Vegetables

Rhubarb Sorbet

Rhubarb is one of my favorite spring treats, but it’s been scarce in my neighborhood markets this year.

I was able to snag a couple of stalks at a farmer’s market recently — not enough for pie or crisp, but enough to satisfy my sweet tooth with a batch of sorbet. Frozen rhubarb will also work well for this recipe. For the best color, look for bright pink or red stalk.

This is recipe is very flexible with whatever fruit and juice you have on hand. I like the combination of rhubarb and strawberries because they have similar growing seasons, and in-season strawberries are sweet enough that I can pull back on the sugar.

Rhubarb Sorbet

Makes about 2 cups

4 cups chopped rhubarb, or a combination of rhubarb and strawberries (about 1 1/4 lbs)
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, or another favorite juice
1/2 cup water
Up to 2/3 cup sugar, to taste

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Place mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl; refrigerate 2 hours until thoroughly chilled.

Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, place a freezer-safe bowl in a freezer for 10 minutes.

Spoon sorbet into bowl; cover and freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Garnish with mint or citrus rind, if desired.

Corn Risotto-Stuffed Poblanos

One of my fabulous Christmas gifts was the new cookbook from one of my favorite food bloggers, Deb Perlman at Smitten Kitchen. Only problem is, I hadn’t actually gotten around to using this delightful gift.

For shame!

Enter stuffed poblano peppers. Amidst a couple hundred pages of gorgeous pictures, these appetizers jumped out to me. I served them with make-your-own nachos for an Easter egg decorating party.

The peppers are charred and peeled, and then stuffed with a nontraditional risotto that’s just different enough to work. The salty-sweet filling — beer, corn, cheese, and cilantro — cuts the spice of the peppers.

Be careful when handling the peppers. Carefully remove the seeds, and remember not to touch your face. Wear gloves if you’re particularly sensitive.

Corn Risotto-Stuffed Poblanos

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, by Deb Perlman

Yield: 3 main dish servings or 6 appetizer servings

6 large poblano peppers
4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbs olive oil, plus a little more
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio or other short-grained rice
1/2 cup beer, light or medium in color
1 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen, defrosted kernels
1 1/2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c crumbled queso fresco (substitute ricotta salata, feta, or other crumbly cheese)
2 Tbs sour cream mixed with 2 tsp milk and a pinch of salt
2 Tbs chopped cilantro

Preheat a grill or broiler. Lightly brush clean, dry chilies with oil. Place the chilies 3-4 inches under the broiler or over the hottest part of the fire. Allow the peppers to char to black in spots, turning as necessary to char all surfaces. Remove and place in a heatproof bowl. Cover with a plate or lid for 5 minutes. (Do not leave covered for longer, or the peppers will continue to cook in their own steam.)

Remove the bowl cover and allow the peppers to cool to room temperature. Slip off the skins. Using your finger or a knife, open one side and remove seeds and membranes. Keep the stems intact.

In a 1 1/2 quart saucepan, heat the stock to a low simmer. On a separate burner, heat a larger saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add oil and heat through; add onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir for a minute or two until it becomes lightly toasty. Pour in the beer, scraping up any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the beer simmer for roughly a minute; it will mostly disappear.

Ladle 1 cup of warm stock into rice, and simmer until the liquid is fully absorbed. Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to flly absorb before adding more and stirring often. With the final addition of stock, add the corn. The total cooking time is about 30 minutes. The risotto should be creamy and tender, and a little bit thicker than a standard risotto. Stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove risotto from heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill each pepper with risotto and arrange tightly in a baking dish. Sprinkle with queso fresco. Bake for 10-15 minutes until bronzed on top.

In a small dish, whisk together sour cream, milk and salt. Drizzle over hot chiles. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

Chicken and Dumplings

I discovered celery root for the first time a year or two ago. Scary-looking thing, isn’t it?

My first foray into celery root was a chicken soup with root vegetables, including celery root (or celeriac, as it’s sometimes called). I had walked past it so many times in the grocery store, without ever noticing it.

Big mistake. Once you peel it, it looks a lot like a potato, but it holds its shape when cooking. And it’s quite delicious — to me it’s like mixing celery, cauliflower, and butter into one.

Anyway, I had been jonesing for some kind of chicken stew or dumplings when the latest issue of Bon Appetit arrived. Last week, when the threat of the Snowquester — a supposedly massive snowstorm that preemptively shut down DC — this seemed like the perfect option.

But, my week was just too busy to get to a regular grocery store (Trader Joe’s doesn’t sell celery root) before the non-storm. Instead, I saved it for the weekend.

For the wine, choose something rich that can stand up to the chicken and vegetables. My personal preference is Chardonnay, aged in steel (rather than the traditional oak, which I don’t usually care for). But that’s just it — a personal preference. At the end of the day, when cooking with wine, choose one you like, and taste regularly while cooking.

Chicken and Dumplings

Adapted from Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart

Serves 6-8

Stew:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
8 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small celery root (about 12 ounces), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
1/2 cup water
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons (or more) Sherry or white vinegar

Dumplings:
3/4 cup flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Carefully drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot. Add carrots, celery root, onion, and leek; stir frequently until softened and beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Add butter; stir until melted. Add flour and stir constantly until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add wine and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 5-8 minutes.

Add chicken, broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is fork-tender, about 35 minutes. Discard bay leaves and herb sprigs. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat.

Return shredded chicken to soup. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired. Return to a simmer.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup milk. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if too thick.)

Drop batter in 8 spoonfuls over simmering stew, keeping them spaced apart. Cover and simmer until dumplings are firm, about 20 minutes. Serve in bowls.