Recipes
Meyer Lemon Almond Pesto
Adapted from Milk-Street Cook's Illustrated Kitchen
4 Meyer lemons
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar, divided
½ pound spaghettini
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 ounces (without rind) Parmesan cheese, cut into rough 1-inch pieces,
plus finely grated parmesan to serve
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more to serve
â…“ cup Italian parsley
Juice of 1-2 of the peeled lemons
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
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Using a vegetable peeler remove the zest from the lemons in long, wide strips: try to remove only the colored portion of the peel, not the bitter white pith just underneath. You should have about 2/3 cup zest strips.
Make the pesto: add to food processor ½ of the lemon strips (or more if you like it lemony), the chunks of park, ½ cup almonds—you could toast ahead if you like that flavor. Whiz the mixture and then drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. Don’t whiz too long, the flavor of some larger pieces of lemon peel is fantastic with the pasta. Season with salt, pepper and ½ tsp of the sugar.
In a large pot, combine 2 quarts water, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar and half of the zest strips. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, then remove and discard the zest. Add the spaghettini and cook until al dente. Dip out about a cup of the cooking water, put this in a serving bowl with the pesto, and stir it briefly. Then drain the pasta and toss it in the serving bowl with the pesto. Garnish with chopped chives and more finely grated parmesan.
Pumpkin Mole
Adapted from Rick Bayliss & Pati Jinich
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1. Roast a big (2-3 pounds) butternut, pie pumpkin, or any other winter squash upside down at 400 and roast a whole quartered large onion and head of garlic next to it
2. Gather dried chiles-- I used from the mexican market: 3 negros, 2 ancho pasilla, 5 guajillo
3. Toast them slit them up the side, shake seeds out and flatten. Put them as flat as possible in a dry skillet and put another skillet on top to flatten, watch carefully, you want them toasted but not burned. Some recipes do this frying in lard, your choice.
4. Put toasted chiles in a bowl and rehydrate with stock or water, weigh them down to submerge, leave them for at least 30 minutes.
5. Fry in oil or lard in same skillet: 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup peanuts, one big slice of bread, 1 cup of raisins--you can do this in batches
6. Combine the pumpkin, roasted veg, toasted chiles etc in a big bowl, add 1 whole wheel of chopped mexican chocolate 1/8 tst cloves, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1-2 tsp cinnamon. Add water, stock, or I had a bunch of apple cider to make a mixture you can put in a blender.
7. Whiz the heck out of it until it is smooth like a soft but thick sauce.
I could just eat it with a spoon, but great in enchilada casserole or simmered with chicken, or whatever you desire.
Layered as an enchilada pie with black beans, roast corn, olives & cheese in between corn tortillas is fabulous…….
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