Add the cooked beans and about ½ cup of the bean liquid or pasta water. Simmer, stirring, until the liquid is reduced and concentrated to a creamy, cloaking texture, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the drained pasta and the last bit of crushed tomatoes and fold everything together. Let everything simmer together for a minute or two. The dish should be moist but not at all soupy. If it feels too dry, add a few spoonfuls of the pasta water. Taste and add more salt or chile flakes (if you used pasta water instead of bean cooking liquid, you’ll probably need to add more seasoning). Finish with a healthy drizzle of olive oil and the grated cheese.
Risotto with Shell Beans, Sausage, and Bitter Greens
Not a traditional risotto, this dish is more of a creamy beans and rice. It’s an adaptation of a Marcella Hazan recipe, my twist being the addition of tons of spicy greens.
» Serves 4 to 6
1 small head radicchio (about 8 ounces), cored, leaves torn into pieces
1 cup Perfect Shell Beans plus 5 cups cooking liquid (or if you didn’t make beans from scratch, low-sodium chicken broth, homemade meat broth, or water)
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ pound fresh garlicky sausage, such as mild Italian sausage, casings removed, meat pulled into small pieces
1½ cups Arborio or carnaroli rice
2 large handfuls arugula
¼ cup lightly packed roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Put the radicchio in a bowl of ice water and let it soak at least 30 minutes; this will take away some of the bitterness.
Put the bean liquid or broth in a saucepan and bring to just below a simmer.
Heat a glug of olive oil in a very large skillet or a Dutch oven (the pan needs to be big enough to hold all the ingredients and allow you to stir easily) over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring a lot, until the onion is fragrant and translucent, but not browned at all, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage has lost its pinkness, another 3 to 4 minutes. While you’re doing this, try to break up the sausage even more so you don’t have any large clumps.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add half the cooked beans and about ¼ cup of the bean liquid and smash the beans into a paste, stirring to incorporate the liquid to make everything creamy. The goal is to have the ingredients cloaked in nice creamy bean puree.
Add the rice and stir to distribute, then add the rest of the beans and stir again. Add a ladleful (about 1 cup) of bean liquid and stir. Adjust the heat so that the liquid is definitely bubbling but is not boiling like crazy—if it’s too hot, the liquid will evaporate too quickly and the rice won’t get tender. Cook, stirring occasionally (contrary to the myth, risotto doesn’t need that much stirring!), until the liquid has reduced a lot and you can see the bottom of the pan as you stir.
Add another ladleful and repeat the process. Keep adding, stirring, and cooking down until the rice is no longer chalky in the center when you bite it (but not more tender than that or the final dish will be a bit mushy), 20 to 25 minutes, depending on your rice. If you run out of the bean liquid, don’t worry, just add some warm water.
When the rice is done, check the amount of liquid: The risotto will stiffen up a bit when you add the cheese and also during the time between the pan and the table, so keep it fairly loose now. Do this by stirring in more bean liquid or water, up to ½ cup or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Once the risotto is at the right consistency, drop the radicchio, arugula, and parsley into the pan and fold in so that the heat starts to wilt the greens. Fold in half the cheeses, adjust the seasoning and liquid again, and serve immediately. Pass the rest of the cheese at the table.
Crunchy Mixed-Bean Salad with Celery and Tarragon
The traditional three-bean salad, but with crunch and complexity. If you’re lucky enough to find more than one variety of shell bean, use a mix. The different sizes, shapes, and colors add to the pleasure.
» Serves 4
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ pound wax beans, green beans, or a mix, trimmed
2 cups Perfect Shell Beans of types, drained and rinsed
4 to 6 medium inner celery stalks with leaves attached
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, thick stems trimmed off and reserved, leaves left whole
½ cup lightly packed tarragon leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ bunch scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), thinly sliced, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
½ cup roughly chopped pepperoncini, plus a splash of the pickling liquid
1 lemon
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Soft-Cooked Eggs
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add salt until it tastes like the sea. Add the wax beans and boil for just about 1 minute (longer if the beans are mature); you want the beans to be crisp-tender. Drain and immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry.
Pile the wax beans into a large bowl. Add the shell beans.
Roughly chop the leaves on the celery stalks, then cut the stalks crosswise at a sharp angle into ¼-inch pieces and add all to the bowl of beans.
Measure out half the parsley stems (compost the others or save for another use), trim off the dried ends of the stems, and very finely slice them crosswise, as you would chives. Add the parsley stems, leaves, and the tarragon to the bowl, along with the scallions and pepperoncini, plus a splash of the pickling liquid. Gently mix all the ingredients. Grate the lemon zest into the bowl, add the capers, season generously with black pepper, add about ½ cup olive oil, and toss again. Tear the eggs into pieces and distribute over the bowl.
When you’re ready to serve, give the salad a final spritz of lemon juice.
Tomatoes
The comparison between in-season, local vegetables and industrially grown ones is never as stark as with a tomato. Only the former is capable of moving your soul.
Take your pick. Fortunately, many growers are bringing all shapes, sizes, and colors to market. Cherry tomatoes, technically called “small-fruited tomatoes,” are bright and high in acid, though some yellow varieties can be bland. The genius of the bunch is the Sun Gold, which is tangerine-orange and super sweet, with fruity overtones that are a bit like a tangerine’s. Good eaten as a snack or flash-sautéed to make a quick sauce, Sun Golds will never let you down. I love many other varieties of tomatoes—Brandywine, Black Krim, and Old German are favorites.
An unripe tomato has a lot to offer, too. While I’m waiting for things to rosy up (and as the season wanes), I’ll use green tomatoes to bring juicy crunch and bright acid to a dish.
Do taste tomatoes before you buy. Easy to do with cherry tomatoes, not so easy with a big beefsteak type, but if you’re planning to buy a large quantity, such as for Tomato Conserva, buy a sample and taste it. Nothing is worse than realizing that your preserving project isn’t going to be as good as you thought. Even local/seasonal isn’t perfect every time.
Storing and prepping. There’s still some debate as to whether tomatoes and refrigeration are compatible. Some food scientists maintain that a flavor compound degrades in the cold, dulling the wonderful complexity of the tomato. Others say nonsense, but it’s agreed that if your tomato isn’t fully ripe but you wish it were, you should not refrigerate it. Keep those tomatoes on the counter, under a light cloth, if you’re worried about summer insects. You should try to consume your tomatoes within a day or two anyway, so you needn’t worry about spoilage.
> Other than coring, I don’t do much in the way of prep for tomatoes. Some cooks like to peel and seed them, but I like texture, I like rusticity, so why waste time taking away a natural part of the tomato?
Tomato-Rubbed Grilled Bread Topped with Tomato Salad
The Spaniards have a snack called pan con tomate, which is simply grilled bread rubbed with olive oil, garlic, and ripe tomato. That’s my starting point here, but I’m doubling down on the tomatoes and topping the whole thing with a tumble of juicy cherry tomato salad.
» Serves 4 as a first course
1 pint cherry tomatoes (a mix of colors if possible), halved or quartered if large
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 thick slices country bread
2 garlic cloves, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large tomato, halved
Whipped Ricotta
Put the cherry tomatoes in a bowl and season with the vinegar and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Toss to mix and let sit.
Grill the bread on both sides in the broiler, toaster, or on a grill. Rub both sides of each slice of bread with the cut garlic cloves and then brush the bread with a bit of olive oil.
Take a tomato half and rub it over one side of a piece of bread. You want the tomato to be abraded by the grilled bread, so that the juices soak into the bread and bits of tomato flesh form a light coating on the bread. Ideally, you’ll have used up both tomato halves on the 4 pieces of bread.
Spread the whipped ricotta over the tomatoed sides, arrange on plates, and then tumble the cherry tomatoes with their juices over the breads. Finish with a healthy drizzle of olive oil.
Farro with Tomatoes, Raw Corn, Mint, Basil, and Scallions
I keep cooked farro in my refrigerator all summer long so I can use it as a foundation for quick meals. This recipe can be your blueprint and then you can improvise with other vegetables, fruits, leaves, nuts, and whatever other yummy things you have a hankering for. It’s important to include tomatoes, however, because they provide a lot of moisture and brightness, and they are so nutritious.
» Serves 4
3 cups cooked and cooled Farro
2 cups Torn Croutons
1 bunch scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ears sweet corn, husked
1 handful fresh mint leaves
1 handful fresh basil leaves
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Put the farro in a big bowl. Add the croutons, scallions, and tomatoes. Using a paring knife, cut the corn kernels off the cobs into the bowl. Once the kernels are removed, scrape the cobs with the back of the knife blade so that you also capture all the milky pulp.
Add the mint and basil and toss everything together. Add the vinegar, chile flakes, 1 tea-spoon salt, and a lot of twists of black pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust any of the seasonings to get the flavors nice and vibrant.
Finish with ⅓ cup olive oil and toss. Taste and adjust again. Serve lightly chilled or a little cooler than room temperature.
Tomato, Melon, and Hot Chile Salad with Burrata
When you join tomatoes, melons, and hot pickled peppers, the sweet, tart, and spicy juices mingle into a delicious complexity. The salad is beautiful, too, especially when you use a mix of tomato and melon colors—an ideal party dish. Make the salad with burrata or mozzarella—buffalo if you can find it—or without cheese at all. If you do use burrata, it’s best to toss this with your hands so you can get the creamy burrata to coat the tomatoes and melon.
» Serves 4
1½ pounds tomatoes (a mix of larger tomatoes, cut into wedges, and cherry tomatoes, halved)
1½ pounds melon, seeded, rind cut away, and cut into crescents or half-crescents
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped hot pickled peppers, such as oil-packed Calabrian peppers, or something milder such as pepperoncini
¼ cup white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 small handful basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 balls burrata or very fresh mozzarella
Put the tomatoes and melon into a large bowl, season generously with salt and black pepper, and toss gently. Add the hot pickled peppers and vinegar and toss again. Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper, pickled peppers, and vinegar to make a wonderful sweet-tart-hot balance.
Add the basil and ¼ cup olive oil and toss again. Right before serving, pull apart the burrata and distribute it over the salad, and toss gently with your clean hands. It will get nicely runny and messy as people serve themselves.
Israeli-Spiced Tomatoes, Yogurt Sauce, and Chickpeas
When people come to my house for a meal, I lay out big platters of these spiced tomatoes, chickpeas, and yogurt sauce, and then grill the flatbreads to order. If you can’t find sumac, squeeze a few drops of lemon onto the tomatoes.
» Serves 6
1 teaspoon ground sumac
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
6 small or 3 big tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
¾ cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt (not Greek)
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded (if necessary), and chopped
2 cups lightly packed mixed basil, mint, and flat-leaf parsley leaves, half roughly chopped and half torn or left whole
Hot sauce, such as Sriracha
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Slightly Tangy Flatbreads, preferably freshly cooked and still warm
Mix the sumac, coriander, cumin, chile flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic in a little bowl. Lay out the tomatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle the spices all over them. Let them sit for up to 1 hour while you fix the rest of the dish.
Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, and roughly chopped fresh herbs. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Let the sauce sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour, if you can, then taste and adjust the seasoning so the sauce is nicely savory.
Toss the chickpeas, onion, vinegar, and torn or whole herbs. Season with salt and black pepper, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add a glug of olive oil and toss again.
Arrange a layer of the marinated tomatoes on a platter, and pour any accumulated juices over the tomatoes. Drizzle or dollop the yogurt sauce onto the tomatoes and tumble the chickpea salad on top. Serve with freshly grilled flatbreads.
At the market You can find sumac in Middle Eastern shops and, with increasing frequency, at well-stocked grocery stores. This ground dried berry from a wild bush looks a bit like coarse chile powder, but it’s tart rather than hot.
Spaghetti with Small Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, and Chiles
This is inspired by the classic pasta al pomodoro, and it could not be simpler nor more perfect for all the varieties of small-fruited tomatoes (the real name for cherry tomatoes) in the summer. You can make this sauce in the time it takes the pasta to boil. With my method, you get both the cooked tomato flavor and the brightness of a warm, raw tomato, which creates a vibrancy that a long-cooked sauce will not have.
» Serves 2
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-vi
rgin olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 cups cherry tomatoes (aim for a mix, but definitely include Sun Golds if you can)
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 big handful basil leaves
8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Dried Breadcrumbs (optional)
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving (optional)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt until it tastes like the sea.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add the garlic, and cook slowly to toast so it’s very soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown—but not burnt—about 5 minutes. (You want a nice toasted piece of garlic that you smash into the sauce in a minute.)
Add a little more than half of the tomatoes to the pan (about 1½ cups). They will sizzle and spatter because of the moisture meeting the oil, so have a lid handy to cover the pan if things get too lively. Cook until the tomatoes burst and break open. (If some are stubborn and aren’t bursting, poke them to move things along.) This will take 5 to 8 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and gently smash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Add the chile flakes and season generously with salt and black pepper. Return to the heat, add half the basil, reduce the heat, and cook down to thicken the sauce a bit more, another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until 1 to 2 minutes shy of al dente according to the package directions. With a ladle or a measuring cup, scoop out about a cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Drain the noodles well.
Increase the heat under the sauce to medium-high, add the pasta, and toss it in the pan along with a good splash of the pasta water. Add the rest of the tomatoes and cook the sauce, stirring everything around so the pasta drinks up the sauce and finishes cooking and the newly added tomatoes get warm.
Six Seasons Page 24
