May 17th Newsletter
Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market
Sarah’s Corner
From our friend Sarah Fritschner
Before one commits to seasonal eating, the choices might seem limited. Preparing for early spring markets, farmers will sometimes say, “I don’t have much, just lettuce and herbs and asparagus.”
But that’s a wealth of meals and side dishes. Asparagus in any amount proves no match for appetites primed for spring produce. I have a friend who makes a yearly ritual of eating asparagus as dinner, topped with melted butter and chopped hard-cooked eggs – a perfect meal to plan after a trip to the farmers market. The rest of the season, it’s asparagus off the grill, roasted in the oven, stir-fried with beef or bison or chicken, pureed into soup, marinated for salad. . .
“Lettuce” really means tender greens of all kinds, and they, too, can take center stage, though their fluffy quality makes their quantity more daunting than other spring vegetables. Composed salads are a great way to tame their mass: Greek (with goat cheese and black olives) or Nicoise (with olives, potatoes and tuna), or as a bed for grilled chicken breast or grilled steak (the mainstay of family-oriented chain restaurants – they taste better cooked at home).
Green onions and spring radishes are natural additions to any of these salads, adding color, flavor and nutritional benefits. In Persian cuisine, cooks consider herbs “greens” and add them in great handfuls to all manner of dishes – a way to tame the enthusiastic herb garden and add more flavor to a dish. Fresh oregano leaves or tarragon taste great in tossed salad.
In all cases I follow the pattern set by cuisines all over the world: add something deeply rich tasting to the leaves, from bacon bits to toasted sesame seeds, cheese to sun dried tomatoes. The rich component makes the meal more satisfying.
Vegetarian wilted lettuce
Wilted lettuce is an old-fashioned way to make spring greens taste delicious. In the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, it was called “killed lettuce.” The hot fat wilts the greens a little, but not totally. Traditionally, it’s about bacon grease and vinegar – a combination well-known to the Germans who settled in Louisville through two waves of immigration in the 1800’s.
Variations on the theme are endless. This one uses strong-tasting sesame oil, a more than adequate substitute for bacon grease, and uses pine nuts to add a little crunch. If you’re lucky enough to have local strawberries, cut them into bits and add them to the salad after you’ve added the hot oil. Their sweetness is great counterpoint to salty soy sauce.
1 ½ to 2 quarts lettuce or spinach leaves, or your choice of tender greens (approximately)
2 teaspoons cider vinegar, or your choice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 to 3 green onions
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and minced
Wash lettuce and spin or shake to dry well. If leaves are large, cut or tear into small pieces and place in a bowl. Drizzle with vinegar and soy sauce.
Trim the green onions of roots and any wilted tops. Mince onions and set them aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a small pan over medium-high heat (or in the microwave) until it is very hot but not smoking. Add sesame oil and heat through. Remove from heat and add onions. Drizzle over lettuce and toss briefly. Sprinkle with pine nuts. If serving on plates, sprinkle with pine nuts after plating the salad. Let the greens sit at least 15 minutes before serving. Serves 4 as a side dish.
California Flank Steak
To tenderize the steak, score the meat with a knife by cutting 1/8 inch deep on both sides before cooking. Slice opposite these scored lines when you carve, carve thinly on the slant, to cut across muscle fibers.
The oregano is optional, but delicious.
1 to 1 ½ pounds flank, top round or other thin, less-tender steak (beef or bison)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
½ teaspoon salt
2 to 4 ounces fresh goat cheese or blue cheese
1 to 3 teaspoons fresh oregano
1 tablespoon cream or sour cream, if necessary
After scoring the meat according to above directions, rub each side of the meat with oil, thyme and salt. Set aside. Preheat broiler or grill to high.
Put the cheese in a bowl and add oregano. Mash with a fork (if the cheese is crumbly, add a little sour cream or cream). Set aside.
Put the steak on a rack in a pan and broil for 3 minutes (or grill for 3 minutes). Turn, broil for 2 minutes. Spread cheese over the steak and broil 2 minutes more, or until bubbly. Slice thinly at right angles to the grain of the meat. Serves 4.