and flowers too

 

I had never heard of arugula rabe before stopping by Alewife Farm on Saturday, and I can’t find much that is useful on line, but maybe all we really have to know is the name, which simply means ‘sprouted arugula’. It’s beautiful and it’s delicious (and it’s not broccoli).

The assignment was to cook a handsome filet of cod without using the oven (which is awaiting service), and I actually had some choice, even if the word ‘roast’ appears in almost all of the recipes in my files. Mark Bittman’s ‘Classic Sautéed’, included on this page (where I had previously only borrowed ideas from the ‘Roasted’ section), did not. Because of its simplicity, knowing that it would show off the virtues of a great fish, both local and freshly caught, I went with it.

• one single 17-ounce filet of cod from Pura Vida Seafood, divided into two portions (only for a little more ease in turning), lightly dredged in coarse stone-ground flour, then dipped into a mixture of one large beaten egg from Millport Dairy and half of a cup of chopped parsley from Eataly, sautéed over medium-high heat in a mix of olive oil and ‘Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter‘ (one tablespoon each), turning once, for about 6 minutes, garnished with chopped lovage from Two Guys From Woodbridge, drizzled with a little lemon juice
• four wonderfully sweet Norland red potatoes from Lucky Dog Organic Farm, scrubbed and boiled unpeeled, quartered, tossed with some of the Kerrygold butter, salt, pepper, wild garlic from Lani’s Farm (previously softened in a little butter, and winter savory from Stokes Farm
• arugula rabe (yes, arugula rabe) from Alewife Farm braised in a heavy pot with a little olive oil in which a single halved clove of garlic from Whole Foods had begun to brown, then seasoned with salt and pepper, drizzled with more olive oil
• the wine was a French (Bordeaux) white, Château Lamothe de Haux Bordeaux Blanc 2014, from Chelsea Wine Vault
• the music was Aulis Sallinen: Symphony No. 2, and Symphony No. 4 (‘Dialogue for Percussion solo and Orchestra’, with Martin Orraryd, percussion), and the Horn Concerto (Esa Tapani, french horn), all three works with Ari Rasilainen directing the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra