Tortilla de Grelos y Jamon

Tortillas in Spain are almost always eggs and potatoes, with or without onion (and they will fight about it). I frequently see assurances that tortillas can be made with other fillings, but actual examples are very rare on the ground. 

This take is Basque in origin, and makes a very nice change. I find green vegetables a little short in supply in official Spanish cuisine, but given the number of little gardens clustering every small village, people must eat 'em. Any kind of spring green such as turnip greens or raab, or arugula maybe, could be used here. Spinach is probably most readily available here, but something a little more robust would be the best. Good Spanish ham is also ideal but hard to get. Good Canadian ham will work okay, but it too is hard to get these days - so much of it is soaked in brine and gelatine. Don't bother with that. Use a good bacon if you have to (also not soaked in brine... good luck).

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

 

1 green onion OR shallot

300 grams (10 ounces) turnip greens OR spinach

150 grams dry ham or cooked bacon bits

6 large chicken eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Wash, trim, and chop the onion or shallot. Wash, trim, and chop the greens or spinach. Put them in a mixing bowl. Chop the ham and add it, or if using bacon, chop it and fry it until crisp but not browned. Drain the pieces of excess fat and add them. 

 

Break in the eggs, mixing them in one at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Heat the oil (or you could use the bacon fat if you have it; but use it in a clean pan to avoid sticking) over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the pan is hot, spread the egg mixture evenly in it.  

As it sets, you can lift it up and tilt the pan to allow raw egg to flow underneath. When it is about half cooked - the top will still be not set - carefully flip it out onto a plate by placing the plate over the pan then turning them both over. Slide the tortilla back into the pan, and pour any raw egg remaining on the plate around the edges. Cook until the tortilla is set, but not dry. 

In Spain, this would be served at room temperature, cut into slices - in a sandwich, maybe - or cubes to be eaten as tapas, but you can eat it right away as you would any other omelette if you prefer.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Spinach & Mushroom Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing.

Migas with Beans & Greens

I've found myself poking around at Portuguese recipes quite a bit the last few months. It started with a (continuing) interest in Spanish recipes, and not surprisingly there is some degree of overlap. Portuguese cuisine is a bit different though, and it has some really delicious dishes. 

 

For one thing, my impression is that Portuguese bread and pastry baking is the better of the two. This dish would usually be made with corn bread - mostly wheat, in spite of the name, but with enough corn flour in it to turn it golden and give it a marvellous flavour. Alas, while you can find it at Portuguese bakeries in larger cities there is none around here. Where you find good bread, you also find recipes to use up the stale leftover bits. 

 

This is usually made with black-eyed peas, but navy beans make a good substitute. Despite the simple technique and very short list of ingredients, we thought this was really delicious. For our bread crumbs, I used two ciabatta type rolls and they were fine, although I do regret that corn bread. 

The Spanish also make a lot of "Migas" (crumbs is what it means) dishes, but I have yet to see one with beans, and while cilantro seems to be quite common in Portuguese cuisine (which for some reason surprised me) it is rarely used by the Spanish. Likewise, Piri-Piri hot sauce is a popular Portuguese condiment but the Spanish rarely apply any kind of chile to their food beyond a little very mildly hot paprika.

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the beans and greens

 

 

1 cup dried navy beans OR black-eyed peas

4 cups chopped turnip or rutabaga greens, OR kale OR spinach OR rapini (raab)

200 grams (5 ounces) diced stale bread

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

3 tablespoons olive oil 

a little minced fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

 

The beans should be cooked in advance in the usual way; cover in water and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and soak for at least one hour. Drain, replace the water, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer until tender OR cook them in an Instant Pot for 5 to 7 minutes, with natural pressure release. 

 

The greens should also be cooked in advance; wash them very carefully and pick them over, then wash them again. Plunge them into boiling water or steam until just wilted, then rinse in cold water. Drain them again; in fact, squeeze them to remove excess liquid. Chop finely. 

 

It is possible and even reasonable to speed this dish up considerably by using tinned beans (one tin of the beans of your choice) and frozen greens - you will want about 300 grams or 10 ounces. This also makes it a good dish to make in the winter.

 

NOW, let's get started: peel and mince the garlic. Peel and chop the onion finely. Slice the bread, and crumble it into pieces about twice the size of a bean. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and let it soften and get fairly translucent, then add the bread crumbs and toss well. Cook gently for several minutes, turning regularly, until they are dry and toasted in spots all over. Add the garlic and mix it in well; give it a minute to cook. 

Add the drained beans and chopped greens. Mix in well, and let everything heat through. You may wish to add a little of the cooking water from the beans or the greens. The finished texture of the dish may range from fairly dry and crisp through moist, through almost soupy - it is a matter of taste. I prefer a drier texture, and my bread was not that stale to start with, so I did not add any but you must use your own judgement - it is that kind of dish and all the proportions are also somewhat up for grabs. 

Serve it as a meal by itself for 2 people, or serve it as a side dish with grilled meat, poultry or fish for up to 4 people. A poached or fried egg on top would also go very well.

Last year at this time I made Chicken Pozharski.

Pasta with Rutabaga Greens, Anchovies, Garlic & Chile

Here is a lively take on one of my favourite ways to prepare pasta: the pasta and some vegetable are cooked together then dressed with something richer and perhaps fried. In this case not fried, so much as infused into a generous but not too greasy amount of olive oil. (If your anchovies come with a certain amount of oil, by all means start with that when you measure the oil.) All the flavours are very strong, but in spite of that they get along with each other excellently. I used whole wheat pasta - I mostly do these day, on the rarish occasion I eat pasta at all - which can be a bit robust for more delicate sauces but which mingles well with all these equally robust ingredients. Use whatever pasta you like, though. 

 

Rutabaga greens are, as I've said before, the best (non)turnip greens, but turnip greens could be used, or Swiss chard, kale, or collards in their season. Rapini or broccoletto too, would be good, meaning this is a dish that can be made any time there are good, astringent greens around. Spinach? I think it's a little too refined to be ideal for this hearty dish, but it would work well enough if that's what you can get. Apply it with a little heavier hand, maybe. 

I'm saying 20 minutes, which is about the time for the water to come to a boil and then cook the pasta and greens, but if your greens are at all obstreperous about needing picking over, allow a little longer.

 

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes prep time

300 grams (10 ounces) rutabaga greens

6 to 10 cloves of garlic

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

freshly ground black pepper to taste

25 grams (1 ounce; 1/2 small tin) anchovies

225 grams (1/2 pound) pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

 

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Wash and trim the greens, and chop them. Peel and mince the garlic, and put them in a small bowl with the chile flakes and pepper. Drain and mince the anchovies. 

When the water boils, add the pasta and set the timer for 1 minute longer than the recommended cooking time. When the pasta has 6 minutes left to cook, add the green, mixing them in well. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a smallish skillet. When it is hot, mix in the garlic with the spices, and the anchovies. Allow them to sizzle gently in the oil until very fragrant, then remove from the heat and set aside. 

When the pasta and greens are cooked, drain them well and return them to the pot. Toss them with the hot seasoned oil and toss well to combine. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Cipollata.

Saag Paneer

I've made Saag Paneer a few times over the years with the idea that I would post it on this blog. All my attempts have been okay, but did not leave me feeling like it was the best Saag Paneer ever. I'm not sure this is either, although we found it very satisfactory. I suspect the best Saag Paneer ever contains more in the way of butter and cream. 

 

This is a dish that also tends to contain tomato; while it's not really in season at the moment, canned crushed tomatoes would be perfectly fine. However, so many of the Indian (inspired) dishes I make have tomatoes in them that I wish to have a few in my repertoire that don't have any, just to supply a little contrast. 

 

Garden spinach should be at its peak right now, but alas - the up-and-down weather we've had all spring (and through the winter too, really) was very hard on it and the mice have found it too. This may be it for our spinach this year. 

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour prep time

Get Started:

600 grams (20 ounces) blanched spinach OR other mild, tender greens

250 grams (1/2 pound) paneer OR halloumi cheese

1 teaspoon mild vegetable oil

1 large onion

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

 

Wash the spinach or other greens very well, and chop them coarsely. Put them in a colander and pour boiling water evenly over them to wilt them thoroughly. Rinse them in cold water, drain them well and squeeze them dry. Chop them finely and set them aside. 

 

Rinse and drain the paneer, and cut it into small cubes or lozenges (small bite-sized). Heat a skillet over medium heat with the oil - just enough to put a film over it - and cook the cheese on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a dish and set aside.

 

Peel and chop the onion. Heat the oil in the skillet, and cook the onion gently over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add it to the prepared greens. 

 

Prepare the Spices:

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed

2 teaspoons coriander seed

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon hot chile powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

3 or 4 cloves of garlic 

Grind the cumin and coriander with the salt, then mix them with the remaining spices in a small bowl. Peel and grate the ginger and garlic and add them. Set aside.

 

Finish the Dish:

2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

2/3 to 3/4 cup thick yogurt  

1/2 lemon, cut in wedges (optional)

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the bowl of spices, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add the blanched spinach and onion and mix in well.  Begin working in the yogurt, a scoop at a time until the mixture has reached a level of creaminess that seems right to you. Once it is hot through, add the cheese and continue to simmer until it too is hot through. Serve at once, although this re-heats quite well so it could be made in advance.

Last year at this time I made Barley with Sorrel.

Lentil & Spring Greens Salad with a Spicy Tahini Dressing

Well so much for the theory that spring is on the way. It is, I guess, but so far, not so good. I did manage to scrounge a little spinach, sorrel, and mache (corn salad) from the garden just before the cold settled back in; enough for a salad with a little help from some lovely local greenhouse lettuce I've been able to get this winter.  

Greenhouse tomatoes aren't quite so good - I notice they have changed from just a year or two ago, and now stay very firm, not to say outright hard - but they taste okay, and even though I'm using them less often, they really did add to the colour and texture of this salad. I used 2 medium tomatoes and did not think them too prominent; if you are a tomato lover you could add another.

We both really liked the dressing, and I think I will be making it fairly often. It's a fairly standard tahini sauce, spiced up a little. 

If you don't want to cook the onions, it's a good idea to salt them and let them drain for 15 minutes before rinsing and draining them well. At least, the older I get the better an idea I think that is. If you are up for eating raw onion, good for you.

 

4 servings

30 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the lentils & onions 

(15 minutes PLUS cooking and cooling time)

 

 

Cook the Lentils & Onions:

1 cup brown or green lentils 

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 or 2 medium onions

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Rinse the lentils and put them in a rice cooker with the water and salt. Turn on; cook. Let them cool completely before assembling the salad. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

Peel the onions and cut them into slivers. Cook them gently over medium heat in the oil until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add them to the lentils to cool.

Make the Dressing:

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper 

1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (to taste)

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup tahini 

the juice of 1 large lemon

a little water as needed

 

Grind the cumin with the salt, and put in a small bowl with the pepper and Aleppo pepper. Peel and mince the garlic and add it. Add the olive oil and mix, then add the tahini and mix thoroughly until as smooth as you can get it. Slowly add the lemon juice, a little at a time, to make a smooth paste. It should be the consistency of thick cream; add a little water, a teaspoon at a time and mixing well after each addition, until this is achieved. 

Make the Salad:

3 to 4 cups mixed shredded salad greens 

 - lettuce, spinach, sorrel, mache etc.

1 to 3 medium greenhouse tomatoes

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Wash and dry the greens, and shred or tear them up fairly small. Wash and core the tomatoes, and cut them in dice. Wash, dry, and mince the cilantro. 

Mix the onions into the lentils well, then layer them with the greens, tomatoes, and dressing on a serving platter. For best looks, finish with a sprinkle of tomatoes and a drizzle of the dressing. You may not use all the dressing; in that case put it in a little jug to be passed for anyone who would like extra. 

Last year at this time I made Coconut Beef & Cabbage Curry.

Leeks Stuffed with Smoked Trout & Wild Rice

I really, really did intend to get away from the cheese at last, but I made the leek rolls, and put them in the pan, and there they were - totally naked, and not in a good way. They needed something to keep them moist. They needed cheese. Okay. Although I think a less cheesy solution of buttered bread crumbs and Parmesan in modest quantities would also work.

Now that I have a technique down for stuffing leeks, I think they are so terrific. About the same level of difficulty to make as lasagne (which is to say, a little picky but not at all difficult) and with that same impressive presentation. And cheese; let's not forget the cheese.

 

This is not just impressive looking, it's impressive tasting, and I'm afraid that with the price of some of the ingredients the grocery bill will also be quite impressive, and not in a good way, again. Still, sometimes one must splash out a little. 

I used Friulano, which I like so much, but mozzarella may be easier to get. At any rate, it should be a moderately mild cheese, to allow the smoked trout to really shine.

 

4 servings

40 minutes advance preparation time

1 hour 30 minutes - (40 minutes prep time) to finish

Prepare the Leeks, Spinach, & Wild Rice:

1/2 cup raw wild rice

1 1/2 cups water

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large (600 grams; 1.5 pounds) leeks

4 cups loosely-packed raw spinach

OR 150 grams (5 ounces) cooked spinach

 

Put the wild rice, water, and salt into a rice-cooker and cook. Once it is done, remove it from the pot promptly. 

 

Put a pot of water on to boil. Trim and wash the leeks. When you have the solid shank part of each one trimmed, cut it from top to bottom half-way through. This will allow you to pull out the centre of the leek, leaving 5 or 6 layers. Boil the outer layers for 4 or 5 minutes, then lift them from the boiling water, rinse them in cold water, and drain them well. (Set the inner leaves aside but keep them.) 

Wash and pick over the spinach while the leeks blanch. Blanch the spinach for just a minute or so, then rinse in cold water and drain well. Squeeze out as much water from them as you easily can, then chop them finely. 

All of these things can be done up to a day ahead, and the prepared ingredients kept refrigerated until needed.

Make the Filling & Bake:

2 medium shallots

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

125 grams (1/4 pound) button mushrooms

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon rubbed basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

a little grating of nutmeg

125 grams (1/4 pound; 1/2 fillet) smoked trout  

1 medium egg

250 grams (1/2 pound) smoked trout

3/4 cup 5% or 10% cream

100 grams grated mozzarella OR Friulano cheese

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Peel and mince the shallots and garlic. Clean, trim, and slice the mushrooms - slice them in half again if the mushrooms are large. Finely chop the leftover inner leaves of the leeks.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or butter a 1 1/2 quart/litre shallow baking pan. 

 

Heat the butter in a large skillet, and cook the shallots over medium heat, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the leeks and mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until they too are softened and reduced in volume. Add the seasonings, and the garlic and cook for a minute or two more. 

 

Turn the cooked vegetables into a mixing bowl and add the wild rice and finely chopped spinach. Break in the egg. Break the trout into flakes, discarding the skin, and add it to the mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir gently to combine. 

Take 2 or 3 leaves of the blanched outer leaves of the leeks, spreading them out to form a rectangle. Put in enough filling in a line across the middle, and fold the leek leaves closed around them. Place the resulting filled leek leaves into the prepared pan. Continue filling the leek leaves until they are all done. Pour the remaining cream evenly over them. 

Grate the cheeses, and sprinkle them evenly over the pan of leeks. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Beets au gratin. 

Spinach & Pistachio Soup

I made this a couple of times, but the first time I didn't purée it. The result was that we enjoyed it, but it wasn't as exciting as spinach and pistachio soup should be. The next time I made it exactly the same way, but I did purée it, and suddenly everyone was so much more thrilled with it. 

I'm calling for almond butter, but if you could get or make pistachio butter, I think that would be ideal. As usual with spinach, about 20 minutes of the prep time is set aside just for washing and picking it over. If you used frozen spinach, you would cut off quite a lot of time. This is otherwise really a fast and simple soup to make. It's rich and not inexpensive, though, so ideal for entertaining - or maybe just treating yourself.

 

4 servings

1 hour prep time

 

 

10 ounces cooked spinach (about 8 cups fresh)

1 large shallot

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped shelled pistachios

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons almond butter

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup 10% cream

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Wash and pick over the spinach, discarding any damaged leaves or tough stems. Wash and drain well again, then wilt them down in the soup pot, with a cover. Turn them into a strainer and rinse in cold water, then drain them, squeeze to remove as much water as possible, and chop finely. 

Peel and mince the shallot. 

Heat the butter in the bottom a large heavy-bottomed soup pot - there was one around here just a minute ago - and add the shallot. Cook gently over medium heat for about 5 minutes, sizzling gently. Add the chopped pistachios and continue for anther few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

 

While they cook, measure the almond butter out into a smallish bowl, and slowly mix in enough of the broth to make it quite loose and lump free. 

 

Add the prepared spinach to the pot, and cook for another few minutes. 

 

Add the almond butter mixture and the rest of the stock to the pan, and mix well. Puree the soup until very smooth, then return it to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes. Mix in the cream, bring the soup back up to steaming hot, and serve at once, garnished with some coarsely chopped pistachios.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Mincemeat Pudding with Custard. 

Catalan Spinach

It's like all the ingredients for a favourite salad, in a hot vegetable dish. Well, no vinegar. It occurs to me a few drops, or some lemon juice, sprinkled over it would not go amiss.

 

As usual with spinach, most of the work is in cleaning and preparing it. Make sure you have everything ready to go before you start cooking because the cooking goes extremely fast - there's no time to be rummaging for raisins in the back of the cupboard. Everything else should be heading off to the table just after the spinach hits the pan.

 

4 servings

20 minutes to wash and sort the spinach

15 minutes to finish the dish

 

8 cups loosely packed spinach leaves

1 medium tart cooking apple

1 to 3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup pine nuts, chopped almonds, OR pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Wash and pick over the spinach. Drain and wash again. Drain very well. 

 

Peel (or not) and core the apple, and cut it into dice. Peel and mince the garlic. Measure out the raisins and nuts or seeds.

 

Heat the oil and the spinach to the pan, turning it to get it all wilted down. Add the apple and garlic and mix in well. Add the raisins and nuts or seeds, and mix in well. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is done to your liking - not too long; it's spinach. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Spinach & Feta Stuffed Leeks.

Beet & Feta Empanadas

You must cook the beets for this in advance; I think it's easiest to do it a day ahead. Then you can make the filling right away, or the next day when ready to proceed - whichever is most convenient. As usual with this sort of advance cooking, they could be left over from another meal. If you no longer have the beet greens, of if they weren't that great to start with, they can be replaced with Swiss chard, which is, after all, only another kind of beet green.

 

The resulting empanadas are light but substantial enough to carry the meal. We ate them with some vegetables sticks and dip, and there were enough for two lunches. I made 6 empanadas but next time would probably make 8 - we found that 1 was not quite enough, but 2 would have been too many, so split 1 at each meal. 

And delightful as these were, I must spare a moment to rave about last years dish - Coconut Macaroon Peach Crisp! I should make it again while I can still find peaches, because it was quite amazing.

 

6 to 8 empanadas - 4 servings

20 minutes to make the filling, NOT including cooking the beets

1 hour 30 minutes - 40 minutes prep time to form & bake the empanadas

 

 

Make the Filling:

1 cup (2 medium) finely diced cooked beets

1 small onion

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

2 cups finely chopped beet greens OR Swiss chard

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon rubbed oregano

freshly ground black pepper to taste

150 grams (5 ounces) feta cheese

 

Roast (wrapped in foil) or boil the beets until tender; about 45 minutes to an hour. Allow to cool at least enough to handle, but this can be done up to a day ahead. 

 

Peel and chop the onion fairly finely. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, trim, and chop the beet greens. 

 

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until softened and slightly browned; about 10 minutes. Stir regularly. Add the garlic and seasonings and cook for another minute or so, then add the beet greens and cook them just until wilted down. Transfer to a mixing bowl or coverable dish and allow to cool at least enough to handle, but again, this can be done up to a day ahead.

 

Make the Pastry:

2 1/3 cups whole spelt flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup mild vegetable oil

1 medium egg

extra flour to roll out

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons cream

 

Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and blend. Grate in the butter. Measure the buttermilk and oil, and whisk one of the eggs into them. Mix into the flour to form a dough, but do not overmix. Cover it and let it rest for 15 or 20 minutes. 

Divide the dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces. Dust each one with flour and roll them out on a pastry board or piece of parchment paper to form a thin circle 7"-8" in diameter. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. 

As the circles of dough are rolled out, place 1/6 or 1/8 of the filling on one half of it, leaving space clear around the edge to fold and seal the empanada. Spread it out to reasonably flat and evenly distributed. Fold over the clear half of the dough, and press sealed around the edges. Fold the edges in, pinching them closed. Transfer the finished empanada to the prepared pan. Continue with the remaining ingredients. Poke all the empanadas with a fork to allow the steam to escape.

Mix the cream into the remaining egg. Brush the empanadas with this mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the empanadas to cool to room temperature before serving.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Coconut Macaroon Peach Crisp. 

Acelgas con Huevo - Swiss Chard Spanish Style

I tend to think of dishes with eggs in them as main dishes, but this is more of a side dish. There are a number of Mediterranean vegetable dishes that include egg, but are not intended as the centrepiece of the meal. It really isn't any stranger than having a side dish with cheese or bacon in it, so I need to get over it. 

 

That said, I do not see why you could not throw in a couple of extra eggs, serve this with good crusty bread, and call it dinner.  Or as it is, pile the leftovers (should you be so fortunate as to have any) on said bread, serve it in small portions, and call it tapas.

 

True Spanish style calls for more oil than I actually used; and do use the higher quantity if you are adding more eggs. You could speed this up - not that it isn't already quite speedy for an apparently fairly elaborate dish - by cooking the Swiss chard in advance. (You know; leftovers. Or at least planovers.)

 

2 to 6 servings 

20 minutes prep time

 

 

500 grams (1 pound) Swiss chard

1 large tomato

1 small fresh onion with greens, 

 OR 2 green onions

2 cloves of garlic

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 large egg

 

Put a pot of water on to cook the Swiss chard. Wash and trim it. Chop the stems into bite-sized pieces, and the leaves a little more coarsely. 

Blanche the tomato in the boiling water for 1 minute, then cook the chard in it, stems and leaves, for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse both in cold water. Peel and chop the tomato, and set it aside. Drain the chard well. 

Wash, trim, and chop the onions. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat the oil in a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for a minute or two, until well wilted. Add the garlic and cook for just another minute. Stir throughout. 

Add the tomato and mix it in well, then reduce the heat. Let the mixture simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato has released all its liquid and cooked back down to just moist. Add the vinegar and mix it in well, and cook for a minute or 2 more, until the raw vinegar odour has dissipated. Add the Swiss chard, mix it in well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is done to your liking. 

Meanwhile, break and whisk the egg. Add it to the pan, and mix it in so it scrambles in small pieces. As soon as it is just set, remove the Swiss chard, etc, to a serving dish. 

Serve at once; or this is also very good at room temperature.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Fish & Summer Vegetable Chowder. 

Roasted Beet & Halloumi Salad

First beets out of the garden! So sweet and tasty and tender when roasted. They shrunk a bit more than I expected but perhaps they are higher in their moisture content now than they would be later in the season.

As so often is the case we ate it all as our meal, but as a side salad it would go further, and unlike a lot of salads with cheese I think it would do well in that role. Note that the only added salt is a pinch in the dressing, because the salad will be plenty salty from the halloumi. I dithered a bit about putting the honey in the dressing, but I have to say it was well worth the sugar. Truly delicious.

 

2 to 6 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 30 minutes prep time 

Roast the Beets & Halloumi:

600 grams (1 1/2 pounds; 6 medium) beets

3 tablespoons olive oil

250 grams (1/2 pound) halloumi cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the beets and cut them in bite-sized wedges or thick slices. Put them in a shallow roasting pan that will hold them snugly in a single layer, and toss them with the oil. Roast for 40 minutes. 

Cut the halloumi into bite-sized thick slices. When the beets have roasted for 40 minutes, give them a stir and scatter the halloumi over them. Roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is soft and browned.

Make the Dressing:

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon rubbed oregano

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 more tablespoon lemon juice

 

Put the garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper into a small food processor bowl and process until finely chopped. Add the oil, a little at a time, processing well between each addition. Add the lemon juice slowly the same way, then add the honey. 

 

Have the parsley washed and finely chopped, then add it to the dressing and process again, until finely minced.

 

When the beets and halloumi come out of the oven, pour this dressing over them. Scrape it out well, use the last tablespoon of lemon juice to swish out the bowl of the food processor, then pour it over the beets and cheese as well. 

 

Mix the dressing gently into the beets and cheese, and let them cool for about 10 minutes.  

 

Finish the Salad:

4 to 6 cups chopped lettuce

   OR mixed salad greens 

Wash and dry the lettuce or greens, and arrange them in a serving salad bowl or individual salad bowls. Arrange the roasted beets and halloumi over them, drizzling with all the dressing and accumulated pan juices. Serve at once. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Raspberry Vinegar Chicken. 

Baby Bok Choy with Oyster Mushrooms

This is a pretty simple and straightforward treatment for bok choy, with a classic stir-fry sauce. I've hardly ever seen local bok choy available, but it's amazing what happens when you decide to drive one town over to do your shopping. 

 

I didn't have any broth in the fridge, so I used water, with just a few drops of hoisin sauce. It ended up perhaps a little salty, but when served on top of rice that was okay. Still, something to be careful about. 

I found a lot of grit and dirt got in between the stems, especially at the base - be very careful to wash them thoroughly.

 

 

2 to 3 servings

15 minutes prep time

 

  

Make the Sauce:

1 teaspoon arrowroot or corn starch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons chicken stock or water

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

 

Mix the above ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

 

Finish the Dish:

3 or 4 cloves of garlic 

125 grams (4 ounces) oyster mushrooms

450 grams (1 pound) baby bok choy

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

Peel and mince the garlic. Trim the tough stems from the mushrooms and break them into bite sized pieces. Wash and trim the bok choy, and cit them into halves or quarters. Wash them well again, being sure to get in amongst the stems. Drain them. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and cook, stirring, for a minute until just wilted. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring until both are done to your liking. Add the garlic and stir it in for a minute, then stir up the sauce and add it. Mix it in well and remove everything to a serving dish as soon as the sauce thickens, which will be almost immediately. Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Quinoa & Potato Starch Pie Crust.

Maraş Sour Soup with Purslane

At this time of July the peas are slowing down, and the beans and zucchini have not really gotten going yet, at least in my garden. However, there's lots of purslane. Lots and lots of purslane. Following my new policy of actually eating some quantity of it, it has gone from being an annoying weed to, well, being an annoying weed that I can eat. 

 

Once this soup came to my attention as a result of searching for purslane recipes, I found quite a number of (fairly similar) versions out there. If you don't have purslane, for instance, Swiss chard seems to be a pretty common substitute. All the recipes I saw want you to cook the chick peas, lentils, and wheat separately to which I said, not bloody likely. The chick peas do need to be cooked on their own, but that can easily be resolved by using a tin of them. People do use different tomato products, or none, in this. I used some of my own tomato sauce and thought it was a good addition.

I should note that I used and am calling for bulgur, but most recipes call for ashura wheat, which appears to me to be a kind of soft wheat berry. As ever, since there were no wheat berries in the cupboard, but I did have bulgur, I used bulgur. Wheat berries might need a little longer cooking.

 

Maraş is a city in southeastern Turkey, north of Aleppo and Gaziantep. It is now known as Kahramanmaraş, but people don't seem to have transferred that name to the soup. In Turkey this is a winter soup, not surprisingly, but here you are not going to get purslane or Swiss chard in the winter.  It mostly seems to be served without any yogurt, but perhaps because we are eating it in the summer, we found it an excellent addition. Ours was plain, but if you feel deprived of garlic (ha!) you could add a minced clove and a bit of salt to about 1 cup of yogurt. Speaking of which, 1 head of garlic is not a typo - 5 to 7 cloves is what you want.

 

4 to 6 servings

40 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

PLUS time to cook the chick peas and soak the bulgur and lentils 

Advance Preparation:

2 cups (1 540 ml tin) cooked chick peas

1/4 cup bulgur

1/4 cup red lentils

3 cups water

 

You can cook the chick peas yourself, or use a large tin. 

 

Put the bulgur and lentils in heavy-bottomed soup pot, and add the water. Bring it up to a boil, then cover and let them soak overnight.  

The next day, add the chick peas with cooking liquid to cover them, and simmer until the lentils disintegrate (probably not much more than half an hour).

 

Prepare the Seasonings:

1 head garlic

3 or 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon (more or less) Aleppo pepper

2 tablespoons sumac

 

Peel and mince the garlic. Wash and pick over the mint, and chop it finely. Set both aside. 

 

Mix the other spices in a small bowl and set them aside. 

Finish the Soup:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste OR 1/3 cup tomato sauce

2 cups picked over purslane leaves 

OR finely chopped Swiss chard leaves and stems

the juice of 1/2 large lemon

yogurt to garnish (optional) 

 

Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the tomato sauce and let it simmer until thick, then add the spices and cook into the oil for a minute or so. Add the garlic and mint and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly, until the garlic no longer smells raw. Remove from the heat at once and add to the soup. 

 

If you use tomato paste rather than sauce, add it immediately after the spices go in rather than before as it does not need to cook down.  

The soup can be finished now, or held until closer to serving time. 

At some point by now, you should have washed and chopped the purslane or chard very finely. Add it to the soup and cook it in until done to your liking; about 5 to 8 minutes for me. Add the lemon juice. Add a bit more water if the soup seems too thin, and a little more salt if needed. It will depend on how much was used in cooking the chick peas.

 

Serve, if you like, with a dollop of thick yogurt. Add a minced clove of garlic and a little salt to the yogurt or not, as you like.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Eggs with Peas Chinese Style. 

Steak & Blue Cheese Salad with Horseradish Dressing

Salads with meat have become a mainstay here, as a brief look at the posts from the last month or so will show. I've even done a steak salad with lots of radishes already, although this one is a bit different; richer from the blue cheese and creamy dressing, and with a more traditional Canadian flavour profile (by which I think I mean the richness, and the horseradish). 

I'm calling for the steak to be cooked and served warm, but it would be perfectly good with cold steak, leftover from a previous meal. At this time of year if you do outdoor grilling, cooking a little extra for cold salads later is a great idea. 

And now it's the solstice. Hard to believe that from here on in (for the next 6 months, anyway) the days are getting shorter. But given the weather it seems like we've had a long summer already.

 

4 servings

45 minutes prep time 

 

Make the Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons thick yogurt or sour cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Mix all of the above in a small bowl or jam jar. 

 

Make the Salad:

1 small red onion

8 cups mixed salad greens

1 medium carrot

8 to 16 red radishes

600 grams (1.25 pounds) sirloin OR striploin steak

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

125 grams (1/4 pound) blue cheese

 

Peel and sliver the onion. Put it in a colander and sprinkle it with salt. Set it aside to drain. 

 

Wash, pick over, and chop the salad greens. Rinse well again and dry them thoroughly. Divide them over 4 dinner plates. Peel and grate the carrot, and wash, trim, and chop the radishes, and distribute them over the salads. 

 

Season the steak with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the steak for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until done to your liking. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it into bite-sized pieces and distributing it over the salads. Crumble the blue cheese over the salads. Drizzle the dressing over the salads, and serve at once.  

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Herby Peas & Bulgur Salad. 

Creamed Spinach Filled Buns

I bought some good quality hamburger buns on impulse (and on sale), and since they are now actually a rare treat, I had to think of something rather special to do with them. Here it is! 

You are basically turning them into baked French toast, stuffed with creamed spinach. Spinach is mighty tedious to pick over and process, which is why I have listed such a long prep time. You could cut off at least 20 minutes by using frozen, and to be fair I am probably allowing too long because most purchased spinach will arrive in the kitchen in much better condition than mine does. Mine is generally bolting, and covered in dirt; 3 separate soaks are not too many. Still, give them plenty of time - if they sit a few minutes before serving, no harm done as they are probably better warm than piping hot. These would be terrific to take on a really fancy picnic - eat them cold, or wrap them in foil and reheat them on a grill.

Once you are past messing about with the spinach, these are very easy, and my guest (yes, all right, it was Mom, as usual) was very impressed by these. Me too, really. Definitely a worthy end for all those carbs.

 

4 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 1 hour prep time

 

  

Make the Filling:

200 grams (scant 1/2 pound) cooked spinach

3 or 4 green onions 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon barley or other flour

salt  & freshly ground black pepper & nutmeg to taste

1/2 cup 10% cream

60 grams (2 ounces) old Cheddar cheese

Wash and pick over the spinach; steam it until just wilted and plunge it in cold water to stop it cooking any further. Squeeze it quite dry and chop it very finely. Wash, trim, and finely chop the green onions. 

Heat the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add the green onions. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly, until well wilted down. Add the flour and seasonings and cook to a paste. Slowly mix in the cream to make a smooth sauce. Add the spinach and cheese and remove from the heat. Stir until the cheese is melted.

 

Fill & Bake the Buns: 

4 good large buns, but could be a bit stale

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 large eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

3/4 cup milk

2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan which will hold the buns snugly with parchment paper, and butter it and the sides generously.

 

Use a steak knife, or other small serrated knife, to cut an inverted cone from each bun. Remove the inner crumbs from the cone, leaving a half-inch thick lid. Use a grapefruit spoon to scoop the crumb from inside the buns leaving a half-inch wall all around. The crumbs are discarded - by which I mean you toast them until dry then crush them and put them in your crumb jar; you do have one, don't you? - and the lids are put back on the now hollow buns. Set them aside for the moment.

Whisk the eggs, salt and pepper, and milk in a bowl which will allow the buns to be easily dipped into them. Dip each bun into the egg mixture, turning them and spooning egg mixture into them until the are well soaked. Put them into the prepared pan. There should be just enough of the egg mixture left for soaking the lids. 

Divide the creamed spinach amongst the soaked buns. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of Parmesan over the spinach. Soak the lids in the remaining egg and milk, and put them in place over the spinach filling. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan over the buns.

 

Bake the buns at 350°F for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Keep well-wrapped in the fridge once cooled if you are not serving them shortly. 

Last year at this time I made Rhubarb Soup.

Lentils & Sorrel with Poached Eggs

I've adapted this Persian-style dish to have some sorrel in it. I think the Iranians would approve; their recipes plainly show a taste for tart to downright sour flavours. As usual, if you can't get sorrel, use all spinach and squeeze a little lemon juice in. 

 

I've also broken down the instructions a lot, but really this is easy and reasonably quick. You don't have to make the garlic sauce but we thought it went really well with the rest of it. You could serve this over rice or even just toast, but it's perfectly fine eaten by itself for brunch, lunch, or dinner.  

Normally sorrel is still fine at this time of year, but mine is bolting fast. I'm still able to scrounge some, and it's been tender and tasty, but goodness! It's been so hot!

 

3 to 4 servings

40 minutes prep time NOT including cooking the lentils

 

 

Advance Preparation:

2/3 cup lentils

1 2/3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely chopped fresh sorrel OR spinach OR combo

 

Rinse and check the lentils, and cook them in the rice cooker with the water and salt. This can be done up to a day ahead. 

 

The sorrel and/or spinach should be done just before you start cooking, but since it's a good idea to soak them in cold salted water to clean them, get it going before you start cooking. 

Make the Yogurt Sauce:

1 clove garlic

pinch of salt

1 cup thick yogurt

 

Peel and mince the garlic and mix it, with the salt, into the yogurt. Set aside until serving time.

Mix the Spices:

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon sumac

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

 

Grind the cumin with the salt and put it in a small bowl with the rest of the spices. Peel and mince the garlic, and add it. 

 

Make the Dish:

1 large leek 

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

2 cups chopped or crushed tomatoes

3 or 4 large eggs

Wash, trim, and chop the leek. Rinse it well again and drain well. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the leek until softened and reduced in volume, but not browned. Add the bowl of spices and garlic, and mix in until sizzling and fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes and mix them in well. Add the lentils and bring up to a good simmer. Add a little water if the mixture seems too thick to poach the eggs well. 

Mix in the cleaned, drained, and chopped sorrel or spinach. As soon as it is in and wilted, and the mixture is simmering again, break in the eggs  - push a little hole into each spot where the egg is to go first - and poach them until done to your liking (4 to 10 minutes most likely). If you can put a lid over the pan for at least part of the cooking time you might get the tops of the eggs set a bit better than I managed. Serve at once. 

Oh huh, last year at this time I made Cheesy Baked Creamed Spinach.

Spinach & Mushroom Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

This is a classic German salad that's also long been popular here, as well it should be. You get to feel all healthy and virtuous about the spinach and herbs, but there's also mushrooms! And bacon!! And sour cream! Well, I'm using yogurt these days because I can't get a decent sour cream for love or money. Use a full-fat one for best results. I like to add toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds for extra crunch. 

And here we seem to be, in salad season. 

2 to 6 servings
1 hour prep time

Prepare the Salad:
6 to 8 cups baby spinach leaves
8 to 12 small button mushrooms
a good handful of parsley, if available
3 green onions
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

Wash the spinach very well in cold water, then pick it over, discarding any tough stems and damaged leaves. Rinse it well again, and dry it thoroughly - salad spinner is a good idea.

Clean, trim, and slice the mushrooms. Wash, dry, and mince the parsley. Wash and trim the green onions, and chop them finely. All of this, along with the sunflower and pumpkin seeds, should go into a salad bowl. You may, if you wish, keep the green onions out and cook them in the dressing instead - it depends on how mild your onions are, and how much you like them (or not) raw. Also, if they are not purchased roasted, you may wish to toast the seeds in a dry skillet for a few minutes over medium heat before they go into the salad bowl.

Make the Dressing:
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
maybe some salt
250 grams (1/2 pound) medium-lean bacon
1/4 cup sour cream OR thick yogurt

Peel and mince the garlic, and put it in a small bowl with the mustard, vinegar, pepper, and sugar. You MAY wish to add some salt, but it will depend very much on how salty your bacon is. Most commercial bacon is way too salty to need more added, but if you are getting good quality bacon a little salt may be beneficial - you will need to use your judgement.

Chop the bacon into pieces a little narrower than the width of the slices. Put them in a medium skillet over medium heat, and cook slowly until they have rendered quite a bit of fat and cooked to being quite crisp throughout.

Lift the bacon pieces out with slotted spoon and put them on a bit of paper towel to drain. Assess the amount of bacon fat you have in the pan. If you think there is more than the amount of oil you would use to dress the amount of salad you have, drain some of it off until it is the right amount. Otherwise, return it to the heat but turn the heat to medium-low. If you want to cook the chopped green onions, add them now and cook until well wilted, just a minute or so. Mix up the contents of the small bowl and mix them into the bacon fat. When well distributed, turn off the heat. Measure and mix in the sour cream or yogurt. Scrape the dressing over the salad. Toss well, then sprinkle the bacon bits over the salad. Serve at once.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Sweet Potato Starch Noodle, Spinach & Sprout Salad. 

Sorrel Soup

What an odd spring this has been - amazingly, I was able to scrounge a little sorrel and spinach in the second week of April! But since that early warm spell, it's been cool and things have come along quite slowly. Still, both those things will be much further along and available around now, with the usual proviso that about the only way sorrel is available is to grow it yourself. Highly recommended! 

This is a pretty simple and light soup, best as an introductory course to a larger meal, or served with a sandwich or some such thing. It won't be a meal in itself, and the servings indicated are fairly small ones.

 

4 servings 

45 minutes prep time

 

2 cups loosely packed fresh sorrel leaves

2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach

1 small carrot and/or 1 small parsnip

1 tablespoon chicken fat or unsalted butter

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon allspice berries

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon barley or other flour

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives

1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley

1 cup finely minced raw spinach

4 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

1/2 cup light cream OR yogurt, optional

 

Wash the sorrel leaves - it's a good idea to soak them in cold salted water for a while to draw out any critters. Remove and discard any tough stems and damaged or discoloured leaves. Do the same with the spinach. Put them in a strainer and pour boiling water over them until they are well wilted. Let them cool, squeeze the water from them, and chop them finely.

Peel and dice or grate the carrots and/or parsnip. Heat the butter in the soup pot and add them, along with the bay leaf. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, covered, but stirring regularly until softened.

Meanwhile, grind the allspice, pepper, and salt together finely. When the vegetables are ready, add them, along with the barley flour and the minced herbs. Mix in well, and after a minute or so to wilt the herbs, add the stock and the chopped, drained sorrel and spinach. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then mix in the cream or yogurt, if using. Heat to the edge of simmering, but do not let the soup boil, and serve at once. It can also be served plain and a dollop of yogurt - or sour cream, if you can get any - can be added. Or not; it's fine as-is.

Leek & Sorrel Quiche

I do like rye flour for pastry, as it turns out! This has also been an amazing year for sorrel; I started a few cautious pickings almost a month ago, and of course we have very good over-wintered leeks. The best ever, really. Throw in some eggs and cheese, and here it all is in a delightful spring pie. 

 

6 servings

1 hour 45 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

NOT including cooling time

 

 

Make the Pastry:

1 1/2 cups whole rye flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

6 to 7 tablespoons very cold water

 

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder. Grate in the butter, and mix in with a fork. Slowly stir in the water, a tablespoon or two at a time (start with a couple, and add less at a time as the dough is formed) until the mixture comes together as a fairly stiff, dry dough. Cover it and let it rest for 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a clean, dry counter or sheet of parchment paper, roll out the pastry to fit a 10" pie plate; you will need to sprinkle it with flour to keep it from sticking. Place it in the pie plate and trim and even the edges. Poke it all over with a fork, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until firm and lightly coloured.

Fill & Bake the Quiche:

2 medium (3 cups chopped) leeks

2 cups chopped sorrel

1/4 cup unsalted butter

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons flour (I used barley flour)

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups whole milk OR light cream

125 to 150 grams feta OR other cheese

1/4 to 1/3 grated Parmesan

Wash, trim, and chop the leeks. Rinse them again and drain them well. Wash, trim, and chop the sorrel, discarding any damaged leaves or tough stems. 

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the leeks for at least 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced in volume - but don't let them brown. Add the well drained chopped sorrel leaves and mix them in until wilted. Season with salt and pepper - be mindful that the feta cheese will bring quite a lot of salt - and sprinkle the flour over them. Mix in well until there is no dry white flour left. 

While the vegetables cook, whisk the eggs and milk or cream in a small mixing bowl, and prepare the cheeses. 

When the crust and the vegetables are ready, spread half the vegetables in the pie crust. Sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over them, and top with the remaining vegetables. Carefully pour in the whisked eggs and milk. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the quiche, and bake it at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until firm and lightly browned. Let cool to room temperature or at least just warm to serve. 

Last year at this time I made Turkey-Quinoa Meatloaf.