Makes 4 main course servings

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 cup celery, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 cup carrot, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 cup fennel, tough outer leaves removed and chopped into ¼-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 anchovies, rinsed and chopped
3 cups thinly sliced kale (center rib removed)
1 cup farro (available in specialty food stores, Italian food stores and sometimes health-food stores)
4  cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
¼ cup chopped green olives
½ cup chopped curly parsley
16 ounces Atlantic char or wild salmon, skin on, cut into 4 4-ounce filets
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup chopped pistachios, optional

Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch-oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, celery, carrots and fennel.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender and lightly browned.  Add the garlic, fennel seeds and anchovy and cook 1 minute.  Add the kale, farro, stock or water and bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.  Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the farro is tender, about 35 minutes, adding more liquid if necessary.  It should be quite creamy, like a loose risotto.  Remove the bay leaves.  Stir in the lemon zest, olives, and parsley.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.  When the pan is hot, add the fish, skin side down, reduce the heat to medium and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish and desired doneness.

To serve, put a spoonful of farro in the center of 4 warm plates.  Set a piece of fish on top.  Drizzle the fish with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice. Sprinkle the pistachios over the top if desired.

Makes about 4 cups cooked farro.

Masaharu Morimoto’s Curried Mushroom Salad
from Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking

Curried Mushroom Salad
Serves 4

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, smashed
¾ pound mixed fresh mushrooms (matsutake, shiitake, oyster, enoki or any other), diced
1 cup steamed white rice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Belgian endive, separated into leaves
2 tablespoons minced chives, for garnish

1. In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms begin to soften. 2 – 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the steamed rice and continue cooking for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the white wine, then stir in the curry powder. Toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Arrange the endive leaves on four plates. Spoon the mushroom salad onto the leaves. Garnish with the minced chives.

six servings

Although a relative newcomer to the Far East, corn has become a popular vegetable in Asia. Try this fresh-tasting salad which is delicious with freshly-picked sweet corn as well as frozen corn on the cob. The dish is a light, but filling meal and it is especially nice during the warmer weather.

8 ears sweet corn, husked or about 5 ½  cups

4 roasted bell peppers, (from the jar) drained on paper towels

1 pound medium-size cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and buterflied along the back

3 ½  tablespoons minced scallion greens

Sesame-Cilantro Vinaigrette:

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

¼ cup clear rice vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

Juice of ½ lemon ( 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves or scallion greens

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)

2 cups shredded Boston or Romaine lettuce

1. Cook the corn in a large pot of boiling water, about 3 to 4 minutes, or steam over high heat for 5 minutes, until cooked. Drain the corn, if necessary, and cool under cold, running water. Using a sharp knife, cut off the kernels. (There should be about 5 ½ cups.)

2. Cut the red peppers to small dice about 1/4-inch square. (There should be about 1 ½ cups.)

3. Place the corn, bell peppers, shrimp, and scallions in a serving bowl. Add the ingredients of the Sesame-Cilantro dressing and toss lightly with a spoon until the ingredients are evenly mixed and coated with the sauce.

4. Arrange the shredded lettuce on a serving plate or in a shallow bowl and spoon the corn salad on top. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2009.

You can make this with just one or two vegetables.  You don’t need all three.  I know it is unconventional to add a bit of flour into the sauce raw, but I got the idea from a fondue recipe that does the same.  Not needing to make a bechamel saves a lot of time.

Serves 8-10
3 cups chopped greens (callalloo, chard, kale, spinach)
3 cups broccoli – florets and spears chopped
1 small butternut squash– peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (sweet  potato is a good sub here)
16 ounces whole grain elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 rounded cups grated cheddar – (10 oz)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 cup milk (skim is fine)
1 minced clove of garlic
salt and pepper

Get two pots of water boiling, one should be 1/3 full of water, the other 2/3 full.  Both should be salted.  Get all of your ingredients prepped.  Add the callalloo and broccoli into the pot that is 1/3 full of water. Pour through a colander after 5 minutes.  In the other pot, add the sweet potatoes.  After 3 minutes add the macaroni and cook until the macaroni is done – about 6 more minutes.
Strain through a colander but do NOT rinse.  Put back into the empty pot and add the butter and stir well.  Add the milk, garlic and cottage cheese and stir well.  Add the cheeses, add the greens, heat it up a bit over medium heat stirring and season with salt and pepper. 
Serve!