This dish is really all about the pesto. Serve it with pasta, slather it on bread, eat it by the spoonful — it doesn’t matter. Here, the spaghetti is merely the vehicle by which to eat the pesto: creamy, peppery, with just a hint of garlic and cheese.
Ingredients:
4 cups baby arugula leaves
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne or white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
12 ounces pasta
1. Bring roughly 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Blanch arugula for about 30 seconds or until the leaves become bright green. Drain arugula into a colander and run cold water over them. Press leaves to remove excess water and let drain.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pan to a medium heat, add cashews and a pinch of salt, making sure to move the pan around to prevent the cashews from burning. Toast until you begin to smell a nutty aroma and the cashews have turned lightly golden. Remove from pan and let cool.
3. Place arugula, cashews, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in a blender and process until smooth.
4. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. When pasta is ready, strain and immediately toss with a little olive oil. Add pesto and serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.
These tacos aren’t by any means authentic but they are without a doubt delicious. I use ground turkey and a generous serving of fresh herbs to create a “chorizo” of sorts (let’s be honest, I’m being really liberal with the definition of chorizo here). Combined with fried potatoes (uh, who doesn’t love fried potatoes?) and a smattering of onions and cilantro, these tacos hit the spot.
Ingredients:
For the chorizo:
1 medium serrano chile
1 large poblano chile
2 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 cups cilantro
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground turkey
For the tacos:
1/4 cup avocado oil
2 medium russet potatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup diced onion, rinsed in cold water
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
18 corn tortillas, warmed
Lime wedges, for serving
1. Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium. Add chiles and garlic cloves, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and softened, about 4 minutes for serrano, 8 minutes for poblano, and about 12 minutes for the garlic. Transfer the chiles to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 15 minutes. Stem, peel, and seed poblano. Stem and peel serrano. Set chiles aside. Let garlic cool, and peel cloves. Add coriander seeds and cumin seeds to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Finely grind seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
2. Combine chiles, garlic, ground spices, cilantro, vinegar, oregano, and salt in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the turkey with the puree and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add potatoes in a single layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate, and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Do not wipe out skillet. Return skillet to heat over medium-high and add chorizo, stirring often, until crumbled and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 1 minute.
5. Assemble tacos: Top each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons chorizo, 1 tablespoon potatoes, and 1 teaspoon onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Things seemed a little iffy when I started making this salad, adapted from a Food & Wine recipe. What business did anchovies, mayonnaise, Chinese sausage, dill, and tomatoes have on the same plate? I made some adjustments (turkey chorizo instead of Chinese sausage, the addition of yogurt to lighten the mayo, less oil) and you know what? This is one of the most delicious things I’ve made all year.
Make this recipe when tomatoes are at their peak, and make a lot. This salad is a cacophony of flavors in the best way ever.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high and add the chorizo. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo is browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a medium bowl.
5. Spread the herbed dressing on a platter. Arrange the tomatoes on top. Spoon the bagna cauda on top, then sprinkle with the chorizo, and remaining mixed herbs. Serve at room temperature.
This Persian Gulf-style spiced chicken and basmati rice pilaf is piled high with heaps of fried onions and potatoes. And I mean let’s be real: who doesn’t love fried potatoes? I adapted this from Najmieh Batmanglij’s Cooking in Iran, her tome on the lesser-explored regional cuisines of Iran. The rice is cooked in the spiced chicken broth, giving the dish a decadently rich flavor. I didn’t grow up with this dish, but it’s becoming part of my rotation now.
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
6 cups water
For the rice:
2 cups basmati rice, soaked in water for 15 minutes, drained and rinsed at least 3 times
For the garnish:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground heart of dried Persian limes (limoo omani)
1/2 cup currants or raisins, soaked in water for 10 minutes and drained
1. To cook the chicken: In a large pot, place all the ingredients for the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Place a sieve over a large bowl and drain the chicken, reserving the broth. Return the broth to the pot and set the chicken and chickpeas aside.
2. To cook the rice: Add the rice to the broth. Give it a stir with a cooking spoon and bring it back to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender and the broth has been absorbed.
3. Make the garnish: In a wide skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and saute until golden brown. Remove the potatoes from the skillet and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Add the remaining oil to the same skillet and saute the onion over medium low heat for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Add the salt, turmeric, dried lime, currants, and potato, and saute for another 2 minutes.
5. Just before serving, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until hot. Saute the chicken and chickpeas until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.
6. To serve: Remove the rice from the pot and transfer it to a serving platter. Arrange the chicken and garnish on top. Serve with sabzi khordan (fresh herb platter).
I grew up in Sonoma County and over the years, my home turf has become more popular: oft-mentioned in travel, food, and wine magazines and frequented by Silicon Valley-ers looking for a weekend getaway. And while I love that my stomping grounds are beloved by so many these days, things have gotten, uh, busier.
I was looking for Sonoma County in a time capsule, before the tourists. When there were more livestock than people and when tasting rooms were quiet enough to hold a conversation with the friendly-yet-tough-as-nails Jerry Garcia Band-loving winemaker who grew the grapes. I wanted farm-to-table, a rugged coast, rolling hills, and majestic redwoods.
I didn’t have to look far: Mendocino County has all that and more. There’s a cultural link between the two counties: people have long moved between the two and the region that touches is called Mendonoma for short. But Mendocino is unique in its own: more rugged, more rural and dare I say more independent.
I surprised Nishan with a weekend in Mendocino for his birthday. If you only have a couple days to spare, follow this itinerary.
Friday: sample some Pinot Noir at Navarro Vinyards in Philo along Highway 128. Don’t forget to try the verjus (that’s ab ghooreh for my Irooni readers)!
Make friends with the resident chickens and llamas at the Glendeven Inn in Little River. Then start your evening right with small bites and a drink in their lodge.
Head back to Philo for dinner at the Bewildered Pig. This place is bursting with personality — and seasonal ingredients. Aren’t these the prettiest miso deviled eggs you’ve ever seen?
The fungus among us. Oh, the mushrooms! Mendocino County has the best mushrooms I’ve ever tasted and this dish was among my favorites: wild foraged mushrooms tossed with loads of local greens and a bracing vinaigrette.
Creamy, runny, decadent mac and cheese.
Caramelized parsnip and shallot acorn flour ravioli.
Saturday: attempt to hike from your inn to the Mendocino coast in the uncharacteristically late season rainstorm. Give up on hiking in the mud, but stop and enjoy the view first.
Make the quick drive over to Fort Bragg for lunch at Taka’s Grill, a hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant. Get the locally-caught sea urchin: a decadent treat at a relative bargain.
Drive back towards Mendocino Village for a fun walk around town. Stop at Corners of the Mouth, a former church converted into a health food store, and stock up on local dried porcini mushrooms. Stroll on over to Gallery Bookshop and then to Good Life Cafe for organic coffee and health-conscious treats. (In case you haven’t noticed yet, Mendocino is extremely into local, healthy fare and I am here for it.)
Try to explore the Mendocino Headlands in the middle of an ever-strengthening rainstorm. (Or you know, just visit when it’s sunny.)
Have dinner at Cafe Beaujolais, a France-meets-Mendocino restaurant. Ask for a table in the atrium so you can enjoy their garden view. Start with a huckleberry spritz made with housemade huckleberry syrup, because you know, local all day every day.
Grilled asparagus, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and burrata. Did I mention mushrooms? This was topped with duck cracklings and a balsamic glaze. Perfect.
Local black cod with wild mushroom agnolotti. MOAR MUSHROOMS. Ooh, and the beets and the cod! So many of my favorite ingredients.
Dungeness crab mac and cheese. This was not a mac and cheese per se. Not that I’m complaining.
Bone marrow mashed potatoes.
Sunday: enjoy one last homemade breakfast at the Glendeven Inn before checking out. Thanks chicken frens for the eggs.
Stop at Van Damme Beach on your way out because the sun has finally come out and hey, it’s a lovely beach.
You’re not ready to say goodbye to Mendocino County just yet. As you drive back towards the Bay Area, stop in Boonville on Highway 128 for lunch at Pennyroyal Farm. Say hi to the goats, try a sandwich and salad made with (you guessed it) locally-grown produce and goat cheese and sample some wine.
Okay, now you can say bye to Mendocino County. For now.
