Fare Exchange: Recipes for short ribs au Français, plus kale creations

Jane Henegar

Good Wednesday morning, dear readers. Today's requests came from Anonymous of Brainerd.

"I want a recipe for fruit pizza that is not too sweet - something that could be used for breakfast and not for dessert. I would also like to know the best brands and types of yeast to use when baking bread, as well as a good foolproof recipe for bread. And finally, someone told me that you can make yogurt in a slow cooker. Instructions, please."

Continuing from last week, Elizabeth Clossin added another hearty recipe for short ribs. She also reported that her mother has made this recipe using chuck roast, serving it at a dinner party for 12. "I found this recipe years ago and still make it. However, I do tweak it." We will therefore give you the recipe Clossin-style.

Short Ribs Provençale

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 pounds meaty beef short ribs; meaty short ribs 3 to 4 inches long are best

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

12 whole garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoon dried herbes de Provence*

2 cups red Zinfandel

2-1/2 cups canned beef broth

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup (about) water if necessary

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• Herbes de Provence is a dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some markets. A mix of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds can be substituted.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and brown well, turning often, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer ribs to large bowl.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot or add oil as necessary to measure 2 tablespoons. Add onion, chopped carrot and celery and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, flour and herbes de Provence; stir 1 minute. Add wine and broth; bring to boil over high heat, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes with juices and bay leaf. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot. If necessary, add enough water to pot to barely cover ribs. Bring to boil.

Cover pot tightly and transfer to oven. Bake until ribs are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours 15 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. Transfer short ribs to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. If necessary, boil sauce to thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over short ribs. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.

Crème Fraiche Mashed Potatoes

3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, quartered

2/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pot. Add crème fraîche and butter; mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Potatoes can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat, stirring frequently.

Our friend F. Groves noted a familiar green tint to the food page in Naples, Fla., and discovered that kale was their topic of choice on the same day it dominated Chattanooga's food section. So, exceedingly fresh from Naples, here are two of the recipes Groves found. They are attributed to Chef Freedom Teague of the Food and Thought Organic Restaurant. These two recipes begin with the same instructions, but veer off from there.

Garlic Kale

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, sliced into thin slices

2 bunches kale leaves with stems removed, cut or torn into bite-size pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large sauté pan on high. Add oil, then sliced fresh garlic. Sauté until the garlic becomes translucent, then immediately add the kale and toss to coat with the garlic and oil.

Continue to cook until kale softens and turns bright green. At this point it is done.

If a softer kale is preferred, add a splash of water and cover. Turn heat down to medium-low and steam until soft.

Whole Grain Pasta with Kale Pomodoro

2 bunches kale leaves, stems removed and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces

2 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, sliced into thin slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 cup white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound whole-grain pasta, cooked

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat a large sauté pan on high. Add oil followed by the sliced garlic. Sauté until the garlic becomes translucent, then immediately add the kale and toss to coat with the garlic and oil.

After adding the kale and sautéing, add the cherry tomatoes. Once the skin on the tomatoes begins to wrinkle, deglaze with the wine. Stir up bits from the skillet to enhance the flavor of the wine sauce.

Add cooked pasta and toss to coat.

Finish with Romano cheese and serve.

And might you be wondering, reader, what it means to make a kale dish Kale Pomodoro? Here's an answer: Pasta al Pomodoro is "an Italian food typically prepared with pasta, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, basil and other fresh ingredients that may vary." Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato. It is intended to be a quick light dish, rather than a dish in a heavy sauce.

Just a Dash...

With thanks to the Groves family for getting this conversation started, in a large skillet, lightly sauté in olive oil any vegetables you have on hand, making sure to include garlic and tomatoes. As you sauté, bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in any pasta. Drain and add to the large skillet with vegetables. Toss to coat pasta, add grated cheese and spoon onto a plate for a one-dish meal.

This is not really the end, for each recipe you send is only an appetite-whetter. So it will be next week, as well.