Making plans for February

and a recipe for a satisfying winter pasta with cauliflower and cavolo nero

“We haven’t been invited to any Christmas parties this year.”

So observed a friend to me today. December, usually that most frenetic of times, was shaping up to be a month like any other for her.

On the other hand, I’m feeling a bit oversubscribed. Two parties next Sunday, and then another two the Sunday after that. Concerts, a girlfriends’ holiday lunch, a special Christmas afternoon tea…I’m already out of breath.

When this time of year rolls around, we try to cram everything into a few short weeks. It’s as if this is the only moment in time to reconnect with old friends, to throw open our doors wide, to make new connections, to share in the bounty of the season. I ought to know.

Same time next year

For nearly twenty five years on the second Sunday in December we hosted our annual Open House. It started in our tiny apartment with a kitchen barely the size of a closet, and an idea that it would be nice to have a few friends over to celebrate the season. 

Over the years, the Open House mushroomed into a gathering of close to a 100 people. Friends who met here and only connected on this one magical day, talking as if they had just had coffee together two weeks ago.  Kids we watched grow up, and new babies arriving. Our "Food Bank" box for non-perishables, to give back something amid the plenty. We frequently heard that this was the party of the season, the one our friends wouldn’t miss for the world. They couldn’t imagine December without it, and neither could we.

And then, just like that, a sneaky global pandemic stopped us in our tracks.

Rethinking together time

This year will mark the third one in which we haven’t hosted our Open House. We have missed this most treasured of traditions in the bittersweet way that one longs for something and is also secretly relieved when it doesn’t come to pass.

It’s given me pause and a chance to reflect on why we gather. Christmas as a backdrop is as convenient an excuse as any to try and pack in as much together time as possible. But why not plan a stormy February dinner date with your girlfriends? How about a winter skating outing that includes the kids, hot chocolate taking the place of Prosecco? Maybe the dreary aftermath and inevitable letdown that follows holiday frenzy is actually the perfect time to start to fill our calendars with cheer.

Dare I say that when December 2023 comes around, we’ll finally be ready to roll out the red carpet again for our Open House? A new home, and an opportunity to make new memories awaits. And a 25th anniversary Open House seems like a fitting way to usher in the holiday season. But still, I’m getting my calendar out for gatherings throughout the year.

Ella Fitzgerald may say it best in The Secret of Christmas: it’s not the things you do at Christmas time but the Christmas things you do all year through.

Orrechiette with cauliflower, cavolo nero, currants and pine nuts

Sunday Suppers at Lucques, Suzanne Goin

serves 4

When we’re done with all the turkey and stuffing and ham and cookies and eggnog and cranberry sauce and scalloped potatoes…isn’t a delicious bowl of pasta just what you crave? This lovely dish from Chef Suzanne Goin may seem deceptively light but its earthy winter veggies - cauliflower and cavolo nero (also known as dinosaur kale) give this dish heft. You can stew the cavolo, blanch the cauliflower, and toast the breadcrumbs in advance. You won’t need all of the currant-pine nut relish, so use it on your next cheese board or as a perfect finish to roasted fish.

Currant-Pinenut Relish

Ingredients

⅓ cup olive oil

½ sprig rosemary

Pinch chile flakes

¾ cup finely diced red onion or shallots

⅓ cup dried currants

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

1. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, rosemary and chile flakes. When the rosemary starts to sizzle add in the red onion and season with some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn down the heat to low and let the onions gently sauté for about 10 minutes until tender. Transfer to a small bowl, discard the rosemary sprig, and allow to cool. Set pan aside.

2. While the onion is cooking place the currants in a small bowl and cover them with hot water. Allow them to soak for 10 minutes and then drain well.

3. Add the balsamic vinegar to the small sauté pan and reduce it over medium high heat until it’s reduced by half. Stir the balsamic into the onion mixture and add in the drained currants, parsley and pine nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

For the pasta

1 pound cavolo nero (dinosaur kale), cleaned, center ribs removed

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ sprig rosemary

1 chiles de árbol, crumbled

1 cup sliced onion, plus 1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds), broken into bite-sized florets

1 pound orecchiette or penne pasta

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

2 teaspoons minced salt-packed anchovy

¼ cup currant–pine nut relish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put two large pots of heavily salted water on to boil. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Blanch the cavolo nero in rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, and cool the greens on a baking sheet. When they have cooled, squeeze out the excess water, and chop.

3. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Pour in ¼ cup olive oil. Add the rosemary sprig and crumbled chile, and let them sizzle in the oil about a minute. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the sliced onion. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Cook a couple of minutes, then stir in half the sliced garlic. Continue cooking gently until the onion is soft and starting to colour slightly, another 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Add the cavolo nero and 2 more tablespoons olive oil, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat the greens with the oil. Season with a heaping ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook the cavolo nero slowly, over low heat, about 30 minutes, stirring often, until the greens turn a dark, almost black color and get slightly crispy around the edges. Turn off the heat and set aside. When it’s cooled, remove the rosemary.

5. While the greens are cooking, toss the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown and crispy.

6. Blanch the cauliflower in rapidly boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender and not too crunchy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Bring the water back to a boil and drop in the pasta.

7. Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in ¼ cup olive oil and wait a minute. Add the diced onion and the thyme. Sauté over medium heat 2 minutes, and then add the anchovy. Stir well with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovy and dissolve it into the onion. Turn the heat up to high and add the cauliflower. Stir well, to coat the cauliflower with the oil. Add the remaining sliced garlic, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, and sauté the cauliflower 8 to 10 minutes, until it’s caramelized, scraping the pan continuously with a wooden spoon, and smashing the cauliflower a little to make small pieces. Add the cavolo nero to the pot, and stir well to combine.

8. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and set aside 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the vegetables, stirring and tossing well to combine and coat the noodles. The pasta will fry a little in the oil and stick to the pan; this is good, so keep scraping and tossing with the wooden spoon.

9. After a few minutes, when the pasta is well coated and has a little color on it, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Stir to combine, and add more water if necessary. Taste for seasoning. Add the currant–pine nut relish and stir to combine. Transfer the pasta to a large warm platter and shower the toasted breadcrumbs over the entire dish. Serve.