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IMG_1562Cheesy Gnocchi with Swiss Chard & Cannellini Beans

If it's summertime where you live, then you’ve been seeing tons of beautiful, nutrient dense Swiss Chard at the market, your local farm stand or, if you’re like me, perhaps in your own garden!

Swiss Chard has become a staple in our kitchen garden, providing continuous harvest from cool spring through a hot summer and far into late fall. As a result of its prolific bounty, I’ve learned many a delicious summer recipe incorporating this gorgeous green leafy.

Gnocchi with Swiss Chard and White Beans is one of my favorite go-to dishes. It's perfect for summer days when you want a delicious meal that’s a snap to prepare. Brimming with color, flavor and ooey-gooey cheesiness, it’s a hit every time! Serve with crusty bread alongside for sopping the delicious broth. Yum!

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Cheesy Gnocchi with Swiss Chard & Cannellini Beans
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Swiss Chard Growing in our Kitchen Garden

Cheesy Gnocchi with Swiss Chard & Cannellini Beans Recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound gnocchi, prepared according to package directions
  • sea salt (for seasoning gnocchi water)
  • 1 onion, sliced thinly
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 bunch swiss chard, leaves chopped into 1 inch strips; stems removed, finely sliced & separated (or substitute spinach)
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
  • 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
  • 1/2 tablespoon medium-heat thinly sliced red chili pepper (substitute 1/3 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes)
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • crusty bread for serving alongside
  • fleur de sel and truffle oil (or best quality EVOO) for finishing (optional but encouraged!)

 Method

  1. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions adding a bit of sea salt to water for seasoning. Set aside cooked gnocchi, reserving a bit of the pasta water as well.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and finely sliced chard stems only to the pan and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, beans and sliced chili peppers (or dried chili flakes) and bring to a simmer. Stir in the reserved gnocchi adding a bit of the reserved gnocchi water if needed for the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover pan and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, for 2 minutes or so.
  4. Ladle into bowls with crusty bread on the side for sopping. If desired, finish each dish with a sprinkling of fleur de sel and a drizzle of truffle oil. (A never fail trick to take a dish up 10 notches!)
  5. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Woman's Day

Do you have any veggies growing in your garden this season? I'd love to hear about them!

What do chandeliers, octopus and white stallions have in common?  

Our final and perfectly lovely evening in New York City of course!

The evening began with dinner at Michael White's Marea, whose menu reads like a study of the sea. This high-end Italian restaurant features the regional food of Italy influenced heavily by ingredients drawn from the four bodies of water that surround the boot.  The fish, sourced from both the Mediterranean and waters worldwide, stays true to this Mediterranean flavor profile contributing to the authenticity of the restaurant. 

We were impressed on all levels: Superb cuisine, seamless service, and stylish ambiance.  Every single bite of our four course experience was a special memory, but don't worry, I'll only share two: my pasta course and Jim's dessert - for the simple reason I found pictures of them both:-).

I savored every last morsel of the Fusilli with Red Wine Braised Octopus & Bone Marrow.  This dish is Chef White's homage to American surf and turf – though it requires purely Italian cooking techniques. The dish glistens with the velvety smooth sauce, and each bite is unexpectedly complex despite looking so simple. The sweetness of the octopus compliments the tart red wine and tomato sauce made rich and smooth by the emulsified marrow. The home-made fusilli are tender yet al dente and the whole thing is topped with a crunch of breadcrumbs.  Wow!

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Marea's (NYC) Fusilli with Red Wine Braised Octopus & Bone Marrow (Photo by UrbanSpoon)

Three courses later, Jim devoured the Panna Cotta with Pink Peppercorn & Thyme.  (He's becoming rather an expert on Panna Cotta as he orders it at every opportunity!)  And, since we share everything, I can attest to it's fabulousness!

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Marea's (NYC) Panna Cotta with Pink Peppercorn & Thyme (Photo by UrbanSpoon)

During dessert, we happened to get to know the two lovely ladies to our left when they inquired about my chandelier earrings.  I promised Karen I'd post them here with a link to where I'd purchased them; Anthropologie.  I apologize that it took me a couple weeks Karen!  I'm behind posting this week because I've been immersed in the oil painting portrait of two beautiful children– their mama will be surprising her husband with it on his birthday so I can't fall behind:-)   I've posted two pairs of my favorite chandelier earrings from Anthropologie below.  (I wore the first that night)

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Glass Beaded Chandelier Earrings by Anthropologie

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Glass Beaded Chandelier Earrings by Anthropologie

And that brings us to white stallions…  

We enjoyed the most serene and lovely horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park after dinner.  It was a crisp, spring evening.  Every now and then we'd pass someone jogging or walking their dog in the moonlight, a fellow carriage rider in the distance beyond the beautiful, old, gnarly trees.  We had the park and the city all to ourselves, bundled up under our blanket, cherry blossoms perfuming the night… all under a backdrop of sparkling city lights.  

The perfect finale.

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Our carriage picked us up right outside Marea!  The carriages happened to be lined up along the street just steps away:-)

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Carriage Rides through NYC's Central Park after Dinner make a Romantic Evening