Hey, look who's eating a varied diet again! Yes that's right, I'm back on the big girl foods. Because I'm now 29, and dammit it's time to man up and get my shit together. So I did some research, found a recipe to finally use that tin of anchovies that felt unloved in my cupboard for so long and gave the double bird to anemia.
The thing about side dishes is that just eating triple portions does not magically turn it into a main meal. Maybe some day I'll really learn that. Until then, take it from me- you do NOT want to eat an entire bunch of turnip greens. Woooooo.

Wilted Greens with Garlic and Anchovies

Epicurious  | October 2007

Mario Batali

Molto Italiano

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil  

3 anchovy fillets, rinsed  

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced  

1 head escarole or 1 head or bunch other sturdy leafy green, such as dandelions or turnip greens, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide ribbons, washed and spun dry  

Salt and freshly ground black pepper  

1/2 lemon

 

Heat a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the olive oil, anchovies, and garlic and cook just until the garlic is light golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the greens and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, squeeze the lemon juice over, and serve.

44-clove garlic soup

This is one of those recipes I don't think I would ever have tried if someone didn't recommend it first. I mean, I love garlic. LOVE it.  But 44 cloves? That just sounded excessive. However, after receiving a voicemail from my sister Sarah last week saying I needed to make this, I decided to give it a shot. Sarah is not one to let you down, and this was no exception. This soup is delicious. Not overwhelming at all, just a wonderful, smooth, flavor. I made it on Saturday night with Matt, and it was so good I had to make it again so I could take pictures of it and post. Because, you know, Captain Eater does not believe in leftovers.

I ended up only needing about two and a half bulbs of garlic for the 44 cloves.

44-Clove Garlic Soup with Parmesan Cheese
From Smitten Kitchen/Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 1999
 Serves 4


26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 1/4 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
18 garlic cloves, peeled
3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
4 lemon wedges 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 18 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. 

Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.

the o&g

It's really not supper until there's some garlic and red onion in there. These things make everything better and they smell sooooo good. One of my all-time favorite smells is garlic on hands. I used to date a chef and whenever he came home from work I'd put his hand on my face and smell it until he told me it was weird.