Turkish Salad and Corn Pasta

Wine:

Sportoletti Assisi Grechetto 1999
Darioush Napa Valley Chardonnay

We started with drinks on the deck,it was a warm night. I had decided to make this the summer of chopped salad. Since all of the vegetables and greens smell so great at the Farmer’s Market we have been experimenting with various recipes. We really like this recipe for a Turkish Chopped Salad that we found in Casa Moro The Second Cookbook. I really liked it. It is topped with Yogurt and butter and then sprinkled with a Mid-Eastern spice: We will make it again!


Corn is at its peak at the Hollywood Farmer's Market. Every year we make Fresh Corn Pasta. We use the recipe from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. It is delicious and easy to make.

We followed with Brownies from Clementine. Great summer meal!



TURKISH CHOPPED SALAD
=======================
.
Unlike most restaurant kitchens, the one at Mangal (our favorite Turkish cafe in Arcola Road, Stoke Newington) has an oblong charcoal grill that the chef sits in front of. When we go, we often order chopped salad, a refreshing, finely chopped mixture of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and coriander offset with creamy yoghurt and nutty caramelized butter. Wonderful on its own, it is even better with some grilled or roast¬ed marinated lamb. Visiting Mangal before Moro opened made us determined to cook over real charcoal.
Serves 6-8 as a mezze, 4 for a starter or light meal

• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ Persian cucumber, peeled
• 1/4 small red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, halved and seeded
• ½ green pepper, halved and seeded
• 2 heaped tablespoons each of roughly chopped fresh coriander and parsley
DRESSING
• 1/2 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper „
TO SERVE
• 200g Greek yoghurt thinned with 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 quantity caramelized
• 1 teaspoon Turkish chili flakes (kirmizi biber) warm Flatbread or pita bread
For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and taste for seasoning.

Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and red and green peppers very finely and place in a bowl. Do not be tempted to use a food processor. Add the herbs and dressing. Toss well and check for seasoning. Spread the chopped salad out on a large plate. Spoon the yoghurt over the centre of the salad, then drizzle the warm caramelized butter all over. Sprinkle with the chili flakes. Eat with bread or grilled meats.


PASTA with CORN, PANCETTA, BUTTER,AND SAGE
===================================
ONCE THE FIRST LOCAL SWEET CORN ARRIVES IN JUNE, WE MAKE THIS PASTA, None form or another, a few times a week. My favorite version is whichever one we are making on a given day. The formula is delicious with or without the Parmigiano-Reggiano, with a little cream added at the end, with prosciutto in lieuof the pancetta, or without meat at all. An unmeasured scatter of sweet peas in addition to the corn is another pretty and delicious variation.
Buy fresh-picked corn, and when choosing ears, root around for the young ones with small kernels-you'11 get less corn per cob, but what you sacrifice in yield is inconsequential, given the difference in quality. Fat, full kernels tend to be tougher, dry, and starchy. Juicy, young kernels need less butter to make a succulent pasta dish. Otherwise, you can't skimp on butter without stripping the dish of succulence. (If less butter is your goal, reducing portion size makes more sense). I have tried this dish with various olive oils and found the flavor disappointing.
FOR 4 OR 5 SERVINGS:

• Salt
• 2 to 3 ounces pancetta, minced {1/3 to1/2 cup]
• 2-1/2 cups freshly scraped corn kernels and their milky juice - 5 to 10 small, young ears, depending on yield
• Up to 1/2 pound {2 sticks) unsalted butter
• A trickle of water
• 6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
• Small chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 pound fettuccine, tagliarini, or other slender egg pasta
Cook the pancetta in a few tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Stir and scrape to make sure it cooks evenly. When the pancetta has browned slightly on the edges and is starting to sizzle, turn off the heat, add a few drops of water to cool the pan, and stir, then add another few tablespoons of butter, the sage, and a few grinds of black pepper. Swirl the pan, then leave the aromatics to infuse the melting butter.
Drop the pasta into 6 quarts of rapidly boiling water seasoned with a scant 2 tablespoons salt (a little more if using kosher salt). Stir, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
Meanwhile, turn the heat under the skillet to medium, and add another 6 to 8 tablespoons butter, sliced. Swirl the pan. When the butter is nearly melted, add the corn, stir, and cook until heated through. Taste for salt. If the corn seems dry, add a trickle of pasta water and some or all of the remaining butter, to taste. Reduce the heat to low. When the pasta is cooked, drain well, then toss with the corn, taste again for salt and serve. Offer freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano