Spinach & gorgonzola balls from Mimi Thorisson

(for 8 balls)

750 g/ 1 & 2/3 pounds frozen spinach (about 1 pack)
2 small slices of stale bread
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 teaspoons gorgonzola cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated/to serve
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the butter sage sauce
A large handful of sage leaves
80 g unsalted butter
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Steam the spinach until soft and drain.
Squeeze out the excess water (very important otherwise the balls will be watery), and chop as finely as possible.
Place 2 small slices of stale bread in the food processor and pulse until you get fine breadcrumbs.
In a large bowl (or you can mix everything in the food processor, just pulse lightly) combine spinach, breadcrumbs, milk, nutmeg, flour, salt & pepper and mix until well blended.
Roll out approximately 8 walnut-sized balls. While shaping the balls, insert a small teaspoon of gorgonzola inside and reshape.

Heat a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil.
Cook the spinach balls for 8 minutes and drain.

While the spinach balls are cooking, prepare the sage butter sauce.

In a large pan, melt the butter on a medium heat.
When the butter starts to sizzle, wat until it turns light golden brown, then lower the heat and add the sage leaves.
Season with salt & pepper, and shake the pan for about 30 seconds.

Drizzle the sage butter sauce on top of the spinach ball. Grate parmesan on top before serving.

Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Veggies).

- Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Veggies) Recipe | Cookooree
1 small head cauliflower
1 carrot
1 celery rib
12 pearl onions
12 olives
2 red bell pepper
2 yellow bell pepper
1 small head serrano or jalapena chile
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup EVOO
water to cover the vegetables
1/4 cup sea salt to stir into the water for the brine

Remove the seeds and ribs from the red, yellow and serrano peppers. Cut into 2 inch strips and then 1/2 inch slices.
Cut the celery and carrot in quarters and cut in 1/2 inch slices.
Cut the pearl onion in half.
Cut the cauliflower in quarters and cut out the core and large stem. Break the florets into pieces about the same size of the other vegetables.
Place the green, red and serrano peppers, celery, carrots, onion, and cauliflower in a bowl. Stir the salt into the water and pour into the bowl to cover the vegetables completely.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day drain salty water and rinse vegetables well.
Cut the olives in half.
Mix the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper and olives in a bowl. Pour in vinegar and EVOO and mix well. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and mix well.
Spoon the giardiniera into a liter or quart jar and seal tightly.
Refrigerate for 2 days before eating.
Gardiniera will keep in the refrigerator of at least 2 weeks.

- Giardiniera – the Chicago Way | from the Bartolini kitchens
Chicago Giardiniera Recipe
Ingredients

8 jalapeños, chopped (for more heat, serranos may be substituted)
1/2 large cauliflower, cut into florets
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 sweet banana peppers, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp celery seeds
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil

Directions
Combine vegetables and salt.
Add enough water to cover, stir, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Strain vegetables from brine, rinse well, and set aside.
In a large glass bowl, add garlic and remaining seasonings.
To that bowl, add the vinegars and stir until well-mixed.
Whisk the solution while adding the oils.
Add the reserved, brined vegetables into the bowl and gently mix until well-coated.
At this point, the giardiniera may be left, covered, in the bowl or transferred to clean jars.
Either way, it must be refrigerated for 48 hours before serving.
Because this giardiniera isn’t canned, it must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep for a few weeks.

Rachel Roddy’s Ciambotta Calabrese (Calabrian-style tomato, potato and aubergine stew).

- Rachel Roddy’s recipe for tomato, potato and aubergine stew | Food | The Guardian

Serves 4

600g ripe tomatoes
1 large onion
1 large potato
2 red peppers
2 medium aubergines
Olive oil
Salt

Peel the tomatoes by plunging them into boiling water for two minutes, then under cold water, at which point the skins should slip away. Chop the tomatoes roughly (scooping out the seeds, if you wish). Peel and slice the onion into half moons and chop the peeled potato, red pepper and aubergines into chunks the size of a nutmeg.

In a large, wide frying pan or casserole, fry the onion in plenty of olive oil and a pinch of salt over a low-medium heat, until soft and translucent. Add the potato, stir and add a small glass of warm water so the potatoes bubble. After five minutes, add the tomato and allow to simmer gently for 30–40 minutes or until soft, rich and saucy (add a little water if it starts to look dry).

Now you have two options: you can simply add the aubergine and peppers to the pan about 10 minutes after the potatoes and cook everything together. Alternatively, in a separate pan in a couple of inches of olive oil, fry the chunks of aubergine and pepper in batches until soft and golden, draining on kitchen towel and then stir into the tomato in the last few minutes of cooking. Either way, once cooked, taste and add salt as necessary. Serve at room temperature.

Tumbet recipe By The Hairy Bikers.

- Tumbet recipe - BBC Food
...is a traditional vegetable dish from Majorca.
Mediterranean Ratatouille!
Tombet combines layers of sliced potatoes, aubergines and red bell peppers previously fried in olive oil.
...add zucchini to the mixture...top with potatoes fried with garlic!

Smoky White Bean Kale and Wheat Berry Stew - Vanilla And Bean

- Smoky White Bean Kale and Wheat Berry Stew - Vanilla And Bean:

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Radicchio Recipes by Martha Stewart.

Radicchio Recipes | Martha Stewart:
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
8 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
1 head radicchio, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic, and cook until soft but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add parsley and breadcrumbs; cook, stirring frequently, until breadcrumbs are golden, about 3 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add salt.
Add pasta, and cook until al dente according to package instructions.
Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
Return pasta and reserved cooking liquid to pot, and add ricotta and remaining tablespoon oil.
Toss to coat evenly.
Add radicchio and half the breadcrumb mixture; season with salt and pepper.
Toss to combine.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining breadcrumb mixture.
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The New Rule of Ratatouille: Forget the Rules.

- The New Rule of Ratatouille: Forget the Rules | Serious Eats:
Ratatouille typically includes a mix of eggplant, summer squash (i.e., zucchini, yellow squash, and other soft-skin types), onion, garlic, bell peppers, and tomatoes stewed in olive oil. Herbs vary, and some folks hold very strong opinions about which ones they should and should not be, but among the most ubiquitous are basil, parsley, and thyme.
- Cutting the Vegetables: Anywhere from 0.5cm to 1cm pieces is a good size.
- Pre-Salting: The salted eggplant and squash produced ratatouille with more depth and sweetness.
You can dice the eggplant and squash, then salt them and let them sit while you continue dicing the other vegetables.
- Single-Pot Versus Individually Cooked Vegetables: you do preserve the shape and flavor of each vegetable a little better by cooking them separately...but not absolutely essential - starting with the onion and garlic, then adding the bell peppers soon after, followed by the squash and eggplant, and finally the tomato.
- Fresh Diced Tomato Versus Tomato Purée: the diced fresh tomato maintained its shape to the end, while the puréed tomatoes acted as a sauce, coating everything in a red sheen and helping to bind it all together.
As you can imagine, the tomato flavor is more pervasive when added as purée, since it glazes every other vegetable in the dish.
I prefer the purée.
Canned whole tomatoes often provide some of the best quality you can get, but feel free to use a puree made from cooked fresh ones if they're good enough.
Ratatouille: Step by Step:
I start by salting the eggplant and squash and letting them stand in a strainer set over a bowl for between 15 and 30 minutes.
Whether doing the individually cooked or the one-pot approach, I then sweat onion and garlic in olive oil.
For the one-pot approach, the next step is to combine everything else in the pot and let it cook until done.
Once everything is in the pot, I set it over low heat and add the tomato.
I also add herbs at this point; here, it's a bundle of basil, parsley, and thyme.
Herb garnishes are up to you, too. In these photos, I've stirred in some chopped parsley, but you could use basil, another herb, or just leave it out altogether.
I'll often also stir in a bit more fresh olive oil for flavor at the end.
As good as ratatouille is hot, it's so, so much better when eaten slightly chilled or at room temperature the next day.

Provençal Ratatouille Recipe:
Ingredients
3 cups 0.6cm diced summer squash, such as zucchini and yellow squash (about 4 small or 2 medium squash)
3 cups 0.6cm diced Italian eggplant (about 1 medium eggplant)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
3 cups 0.6cm diced yellow onion (about 3 medium onions)
6 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 cups 0.6cm diced red and yellow bell pepper (about 4 large peppers)
2 cups pureed canned whole tomatoes, with their juices, from 1 (800g) can
1 bouquet garni (herb bundle), made from fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, and basil, tied together with butcher's twine
Chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, for garnish (optional)

Directions
1. Place summer squash in a wire mesh strainer set over a bowl; place eggplant in a second wire mesh strainer and set over a second bowl.
Toss both with a liberal amount of kosher salt and let stand to drain at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Discard any liquid that collects in the bowls.

2. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add onion and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes.
Scrape onion and garlic onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread in an even layer to cool for 3 minutes.
Transfer onion and garlic to a large pot.

3. Meanwhile, add 3 more tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add bell pepper, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes.
Scrape bell pepper onto the rimmed baking sheet in an even layer to cool for 3 minutes.
Transfer bell pepper to pot with onion.

4. Add 3 more tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add summer squash and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Scrape onto rimmed baking sheet in an even layer to cool for 3 minutes.
Transfer to pot with onion and bell pepper.

5. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add eggplant and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes; add more olive oil as needed if skillet dries out while cooking eggplant.
Scrape eggplant into pot with other vegetables and stir to combine.

6. Set pot of vegetables over medium-high heat and stir in tomato puree and herb bundle; heat until ratatouille is gently bubbling, then lower heat to medium and cook, stirring, until tomato puree coats vegetables in a thick sauce, about 15 minutes.
Discard herb bundle.
Season with salt, stir in chopped parsley (if using), and drizzle with a small amount of fresh extra-virgin olive oil.
Serve right away, or chill and serve either reheated, slightly chilled, or at room temperature.
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Ratatouille from Mastering The Art of French Cooking.

serves 6-8
Ingredients
500g eggplant
500g zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
6-7 tablespoons olive oil, more if necessary
250g (about 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
500g firm red tomatoes, or 1 1/2 cups pulp
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 cloves mashed garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 1cm thick, about 8cm long, and 2-3cm wide.
Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends, and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices.
Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt.
Let stand for 30 minutes.
Drain.
Dry each slice in a towel.
One layer at a time, saute the eggplant, and then the zucchini in hot olive oil for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly.
Remove to a side dish.
In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned.
Stir in the garlic and season to tastes.
Slice the tomato pulp into 1cm strips.
Lay them over the onions and peppers.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice.
Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil off several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.
Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of parsley.
Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini, and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices.
Correct seasoning, if necessary.
Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil.
Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.
Set aside uncovered.
Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold.

It's a method promoted by Julia Child:
- In the News | Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University: "Siting Julia"

Also: - Classic Ratatouille | Essential Pepin:
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How To Make Cauliflower Rice.

How To Make Cauliflower Rice or Couscous (with Video) | Kitchn:
Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup each)
What You Need
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, any size
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, optional
Salt, optional

Equipment
Chef's knife
Food processor or box grater
Spatula
Skillet with lid, optional

Instructions
Cut the cauliflower into large pieces: Cut the head of cauliflower into quarters, then trim out the inner core from each quarter.
Break apart the cauliflower into large florets with your hands.
If the core is tender, you can chip it into pieces and add it with the florets.
Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor: Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor.
Don't fill the food processor more than 3/4 full; if necessary, process in two batches.
Pulse the cauliflower until completely broken down: Process the cauliflower in 1-second pulses until it has completely broken down into couscous-sized granules. (Alternatively, grate the florets on the large holes of a box grater.)
Pull out any unprocessed pieces: Some florets or large pieces of cauliflower might remain intact.
Pull these out and set them aside.
Transfer the cauliflower couscous to another container and re-process any large pieces.
Serving raw cauliflower couscous: Cauliflower couscous can be used raw, tossed like grains into a salad or in a cold side dish.
Cooking cauliflower couscous: Cooking makes the cauliflower more tender and rice-like.
Warm a tablespoon of olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Stir in the couscous and sprinkle with a little salt.
Cover the skillet and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the couscous is as tender as you like.
Use or serve immediately, or refrigerate the couscous for up to a week.
Recipe Notes
Freezing raw cauliflower couscous: The couscous can also be sealed in airtight containers or bags and frozen for up to three months.
Thaw on the counter for a few minutes before using or cooking.

Microwaving:
By far the easiest way to cook your cauliflower rice, and as you don’t need to add any fat, the healthiest too.
Microwave fresh cauliflower rice in a heatproof bowl, covered with cling film, for three minutes on High.
If using from the freezer, microwave for four minutes on High, mixing the ‘rice’ half way through cooking.
This method gives the rice a nice, neutral flavour, perfect for serving with a curry or tagine.
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