I am always on the lookout in my local farmers market for oyster mushrooms. I discovered them a few years ago, and fell in love with the suckers. I found some recently and decided that was going to be the dinner for that day. Then, an epiphany occurred. Lately, I have grown very fond of farro, a particular grain gaining popularity in the U.S. Farro is one of the oldest cultivated grains to come from the Middle East. Lucky for us, it’s now grown in Italy. So, I decided, why not oyster mushrooms over farro? And that’s the recipe given below.

Oyster mushrooms have a hearty, meaty flavor that reminds some of yes, chicken. Farro, which is shaped like rice, has a nutty flavor. So, why not combined the two? Well, the result, as Anthony Quinn would say in the movie Zorba the Greek, was splendiferous! Judge for yourself. And, if you can’t find oyster mushrooms, other varieties will do. You’re only limited by your imagination

HERBED OYSTER MUSHROOMS AND FARRO

Ingredients:

1½ cups farro
3 cups chicken broth or water
1 pound oyster mushroom, cut into evenly sized pieces
I medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse faro under cold running water. Place in a medium pot or pan with the chicken broth or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until grains are tender. Drain off any excess water.
2. Meanwhile, rinse oyster mushrooms under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (I prefer cast-iron).
3. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and spread out in a single layer in the pan. Cook, undisturbed until they start to brown, 3-5 minutes.
4. Stir the mushrooms, and cook another 3-5 minutes until browned all over.
5. Add garlic and oregano. Reduce heat to low and cook until they are dark brown and slightly crisp, about another 4-5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Place farro in serving dish, topped with mushrooms.
   Yield: 4 servings or more

I like ratatouille, the classic French stew whose origin goes back to the late 18th century.  Yet, of all the recipes out there, I prefer the more modern incarnation, Ratatouille Niçoise. This rendition hails from Nice, and is very popular in the Riviera, where it is served hot or cold.   Let me add that it contains garlic, which I love (in the Rivera family we never had to worry abut vampires). That being said, add garlic according to preference and social interaction.

With a loaf of crusty bread, and a fruit-rich Cabernet either from California or France, and you can’t go wrong.

RATATOUILLE NIÇOISE

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
2 or more cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 zucchini, rinsed, scrubbed and sliced
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 green and 1 red pepper (or 2 green peppers), seeded and cut into strips
1 pound 4-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and choppped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon capers

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet or fry pan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.
2. Dust the zucchini and eggplant lightly with flour.  Add to the skillet, along with the peppers, cover and cook  slowly over medium-low heat  about 1 hour.
3. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until the mixture is thick. Season with salt and pepper.  Add capers during last 15 minutes of cooking. Serve hot or cold.
Yield: 4 servings.

This winter has been a time to try men’s (and women’s) souls. At least in the northeast. We’ve been beset by snow, rain, sleet, you name it. So, a stick-to-the-ribs rendition is needed. And that is Potato Hash. Now, who among you, does not love potato hash? If you don’t, you are a godless advocate of Communism, fascism, Darth Vader, and all that is evil in the world. Potato hash is the elixir, the one thing that will make everything right.

This hash recipe is baked rather than cooked atop the stove. Reason is that baking concentrates the potatoes’ flavor and gives it a unique richness. A splash of lemon juice helps to moderate the favor. So, go at it, kiddies. The dish makes for a great lunch and an even better dinner.

POTATO HASH

Ingredients:

2 pounds small potatoes, white or red, sliced in half
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
4 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Rinse potatoes under running water, but no do peel. Bring a large pot, filled with water, to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Strain potatoes and placed in a large baking pan (I prefer cast-iron—can also use a baking sheet if don’t have a large enough pan).
3. Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano, and spread them out in a single layer. Place in oven and roast, flipping potatoes halfway through baking, until browned and crisp, about 12-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, to a medium pot filled with cold water, add eggs, place over high heat and bring to a full boil.  Cover pot, remove from heat and let sit 12 minutes. Drain, run eggs under cold water, peel and chop.
5. In a medium sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat, and cook gently until it turns brown and aromatic, about 5 minutes.  Monitor carefully to prevent it from blackening. Toss roasted potatoes with brown butter, lemon juice and  scallions. Scatter chopped eggs over potatoes and serve immediately either in baking pan or, if you want to be fancy about it, in a serving bowl.
Yield: 4 servings or more.

This is an Indian recipe that we especially favor, since it contains eggplant, one of our favorite vegetables. In our family we are eggplant aficionados. We prepare it baked, breaded, fried, grilled, you name it. In this rendition the eggplant is flavored with yogurt. For the record, the recipe is from an Indian cookbook we’ve had for years, Flavors of India (Recipes from the Vegetarian Hindu Cuisine) by Shant Nimbark Sacharoff. It’s an oldie but good, copyrighted in 1972.

Note that, among the ingredients, the dish calls fr black mustard seeds.  If you can’t find black mustard seeds in your area, then green mustard seeds (which are easier to find) will do.

The normal accompaniment to this dish is either rice, or roti, a delicious Indian flatbread found these days in most any Asian store.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH YOGURT (OLA)

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (about 1½ pounds)
3 tablespoons yogurt
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons peanut oil
¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 cloves chopped garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon coriander powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º. Wash the eggplant and pat dry with a towel. Place the eggplant on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. When the eggplant is ready, it will appear misshapen and the skin will be very wrinkled and burnt. Carefully remove the eggplant from the oven. Put on some gloves or cover your hands with a kitchen towel so you do not get burnt in case the eggplant breaks open while you are handling it. Then let it cool at room temperature until it can be handled without gloves.  Now peel off all the skin and place the eggplant in a bowl. Mash the eggplant with a fork until it forms a smooth pulp. In a separate bowl beat together the yogurt and water until they are well blended. Set both the eggplant and yogurt aside.

In a heavy frying pan heat the peanut oil over a low flame. Add the mustard seeds and the chopped garlic to the hot oil. When the mustard seeds have ceased popping, quickly add the mashed eggplant and then the salt,  turmeric, cayenne, cumin and coriander. Mix the spices into the eggplant and sauté for 5 minutes. Now add the well-beaten yogurt and water mixture to the frying pan and stir for 3 minutes. Cover the pan and continue to cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. By this time the yogurt will be well mixed in with the eggplant pulp. Taste to correct seasoning if necessary. Serve hot with roti or rice.
Serves Two or Three

How about eating like a czar tonight? Literally eating like a czar. That’s where Potatoes Romanoff comes in. Think of a dish that’s sinfully delicious; a side offering that will eclipse everything else. Forget about mashed potatoes or potato salad. This is the epitome of it all. It’s perfect with a juicy steak or even hamburgers. But you can serve it with chicken, lamb, pork, or anything that calls for a side dish—but what a side dish!  Now, let me state right off the bat that Potatoes Romanoff is not a low calorie rendition. In this case, discard the freakin’ diet. It is a delightful pleasure for that special occasion. It is an easy to prepare, make ahead dish that you can reheat in the oven at your convenience.

The original Potatoes Romanoff calls for peeling the potatoes during the preparation. I discovered a long time ago that peeling potatoes robs them of their natural nutrients. I tend to purchase organic potatoes, and cooking them with skins and all. However, in the original dish, peeled potatoes are shredded in a grater. Since I prepare them unpeeled, shredding doesn’t work. Thus I chop them coarsely instead. If you can’t find organic spuds, just rinse them in water and scrubbed them with a sponge or brush. This should rid them of the nasty pesticides that cover the vegetable.

Also, the original recipe does not include garlic. I am a Nuyorican garlic head and I use it whenever I can. In this instance, it adds that extra zing to the taste.

Ingredients:

POTATOES ROMANOFF

4 medium-sized potatoes, washed and quartered
1 cup sour cream
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of paprika

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain and chop coarsely.
3. In a shallow baking dish (I prefer cast-iron), combine potatoes, sour cream, onion, about two-thirds of the Cheddar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and dust with paprika. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
   Yield: 6 servings.