole-wheat pastry flour (for pizzas, biscuits, and breads), and rye flour (for Indian flatbreads and country bread).
When we first moved to the country, our supermarket didn’t carry these items. All it took was a few pleasant conversations with the store manager, and the local Price Chopper began to carry items we suggested. Remember, take a few seconds to read nutrition labels on packaged foods. The impact on your health and well-being can be huge—and spread the word.
Shrimp and Sweet Corn Curry
My sister, Seema, has a penchant for following my recipes—and also for changing them to suit her tastes and whims, often with excellent results. This recipe is a prime example. Seema took the instructions for corn curry from my first book, Indian Home Cooking, and substituted coconut milk for the cream. Her idea worked very well, and, in fact, this is now how I make corn curry in the summertime, always using the incredibly sweet Butter and Sugar corn from Sheldon Farm, in Salem, New York.
I buy huge tiger shrimp (also called tiger prawns) from Allen Brothers in Chicago. They are impressively massive, succulent, and sweet and are a perfect marriage to the rich coconut milk and fresh corn. That said, any size shrimp work, or eliminate them altogether and substitute peas, green beans, or even sliced baby eggplant. We serve this with basmati, jasmine, or sticky sushi rice. Or do what I do and dunk a piece of crusty bread straight into the sauce—heaven!
Serves 6
FOR THE HERB PASTE
40 fresh or 60 frozen curry leaves (see Farmhouse Basics)
3-in/7.5-cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp frozen ground lemongrass paste (optional)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leafy parts and tender stems ripped off the tough stems
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, stemmed, and seeded for less heat
FOR THE CURRY
3 tbsp canola oil
1½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
15 fresh or 22 frozen curry leaves (see Farmhouse Basics), roughly chopped
3 dried red chiles
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp asafetida (see Farmhouse Basics)
Two 13½-oz/405-ml cans coconut milk
½ cup/120 ml heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk
1 tsp kosher salt
4 cups/615 g fresh corn (from 4 to 6 ears) or frozen corn
2 lb/910 g tiger shrimp (16 to 20 shrimp per pound), peeled and deveined
¼ cup/10 g finely chopped fresh cilantro
To make the herb paste: Combine the curry leaves, ginger, lemongrass paste (if using), cilantro, jalapeño, and 3 tbsp water in the bowl of a food processor, and purée into a nearly smooth paste. Set aside.
To make the curry: Heat the canola oil, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cumin browns and becomes fragrant and the mustard seeds pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the curry leaves, chiles, turmeric, and asafetida and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Then stir in the herb paste, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the mixture is very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and the cream, stir, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the salt, and add the corn and shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp curl and
are just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro and serve.
Salt-Roasted Whole Trout
Behind our house is a stream called Black Creek, which happens to be quite famous in these parts for its trout. The length of the creek that winds through our property is one of the most active sections, and it’s not uncommon in the early summer for fishermen (some we know; some are complete strangers—see Farm Yarn: Drop-Ins Welcome!) to come knocking on our front door asking for permission to cast a line. Since Charlie and I don’t fish at all, we’re happy to grant them access—as long as they leave a few trout for us as a thank-you!
In the late spring, the trout are tiny and small. I’ll dunk them into batter and fry them whole. More often, though, fishermen covet a bigger catch, so they’ll come later in the season to fish larger trout, often several pounds each. I like to cook the bigger fish simply: buried in a baking dish of kosher salt and lots of fresh herbs and lemon slices and then roasted in the oven. It’s very ceremonial to bring the baking dish to the table and crack the protective salt layer open to reveal the fish, steamed to perfection and infused with the delicate flavors of herbs straight from our garden.
Serves 4
3 generous bunches mixed fresh herbs (any combination of lemon verbena, lovage, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, summer savory, or thyme), plus extra for serving (optional)