Fennel
Escarole
Kohlrabi
late season Tomatoes
Broccoli Rabe or Lacinato Kale
Butterhead Lettuce
Parsley
Spaghetti with Fennel & Bitter Greens
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe & Tomatoes
Broccoli Rabe with Garlic, Chile & Mustard Bread Crumbs
Escarole & White Bean Salad with Fennel & Gruyere
Kohlrabi with Citrus, Arugula, Poppy Seeds, and Crème Fraiche – Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden – Serves 4
1 lb Kohlrabi, peeled and any gnarly bits cut away
½ cup Crème Fraiche
2 Tbls Poppy Seeds
Kosher Salt and Pepper
4 large handfuls Arugula
3 oranges, tangerines, or other sweet citrus, segmented, juice reserved
2-3 Tbls Citrus Vinaigrette
Cut the kohlrabi into little wedges about the same size as orange segments. Toss with 3 tablespoons of the crème fraiche and the poppy seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Spread a nice swoosh of the remaining crème fraiche onto each plate. Quickly toss the arugula with citrus segments, reserved juices, and citrus vinaigrette. Arrange the arugula and oranges on each plate and top with the kohlrabi.
Citrus Vinaigrette
1 orange, 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 ½ Tbls honey, 1 Tbls champagne vinegar, ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Zest all the citrus into a bowl, Halve the fruit and squeeze all the juice into the same bowl, to get 2/3 cup juice (fish out seeds). Whisk in the honey, vinegar, 1tsp salt and several twists of pepper.
Taste and adjust the flavor with any ingredient if needed to make it more vibrant. Whisk in the olive oil a few drops at a time or slowly drizzle the oil into a blender or food processor with other ingredients. Store in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.
Escarole and Rice Soup – The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan
1 head escarole (3/4-1 lb)
2 TBL finely chopped yellow onion
¼ cup butter
Salt
3 ½ homemade meat broth or 1 cup canned chicken soup mixed with 2 ½ cups water
½ cup rice preferably Arborio
3 TBL fresh grated parmesan
Detach escarole leaves discard any that are bruised and wash the rest in multiple waters until clean. Cut into ½ inch wide stripes In stockpot sauté onion in butter over medium heat until nicely browned. Add escarole and a light sprinkling of salt. Briefly sauté the escarole, stirring once to twice. Add ½ cup of broth and cook over very low heat until escarole is tender (25-45 depending on freshness and tenderness). When escarole is tender add rest of broth, raise heat and bring to a boil. Add rice and cover. Cook rice 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until just al dente, firm to the bite. Off the heat, mix in the Parmesan cheese. Taste and correct for salt, spoon onto plates and enjoy.