Portugese Mussels (with Vinho Verde)

http://www.slowfoodforum.org/showthread.php?t=396

CLASSIC MUSSELS
6 pounds mussels
4 bay leaves
2 cups Vinho Verde
Water
2 onions
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, minced
1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, minced
6 tablespoons Italian parsley
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon wedges, to garnish
Parsley sprigs, to garnish

In a large pot, poach the mussels in the wine, water, bay leaf and one of the onions (split). This may be done in several batches, if necessary.

While they're poaching, mince the other onion and combine with the peppers, pepperoncini, parsley, oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk together, then toss with the hot mussels. Serve immediately with crusty bread, garnished with lemon and parsley.

Baby Artichokes with Potatoes, Garlic, Olives and Shrimp

NY Times, 4/19/06, Mark Bittman

At least 10 baby artichokes
Vinegar for soaking (optional)
Lemon juice and wedges for serving
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound waxy potatoes, like red-skinned "new" potatoes or fingerlings, peeled and cut, if necessary, into 1-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
Several sprigs of thyme
½ cup dry white wine, stock or water
1 cup small black olives, like niçoise, pitted if you like
1 pound shrimp, peeled
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish.

1. Prepare artichokes by trimming stem, cutting off pointed tips, removing tough leaves and cutting in half. If there is a choke, remove it. As each artichoke is finished, drop halves into a bowl of cold water with about 10 percent vinegar or lemon juice.

2. Put four tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and turn heat to medium. Drain artichokes and place in skillet. Add potatoes and cook until vegetables are glossy and beginning to soften; do not brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; add thyme and liquid. Bring to a boil, cover and adjust heat so mixture simmers.

3. Cook just until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, then uncover and raise heat again. Stir in olives, shrimp and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until shrimp are pink. Taste and adjust seasoning, then garnish and serve with lemon wedges.

Yield: 4 servings.

Ramp and Potato Gratin

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/14/travel/escapes/14ramps.html?pagewanted=2

Alice's Ramp and Potato Gratin

½ pound ramps
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gruyère or extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 pounds red-skinned potatoes (or potato of choice) of similar size
2 cups half-and-half
3 sprigs of thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes.

(Note: You can never use too many ramps or too much cheese in this dish. Adjust up or down depending on taste.)

1. Sauté ramps in olive oil until wilted, with a dash of pepper flakes if you like a kick. Combine the cheeses and reserve a cup for the topping.

2. Wash the potatoes, peel if you like (I don't) and slice them into very thin rounds, using a mandoline or a sharp knife.

3. Oil a 9-by-12-inch heavy, shallow baking dish, preferably earthenware or cast enamel.

4. In a small saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a simmer with thyme and add, generously, salt and pepper. Remove the thyme and set the mixture aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Arrange about one-fourth of the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the dish. Season as you go. Evenly layer in about one-third of the ramps, sprinkling cheese and a few spoons of half-and-half; repeat twice, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour the rest of the half-and-half over the potato mixture, allowing the liquid to hit just below the top layer of potatoes. Top off with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the potatoes feel tender, about one hour.

7. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees, remove the foil and bake until the top begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower

- Remove from plastic, turn upside down and peel off as many leaves as possible.
- Using a short, sharp knife, cut out the core tracing just inside the edge of the flowerets.
- Trim any brown spots off the top of the head and cut into even sized flowerets, cutting larger ones if half if necessary.
- In 475 degree oven, preheat a pan (Pyrex rectangle, lasagna, cookie sheet) with between 2 tablespoons and 1/3 cup of oil, whatever is comfortable for your diet.
- When hot, but not smoking, add the cauliflower toss in 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (we like Maldon or sub kosher if you need to), once again less or more to taste.
- Roast for approximately 45 minutes giving the pan a good shake every 10-15 minutes. Turn down heat or add more oil if it starts to burn.
- Toast a ¼ cup of pine nuts and remove to a cutting board.
- Finely chop the pine nuts with a tablespoon of Aleppo pepper. These peppers, medium hot and originally from Turkey or Syria, are wonderful and very friendly with many ingredients. Substitute Ancho or basic crushed red pepper if you must.
- Add this nut/pepper mix to the cauliflower when it is well browned and cooked through, cooking for 3 minutes in the over before removing the whole pan.