I started working at L'Etoile this weekend, and in four days put in 40 hours (that's the biz!). My first few days consisted of snapping a lot of asparagus, portioning cheese, cleaning ramps, cutting 105 portions of bison carpaccio and picking through a huge bag of watercress. The highlights of my responsibilities were plating the amuse, cleaning octopus, and grilling asparagus! It was UW graduation and the restaurant did over 600 covers this weekend. 600 covers! with 4-6 people on the line!
Although, my jobs required little thought, I was just happy to be in the kitchen again. More importantly, I was happy to be in this kitchen in particular. In some respects, a kitchen is a kitchen is a kitchen. Your mom jokes run rampant, servers date kitchen boys, kitchen girls date kitchen boys, there is never enough space to prep, nor equipment, nor room in the walk-in. However here, the kitchen is fairly quiet during service. Everyone seems to enjoy and take pride in the work they do. Yes it's a job and it pays (most) our bills, but it's also what we love to do. As packed as the walk-ins are, everything is labeled, and stacked (somewhat) orderly. The product is bought from local farms and from the farm market. I can tell I am going to like working here and that I will learn a lot. I was told that this weekend I would be able to get on the line and do some actual cooking!
I also signed a lease and 'moved in' Saturday morning before heading to work. I only stay at my new apartment one night this week and didn't get much of a chance to settle in at all. But I am glad to have a space of my own in the city!
Sunday night I made my first valley drive in the dark! I avoided 2 deer, one raccoon and one dead squirrel (sorry, J) and would say I can officially navigate the hills and turns with out second guessing or consulting my map. I am starting to get a fairly good feel for driving around Madison as well. There are a lot of one ways downtown and many streets have 2 names depending on what side of what road you are on. It can get confusing at times, but I have been able to get from point a to point b.
Today, back in the valley, was back to lunch for the crew (hamburgers, potato salad, sunchoke salad and spinach salad) and dinner for the residents (white lasagna, more spinach salad and morel poppers). Tonight's veggie count: 10. Spinach, watercress, beauty heart radish, onion, ramp, parsnip, morel, nettle, sorrel, jalapeno.
Now, I don't usually tell people that they have to try my recipe, but...you have to try this white lasagna! I'll even tell you my secret ingredient. Yes, the coveted secret ingredient. If you don't understand the importance of this, allow me to share a rarely spoken of fact. When you ask for someones recipe and are lucky enough to get it, I guarantee they intentionally leave something out. Because that recipe is your creation! You might enjoy the flattery of someone inquiring for your recipe, but truth be told you don't want anyone to be able to make it as well as you. Well, I will tell you the secret to this white lasagna, just because I like you all that much.
I don't really know an exact recipe, because as with many things I try, I make them up as I go. And this one is an easy one to tweak and customize to what you have in your fridge. Here's the general idea:
Pork: the other white meat.
I used some left over pork meatballs I had from when I made stuffed cabbage, but you can use ground pork and season with S&P (always) and fennel seed.
Onions (sorry mom, they are good) and other white things.
I used ramp bulbs, red onion and parsnip. Any type of onion will do; leek, shallot, white onion...
Earth
This weekend, the farm owner harvested a bunch of morels! Yum. However, unless you have some woods to forage or feel like dropping a pretty penny for some of these tasty babies, you might sub another mushroom. There really isn't another mushroom like morels, but chantrelles, trumpet, oyster or mitakes would probably be close enough. Please don't bother with button mushrooms. ever.
Greens
Use any green veggies you have laying about in the fridge. I used spinach, ramp leaves, nettles and sorrel. I had hoped to include asparagus, but we didn't have any extra. :( Peas would also be a tasty addition.
Cheese
I used mozzarella and goat cheese.
Secret Ingredient
Are you ready for it???
Lemon. Slice a lemon as thin as you possibly can. 1/16th of an inch or smaller if you can. Before you cook your noodles, throw the slices in the boiling water for about a minute. Remove and reserve.
Method
1. Cook pork over med-high heat, breaking up any pieces until meat is cooked through. Remove from pan and reserve.
2. In the same pan, add 2T olive oil and sauté asparagus until crisp-tender with the mushrooms. Reserve with pork. Then caramelize onions/snips over med-low heat and add some minced garlic (maybe 1T). Add to your collection of pork and veggies. Lastly, wilt your leafy greens and, you guessed it, add to your bowl of goodies.
3. To make the sauce: In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt and allow butter to slightly brown (this is gives the butter a slightly nutty flavor). Stir in flour; cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in Parmesan and goat cheese, S&P.
Layer cooked noodles, veggies and sauce. Add a layer of lemon slices every other layer of veggies. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until top is golden and bubbly.
1 pound ground pork
1/4 c onion, diced
1-2 c asparagus, trimmed and/or peas and/or parsnip
1/2 - 1 c mushrooms
4 c loose leafy greens
6 T butter
1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces mild goat cheese
I'm pretty sure I unintentionally made this sound way more difficult than it is. It's actually really easy and really worth the 3 pans you will dirty to make it (saute pan, sauce pan, baking dish). The lemon and mushrooms contrast each other, making for a delicious bright, fresh, earthy dinner that I promise, will leave you satisfied.
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