Cooking San Francisco

Pasta With Smashed Peas

One of our favorite side dishes at Presidio Social Club is Smashed Peas with Mint, which appears to be an American version of the popular UK snack/fish and chips accompaniment, Mushy Peas, that we tasted in London years ago. This easy and tasty pasta dish from Real Simple magazine takes the Smashed Peas idea one step further, adding pasta and ricotta. Try to find the freshest, highest quality ricotta you can. For a heartier variation, you can add leftover salmon, as shown below.

1 pound pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccine, or linguine
1 16-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup ricotta
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, pulse the peas in a food processor or blender until chopped but not pureed. Add 1/2 cup of the ricotta, season with the salt and pepper, and pulse to combine.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the pea puree and reserved pasta water and toss.

4. Divide the pasta among individual bowls. Top with the remaining ricotta, a sprinkle of chives, and a drizzle of oil.

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Orange Juice and Olive Oil Cake

 
This homey cake comes from Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook by Tessa Kiros. We served it on Easter with strawberries mascerated with brown sugar and Grand Marnier whipped cream. The recipe was designed to make 2 8 or 9-inch cakes. We decided to make one 9-inch cake and 20 mini cakes (using a mini muffin pan). If you decide to make mini cakes, please note that they bake quickly and are done in 15-20 minutes. This cake keeps for 4-5 days in a sealed container and also freezes well for up to a month.

4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
finely grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup freshly squeezed or good quality orange juice
1/2 cup pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush 2 9-inch springform cake pans with olive oil and dust with flour.

2. Beat the egg yolks with the vanilla until foamy. Add the brown and white sugars and then add olive oil, beating well after each addition.  Add the flour, baking powder, orange rind and juice and beat well until you have a smooth batter (it will be thick).

3. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until firm. Gently fold egg whites into rest of batter. Divide batter between pans and sprinkle the top of each cake with pine nuts.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until tops are golden and crusty and a toothpick poked into the cakes comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

Serves: 10-12 (each cake)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

Cooking SF Spotlight: CleanFish Seafood Alliance

We've been following this San Francisco-based eco-business for a little while now and are thrilled to hear that the CleanFish Alliance of artisan seafood producers (www.cleanfish.com) is getting national attention as well. The company is currently profiled in Business Week as one of twenty of America's Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs.

We are particularly fond of the Loch Duart Scottish Salmon, and it is the fish we used in Salmon Gremolata Baked in Foil. Apparently, we're in good company, as this salmon is served at The French Laundry, Quince and Gary Danko (to name a few) and Alice Waters sits on the CleanFish advisory board.

CleanFish seafood can be found locally at Marina Meats, Real Foods, Cal-Mart, and Bi-Rite markets, among others. If you too  are a fan of sustainably produced, authentic artisan seafood you can vote for CleanFish on Business Week's website until April 26. The top five social entrepreneurs will be announced on May 2.

Honeyed Oranges

We found this very simple recipe in The Jungle Effect written by San Francisco doctor, Daphne Miller. We are particularly thrilled with this one since it takes 5 minutes to prepare and our children readily accept this dish as "dessert." There are so few ingredients that it's important to use juicy, in-season oranges and good-quality honey. We're still seeing blood oranges and other varietals at the local supermarkets, so now is a perfect time!

By the way, The Jungle Effect is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the relationship between food and health. Dr. Miller has traveled the world to study indigenous diets and her book reads much more like a travelogue than a dry medical book.

4 navel or blood oranges, seedless (or seeds removed)
Cinnamon
Honey, good quality

1. Remove peel and pith from oranges with a paring knife and cut into slices or sections.

2. Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste and drizzle with honey.

Variations: This is also great with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes