SobaAddict70

I think I may have done soba at home once or twice. if I do Asian food, I will usually either hew to tradition or come up with something western. FYI I loathe pasta salads, so that will never appear if I can help it.

I'm relaxing for a few minutes before I start on brunch. Market basket for this week: heirloom potatoes, rainbow carrots, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, dwarf grey sugar snow pea shoots, micro mesclun, scarlet frills, shoulder bacon, broccoli rabe, heirloom beans, herbs, gold cippolini onions, Red Russian kale, Japanese turnips. No soft-shell crabs or fiddlehead ferns though. Total spent: $45. Brunch pix in a little bit. Dinner menu for May 25, 2013: Gold cippolini onions, shoulder bacon, sherry vinaigrette Broccoli rabe with heirloom beans and Umbrian chickpeas More later.

dcarch -- thank you. rotuts -- it's my pleasure. good morning. woke up much later than I intended to. I have to get down to USGM before it starts to rain. looks like quite an unseasonable 50 F outside right now. yuck. this is 1/2 cup Umbrian dried chickpeas in 4 cups cold water. this will soak for the next 6 to 8 hours before being used in tonight's dinner. despite what you may read on elsewhere on eGullet, using a pressure cooker to cook things like dried beans and legumes is not necessarily the best method, in my opinion. I am quite the Luddite when it comes to cooking. it's why, for instance, I don't own a microwave, a food processor or a blender. be back in a couple of hours.

So, the top picks appear to be: Heirloom potatoes Gold cippiolini onions Japanese turnips Fiddlehead ferns Soft-shell crabs I might not be able to obtain fiddlehead ferns. If that's the case, I'll choose one from this list: 3 votes: ramps butter shiitake mushroooms rainbow carrots edible flowers pea shoots French breakfast radishes In addition to the ingredients above, I may get other things, but all will be used in at least one meal this week, but not all in the same meal or in the same dish. In answer to Keith_W -- I like soba but rarely make it at home because of the unpredictability of most commercial brands -- so it's something I'm more likely to have at a restaurant. Plantes Vertes -- I'm more likely to make something meatless than with protein, or something that uses meat sparingly, but you never know. Weather tomorrow promises to be disgusting -- with a high of 55 F and a low of 47 F. My space heater shouldn't have to be on this late in the spring. Talk to y'all later.

I will say folks on eG are quite perceptive. I'll have to throw more curveballs next time I send in teaser pix. in the order that Heidi posted: corned beef sandwich from Katz's Gibson cocktail from Redhead (plymouth gin, black pepper, pickled onions) dim sum from World Tong (unfortunately closed) closeup of a summer vegetable tian samphire (sea beans) and black radish, with extra-virgin olive oil and black pepper tomato and stone fruit (Shiro plums, mango nectarines) salad, with Spanish chorizo and prosciutto fresh pasta with heirloom tomatoes and Spanish garlic shrimp

thanks folks. from top to bottom: peas with pancetta spaghetti with sea scallops and Jersey tomatoes Italian potato salad, with Bordeaux spinach, red onion and olives poached wild striped bass, tarragon butter sauce, spring vegetables "foursome" -- clockwise from top left: micro-tatsoi, with hazelnut vinaigrette; "quick"-preserved citrus; baked cippolini onion with green garlic; marinated olives insalata di zucchine e pomodoro fagiolini e patate

Next: Ricotta gnocchi, with ramps, dandelion greens and lemon The recipe for the gnocchi is an adaptation of Suzanne Goin’s version from her cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques. For this recipe, you will need the following: 1 cup flour 1 cup cow’s milk ricotta or sheep’s milk ricotta, drained 1 egg pinch of kosher salt freshly milled black pepper pinch of nutmeg extra flour for rolling The day before you make the gnocchi: You’ll want to drain the ricotta of any excess moisture. Place it in a strainer or colander or double-wrap it in cheesecloth. Suspend over a bowl and let it drain for 12 to 24 hours, refrigerated. Cheesecloth is more efficient as it absorbs moisture from the ricotta while gravity does the rest of the work. To test the ricotta for moisture, place a scant teaspoon on a paper towel and wait 5 minutes. If the ricotta leaves any moisture behind, it’s not ready for use. Combine 1 cup ricotta cheese and 1 cup flour in a large bowl and mix with a fork, making sure to break up any large lumps. Make a well in the center, add 1 egg, a pinch of kosher salt, some freshly milled black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Starting at the inside of the well, slowly fold the egg into the flour with the tines of a fork in a circular motion or until the mixture forms into a soft, pliable dough. You’ll want to knead the dough as little as possible. Shape the dough into a ball, then divide it into four portions. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Lightly flour a cutting board or your work area. You want enough flour so that the dough won’t stick. If you add too much flour, the dough will be difficult to roll. Take a portion of gnocchi dough and roll it out into a long, thin cylinder and cut into pieces. You can leave them as is or run them on the reverse side of the tines of a fork to form ridges that characterize traditional gnocchi. I usually skip this part if I’m cooking for myself. If I’m cooking for a crowd, that’s a different story. Drop a few at a time into salted boiling water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until gnocchi rises to the top. Lift out with a slotted spoon. Ideally, your sauce should be ready once the gnocchi are done. Top with sauce and serve immediately. The "sauce" for the gnocchi consists of chopped ramps (stalks, bulbs and leaves) and dandelion greens that were cooked in unsalted butter, along with a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and julienned lemon zest. The gnocchi recipe above is the basic template. The picture above contains about 1/3 cup ricotta cheese to 3-4 tablespoons flour and 1 egg yolk, but you can vary the proportions to your heart's content.

I'm about to start prep for the main tonight, then I'll be on hand to answer questions from the Foodblog preview thread and from the "menu planning" thread that Heidi posted earlier this week. Pix coming up shortly.

To start things off: Braised lettuce, with shallots, mushrooms and peas 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced 1 head Boston lettuce or 2-3 heads of sucrine*, torn into bite-size pieces 1/4 cup champignon mushrooms or morels, thinly sliced 1/4 cup fresh shelled peas OR 1/4 cup frozen peas 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1/2 cup chicken stock salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon unsalted French butter such as Pamplie or Beurre d'Isigny (regular unsalted butter is fine) Gently warm olive oil in a saucepan or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lettuce, chicken stock and thyme. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until lettuce is tender. Taste for salt and pepper. Add peas and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in butter, then serve at once. *Sucrine is an heirloom lettuce available at some farmers' markets. Exceptionally sweet with tender, lush green leaves, it also has a faint mineral tang reminiscent of romaine.

Now that the cat's out of the bag, you might say I've been looking forward to this Foodblog for a long time. The focus of this Foodblog is a little different from all the other ones. Back in 2012, I decided that I wanted to change the way I ate, cooked and shopped, from buying specific things for a specific recipe, to buying what looked good at the market, then making something using what I came home with. In doing so, I wanted to see if I could cook, shop and eat seasonally for an entire year. My cooking had become stale; I was limited to the same handful of concepts. I sought to break out of the box I had become entrapped within. By limiting myself to a specific set of ingredients for days or weeks at a time, I was forced to experiment and broaden my horizons. That experiment, which I called The Year of Cooking Seasonally, was so successful that I've decided that's what I'll be doing for the rest of my life. When you are faced with weeks of POTATOES or CARROTS or ZUCCHINI or CORN, cooking in this way makes me want to dig deep within myself and really get into what it means to make something that's mundane seem interesting, exciting, delicious and enticing. It's not for everyone, but it works for me. This Foodblog is also different from the others I've had the honor of participating in, because I wanted readers to be able to partly influence the ingredients for this week's menu and in the process challenge myself. I'm always looking to improve, to learn, to discover, to explore, to teach and be taught, and to share with others. In addition, most recipes will be sized for one or two people, and are mostly meatless. These days, I consider myself a 'flexitarian' -- that is, someone who eats less meat than he used to. I would say I am 60% lacto-ovo vegetarian/20% vegan/20% meat. My hobby is cooking. My life revolves around food. Amongst my friends, I am known for cooking multi-course meals from scratch when I come home from work, at least three or four days a week. Perhaps this is a luxury to some, but THIS is how I relax. When Im in the kitchen, I am able to indulge my creativity in ways that prove to be nearly as satisfying as sex. This Foodblog is dedicated to anyone who's marveled at the beauty of life, as reflected in the passage of time and in the procession of the seasons, and in the love we share with each other in community and at the table.

Have a TON of greens I'm going through in my fridge; coming up with some ideas for next week. In the meantime, this was tonight: Fried farm eggs, with asparagus, sesame oil and cayenne The eggs were fried in olive oil for about 2 minutes, or until the whites were barely set. Transferring them to a bowl or plate is always a bit tricky, since one wrong move and you'll end up with an egg painting instead of fried eggs. Pasta with greens (cress, Greenmarket spinach), anchovy, garlic and fried breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs are from a stale baguette and were fried in olive oil, then seasoned with sea salt, peperoncini and black pepper.

btw for next week, HCR will be on the menu, but knowing me there will be a twist. all that I ask is for people to keep an open mind.

I loved this dish when I had it abroad. I always assumed it would be rather involved to make at home. How was it? Did you follow a recipe or give it a go on your own? love HCR. hmm, thanks for the idea for next week. *wink*

you can substitute a small amount of finely chopped carrot tops for cilantro. taste it initially to see if it's agreeable, then proceed as normal.

thanks folks. also nice pix, especially Keith's chicken. tonight: Squid, ramps and heirloom potato salad, with lemon, capers and parsley Yes, that is a blue/purple-colored potato. Adapted from this recipe at Food52 -- http://food52.com/recipes/14173-grilled-squid-salad-with-lemon-capers-and-parsley (the squid was fried in olive oil, along with a few tablespoons of Belgian beer, ramp stalks and ramp leaves (ramps were subbed for the red onion in the recipe), otherwise it's as directed).

I've thought about doing that but was concerned that the flavor and salt of the water might not get through to the meat. Toots, OTOH, always boils her red potatoes with the skin on, but she doesn't add anything to the water that might enhance the flavor. whether you elect to add salt to the water you cook the potatoes in is a matter of preference. when I make potato salad, I tend to salt in stages. since potatoes absorb salt over time, it's important to taste as you go along so that you know how much to adjust in the end. btw, this technique of boiling vegetables whole can be extended to other things as well, such as for instance, beets and turnips.

Shel -- you may want to consider boiling the potatoes whole and unpeeled. if the potatoes are small enough (small or medium-size is best), this method will work. this link explains in more detail -- http://www.thekitchn.com/cooking-basics-how-to-boil-pot-64716 the advantage of this method is that the potatoes will all cook evenly and at the same rate, and not be as water-logged as if you had peeled and sliced them.

I think Madura's has those, but they're usually around Fridays. one of these days, maybe...

well I got there at 1:30. and of course, it started to rain shortly after I arrived. lol.

liuzhou -- love crabs. soft-shells are in season, think I'll get some this week. franci -- everything looks great, but the rosti are awesome. (i love rosti of any type.) if you'll be moving to brooklyn, you'll have access to grand army plaza also; next to USGM, that's the #2 greenmarket in the City. as for vendors I like at USGM, there's a list in the USGM thread in the New York forum. simon -- it looks fine. i'd eat it. mm -- lovely pristine piece of fish. patrick -- meatloaf is comfort food, definitely. dejah -- feel better soon! tonight: Rainbow carrots, with golden morels, pistachios and honey The carrots were briefly simmered in lightly salted water for 4 minutes, then seasoned with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and roasted for 20 minutes at 350 F. The morels were fried in melted unsalted butter over medium heat, with and until tender, and lightly seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Both the carrots and morels were lightly dressed with a mixture of 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Belgian-style beer, 1 teaspoon honey and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. You’ll notice that the carrots are whole — that’s because I wanted to serve them by preserving their unusual shape, instead of slicing them. You can skip the par-boiling step, but if you do so, you’ll have to adjust the roasting time. Pineapple and coconut curry, lemon and almond rice, spiced lime pickle Pineapple curry -- http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1014724/Pineapple-Curry.html Lemon rice -- http://indianfood.about.com/od/ricerecipes/r/lemonrice.htm (with 1 cup almonds instead of peanuts) The pickle is store-bought (Bedekar -- lime, sugar, salt, chile powder, lime juice) and available from Kalustyan's (http://www.kalustyans.com/ ).

It's OK, so do I. I have found a little trick though. I cook up enough food for us to eat. Then I plate up a dainty little portion, because they look nicer. Once the photo is taken, I pile on the food and eat!agreed. also, with respect to mm's comment on your "plates", one of the best investments I ever made was to take a little shopping trip to Bed Bath & Beyond and pick up some white dishware. since I'm a bachelor, I eat mostly out of bowls, and since my kitchen is hobbit-sized, that means that a deep bowl does double duty as soup bowl, pasta bowl, salad bowl or a whatever bowl. LOL. I'm sure you get the idea. if you don't have a BBB in your city, any thrift shop or kitchenware store will serve. plain white is best because there's less "contrast/busyness" which directs the viewer's eye to the food. you'll notice how mm's plates -- I mean the vessels he or she serves his food in -- have barely any designs on them. that being said, my secret dream is to have a prop "pantry" similar to what Martha Stewart's staff has for Martha Stewart Living. there must literally be like a thousand different pieces of dishware, all individually labelled and entered into a bar code/database system. heh. hope that helps.

surprised to see ramps still available, so I bought a bunch. as for this week -- spinach, baby mesclun, crinkly watercress, eggs, ricotta cheese, squid, carrots, heirloom potatoes, Japanese turnips, asparagus, and green leaf lettuce. pretty sure I missed a couple things...oh well.

patrick -- you'd enjoy it, I think. c. sapidus -- great plate of chicken. tonight: Dandelion greens and kohlrabi "bread salad" -- dandelion greens, kohlrabi, dried cranberries, croutons, saffron, red chile flakes, olive oil, lemon juice, cranberry soaking liquid. The cranberries were briefly soaked in hot water (which had a few saffron threads in it). Can't wait for tomatoes to start appearing... Spaghetti with ramps, asparagus, peas and bacon

I was going over the contents of my pantry last night thinking of what to make for dinner when I came upon the remainder of the kohlrabi I bought back in March. well, at least it doesn't turn as easily as say, chives. the appetizer tonight will feature it, along with some dandelion greens in a sort of "bread salad". it's not real bread salad hence the quotation marks, because the bread isn't salt-free (so therefore the texture will be somewhat different, along with the method of prep.) liuzhou, if this works out, you can add this to your list of ideas for next time. you're probably not going to get dandelion greens in China, so I would just sub in whatever bitter greens you happen to have on hand. more later.

tonight: Spring vegetable soup, with artichokes, peas and potatoes For those of you who have "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking", this is on pages 85-87 of the 2012 edition. If you don't have the book -- basically fry some garlic in olive oil, then add sliced potatoes. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, covered; then add thinly sliced artichokes (that have been trimmed of their inedible parts, thorny tips, and fuzzy choke) and enough water to cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes on low heat. Then stir in either fresh or frozen peas. Cook for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, stir in chopped parsley and serve immediately. Not as substantial as a minestrone, nor as complex, but immensely satisfying. patrick -- this is another example where water is preferable over stock or broth. There's a slice of fried bread (slightly stale baguette fried in olive oil) on the bottom of the bowl. keith -- ty