When I found Romanesco
Today I even found Romanesco.
I could not help but let a few words of excitement escape from between my lips when I spotted them, gloriously bundled up inside a woven basket in a corner of the local farm stand. They looked so inviting that I wanted to pick one after the other until the basket was empty and I had them all.
I wanted to store them the way squirrels sneak in to put nuts aside. So that they'd stay and keep me company during the upcoming wintry months.
"Will you sell more Romanesco over the next weeks?" I asked the young girl at the cash register.
She looked surprised, with a I-don't-know-why-do-you-ask expression on her face.
I didn't wait for her answer. She didn't know anyhow. And on my end, I knew I'd come back to the store to check regularly.
When I returned home, it was almost eleven thirty and I was feeling hungry. The radio was playing a Jane Birkin's song while P. was working in the office.
"Are you hungry?" I asked him from the kitchen.
I wanted him to be, because I had a great lunch idea in my head.
I imagined a dish of pasta loaded with greens--something delicious and comfy to nourish our big appetite.
Linguine, I thought. Lulu will clap in her hands at the sight of pasta. I knew she would.
So it happened. I cooked linguine and then I blanched peas and baby lima beans and zucchini with my Romanesco florets. I sauteed scampi and prepared a light white sauce with a dash of Vermouth and lots of fresh herbs.
It was a lunch quick to fix. Loaded with flavor and contrasting textures. Inviting!
We loved it.
The next day, after a walk to the botanical garden in search of pretty leaves, I decided to experiment more and baked a Romanesco gratin--and a chocolate and pear clafoutis too (you'll want to taste this one). Which made us equally happy. Hungry for more.
Quinoa linguine Recipe with Romanesco, mixed greens and scampi
- 3.5 oz (100 g) baby lima beans (frozen)
- 1 small head Romanesco, cut in florets
- 3.5 oz (100 g) green peas (frozen)
- Sea salt
- 1 small zucchini, julienned finely
- 12.5 oz (350 g) linguine (made with quinoa, gluten free)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more to drizzle
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced finely
- 1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
- 7 oz (200 g) scampi (cleaned, frozen)*
- 1/4 cup Vermouth
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped finely
- Blanch all the greens separately in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse them under cold water; set aside together in a large bowl.
- Cook the linguine according to the instructions on the package; keep warm on the side.
- In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add the ground coriander and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Add the scampi and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the Vermouth and then cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the cornstarch.
- Add the cream and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add to the pot the linguine, vegetables and scampi. Toss gently and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, divide the pasta in plates. Add the chopped parsley and drizzle with olive oil (flavored with truffle, if you like).
Le coin français
Linguine au chou Romanesco, légumes verts et langoustines
- 100 g de petites fèves (congelées)
- 1 petite tête de chou Romanesco, détaillée en petits bouquets
- 100 g de petits pois (congelés)
- Sel de mer
- 1 petite courgette, détaillée en julienne
- 350 g de linguine
- 2 càs d'huile d'olive + pour servir
- 1 càc de coriandre en poudre
- 3 gousses d'aïl, pelées et émincées
- 2,5 cm de racine de gingembre, pelée et finement hachée
- 200 g de langoustines (congelées)*
- 60 ml de Vermouth
- 2 càc de maïzena
- 120 ml de crème fleurette
- Sel de mer et poivre du moulin
- 2 càs de persil haché
- Faites blanchir pendant 1 minute tous les légumes verts séparément dans un grand volume d'eau bouillante salée. Rinsez et mettez de côté dans un grand saladier.
- Cuisez les linguine selon les instructions sur le paquet. Gardez au chaud de côté.
- Dans une poêle, faites chauffer 2 càs d'huile d'olive sur feu moyen. Ajoutez la coriandre et cuisez pendant 1 minute. Ajoutez l'aïl et le gingembre, et poursuivez la cuisson pendant 1 minute.
- Ajoutez les langoustines et cuisez pendant 2 minutes.
- Ajoutez le Vermouth et cuisez pendant 1 minute.
- Mélangez à cette sauce la maïzena.
- Ajoutez la crème et faites mijoter pendant 2 minutes. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre.
- Ajoutez les linguine, les légumes et les langoustines. Mélangez délicatement et rectifiez l'assaisonnement si nécessaire. Servez en assiette et ajoutez le persil et un filet d'huile d'olive (parfumée à la truffe, si vous en avez et vous aimez).
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