Last night I went to the much hyped new Harlem restaurant by famed chef, Marcus Samuelsson -- innovative cuisine drawing on a variety of inspirations -- the chef's training in Northern European cuisine mixed with the classic flavors and roots of the neighborhood and delivered on a plate in a spectacular manner. Although I didn't have any cheese and this my friends is a blog about cheese, I did get inspired by a side dish of collard greens and the spread that they serve with your bread composed of chickpeas, EVOO, and balsamic vinegar. So I thought I would create my own version of an open faced sandwich -- homey yet dressed up, flavors that you know and love with a twist, just like Red Rooster.
For our dish, I thought we would make a smoked cannellini bean spread with sauteed kale, mustard greens and fennel leaves over the top of a nice crusty bread.
Spread:
1/4 lb of Salvatore Brooklyn Smoked Ricotta
1/4 lb of Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta
1 can of Cannellini Beans (you can use dried ones that you cook as well)
Large drizzle of EVOO
Two tablespoons of tahini
1 garlic clove
Sea Salt and Crushed Red Pepper to taste
Handful of chopped parsley
Drizzle of lemon
1/2 teaspoon of srichacha for a nice little kick.
Blend all together in the food processor and you will get a creamy bean dip with a nice herbaceousness and the perfect amount of kick.
Greens:
1 bunch of mustard greens
1/2 bunch of kale
1 shallot
Handful of the greens atop a fennel bulb or fennel greens as I'm calling them
EVOO
Sea salt and crushed red pepper to taste
Saute over medium heat for seven to ten minutes.
Grab your crunchy bread and spread a nice amount of your dip and top with the sauteed greens and a few thin slivers of fennel. It will be smoky, creamy, cheesy, herbaceous, vegetal and an all around delight to the senses. I'd enjoy this with a nice light white wine.
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