Ernest Hemingway's Burger, My Way

I had been eyeing Ernest Hemingway's burger recipe in The Paris Review for a long time. It had so many moving parts, it was was a concerted effort to make India relish, Mei Yen and Beau Monde at home. If it helps, Mei Yen is basically salt, sugar and MSG. If you don’t prefer to use MSG, substitute a half teaspoon of miso paste. India relish and Beau Monde are available in ready to buy jars at specialty stores. I also learned that Beau Monde and Old Bay have a similar structure (except for paprika).

Photo by Hanna Elise Furey

I absolutely loved that this burger was jeweled with capers. I was worried about the chunky India Relish but because it was pre-cooked, it wasn’t disruptive in the silky bite. 

Photo by Hanna Elise Furey

Photos by Hanna Elise Furey, GIF by me

I dressed this complex burger with whey ketchup, red onion, butter lettuce, jack cheese and fresh meyer lemon mayo all piled on a squishy potato bun. You can grab the recipe for the mayo in my cookbook.

Get the recipe for Ernest Hemingway's burger from The Paris Review.

#MadewithLocalRoots: Mustard Crust Fingerling Potatoes

I learned an invaluable brunch trick from my time at Home/Made. Their potatoes are tossed in mustard and a variety of herbs before roasting to a crisp. I’ve come up with an easy version that uses up leftover salsa or the bottom of a hot sauce bottle. Serve hot or let it cool for a tangy potato salad for your next cook out.

Things you'll need:
1 pound fingerling potato, split lengthwise 1/2 cup mustard 1/4 cup salsa or hot sauce 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled	1/2 pound arugula 1/4 cup olive oil Salt Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the mustard, salsa and oil in a small mixing bowl. Toss in the potatoes and coat well. Lay the potatoes out in a single layer, cut side down on a baking sheet.

Generously salt and pepper the potatoes. Roast them in the oven for 45 minutes and up to an hour and a half, until their tops and undersides are browned. The mustard should have bubbled off and formed a crust on each potato.

BEFORE

AFTER

While you wait, toss the arugula with a spoonful of leftover mustard mix. Place in a serving bowl.

When the potatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves and peel them (or keep them on to make it a game for your guests! Haha!).. Real talk: depending on if your guests like garlic, leave them whole or chop it up and sprinkle over the bowl.

Place the hot potatoes over the dressed arugula, so they wilt.

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Tried it? Let me know how yours turns out by tweeting to @Randwiches.

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Spicy Radish Microgreens

I love heirloom tomatoes that get so ripe that they practically burst when you cut into them. This dish can sit out all morning during brunch and gets better with every minute. Lay a slice onto toast, have a bit between bites of fatty cheese or bacon. Radish microgreens add a bit of spice and crunch to an otherwise squishy dish.

To make a wonderful dip for toast, add olive oil to the vinegar collecting at the bottom of the bowl after you've eaten all the tomatoes.

Things you'll need:
2 heirloom tomatoes 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup microgreen, radish or basil	Salt Pepper Optional: Olive oil

1. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices.

2. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

3. Toss in the microgreens.

Did you try it? Let me know by tagging @Randwiches on social,.

#MadewithLocalRoots: Fresh as Hell Vegan Burgers

One way to use up all the leftover winter vegetables in the drawer is to grind them up into burgers! Drawing on the idea of kibbeh, I fold in whole grains of cooked einkorn. Substitute it with any hearty grain like rye berry, medina berry, brown rice, or barley. I call on millet flour and breadcrumb to pull this mix together. Don't be fooled into manhandling these healthy-looking pucks, they are still quite delicate. Beets can take the place of turnips and feel free to use any fresh herb that you have on hand. If you haven't any millet, all-purpose flour works just as well. Instead of poppy seed, you can also use sesame, sunflower or seed mix of your choice.

My favorite way to eat these is not vegan. Try a mix of garlic yogurt and a chermoula (both found in my cookbook!). Or treat them as lovingly as you would your favorite burger.

Things you'll need:
10 small turnips 4 cloves garlic 2 cups pac choi 1 cup kale 1 cup mint 1 large carrot 1 tsp sumac	2 tablespoons millet flour 1 tsp poppy seed 1 cup cooked einkorn 3 cups bread crumbs 1 teaspoon salt Vegetable oil Optional: burger fixin’s like buns, lettuce, tomato, onion

Working in batches, break down the turnip, garlic, pac choi, kale, carrot, and mint in a food processor. Fold the vegetables together in a bowl. Mix in the sumac, millet flour, poppy seed, einkorn, bread crumbs and salt.

With clean hands, pack together 12 fat vegetable patties. Make sure the sides don’t crack.

Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Add a swish of vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Fry each patty for 4 minutes on each side. Halfway through frying, you may need to add another glug of vegetable oil to the pan.

What do you like on your burger? Let me know on Twitter.

A Vegetarian Table: Kale Salad with Everything Bagel Chips

Photo by Sarah Levine.

Learning about SCRATCH Bread’s vegetarian caesar dressing changed my world. I’ve been whipping tofu like no other these days. For the full recipe, buy a copy of Put A Egg On It issue 8.

Once you get that super secret dressing down, you massage it into shredded kale. Arrange it with sliced avocado and a soft boiled egg. I sliced an everything bagel thinly and dried it until it was chippy. What does that mean? I kept the oven at its lowest temperature, 170 degrees F in my case, and cracked the door open with a wooden spoon for an hour or two.

Right before we took this photo (left) I forgot to put the avocado in there and my fingers were messing up the slice I was holding, gah, what to do? Where to put it? And then it clicked, put the egg in the pit divot. Done!

Photo by Sarah Levine.

How do you like your kale? Let me know by tweeting to @Randwiches.

This is part of "A Vegetarian Table" menu shot by Sarah Levine.

Dip Your Veg into Versatile (and Addictive!) Bagna Cauda

Bagna Cauda is another way to enjoy crudites and fondue.  It is a flavor bomb of anchovy, garlic, spicy red pepper, olive oil, and butter.  You can also drizzle it on eggs, toss fresh pasta in it, and dunk bread in it. The lemon wash on the vegetables not only cuts the fatty taste but it helps keep them from browning.

I first learned about this magical Piemontese dip from a sidebar in Steve Jenkins' Cheese Primer, 

"This appetizer takes its name from bagno caldo, Italian for 'hot bath'. "

Things you'll need:
2 anchovy fillets 2 garlic cloves 1/3 cup olive oil 4 tablespoons butter	2 teaspoons red pepper flake ½ lemon 1/2 pound crudites like carrots, celery, radish, green beans, broccoli or any vegetable you’d like to eat raw 1-2 slices of rustic bread or pretzels

1. Cut the vegetables into sticks or smaller dipping sizes, leave rough leaves like kale or chard whole.

2. Squeeze the half lemon into a bowl of ice-cold water and let the vegetables rest in it until you are ready to eat.

3. In a small saucepan, crush the anchovy and garlic together with a spoon. Turn the heat up to medium and add the olive oil. Heat up the mixture enough for it to bubble and then reduce it to low heat. Add the butter and red pepper. Avoid browning the garlic!

4. Transfer to a fondue pot or small bowl with a dishtowel wrapped around the bottom to keep it warm.

5. Drain and pat dry the vegetables before serving.

Let me know what you think of it! I can't stop.

#MadeWithLocalRoots: Pangritata aka "Poor Man's Parmesan"

Pangritata is known as “poor-man’s Parmesan” because it is a low-cost sprinkle condiment you can add to anything like pasta or pizza for a spicy, satisfying and crunchy bite. Even better, it is a sustainable way to use up bread crumbs or bread that you may not be able to eat right away. This works really well with the soft inside of a bread loaf. Use the hard outside crust in a bread pudding or as croutons.

Things you'll need:
2 cups soft bread insides 1 clove garlic, 2 if you're sassy 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes	1 tablespoon dried herb like thyme, rosemary, basil or oregano ¼ cup vegetable oil Zest of 1 lemon Salt

Break the bread up into rough crumbs with your fingers, making sure not to squish them. Spread them flat on a baking sheet and dehydrate for an hour at 170 degrees F. Alternatively, toast them in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven, crack it open with a wooden spoon and let it cool completely. You can also leave them in the closed oven overnight.

Before drying.

After frying, now draining on a paper towel.

The breadcrumbs should be flinty and hard, no sign of moisture whatsoever.

In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Add the garlic, pepper, and herbs. Continue to saute for 5 minutes until the garlic is browned and the crumbs are crispy. Turn off the heat and add the lemon zest.

Drain the crumbs on a pan lined with paper towels. When the pangritata is completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for one week. 

I'm sprinkling this stuff on everything! Cheese, pasta, scrambled eggs.

What do you use it for? Tell me by tweeting to @Randwiches.

#MadeWithLocalRoots: Sumac Onigiri

Rice balls are an easy, simple snack for any time of the day. Add Local Roots' "Sumac'In Me Crazy" spice mix for a lemony bite and a cool twist on a Japanese favorite.

Things you'll need:
2 cups Nishiki white rice 4 cups water 4 square sheets of nori, halved	2 tablespoons sumac mix 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 1 tablespoon salt

Cook the rice with the water in a rice cooker. Meanwhile, combine the sumac, sesame seeds and salt in a small dish.

When the rice is finished, take off the lid to let some steam out for 5 minutes. “Slice” through the rice with a wooden spoon to break it up without squishing it too much.

Fill an onigiri mold with rice and press it to make a ball. If you don’t have a mold, rub your hands with a little of the sumac and salt mix and form a ball or triangle with your hands. If you don’t want to use your hands, sprinkle a little sumac in the center of a sheet of plastic wrap. Scoop a little rice over the seasoning and gather the plastic up around it. Twist and mold it into whatever shape you want.

Dip the rice ball edges into more sumac mix and wrap with a half sheet of nori.

If you will not be eating the rice balls right away, wrap them in plastic wrap and keep the nori separate until ready to serve. You can also freeze the rice balls, just keep them in another plastic zipper bag to shield them against frost. Steam or microwave to warm up again.

Did you make rice balls? I want to see them! Send me photos on Instagram @randwiches.

#MadeWithLocalRoots: Wedges of Ginger Carrot Salad

Inspired by large iceberg wedges salads, piled with bacon and chunky blue cheese dressing; I thought about making a more delicate and handheld type of salad. If your guests are keen and the wedges of lettuce aren't too big, encourage them to pick it up and eat it like a taco. If not, serve with a knife and fork. The individual wedges sit so elegantly on salad plates!

Things you'll need:
1 head soft lettuce 1 carrot, julienned 1” knob ginger, peeled and grated 1 clove garlic	1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon miso 1 teaspoon rice vinegar ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup pistachios, chopped

Whip the wet ingredients in a bowl until combined, add a splash of water if it is not pourable. Taste for seasoning. If you want more salt, add a little more soy sauce. Fold the carrots into the dressing and set aside until ready to serve.

Split the lettuce into quarters and arrange on a plate, refrigerate until you are ready to eat. To finish the salad, spoon a bit of carrot and dressing onto the center of each lettuce chunk. Sprinkle the pistachios over them for crunch.

#MadeWithLocalRoots: Charcuterie and Cheese Snack Jar

Do you have leftover charcuterie and cheese from a party? Elongate the life of your snacks by marinating them in olive oil. After you’re done eating the contents of this jar, use the olive oil marinade to fry eggs or drizzle on pizza.

Things you'll need:
1 cup of cured meat like chorizo or salami, cubed 1 cup semisoft or hard cheese, cubed 1 cup olives	1 bulb of garlic 2 cups of olive oil 1 sprig of rosemary or thyme 1 teaspoon red pepper flake

Here, I used soppressata a firm camembert, Spanish black olives and garlic stuffed olives from Sahadi's.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break the garlic bulb into cloves and discard the outermost paper. Toss the whole garlic cloves in a tablespoon of olive oil and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Shake the pan to turn the garlic and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the garlic is softened. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. 

Peel the garlic and combine with the rest of the ingredients in a clean, quart jar. Seal with a lid and shake to combine. Keep refrigerated for up to a month.

Here are charcuterie combinations that I recommend:

• Chorizo, manchego, black Spanish cured olives
• Soppressata, pecorino, garlic stuffed olives
• Finocchiona, tiny mozzarella balls, castelvetrano olives

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Show me your jar! Tag @Randwiches on Instagram or Twitter.