Category: Recipes

Hope you don't mind a quick and easy recipe for this Thursday!

A few months back, I noticed a new side dish at Nijiya; okra gomae. Knowing how much the Missus loves what the Japanese call "neba-neba"…that slimy-slippery stuff like natto…and okra. The Missus instantly enjoyed it. So, for the next couple of weeks, I'd get some when available.

But, you know how it goes….after getting this few times, the Missus started noticing how She would prefer this dish be made. More sesame flavor….not as sweet, etc. So, I was commissioned to create a version to Her taste.

I did mention not wanting to toast and grind sesame seeds. The Missus quickly came up with a solution to that. We had an unopened container of Black Sesame; the stuff you'd top desserts with in the cabinet.

Okay, we were off to the races. And this is what I've made a half dozen times since.

Not the prettiest dish in the world, huh?

Anyway, there were a couple of things I've noticed when trying to make this. First, younger, thinner okra works best. Second, the "sauce" can be a bit too thick, so I thin out the sauce with a neutral oil, like avocado oil as necessary. To get the right texture, I blanch the okra for a minute in boiling salt water, then stop the cooking by placing the okra into ice water. Doing this also brings out the nice green color of the okra and also makes it more "neba-neba".

I call it Kurogomae because I'm using the black sesame for this. Anyway, this recipe is to the Missus's taste, less sweet, more sesame flavor. It's easy to adjust.

Okra Kurogomae:

1/2 lb Okra – Younger/thinner preferred
1 Tb Kosher Salt
8 Cups water
Ice water

Sauce
3 Tb Black Sesame Powder or 4 Tb Toasted Black Sesame Seeds Ground
2 Tsp Sugar
2 Tsp Soy Sauce
1 Tb Sesame Oil
1-2 Tb Avocado or other neutral oil (optional)

– Rinse off okra
– Add kosher salt to water and bring to a boil
– Add okra. Blanch for 1 minute
– Drain and put okra into ice water to stop cooking
– Once okra has cooled remove form ice water and dry

– Mix together sesame powder (or ground sesame), sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
– Check consistency. Add neutral flavored oil as needed to create an acceptable texture.
– Taste and adjust.

– Slice okra into bite sized pieces
– Mix sauce and okra together and chill for a half hour
– Give the okra a mix before serving. Yes, it's going to be neba-neba, but that's one of the reasons you like this, right?

It makes a nice side dish.

Just had some today with some Meat Jun I made.

Man, it been a while since I did a recipe post. I have been doing a great deal of cooking, though most of it has been free-form, without recipes. This one started out that way, but I've made it many times, so I finally went ahead and measured things.

It started out with incorporating the stems and ribs of chard in recipes using standard items from our pantry. In the end, I came up with this recipe that utilizes the stems of the chard, what I call "quad tomatoes", that is tomato paste, sundried tomatoes (and oil), and cherry tomatoes. And things start with pancetta. Initially, my inspiration came from a Kale with Pesto dish from Tribute Pizza and like my Balsamic Brussels, I used bacon as the base. But after a couple of go arounds, we found that we preferred pancetta, and chard, which is more tender than kale.

It ain't the prettiest dish.

But the Missus likes it with black lentils topping roasted cauliflower. I like it with bread as an appetizer, or mixed into a warm salad or even topping pasta/mashed cauliflower.

Along with the diced chard stems, I use onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes.

I also use double concentrated tomato paste, both sun dried tomatoes and the olive oil from the tomatoes, and garlic paste to adjust seasoning.

Another key point is that I don't add salt until after I mix in the pesto and taste. I squeeze out the olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes to help make that tablespoon. Please check the label on the pesto you use; make sure it has pine nuts, olive oil, and at least Pecorino Romano cheese on the ingredient list. Of course it should have Basil….I've seen so called "pesto" using spinach! Or just make your own!

Chard with Pesto, Pancetta, and Tomatoes

2-3 oz Pancetta sliced into lardons
1 bunch Chard leaves stems and large ribs removed.
1 cup Minced Chard stems
1/2 (about 1 cup) Onion diced
1 Tb Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil minced
1 Tb Olive Oil from Sun Dried Tomatoes
3-4 Cloves Garlic minced
1 Tsp Oregano
2Tb + 2Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3Tb (More if needed) Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
Garlic Paste (if needed)
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
2 Tb Crisp White Wine
1-2 Tb Balsamic Vinegar
3-4 Tb (More if needed) Pesto
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add 2 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a pan along with Pancetta and cook over medium heat to render out the fat.
Remove Pancetta to paper towel lined bowl once cooked.
Turn heat up to high and add 2Tb EVOO (to the rendered pancetta fat), chard stems, diced onion, sun dried tomatoes, oil from sun dried tomatoes, oregano, and garlic to pan and saute.
Once onions turn translucent and ingredients start to soften add cherry tomatoes and stir.
Add white wine to deglaze, then add Balsamic vinegar and saute.
When the tomatoes start to break down stir to move all ingredients to the edges of pan.
Add chard to pan. I also then add an additional 2Tb EVOO on top of the chard.

Fold chard into other ingredients. When chard starts to soften I stir and mix well.
When the chard mixture has reached the desired texture, I lower the heat and mix in the pesto.
When pesto is mixed in, I turn off the heat, taste, and add fresh ground black pepper, salt, and more pesto if desired, and mix well.
I usually then remove to a large storage container for use. Top with crisp Pancetta when serving.

I also use the same technique using merguez, harissa, cumin, and coriander for a similar dish which went well with couscous.

As I mentioned in previous posts, this is more about technique than a precise recipe. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!

Have a great week!

It's been a while since I've done a recipe post and I thought I should get this done before "soup weather" leaves us!

I'm sure long time readers recall that I will make duck confit and then my version of Cassoulet every year. Well, since we've been getting the amazing Cassoulet Beans from Rancho Gordo and also the Garlic Sausage from D'Artagnan; well, it became a regular item…..until the Missus decided that She preferred having a bean soup with these flavors. So, I started making a Cassoulet-ish bean soup.

We've been ordering from Rancho Gordo a couple of times a year since right before the pandemic started. And when they started having the cassoulet beans….really these are from Tarbais seed stock. Tarbais are AOC protected and are also really expensive to boot. I used to use Flageolet Beans; until I tried these. I've also used Rancho Gordo's "Marcella" beans, especially since RG will often run out of Cassoulet beans; a type of Cannellini Beans as well. If you'd like an interesting guide to beans with recipes, I still open up my copy of the Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide every so often.

Anyway, we had the bean thing and the French Garlic Sausage thing solved.

But what happens when I run out of duck confit to make my soup? Well, I'm really not going to make more until next year, or maybe not for even longer. And ordering duck confit? Man, that's a bit too pricey since I was (and am) making this bean soup every 2-3 weeks these days!

Then one day I used something we always have on hand from D'Artagnan; duck rillette. And these days; the Missus prefers that version to the one that used the duck confit!

When I first started making this….it kinda looked like this.

After making adjustments to the recipe….well, I've had over a year-and-a-half to work on things; this is what it looks like these days.

The two big additions to the soup are tomato paste and a touch of tarragon

Well, and there is the eternal bean query; "to soak or not to soak"…..that is the question. After trying several different techniques (here's a good primer from the Rancho Gordo website); I now always soak my beans overnight. An additional bonus to this….I use 2 cups of the soaking liquid in the soup. As for that flatulence thing; I'm not quite sure what it is, but since I've used beans from Rancho Gordo and soaked them overnight, the Missus and our good friend "Alle" are both surprised that there's no, ahem "music involved". Strange…..but we'll take it!

Anyway, here's the base recipe……I've noted items that are "optional" in my opinion, but of course, this is made to our taste, so adjust away!

Cassoulet Soup:

Day 1 – The Beans
1 Lb dry Cassoulet(Tarbais), Marcella (Cannellini), or Flageolet beans
Water to soak

Late on the evening before making the soup, soak the dried beans in enough water to cover by 2-3 inches. The beans will soak up the water and expand, make sure to check the water level several times.

Day 2 – Let make some soup

2 Tb Duck Fat
2 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 – 1Lb French Garlic Sausage cut in half, then lengthwise into quarters
4-6 Ounces Diced Pancetta (optional)
6 Ounces Duck Rillette
1 1/2 Cup Diced celery
1 1/2 Cup Diced Carrots
2 Cups Diced Yellow Onion – about 1 medium
3 Tb Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (optional) – to start
1/2 Cup minced garlic (yes, for real)
1 Cup Crisp Sauvignon Blanc
2-3 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 Tb Dried Turkish/Mediterranean Oregano – to start
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 Tsp Dried Tarragon (optional)
6-8 Cups Water
2 Bunches Chard sliced thinly
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic Paste/Double Concentrated Tomato Paste/Maldon Smoked Salt/Granulated Garlic – to adjust flavors as necessary

-Drain beans over a bowl to reserve soaking liquid
-Saute the sliced French Garlic Sausage in duck fat and olive oil over medium heat to render fat in a large pot/Dutch Oven
-Remove sausage when slightly browned and set aside
-Add Pancetta and Duck Rillette to pot stirring constantly
-Once pancetta turns translucent add onion and garlic
-Once onions softens add celery, carrots, and tomato paste(if using), stirring often
-After a minute or two, crush bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and tarragon (if using) and stir into the pot.
-Once fragrant, add drained beans to pot and mix well
-Deglaze with white wine
-When wine has reduced add in two cups of bean soaking liquid and 6 cups of water
-Bring to a slow-low simmer. Do not cover the pot all the way. Check every 30 minutes add hot water as necessary
-*Optional step, the Missus likes Her bean soup at a "stoupy" (soupy-stewy), so when the beans are soft, I'll remove some and mash by hand and add back to the soup until desired consistency is reached
-Slice browned Garlic Sausage cross wise into thin slices, add to soup. and bring back to a simmer
-Once simmering, add the sliced Chard and bring back to a simmer
-After 30 minutes, taste, add more salt and pepper if needed, and adjust other seasonings.

The Missus enjoys Hers with micro cilantro, a good dose of Pasolivo Olive Oil, and usually more salt.

I like mine with micro cilantro, olive oil, and fried jalapenos for an extra kick.

Man, those beans from Rancho Gordo are so good…..and I'll do a post on Pozole using their hominy soon!

Have a happy and safe Easter!