Cooking with Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden

[blue_dolphin]

Another great combination of textures and flavors from Six Seasons with the Fried Celery Root Steaks with Citrus and Horseradish p 344.   @koen posted about this recipe upthread here.

The celery root gets peeled and sliced into 3/4" thick disks.  I'd go with 1/2" next time but these were fine.  The "steaks" get roasted first, then breaded and fried and finally, topped with a citrus-peperoncini-parsley "salad" and freshly grated horseradish - I added more after I took the photo. I served this as a vegetarian main dish and would recommend making extra of the "salad" topping as those flavors, along with the horseradish really make the dish special.

I had Cara Cara oranges from the local farmers market on hand so I went with that but I'm looking forward to trying this with a mix of other citrus like the blood oranges, tangerines or Meyer lemon that he suggests or even grapefruit or a few lime segments. 

[Anna N]

On 2018-03-13 at 12:17 PM, Anna N said:

Loved this. Loved the leftovers. 

Thought that I could convert the Beef with Lots and Lots of Onions for the Instant Pot. Wrong. It was a sad imitation of itself.  I was able to redeem myself somewhat by dumping everything into a enamelled cast-iron casserole and putting in the oven for two hours. Surprisingly it worked out rather well. 

[blue_dolphin]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

Thought that I could convert the Beef with Lots and Lots of Onions for the Instant Pot. Wrong. It was a sad imitation of itself.  I was able to redeem myself somewhat by dumping everything into a enamelled cast-iron casserole and putting in the oven for two hours. Surprisingly it worked out rather well. 

 

Thanks for reporting on that test.  I was wondering how the IP might work....or not....for this.

[blue_dolphin]

Since I've got a big old horseradish root in the fridge and beets, too, I figured I should try the Roasted Beet, Citrus and Olive Salad with Horseradish from Six Seasons p 280.

Reading over the recipe, I thought it might benefit from a nut or seed, a crispy breadcrumb or a bit of cheese, all very common ingredients in this book. Turns out, it's quite good as is. Before I finished eating, I tried some crumbled goat cheese and I liked that addition. Beet salad with goat cheese is such a cliché but I like it and it's a nice contrast to the bite of the horseradish.

One very small nit to pick - the recipe recommends using different color beets and then proceeds to marinate them all together where everything will surely turn bright pink. There is no mention of separating them to maintain some color contrast. Of course, it's not necessary unless you happen to want a salad that looks like the photo in the book, in which case, do this:

then assemble everything on the plate.

[blue_dolphin]

Another thumbs up for the Raw Asparagus Salad with Breadcrumbs, Walnuts & Mint from Six Seasons p 73 that @rancho_gordo posted about recently here. 

When I looked at my bowl, I agreed with the header notes and thought it looked kind of "meh," and that I'd never be able to eat my way through a big bowl of raw asparagus. I was wrong, very wrong. Everything works together really well here, even the mint, which is not one of my favorites.

 

For round 2, I followed @rancho_gordo's lead and added some beans - Christmas Limas.

Also excellent.

[blue_dolphin]

This is a version of the Pasta alla Gricia with Slivered Sugar Snap Peas from Six Seasons p 123 where I used slivered asparagus instead of snap peas. 

I sliced the asparagus very thinly on a sharp angle, as recommended for the Raw Asparagus Salad recipe I posted above and tossed it in with the pasta for just the last minute so they were tender but still crisp and contrasted nicely with the slightly chewy pasta. 

Topped the pasta with garlic-rosemary breadcrumbs instead of cheese.

[blue_dolphin]

We'll be moving on from cabbage season but there was still a head of Savoy in the fridge, enough to try a couple more Six Seasons recipes.  

Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts, Parmigiano and Saba from Six Seasons p 333.

The great flavor and texture exceeded my expectations for such an easy recipe - quarter a cabbage, rub with butter, roast, toss with saba and sprinkle the topping on. That topping (toasted walnuts, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese) is very similar to what's used in the Six Seasons asparagus salad that I made the other day but the dishes couldn't be more different. The crisp asparagus salad was bright, fresh and sharp with a bit of heat from the dried chile flakes while this warm, tender cabbage dish gets some garlic that added to the  earthy, roasted flavors. 

 

The rest of the cabbage went into the Comforting Cabbage, Onion and Farro Soup from Six Seasons p 337. @liamsaunt posted about this upthread and gave it a thumbs up.

This was fine, but didn't knock my socks off.  Pan-roasting the farro before adding gives it a nice toasty flavor and the vinegar and lemon juice balance out the sweetness of the cabbage and onions.  I added quite a bit of extra liquid but it's still more of a stew than a soup. I suspect the Savoy cabbage gives off less liquid than a regular green cabbage. I may add more to the leftovers and see if I like it better that way.  Or maybe it's just not wintery enough here.   I'll go have a popsicle for dessert 

 

[Martin Fisher]

8 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts, Parmigiano and Saba from Six Seasons p 333.

 

Gosh, that looks real good!

 

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

 

Gosh, that looks real good!

 

Doesn’t it?   I was ready to make it last night but it was a bit late when I read it. Certainly it’s going to end up on my plate very soon. (Both look good but I am referring to the roasted cabbage especially. 

Edited March 31, 2018 by Anna N (log)

[blue_dolphin]

On 3/30/2018 at 11:35 PM, DiggingDogFarm said:

Gosh, that looks real good!

 

On 3/31/2018 at 12:58 AM, Anna N said:

Doesn’t it?   I was ready to make it last night but it was a bit late when I read it. Certainly it’s going to end up on my plate very soon.

 

Thanks, guys!  I'll be interested to hear what you think if you try it.  I roasted the Savoy cabbage wedges in the CSO and turned them a couple of times as the parts closest to the top element browned fairly quickly. 

 

For an Easter brunch, I made the Swiss Chard Leek, Herb and Ricotta Crostata from Six Seasons p 302.

Leeks and colorful chard stems being sautéed:

 

Out of the oven:

 

Sliced:

 

This is the same walnut pastry called for in the Onion and Pancetta Tart that I made earlier.  I reduced the sugar from 5T to 1T, similar to what I did last time.  I debated baking this in a tart pan so I could blind bake the crust but I figured I'd go with the recipe for the first time. Indeed, the bottom crust isn't as nicely crisp and brown in the very center.  It's not bad, and the crisp upper crust kind of makes up for it, but next time, I'll try a tart or pie pan version.

The filling is a bunch of chard, a couple of leeks, ricotta cheese, fresh parsley, dill, cilantro and mint, lemon zest, grated Parmesan and a couple of eggs. 

Aside from using an egg wash on the crust, I followed the recipe as written.  My finished crostata came out at ~ 11" diameter.

I make quiche a lot and never really measure anything.  Here, I was measuring everything and felt like I generated a ton of dirty dishes but it was nice for a change. 

 

[Anna N]

On 2018-03-30 at 6:00 PM, blue_dolphin said:

The rest of the cabbage went into the Comforting Cabbage, Onion and Farro Soup from Six Seasons p 337. @liamsaunt posted about this upthread and gave it a thumbs up.

 Still very much on the fence about this one. I have put it back on the hob and I’m going to let it cook a while longer.  Perhaps I was somewhat impatient but I was not happy with the texture of the farro  and I couldn’t help but think as I followed the directions that there was an awful of faffing going on for a bowl of cabbage soup.    Perhaps I’m not respectful enough. 

[blue_dolphin]

14 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 

 Still very much on the fence about this one. I have put it back on the hob and I’m going to let it cook a while longer.  Perhaps I was somewhat impatient but I was not happy with the texture of the farro  and I couldn’t help but think as I followed the directions that there was an awful of faffing going on for a bowl of cabbage soup.    Perhaps I’m not respectful enough. 

 

I agree with your comments.  I know I was NOT impatient and my farro was certainly not cooked in the time given.  I think the toasting process gave it a nice flavor but made it much longer to cook.  After sitting overnight, it was very nice.  Of course, at that point, it was also assisted by a crispy fried egg and plenty of samba oelek .  And yes, it did seemed to require multiple cooking segments that didn't seem all that more effective at adding flavor compared with just throwing everything into the pot from the beginning!

 

[Anna N]

 

This is the roasted cabbage from up thread. I opted for the rough chop rather than serving the wedge whole. While I loved the “salsa”,  I was not a bit enthusiastic about the toothsomeness of the cabbage. I used a very fresh green cabbage not a Savoy and that might be part of the problem.  And of course impatience might have figured into this also.

[blue_dolphin]

19 hours ago, Anna N said:

While I loved the “salsa”,  I was not a bit enthusiastic about the toothsomeness of the cabbage. I used a very fresh green cabbage not a Savoy and that might be part of the problem.  And of course impatience might have figured into this also.

After roasting, my Savoy cabbage was pretty tender except for the thickest parts of the ribs.  I'll have to try it with a green cabbage one of these days to compare.

 

I made the English Pea & Pickled Carrot Salsa Verde from Six Seasons p 85 to serve as a side dish. 

As someone who doesn't love cooked carrots, I found the use of the pickled carrots p 58 to be a refreshing change to the same-old peas & carrots vegetable side dish. I've used the Six Seasons standard brine p 57 on several vegetables now - carrots, turnips, spring onions and fresh chiles. For my taste, it's a bit sweet and lacking in acid. I will adjust that in the future but the carrots were still a nice contrast in this dish. 
The header notes for the pea & carrot dish encourage you to try other pickled vegetables - " the more types, the merrier," so I added some sliced peperoncini and felt they provided a needed punch to the dish.

"Salsa Verde" implies  something rather different to me but while this wasn't exactly earthshaking, I thought it was a fun springtime change-up to a standard side dish.

[blue_dolphin]

Pasta Carbonara with English Peas from Six Seasons p 87.  As written except that I didn't have the optional pea tendrils. 

I'm not a fan of adding peas to pasta carbonara or to any long pasta.  They slide away from the pasta in the pan and from my fork on the plate.  

It was fine but I won't do it again. 

Edited April 4, 2018 by blue_dolphin
spelling (log)

[kayb]

Love the flavor in there, though. I've used a bag of frozen peas and carrots in this, too.

 

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

I'm not a fan of adding peas to pasta carbonara or to any long pasta.  They slide away from the pasta in the pan and from my fork on the plate.  

It was fine but I won't do it again. 

I will add peas to pasta even long pasta but I hear what you’re saying.  We need to invent a new eating utensil that will handle both at the same time. Or perhaps some pea glue so we could glue peas to each strand of pasta. I think I’ll work on that. 

[heidih]

Perhaps twirling it onto a pea loaded spoon? I do enjoy the flavor/texture pop of peas ith pasta.

[Anna N]

24 minutes ago, heidih said:

Perhaps twirling it onto a pea loaded spoon? I do enjoy the flavor/texture pop of peas ith pasta.

Wanna watch you doing that.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

I will add peas to pasta even long pasta but I hear what you’re saying.  We need to invent a new eating utensil that will handle both at the same time. Or perhaps some pea glue so we could glue peas to each strand of pasta. I think I’ll work on that. 

 

"I eat my peas with honey.  I've done it all my life..."

 

[blue_dolphin]

This is the English Pea Toast from Six Seasons p 82, topped with an uncalled for egg.  The header notes say this is the perfect showcase for early-season peas and I agree.  When you're shelling the peas, pop a few in your mouth and if they taste starchy at all, then move on to a different recipe.  You want those sweet early peas that are delicious all on their own.

I didn't have high expectations for this - raw peas and thinly sliced spring onions mixed with mint, lemon juice and olive oil on toasted bread spread with a mild cheese - the recipe calls for fresh sheep cheese, forage blanc, mild goat cheese or ricotta - I used Silver Goat chèvre and topped with a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

It's proposed as a appetizer and I had visions of cold, hard little peas rolling all over the place and figured if I was going to need a knife and fork, I might as well add an egg and make it a meal. 

I did make one toast without the egg and it's actually quite good, I'd say more than the sum of its parts.  Though it's not finger food, unless you want to chase down a bunch of peas rolling around on your floor.

Adding the egg turns it into a nice breakfast or brunch. 

 

[Martin Fisher]

On 4/4/2018 at 6:13 PM, heidih said:

Perhaps twirling it onto a pea loaded spoon?

 

Or a pea knife!

"Don't Eat With a Spoon! 

You're Done Too Soon!"

[blue_dolphin]

In an attempt to barber down a 2 ft long bunch of celery so it would fit in my fridge, I decided to try the recipe for Braised Celery p 153, sidebar from Six Seasons. I think braising in a generous amount of olive oil - no broth or other liquid other than a little bit of white wine - may help concentrate the celery flavor. 

 

I had some for breakfast with a poached egg:

The olive oil used for the braise is deliciously garlicky and flavored with red chile and thyme so I drizzled some over the egg and on my toast. 

Now I'm curious to try the Braised Celery and Radicchio Salad that this is used for in the book 

[Anna N]

54 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

In an attempt to barber down a 2 ft long bunch of celery so it would fit in my fridge

 

 When I saw your celery in the market thread I was very tempted to ask you how the heck you were going to get it into your refrigerator.  One of the challenges I find is that some vegetables are simply too long for my crisper drawers. Sometimes when I have to butcher them, I effectively reduce their life span.   Can be annoying.   In my next life I will surely find a way that I can shop more than once or twice a month.

[blue_dolphin]

10 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 When I saw your celery in the market thread I was very tempted to ask you how the heck you were going to get it into your refrigerator.  One of the challenges I find is that some vegetables are simply too long for my crisper drawers. Sometimes when I have to butcher them, I effectively reduce their life span.   Can be annoying.   In my next life I will surely find a way that I can shop more than once or twice a month.

 

This is what remains today, after peeling off 4 big ribs for the braise and chopping several inches off the top for some tuna  tuna-flavored celery salad:

I am embarrassed to show my messy condiment-crammed fridge but it does demonstrate the size of that celery!