We decided to have a Crestmont Dinner. Crestmont in Silverlake is a short street that has a long history. We were recently lent a book by Daniel Hurewitz:
Bohemian Los Angeles, and it documents that Silverlake has always been an artistic, alternate lifestyle community. Bea was born on Crestmont and has lived in Silverlake her entire life. Darryl and Robert live on the street, as well as Mike and Chris. We had the entire group over for a very lively night.
We started with lots of wine served with
Humus and Pita Chips from
Joan’s on 3rd. They are absolutely the best pita chips in LA.
It had been cold and wet again so a winter dinner was perfect given the weather. We started with a delicious spring soup –
Farro, Leafy Greens and Potato, as Prepared in the Marches from the Paula Wolfert Cookbook:
Mediterranean Grains and Greens. It is a great spring soup with asparagus and fresh shelled peas. I had baked a no-knead bread which we had with the soup.
For the main course we made
Braised Veal Shanks from an unpublished recipe by Mark Peel of Campanile. It is a pain to make but delicious. Of course, we purchased the veal from
McCall’s Meat and Fish, these were beautiful tender shanks. They were braised with lots of vegetables. We served the meat over
Polenta with the braising liquid and vegetables.
Finally Chris and Mike provided a delicious home made Salted Carmel Ice Cream on top of homemade Chocolate Sauce that seized up to a thick texture. With the dessert they served a Waffle like cookie called a Gaufrette.
We then served Chateau Clemens Barsac a Premier Cru dessert wine, it was delicious!
It was a very enjoyable dinner with political discussions, Silverlake stories and a spirited conversation about adulterated milk-products.
Farro, Leafy Greens, and Potato Soup as Prepared in the Marches
From Mediterranean Grains and Greens by Paula Wolfert
Serves 3 or 4
On a spring trip to the Marches (on the Adriatic coast of central Italy) I met a marvelous white-haired forager-chef-restaurateur, Felice Orazi, famous for his spring soup made with a local wild green called bubbolino, farro, and freshly dug potatoes.
Felice's wife, Rosalba, also uses bubbolino in her equally famous risottos and frittatas. Felice's restaurant, Le Copertelle, is nestied on the side of a mountain. He starts picking bubbolino in March, when this marvelous pealike green is barely an inch out of the ground. It's then, he says, that the plant is at its tender best. On the April day when I visited he looked out the window just before going out to forage. "Hmmm the weather's weird today," he said. "I think I'll find some mushrooms, too." Then he smiled. "It's going to be a good lunch."
He returned with bubbolino and mushrooms, and the lunch, as promised, was good—in fact, out of this world! He told me that as spring progresses into summer he must go out earlier each day in order to climb higher up the mountain, since at lower levels the plants have matured and are too bitter for cooking.
Bladder campion (as bubbolino is called in English) tastes like a cross between asparagus and sweet peas—which is how I've simulated its taste in the following recipe, also adding a little arugula for texture.
When I first started searching for wild greens, I thought bladder campion would be hard to find. In fact, I found it right in the middle of my daylily patch in front of my summer home on Martha's Vineyard. Unfortunately, it was too mature to use.
If you do decide to go for the real thing, be sure to consult a reliable book on wild edible plants in your area. Otherwise you may make a mistake and cook an inedible look-alike.
½ cup farro3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for garnish
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (without seeds) or more to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
½ pound boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped
½ pound arugula leaves, stemmed and finely shredded
1 cup shelled peas . .
3 fresh asparagus spears, sliced very thin crosswise (optional)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups vegetable, meat, or poultry stock, simmering
Freshly grated pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1. Pick over and rinse the farro and soak in tepid water overnight.
2. Drain the farro, cover with fresh cold water, and cook, covered, until tender, 45 minutes or longer, depending upon the age of the grain.
3. Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed bean or soup pot, heat the oil; add the parsley, red pepper, garlic, and potatoes; and saute until soft and golden brown, about 15-30 minutes, mashing the potatoes in the pot, so that they begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and create caramelized areas here and there—but avoid burning.
4. Add the arugula, peas, and asparagus, if using, and stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fully cooked farro and 3 cups simmering stock and bring back to a boil. Cook at the simmer for 30 minutes to cook the vegetables and blend flavors.
5. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a drizzle of fresh olive oil and a small spoonful of cheese.
Braised Veal Shanks With Salsa Verde
Mark Peel Campanile Restaurant
Serves 6
This is a variation of Osso Bucco, but on a more impressive scale. The veal shank is left whole for the slow gentle braising, and then long strips of succulent meat are sliced off for serving. This dish can be elevated to a show piece by presenting the shank standing on end with the sliced meat fanned out around it on a bed of braised vegetables. The trick to slicing is allowing the shanks cool in their liquid for a good half hour, allowing the meat to firm up a little, and to use a very sharp knife.
These veal shanks are best for a big wintry Sunday evening meal. Served with polenta, soft, or fried, and Salsa Verde, this dish is complete, as the unctuousness of the veal and polenta combination is cut by the sharp flavor of the Salsa Verde. Don't let the long preparation and cooking time put you off, because the braise doesn't require much attention, only enough to ensure that the liquid does not evaporate to the point the shanks are less than half covered.
The shanks can marinate for up to 2 days. The dish can be prepared, and cooked hours in advance, if desired. If you can find marrow spoons anywhere, and you have a taste for it, eat the marrow. The shank bones will yield a few more delicious mouthfuls of rich veal flavor.
Osso bucco is traditionally served with the bone cut into small pieces, but most butchers can order whole shanks if you ask. Have the round bottom of the shank bone trimmed flat if you want it to stand upright.
2 whole veal shanks, each about 3-1/2 pounds
Marinade
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon whole juniper berries, crushed
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, crushed
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Braising Liquid
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 (6 ounces) green cabbage, washed, trimmed, and cored, and cut into 2" pieces
1 medium (1/2 pound) onion, cut into eighths
2 large (1/2 pound) carrots, peeled, cut in half, lengthwise and
then cut into 2" pieces
3 large (1/2 pound) celery stalks, cut into 2" pieces
2 large (1/2 pound) leeks, whites only, trimmed and cut into
2” pieces
1 medium (1/2 pound) fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/8" thick pieces
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
5 cups Brown Veal Stock
5 cups water
2 heads (1/4 pound) garlic, cut in half, horizontally
4 sprigs each thyme, sage, and parsley
Salsa Verde
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large mixing bowl, marinate the shanks in 1/3 cup olive oil, the juniper berries, whole peppercorns, the thyme and rosemary. The shanks can marinate, refrigerated/up to 2 days^)
Have ready:
The Brown Veal Stock, warm in a medium saucepan, over low heat.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the shanks from the marinade. Dry the shanks with a few shakes to remove any surface liquid. Season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper. Brown the shanks until brown on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. (If a grill is unavailable, or inconvenient, brown the veal shanks in a large cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat, with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, about 10 to 15 minutes) After browning, let the shanks rest on a large platter.
In a large oven proof casserole, or deep roasting pan, over medium heat, preheat the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Saute the cabbage, onion, carrots, celery, leeks, and fennel until lightly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and the vinegar and reduce by about 1/4, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, water, garlic, and the thyme, sage, and parsley, and bring to a simmer. Transfer the browned shanks and any juice on the platter to the casserole and put the casserole in the oven. The braising liquid should come a little more than half way up the side of the shanks. Braise, uncovered, until the shanks are very tender, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours turning carefully every 45 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, and allow to rest about 20 minutes.
Remove the shanks to a platter, skim away and discard the fat. Return the braising liquid and the shanks to the pan, and allow to rest in the broth for a half hour before slicing.
Prepare the Saisa Verde
Using a long, very sharp knife, slice the shanks taking care to avoid shredding the meat. Slice 1/4" to 1/2" thick pieces parallel to the bone, working around the bone until all the meat is removed.
To serve, stand the shank bones on the broad end, on a large platter and fan the sliced meat around in a circular pattern. Put a portion of polenta, if desired, in each of 6 large, warm soup plates, add a portion of braised vegetables and about 1 cup of the braising liquid. Drizzle a tablespoon of Salsa Verde over each portion of polenta, and several tablespoons over the sliced veal, and serve immediately.
SALSA VERDE
Yields 3/4 cup
This salsa verde is of Italian, not Mexican origin. The flavor is a balance of garlic, anchovy, tart lemon, capers, and fresh herbs. Salsa verde is perfect for serving with roasted meats. It fills the same taste niche as steak sauce, but because it's freshly made, the flavors are more vibrant. The lemon juice and the vinegar from the capers give it a cutting quality, and the anchovy adds a bite to the richness of roasted meats. It's a small flavor twist that works especially well on a roast beef sandwich. Salsa Verde is perfect with the Braised Veal or Lamb Shank. It is important that Salsa Verde be prepared fresh no more than an hour before serving to catch all the flavors at their peak.
3 anchovy filets, coarsely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon capers, drained well
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a mortar and pestle, grind to a paste the anchovy fillets, capers, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Continue to grind, adding the herbs, and 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. When the herbs have been ground to a coarse paste, slowly add the remaining olive oil, stirring to incorporate it into the paste.
When ready to serve, stir in up to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, to taste. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper, and serve immediately.
