Fennel Mashed Potatoes

The fennel cuts the starch and makes for a nice flavor in the mashed potatoes.   We run the fennel through the food processor, but not the potatoes.  Hand mash those.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 cup (or more) half and half

Prep

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel bulb and crushed fennel seeds and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until fennel is tender but not brown, stirring often, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pan; cook over medium heat until no liquid remains. Mash potatoes.

Add 1 cup half and half to fennel mixture and bring to simmer. Working in 2 batches, add fennel mixture to potatoes; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat, adding more half and half as needed if dry.)

Man Quiche

sigh....... someone else was supposed to post

Man Quiche

Sometimes you need to use up a buncha eggs. This recipe uses 6 instead of the usual 4. And doesn't want a bunch of cream that you already don't have. Also, because nobody can post a recipe to the internets that they stole from other internets without changing it in some way, I added more bacon. And also 1/8 t. whole cumin seed, toasted. Because the crazy cat lady thinks it smells like sweaty balls.

1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
10 slices of crisp bacon, drained & crumbled
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup of half & half, light cream or milk
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of cumin seed, toasted in a skillet

Put bacon and cheese in the pie shell. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over bacon and cheese mixture. Bake at 375ºF. for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Gnocchi and Asparagus in Basil Mint Pesto

from the post punk kitchen (a perfectly good website, just remember to un-vegan the recipes which need real cheese)

Ingredients
1 lb gnocchi
Bunch of asparagus (about 30)
3/4 cup Basil Mint Pesto
1 red onion, sliced in thin half moons
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cups white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper
4 plum tomatoes diced

Directions
Boil the gnocchi in a big pot just until it floats to the top, drain and rinse with cold water (to prevent sticking).

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus about 2 inches from the tip and set aside.

Heat the olive oil on medium heat in your largest non stick pan, when hot add the onions and saute two minutes, add asparagus and saute 2 minutes, add garlic salt and fresh pepper to taste, and saute 2 minutes. Add white wine and turn heat up, saute veggies for 2 minutes more. Add gnocchi and toss around with the veggies. Coat everything with pesto, cooking only a minute more. Serve in dinner bowls, topped with the diced tomatoes.

Basil Mint Pesto

Ingredients
2 cups basil leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup walnut halves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup grated romano cheese!
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Toast the walnuts in a toaster oven for 5 minutes, or on a baking sheet in a conventional oven for 10 minutes, turning once.

Combine the basil mint and oil in a blender until smooth. Add the toasted walnuts and garlic and blend until pureed. Add the lemon juice, cheese! and salt and blend once more. It's now ready to be used or stored in the fridge in an air tight container.

Fava Beans

apparently are in season...I will try one or both of these recipes next week when we get our delivery

Pasta with Fresh Fava Bean Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1-1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked, peeled fava beans
3/4 pound dried fettuccine
4 oz. piece pecorino cheese or Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and saute briefly until light brown. Stir in the oregano, then add 1 cup of the stock. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, and add 1-1/2 cups of the fava beans. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes.

2. Scrape into a blender container and puree with the remaining 1/2 cup stock until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and add the remaining 1/2 cup favas. Simmer gently and taste for seasoning. Add salt and especially pepper.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl and add the sauce. Toss well and thin with the pasta water, if necessary, until the sauce is glossy and not sticky. Serve immediately and grate the cheese over the top at the table.

4. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the pasta. Just before serving, ladle a little hot pasta water into the bowl for a couple minutes to warm it up. Drain the water before filling the bowl with the pasta.

Scafata (Umbrian Fava Bean Stew)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shelled fava beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fennel
1 1/2 cups chopped chard leaves
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
salt, pepper

1. Cook oil, beans, onion, fennel, carrot and chard over low heat in medium saucepan.

2. When beans are quite tender, after about 45 minutes, add tomatoes and cook for another 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Source: La Cucina Delle Regioni D'Italia: Umbria, by Antonella Santolini