CSA Week 2 and Poached Egg Salad

This week’s CSA share was similar to the last week, more radishes, broccoli, green onions.  It also brought mixed greens and an asian cabbage.  I have been beginning to learn more about the Slow Food movement and I pick my CSA up on Saturdays at the North Union Farmers Market in Shaker Square which is Northeast Ohio local food market.  One of the pioneers of the Slow Food Movement is Alice Waters.  Her book, The Art of Simple Food, is the perfect companion for the CSA share and tonight I made a variation of her Poached Egg and Curly Endive Salad.  I subbed the mixed greens for the endive and apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.  It was fresh and immensely satisfying on a hot Sunday night paired with a gin and tonic. 

Poached Egg with Curly Endive Salad

Remove the dark green outer leaves from :

2 large heads of curly endive 

Separate into individual leaves and wash and dry well.

Cut into 1/3 inch pieces:

2 bacon slices

Warm in a small heavy pan, over medium heat:

2 tablespoons olive oil

Add the bacon pieces and cook until brown and rendered, but not crisp.  Remove from the pan.  Pour off the fat from the pan and reserve.  

To make the dressing:

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and fresh ground pepper

1 garlic clove, crushed

Whisk in:

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons bacon fat

Taste for salt and acid and adjust as needed.

Fill a heavy saucepan with 4 cups water and add:

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat to just below simmer and slide in:

4 eggs, cracked from their shells

Poach egg for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water and keep warm/  Put the vinaigrette into a large bowl (remove the crushed garlic), add the bacon, and put the bowl over the pan of hot water to warm.  Add the greens and toss well.  Divide the greens among 4 warm plates.  Gently blot the eggs dry, and put 1 egg on top of each salad.  Grind a little black pepper over the top and serve immediately.

I love the flavor that a small amount of bacon can add, but omitting the bacon and increasing the amount of olive oil in the dressing this salad could easily be vegetarian.

Things have been hectic lately.  I have been working on a client in Niles, which means adding a 1 hour 20 minute commute each way to work.  I have been spoiled living downtown and I don’t know how people commute like this all the time.  It is aggravating to spend so much time in the car.  The time is completely unproductive, and though I have become well versed on current events by listening to NPR, I could not do this on a long term basis.  

CC and I have grand plans to take full advantage of the Obama stimulus programs.  The cash for clunkers program was pretty much written for his 12 mpg, 220,000+ mile Ford Explorer.  And I have been house hunting in hopes of taking advantage of the $8k tax credit.  Me and pretty much everyone else I know is seriously house hunting, so I would dare to say this program is going to be a huge success.  

I love downtown, but I have also fallen in love with Shaker Square.  The Square has everything I am looking for in a community: an array of restaurants, coffee shop, grocery store, movie theater, dry cleaner, train station, art galleries, CVS, and a weekly local farmers market.  I put an offer in on a house that is walkable to the Square - keep your fingers crossed for me!!   I did a test drive on taking the rapid train into downtown from the Square and I loved it!  Hopefully soon I will be making that commute on a regular basis.