Late spring, three ways
There is so much I could talk about right now. Draft just reached its earliest ever break-even point on the year. I feel like I’m back at full strength in my social life. But really, right now I just want to talk about food.
I want to talk about food like our lives depend on it in a spiritual sense. I want to talk about food like we’ve never approached food as a thing before. I know we’ve been here, but let’s pretend like that’s not the case.
The harvest is at full strength in Chicago right now, and I feel feral. I’m honoring food in the way that an old friend once told me: get good ingredients, and don’t screw them up. To do that, I am doing one of three things every time I show up in my kitchen.
Roast something at 425º for 25 minutes after coating it in olive oil, salt, and pepper
Tis is how I’m honoring asparagus. This is how I’m blanching tiny baby peppers. This is how I’m working with zucchini that really shouldn’t be here yet, but is.
425º is just enough heat, really, to give the thing a bit of a sear, to deepen the flavor, to brown it a little. Up this to 450º for meatier cruciferous brassica like broccoli or cauliflower, but really the spirit will always remain the same.
Purée the absolute hell out of it
You are not making enough pesto.
Pesto is a grammar. Pesto is olive oil, a nut, salt, pepper, and real parm, with something to turn the whole affair green.
The typical pesto ish, of course, is basil, garlic, and pine nuts. But you can swap the pine nuts for toasted pistachios and it’ll still go great. You can swap the basil & garlic for ramps, scapes, or scallions. You can swap just the basil for parsley, oregano, sage, or even carrot tops.
Pesto keeps pretty long, so it is profoundly useful to make ahead and keep in your fridge for those moments when you’ve given up on life and desperately need to throw together a last-minute meal.
You are also not making enough vinaigrette.
Vinaigrette, at base, is a shallot, 2 cups of olive oil, a tablespoon of good sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper. You have most of this on hand. You can also swap the shallot for scallions or ramps. Add basil, sage, mizuna, or lovage. Swap the olive oil for something fancy, why not; something floral & lemony. Or just zest a couple of lemons into the thing.
It’s important to have a fridge that’s stocked with homemade sauces, because they are always better than premade, for usually relatively little work or extra cost. Remember: quality sourcing is everything.
Braise the rest
Take radishes or beets. You trim and roast them, or you sliver them on top of a salad. But what happens to the greens? You don’t toss them, of course; you’re not a monster. The answer is to braise.
Get some oil going and sauté some allium for six minutes, then add the greens and something for acidic balance, probably either vinegar or soy sauce. Turn to medium-low, cover, simmer for 10 minutes. You want your liquid to run out right when the braise ends.
Take the lid off, adjust, add salt & pepper.
This also works great with chard or, hear me out, romaine lettuce, topped with oyster sauce & light soy. Nobody thinks “it’s lettuce season,” but it’s profoundly lettuce season here, and you’re really missing out on lettuce. Should I write lettuce text?