Pasta with Zucchini, Lemon, Pine Nuts, and Herbs

adapted from The Greens Cook Book

• 1 pound corkscrew pasta (gemelli, rotelli, etc.)
• 8 ounces small, firm green or golden zucchini
• 1/2 c. mixed fresh herbs: Italian parsley, marjoram, basil, chervil, hyssop, oregano, lemon thyme, cutting celery and others (Avoid tarragon in this dish.)
• 1 lemon
• 6 T. virgin olive oil
• 5 T. pine nuts
• 1 onion or 3 shallots, thinly sliced then roughly chopped
• 4 t. tiny capers, rinsed in water
• 2 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into narrow strips (I used 8 halves)
• Salt & Pepper
• Parmesan (grated, fresh)
  Slice the zucchini diagonally into pieces about the same thickness as the pasta (matchstick size, 1/8" or so). Line up the slices and cut them into narrow matchsticks. Each one will be tipped with green or gold. Make a selection of fresh herbs from those suggested in the ingredients list. Pull the leaves off the stems and chop them, but not too finely. Include any flowers, such as the purple flowers of the basil or pink thyme blossoms. With a vegetable peeler, remove a thin strip of peel from the lemon and cut it into fine slivers. (I grated the peel.) Heat 2 T. olive oil in a small pan and add the pine nuts. Cook them until they begin to color; then add the shallots. Cook the two together over medium low heat until the shallots are soft and the pine nuts are brown. Transfer them to a wide bowl and add the rest of the oil, the capers, lemon peel, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon or so lemon juice to taste. Add salt to the boiling water, drop in the zucchini and cook it about 1 minute. Scoop it out, shake off the water, and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients. Next, cook the pasta, scoop it out and add it to the bowl as well. Toss with a pair of tongs, so that the noodles are coated with the oil and herbs. Serve with the cheese passed separately.

FAVA BEANS

Here is a link to Nine recipes for FAVA BEANS and an excellent source for other seasonal recipes, check it out at: http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0506b.htm ENJOY!

'Ncapriata Di Fave Or Fava Bean Puree

• 1/2 pound dried peeled fava beans or 1 pound whole dried fava beans with skins
• Coarse salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  Soak the beans for several hours or overnight. Drain and, if using dried beans with their skins on, pull the outer skin off and discard. Transfer the beans to a deep saucepan, and add water to cover. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises. Once the foam has stopped rising, add salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the beans, stirring frequently with a long-handled wooden spoon. The beans should gradually dissolve into the cooking liquid. Keep a separate pan or kettle of water simmering on the stove and, when necessary, add a little hot water to the simmering beans to keep them from drying out or scorching.Continue to cook for about an hour, stirring much more regularly in the last 15 minutes. When the beans are completely dissolved, without any lumps, they should have the consistency of clotted cream. If lumps remain after cooking for an hour, continue to cook, or, alternatively, run through a sieve to remove any lumps.Off the heat, beat in olive oil with the wooden spoon. Adjust salt to taste. Serve on thick slices of bread that are either toasted and brushed with olive oil or fried in olive oil. Serve with boiled bitter greens if desired.

Roasted Curried Carrot Soup

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound carrots, diced
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, chopped
• 1 stick lemongrass, finely chopped
• 1 red chili, finely sliced (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder (or garam masala)
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 14 fluid ounce can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 pints vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoon fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
  Pre-heat oven to 390F. Heat the oil in an ovenproof dish and roast the carrots for 25 minutes or so until lightly golden and tender. Set aside. Melt butter in a large pan, add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili, curry powder and coriander and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes to allow the spices to release their fragrances. Stir in the roasted carrots, coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the lime juice and coriander and stir well. Serve hot.

Sauteed Swiss Chard

from Bon Appétit

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• bunch Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to bowl and serve.
  

Leek Frittata

Adapted from Antipasti by Joyce Goldstein

From The Daily News, 1/13/99: "In ancient Egypt, leeks and onions were adored as gods, and the Israelites lamented the leeks they left behind when they fled Egypt. They are a national symbol in Wales.... you can store them in plastic in the fridge for 5 days or more. Leeks are rich in allicin, an organosulfur compound that has been shown to inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells, including breast, endometrial, and colon cancer cells. Leeks also contain calcium, iron, vitamin C, and fiber.

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 4-6 leeks, white and tender green part cut into 1-inch slices, sautéed in butter or olive oil until soft
• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup whole milk, half and half, or cream
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 6-8 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Pinch fresh nutmeg or cinnamon
• Fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped green garlic, leeks, green onions, or yellow onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using about 1 tablespoon olive oil, liberally oil a 7x11x2 inch baking dish, or a 2 quart round baking dish if you prefer. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, cheese, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt, and several grinds of pepper. Saute the onions/garlic over low heat in a pan in some olive oil to soften. Remove from the heat and stir into the egg mixture along with the leeks. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake the frittata until the top is set and lightly colored, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for at least 8 to 10 minutes, and cut into squares or wedges. Serve warm or at room temp.