River Café’s Tagliatelle with Crème Fraiche and Arugula

Many years ago while flipping through the TV channels, I came across a cooking show that was so beautifully shot – natural lighting, sleek, modern restaurant setting, spectacular looking, rustic food - it stopped me in my tracks. Turns out PBS was running an episode from the British television series called The Italian Kitchen. The chefs were Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers of London’s River Café and I instantly became a fan. Since then I have bought several of their books and vowed to someday taste their delicious Italian farmhouse cuisine firsthand at their restaurant on the banks of the River Thames.

Sadly, I heard Rose Gray passed away on February 28th at the age of 71. For twenty-plus years the River Café has helped influence and transform the British food scene. Rose and Ruth, both self-taught chefs, were passionate about sourcing the freshest seasonal ingredients and preparing them simply. They embodied locavorism long before it became fashionable. Like similar-minded American chef Alice Waters and her restaurant, Chez Panisse, many stellar chefs have emerged from the River Cafe kitchen; Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and April Bloomfield all learned and worked under Rose and Ruth.

One of my favorite recipes from the River Cafe is a delicious pasta dish made with lemons, crème fraiche, arugula, and Parmesan. It’s so rich, so creamy, and so easy it’s dangerous!

Tagliatelle with Crème Fraiche and Arugula
Adapted from Italian Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

I was able to source many of the ingredients for this recipe from local New York farms. The crème fraiche came from Columbia County’s Ronnybrook Dairy and the arugula from Windfall Farm in Montgomery, New York. Instead of the dried egg tagliatelle called for in the original recipe I substituted Dutchess County's Knoll Crest Farm’s fresh pasta.

You can play with the ingredient amounts; depending on how you feel about lemon, you can add a little more or a little less. The same is true for the arugula. And tossing in a bit more Parmesan never hurt anything!

1 cup crème fraiche
Finely grated rind and juice from 2 lemons
12 ounces dried egg tagliatelle
5 cups loosely packed arugula, large stems removed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper

Stir together crème fraiche, lemon juice, and zest in a bowl until just combined. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and return to pot. Add crème fraiche mixture, arugula and half of Parmesan; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve pasta with remaining Parmesan on the side.

Serves 4

People's Garden NYC

As a resident of lower Manhattan, I’ve been closely following the debate over where the 9/11 terror trials will be held. Initially the trials were proposed for the federal courthouse which is very near the subway station I use to go to and from work. While it would be hugely satisfying to see Khalid Sheikh Mohammed meet his justice just blocks from Ground Zero, this part of town would again be subjected to intense security and media coverage, another very sobering daily reminder of what happened almost nine years ago (as if we need reminding).

In one of life’s little ironies, I’m also following another proposed event that would occur down the street from the courthouse at City Hall. In many ways it is the polar opposite to the trials; while September 11th was about discord, destruction, and death, the City Hall project is about new beginnings, nurturing, and bringing people together for the common good. It’s not big news like the trials, but the project has the potential to inspire the whole city towards a healthier, more sustainable future. What is it?

It’s called People’s Garden NYC. This grassroots project would be a teaching garden, planted in raised beds in front of City Hall in an area left open for security reasons and Yankee celebrations (I had to sneak that in!).

The garden would be filled with vegetables, flowers, and herbs and tended to by the city’s public school students. The kids would learn from local farmers how to grow plants organically and their harvest would be donated to a local food pantry. In addition to learning where their food comes from, the kids would get plenty of exercise, learn about healthy eating habits, and discover the many ways a garden is beneficial to the environment.

This is a proposed project, not yet approved. If enough people sign this petition, sending the message to Mayor Bloomberg that New Yorkers care about keeping their food local and improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods, it could become a reality.

Growing up in New Jersey, my family had a vegetable garden and as a result I was familiar with putting my hands in the soil, planting something, watching it grow, and eating what it produced. But that’s not the norm for most kids, especially city kids. Actually, forget about growing their own food – in certain parts of the city, kids don’t even have access to fresh fruit and produce. It's easier and cheaper for them to get a cheeseburger from McDonald's than it is an apple. While People’s Garden NYC wouldn’t change these conditions immediately, it would be a model for what could be in schoolyards, terraces, rooftops, and vacant lots throughout the city.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who launched the People’s Garden initiative, has set a goal of seeing an organic garden at every USDA building throughout the world, the first having been planted in February 2009 at its headquarters in Washington, DC. So far there are 124 People’s Gardens across the USA, not all at USDA buildings. In fact, Secretary Vilsack encourages anyone interested in starting a community garden to contact the department. While People's Garden NYC is not connected to the USDA initiative, David Bowman Simon, the person organizing the petition for People’s Garden NYC, was inspired by what the USDA has accomplished. He is also the co-founder of the influential The WhoFarm (aka The White House Organic Farm Project).

Speaking of the White House, that is the location of the most famous organic community garden of them all. Within 2 ½ months of moving in, the Obama’s broke ground on the first large scale White House vegetable garden since the Roosevelt administration. On a national level no political figure has been more visible in their support of community gardens than our First Lady. The sustainable food movement found a passionate and vocal ambassador in Michelle Obama; in addition to the White House organic garden, she supported the creation of the White House Famers’ Market and recently kicked off a campaign to fight childhood obesity called Let’s Move.

After a particularly cold and snowy winter we’re starting to thaw out just a wee bit in NYC. On my morning walks I hear the birds chirping their springtime songs and see the snowdrops peeking through the ground in the park. The warmer weather also means it's time to start gardening again. With a little bit of luck and many more signatures on this petition, New Yorkers will be able to watch a vegetable garden grow on the steps of City Hall as we go about our days. Please take a minute and lend your support to a great cause and give this part of town and all of New York City something to smile about.

It doesn't get any more local than family...

I find January is usually a quiet month and mine certainly started off that way. A few of us at the office decided to get the New Year and Decade off on the right foot by following Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean detox. I did it for five days, felt fantastic, and vowed to keep up the many excellent dietary lessons I learned.

Then the week of the 17th hit. It kicked off with my dad having a strange feeling in his chest and taking a trip to the hospital in an ambulance (turns out his heart is okay but he needs to increase his exercising and watch what he eats – especially sweets, right Dad??). I celebrated my birthday two days later at one of my favorite Manhattan restaurants, Cookshop. The week ended with us rushing my 16 ½ year old cat, Pasha, gasping for air, to the vet. The next three weeks were touch and go for Pash with lots of tears and guarded excitement as she came home. She was with us for two peaceful, adorable weeks. But it was not meant to be and I lost my little girl in the beginning of February. Yes, she was an old lady and I’m comforted in knowing she lived a wonderful life but wow, do I miss her.

Like my dad, Pasha had issues with her heart. Hers failed; thankfully, Dad’s beats on. Mine? It’s broken. While I love working on this blog, I haven’t been able to think about anything but kitty lately. What I’m learning is, like it or not, life goes on. In an effort to ease my sadness I decided to make heart-warming chicken soup and chicken pot pies.

This one's for you, Pash.

Violet Hill Farm Chicken Soup and Chicken Pot Pies

There are many incredible chickens to choose from at my Saturday farmers’ market. Quattro’s, Knoll Crest, Flying Pigs – I’ve cooked them all with delicious results. I recently read Michael Pollan was “blown away” by the chickens from Violet Hill Farm, another attendee of my Saturday market. Since MP can pretty much do or say no wrong in my eyes, I decided to try one for myself.


Violet Hill owners Paul and Alix Dench-Layton farm in Sullivan County, NY, raising goats, pigs, lamb, and guinea hens, as well as a flavorful, clean-tasting French heritage breed chicken called Belle Rouge. As I did a bit of research on them and their farm I discovered many top chefs in the city are loyal Violet Hill customers due to the superior quality of their meats. Really? Where have I been?? It just goes to show - you may have an amazing food producer right under your nose and don't realize it. Always keep your eyes and ears open...

Around the time I crawled out from underneath my rock and heard about these chickens, I also saw a recipe for chicken soup in the January issue of Martha Stewart Living. It seemed to me this recipe and the VHF chicken were made for each other. The recipe has only seven ingredients, three of which are chicken, water and salt. What better way to showcase the taste of this special bird?


The recipe doesn’t require hours of stock making and simmering which appealed to me in my saddened state. I had little interest in cooking and yet I yearned for soothing, homemade food.

I bought my VHF chicken in parts rather than whole and along with breasts, thighs, legs and wings, I also got the feet. A couple of years ago if I had found a pair of chicken feet in my bag of chicken pieces I would have screeched in horror. Chicken feet look unsettlingly human and are therefore a bit creepy. But being an alumna of Farm Camp has made me less squeamish and definitely savvier. At Farm Camp every chef tossed the feet from the bird they processed into their bag and brought them home to make stock.


The feet, you see, are loaded with gelatin. Bones and cartilage have it, too, but not nearly as much. Gelatin has been touted as a health food in traditional cuisines dating back to the ancient Chinese. It is filled with minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and sulfur, as well as amino acids and anti-inflammatory compounds. Gelatin is what gives stock and broth a rich taste and silky, luxurious mouth-feel.

It wasn’t until the mid-20th century when scientists learned to replicate the flavor of chicken and other meats that making stock from scratch fell out of fashion in Western cultures. Now many of us reach for bullion cubes and canned stocks because it’s quick and easy. The problem is when we do that we miss out on the truly wonderful qualities of the real McCoy. If you need further convincing of the virtues of homemade stocks, read this enlightening article by Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

What makes this soup so good is you start with water and in an hour or so end up with a beautiful, golden-hued broth filled with healthy, healing properties and comforting, soul-renewing flavor. A good chicken soup has the power to take the edge off illness and, in my case, sorrow. Sick, sad, or just plain happy, this is a delightful soup. I hope you try it.

Basic Chicken Soup
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living January 2010

This is a very simple recipe. In fact, it’s so simple I say unless you’re going to buy the best quality, free-roaming chicken you can find, don’t bother making it. I realize not everyone has access to pastured chickens from a local farm so do the best you can with your selection at the supermarket. Spend a little more and get a bird that is antibiotic-free and organic. And don’t – I repeat DON’T – buy anything labeled Perdue or Tyson.

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into pieces (including back, neck, and feet, if you have them)
8 cups water
Coarse salt
3 medium onions, thinly sliced (4 cups)
2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
4 garlic cloves, crushed
6 medium carrots, sliced ½ inch thick

Bring chicken, water, and 1 tablespoon salt to a low boil in a large stockpot. Skim foam. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.


Remove breasts, and set aside. Add carrots. Simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

Remove remaining chicken; discard back, wings, neck, and feet. Let cool slightly. Remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces.


Stir in desired amount of chicken; reserve the rest for another use. Skim fat. Season with salt.

Serves 6


If the chicken soup was meant to coax me back to everyday living, the pot pies were meant to remind me of the joys in life. Hearty, rich, and comforting, they are shockingly good and easy to make - an ideal combination.

I came across this recipe in a Williams-Sonoma catalog about the time I became Pasha’s mom (which means a long time ago). I’ve continued to make it over the years, never tiring of the pot pies' lovely cream cheese-and-butter pastry crust and luscious chicken, carrot, and mushroom filling. I recently checked to see if Williams-Sonoma had the recipe on their website; they don't and that's too bad. For me it is an old standby, a tried-and-true keeper.

Chicken Pot Pies
Adapted from the Williams – Sonoma catalog

I used the leftover chicken from the soup in the pot pies.

If you don’t intend on eating all the pot pies at once you can successfully freeze the uncooked extras. First, allow the filling to cool in the ramekins before laying the pastry across the top. This will keep the pastry from melting into the filling and produce a crisper crust when baked. Then wrap the cooled pot pies in foil and freeze. You can cook them frozen but will need to increase the cooking time to about 40 minutes or until the pot pies brown and bubble.

Pastry Ingredients
1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small dice
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons cold water

Filling Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock
½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound large mushroom caps, quartered
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup flour
½ cup heavy cream
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

To make Pastry
Toss together flour and salt. Add butter and cream cheese. Blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon water and stir with a fork. Add up to 1 tablespoon more to make cohesive dough. Pat into a smooth cake; wrap and chill for one hour.

To make Filling
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add carrots and mushrooms. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Strain stock into a 4 cup measure (if necessary, add water to make 4 cups). Return saucepan to heat. Melt butter then add flour. Cook and stir 2 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, add ½ cup heavy cream and simmer 2 minutes. (This is a good time to take the pastry dough out of the refrigerator to warm up slightly before rolling out.)


Stir in 3 cups diced, cooked chicken and the cooked vegetables. Add ¼ cup chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide filling mixture among six 10-ounce ramekins. Roll out pastry on floured surface and cut six rounds a ½ inch larger than the top of the ramekins. Lay pastry over filling, and then flute the edge. Cut vents in top. Place on baking sheet and bake 20 – 25 minutes, until browned and bubbling.

Serves 6

Winter Pear Pie

I came across this recipe for pear pie in the Harvest 2009 issue of edible Vineyard. edible Vineyard is one of 50 + Edible magazines published under the umbrella of Edible Communities Publications. Co-founded in 2002 by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian in Ojai, California, Edible Communities’ mission is “to transform the way consumers shop for, cook, eat and relate to local food.” I pick up every Edible title I can find, wherever I go. It’s one of the best ways to learn about a city's or region’s authentic local food scene and to connect with restaurants, farmers and shops that have the best ingredients.

Martha’s Vineyard, where edible Vineyard is published, is a locavore’s dream. The island is dotted with many small, organic farms that provide everything from honey and strawberries to grass-fed lamb and raw milk. A restoration of an organic cranberry bog from the 19th century is underway and there is an Agricultural Society that holds a Fair every summer, complete with livestock shows, horse pulls, and oyster shucking contests. Considering all the wealthy summer visitors that inhabit Martha's Vineyard over the summer, it is amazing the island still retains the charm and beauty of a slower time.

Those that do live there year round are a resourceful, self-sufficient bunch who know how to make the most of the natural bounty of the land and surrounding seas. This creativity is reflected in edible Vineyard’s articles and recipes.

The recipe is from Judi Worthington, a year-round Vineyarder. She started selling her pies at the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market back in the early ‘90’s and is known for using only the best and freshest ingredients. Bill Clinton celebrated his 60th birthday eating one of her pies; I celebrated the New Year making one one of them.

Double-Crust Winter Pear Pie with Maple, Brandy, Walnuts, and Cranberries
Adapted from edible Vineyard

Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of pears. But I adore cranberries and fruit pies in general so I gave this pear pie a second look. Plus, it was from the Vineyard, one of my favorite places, and that alone made me want to try it!


The recipe calls for Comice pears, which I discovered are known for their juiciness and flavor. The magazine article gave a useful tip for picking out ripe pears: “A pear that’s just right for pie baking will be ripe but still firm (not soft) – you will be able to make just the slightest indent with your thumb if you press the skin.” If you can’t find Comice pears, they suggest Bartletts or D’Anjous.

I’m okay at rolling out pie crust but certainly not a pro. I have made enough, though, to know this dough is heavenly to work with and wonderfully flaky and buttery once baked.


Lastly, the original recipe strongly calls for pear brandy in the filling, which I didn’t have. Faced with one selection at the local liquor store that cost $65.00 (I needed 3 tablespoons), I decided to pass. We had Calvados (apple brandy) at home so I used that instead and it worked out great. Don’t be afraid to improvise. As my mom always says “If it has good things in it, why wouldn’t it taste good?”


Ingredients
For the pie dough
2¾ cup (12 ½ oz.) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. table salt
½ lb. (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
1/3 cup cold water

For the filling and assembly
2¼ to 2½ lbs. ripe Comice pears (about 4 to 5)
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons pear brandy (such as Poire William or Belle de Brillet) or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. minute tapioca
Flour as needed for rolling dough
1 large egg, white and yolk separated
Turbinado or other coarse sugar

Make the pie dough
Put the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (I used a food processor). Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture looks mealy and the largest butter pieces are the size of a flattened pea (about 1 1/2 minutes).


With the mixer running, drizzle in the water and mix until the dough has formed large, rounded crumbs and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl; this will happen quickly. (If the mixture stays together when pinched, the dough is ready, if not, and it looks dry, add up to 2 more tablespoons of water, a teaspoon or two at a time.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into two 5-inch disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate while making the filling.


Assemble the pie
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Core and thinly slice the pears (peeling is optional). In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced pears, raisins or cranberries, walnuts (if using), maple syrup, brandy (or the vanilla extract and lemon juice), and the tapioca. Toss together well. Let sit, tossing occasionally, while you roll the dough.

Have ready a 9-inch pie tin. Roll one of the chilled dough disks into a 13-inch circle using flour as needed to prevent sticking. Transfer the dough to the pie tin and press it in. Trim the dough to ¼-inch past the edge of the rim. Whisk the egg white lightly and brush it all over the dough. Pile the filling into the tin and arrange it in an even mound.


Roll out the second disk of chilled dough into a 13-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the pie and arrange it over the filling. Trim the top dough so that it overhangs the bottom dough by ¼-inch. Seal the two layers of dough together by rolling the top over the bottom and then folding the two under along the edge of the pan. Flute the edge of the pie crust with your fingers or crimp with a fork. Make five or six slits in the top of the pie crust with a sharp knife to let steam escape.

Whisk 1 tablespoon of water with the egg yolk and brush all over the top crust. Lightly sprinkle the pie with the turbinado or other coarse sugar.


Put the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 50 to 55 minutes.

Cool the pie completely to let the juices set up, at least 4 hours. If you want to serve it warm, reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you like.


Yields one double-crust pie.

Serves 8

Natirar and Ninety Acres

I remember an article in the paper several years ago that talked about rich Hamptonites trucking in ton after ton of dirt to make their flat-as-a-pancake properties (formally potato fields) look like the rolling hills of New Jersey horse country.

This is not the first time the captains of industry have been attracted to New Jersey’s Somerset Hills; in the late 1800’s some of America’s wealthiest families became enamored with the soft, undulating hills and open expanses of farmland. Thanks to the newly built railroad and close proximity to New York City, they began to establish country estates in the area. (For more history on the architecture and landscape of these homes, look for the books The Somerset Hills, Vol. 1 and 2. It’s comprehensive and includes many fantastic images.)

One of the largest estates, Natirar, was built in 1912 by Walter Graeme Ladd and his wife, Kate Macy Ladd. The couple situated their 40-room Tudor mansion on a hilltop, providing them with breathtaking views over their 1000 acres. Natirar was owned in the 1980’s and 1990’s by Hassan II, the King of Morocco. In 2003 the King’s heirs sold the home and remaining 411 acres to Somerset County to create a public park.

What does any of this have to do with food? It turns out, quite a bit. Somerset County leased 90 hilltop acres of the park to Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson, and his business partner Brian Wojtowicz, a New Jersey developer. Upon completion of Phase II (scheduled for the summer of 2010), their $90 million dollar project, The Virgin Spa at Natirar, will include 76 guestrooms, an eco-spa, fitness center, social pavilions, outdoor swimming pools, and tennis courts.

And the food? That can be found in the aptly named Ninety Acres Culinary Center. Located in the former carriage house and garage, it includes a restaurant, bar lounge, cooking school, wine school, and farm. That’s right – an organic, sustainable farm, providing the bulk of the ingredients for Chef David Felton’s dishes. Farm to table restaurants are all the rage right now, but very few can say they actually harvest and raise the ingredients themselves. Consider Ninety Acres New Jersey’s version of Stone Barns.

Ninety Acres is Phase I of the project and it officially opened on December 1st. I grew up about 20 minutes from Natirar and decided to check it out while I was running errands over Christmas break. As you can see, it had just snowed and I imagined the park would be very pretty. It was! But to really get the lay of the land, I’ll need to go back when the snow has melted, the animals are on pasture, and the gardens are starting to grow. For now, enjoy the pictures of the spectacular park and look for more posts in the upcoming months.

It's a New Year...

...and here are a few enlightened words to live and eat by in 2010, courtesy of the author who got me started down the road to good food in earnest, Michael Pollan. He is the master at boiling down complicated food issues and policies into easily comprehended, often humorous, prose. This list comes from his brilliant book, In Defense of Food.

An Eater’s Manifesto

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Do all your eating at a table.

Eat slowly.

Have a glass of wine with dinner.

Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.

Avoid food products containing ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable or more than five in number.

Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.

Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.

Pay more, eat less.

Eat well-grown foods from healthy soils.

Eat wild foods when you can.

Cook and, if you can, plant a garden.

Merry Christmas

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

Norman Vincent Peale

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe with Wild Hive Farm Polenta

As a gigantic snowstorm worked its way up the East Coast last week and was about to hit the city, I hightailed it to New Jersey where I was happy to be inside, cozy by the fire, while it unfolded.

Cold and snowy weather makes me want warm and filling food. Polenta certainly fits the bill, although I must say, I rarely make it. Case in point – the never-before-tried recipe I grabbed while dashing out my apartment door to catch the train came from an issue of Food and Wine – from 1997! But no matter, it’s never too late to start, so along with some sweet Italian sausage from where else but Flying Pigs Farm and polenta from Wild Hive Farm, I decided to give it a whirl (or should I say a whisk?).

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe with Polenta
Adapted from Food and Wine November 1997

There has been a resurgence of freshly milled, locally grown grains coming on to the market in the last several years. Gristmills, once the center of every prosperous town, were abandoned with the advent of electric machinery and by the end of the 1800’s mostly obsolete. Not only are traditional mills a part of our rural heritage and supportive of local economies, they also produce more dimensional, nutritious, and full-bodied flours and stone-ground grains than those from modern mills.

It should be mentioned along with the benefits of local grains also comes the quirks. Just as a pastured cow will produce milk that tastes different depending on the time of year and type of grass she is eating, grains are affected by the soil and weather conditions of a particular farm. Most of us are used to flours milled for uniformity; using local grains and flours takes a willingness to experiment with variations in gluten content, flavor, and shelf life, among other things. That said, the Hudson Valley polenta I used in this recipe behaved just fine - no surprises, no quirks.


Wild Hive Farm is located in Clinton Corners, NY and mills grains grown organically on Lightening Tree Farm in nearby Millbrook. Along with their Farm Store, Wild Hive products are sold throughout Dutchess and Ulster Counties, as well as the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan, where I bought my polenta.

The original recipe called for the polenta to be made with water, salt and a little olive oil, nothing else. While that will certainly work, I wanted something a bit richer and creamier so I added freshly grated Parmesan and a few tablespoons of butter. After all, what’s the harm in a little cheese and butter? Especially if you get up the next morning, pull on a pair of boots, and venture out into the cold for a nice, long walk in the snow.


Ingredients
4-½ cups water to start, more as needed at the end
1 1/3 cups coarse cornmeal
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound broccoli rabe, tough stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/3 pounds hot or sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1 ½ cans chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow steady stream and continue to whisk until the polenta is suspended in the water and no longer sits on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is thickened, about 1 hour. Keep warm until ready to serve. The polenta should be soft and creamy; if it gets too thick, stir in some water.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli rabe until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, then rinse in cold water and drain again thoroughly. Cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate and let cool slightly. Slice the sausage into ½ inch thick rounds.


Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the sausage slices, tomatoes, stock, thyme and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe, parsley and pepper and return to a simmer.

Stir the Parmesan and butter into the polenta. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon the polenta onto dinner plates and top with the sausage and broccoli rabe ragout. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired.

Serves 4