Fresh Tart

Friends with CSAs, gardens, or farmers market addictions...I'd love to see you at the Provisions class I'm teaching at Kitchen in the Market with chef Scott Pampuch. The focus will be on extending our too-short growing season's bounty with time-honored techniques, helpful restaurant tips, and translations to making great quality food at home.

Our first class is this coming Thursday, May 24! We're also gathering on June 14 and July 26 - sign up for all three classes for a discount, or take one or two.

We'll kick off this week by discussing the tips, tricks and tools that you'll want to consider as you move through spring and into summer. We'll talk about cooking as a lifestyle and a process, and guide you through translating your personal goals and needs into a plan of attack. With a bit of planning and structure in the spring, we can help you get your kitchen established with the equipment, ingredients, and techniques that will help you get through the seasons.

On the menu:

• storing & keeping foods - tips about treating your foods right so they can last throughout the year

• canning "outside of the cookbook" - basic recipes and inspired flavor combinations

• making flavored salts

• new twists on pesto

• to eat: antipasto platter featuring make, taste + take accompaniments and flatbread

If you have yet to take a class at Kitchen in the Market (KITM), you've been missing out on a delicious blast. Owned by chef Molly Herrman (Tastebud Catering) and Tracy Morgan (Segnavia Creative) KITM exists within Midtown Global Market and it is always hopping. With classes ranging from Food Porn photography to Chef's Night Off participation cooking to our Provisions class, there is learning, eating, and drinking for everyone.

We hope to see you there! Email me if you have questions.

So, as I mentioned yesterday, I had a cooler full of fresh, delicious CSA veggies to work with for dinner tonight.  I opted for pasta, tangled with ribbons of collards, fennel, and spring onions, as well as bites of zucchini (the zucchini was not from my veggie share - it was just chilling in the fridge, biding its time, waiting for a veggie dish needing some moisture and the ability to absorb the flavor of garlic, yeah).  But really, any tasty combination of vegetables would work - choose what you like.  I had intended ziti or penne - the thickness stands up nicely to a coarse "sauce" - but when I opened the cupboard, alas, the thickest, heartiest shape I could find was linguine, so linguine it was.

I seared the veggies on the grill, chapa-style (yes, again - what can I say, not heating up my kitchen is a nice thing in the summer).  Wait, I should back up - I started by searing two slices of bacon, chopped.  When it was crisp, I removed to a large bowl and then added the ribbons of collard greens and zucchini to the pan (and drippings).  Collards are tougher than, say, spinach or chard, so need a longer cooking time and some moisture (zuchhini adds quite a bit of moisture, but I added a few drizzles of water as well) to achieve truly tender.  Make sure to add a sprinkle of salt as you stir.  When both achieved melty and lightly charred, I added a clove of minced garlic, stirred it around a bit, and then transferred the whole pan to the bowl with the bacon (toss, toss).

I then added a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the hot pan, then stirred in the fennel and onions (and a sprinkle of salt) and saute-seared them until also lightly charred.  I scraped them into the bowl with the bacon, collards, and zucchini, added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a crumble of Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, and the veggies were ready to toss with pasta.

Here's how to finish - cook pasta (1/2 lb. to serve 3-4) according to package directions until al dente.  While the pasta cooks, in a small skillet, saute one clove of minced garlic and 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes in 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil, until garlic is just barely colored.  Remove from heat.  Just before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 c. of the pasta cooking water.  Drain the pasta, return to the warm pot, and toss with the garlic/oil, reserved water, and salt and pepper to taste until "creamy" (the starch in the cooking water creates a bit of a "sauce").  Toss in the vegetables and an additional grating of cheese to taste.  A shower of freshly minced herbs would be nice.  I use probably 2/3 veg to 1/3 pasta - a perfect opportunity to enjoy a small taste of pasta (no more than a couple of ounces) with lots of delicious vegetables (go whole-wheat pasta if your family won't revolt - mine, sadly, would/has).

Enjoy thoroughly.