Pasta with Italian Dandelion Green Pesto, Roma Green Beans and Potatoes

2009 in our garden was the year of the eggplant.  We grew a dozen varieties, and always had several pounds of eggplant on hand from June until mid-November when a hard frost killed the plants.   Six months later, we are still recovering from eggplant overload, and have dramatically reduced our collection of eggplants in the garden.  Instead, we have become obsessed with snap beans.

While eggplant provides several nutrients, most significantly important antioxidants, beans are even more impressive.  Green beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein, and beta-carotene.  They also provide folate, omega-3 fatty acids, and niacin.  Just one cup of beans includes 25% of the vitamin K needed per day, an important vitamin for maintaining strong bones.  And beans contain beneficial amounts of vitamins A and C.    This is not to knock eggplants, which are both beautiful and delicious, but beans are hard to beat from a nutritional standpoint.

Like eggplants, beans are a beautiful vegetable to include in the garden.  They come in an amazing array of colors including green, purple, yellow and speckled.  They are also as easy to grow as eggplants in our hot, humid climate.  We are currently growing ten different types of snap beans including three of our favorites, Royal Burgundy, Burpee's Stringless, and Cosse Violette.  We are also trying several beautiful heirloom varieties for the first time:  Rattlesnake, Anellino di Trento, Rocquencourt and Merveille de Piemonte.   Another bean new for us is Gina, an heirloom Italian flat-podded bean.  

As the name suggests, this type of bean, also referred to as a Roma or Romano bean, has a wide, flat shape.  Gina in particular is a vigorous producer of delicious, crisp beans that have a distinctly "beany" flavor and dense texture.  Each bean matures at five to six inches long, making for a significant harvest weighing in at several pounds per week.   The beans should be picked while they are still fairly smooth, firm and a dark green color.  Waiting too long allows the seeds to develop, making for a bumpy-looking pale bean that is tough with a less appealing flavor.

 

The shape and taste of flat-podded beans combine extremely well with pasta, especially a flat noodle like the fettucine we use here. The beans are cooked with the pasta and potatoes.  Somewhat miraculously, all three are done at the same time.  Afterwards, everything is tossed in a pesto made with Italian dandelion greens from the garden.   The resulting dish is deliciously rich, extremely hearty, and plates beautifully.  Do try to find flat-podded beans for this recipe, but if they are unavailable, any green beans will work as long as they're fresh and firm.

Pasta with Italian Dandelion Green Pesto, Roma Green Beans and Potatoes
serves 2-4

Ingredients

Italian Dandelion Green Pesto

2            cups          tightly packed, washed dandelion green leaves

12                           large basil leaves

2                             garlic cloves

1            cup            toasted pine nuts

1/2         cup            olive oil

1/3         cup            parmesan, grated

1            Tbs           creme fraiche

                              sea salt and black pepper

Pasta

1/2         lb              Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, quartered and cut into 1/2" slices

1/2         lb              green beans, preferably flat-pod, cut into 1" pieces

1            lb              dry ribbon pasta such as fettucine

Procedure

Pesto

1. Combine greens, basil, garlic and pine nuts in food processor.  Slowly stream in olive oil while motor is running until well combined and smooth.  Add cheese and creme fraiche.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pasta

1. Boil large pot of water and add 5 or so tsp sea salt.  Add potato slices and return to a boil.  
2. As soon as water is boiling again, add pasta and beans and cook until pasta is done. 
   
3. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.
4. Combine the pesto with 2 Tbs cooking liquid and heat over medium low in a large saute pan.  Add pasta mixture and toss until evenly coated.  Add more cooking liquid as needed so pesto won't coat too thickly, and continue to toss until well-combined.
5. Serve with more grated parmesan on top.

Printable Recipe 

Salad with Dandelion Greens, Ricotta Salata and Toasted Almonds

Bitter greens with tangy, salty cheese and toasted almonds combine for a salad packed with complex flavors.  This is a Lidia Bastianich recipe based on a traditional Italian salad.  Italian Dandelion plants have proved truly remarkable, surviving hot and cold equally well with no pest problems and an amazing ability to quickly recover after being harvested.   The greens have a distinct bitter flavor that identifies Italian dandelions as a member of the chicory family, which includes favorites such as escarole, endive and radicchio as well as chicories more difficult to find in the U.S. such as Puntarelle and Barba di Cappuccino.   Italian cuisine has a unique appreciation for all these bitter greens, and this dandelion green salad gets it just right.

Ricotta Salata is an Italian sheep's milk cheese. The cheese, sometimes called dried ricotta, is pressed and dried before it is aged, giving the cheese an unusual, almost spongy texture and concentrating the salty, tangy flavor.  This bright-white cheese is fairly dense but still soft, and is wonderful with salads, pastas and even flatbreads.  To create perfect shavings, chill the cheese well first and then use a vegetable peeler.

Salad with Dandelion Greens, Ricotta Salata and Toasted Almonds 

Ingredients

1           lb        freshly picked dandelion greens, washed, thick stems 
                       removed, and roughly chopped
6           Tbs     olive oil
1/4        cup     almond slivers
2           Tbs     red-wine vinegar
1           tsp      honey
                       Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/4         lb      ricotta salata, shaved when cold using a vegetable peeler

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350° and spread almond slivers on a sheet pan.  Toast until golden and fragrant, 5 - 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside, turn off oven.
2. Combine olive oil, 2 Tbs almond slivers, vinegar and honey in food processor or blender until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Toss dandelion greens with dressing, season again with salt and pepper.  Top with remaining almonds and ricotta salata.

Printable Recipe

Salad with Arugula, Dandelion Greens and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Here is another salad celebrating the bitter greens that are abundant in our garden right now.  Italian dandelion greens are a particularly remarkable vegetable; the more we harvest, the more the plants produce.  The leaves range from small and delicate to over eighteen inches long.  Although the seeds were started last September, the plants are still full and healthy, promising many more months of productivity.  The arugula, on the other hand, is starting to sprout lots of little white flowers, a lovely site in the garden but also a sign that these plants will need to be replaced soon with new arugula for the spring and summer.   With its bitter flavor and popularity in Italian food, we have often wondered if arugula, like dandelion greens, is in the chicory family.  We have not found any mention of a connection, but if you have any information in this regard, please share it with us. 

Arugula and dandelion greens are both bitter, but their flavors are quite distinct.  Anyone who has eaten arugula freshly picked from the garden will not confuse its taste with anything else, while the dandelion greens offer a more subtle kick.  Nevertheless, they combine surprisingly well in a salad.  Blood oranges are used here in both the dressing and the salad itself to both temper and enhance the flavors of these greens.  Sauteed porcini mushrooms and parmesan cheese are added at the last minute to add a creamy finish and depth to the salad.  The colors are also spectacular here -- red-ribbed greens, deep orange fruit, and creamy shaved parmesan cheese -- making this the perfect choice if you're looking for a quick salad that is sure to impress.

Salad with Arugula, Dandelion Greens and Blood Oranges
makes two meal-sized portions or 4 to 6 side dishes

Ingredients

Blood Orange Vinaigrette Dressing

1/2            cup          blood orange juice (from about 4 oranges)
1               Tbs          shallots, finely chopped (about 2)
1               tsp           Dijon mustard
1               tsp           sugar
1               Tbs          sherry vinegar
1               cup          olive oil
1/4            tsp           sea salt
1/4            tsp           black pepper

Salad

2               Tbs          olive oil
4               oz             king porcini mushroom, thinly sliced
1/4             tsp           red pepper flakes
2                cups         arugula
1                cup          dandelion greens
1/4             cup          red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 onion)
1                                blood orange, peeled and segmented
                                  parmesan cheese thinly sliced
                                  sea salt and black pepper to taste

Procedure

Dressing

1. Whisk together all ingredients except olive oil.  When well-combined, slowly whisk in olive oil in a steady stream.  Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Salad

1. Saute porcini and red pepper flakes in olive oil with salt and black pepper to taste over medium-high until tender.  Remove from heat.
2. Combine greens, onion and orange.  Toss with dressing to coat.  Divide onto 2 plates, then top with porcini mushrooms and parmesan shavings.

If you like this salad, try our Salad of Bitter Italian Greens, Strawberries and Parmesan
You may also like our Dandelion Green and Goat Cheese Empanadas

Dandelion Green and Goat Cheese Empanadas

Our favorite Argentinian restaurant here in Houston is Marini's Empanadas.  We order a big assortment of empanadas every time we eat there. Our favorites include the Dulce de Leche dessert empanada, and the Humita with creamed corn and cheeses.  At just over $2 each, they're so affordable and delicious, we never planned to make empanadas at home.  But then we discovered this recipe in the L.A. Times, and couldn't resist making empanadas using our Red Rib Italian Dandelion greens from the garden.  The ribs of the dandelion greens keep their red color when cooked, making the filling as pretty as it is tasty.  This is a time-consuming recipe, so save these empanadas for a weekend project, or break it up into two nights.  The unbaked empanadas keep in the fridge for up to two days.

 

Dandelion Green and Goat Cheese Empanadas

adapted from latimes.com

Ingredients

1          cup              whole-wheat flour
1 1/4    cup              unbleached A.P.flour
                                sea salt and black pepper
1/2       cup               (1 stick) butter, cubed and cold
1/2       tsp                cider vinegar
1                              egg, separated
                                ice water
3                              large bunches dandelion greens
1 1/2    cup              onion, finely chopped (about 1 onion)
1          cup               leek sliced thinly (about 1 leek)
1/4       cup               olive oil
3                              cloves garlic, minced
1/8       tsp                red pepper flakes
1/4       tsp                cayenne
11        oz                goat cheese
1/2       cup              grated Pecorino Romano
                                Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Procedure

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is reduced to pea-sized pieces. 
2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar and egg yolk (reserving the egg white) and add enough ice-cold water to bring the volume to one-half cup. Add the liquid to the processor in a steady stream while pulsing. 
3. Continue to pulse just until the mixture looks crumbly and damp, and the dough just adheres when pressed together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. 
4. Preheat the oven to 400°.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the dandelion greens for about 1 minute to bring out the color and soften slightly. Drain and immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Coarsely chop, then squeeze the chopped greens in a towel to remove as much liquid as possible and set aside.
6. In a large pan, cook the onions and leeks in the olive oil over medium heat until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 tsp salt, the pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp black pepper and the cayenne. Remove from heat and cool. 
7. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses, dandelion greens and onion mixture. 
8. Divide the chilled empanada dough into 8 disk-shaped portions. On a floured work surface, roll out each portion of dough into an approximately 7-inch circle. Place one-third cup of the filling in the lower middle section of the circle. Whisk the reserved egg white in a small bowl and use it to brush the outer edges of the lower half of the dough. Fold the dough in half over the filling, pressing the edges and making sure there are no air pockets. Trim any rough or uneven parts and either crimp the edges with your fingers or use a fork to seal the edges. 
9. Place the empanadas on a silpat-lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack. The empanadas will keep, unbaked and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

Boca Burgers with Pureed Mache and Sauteed Dandelion Greens

This was one of our quick dinners created after surveying the vegetable garden for ideas.  Mache and Dandelion Greens have both thrived this winter with no attention from us.  The mache is growing in our window box where it gets very little sun or water, but the plants are thick and full.  In the backyard, we are growing both Green and Red-Ribbed Dandelion Greens.  Both varieties have grown into large, full plants with the longest leaves reaching well over 18 inches.  We topped boca burgers with the mache puree, although it is tasty enough on its own to use as a vegetable dish.  For our side, we sauteed dandelion greens which were bitter and wonderful at the same time.

Pureed Mache

1 1/2          Tbs          sea salt
1                 lb            freshly picked mache, washed and dried
1/4              cup         vegetable stock
1/4              cup         half and half
                                  pinch of nutmeg


Sauteed Dandelion Greens

1              lb              freshly picked dandelion greens, rinsed
2              Tbs           salt
1/8          cup            olive oil
2                               garlic cloves, minced
1/8          tsp             red pepper flakes
1/8          tsp             sea salt
Procedure

Pureed Mache

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil, add salt and mache.  Blanch, uncovered, until just softened, about 2 minutes.  Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.   Gently press out extra water.
2. In food processor, puree mache with vegetable stock and half and half until smooth.  Season with nutmeg and sea salt to taste.
3. Use on a sandwich like we did, or serve as a side dish.  This would also be fantastic tossed with some pasta and a wonderful cheese.

Sauteed Dandelion Greens

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil, add salt and dandelion greens.  Cook uncovered until ribs are soft, about 10 minutes.  Drain, then run under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Gently press out extra water.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium, then saute garlic and red pepper about 1 minute.  Increase temperature to medium-high, add greens and sea salt, and saute until greens are coated with oil, about 4 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve immediately.