The Cornbread Gospels (50 page)
Read The Cornbread Gospels Online
Authors: Crescent Dragonwagon
2.
Meanwhile, wash the greens thoroughly in several changes of water and with a couple of rinses; greens are notorious concealers of dirt and grit. Using a sharp knife, cut out any especially thick or tough stems, then tear or cut the greens into bite-size pieces.
3.
Stir the greens down into the simmering vegetable liquid. Greens are bulky, but they cook down quickly; you’ll do several batches. When as many greens as possible are in the pot, add the whole garlic cloves, cover the pot, and let the greens cook down until you can
add more. Once all the greens are in, lower the heat to a low simmer, cover, and let cook slowly for 1 hour.
4.
Lift the lid. Stir in the miso and sesame oil, smushing the miso in with a spoon. Cover; simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove the chipotle pepper.
5.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl, with cornbread and scallions or sliced onions on the side, plus the hot sauce or vinegar, if using.
“How about some greens?” Patanni asked. “The other day, I seen pokeweed growing in the fencerows near the Tillman place. Since then I been hankering for a mess of greens,” he said. “Pokeweed with spring onions on top, then doused with some of your grandma’s hot sauce.”
“Don’t forget your cornbread,” Matanni piped up.
“And a few slices of sweet tomatoes,” I added.
“Yessir,” Patanni said. … “Ain’t no better eating in the world!”
—G
WYN
H
YMAN
R
UBIO
,
Icy Sparks
R
. P
ANSEER
’
S
N
ORTH
I
NDIAN
–S
TYLE
S
ARSON
K
A
S
AAG
S
ERVES
4
Nearly a decade ago I was picked up at Heathrow Airport by Mr. Panseer, a delightful North Indian limo driver, and we immediately fell into conversation about—what else?—food. I nearly fell over when he told me that Punjabis eat
cornbread and greens.
The cornbread? Makki Ki Roti (
makki
means corn,
roti
bread, see
page 109
). The greens? Slowly cooked mustard greens. As he gave me a precise verbal recipe, jet lag vanished and I started taking notes. One secret, he told me, was that “you must cut the
saag
[greens] small-small-small-small-small.”
Small 5X
, I noted.
So listen up. These are exquisite: beyond good. If you don’t have the time or inclination to prepare makki ki roti as a side, partner these flavorful greens with rice, chapatis, or tortillas—something to sop up the delicious liquid.
1 tablespoon clarified butter or mild vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 to 2 green chiles, such as serranos, diced (with seeds and membranes for heat, without for mildness)
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon finely diced garlic
2 pounds fresh mustard greens, stems included, picked over, very well washed, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons water, preferably spring or filtered
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Makki ki roti, rice, chapatis, or corn or whole wheat tortillas, for serving
1.
Heat 2 teaspoons of the clarified butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onions and cook until they are starting to become translucent, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat slightly. Add half the chiles and half the gingerroot and sauté for 2 minutes. (Set the remaining gingerroot and chiles aside.) Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
2.
Begin heaping into the skillet the mustard greens, with the water still clinging to them. Jam in as much as you can, and cover the pan. As the mustard greens cook down, add another batch. Keep going until you’ve added all the mustard greens.
3.
Add the water, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook, very slowly, over extremely low heat, until the mustard greens are entirely soft and velvety, at least 1 hour.
4.
Just before the mustard greens are ready, heat the remaining clarified butter or oil in a small nonstick skillet. Add the remaining chiles and gingerroot and cook over medium-high heat until sizzling hot, about 45 seconds. Stir into the cooked mustard greens and serve at once. Serve with makki ki roti or the rice or bread of your choice.
·M·E·N·U·
P
UNJABI
P
UNCTUATION
Mr. Panseer’s North Indian–Style Sarson Ka Saag
*
*
Lime Pickle
*
Tamarind Chutney
*
Thick, Lightly Sweetened Plain Yogurt with Rosewater, Served over Sliced Mango, topped with Chopped Pistachio Nuts
W
ILD
G
REENS
In the days before transport made lettuce, spinach, and indeed all green vegetables available year round, by winter’s end Southerners and Yankees alike were craving greens powerfully. When spring began to show its face, but before even the earliest garden could begin to yield, close-to-the-land people gathered young, tender wild greens and cooked them. And almost anywhere you live, if there’s a patch of open ground, you can do the same, with the help of either a knowledgeable friend or a wild-foods identification guidebook.
Some choices: dandelion greens, young poke, young milkweed (before it gets milky), emerging fiddlehead ferns, lamb’s quarters, nettles (wear gloves while picking them; they burn and sting the skin if you touch them raw, but ten seconds of heat transforms them to an edible spinach-like splendor), violet leaves, watercress, highland cress, sheep sorrel, chickweed, and many more. Don’t have a knowledgeable friend? Check out any of the countless wild-foods guides out there, such as the Euell Gibbons classic
Stalking the Wild Asparagus.
Live in Gotham? Go on an expedition to gather wild plants in Central Park with wild-foods expert Steve Brill (
www.wildmanstevebrill.com
).
Wash wild greens very well (especially if you got them from Central Park!) and use any of the methods already given to cook them. Just cut the cooking time in half.
KILLET
-F
RIED
C
ABBAGE
S
ERVES
4,
WITH CORNBREAD AND ONE OTHER SIDE DISH
This sounds and is so simple—but it’s also just extraordinarily good. Fresh cabbage contains a surprising amount of natural sugar, and when you slice and sauté it, some of the edges caramelize deliciously. Salt very, very lightly, if at all; you don’t want to distract from the sweetness. You’ll want your largest skillet for this, preferably a cast-iron one, for sure one with a tight-fitting lid.
Sometimes organic cabbages are smaller than conventional, but what they may lack in size, they usually make up for in flavor: they’re much sweeter. Depending on the size of your cabbage, you may want to use three quarters of a head or even a whole one, rather than the half called for.
If you use the lesser amount of butter, spray the skillet with cooking oil first.
The “one other side dish” referred to above might be something as simple as a platter of sliced garden fresh-tomatoes, crisp bacon or tempeh bacon, or a big pot of stew beans.
½ large head of fresh green cabbage, tough outer leaves and core removed
1 to 3 tablespoons butter
Salt
Wenonah Faye’s Mama’s “Plain Bread” (
page 29
)
A side dish of your choice, for serving
1.
Slice the cabbage into strips no more than ½ inch wide.
2.
Place a large skillet over high heat. When it’s good and hot, add the butter to taste (use enough to prevent the cabbage from sticking). Lower the heat slightly and add the cabbage. There will be quite a lot of cabbage.
3.
Let the cabbage sizzle a bit, then stir-fry it, cooking over medium to medium-high heat, until the shreds have gotten a bit limp, smaller in volume, and browned around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.
4.
Pop the cover on. Turn off the heat and let the cabbage steam in its own juices for a minute or two. Lift the cover and add the tiniest bit of salt. Then serve, hot, with the plain bread and one other side dish of your choice.
A S
ALAD
G
REEN
G
IFT
B
ASKET
Particularly in hot weather, nothing beats a huge salad for dinner. Splash it with homemade dressing; garnish it with assorted bits of this and that: cheese, shredded raw beet or sliced cooked beets, nuts, avocado, fruit or dried fruit (no, not all at once, for heaven’s sake!). This adds substance, interest, protein, color, contrasting textures, and general deliciousness; arrange prettily; serve with additional dressing on the side, plus the cornbread of your choice; voilà!
A small plate of one of the more complex salads in this section also serves as a fine first course.
Across the board,
always, always
wash greens very well, and dry thoroughly. Enjoy your salad days!
CTOBER
O
RCHARD
I
DYLL
S
ERVES
4
This salad is delicious with Quasi-Colonial Cornbread or its variation, Quasi-Colonial Cornbread with Apples (
page 44
or 45). To make it a component of a larger meal for eight, divide the salad among eight dishes and follow with a creamy, comforting soup such as pumpkin soup or tomato bisque.
2 red beets, steamed tender-crisp, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 golden beets, steamed tender-crisp, peeled, and thinly sliced
About 6 cups well washed baby spinach leaves
1 cup slivered green cabbage
2 to 3 scallions, minced
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Syrup Vinaigrette (
recipe follows
), plus extra for serving
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 tart, very crisp apples, cored and diced
¼ to ⅓ pound mild blue cheese, such as Bourse or Gorgonzola, crumbled
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1.
Divide the beet slices among four plates, overlapping slices in alternate colors.
2.
Toss the spinach, cabbage, and scallions with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
3.
Pile one quarter of the dressed greens in the center of each plate, allowing the beets to show. Sprinkle each salad with the apples, cheese, and walnuts. Pass additional dressing at the table.
PPLE
C
IDER
S
YRUP
V
INAIGRETTE
A
BOUT
1⅓
CUPS
No, you don’t
have
to use the walnut oil called for in this recipe, since it’s sometimes hard to find and always on the pricey side. But when salads include toasted walnuts, as in the October Orchard Idyll, it is heavenly.
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
4 to 5 circlets of dried apple
3 tablespoons apple cider syrup (see Pantry,
page 346
)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup toasted walnut oil (or any mild vegetable oil)
1.
Bring the apple cider vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dried apples and set aside to cool, letting the apples soak in the vinegar for at least 1 hour.
2.
Combine the remaining ingredients (using plenty of pepper) except the walnut oil in a food processor and turn the machine on. Buzz until the apples are puréed, then, with the motor running, drizzle the walnut oil in through the hole in the feed tube until the dressing has emulsified.