La Bella Italia

It's been so long since I've updated duckandcake, but it's not a shortage of stories that's stopping me.  In between life, which has been full tilt and non-stop busy, Richard and I escaped to Italy for a blissful two week holiday.  Stay tuned as I share stories, great places to stay and visit, recipes and most of all our wonderful food experiences. 

Pranzo in Spoleto and a taste of posts to come...

A presto, amici!

Just Peachy: Homemade Peach Salsa

I can’t believe it’s already September. It’s the time of year that becomes measured by the retail count-down calendar. Back to school is barely over before Halloween candies and Thanksgiving turkeys creep into the grocery aisles. And when I hear that first Christmas carol on the radio, I know that snow and short dark days are not far behind.

But I know I'll forget all of that when I see what’s at the farmers’ market today. An embarrassment of tomato riches. Ripe peaches and plums. Early apples, mouth-puckering tart. Glorious corn. It’s when I wish we had a houseful of kids so that I can buy bushels of produce.

A year after I discovered the joys of canning and preserving, I’m itching to buy those bushels anyway and lock summer in a jar.  The sad truth is that I just don't have the time.  It’s the choices around time that are the hardest ones to make of all.  I’ve been away from home for far too long and too much these past three weeks to buy three bushels of tomatoes and lock myself in the kitchen making sauce.  Striking the balance between what feeds our soul and what feeds our relationships is a constant struggle.  So, right now, I'll spend my weekend reconnecting with my husband, my house and my life, satisfied in the knowledge that I managed to make the most of some gorgeous summer peaches three weeks ago.

Peach Salsa
makes about 8 8-oz jars

Although I have several cookbooks devoted to canning and preserving, my go-to is the Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving.  I use it more as a guide than a step by step, especially when it comes to sugar quantities.  This is my version of the Bernardin peach salsa, modified to let the peach flavour really shine.

½ c white vinegar
10 c peeled and chopped peaches
1 chopped red onion
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ c chopped cilantro
2 tbsp honey
½ tbsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1.  Put all ingredients in a large non reactive pot and stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and bring to a rolling simmer for five minutes, continuing to stir until the salsa is thickened slightly.

2.  Ladle hot salsa in prepared jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Remove jars from water, check for proper sealing, cool and store.*

Use this mildly piquant salsa with with pork, fish or grilled meats

*If you haven't canned before, refer back to my post on Italian Plum Jam, which includes a step-by-step pictorial and some great links to preserving websites

Made in Japan: On-Line Auction for A Fund for Jennie

On March 11, we all watched with horror as Japan experienced first a devastating earthquake and then an even more destructive tsunami. Amidst the tragedy and uncertainty, what happened next was truly inspiring, as the world gathered to take the Japanese people in its arms and give them comfort, in whatever way it could.

The tsunami was on my mind this week while I was in Tokyo on business. On the surface, Tokyo is the same as ever – an exciting, eclectic city, filled with wonderful people and the weird and wacky things that make Japan so unique. Taxi drivers with their white gloves and immaculate crocheted covered seats. Shops dedicated to making and selling just one thing: crackers, say, or egg omelettes. The tiny restaurants and cafes that serve completely fresh and seasonal food as a matter of course, their popularity measured by the long and patient lines of patrons waiting to be seated.

Sakura (cherry flavoured) tempura-style bun from Agemaju Asakusa Kokonoe, a little stall that sells nothing but five flavours of tempura-style buns

But deeply, fundamentally, something has changed in Japan. As one person described it to me, “Meaningful experiences matter more than ever, especially with our families. And making a difference for others has never been so important.”

Making a difference was on my mind this week, too. The Twittersphere was full of a call to action; a communal gathering to comfort, to offer succour, to try and assuage another deep and fundamental wound. When Jennifer Perillo lost her husband suddenly and cruelly a few weeks ago, friends and strangers alike responded with the deep need to help make a devastating blow bearable in whatever way they could. From making peanut butter pies to launching a donation fund, to creating the most amazing online auctions, we’ve tried to gather Jennie in our arms. I’m sure you’ve read about this and, like me, have marvelled at the generosity of people.

I wanted to do my part to help, and with the perfect opportunity to pick up some wonderful Japanese products, I’m launching my own online auction for Jennie. Made in Japan features items you’ll be able to bid on that have come with me direct from Tokyo this week, and represent a wide variety of Japanese goods to surprise, delight and enjoy.

Included in the Made in Japan auction:

Two knives from Sugimoto, a company that has been making knives since the 1830s. The tiny shop at Tsukji Market is worth seeking out. I bought two knives from Sugimoto last year and am a big fan. The auction features a stainless steel Western style 6” general purpose knife and a 4” single edge honed traditional Japanese carbon blade, wood handled vegetable knife (for right handed cooks). Also from Sugimoto – a pair of fish tweezers for picking out the fine bones from your next salmon fillet.

A set of two beautiful lacquer ware cups from Urusi. The finish is satiny smooth and cups can be used for either hot or cold beverages

Two sizes of suribachi with a surikogi. The suribachi is a Japanese mortar used with a pestle (the surikogi). In Japanese cooking the suribachi is used to crush sesame seed. Smaller versions can be used to grate fresh wasabi or ginger.

Set of eight small appetizer dishes; two shapes, each with four different patterns

Delightful baking supplies.  Two packs (100 each) of whimsical cupcake holders and a stencil for making special personalised cookies

A shichimi togarashi set (pictured right) from Yagenbori, a company that has been in business since 1625. They make the delicious seven spice blend known as shichimi togarashi, which is blended to order with every purchase. This blend is the “medium” version; my favourite way to use it is in sautéed kale, and the set includes a wooden holder for the spice

Yuzu Sencha tea with Matcha from Jugetsudo.  This tea is delicious hot or cold and makes a particularly refreshing drink with its unique yuzu flavour. Plus matcha powder, with recipes

Sweet treats, including sugar coated soy beans and pretty sugar candies

And my favourite item: coasters in three colours with the following message: Welcome.  Please relax slowly while drinking the drink. Sage advice indeed.

The value of the auction items is $450.  Bidding starts at $100. To bid,
leave a comment below with your bid amount.  Bidding will end on Friday, September 2 at 11:59 pm Eastern time – just before the stroke of midnight. NEW: I will include shipping for anywhere in continental North America.

As the Japanese say, hito wa itawari atte ikite ikanakereba narimasen: people have to live by caring for each other. Bloggers Without Borders is still accepting donations to A Fund For Jennie, with the proceeds going directly to Jennie and her two girls. Click here to give whatever you can; every dollar counts and helps.

Arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much, and good luck!

BSP2 Part Two: Who Made the Quinoa Salad?

For someone who travels as much as I do, you'd think I'd be a light packer.

I consider it a success if I can manage to pack for a week with just five pairs of shoes (I’m counting my running shoes as part of the five, mind). While I do plan ahead, and know exactly what I’ll be wearing when, I like to have options, shall we say. And then there’s the matter of the “shop opp”. Even with the smallest of suitcases, I always bring a fold up bag that expands to duffel size proportions. Because you just never know when a shop opp will present itself.

But when I went to Big Summer Potluck, I was determined to bring just a carry on. Criteria were simple: only three pairs of shoes – max. Room for an optional top (or two). And most importantly: space for my potluck salad ingredients, which included six cups each of cooked red rice and quinoa. I felt practically empty-handed as I wheeled my cute little pink Zuca through the airport.

I’ll spare you the details of the delayed flights, the six-lane freeway closure, the fact that I couldn’t find watercress for the salad. What matters is I finally arrived at the Anderson home –the setting for the first evening gathering and our kick-off potluck dinner – salad in hand.

The fabulous Anderson home

High stakes when you bring food to a food blogger event and it’s being hosted by Pam Anderson. Even higher when’s it’s a gluten-free affair. But people who are obsessed with food are generous souls, and seek nothing more than to gather round the feast. Because we all know that every dish is made with love, spiced with humour and served with pride.

And so my quinoa salad was eaten down to the last bite. And me, the very proud lighter packer, went home with the biggest (and heaviest) prize of all – a glorious candy apple red Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Betty, as she is proudly named (thanks Jenny), now sits on my kitchen counter. A constant reminder of the generosity of spirit that is BSP2. With thanks to Kitchen Aid and eight second hugs all around for the fabulous Andersons and Erika of The Ivory Hut.

Betty, comfortably at home at chez duckandcake

Red Rice and Quinoa Salad with Dried Cherries, Walnuts and Capers
serves 4 as a side dish

I knew the salad was a hit when The Tough Cookie came downstairs during dinner and demanded to know "Who made the quinoa salad?"  This salad is dedicated to Gail, who will make it, and Jackie, who will eat it.

1 cup each cooked red rice and quinoa, rinsed and drained
⅓ c chopped walnuts
⅓ c dried cherries
1-2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
Zest of one lemon
¼ chopped mint
½ c chopped watercress (or chopped spinach)
2 tbsp minced chives
Salt (optional)*

*Salting the rice and quinoa while cooking, and the addition of capers to the salad, should make the salad plenty salty.

Combine all of the ingredients together in an attractive bowl and serve. The salad is a great make-ahead dish; refrigerate several hours ahead and bring it to room temperature before serving.

Big Summer Potluck 2, Part One: On Becoming a Food Blogger

A breakfast feast at BSP2, featuring fresh peaches, gluten-free muffins and homemade jam from Sugarcrafter



I remember the first time I wondered if I was really a bona fide blogger, even a part-time one, which was all I was aspiring to be. I was having that most perfect of Saturday morning indulgences – a pedicure – and as the aesthetician and I chatted, I mentioned I had a food blog. “I have a blog too!” she said. It was a mommy blog, and she had started it a month earlier. We exchanged URLs, and when I got home I looked up her site. I had written nine posts that month – quite an accomplishment, I thought, for my little hobby. Erika had written 80. Not eight – 80. Whoa.

I had dipped a toe in the water of food blogs barely six months before. Ready-made Blogger template; barely a notion of how to tag, let alone what it would do for my Google ranking. Monetize? I had gingerly put two food-related ads on my blog; the cheque must still be in the mail. Every new follower was a triumph and it didn’t matter that the number hardly changed from week to week (well, it did, but this was a hobby, right?). I thought I took decent photos with my little point and shoot.

I was amazed at the size and diversity of the food blogging community. I threw a stone in the pond and I joined Foodbuzz, Cook Eat Share, The Daring Kitchen, Charcutepalooza. With each ripple, I saw the community was legion, and I couldn’t even make out the distant shore. Relationships mattered, and Twitter provided a way to form immediate connections, even if at arm’s length and more like cousins twice removed than siblings.

The beautifully simple table setting at Linden Hill Gardens

And that’s how I heard about Big Summer Potluck. It hardly mattered what it was; what did matter was that it seemed to be a MUST ATTEND event (and if @thepeche said so, I was smart enough to believe it). It seemed a friendly thing – somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania – and with just the right amount of people; not too big to be overwhelming, not too small to feel out of step with all those who would surely know one another. And so I bought a ticket. With that weird blend of low and massive expectations, I made my way by two planes and an automobile to Ottsville, PA, quinoa and rice salad in tow.

I learned a lot.  Not about SEO, or monetization, or tagging or writing the perfect post.  I learned that a moment can be an idea.  That the hardest part of getting a great photo is getting past yourself.  That you need a point of departure - what, exactly, are you trying to say with those words? That photo? The post?  And that it's okay not to know the answer to those questions when you start.

Chickens at Linden Hill - living in the moment

At BSP2 last weekend I wondered again if I was a bona fide blogger. But for the first time, I finally got permission to be exactly the kind of blogger I can be, with the expectations not formed by some amorphous and invisible host of judges, but by me. That was the life lesson, amongst many, that Shauna James Ahern, the wonderful Gluten-Free Girl, imparted.  Get real and be real, girl (and boy).  Expose your messy self.  It's what matters and what makes a connection count.  Yes, indeed.

The radiant Penny de los Santos.

Perhaps by now you’ve read some of the amazing and moving blog posts written by others who were at BSP2. If you haven’t you should know that Penny de los Santos is a wizard – not just with her camera, but with her ability to spellbind a room and recreate a photograph that all of us could see as clearly as if it were in front of us. [Click here to see the incredible photographs that Penny was describing and the read the beautiful story They Remember Home by Annia Ciezadlo].  I have never been so inspired and felt so connected to a speaker before – but that’s because this was a personal conversation and Penny offering her art (and self) up to us with arms wide open.  And that was her point, really.  As Penny says, photography is a metaphor for life - and that magical moment of making a connection, of drawing people in - is what really matters.

Expectations? Beyond exceeded.  But that's what happens when you think you're going to a food blogger event and you find yourself connected to an instant family of friends.

So am I a bona fide blogger?  If what that means is that I am passionate about what I write, that it matters to me, and that I am being my real self - then I think the answer is yes.  It matters less that I have the requisite photo of ingredients with "easy and delicious recipes that you can make for dinner tonight!" (guilty as charged).  It matters more that I am connected - to myself first of all, and then hopefully to you too.  I hope you stick around to see how it all comes out. 

[With a huge 8 second hug and thanks to Maggy of Three Many Cooks and Erika of The Ivory Hut for an amazing event. Can't wait 'til next year!]

Dinner Tonight: Braised Halibut with Cherry Tomato-Caper Sauce

There are certain distinct advantages to having a husband who works from home.  Pesky errands that can be done during the day.  Laundry that magically appears, folded and clean (really!).  A back up plan for unexpected emergencies (like the time that a heel broke off my shoe at work and Richard delivered another pair to me).  And best of all, dinner ready when I come home.  As much as I love to cook, I have surrendered to the luxury of the simple, delicious and healthy meals that await, no matter what time I arrive. 

Fish is a frequent Richard choice, and halibut is a particular favourite.  Now that tiny delicious local cherry tomatoes are starting to appear, this easy dinner dish is one you must try.  Pour a glass of crisp and fruity white wine, and raise a glass to your partner.  No matter who made dinner tonight, every meal is a chance to be grateful for sharing it together.

Braised Halibut with Cherry Tomato-Caper Sauce
from the 5-Factor World Diet, by Harley Pasternak and Laura Moser

2 halibut fillets (about 5 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1  cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp lemon juice

1.  Season the halibut with salt and pepper. In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tsp of the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the fish and cook for five minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer to a platter and cover to keep warm.

2.  In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the tomatoes, capers and lemon juice to the skillet, and cook for a couple of minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened but not completely cooked.  Plate the fish, spoon the sauce over the halibut and serve with crusty bread.

Summer Canning: Strawberry Jam with a Thai Twist

Of all the summer fruits, strawberries always struck me as being a bit prosaic, and slightly disappointing.  Maybe I've been jaded by years of eating out of season flavourless berries, pristinely perfect under their cello wrappers, but without a smidge of sweetness. Or maybe it's the memory of those big jars of Kraft jam, brimming with sugar and big blobs of fruit that tasted like nothing resembling the real deal.

So when I started canning for the first time last year, making strawberry jam wasn't on my radar.  But the appearance two weeks ago of the season's first strawberries was pretty hard to resist, especially a flat of organcic berries from Belanger Organic Farms.  Armed with a lot of berries and eager to get the season's canning underway, I finally made my own strawberry jam, adding a bit of a Asian twist.  The results reminded me why strawberry jam is the most popular flavour by far.  And if you're not inclined to make your own, click here to read which producers are still making strawberry jam and preserves the good old-fashioned way.

Strawberry Jam with a Thai Twist
yield: 8-10 ½ pint jars

This jam calls for lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, ingredients traditionally used in Thai cuisine.  The additon of these ingredients while cooking the strawberries impacts a brightness to the jam's flavour and cuts through the sweetness.  If these ingredients aren't readily available, the jam can be made without them.

Note: If you haven't canned or made jam before, see my post on Plum Jam for a  step-by-step tutorial.

5 quarts organic strawberries
10 c sugar
1¼ c lemon juice, plus ¼ c as needed (reserve rinds and seeds)
5 fresh kaffir leaves
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and cut into four pieces

1.  Wash, hull and slice the strawberries.  Combine the berries with the sugar and lemon juice in a non-reactive pot or large bowl, and macerate for at least 4 hours at room temperature to let the flavours and juices develop.  Tie the reserved rinds and seeds in cheesecloth and set aside.
 
2.  Put the berries and all the juices and sugar in a large stockpot, along with the reserved lemon rind and seeds, the kaffir leaves and the lemongrass.  Bring to a boil and then to a rolling simmer, skimming off the foam as it forms.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, until the jam reaches the jell point.  If the jam is not setting, add a little more lemon juice.
 
3.  Once the jam is ready, discard the kaffir, lemongrass and lemon rinds, ladle the jam into prepared jars and process for 10 minutes.  Remove from water, cool and store.

Summer's seasonal sweetness, captured to enjoy year round

      

In Season: Risotto with Spot Prawns and Asparagus

Seasons are fleeting.  And so their bounty is all the more precious for being so ephemeral.  Two of my favourites, spot prawns and asparagus, are already towards the end of their peak.  And although it's true that a good fishmonger will have frozen spot prawns throughout the year (Fisherfolk for example), and that asparagus is a staple in every grocery store year round, it's in season goods that I crave.  The perfect dish to showcase fresh spot prawns and asparagus so tender that you can eat the whole stalk?  A delicious al dente risotto, ready in minutes and savoured slowly.  As summer offically starts, this may be the last weekend to make this wonderful dish.

Risotto with Spot Prawns and Asparagus
serves two

A note on the recipe:  Whenever we cook shrimp, I save the shells and freeze them.  They make an excellent base for a delicious shrimp-flavoured broth that adds depth to soups and dishes such as this.  If you do not have shells available, increase the amount of chicken stock to 4 cups and skip steps two and three of the recipe.

8-10 oz fresh spot prawns
2 tbsp each lemon juice and lemon olive oil or extra virgin olive oil*
Shells from 2 lbs shrimp
2 c water
½ tsp salt
2 small carrots
4 small stalks celery, preferably from the tender heart
1 large shallot, peeled and halved
2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz pancetta, minced
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces**
1½ c Arborio rice
½ c white wine
2-3 c chicken stock

*We love Olivers and Co.'s Lemon Specialty Olive Oil for its bright taste and unique flavour. It's terrific on salads with a little balsamic and salt and pepper. Use regular extra virgin olive oil if lemon flavoured oil is not available.

**If you've got your hands on really fresh asparagus, don't snap the ends off - simply trim the tough outer skin at the bottom of the stalk and use the whole darn thing. 

1. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil and shrimp in a small bowl and marinate.  Proceed with shrimp broth while shrimp are marinating.

For shrimp broth:

2.  Combine shrimp shells, water and salt and bring to boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Strain shells, reserving liquid in the pan.

3.  Bring the liquid to a boil, adding the carrot, celery and shallot, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool slightly.  Puree broth to incorporate carrot, celery and shallot thoroughly.  Set aside and proceed with recipe.

4.  To cook shrimp, grill or broil with their shells until just cooked through.  Cool slightly, peel and set aside.

5.  Heat chicken broth and keep to slow simmer over low heat.  In a separate pot, heat shrimp broth and keep to slow simmer over low heat.

6.  Mince remaining carrot, shallot and celery.  Heat olive oil over medium heat, add vegetables and pancetta, cook for two minutes, until vegetables are slightly translucent and pancetta sizzling. Add rice and sauté for a further two minutes or until rice is well coated.

7.  Add white wine and stir until wine is absorbed. A cup or so at a time, and alternating between the pureed shrimp broth and chicken stock, add the liquid to the rice, ensuring that the liquid is thoroughly absorbed before adding more liquid.  This step should take about 20 minutes; your goal is to have rice that is firm (al dente) in the centre but tender.

It's worth taking a moment and hearing from Marcella Hazan on how much liquid to use in risotto:

The quantity of liquid given [in a risotto recipe] should be considered an approximate amount.  You may end up using less or slightly more than indicated, but this is not significant.  There are too many variables involved to be able to establish a "correct" amount of liquid.  What is important is never to cook risotto with too much liquid at one time, and to bring it to its final tender but firm-to-the-bite stage so that it is creamy but not saturated.

8.  Ladle the finished risotto into shallow serving bowls and garnish with the cooked spot prawns.  And there you have it. A beautiful spring-into-summer dish full of seasonal goodness.

 

On the Lamb: Harissa-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Charmoula

As a part-time food blogger and full time food freak, my antenna is always up for delicious things to make, eat and blog about. More and more, I’m cooking and posting original recipes that I’ve either perfected or – through pure blind luck and some modicum of skill – managed to create from the season’s best.

But sometimes, the clamour for a recipe outweighs my desire to be original. And that clamour was resounding last week when I made Bonnie Stern’s amazing Harissa-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Charmoula, from her wonderful Friday Night Dinners cookbook. With a houseful of people – 14 to be exact – all of them passionate about great food and wine, we wanted to serve something that was foolproof fabulous. And while our Butter Crunch Salad, Quinoa with Dried Cherries, and Rosemary-Roasted Salmon were all hits, the star of the show was the finger-licking good, garlicky, sweet-and-spicy chops. Easy, beautiful and tasty – a triumvirate that you can’t beat.

Harissa-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Charmoula
serves 10 to 12

For maximum flavour, we marinate the lamb a day ahead and refrigerate, and make the charmoula a day ahead too. We sear the lamb the next morning, and refrigerate until ready to cook and serve. So all that needs to be done for dinner is finish cooking the lamb.

You can also freeze the rack of lamb after searing. Just defrost, make the charmoula and finish off the lamb. We did just that last night, and had a ready-made Friday night dinner of our own in 30 minutes flat.

For the harissa:
½ c olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp smoked paprika (seek it out – the distinct flavour can’t be replicated with just regular paprika)
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne or hot pepper sauce
4 racks of lamb

For the charmoula:
1 c olive oil mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot red pepper sauce
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.  Make the harissa by combining all of the wet and dry ingredients in small bowl. Rub every last bit into the lamb. If making immediately, leave on the counter; if holding to cook later, place in a casserole dish, cover and refrigerate (overnight if desired).

2. Make the charmoula by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use, bringing to room temperature before serving.

3. If finishing the dish immediately, preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan over medium high heat, sear the lamb racks, meaty side down, until browned. Transfer the racks to lined rimmed baking sheet, bone side down, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes for medium rare. Alternatively, grill the racks on a gas or charcoal babecue to enhance the smoky flavour.

4. Slice the lamb into chops, place on a platter, and serve with the charmoula on the side.

In Season: Orrechiette with Fiddleheads, Wild Ramps and Spot Prawns

Although it's been wet, rainy and just too darn cold for spring to feel like it's really here, it hasn't stopped all the beautiful green things from breaking ground. At last week's farmers' market, amongst the cold cellar apples and farm fresh eggs, there was spring bounty to be had: asparagus big and fat and firm, sandy ends still damp; fiddlehead ferns, tightly coiled and emerald green; and that most fleeting and prized of spring greens: wild ramps, the leek's kissing cousin.

Like all things fresh and green, simple is best: a steam, a sauté, the earthy flavours enhanced and set off by doing less with more. For a rainy and chilly Saturday night dinner, nothing could be simpler than this pasta dish: hearty enough to stave off the cold and made deliciously seasonal with those wonderful greens. But hurry…summer is almost here, and those wild green things that are spring’s harbingers will once again disappear.

Orrechiette with Fiddleheads, Wild Ramps and Spot Prawns
serves two

When I was searching for a recipe to use my greens, a quick internet search led me to one of my favourite blogs: Marc Matsumoto’s No Recipes, with fabulous simple-to-make recipes and even better photography. His take on this pasta dish calls for lots of freshly grated cheese. Instead, I chose to use wild spot prawns and give the dish a bright briny flavour, perfect to complement the deep green of fiddleheads and wild ramps, and added some of my house cured pancetta for extra complexity.

1 c fiddleheads, cleaned thoroughly
8 oz orecchiette pasta
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
2  oz fresh pancetta, diced
½ lb. wild ramps, white and pink parts only, chopped
10 spot prawns, shelled and deveined
½-1 cup good quality tomato sauce (the thicker the sauce, the less you should use)

Be sure to seek out distinctive - and distinctively flavoured - spot prawns for a real taste of the sea.  We get ours from Fisherfolk

1.  Rinse fiddleheads thoroughly in cold water and trim any brown ends.  In a medium pot, steam until tender-crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.

2.  While fiddleheads are cooking, begin cooking pasta according to pasta directions, until just al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid.  Stir a tsp of olive oil through pasta to keep from sticking, and set aside.

3.  Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pot and sauté pancetta until lightly browned.  Add the wild ramps and sauté for two minutes.  Add the fiddleheads and the prawns, and cook until the prawns are just cooked through and opaque. 

Reserve the leafy green tops for your morning omelette

4.  Add the pasta and tomato sauce, and stir to combine, adding some of the cooking water if needed to ensure the pasta is evenly coated with sauce.  The sauce is meant to complement, not overwhelm, the dish.  Serve in two shallow heated bowls with a crisp cold Riesling.