by Marc Vetri
2 ribs celery, cut lengthwise into very thin strips 3 to 4 inches long
½ small head puntarelle, or 2 heads endive, trimmed, cut in thirds on a diagonal, and separated
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
DRESSING
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 salted whole anchovies, rinsed and boned (4 fillets)
1 canned peeled San Marzano tomato
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup Parmesan shavings
Refrigerate the celery in ice water until slightly curled, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and toss with the puntarelle and parsley in a bowl.
For the dressing: Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, and anchovies in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the anchovies break up, about 1 minute.
Add the tomato, pinching off and removing the core. Tear the tomato into pieces and drop into the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomato breaks down a little, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes (or it will splatter when the vinegar is added). Stir in the vinegar and the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil. Remove and discard the garlic clove and vigorously whisk the dressing or puree it with an immersion blender or in a small blender. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add 6 to 8 tablespoons of the dressing to the salad bowl and toss until mixed. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Divide equally among chilled plates, piling the ingredients into small mounds. Garnish with the Parmesan shavings.
PREP AHEAD
The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Mix it with the salad just before serving.
BEVERAGE—Araldica, Gavi di Gavi 2008 “La Luciana” (Piedmont): Made from the Cortese grape, Araldica’s Gavi di Gavi is the perfect summer wine—light and fresh with soft acidity and briny minerality.
Cold Farro Salad WITH CRUNCHY VEGETABLES
I love cold bean and grain salads. With some crunchy baby vegetables, they’re just so simple and beautiful. Now that farro is easy to get in the States, you should try it in this salad. It’s like barley but with an earthier, wheatier flavor, because farro is one of the oldest forms of wheat. I usually use pearled or semipearled farro, but if you have whole farro, just allow a little more cooking time.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1½ cups water
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup pearled or semipearled farro
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
¼ red onion, diced
½ small celery root, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the water, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the farro and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the farro is just tender, about 20 minutes. Pour off any excess water, then spread the farro on a baking sheet.
Scrape the cooled farro into a bowl and mix with the carrot, celery, onion, celery root, mint, vinegar, and remaining 4 tablespoons oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature.
PREP AHEAD
You can cook the farro up to 1 day ahead, then cover and refrigerate it. Mix it with the rest of the salad ingredients a few minutes before serving. Or prepare the entire salad, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving.
BEVERAGE—Bastianich, Refosco Rosato 2009 (Friuli): Refosco, a grape varietal indigenous to Fruili, yields a vibrant rosato with exciting plum, spice, and vegetal notes that highlight the taste of the farro and vegetables.
Vegetarians Welcome
I love it when people call or e-mail the restaurant and say, “We are coming in tonight and wanted to let you know that we are vegetarians. Will you have something for us to eat?” Will I have something for you to eat?!? I mean—seriously? This is Italian food. We do vegetables, and we do them well. In the late spring, summer, and early fall, more than 50 percent of my menus are vegetarian. The right vegetable, picked at just the right time, served in a way that enhances its natural qualities, can be a breathtaking experience.
Once a year, I take my Vetri chefs out for a great culinary experience. Sometimes, we fly to Italy or take a weekend field trip. One year, I decided to take them to Blue Hill at Stone Barns just upstate from New York City. I have known Dan Barber for ten or fifteen years, since the days when I worked in New York. But I had never eaten his food. Dan gave us a tour of the farm and talked about growing food with such passion and commitment that my chefs were already impressed. Afterward, we sat down for a truly memorable evening. But how can I tell you what we ate so you will understand how great it all was? We had baby cherry tomatoes on a toothpick. Big deal, right? Anybody can do that! Beautiful young carrots dipped in brine and served as is. Purple potato chips. Zucchini just cooked past al dente and wrapped in pancetta. Squash, lettuces, celtuce (which I had never heard of until then), all just brought from the earth to our plate. Nothing composed. Nothing over manipulated. Some people may ask, “When do you get to the cooking part?” I mean, putting baby cherry tomatoes on a plate is not cooking—or is it? Well, I think it is. Appreciating what comes from the earth is one of the most important first steps in cooking. We didn’t see a piece of fish or meat until two hours into our meal. And then it was simply a piece of exceptional fish. A beautiful roasted suckling pig. Ninety percent of our meal was from the vegetable garden, and it was masterful. Vegetables are not just a side dish. They should be respected as if they were rare jewels and cooked or prepared with care to highlight their best qualities. You need to truly understand the differences among vegetables and fruits to serve them with only the barest of preparations.
For me, that meal underscored just how important vegetables are in Italian cooking. It inspired me to change the way I present my tasting menus at Vetri. Instead of a complicated amuse-bouche, I like to start everyone with a sampling of the season’s finest little bites, most of which are vegetables or fruits.
So, yes, I will have something for vegetarians to eat. And not just something, but something truly delicious. To make it clear that vegetables aren’t just for the side of the plate, wine pairings are included with all of the dishes in this chapter.
Corn Crema WITH CORN SAUTÉ AND SCALLIONS
When I make risotto, I like to make a vegetable crema, or puree, then dice up some more of the vegetable for a different texture. That’s the concept here. You get the whole kernels of corn, deliciously browned on a grill, surrounded by a smoother, simpler puree of corn. It allows you to taste the vegetable in two different ways and enjoy it even more. Try the same method with other vegetables, too.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
6 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked
Corn Crema
5 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Light a grill for medium heat. Grill the ears of corn, turning them every 3 or 4 minutes, until the kernels are tender and tipped with brown, about 12 minutes. You can also use the broiler, keeping the corn 4 inches from the heat, turning as directed. Let cool enough to handle, then cut the kernels from the cobs. You should have about 3 cups.
Heat the corn crema in a large sauté pan until simmering. Add the grilled corn and scallions and heat through. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed.
PREP AHEAD
You can make the crema a day or two in advance, then reheat it in a saucepan.
BEVERAGE—Movia, Ribolla Gialla 2006 (Brda, Slovenia): Tropical, smoke, caramel, and earth flavors make this wine a great match for both crunchy corn
kernels and creamy puree.
Roasted Mushrooms in Foil
Roasted Mushrooms IN FOIL
Turn to this side dish when you run out of burners on your stove top, or when you’re cooking outside. You can put the packet of mushrooms on a grill, over a wood fire, or in an oven. The oven method is easiest, but if you put them right over a fire, just keep moving the packet around so the mushrooms don’t scorch on the bottom.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1¼ pounds chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and halved if small or quartered if large
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 sprigs rosemary, or 6 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pile the mushrooms on 2 large sheets of aluminum foil, then scatter on the garlic, rosemary, oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fold over the foil and crimp it down tightly over the mushrooms. Pop the packet in the oven and roast until you can hear the mushrooms simmering when you put your ear near the packet, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the packet from the oven and let stand for 5 to 6 minutes before opening.
Open the packet, remove the herbs, and transfer the mixture to a platter or plates, drizzling the juices over the top.
BEVERAGE—J. Hofstatter, Pinot Nero 2008 “Meczan” (Alto Adige): Pinot Noir is classic with mushrooms, and the light cherry and cedar character of Hofstatter’s Pinot Nero doesn’t disappoint.
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
ROSEMARY Roasted Potatoes
These potatoes are the epitome of simplicity: you just toss them with oil and seasonings and roast them. I like to serve them with roasted meats like Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder and Spit-Roasted Suckling Pig. Double the recipe to serve these with the pig.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
Leaves from 8 sprigs rosemary, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Toss the potatoes with the rosemary, butter, and oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer, then bake for 15 minutes, until the bottoms are browned. Add the garlic and dislodge the potatoes from the pan with a flat metal spatula, then toss and bake another 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
PREP AHEAD
I like to bake these potatoes and then refrigerate them for several hours before serving. Then I toss them in a hot pan with a little grapeseed oil and crisp them up minutes before they go on the plates.
BEVERAGE—Alois Lageder, Pinot Bianco (Alto Adige): Rosemary is the deciding factor here. With Pinot Bianco’s clean mouthfeel, fresh fruit, and hint of herbaceousness, it’s as if you’ve added more seasoning to the potatoes.
Potato TORTA
I make frittatas all the time, and this dish is a play on the Italian frittata and the Spanish torta: thin slices of potato are roasted, then mixed with eggs, onions, garlic, and parley and packed in a big sauté pan until it’s almost overflowing. After the bottom cooks, the Spanish usually flip it to cook the other side. It’s easier to just put the pan in the oven, so that’s the method here. Just be careful not to cook the torta too fast or you’ll have scrambled eggs. To gild the lily, top this with mozzarella or Parmesan and broil it until browned. I like to serve it with roasted tomatoes and a hunk of Rustic Loaf for a light meal.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
7 russet potatoes, about 12 ounces each
¼ cup plus 5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
12 eggs
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Peel and slice the potatoes about ⅛ inch thick. A mandoline, even an inexpensive handheld model, makes the slicing go much faster.
Put the potato slices on a large rimmed baking sheet (or 2 small ones) and drizzle with the ¼ cup olive oil. Using your hands, toss and rub the potatoes with the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread into a thin, nearly single layer. Roast for 22 minutes, then let the potatoes cool down a little.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until blended, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked potatoes, sautéed onion, parsley, and garlic.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in the sauté pan over medium heat until just smoking. Add the potato mixture and pack it into the pan to form a cake. Cook until the bottom and sides are set, about 5 minutes.
Put the torta in the oven and bake until firm and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges.
PREP AHEAD
You can bake the torta up to 1 day in advance, then reheat it in the same pan in the oven for about 20 minutes.
BEVERAGE—DeForville, Chardonnay 2008 (Piedmont): This Chardonnay is lean and focused, with medium body and green apple, pineapple, and lime flavors along with a vegetal earthiness. It’s a great accompaniment to the earthy potato torta.
Polenta SQUARES
Italians make these with whatever is left in the pot after pouring out enough hot porridge for the meal. You spread it flat, then leave the polenta in the fridge overnight. The next morning, you slice it and grill it or sear it in a pan. Nothing wasted. Everything gained.
MAKES 3 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR SIXTEEN 2-INCH SQUARES
6 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup polenta
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, then add the salt. Very gradually add the polenta while constantly stirring with a whisk.
Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is thick enough to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour. It should have a consistency similar to mashed potatoes. In the last half hour of cooking, you’ll need to stir more often to keep the polenta from scorching on the bottom.
Stir in the ¼ cup oil and taste it. Add more salt as needed.
Pour the polenta onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread into an even layer about ½ inch thick and 8 inches square. Let cool, then cut into 2-inch squares.
To grill the squares, coat them with a little olive oil, then grill them over a medium fire until nicely grill-marked, about 2 minutes per side. You could also sear them in a hot cast-iron pan the same way.
BUCKWHEAT POLENTA
Increase the water to 6⅔ cups. Replace ⅔ cup of the polenta with ⅔ cup freshly milled buckwheat flour, adding it gradually along with the polenta.
PREP AHEAD
The polenta can be cooked, cooled, cut, and refrigerated for up to 3 days in advance. For the best taste, look for polenta that is freshly milled and made from “polenta integrale,” which is whole cornmeal rather than degermed cornmeal. I get mine from Cayuga Pure Organics in upstate New York (see Sources).
BEVERAGE—Castello della Sala, Chardonnay 2008 “Bramito del Cervo” (Tuscany): Think Chardonnay with polenta—or corn in general—particularly a buttery Chardonnay!
Tuna and White Bean BRUSCHETTA
Don’t bother buying expensive tuna loin for this dish. You’ll just be wasting your money. Ask your fishmonger for the scraps. The ends and the stuff with all the white veins are perfect here.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
TOPPING
½ cup dried white beans, rinsed and picked over
½ ounce Pancetta or purchased pancetta, preferably in a chunk
¼
onion in one big chunk
1 pound tuna scraps, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary
1 rib celery, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ to ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Rustic Loaf or baguette, sliced ½ inch thick
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
½ cup Lemon Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For the topping: Soak the beans overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain the beans, then put them in a saucepan with water to cover by 2 inches; add the pancetta and the onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Drain and remove the pancetta and onion. Let the beans cool.
Rub the tuna with the salt until evenly coated, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Rinse the tuna and put it in a wide pan deep enough to submerge the fish in water. Cover with cold water and add the lemon juice and rosemary. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat; the water should register 165°F. Adjust the heat to maintain the 165°F water temperature and gently poach the fish until it is just firm and registers about 120°F internal temperature. Remove from the heat and let cool in the poaching liquid.
Remove the tuna from the liquid and break it into small pieces, dropping them into a bowl. Add the celery, red onion, oregano, pepper flakes, vinegar, and just enough olive oil to moisten everything. Fold in the beans, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Makes about 3 cups.