Weird Gourmet
My friend LL has been sharing her locally-farmed-weekly-produce-box with me. She found they sent stuff in the box that she’s not interested in eating, and it’s just her and her husband anyway so they wouldn’t be able to use it all up themselves. As she told the other ladies when she gave me my portion at our Wednesday bible study, “… and you know, KT likes weird stuff so I’m giving it to her.”
This week I got 2 small fennel bulbs, a big bunch of rapini (also known as broccoli rabe), a bunch of basil and half a bunch of radishes – “French breakfast radishes” no less!
So tonight for dinner I cooked Fennel Risotto – carmelized the chopped bulbs to start with and sprinkled some minced fronds in at the end. It was pretty good! I also blanched-and-shocked the rapini as suggested on Martha Stewart Everyday Food. This involved dunking it in boiling water and then in ice water. Then I sauteed it with garlic. But it came out fairly bitter, so I’m not sure I’m a huge rapini fan yet. I roasted chicken thighs with a mixture of butter, garlic, lemon, salt & pepper stuffed under the skin. Mm, that came out good.
To do: make pesto (duh!) and do something with the radishes… maybe some kind of relish/salsa?
Hmm are you speaking english? Wow I have never heard of most of those vegetables.
i’m amused that those vegetable are considered weird. it’s not such a small world after all. what’s considered normal where you are?
if you end up with rapini again, after blanching (I skip the ice bath) add a handful of white raisins or dried cherries while sauteing them. i like my bitters, but rapini are way too bitter, and it’s nice to find a raisin in the same bite to sofen the kick. you might like them that way better.
as far as the radishes. i’m not sure what french breakfast radishes are, but this is how we eat the little red radishes around here: wash and dip them in sugar and bite. dip in sugar, bite off some more, etc. i know it’s crazy, but the totally contrasting flavours are fun together. maybe you can try one of yours this way.
Some people may find them weird, but I’m always open to trying things I may not have before, especially if it’s local produce. Thanks for the tips, valentina! I will keep in mind about pairing a little sweetness with bitter/spicy veggies. Mmm.