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I think I might have a problem. As you may have noticed, I kind of love asparagus. Until is goes out of season, I eat it at least once a week (as you can probably tell). But how was I supposed to resist it at the farmer’s market last weekend? The bright green, plump stalks were calling my name. And then you add in the fact that ramps are now in season for a few short weeks, and there was no hope. 
I had to get them both — and actually, thank goodness I did because now I can share this pesto with you. The ramps give it a garlicky bite, but the brightness of the asparagus mellows it out a bit. This would also be excellent mixed with pasta, or served with a mild white fish, or with boiled potatoes for a riff on potato salad — whatever your imagination might come up with.
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Monthly Archives: April 2012
Crostini with Asparagus and Ramp Pesto
Filed under Recipes
Restaurants: Bar Corvo
Since moving to Crown Heights in November, I have gotten a few “huhs” as responses when asked where I live in Brooklyn. However, if you haven’t visited Crown Heights lately, I would highly recommend a visit. More affordable than Park Slope and Prospect Heights, and fairly bursting with new businesses, Franklin Avenue seems to be hopping at all hours of the day. Even though I have only lived there for a few months, I have already enjoyed being able to walk to great restaurants and coffee shops in the neighborhood (a feature sorely missing from my last apartment). The newest of these is Bar Corvo, which, if you are familiar with Brooklyn geography, is technically in Prospect Heights as it sits on Washington Avenue.
Image of the interior from brooklynexposed.com via Grub Street
Situated in an old building that has housed many a restaurant, Bar Corvo has integrated older aspects of its design, including original wallpaper and glimpses of the many-layered painted brick walls, as part of its decor. The food is northern Italian, perfect for A. and I (who studied abroad in Bologna). We went late on a Friday night, and there was still a wait at 9 pm, which, in this area of Brooklyn is not the most common. I enjoyed a spritz of prosecco and aperol (my favorite drink while in Italy, and hard to find here) while we waited in the narrow bar area. The long dining room is divided into two sections — the first includes the bar and pasta bar, with 15 or so seats lined up alongside, and the back is comprised of a large communal table and smaller individual tables. It looks like there is also a garden, but since temperatures in NYC have dropped back down to the 50′s, we didn’t venture back there.
We had a pretty hard time deciding what to order (do we get a pasta and a main course? Or two appetizers and a pasta??), but in the end we opted for the semolina gnocchi with wild boar ragù, the pork chop with polenta and kale, and a side of the house-made foccaccia. Not the lightest of meals, but certainly delicious. The gnocchi were light and airy, nicely complimented by the complex and earthy ragù. The polenta was perfectly creamy, offsetting the horseradish-covered pork chop very well. My favorite, however, was the foccaccia. Never one to pass up a bread basket (I could never do the Atkins diet), this foccaccia was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, simply seasoned with fresh rosemary and fleur de sel — which A. is now obsessed with. Since we ate there last week, he has actually said the following to me several times: “Do you know what would be perfect with this? That fleur de sel!” — whether he was talking about pesto (post to come shortly) or vegetables. It was excellent.
Being rather full, we decided to skip dessert, but I look forward to coming back (especially in summer) to sit on the back patio and enjoy a glass of prosecco. A little slice of Italy, only a few blocks from my apartment — doesn’t get much better than that.
Filed under New York City, Restaurants
Sesame Noodles with Tofu
I have to be honest. If I were to write down everything I ate, it would be kind of embarrassing. I would love to say that I eat a salad a day and eat my full 6 servings of fruit, but to be honest, sesame noodles would take up an unproportional amount of space. And living in New York, where amazing noodles of every kind are to be had at pretty much any hour of the day or night, doesn’t really help this addiction. But usually I make my own, and this recipe, adapted from Tyler Florence’s Ultimate cookbook (it REALLY is the ultimate — I swear, everything I have ever made from this cookbook has been outstanding) is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. I added tofu for some protein, but you could easily substitute that for chicken or shrimp.The sauce would also make a great accompaniment to chicken satay…or raw vegetables. Or just eaten by the spoonful. (But then again, I can never have enough peanut sauce so you probably shouldn’t trust me on this one.)
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Filed under Gluten-free, Recipes
Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots
As the weather keeps getting warmer, I find myself craving salads. A. and I are trying to eat a bit healthier, and beets are one of my favorite vegetables — their earthy, sweet taste and vibrant color makes them perfect for spring salads. Since the famer’s market doesn’t have zucchini and summery produce quite yet, I will content myself with beets, goat cheese, and crispy fried shallots. Enjoy this simple salad as a first course, or alone with a glass of rosé (like I did). 
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Spinach and Leek Quinoa Cakes
Sorry for the lack of posting as of late. Between family visiting and being busy at work, lately I have come home exhausted and not very inspired to write. However, the fact that it’s now light until 8:00 is helping, and the reappearance of leeks and ramps at the farmer’s market is working wonders as well. I picked up some leeks the last time I was there, and was planning on making a quiche lorraine, but decided that these quinoa cakes would be decidedly better for my waistline and would help with my spring resolution to eat healthier. The quiche will have to wait for another day.
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Filed under Recipes
Restaurants: Little Brother
I’m not quite sure how this happened, as I come from Minnesota — land of lutefisk, not so much of barbecue. But somehow, over the last year or so, I have become kind of obsessed with southern food. This isn’t really a new trend, especially in NYC where (lucky for me and Ari) there are tons of great options for barbecue and fried chicken. (I mentioned a few in a previous post). However, I’m always looking for options that don’t necessitate getting on a train, and that’s where Little Brother comes in.
Image from littlebrotherbbq.com
It opened last winter in a tiny, industrial space on the strange wasteland of Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Avenue next to the excellent Hot Bird bar. The first time I went was in January, and it was freezing. Even with our mild winter, we ate with our coats on. However, the food certainly helped warm us up, and their simple menu is the perfect length to order a few things to share. I’m a fan of the barbecue chicken and barbecue pork sandwiches (always with extra spicy barbecue sauce), which comes with pickles and vegetable slaw on top. The prices are reasonable enough to warrant ordering a couple of sides, of which I highly recommend the french fries (though I may be biased. I could eat french fries every day. Seriously) These, however are a whole different ball game. After they are fried, they coat them in the same spice rub they use to marinate the meat, and the result is a sweet-spicy-tangy kick that complements the crispy fries perfectly. The collard greens are very good as well, although i thought they could have used a little more flavor. Overall, a great place to go when you want a cheap dinner and don’t wnat to venture too far from your apartment (at least for me). An added bonus: in warm weather, you can order the food to eat at Hot Bird and enjoy it outdoors with a cold beer next to their fire pit.
Filed under New York City, Restaurants
