Copyright 2011 by James Peterson

Photographs copyright 2011 by James Peterson

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint
of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are
registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Peterson, James.
Kitchen simple / James Peterson. 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-58008-318-8 (alk. paper)
1. Quick and easy cooking. I. Title.
TX833.5.P48 2011
641.555--dc22
2011004435
ISBN 978-1-58008-318-8
Printed in China
Cover and text design by Nancy Austin
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition

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Fennel Salad

Mushroom and
Tarragon Salad
Its imperative to have fresh tarragon for this salad
dried doesnt have the same flavor. Most people dont
think of making a salad entirely out of mushrooms, but
this salad is amazingly tasty and satisfying. Use cremini
mushrooms, if you can find them. The recipe calls for a
rather large amount of olive oilthe mushrooms soak it
up like a sponge. Serve the salad on its own or as part of
a crudit assortment (see page 61).

cup extra virgin olive oil

cup wine vinegar, preferably sherry vinegar

Salt
Pepper

Rinse the mushrooms in a colander. Inspect the bottoms of the stems; if they are dried out or dark, trim
them off. Slice the mushrooms (include the stems) and
toss them with the oil, vinegar, and tarragon. Season to
taste with salt and pepper.
Serve right away or cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

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1/ 4

cup extra virgin olive oil

Small chunk Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)

Leaves from 10 sprigs fresh tarragon

56

1 large or 2 small bulbs fennel

Pepper

11/4 pounds cultivated mushrooms, preferably

cremini
1/ 4

makes 4 first-course servings

Salt

makes 4 first-course servings

1/ 2

This simple and inexpensive salad has become all the

rage in Italian or Italianesque restaurants where it is
sold at a huge markup. To make this salad, it helps to be
equipped with a Benriner vegetable slicer (see page 12). If
you dont have a vegetable slicer, you can make this salad
with a very sharp knife. Be sure to use your best olive oil.

Cut the green fronds off the fennel. (These can be saved
in the freezer; theyre great in broths. Or you can dry
them and use them as a seasoning for grilled fish.) Cut
the fennel bulb in half from top to bottom and use a
small knife to cut out the core from each half. Slice the
fennel as thinly as you can with a vegetable slicer or
sharp knife.
Just before serving, toss the fennel with the oil and
season with salt and pepper. (Dont do this in advance,
or the salt will make the salad limp.) Arrange on individual plates. Use a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler to
shave off several thin slices of Parmesan for each plate
and arrange them on top.

Kitchen Simple

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Tomato Gratin

variations:

Essentially baked tomatoes, nothing concentrates and

underlines the flavor of tomatoes in quite the same way
as a gratin. One special trick: bake the tomatoes just long
enough for them to release liquid, then pour this liquid
into a saucepan, boil it down to a syrup, and sprinkle it
over the tomatoes during the final half hour of baking.
The only downside to a tomato gratin is peeling the tomatoes (if you leave the peels on, they come off and become
stringy) and the long cooking time, but the overall method
requires very little active time. Serve this gratin with
grilled meats or fish (its acidity accents seafood).
makes 4 side-dish servings
8 tomatoes
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F. Rub a large gratin dish with

olive oil.
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
Plunge the tomatoes into the pot, two at a time, and
let sit, over high heat, for about 45 seconds. Drain in a
colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Cut out
the stems and peel away the skins. Cut each tomato into
eight wedges for medium tomatoes or twelve wedges for
large tomatoes. Push the seeds out of each wedge with
your index finger. Arrange the tomato wedges in rows
in the baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes. Tilt the gratin dish to see how
much liquid has accumulated. If theres more than, say,
1/2 cup, ladle off the excess into a saucepan. Return the
gratin to the oven and boil down the liquid until its
lightly syrupy. Pour this back over the gratin. Continue
baking until the tomatoes begin to brown around the
edges, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt and
pepper and serve immediately.

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Try sprinkling the gratin with grated ParmigianoReggiano cheese about 10 minutes before taking it out
of the oven. Also, try pouring a little cream into the
gratin when you pour the reduced tomato liquid on top.
You can also sprinkle the gratin with chopped basil just
before serving.

Tomatoes la Provenale
Many recipes for baked tomatoes call for cooking them
rather quickly, in a hot oven. The problem with this
method is that the tomatoes are left watery. A better
method is to cook them slowly and for a long time so
that the water they contain evaporates and their flavor
concentrates.
makes 4 side-dish servings
4 medium tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced and then crushed
to a paste
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/ 3

cup bread crumbs (made by working 2 slices

slightly stale white bread through a strainer)

Salt
Pepper

Stem the tomatoes and cut them in half through their

equators. Squeeze out the seeds and set them, cut side
up, in a baking dish. Smear garlic on top of the tomatoes and in the openings. Sprinkle over the parsley and
bread crumbs, pressing them into the openings, and
slide into the oven. Season with salt and pepper. Turn
the oven to 350F (theres no need to preheat).
Bake for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes look shrunk
and wizened. Serve hot or warm.

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Pasta and Peas

While recipes for this dish abound, this particular recipe
is inspired by one from Justin Schwartzs wonderful book,
Naples at Table.
makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings
4 tablespoons butter
One 4-ounce slice prosciutto (1/4 inch thick),
cut into 1/4 -inch dice
1 small onion, chopped
One 10-ounce package frozen peas or
10 ounces fresh baby peas
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

Pasta with Porcini

Mushroom Sauce
Dried mushrooms are among the most flavorful of all
foodsa few slices of mushroom will go a long way.
When shopping for dried porcini, available in gourmet
supermarkets, look for mushrooms that still feel flexible
through the bag, rather than completely dry and brittle.
Look for mushrooms with the largest slices you can
find, rather than little chips. You should be able to smell
the fragrance of the mushrooms through the bag. Keep
unused porcini tightly wrapped in the freezer.
makes 4 light main-course servings

Pepper

4 large pieces dried porcini mushrooms, soaked

for 30 minutes in just enough water to cover

1 pound dried pasta, such as spaghetti

or linguine, or 11/ 2 pounds fresh

1 cup heavy cream

Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to serve

Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

1 pound dried pasta, such as fettuccine

or linguine, or 11/ 2 pounds fresh

In a large saut pan, melt the butter over medium

heat. Add the prosciutto and onion. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onion turns translucent, about
10 minutes. Add the peas and cook just long enough
to heat them through and, if theyre fresh, lightly cook
them, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes (taste one to
determine doneness). Add the parsley and season to
taste with salt and pepper.

Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to serve

at the table

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, boil dried pasta according to the instructions on the package, or if fresh, for 30 to 60 seconds,
until soft, with the slightest resistance to the tooth.

Squeeze the mushrooms over the container you used

to soak them in so you catch all the soaking liquid. Pour
the soaking liquid into a saucepan, leaving any grit
behind in the container. Add the cream to the soaking
liquid as well as the mushrooms and simmer gently
until the sauce barely begins to thicken. Season to taste
with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a heated bowl. Toss

it with the pea mixture. Serve in heated pasta or soup
plates. Pass the Parmesan at the table.

Boil dried pasta according to the instructions on

the package, or if fresh, for 30 to 60 seconds, until soft,
with the slightest resistance to the tooth.
Drain the pasta in a colander and transfer to a
heated bowl. Pour over the sauce and toss. Serve on
heated plates. Pass the Parmesan at the table.

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Kitchen Simple

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