Last Tuesday was one of those days that turned out to be warmer than predicted (not that I’m complaining!), so much so that whatever it was that I had planned to cook that night, I suddenly didn’t want to anymore. Add to that the fact that I had a plumber and a loss adjuster in my kitchen while I was trying to make dinner, talking about having to rip up and replace all the flooring throughout the house because of a mysterious water leak we have, and I wanted to cry, not cook. But this is one of those recipes that takes almost no time to cook and is made of pantry staples that I always have around, so I was able to quickly change my plans, throw this together and avoid resorting to takeout.

A well-stocked pantry can be a busy cook’s best friend, as Anita writes in her Dinner on a Deadline series. (And check out this well-stocked, well-organized pantry — it makes my Virgo heart happy just to look at it.) Some of the things you’ll rarely find me without are canned chickpeas, cannellini beans, black beans and tomatoes (whole and chopped), rice, pasta, couscous, tortillas, onions, garlic, lemons, olives, tuna and a jar of pesto in the pantry, as well as a good variety of dried herbs and spices and all the staples for baking; some fresh herbs, chorizo, eggs, Parmesan and cheddar cheese, potatoes, carrots and apples in the fridge; and frozen peas, frozen berries, chicken breasts and homemade chicken stock in the freezer. With just that short list of ingredients, I can make pasta with Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce, pasta e ceci, roasted garlic and pea soup, red chile chicken and rice with black beans, chicken bouillabaisse, a white bean and tuna salad, a ploughman’s lunch, homemade pizza, cheese quesadillas, a potato frittata or this dinner with hardly any planning ahead.

What pantry staples do you always have on hand? What are your store cupboard stand-by dinners? Let us know in the comments or come join the discussion on our Facebook page, under the Discussions tab!

Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes and Olives
adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

If you don’t have fresh herbs, just use some dried basil instead. Olives can become bitter if cooked too long, so you should add them in at the end of a recipe.

14 oz (400 g) pasta, such as penne, farfalle or spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can of chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 6 oz (170 g) can of tuna, drained
3 basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
a few handfuls of black olives, halved

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the tuna, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon. Add in the basil, parsley and olives and simmer for a few minutes more, then remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add some of the pasta cooking water to help the sauce coat the pasta if necessary. Serve immediately.

When I attended the Bord Bia Irish food bloggers event last month, I first and foremost met loads of fantastic people, some of whom are bloggers I’ve been reading for awhile, and some who I happily discovered thanks to this event. I also saw a few cooking demos, including a don’t-try-this-at-home handsaw-wielding butcher; heard talks on raising your blog’s profile from Damien Mulley and how to land a book deal from Eoin Purcell; learned some tips on food styling from Erica Ryan and food photography from Jocasta Clarke; and ate pork belly and its fabled crackling for the first time.

And I got some free grub.

I left the Bord Bia offices laden down with potted thyme and sage plants from Living Flavour; a jar of chutney for cheese from Sheridans Cheesemongers; a box each of Pu-erh and South African Roobios tea from Barry’s Tea; a pack of Biltong Irish beef jerky; a pack of lentil, pea and bean shoots from Good4U; a homemade Macroom oatmeal ginger biscuit made by fellow blogger Lilly Higgins; and last but not least, two fillets of hot smoked Irish trout from Goatsbridge. (And not forgetting, of course, the 4 lb pork loin sent out by Bord Bia before the event that I brined and served with a rhubarb compote.)

We scoffed most of the lot fast enough, but I let the trout sit in the fridge for a week while I decided what to do with it. I can’t claim to be the first of the Irish bloggers to come up with the idea of pairing the trout with pasta and peas — Darren at Supper Satisfaction and Aoife at Babaduck Babbles have both posted similar versions already, and I was inspired by Gizzi Erskine’s recipe for spaghetti with smoked salmon and peas that Donal Skehan featured on his blog last month and which my kids loved when I made it. The top-quality trout did most of the work for me in this recipe, but some lemon, crème fraîche and white wine didn’t hurt either. If you can’t find smoked trout, this recipe would work just as well with smoked salmon.

But I left with more than just a bag full of free food. I came away from the event inspired to try some new recipes thanks to the producers’ generous donations, with new friends and with a sense that I’m part of a buzzing little Irish food blogging community. Now that’s what I call a good day out.

Creamy Penne with Smoked Trout and Peas

Serves 4 to 6

The folks at Goatsbridge suggested adding a pinch of dried chili flakes to this recipe for a little kick. If you can’t get crème fraîche, try taking a leaf out of Gizzi Erskine’s book and using 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream and 1/2 cup (120 ml) Greek yogurt instead, in which case you might not need to add the pasta cooking water at the end.

1 lb (450 g) penne
2 cups (200 g) frozen peas
1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
4 small shallots, finely chopped
juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup (240 ml) white wine
1 cup (240 ml) crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 oz (200 g) smoked trout (or smoked salmon), roughly chopped
1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh dill
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the frozen peas in with the pasta.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over a medium-low heat in a large frying pan, one that’s big enough to eventually hold all the cooked pasta. Add the shallots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the lemon juice and wine and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the lemon and wine have reduced a little. Add in the crème fraîche and stir well, then season with salt and pepper. Add in the smoked trout and continue to simmer until the trout is heated through.

Drain the pasta and peas, reserving some of the cooking water. Add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water to the sauce to thin it a little. Add the pasta and peas directly to the sauce in the frying pan, stirring well to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce. Add more cooking water if needed. Sprinkle with fresh dill and toss to combine. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

There are two events that mark the start of summer for me — the first day I see a van on the side of the road selling Wexford strawberries or when I cook something from Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer cookbook.

Once I dust off that cookbook, this linguine is invariably the first thing I make from it, since I’ve made it so often that the book now falls open naturally to this well-thumbed, cooking-splattered page. As for Eton mess, it was invented at Eton College in England in the 1930s and is now traditionally served there today, on June 4th, but we don’t stand on such ceremony in my family — we eat this as soon as Irish strawberries hit the shops and roadside stands, then make it more often than I care to admit all through the summer (certainly more than can be good for us). I’m lucky in that you can buy meringues in practically any grocery store in Ireland, which is what makes it so easy to whip together, but if you want to try making meringues yourself, this is the perfect recipe to have as a back-up plan. Because you crush the meringues anyway, it doesn’t matter one bit if they look pretty beforehand. And I’m willing to bet that once you try this, you’ll be getting plenty of practice honing your meringue-making skills by making this irresistible summer dessert (far too) often.

Linguine with Chili, Crab and Watercress
adapted from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

By all means use fresh crab if you can, but canned works just fine. The original recipe calls for watercress, but arugula (rocket) or even spinach would work too.

1 lb 2 oz (500 g) linguine or spaghetti
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 scant tablespoon Maldon sea salt (or 1 teaspoon regular sea salt)
1 large red chili
about 11 oz (310 g) crab meat
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
a handful of watercress, leaves only, roughly torn

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, in a pestle and mortar, mash the peeled garlic cloves with the salt, so that it makes a smooth paste. Add the chopped and seeded chili and crush again until you have a red-tinged mixture.

Put the crab meat in a large bowl, breaking it up gently with a fork. Pour the oil, lemon zest and juice into another bowl or measuring jug and whisk together. Scoop in the garlic and salt paste, then whisk everything together. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain, then add to the crab mixture and pour the dressing over, tossing well to combine. Add in the parsley and watercress, toss again and serve.

***

Eton Mess

Serves 4

For a grown-up boozy twist, marinate the strawberries in a generous splash of orange liqueur (like Cointreau or Grand Marnier) for 30 minutes before stirring them into the whipped cream (you could also try creme de cassis, Framboise, grappa, kirsch, or even a little orange juice and vodka). If you can’t find meringues in the store or you want to make your own, try Delia Smith’s recipe, who also has a great step-by-step tutorial on how to make them here.

You can make Eton mess with strawberries, bananas or any summer fruit, though strawberries are considered to be traditional.

Pureeing the strawberries makes this dessert more attractive and heightens the strawberry flavor, but you could be lazy and skip this step (I often do) — simply chop all the strawberries and fold them in with the cream and meringues and it will still be delicious.

1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon confectioners’ (icing) sugar
1 tablespoon granulated or caster sugar (optional)
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cream
4 store-bought meringue nests

Cut the strawberries into halves or quarters, depending on their size (you want them to be bite sized). Place about one-third of the berries and the confectioners’ (icing) sugar in a food processor or blender and process until just pureed (or you can mash them with a potato masher or fork). Place the remaining strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with the granulated or caster sugar only if you think the berries need a little boost to bring out their natural sweetness (or add some liqueur instead; see above). Set aside to macerate while you whip the cream.

Whip the cream just until soft peaks form. Break up the meringues into bite-sized pieces and add them to the whipped cream, along with the chopped strawberries, reserving a few for decoration. Gently fold in all but a few tablespoons of the puree, marbling it throughout the cream mixture. Spoon into individual serving dishes and drizzle with the remaining puree and reserved strawberries. Serve immediately.

The trouble with being a two-year-old who still doesn’t talk much is that your older sister takes liberties when translating for you. When I asked my little boy what he wanted for dinner for his birthday last week, my daughter piped up and proclaimed that he wanted “that pasta with the peas and white sauce” — what is, in fact, one of her favorite dinners. But since I knew he loves it too, I went along with it. This comes from the “Kiddiefeast” chapter in Nigella Lawson’s Feast cookbook, and while it’s a winner with kids, grown-ups love it too (bacon and cream — what’s not to love?). It’s certainly not a dish for every day, what with all that cream, but it’s one of my favorite comfort food recipes, and if I have some leftover ham, I almost always wind up making this and using the ham instead of bacon.

Keeping with the kiddie theme, I’ve hit on the perfect play date treat with these banana, cherry and white chocolate cupcakes. Unusually for a cupcake these days, they’re not smothered with any frosting, so they’re not messy to eat and don’t make for sticky fingers. Plus they don’t have too much sugar in them, relying on the bananas for sweetness instead, and I always feel like any treat with fruit keeps it on the right side of indulgence. Friends, you’ve had fair warning now — next time you invite me and my kids over, I’ll be bringing a batch of these.

Pasta with Bacon, Peas and Cream
adapted from Feast: Food to Celebrate Life by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

In her book The Dinner Lady, Jeanette Orrey makes a version of this where instead of the cream and Parmesan, you could add 10 oz (280 g) grated cheddar cheese and 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk to the drained pasta at the end, stirring until the cheese has melted.

14 oz (400 g) farfalle (bow ties) or other short pasta
1 1/2 cups (200 g) frozen peas
1/2 lb (225 g) bacon, diced (or use leftover diced ham)
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in plenty of boiling salted water. After 5 minutes, add the peas to the pasta to cook them together in the one pot.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a separate pan until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

When the pasta is cooked, drain along with the peas. Put the pot back on the heat with the bacon, cream and Parmesan. Stir well and warm it through. Add the drained pasta and peas back to the pan and toss everything together. Season to taste and serve with extra Parmesan grated on top.

***

Banana, Cherry and White Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

Makes 12 cupcakes

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (125 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream or natural yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups (300 g) plain flour
1/3 cup (40 g) dried cherries, chopped (you could substitute dried cranberries or even raisins)
1/4 cup (50 g) white chocolate, chopped, or use chips or buttons

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone cases.

Melt the butter in a saucepan big enough to eventually hold all the batter. Off the heat, add the sugar, vanilla and mashed bananas. Stir in the sour cream or yogurt and the eggs and beat to mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the baking soda and baking powder, then add the flour, cherries and chocolate. Mix until everything is just blended (don’t overmix!), then divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cases. Cook for 20 minutes, until golden and springy on top and a tester comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes in their papers to a wire rack and leave till cool.

Tonight I wanted to make something special for Sam after his fantastic first dance class. My four-year-old nephew and in-laws also joined us for dinner. Strangely, I’m more nervous cooking for kids than adults. Kids aren’t afraid to tell you they don’t like your food and are more than willing to go hungry if necessary to prove it. When I saw this recipe for tiny meatball-filled soup I figured the kids (even my chicken nuggets-loving nephew) would be amused enough to eat it, even if the adults weren’t as impressed. Luckily, both kids and adults enjoyed the soup. The whole wheat pasta with Swiss chard was also a hit. You can find these recipes and other kid-friendly fare at our new Family Favorites page at the top of the site.

Italian Wedding Soup
adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6 to 8

for the meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (25 g) plain dry breadcrumbs
1 lb (450 g) ground beef

for the soup:
8 cups (2 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb (450 g) escarole, coarsely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, stir together the onion, garlic, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix in the the cheese, breadcrumbs, and beef. Shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs (about 75). Place on a baking sheet or large plate.

To make the soup, bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and escarole and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the escarole is tender, about 8 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cheese. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth for about 1 minute, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

***

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese
adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6

3 tablespoons toasted walnuts or pine nuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 bunches Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can diced tomatoes with juices
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 oz (340 g) whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup (70 g) pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Preheat a small, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Place the nuts in the hot skillet and stir them until they become golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes, taking care not to scorch them. Immediately place the toasted nuts in a separate bowl to cool and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 8 minutes, until tender. Add the chard and saute for about 3 minutes, until it wilts. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the chard is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season the chard mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the chard mixture and toss to combine.

Transfer the pasta to a large bowl or platter. Sprinkle with the olives, cheese and nuts. Serve, passing extra cheese if desired.

I think most people by now have heard Michael Pollan’s famous advice: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” One way of reaching this goal is to adopt the Meatless Monday approach. In a nutshell, it’s an international campaign to try to “reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.” Who can argue with that? I think the problem is that many people think vegetarian food is bland and boring — and let’s face it, some of it is. But if all vegetarian recipes tasted as outstanding as this one, I guarantee you wouldn’t even miss the meat in the dinner just once a week. My mom’s turkey meatball recipe is one of my all-time favorites, but I have to admit that I like this vegetarian version even better. They’re light, tender and have even more flavor than regular meatballs. And because they’re vegetarian, I didn’t feel at all guilty about sneaking a fourth polpette (I figured I’d work on that “not too much” part of the Pollan mantra some other time).

Polpette di Melanzane
adapted from Catherine Fulvio via the Good Food Channel; you can watch Catherine making these here and see just how easy it is

Serves 4 (makes 14 to 16 balls)

The original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons chopped mint and 1 teaspoon oregano, but I used basil and parsley simply because it’s what I had in my fridge. I used a modified version of Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce here, but feel free to use your own favorite tomato sauce recipe or even a good-quality store-bought one. The polpette can be frozen, so you might even want to make a double batch. I certainly will the next time I cook this.

for the polpette:
2 large eggplants, cut in half
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (200 g) breadcrumbs
1 1/4 cups (125 g) freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
a pinch of grated nutmeg
1 lb (450 g) spaghetti, to serve

for the tomato sauce:
5 tablespoons (75 g) unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 x 28 oz can (or 2 x 400 g cans) whole plum tomatoes, with their juices
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
salt, to taste
6 basil leaves, chopped

To make the tomato sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and sauté gently for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes along with their juices and the onion halves. Add a pinch or two of salt. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, mashing up the tomatoes gently with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook, uncovered, at a very slow but steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free from the tomato and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally, continuing to mash any large pieces of tomato with the wooden spoon. Shortly before serving, stir in the chopped basil. Taste and add salt as needed. Discard the onion.

Meanwhile, to make the polpette, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Rub the halved eggplants with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking tray and roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.

Scoop out the flesh of the eggplants, place in a sieve and press gently to squeeze out the excess liquid. In a mixing bowl, mash the garlic and eggplant together, then stir in the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shape the eggplant mixture into golf ball-sized ‘meatballs’. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the balls in batches until golden, turning from time to time and taking care not to crowd the pan. Place on a paper towel to drain.

When the sauce is done, add the polpette and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain well and serve with the polpette and tomato sauce.

I’ve eaten so much pasta in my life that my blood must be part durum wheat by now. My childhood memories of dinner are crowded with images of a big bowl of salad and a basket of garlic bread on the table and a pot of spaghetti on the stove, with a huge bucket of Kemp’s ice cream in the freezer for dessert. It’s no wonder, then, that pasta is still my go-to comfort food or the first thing I think of when I want a quick dinner. After two weeks of time-consuming holiday cooking, I’m in the mood these days for something effortless but still satisfying. This famous tomato sauce from Marcella Hazan fits the bill on both counts. The recipe couldn’t be easier — melt some butter, put a halved onion in the pan, pour in some canned tomatoes and let it all simmer for 45 minutes — but the result is an alchemical kind of magic. It’s the little black dress of pasta sauces — simple, sophisticated and versatile. You wouldn’t think it was possible for a humble can of tomatoes to be transformed into such a silky-smooth sauce so full of flavor, but don’t wait much longer to try this and see for yourself. Add in a baby leaf salad tossed with my favorite balsamic vinaigrette, a loaf of Parmesan garlic bread and a nice bottle of wine, and my favorite childhood dinner feels all grown up.

Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce
adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

Makes enough sauce for about 1 lb (450 g) of pasta, or 4 servings

1 x 28-oz can (or 2 x 400-g cans) whole plum tomatoes, with their juices
5 tablespoons (75 g) unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
salt, to taste

Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter, and the onion halves in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, mashing up the tomatoes gently with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook, uncovered, at a very slow but steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free from the tomato and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally, continuing to mash any large pieces of tomato with the wooden spoon. Taste and salt as needed. Discard the onion.

***

Balsamic Vinaigrette
adapted from Epicurious, March 2003

Makes about 3/4 cup (180 ml)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a screw-top jar, combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic and oil, shaking well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Well, I’m still working though the “B” cookbooks at the library. After years of watching Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s show on PBS, I finally picked up one of her cookbooks. I will admit, I skipped the sizeable section on fresh pastas due to my fresh pasta phobia (I know, I know, how hard can it be) but found some interesting recipes for dry pastas. Tonight’s dinner was my attempt to lighten up one of those recipes. Chicken sausage is a great way to lower calories in a dish without sacrificing much flavor and since I normally have a package in my fridge on stand-by, it was an obvious choice. If anyone wants to make this with the pork sausage called for in the original recipe, let me know how it turns out.

Bow Ties with Chicken Sausage and Leek Sauce

from Lidia’s Italian Table

6 servings

6 quarts (about 5 liters) salted water
2 large leeks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 oz (340 g) chicken sausage, cut diagonally into 1/2 in. wide pieces
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup (140 g) defrosted and drained frozen baby peas
1 cup (240 ml) chicken or turkey stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb (450 g) bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving

Bring the salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, prepare the leeks: Cut off and discard the top third of the rough green portion and the root ends. Remove any brown or wilted outer layers. Slice the remaining green and white parts into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Rinse the leek slices in several changes of cold water, swishing them around to remove all soil and grit.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Toss the sausage in the skillet and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the peas, and stock. Heat to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover the skillet, and set aside.

Meanwhile, stir the bow ties into the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, uncover the pot. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente — tender, but firm — about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup (120 ml) of pasta water. Drain the bow ties well and return them to a pot over low heat.

Add the sausage and leek sauce to the pasta and toss well until the pasta is coated. Remove the pot from the heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the grated cheese, and toss well. If the mixture is too dry, add pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately, passing additional grated cheese on the side.

***

Roasted Broccoli

Serves 4

1 large head broccoli, broken into florets
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan
juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the broccoli on a baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil (a couple tablespoons or so) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly, making sure oil coats each floret. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until browned and just tender. Place the broccoli in a serving bowl, top with grated Parmesan and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.

This is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It’s an adaptation of Jamie Oliver’s chicken and mushroom pasta bake recipe (spaghetti tetrazzini), which he says is “really tacky but gorgeous.” It got me thinking about how foods or recipes are as subject to trends as anything else. Chef’s salad, cheese fondue, shrimp cocktail and deviled eggs have all had their day (though I still love shrimp cocktail and deviled eggs). But how could you go wrong with wine and cream? That will never go out of style as far as I’m concerned. What are some of your favorite tacky or untrendy foods?

Turkey Tetrazzini
adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver

Serves 4

1 oz (20 g) dried porcini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
12 oz (340 g) button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup (240 ml) white wine
2 to 3 cups cooked shredded or diced turkey
1 lb (450 g) spaghetti
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (200 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover them (approx. 1/2 cup /120 ml). Put to one side to soak for a few minutes.

Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and add them to a frying pan big enough to hold all the ingredients (including the pasta) with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Add the wine and the strained porcini soaking water and turn the heat down. Add the turkey to the pan. Simmer gently until the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions and drain well. Add the cream to the pan of turkey, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy turkey sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish or nonstick pan, sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp. Divide between your plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving. (Alternatively, you could serve this right after adding the drained spaghetti and Parmesan to the creamy turkey sauce and skip putting it in the oven.)

***

Cranberry Buckle with Vanilla Crumb
adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

You can keep the leftover vanilla crumb in the freezer for up to 3 months and either use it to make another cranberry buckle or as a fruit crisp topping (or you could just halve the amounts called for here for the crumb topping).

Serves 8 to 12

for the vanilla crumb (makes 2 cups):
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1/4 cup (40 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (110 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

for the cranberry buckle:
1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
2 cups (8 oz/225 g) cranberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

To make the vanilla crumb, combine the flour, sugars, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Pulse or blend until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Drizzle the vanilla over the mixture and either pulse or mix briefly to distribute the vanilla. Place the crumb mix in the freezer while you prepare the buckle.

To make the buckle, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest together on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Fold in half of the cranberries.

Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Distribute the remaining cranberries over the cake and sprinkle the crumb topping over the cranberries.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm on top. Wrapped in cling film, this cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

I’m always pretty glum on the last CSA pickup of the season. What is there to look forward to food-wise for the next six months, except maybe a month or two of good oranges and our pork delivery? I already miss the corn, zucchini, basil and tomato overload of September. I’m fortunate that our CSA delivers through November; I like that we can eat seasonally and locally until winter begins in full force. This week’s box was filled with winter squash, celeriac root, and broccoli. To my surprise, we also received a few bunches of beautiful baby bok choy. The bright emerald green leaves and pale tender stems were almost too pretty to eat, but we had guests for dinner so I had to sacrifice them.

Dessert was almost embarrassingly simple to make, decadent tasting, and gluten-free. The coconut sorbet tasted especially nice when paired with fresh pineapple.

Vegetarian Udon Soup

Serves 4

12 oz (340 g) udon noodles
6 cups (1 1/2 liters) broth
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
14 oz (400 g) firm tofu, diced
1 daikon, peeled and cut into thin half moons

6 oz (170 g) pea pods
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 oz (110 g) shitake, cremini, or enoki mushrooms (or 2 oz (60 g) dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated), sliced
8 oz (225 g) spinach leaves
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons miso paste dissolved into 1 cup (240 ml) hot water
1 carrot, shredded
Siracha hot sauce or ground dried chiles

Cook the udon in salted boiling water until tender, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.

Meanwhile, place the broth in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the sesame oil, tamari, ginger, tofu and daikon. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the pea pods, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the spinach and scallions. Stir in the miso paste and water.

To serve, divide the udon noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles and garnish with a bit of shredded carrot. Season with more sesame oil, tamari, and siracha or ground chiles, to taste.

***

Gingered Baby Bok Choy

Serves 4

1 lb (450 g) baby bok choy
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz (225 g) mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Trim the stem ends off the bok choy and discard. Cut the top leaf portion from the bok choy stalk portion and set aside. Slice the bok choy stalks lengthwise into 1/2 inch-wide pieces.

Heat the oil in a wok or large saute pan over a high heat. When the oil is hot, stir in the grated ginger and minced garlic. Cook over a high heat, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add the stalks of the bok choy and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and soy sauce and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Sitr in the leaf portion of the bok choy and continue to cook over a high heat, stirring constantly until the leaves are wilted. Turn off the heat and drizzle the sesame oil over the bok choy. Serve immediately.

***

Coconut Sorbet
adapted from the Blue Ginger restaurant, Wellesley, MA

Makes 1 quart (about 1 liter)

2 x 14 –oz (400-ml) cans coconut milk
1 cup (80 g) dessicated coconut
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 pineapple, rind removed, cored, quartered and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, coconut, and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, cool, then refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Serve with fresh pineapple.