I use smoked Gubbeen, a semi-hard cheese, to flavour the polenta because it is so delicately smoked. If using a stronger cheese, you may want to reduce the quantity.
For the polenta, bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan, then whisk in the maize and a large pinch of salt. Reduce the heat and simmer over a very low heat, stirring often, for 20 minutes until the polenta has a thick consistency, like that of mashed potato. Stir in the cheese, butter and sage. Season with black pepper and some more salt if needed. Serve immediately or keep the polenta warm by placing the saucepan over a slightly larger pan of simmering water.
Remove the stalks from the kale and discard them, then slice the leaves into strips. Quarter the peppers, remove the seeds and pith and slice the flesh about 5mm (1/4in) thick.
| Serves 4 |
| 500g (18oz) black kale (cavolo nero) |
| 2 sweet red peppers |
| 5 tbsp olive oil |
| 1 mild red chilli, halved,seeded and chopped |
| 2 garlic cloves, sliced |
| 2 tbsp black olives, halved and stoned |
| 200ml (7fl oz) vegetable stock or water,plus an extra splash to serve |
| FOR THE SMOKED CHEESE POLENTA |
|---|
| 1 litre (1 3/4 pints) vegetable stock |
| 200g(7oz) coarse maize |
| salt and pepper |
| 60g (2 1/4oz) smoked Gubbeenor other lightly smoked cheese, grated |
| 40g(1 1/2oz) butter |
| 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves |
Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan, add the kale and cook over a medium heat until it has shrunk: 2-3 minutes. Add the peppers, chilli, garlic and olives, and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the stock or water and a large pinch of salt, cover loosely with baking parchment and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Check occasionally to make sure the dish is moist, adding more water if necessary. Just before serving, add a generous splash of stock and a tablespoon of olive oil.
Spoon the polenta on to serving plates or shallow bowls. Serve the kale and its pan juices over the polenta.
Cime di Rapa with Sweet Pepper and Fried Hazelnut Gougères
This recipe works with any strongly flavoured greens. Gougères are usually baked choux pastries, but in this instance the dough is deep-fried.
For the gougères, put the flour and hazelnuts in a food processor. Put the water and butter in a pan and bring to a boil. Start the food processor and pour in the hot water and butter, beating it in for 30 seconds. Add one egg and beat until fully incorporated, then add the second egg and repeat. Finally, beat in the cheese and some salt and pepper. Transfer the batter to a bowl.
Heat some vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or heavy-based saucepan to 170°C(325°F). If using a pan, test the oil by dropping in a little of the batter. If it floats and begins to colour in a minute or so, turn the heat down to hold the temperature.
Meanwhile, in a large wide pan, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the cime di rapa, red pepper, garlic and ginger, and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the sherry and the 2 tablespoons of water and simmer for 5-7 minutes more, until the greens are tender. Add a little more olive oil and water at the end to ensure that the dish is moist. Season with a little salt and pepper.
| Serves 4 |
|---|
| 2 tbsps olive oil, plus an extra splash |
| 600g(1 1/4 lb) cime di rapa |
| 1 red pepper, quartered, seeded andthinly sliced |
| 2 garlic cloves, sliced |
| 1 tbsp fresh root ginger, thinly sliced |
| 2 tbsp sweet sherry |
| 2 tbsp water, plus an extra splash |
| FOR THE GOUGÈRES |
|---|
| 110g (4OZ) strong white flour |
| 25g (1OZ) hazelnuts, roasted and finelychopped |
| 170ml (6fl oz) water |
| 60g (21/4oz) butter |
| 2 medium eggs |
| 80g (3 1/2) Gabriel, cheddar or otherhard cheese, grated |
| salt and pepper |
| vegetable oil for deep-frying |
While the vegetables are cooking, take a heaped teaspoon of the gougère batter and, using a second spoon, slide it into the hot oil. Repeat with some more batter, to cook as many gougères as possible without overcrowding the oil. Fry them for 4-5 minutes, turning once if necessary, until the gougères are browned. Keep the cooked ones warm while you fry more batches.
Serve the cime di rapa in its juices, surrounded by some of the fried gougères.
Red Russian Kale with Orange and Nutmeg
Remove the thicker stalks from the kale and discard them. Chop the kale coarsely.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, toss in the kale and cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes until it has shrunk and become glossy. Add the vegetable stock or water, the orange zest and juice and the nutmeg. Cover with baking parchment, lower the heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the kale is soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
| Serves 4 as a side dish |
|---|
| 500g(18oz)kale |
| 2 tbsp olive oil |
| 2 tbsp vegetable stock or water |
| finely grated zest of 1 orange |
| juice of 1/2 orange |
| 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg |
| salt and pepper |
Asparagus with Pine Nuts, Red Onion and Capers
This highly flavoured side dish is also excellent with a light dusting of finely grated hard cheese. In fact, adding some cheese and salad leaves makes it a great warm salad for a first course.
Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears and cut the spears in half widthways. Steam the asparagus for 3-4 minutes until just tender.
| Serves 4 as a side dish |
|---|
| 500g (18oz) medium asparagus spears |
| 2 tbsp olive oil |
| 1 medium red onion,halved and thinly sliced |
| 1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted |
| 1 tbsp small capers, drained |
| salt and pepper |
While the asparagus spears are cooking,