Speedy Killer Meatballs

Wednesday night has  become "date night" at our favorite local Italian joint.  The bar is small, the tender is cheeky, the bread is warm, the drinks are strong, and the meatsaballs are soo nice.  Tonight we're having another snow-storm, bad enough to keep us home.  At 5:30 I was determined to have somea goooda meatsaballs on the table by 7 or so...and this is how I got there.

Time: 45-90 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, I used 80/20 cuz I had some patties in the freezer from summer.  You can go a bit leaner, but I wouldn't recommend going much leaner...they're meatsaballs.
1 egg, beaten
1 T olive oil....to be frank, I had no eggs, so I used a big fat fat tablespoon of mayo which is essentially oil and eggs...turned out great.
1/4 + cup bread crumbs
1 T capers, minced
1/2 large onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t all spice, ground
2 t sage, dried
1 t fennel seeds, chopped
2 t oregano, dried
1/4 + cup grated parm, romano, or other fave
1/4 pancetta, diced
1 garlic sausage
a bit of salt, a healthy grind of pepper
1 jar of Muir Glenn organic or other marinara
1/2 to 1 lb of dried or fresh sketti, cooked al dente


Method:

• Combine meat, egg, oil, bread crumbs, capers, onion, garlic, herbs and cheese until just combined. Be careful not to over-work the mixture, it will get tough eventually. If it seems dry, add some oil, if wet, some more crumbs.
• Form mix into 1.5 inch diameter balls, or whatever size meatsaball you like (should yield about 16 1.5  inch meatsaballs)
• Heat large heavy bottom skillet over medium heat - add a drizzle of olive oil and heat till shimmering.  Add pancetta and cook over low until the fat has rendered out and the meat is crisp and bacony. Remove and drain.
• Brown meatsaballs in bacon fat in 2 batches, be sure to let them settle and cook before turning, or they will break. Remove the first batch to drain on towel when you start the second batch.  Cut sausage in half and add to the second batch of balls to begin browning.  Drain all meat when browned.
• Blot pan with paper towels to reduce fat, return all meat to the pan, add jar of sauce and sprinkle with some oregano and maybe garlic powder.  Bring up to a good simmer, reduce to low and partially cover until meat is cooked thru (15 - 20 min or as long as you like - can't go wrong).  
• Once the meat has all cooked through, remove the lid and simmer until sauce is as thick as you like - meanwhile drop the pasta and cook until just al dente.
• Drain pasta, reserving about a ladle of water.  Serve in pasta bowls, about 4 meatsaballs per serving. 
• Reserve the sausage for snacking, it will be a lil tough after all that cooking.  Garnish with grated cheese and fresh pepper.

Sorry kids...no vegan or veg alts today.

Borscht with Bison and Goat Cheese...or...Vegan Borscht

We were first introduced to this amazing soup by our fabulous and much missed neighbors.  2 winters ago, not too long after we moved in to this wonderful old corner property, we had a pretty good snow storm.  At 0 dark hundred, I poured out of bed, slapped on my glasses, popped on my ridiculous big green woolly hat (with ear flaps and a braid out the top) and got started on our 160+ feet of sidewalk.  I wasn't even a quarter of the way done before a similarly bespectacled & hatted chick showed up with a shovel professing that she's from Utah and loves to shovel snow.  Turns out she lived across the street and followed up her heroic shoveling with a dinner invite - Sunday night for some beefy borscht....and so a chapter began.

I've adapted Marcy's killer recipe just a little bit - and offer some easy ways to make it vegetarian (sub meat for mushies) or vegan (um...leave out the meat, cheese and butter).  This soup is killer on a frigid winter night, I'm also going to revisit in the spring to take a swing at a light sweet spring beet version of it too - so check back!

Yield: 6-8 servings
Total Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:
6 medium fresh beets, tops and roots trimmed, scrubbed clean
4 T olive oil
2-3 lbs bison stew cubes, cut into spoonable pieces and lightly seasoned with S&P (or portebella or beef or lamb)
2 leeks, carefully cleaned and finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 T tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
1/2 - 1 head cabbage, chopped
10 cups water
2 t dried rosemary  or 2 T fresh rosemary
5 T cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1/3 c packed brown sugar or wild honey
S&P
4 oz soft fresh goat cheese

Method:

• Place the beets in a large sauce pan, cover with water by at least one inch, lightly salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until fork tender, about 40-60 minutes, depending on size.  Skim the foam off the top of the water as necessary. Once cooked, drain (reserving 3 cups cooking liquid), cool, peel and dice into a spoonable size.
•  In a large, heavy bottomed soup pot, heat 1 T oil until rippling, add 1/4 of the meat or mushies and brown on all sides.  Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon, and repeat the process until all meat or mushies are cooked.
• Add leeks and carrots, sweat until soft and beginning to color.  Stir frequently an scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  
• Add tomato paste and incorporate well. Cook 2 minutes, add garlic and rosemary.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add beet juice, meat or mushies, maters, cabbage, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer and cook mostly covered until the bison melts in your mouth....about 90 minutes. 
• 5 minutes before serving, add beets, brown sugar / honey, vinegar and S&P to taste.  
• Serve in warmed bowls topped with a disk of goat cheese, a sprig of fresh rosemary and a grind of pepper. 

Serve with crusty chewy bread and sweet farm butter.  Fantastic with Trabiche Oak Cask 2008 Malbec.  Enjoy with or after a green salad with a nice bright vinaigrette and sliced radishes. 

Chicken Corn Chowder

This is one of those soups that can be as rich or as light as you prefer it to be.  In the spring and through the summer, a light puree of corn, tomato & green onions with some quick grilled chicken is amazing; by fall you can splash in a little milk and add some potatoes to your puree for depth and body; come winter, start with a nice medium roux, use up left over slow roasted roasted chicken and maybe top with some good smokey bacon and cheddar. 

This version is nice for the early fall days we've been having, silky and creamy without the butter and bacon.  Give me a shout later in the season if you'd like some help making it richer and deeper.

Yield: 8 servings
Cook time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:
olive oil
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 small potato, peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 t thyme
1 t oregano
1 t celery salt
1 bay leaf
1 bag frozen sweet corn
1.5 boxes low sodium chicken stock
1 c milk
smoked tabasco
sliced green onion to garnish


Method:

• heat 1 T of oil in your soup pot over medium heat, salt & pepper the chicken on both sides and, cook in two batches until just done. No need to get color on the meat, it can give the soup a weird texture
• pour out rendered fat, add potatoes cook 3 minutes, its ok to get some color on them, but you're not looking to fry them, really just steam / sweat in the chickeny goodness that's left in the pot.
• add mirpoix (2 parts onion, one part celery, one part carrot), sweat until all vegetables are tender, about 10-12 minutes, add garlic and herbs (not bay leaf)
• add 1/2 stock and 1/2 of the corn, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover slightly and cook 10 min
• remove the soup from the from heat, and puree.
• return the soup to medium / medium high, add bay leaf, stock, milk, bring to a boil. partially cover and simmer 30 min
• dice and add chicken, add as much whole corn as you prefer, warm through
• season with a small amount of smokey tabasco, garnish with green onions.

That Tastes Like Channa Masala!

Tonight I set out to make a curry (again, I know) to use up some of the hardy winter veggies I have accumulated lately. When I was done, I gave it a taste and was surprised to have recreated the first Indian sauce I had ever had, completely by accident.

So, tonight's Kismet was truly an accident. Hope you enjoy it.

Yield: 6-8 entrees, 10-14 sides
Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:
vegetable oil

Masala 1 - all measurements are 'heaping' ('masala' means mixture)
1 T turmeric
1 T cumin
1 T cayenne
1 dried red chili pepper, chopped

1.5 large yellow onions, diced (3 cups)
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced (volume should match ginger)

Masala 2
2 t cinnamon
1 T coriander
10 green cardamom pods, seeds only
1 t fennel seeds
2 mild green chilis like poblano or banana

1 14.5 oz fire roasted chopped tomatoes
2 c broth, or water
s&p to taste
4 14.5 oz cans of chick peas, or 6 cups cooked chick peas

6 cups cooked basmati, jasmine or brown rice.

Method:

• In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat 1 T of oil until just shimmering, remove from heat. Add Masala 1 and stir quickly and constantly to prevent spices from burning. Return pan to medium low heat and cook (stirring constantly) 3-5 minutes being careful not to burn.
• Add onions to pan, stirring to coat with spices. Cook over medium heat until soft, stirring often. Add ginger, garlic and Masala 2, cook over medium for 5-8 minutes, stirring often. Remember that your goal is to 'fry' the spices.
• Add tomatoes and 1 c of broth. Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender to the texture of catchup. Return to heat and simmer for 20-60 minutes, stirring often and adding liquid as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Add chickpeas and heat through.
  
• Serve over warm rice as an entree or as a side dish to a main curry or biryani.

For a main dish, feel free to add anything to the pot...chicken, lamb, shrimp, cauliflower, peas, potatoes, eggplant, spinach. The dish is great alone or over rice, quinoa, lentils etc. Let me know what you like best!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I don't really have a story for this one...its sooper easy, healthy, light and delicious.

Yield: 6-8 entree servings
Cook Time: 30-60 minutes, depending on your chop speed.

Ingredients:
2 T vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, small dice
2 ribs celery, small dice
1 poblano pepper, very small dice
1 banana pepper, very small dice
1 pepper in adobo (canned, in with the latin foods), minced with sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T oregano
2 t good quality chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 t red pepper flakes if you still want more heat
8 oz (or the whole can, who cares?) fire roasted chopped tomatoes and liquid
1-2 boxes low sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf
several dashes smoked Tabasco
1 cup black beans, cooked
1-2 cups, grilled chicken thighs, chopped
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 lime, juice and zest

Garnish:
broken corn chips
shredded cheddar
chopped scallions

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat until rippling. Add onions, celery and peppers. Sweat over medium about 10 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add a small amount of salt and the garlic, stir and continue cooking 1-3 minutes, careful not to scorch the garlic.
2. Add dry herbs and spices, toast all together for a couple of minutes, then add tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add tabasco. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes and adjust seasonings.
   
3. Add chicken and beans, warm through, about 8 minutes. Add corn and cook until just heated through.
4. Finish soup with lime juice and zest, adjust salt, pepper and other seasonings to taste.
5. Ladle soup into warm bowls, top with a raft of chips and sprinkle with cheese and scallions. Plunk a couple of black beans and corn on top for prettiness.
   

Drink:
Dos Equis Amber or
Aged Tequilla with a splash of soda and a wedge of lime.

Basic Curry

I was always one of those "I don't like curry" people. Really turned my nose up at the stuff. When B started enjoying Indian cuisine with coworkers, he tried to get me on board and I firmly declined. One day I was at the market and spied an Indian frozen dinner, so I picked up a Chana Masala for B. He offered me a taste and I reluctantly accepted....and then I was hooked. So many flavors that were brand new to me. I promptly got on the web and started looking for recipes. Now more than 3 years later I have a couple of trips to India under my belt, a cabinet full of spices and a repertoire of dishes that I mostly make up on the fly. Today's recipe is a super basic dish that changes every time I make it. I like it best for breakfast....chalk it up to 5 weeks in India.

NOTE: like any good soup, stew or sauce everything is relative and to taste. The longer and slower you cook it the better and it is 2x as good the next day.

Yield: 4-6 entree portions
Cook time: up to 3 hours

Ingredients:

2 T canola oil or ghee
2 large yellow onions, small dice
1.5 inches of ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (you want about the same volume of ginger and garlic)
8 oz canned diced tomatoes and all liquid
1 fresh green chili, minced
1 dried red chili, minced
8 green cardamom pods, seeds only or 1 T ground cardamom
2 T ground cumin
2 T ground coriander
1 T fennel seeds
1 T ground turmeric
1 T chili powder
1.5 c garbanzo beans
1.5 c cauliflower florets
1 c frozen green peas
1 -2 c anything else like zucchini, potato, chopped spinach, tomato, eggplant, diced chicken etc
1-3 c water or stock as needed
6 cups prepared rice

Method:

• Heat 1 T oil over medium low in a medium sauce pan, add onions and sweat 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, continue to sweat another 10 minutes. Add a very little salt.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan or dutch oven, heat the remaining oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Stirring constantly fry for about 10 minutes. Do not burn! Add sprinkles of water if it begins to catch. After 1o min, add fennel seeds, cardamom, and chilies - fry 3 more minutes.
  
• Add fried spices,tomatoes and any liquid to the sauce pan. Remove from heat and carefully puree with stock / water using an immersion blender. You're going for something about the consistency of catchup. Return the sauce to simmer and allow to cook down for 30 to 60 minutes stirring frequently. It will gloop all your stove...embrace it. Taste from time to time and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
• Add the garbanzos and cauliflower and any other additions, cover and cook till tender crisp. Add the peas 5 minutes before serving to avoid over cooking. Adjust the liquid content to the desired consistency, should not be soupy or too catchuppy, more like a nice thick pasta sauce.
• Serve over warm rice, along side any grilled meats or veggies, accompanied by steamy naan. My favorite seasoned rice recipe to follow soon.
  

Vegetarian Paella

Having some friends over for paella night this weekend and we have some diet challenges in the mix for a change. The paella I'm preparing for the gang will be seafood and chorizo and I want Sean's version to be as close to that taste and feel as possible, so this is what I test drove last night.

Yield: 2-3 servings
Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
1 link vegetarian "chorizo style" sausage link, sliced about .5 inches thick on the bias
1 t smoked paprika, hot
4-6 oz seitan, cubed
1 t smoked tabasco sauce
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 cup finely chopped roasted tomato (I use Muir Glen's fire roasted tomatoes)
3/4 cup aborio rice
1 1/4 cup veggie stock, heated
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 small pinch of saffron threads (soak them in the wine)
1 bay leaf
1 t taragon
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup cubed zucchini or summer squash
4-6 artichoke hearts, quartered
any other veggies that make you happy
4 T olive or canola oil
salt & pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Toss the seitan in the tabasco. Add more if you like it a little spicier.
3. Pop the saffron in the wine to soften
   
4. Heat 1 T oil over medium heat until shimmering, place the sausage slices in the pan and brown evenly until a nice crust forms, turn and brown the other side
5. Remove the sausage to a plate, you can drain on paper if you like, but there's next to no fat in this dish and I think the oil gives the sausage a little body. Sprinkle the sausage with the smoked paprika and a little salt while the sausage is still hot.
6. Scrape any weird bits of not-meat out of the pan, add a little more oil, heat over med / med high and add the onions. Cook until soft, about 3 min.
7. Add garlic, cook about 1 minute.
8. Add tomato and a little S&P, cook about 3 minutes or until a little color forms.
9. Add the rice and cook until well coated in the tomato mixture.
10. Add the hot veggie stock, the wine, the bay, the tarragon, and your "meats" and stir briefly. Taste and salt & pepper as necessary. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover the pan tightly with foil and pop it in the oven for about 12-15 min or until all the liquid is absorbed.
11. USING A POT HOLDER, remove the pan from the oven and tuck all your veggies into the rice and sprinkle the peas on top. Cover with foil and return the pan to the oven until the veggies are tender crisp, about 10-12 more min. Sprinkle with a little water if the rice starts to look dry - the veggies should release enough liquid to keep it going though.
    
12. USING A POT HOLDER, remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil and USING A POT HOLDER cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes to develop the amazing crusties at the bottom of the pan. Ideally your rice won't quite be done when the pan comes out of the oven.
    
13. Cover again with foil and let rest for 3-5 min.
14. Garnish with lemon wedges and USING A POT HOLDER serve.

In case you can't tell....I forgot about the pot holder in step 12.

Vegetarian Cassoulet

This spring has been a little more fickle than others in my recent memory. We've had some sparkling blue sky days with temps in the low 80's and we've had plenty of cold, grey, rainy days like today. Tonight I wanted to have a nice big bowl of comfort food for dinner, but my fridge is packed with spring delights - so I went the route of a hearty stew made with light springy flavors and textures.
Springtime Vegetarian Cassoulet
Yield: 6 entree servings
Prep Time: 2 hours plus 3+ hours for bean soaking if you are using dried beans.
75 minutes with canned beans
Ingredients:
1.5 c. dried chick peas, rinsed, picked over and soaked for 3 or 1 14 oz can, drained and rinsed
4 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, on the smaller side, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped (same size as onion)
1 rib celery, chopped (same size as onion)
4 c. low sodium veggie stock, chicken stock or water
1 t. fresh thyme, minced or 1/2 t. dried
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2 medium sized red potatoes, washed and diced to the size of a chick pea
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), rinsed, and chopped
8 large white mushrooms or 2-3 portobellos, rinsed and chopped into 2 inch chunks (they will shrink a lot in the oven)
1 c dry white wine or dry vermouth
2 c fresh asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
10 - 15 leaves of fresh basil, shredded
1/2 pt or so of grape or heirloom tomatoes, halved
S&P

Method:

1. Heat 2 T olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery, cooking until they have a little color - about 8-10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Add stock, chick peas, thyme, and bay, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender - 60-90 minutes. (10-20 min is fine if you are using canned beans)
3. In the mean time, heat oven to 400*. Toss potato and onion in remaining olive oil, spread in a single layer in a roasting pan or skillet, season with a small amount of salt & pepper and roast in the oven until lightly browned. Maybe 40 minutes. Add mushrooms, leeks and whole garlic cloves and roast another 10-20 minutes until garlic is golden and soft. (if you are using canned beans, start with this step, then go back to step 1)
4. Remove potato mixture from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer all to a plate. Place roasting pan on stove top (make sure its stove top safe!!) and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Reduce wine and bits until only a couple of tablespoons remain.
5. Add beans mixture and potato mixture to the roasting pan and bring to a simmer. The stew should not have a whole bunch of extra liquid like a soup, this is much closer to a loose casserole than a soup. Simmer on stove top until flavors come together and all veggies are tender - about 5-15 minutes.
6. Add the asparagus and tomatoes and simmer 2-5 minutes until just tender crisp. Stir in the basil and serve in warmed shallow bowls.

A nice grating of cheese over the top is a lovely way to finish off this dish. Serve with some fantastic bread or just some crispy lavosh.

One Last Hearty Winter Dish

This recipe is is not mine, it was passed to me by one of my favorite foodies, who also happens to be a woman who played a huge role in shaping my understanding of, respect for, and interested in both food and people. The dish sounds pretty good on paper, but turns out SO much better than that! If you try and enjoy, please thank Nonna-Marie and her big food brain.


Kale Pesto Pasta with Beets

Yield: 2 entree servings, 4 sides
Prep time: depends on the beets, 45 to 90 min
vegetarian as written


Ingredients:

2 bunches kale or any dark green of your choosing, rinsed, tough stems removed, and roughly chopped. cooking times will vary based on your green!
1 clove garlic
1/2 + c. olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. parm, romano or locatelli
1/2 c. lightly toasted walnuts or pine nuts
1/2 lemon
1/2 lb beets, scrubbed, root and stem removed
1 t rosemary
1/2 lb whole wheat rigatoni or other pasta
s&p

Method:

1. Set oven to 475*
2. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
3. Place beets in a small roasting pan with 1 inch of water. Sprinkle with rosemary and S&P. Cover tightly with foil and pop in the oven. No need for the oven to preheat. Roast beets until tender to a fork. This could take 20 to 90 min depending on the beet. 20 for golf ball sized, 90 for soft ball sized. Allow beets to cool slightly and rub skin off with paper towels or kitchen dish gloves. Slice or dice.
4. While beets are cooking....blanch kale until bright green and just tender. Reserve blanching water for cooking the pasta.
5. Bring water back to a boil and cook pasta to package instructions. Drain.
   
6. Add cheese, garlic, nuts and a handful of the greens to a food processor and turn it on. Add greens and slowly drizzle in olive oil. Reserve a handful of the greens for serving. Once all greens and oil are in, open the processor, taste, add salt and pepper. If too thick, add more oil or a little bit of water till you reach the desired texture.
7. Add a little oil to the pasta pot, saute reserved greens until cooked through - maybe throw in some pepper flakes?
   
8. Add pasta back to the pot, toss with a generous scoop or 2 of pesto. Squeeze a bit of lemon in there too.
   
9. Spoon pasta into warmed bowls and top with beets.

Other serving ideas - top with pancetta or bacon....add some warm smoked ham to the bottom of your pasta dish....julienne some herb roasted chicken over the top....use grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, baby peas, or roasted portebello instead of beets.

Ginger Carrot Soup

I'm a huge carrot fan ... in fact, when I'm in the zone I can easily eat 5 lbs in a week. I eat so many carrots that my eyes have improved 2 levels in the past year. Seriously. But here's the catch...I only like them raw. My mom tried a million variations on cooked carrots and I rejected them all. Until I futzed my way into this soup recipe. This is a dish that I crave year round...give it a try, you'll be surprised. Really.

Carrot Soup

Yield: 4 mains, 6 starters
Time: 60 min to 3 hrs, depending on the flavor you're seeking. Shorter for bright and fresh, longer for sweet and earthy.
veg, vegan, gluten free...but fun to garnish with bacon!

Ingredients:

1-2 T veggie oil or olive oil

1 lb carrots, peeled & thinly sliced

2 large leeks, white and tender green parts thoroughly washed* & thinly sliced

1 red potato, peeled & diced sugar cube sized

2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced

1-2 inches of ginger root, peeled & minced

5-6 cups veggie broth or water

s&p...maybe some thyme or dill if you're into that?

Method -

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pan
2. Add carrots, cook until just tender - 5-10 mintues
3. Add leek and potato, cook until potato is soft 5-10 min
4. Add garlic & most of ginger, cook 5 min
5. Add salt, pepper, liquid, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
6. Partially cover and simmer for as long as you like. At least 20 min. Once everything is good and soft, remove from heat and let cool a bit. Blend until super smooth with an immersion blender in the pot or pour carefully into a blender in batches.
7. Return to heat - add more broth if needed - the soup should not be brothy thin or too thick like a veggie puree. Return to a boil and reduce to a simmer, add remaining ginger if you like. Also throw in some oj if you want somethin a little sweeter. Partially cover and cook until you get the flavor as deep and rich as you like.

Other thoughts...you could easily take this to the east by adding some basic Indian spices and serving with lentils or garnishing with roasted chick peas. OR - go way thicker and serve as a puree with pork or roast whole fish.

* to wash a leek....cut off the root end and cut off the tough dark green tops. Split the leek long ways down the middle and fan out the layers under cold running water. There is usually a TON of grit and dirt in there. If you intend to fry or sautee (as opposed to throw in a soup or sweat with other veggies) place cut side down on a super absorbant tea towel or paper towel (promise me you'll re-use the paper towel for something...) to wick the water out of the layers.