The ochre shade of a red clay tennis court beams especially bright on summer days. In New York City we’re surrounded by so much silver, blue, and black that other colors seem to pop out of nowhere – like the red chile oil in Chinese food or the green meadows in Prospect Park. The Riverside Clay tennis courts on Manhattan’s Upper Westside provide a burst of orange that catches every runner, driver, and cyclist by surprise.
Saturday, June 10th was one of those bright summer days, and we both had red clay fever.
I learned something new while preparing to write this post. I learned that Jody Williams has another restaurant in the West Village. A restaurant that somehow I had never heard of (whaaaat). I knew about Buvette, which has previously inspired some home cooked meals, and Via Carota, her collaboration with Rita Sodi. Somehow I missed Gottino, the oldest of the bunch and quite possibly the most understated. It has a cute patio and a long spacious bar. It looks very appetizing compared to the squished “bistro” seating I’ve endured at Buvette, all for the sake of their delicious tartinettes.
There are few foods items I enjoy more than tartinettes (also known as crostinis) – a crusty piece of toast topped with a creative combination of cheese, meat, and/or vegetables. This walnut pesto is one such creation and comes originally from Gottino, but is now served at Buvette as well. Having it at Buvette for the first time, I knew I would love it forever. The rendition Luke and I make at home is very nearly as good. If I could I would eat this for dinner often – several large spoonfuls on crispy toasts with just a simple mixed green salad. Unfortunately, Luke doesn’t consider walnut pesto tartinettes substantial enough for dinner. I encourage you to enjoy walnut pesto for lunch, happy hour, dinner, maybe even breakfast. Our recipe comes from Deb Perelman. I also love this succinct recipe writeup from The New York Times in 2008, which omits ingredient measurements. Jody Williams has been serving walnut pesto for nearly ten years! That is the strongest endorsement of this recipe’s deliciousness.
Ingredients:
1 cup shelled walnuts (optional: toast and let cool)
1/4 cup grated parm
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or grated
fresh thyme (strip a few sprigs and give ’em rough chop)
salt, to taste
splash of red wine or sherry vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 TBS minced sun dried tomato (oil packed or dry will work, if using oil packed can go a little lighter on the olive oil)
sliced baguette
Directions:
Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind walnuts, cheese, garlic, thyme, salt, and vinegar. Stir in olive oil and tomatoes.
Toast your baguette slices (cut fairly thin, 1/2 inch or so). Heap a generous spoonful of pesto onto your warm slices and enjoy immediately.
Pesto can be stored at room temp for up to a week.
Charlie Bird is one of those New York restaurants. It’s been around for over ten years!! That’s a feat in New York. And it still manages to have a newfangled feel. Lots of fresh ingredients, incredibly inventive dishes. The food is delicious. But…Charlie Bird is one of those New York restaurants – small plates, not so small prices. Luke and I have been only once and it was when my parents were in town. Special dinner for a special occasion. Our lives and salaries don’t really warrant dinners at Charlie Bird. Prior to our dinner, having done my research, I knew the farro salad was a Charlie Bird favorite. But sitting down for dinner and perusing the menu, there were so many other amazing options. Farro, being a humble grain, just wasn’t all that appealing! I don’t regret this decision. Dinner was perfect. And thanks to Melissa Clark, we were able to replicate the farro salad at home. Though we could never claim that our version is as good as Charlie Bird’s, we both were able to enjoy very sizable portions!
Ingredients:
1 cup farro
1 cup apple cider
2 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
6 TBS olive oil
juice of 1 small lemon (about 3 TBS)
about 1/3 cup shaved parm (you can use a vegetable peeler to shave)
2 big handfuls of arugula
1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 cup mint, roughly chopped
3 radishes, thinly sliced
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring farro, apple cider, water, salt and bay leaves to a simmer. Simmer until farro is tender (it will still have a little bit of chew) and the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. If the liquid evaporates before the farro is done cooking, add a bit more water. Let farro cool and then discard the bay leaves.
In a salad bowl, make the dressing. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Add cooled farro and cheese and mix well. This mixture can sit for a couple of hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. When ready to eat, mix in the arugula, herbs, tomatoes, and radishes. Top with flaky sea salt, to taste.
Details: Serves 4-6. This is a hearty salad and can be eaten as a main course! Serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side.
Pig n' Pie - Food recipes and adventures 