Tastes Like Spring!

Double whammy!  I plucked my first test 'n' taste recipes from the spring section of a local cookbook, Learning to Eat Locally, Berkshire Recipes for All Seasons by Juliette Spertus.  This Berkshires-specific volume was published, appropriately enough, in the spring of 1998 by the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.  I have to admit, this is one cookbook which has languished on my shelf.  Back in '98, I loved the local factor, but I had to put a few more notches in my culinary belt before I could appreciate Juliette's earthy ingredients and her artful combining of flavors which yield a yum sum much greater than expected.  I'm completely ready now for this plant-centric, quirky collection! Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Juliette Spertus via J.A. Nelson:


Miki's Miso Soup (Miso-shiru)
Total Time:  15 minutes
Yield:  2 Servings
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 c. water
wakame seaweed (optional) (I omitted the seaweed.)
2 tbs. red miso, or other variety, to taste
2 tsp. powdered dashi (optional) (I omitted this ingredient, which may contain fish.)
1 scallion, sliced lengthwise and cut into 3 inch strips


Put onion and potato in a medium saucepan, cover with 5 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until potato is just tender, about 10 minutes.  Add strips of wakame if desired.  Add miso and dashi to a ladle full of cooking water from the vegetables, mixing to make a paste.  Stir miso paste back into the soup.  Remove soup from heat just before it begins to boil.  Float scallions slices on top and serve.


Variations:
Try cooking potato with cubes of tofu and any combination of thin slices of carrot, daikon (or radish), garlic and golden beet. In summer, add pieces of eggplant and hot chili pepper, sauteed together in sesame oil, before adding the miso paste.

I followed the habit of most home cooks, using what I had on hand in this delicate soup: a Yukon gold potato, tofu, garlic and carrots.  The miso in my refrigerator was red pepper/garlic, so I expected a more intense flavor than I received; yet, a light, brothy soup is a welcome change from winter's heartier purees, chilies and stews.  Read on, though, for the ultimate reinvention of Miki's Miso Soup!

Sesame Beet Greens
Total Time:   20 minutes
Yield:  6 small servings
greens of 4 to 6 beets, cut off 1 inch from the root
1 tbs. sesame oil (I used olive oil.)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1 tbs. soy sauce (Tamari, for me.)

Rinse and dry beet greens.  Slice them across the stem into 1 inch strips.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, tilting pan to coat.  Stirring constantly with a spatula, toss in garlic, sesame seeds, and about half of the sliced beet greens. Shake on soy sauce and add remaining greens.  Continue stirring until all greens have wilted and stems are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.  Move greens to a serving bowl and serve hot or at room temperature.

I love greens, which is why I landed on this recipe like a duck on a June bug.  I only wish I had read the yield because six SMALL servings is not enough for my household (four active people, including two young adult men who definitely have healthy appetites).  The crunch of sesame seeds interspersed with the wilted beet greens was a spot-on counterpoint; however, one tablespoon of tamari made this dish too salty - and I use a lower-salt tamari.

And now for the creative! On the table:  a soup that needed some body and some greens that were salt-heavy plus, a side dish of plain brown rice.  Hmmm...how about putting the three
together and calling it Perfect Dinner?  Which was exactly what happened, with the addition of a judicious sprinkle of hot sauce.

No long ago, a neophyte in the kitchen asked me how to tinker with recipes to make them, "taste good."  I threw out a few practical suggestions, but the main idea is that you need to know what flavors you like and season accordingly.  (It took me a long time to figure out that it was tarragon I couldn't stand, and cumin I adored.)  It's also a matter of experimentation.  The individual parts of the spring dinner I chose could have stood alone and been satisfactory, but they came together, literally, to make a stellar meal.  Leftovers were sparse, and disappeared fast.  The mark of a winner dinner!


Next up:  a chutney, a grain salad and a dessert!  Be on the lookout.