wasabi soba salad

Mirabella's Pantry is back! I finally joined a CSA here in NYC and just received our first delivery from Stoneledge Farm. I've decided to spend the summer finding and creating recipes that showcase each week's ingredients.

This week we received mizuna, a peppery spring green with a mild mustard flavor that's high in folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants. The Japanese traditionally serve it pickled (which I've never tried), but it also tastes terrific raw or stir-fried.

lemon halibut

This aromatic fish can be prepared in the oven or grilled outside over a barbecue. I especially like the taste of the lemons after they're cooked. They remind me a little of Moroccan preserved lemons, and you can easily eat them rind and all.

kale, beets, and soba noodles with lemon ginger dressing

I make this dish whenever I feel like I need a serious nutritional boost. Between the vegetables and the dressing, it's packed with vitamins and nutrients and tastes sensational. I recommend it even if you dislike kale or beets, as the lemon ginger dressing really livens up the taste of the vegetables.

The dish consists of beets, kale, carrots, and soba noodles, a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. Feel free to substitute the soba with spaghetti or any other kind of pasta or grain. If you want to add protein to this dish, tofu works well and looks beautiful, as it picks up the gorgeous pink coloring of the beets. Just chop some up and throw it into the final dish.

chickpea patty rollup

The Greek Corner in Cambridge, Massachusetts serves one of the most luscious sandwiches I've ever had the pleasure of biting into. The food at the Greek Corner is incredible all around, but I find it very hard to go there and not order the lamb sandwich, a mouthwatering rollup that combines roast lamb, rich tzatziki, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers.

There was a time in my life when I worked just next to this restaurant and, as a result, had the excuse and privilege of eating this sandwich almost every day. I never tired of it, and it's one of the many things in Cambridge I had a hard time parting with when I moved to New York.

The recipe below was born out of a feeling of nostalgia for the Greek Corner's lamb sandwich. While there's no lamb in this recipe, I've tried to honor the general gist of the sandwich by preserving the combination of tzatziki, fresh vegetables, and grilled flatbread. In lieu of lamb, I've used spinach and chickpea patties flavored with garlic, cumin, and lemon. The resulting taste is not unlike hummus, and the texture of the patties adds a meaty dimension to the dish.

spaghetti al nìvuro di sìccia / spaghetti with squid ink sauce

The first time I had the pleasure of eating squid ink sauce was at 40 Ladroni, a sensationally delicious restaurant tucked away in the San Marco district of Venice. I fell so madly in love with this mysterious black dish that a friend of mine proposed marriage on my behalf to our unsuspecting waiter and benevolent bearer of squid ink. The amiable Venetian decided to play along, announcing the engagement to the restaurant of friendly Italians enjoying their Sunday lunch. Prenuptial toasts and complementary shots of limoncello ensued.

Ever since this wonderful day combined marital bliss with the even more vital promise of eternal squid ink sauce and limoncello, I have craved this dish. After lucklessly scouring a host of American cities in hopes of finding a restaurant or market that serves it, I decided to try my hand at it myself. To my delight, I discovered that it’s not as difficult or expensive as it looks, as long as you can get your hands on some of that mythical squid ink (which also makes a fetching moustache).

Squid ink can be hard to find, so whenever I see it I buy as much as I can afford and store it in my freezer. Don't worry if you're not planning on using it anytime soon - squid ink has quite the shelf life. Concerned about the expiration status of some squid ink I bought last summer in Boston's North End, I did some research and came across an article that showed how squid ink can last over 155 million years!

If you're having trouble locating squid ink, I've found that sometimes you can call a local fishery a day in advance. They're often happy to get some fresh squid ink especially for you when the fishermen come the next day.

Ingredients

1 lb good spaghetti
3 Tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

a dash of red pepper flakes

1/2 lb squid tubes, cleaned (and tentacles if desired)

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup white wine

a handful of parsley

1 to 2 teaspoons squid ink
salt (to taste)

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 3 minutes or until the onions begin to become translucent.

In the meantime, slice the squid horizontally into rings.

Once the onions and garlic begin to smell fragrant, add the squid and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, wine, and a handful of parsley, reserving a generous portion of the parsley for the garnish.

Simmer on medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 25 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. Do not overcook the pasta - you want it to be al dente.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the squid ink. Remember, a little goes a long way! Add the ink slowly, watching the colors change, and tasting if you like. When you have a sauce that is as black as night, you know it's time to stop!

Simmer the black sauce for about a minute and then add the drained pasta. Garnish with the leftover parsley, and serve.

(serves 4 and a kitten)

spicy black bean burger with lemon aioli

I was a little skeptical before making these black bean burgers, because it can be difficult to make a veggie patty that coheres well and keeps its shape through the frying process. Fortunately this combination of mushrooms and black beans worked out wonderfully.

I used a hot-red-pepper-based blend of North African spices called harissa to give this burger a unique kick that accentuates the deep flavor of the black beans and the meaty taste of the mushrooms. The lemon aioli cuts the spice nicely and adds a refreshing finish.

You can make this recipe vegan by simply leaving out the egg, parmesan, and aioli. The consistency of the patty will be a little different, but it will still taste excellent.

spicy black bean burgers

Ingredients

For the patties

1 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for frying)

1 shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 carrot, diced

2 cups mushrooms, diced

1 can black beans

1 egg

 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon harissa spice blend

1 Tbsp wheat germ (optional)

1 Tbsp flax meal (optional)

¼ cup bread crumbs

salt (to taste)

For the toppings

tomato, sliced

lettuce

red onion

cheddar cheese

avocado

lemon aioli (see recipe below)

6 hamburger buns

Directions

Sauté the garlic and shallot in olive oil over medium heat until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the carrot and mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms are soft.

In the meantime, start mashing the black beans with a fork. When the mushrooms are cooked, add them to the black bean mash.

In a separate bowl, beat 1 egg. Add harissa, wheat germ, flax, parmesan, and bread crumbs to the egg.

Combine the egg mixture with the bean and mushroom mash.

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a fry pan. Spoon some of the patty mixture into the hot oil. I used a spatula to form the mixture into nice round patties by pressing down on the tops and sides of the burgers. This process is fun and addicting. Once you have a nice shape, flip the patties as you would any burger and repeat the shaping process on the other side.

Once the patties are cooked, assemble the burgers however you like. I recommend toasting the buns lightly and topping them the patties with cheddar cheese, lemon aioli, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and avocado.

lemon aioli

Ingredients

2 egg yolks, room temperature

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice. Very slowly, drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while constantly whisking. This process needs to be very slow in order for the combination of egg and oil to result in a nice, thick sauce, so exercise patience as you add the oil! Season with salt and pepper to taste.