new years, with rapini.

happy new year, everyone.

last night was mellow and drunken and we ate much italian food. giancarlo made gnochhi and kelly made these wonderful meatballs, the size of a fist.

yes, it's not terribly vegetarian,
but then again, i'm not much of one.

also, tucker brought some panettone, an italian type of christmas bread (think: challah bread + fruitcake). it would have made decadent french toast, had we not run out of eggs ..

at any rate, a veggie appetizer would fit perfectly to this sort of thing. so here's what i made:

RAPINI & PORTOBELLO TAPENADE [1]

for those in the know, rapini is an italian analogue to chinese gai lan, and is cooked similarly in italian cooking! some traditions are universal, i guess. (:

ingredients:

• 1 bunch rapini (or broccoli rabe), chopped (see below)
  
• 1 pack baby portobello mushrooms, chopped in quarters
  
• 1 medium red onion, diced.
  
• salt, red pepper flakes, dried lemongrass [2]
  
• olive oil
  
• water (or vegetable broth; your choice).
  
  
• 1 regular baguette
  
• 1 wedge of a hard cheese with mellow flavor;
      i used parmesan reggiano, myself

instructions: this is essentially chop, saute, & simmer, but just to avoid any confusion ..

1. preparing rapini: since this will be a topping on toasted baguette, i suggest chopping the stems more finely than the leafy tops. the leaves will wilt like kale, but not as intensely as spinach, so use your own judgment.
   
   ** also, these greens can somewhat bitter for the uninitiated; if you're cooking for such a crowd, then before the saute you might want to blanch the chopped rapini for 20-30 seconds, but no longer. otherwise, all the nutrients will be drained away from those wonderful greens.
   
   
2. saute order: if you choose to chop as i have chopped, then i suggest SAUTEING THE STEMS first, because they are tougher and will take longer cooking times.
   
   the full order: rapini stems, then salt & pepper, then mushroom, then oil, then lemongrass, then onion, then rapini tops. lastly, add liquid and let simmer at low heat.
   
   
3. toasting bread: it doesn't matter if you cut the baguette lengthwise or in slices. (i find it easier to eat the first way, myself, because the texture is more uniform: in slices, one bites through the crust, and then the soft bread flesh tends to fall apart on you.)
   
   at any rate, warm the pieces of bread in a tray and into the oven -- no need to brown it. when they look crisp, white, and warm, remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, and return into the oven for 1/2 to 1 minute -- just enough time to soften the cheese, maybe melt it a little.
   
   then pat bread&cheese pieces with the saute, and serve. top with olive oil, if the saute looks dry.

modifications (which i didn't try)

1. any recipe for kale can be used for rapini, so you can saute more coarsely chopped rapini with bacon or parma ham or pancetta, or even thinly sliced beef. i chose otherwise, because when someone else is making fist-sized meatballs, it might be good to balance the meal with a lighter dish.
   
   
2. i forgot to add any (minced) garlic to this, which would have added even more flavor. then again, with the sweetness of the red onion, the savory flavor of the mushrooms, and the heat from the red pepper, this ended up having plenty of taste anyway.

[1] if you trust the wiki, then i should have added olives in this. myself, i use the word tapenade rather liberally.

[2] this can be found in many asian groceries and occasionally, in international foods sections of large supermarkets. if you still can't find it, then zest the skin of a lemon, which is probably better; i chose not to do this because .. well, i'm lazy.