The Knife For Life Blog

Makes 4-8 servings

• 10 inch skillet
• paring Knife 
• whisk

 Salad Ingredients:

• 2 oz (4 to 5 slices) pancetta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 firm – ripe pears
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup arugula
• 6 oz mozzarella (grape tomato size), left whole or cut in half

Preparation:

1. Cook pancetta in a skillet over moderate heat, turning frequently until just crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels to drain (pancetta will crisp as it cools).  Tear into bite size pieces.
2. Cut Pears in half lengthwise, core and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.  Add pears to dressing along with lettuce, arugula, cheese and pancetta.  Toss to mix thoroughly.

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Chapagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mild honey
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a salad bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

F all 2009 Recipe

Contributed by Edible Communities

Sometimes a CSA basket or a table at the market can be filled with mystifying offerings. Some vendors offer recipes to help you through, but many shoppers are often stumped by kohlrabi.

Kohlrabi, or “cabbage turnip” in German, looks like a root vegetable, but isn’t. Instead it’s part of the cabbage family. The larger the kohlrabi the tougher, so seek out small ones that can be grated raw and used in a slaw or eaten in a salad. Kohlrabi is popular in Eastern Europe and Asia, as well as central Michigan, where, according to Wikipedia, Livingston County, Michigan has proclaimed itself the Kohlrabi Capitol of the World.

Makes 4 side-dish servings

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 kohlrabi bulbs (about 2 ½ pounds), outer rind removed and cut into ½-inch dice
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 slices pork or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled, optional
• 1/4 cup sour cream, optional

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Stir in the kohlrabi and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kohlrabi is tender and the broth has been absorbed, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

2. Stir in the bacon (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve accompanied with sour cream, if desired.

Summer 2009 Recipe

Contributed by Edible Communities

Enjoy this lovely salad as a side dish, on a buffet table, or even as a light lunch or dinner. The soft-textured, slightly peppery arugula combined with the mildly licorice-flavored, crunchy raw fennel makes for a perfectly satisfying salad.

Makes 6 servings

• 4 cups (about 5 ounces) lightly packed arugula
• 2 small fennel bulbs (about 1 ½ pounds)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (preferably from Meyer lemons), plus more if needed
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• ¼ pound Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Arrange the arugula in a large shallow salad bowl.

2. Cut the stalks off of the fennel bulbs. Remove the fronds from the stalks and set aside. Cut each bulb in half lengthwise through the root. Place each half cut-side-down on the cutting board, then cut in half lengthwise again. Cut each quarter into very thin slices crosswise and scatter the slices on top of the arugula. Cut the fennel stalks into thin slices on the diagonal and scatter on top of the salad.

3. Sprinkle the olive oil, lemon juice and salt over the vegetables and toss gently. The salad should taste light and slightly lemony. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

4. Using a potato peeler or cheese slicer, cut ribbons of cheese and scatter them on top of the salad. Sprinkle with the pepper and top with the reserved fennel fronds. Serve immediately.

Summer 2009 Recipe

Contributed by Edible Communities

A good old-fashioned warm spinach salad provides comforting fare with very little effort. We’ve all become accustomed to eating salads composed of delicate baby salad leaves, and this salad leaves those in the dust. There’s something very satisfying about biting into mature spinach leaves that have been slightly warmed by a fairly zesty vinaigrette. This salad offers us one of those little trips back in time that makes us feel real good. And there’s nothing wrong with that!

Makes 4 servings

Salad:

• 8 cups (about ½ pound) trimmed fresh spinach leaves (not baby spinach)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced or chopped
• ¼ pound cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 4 strips cooked bacon 

Vinaigrette:

• ½ cup balsamic or sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons white wine or water
• 3 strips raw bacon, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional, plus more if needed 

1. Prepare the salad: Place the spinach into a large salad bowl. Prepare the other salad ingredients and set aside.

2. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and wine; set aside. In a small saucepan, cook the sliced bacon over medium heat until golden brown. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Add the vinegar mixture, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

3. Pour the hot vinaigrette over the spinach and toss to coat. Garnish with the sliced egg, mushrooms and bacon slices. Serve immediately.

Top Chef Stefan Richter swooned Messermeister’s retailers with his Thai Lobster Bisque at the 2009 International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago.  Everyone loved the spicy kick that it had! I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

• 1 lobster
• 2 cups of clam juice
• 5 tablespoons sesame oil and vegetable oil
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 leeks, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons red thai curry paste
• 2 onions, halved
• 3 oz ginger
• 3 oz chopped lemongrass
• 2 carrots
• 1 cup cilantro
• 4 limes zest and juice
• 3 lime leafs
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine 
• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• Table salt and freshly ground white pepper 
• Finely chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

Heat the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat and melt 3 tablespoons butter in it.  Add the chopped lobster bodies and heads and their juices, the leeks, celery, carrots, 1 of the onions, 1/2 of the thyme, 2 oz ginger and the tomato paste. Cook until the shells are red and the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.  Return to the heat, add water to cover and stir up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.  Add the coconut milk and the rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.  Decrease the heat and gently simmer until the soup is reduced, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Strain this into a clean pot and season with salt and pepper if needed.  Add cream and cilantro, bring to a simmer and mix in margarita blender for 20 seconds and serve.

Spring 2009 Recipe

Contributed by Edible Communities

The combination of ingredients may sound strange, but it works. Do make sure you buy the freshest local arugula and strawberries, say at a farmers’ market, for the brightest flavors. Serve with a loaf of good crusty bread.

Makes 4 servings

• 1/2 cup pecan halves (optional)
• 6 cups (about 5 ounces) loosely packed baby arugula
• 1 pint (16 ounces) strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
• 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

1. Toast the pecans in a small skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Place the pecans into a small dish; set aside.

2. In a large salad bowl, add the arugula, strawberries and sliced onion. In a blender, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, chopped onion, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and salt. Blend until ingredients are pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Toss the blended vinaigrette into the salad bowl ingredients. Garnish with the pecans and goat cheese (if using).

Winter 2009 Recipe

Contributed by Edible Communities

• 4 cups (about 5 ounces) lightly packed arugula
• 2 small fennel bulbs (about 1 ½ pounds)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (preferably from Meyer lemons), plus more if needed
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• ¼ pound Pecorino Romano cheese
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Arrange the arugula in a large, shallow salad bowl.

2. Cut the stalks off of the fennel bulbs. Remove the fronds from the stalks and set aside. Cut each bulb in half lengthwise through the root. Place each half cut-side-down on the cutting board, then cut in half lengthwise again. Cut each quarter into very thin slices cross-wise and scatter the slices on top of the arugula. Cut the fennel stalks into thin slices on the diagonal and scatter on top of the salad.

3. Sprinkle the olive oil, lemon juice and salt over the vegetables and toss gently. The salad should taste light and slightly lemony. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

4.  Using a potato peeler or cheese slicer, cut ribbons of cheese and scatter them on top of the salad. Sprinkle with the pepper and top with the reserved fennel fronds. Serve immediately.