SPICY PORK SOUP WITH KALE and RICE NOODLES

2014 is a BIG year for me. My cookbook - that has felt a lot like a third child with a 30 month gestation - will finally be in stores this August. Just last week, I was in NY meeting with my incredible editor and friend, Elissa Altman, talking about the book, making plans for the year, and the adventure that lies ahead.

Making this book has been such a heartfelt, private undertaking - the cooking, tasting, writing, shooting have all has happened in our quiet Berkeley kitchen. It's hard for me to believe that before long, this personal book will be a very public thing. The recipes, which we continue to cook all the time, will no longer be just at our table - they can be at yours too. I can't even tell you the thrill I get when I imagine you cooking these dishes I love.

And I'm so curious which recipes you'll try. Will it be the Fish Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa? Millet Crepes {sweet or savory}? Baked Eggs on a Bed of Cherry Tomatoes? Watercress Salad with Balsamic Cherries? Spaghetti Dinner with Rainbow Chard, Bacon and Cream? Pistachio Orange Sugar Cookies? Cucumber Gimlets? I can't wait to find out.

I've just put up a link for pre-orders...Woo hoo!!!

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In the meantime, let's talk about today's delicious soup. When I saw January's issue of Bon Appétit, I felt like the BA staff had read my mind, or maybe even peeked into my kitchen. I don't know about you, but I wanted to cook every recipe in the magazine, pronto! The issue is bursting with easy, healthful recipes that don't feel at all diet-y...just my kind of food... clean, flavor-packed dishes that nourish in a deep way. This Spicy Pork Soup with Kale and Rice Noodles totally satisfies - it's quick enough for a weeknight supper, packed with leafy greens, infused with spice, while adding just the right amount of pork for flavor and protein.

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INGREDIENTS adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2014 
printable recipe

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce {GF folks, make sure to use GF tamari sauce}
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce {GF folks: Thai Kitchen makes a GF fish sauce}
• 4 cups torn kale leaves...you can use mustard greens, chard or turnip greens instead of kale
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• 8 ounces wide rice noodles

In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground pork, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few generous grinds of black pepper.

Heat oil in a large stock pot, or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.

Next, pour broth over the pork, add the soy/tamari and fish sauces, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 8-10 minutes so the flavors can mingle.

Finally, add the kale and scallions to the pot. Stir, and cook for a few minutes until the greens are just tender. Season with additional tamari sauce, salt, and/or pepper to taste.

In the meantime, cook rice noodles as per the instructions on your package, then divide cooked noodles among four bowls. Ladle the finished soup over the noodles. Serve and enjoy!



Serves 4

Mustard Greens wrapped in Prosciutto

Honestly, I am kinda lazy when it comes to appetizers. When friends come for dinner, roasted nuts, olives, and maybe a raw veggie or two are our standard finger foods. I decided to try something new and thanks (once again) to Alice Waters I have added another starter to my repertoire - won't our friends be happy.

Looking at our garden lush with winter greens, I was inspired to find a tasty recipe that would put some greens to good use in a new way. For supper, almost daily, we go out back and snip some chard, kale, or mustard and prepare the greens by steaming, stir-frying, roasting, and sauteing.  I am particularly loving the so-deep-purple-they-are-almost-black mustard greens with their vibrant chartreuse stalks. They have the kick of flavor that most mustard has and their greens are so tender they only need a light cooking.

INGREDIENTS
from Alice Water's Chez Panisse Vegetables

• 2 bunches of mustard greens (young kale, chard, or other winter greens would work as well)
• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• red pepper flakes
• garlic, 6 cloves finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, about 12 slices

Wash greens, remove stems, and coarsely chop leaves. Leave some water droplets on the greens. In a large saute pan, heat enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. Toss in garlic. Cook garlic for just a quick moment and then add the greens. Cook covered for about 5 minutes until the greens are wilted and tender. Set aside to cool. Season with a splash of red wine vinegar, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, and fresh ground pepper. (Go easy on seasoning with salt - the prosciutto adds plenty.)

Slice each piece of prosciutto in half lengthwise. Place a spoonful of greens on one end of the prosciutto and roll. Repeat. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

makes 24 rolls

Cannellini Bean Soup with Wilted Greens

A hearty white bean soup is the perfect winter meal for me. P and I have tried many recipes over the years and have never found them satisfying. Finally, with this recipe from Alice Waters' always-brilliant Chez Panisse Vegetables, we have found the Cannellini bean soup for us. We had to share with you.

We used two different greens for our soup and doubled what the recipe called for. I bought some vibrant dandelion greens at Monterey Market and we grew these stunningly dark and delicate mustard greens in our backyard. It feels good to finally be able to eat something from our sleepy winter garden.




INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 small carrot, diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cup dried Cannellini beans (or Great Northern Beans)
• one chunk of prosciutto
• 2 medium tomatoes (we used cherry tomatoes instead)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 bunch spicy greens: dandelion, mustard, arugula, turnip... (Waters only called for one bunch of greens, but I think this soup can handle two.)
  
• olive oil
• dozen sage leaves
• Parmesan cheese, shaved
  

Submerge beans in water and soak overnight.

In your soup pot, cook carrots, onions, and garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil and a splash of water. Stew until translucent. Add soaked beans, bay, prosciutto and cook a few more minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and cook a few more minutes. (Waters calls for the tomatoes to be peeled and seeded. We skipped this step and the soup was still delicious.)


Add chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/4 hour until beans are cooked through but not falling apart. (We needed to cook our beans longer than this because they were still underdone.)

Meanwhile remove the stems from greens and cut leaves into 1 inch strips. When beans are cooked, add the chopped greens, and simmer for another 10-20 minutes until greens are tender. Remove prosciutto and discard. Salt soup to taste.

While greens are cooking, in another pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and quickly fry sage leaves. Set them aside on a piece of paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Top the finished soup with fried sage leaves, Parmesan shavings, and freshly ground pepper.

Serves 6