With broccoli starting to come up in my raised winter vegetable bed, I’ve been cooking a lot with it lately. One of my favorite ways to cook it is with pasta. Here’s a simple one that’s easy to make with store-bought, good quality ravioli. Add a drizzle of olive oil at the end to enrich the sauce if you like.

Ingredients

3/4 pound broccoli, cut into florets
1 pound goat cheese ravioli (homemade, fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

The Charleston Farmers Market sets up every Saturday downtown in Marion Square until December 19, just two days before the first day of winter. That’s about a month away, and the harvest from the surrounding sea islands — Johns, Wadmalaw, James, Edisto — goes on. It may even be fair to say (especially if you like greens) that the variety is as good or better now than it’s been all year. The extent of the local farm bounty was one of the most fun discoveries I had after moving to Charleston a couple of years ago.

Even though I’ve been cooking with greens from my raised beds out here on Sullivan’s for weeks now, I’ll stil be able to get fresh local produce for a while, if not all year round. By this time last year in the lowcountry we had dipped into the low 40’s just a few nights despite near freezing temperatures upstate, and even then summer crops like tomatoes, melons, okra, peas and peanuts still look great. Most farms are surrounded by water that’s about 65 degrees this time of year, which helps a lot. But this year has been really mild by contrast, which I’m not complaining about at all.

This time last year I was talking regularly with Jay Maynard at the Thackeray booth for a while, who had a lot of great information about what they’re growing, which I was beginning to gather together for an article in the Charleston City Paper’s Dish Dining Guide. I’m going to try to head out to the farm next week to check out some of the heirloom varieties they’re growing, and compare that to last year. Last year I asked Jay if the okra below was the red variety (which you never see around here). He said that no, it’s just green okra that’s wintering off — or naturally producing red tannins in anticipation of frost. He said Sean Brock (it always goes back to Brock) is cooking with an heirloom variety of okra called Copahee (which must be from around here), which is truly red in color.

Heartier cool-weather greens and roots like sweet potatoes, radishes, carrots and onions are not only abundant now, but are doing their best, and should be around until January or so. Some say collards and other greens taste best after a frost.

At home out on Sullivan’s Island I’ve had collards, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red and green kale and cauliflower planted for about a month. Just about everything looked wilted when we were in the upper 70’s, but it’s all happier and happier the cooler it gets. I’m looking forward to seeing how long the cool-weather vegetables last — and may even try to squeeze in an early spring crop after letting the bed lie fallow for a month or so, depending on the weather.

It’s not exactly chilly in the lowcountry right now, but this rainy coastal system moving up from Florida made yesterday a pretty dreary Monday. It was actually nice for a change.

Now that fall’s here, there’s a shift in ways to explore the relationship between Southern and Southeast Asian (among other cuisines) food and cooking. I love working tropical ingredients into comforting favorites, and am always surprised at how much better they make even a simple dish like oatmeal.

With that in mind, I started the rainy workweek off yesterday with an easy breakfast combining steel cut oats with coconut milk, bananas and cashews.

I tossed a handful of steel cut oats into a  glass bowl, added in twice as much water, and a pinch of salt, then covered the bowl in plastic wrap and cooked the oats at 80% power for six minutes. Then I moved the partially-cooked oats to a saucepan, barely covered them with coconut milk, and stirred in a tablespoon each of butter and brown sugar.

I simmered the oats until they were soft — another five minutes. Then I topped them with a sliced banana, a handful of cashews I had crushed in a mortar and pestle, and a drizzle of honey.

The coconut milk, bananas and cashews were a great match, anchored by the underlying nuttiness of the oats. Not bad for a warming, throw-together breakfast.

Now it’s back to the dry, sunny upper 70’s.

After trying many versions over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s impossible to write (or follow) a foolproof recipe for fresh gnocchi.

The right ration of flour to liquid depends on subtleties like humidity, the size of the eggs (if you’re using them), and the size of and amount of moisture in the potatoes (or sweet potatoes, in this case). I’ve followed recipes too closely in the past and have had the gnocchi disintegrate in the pot. A recipe can get you close, but you have to rely on feel too.

Last night I had some sweet potatoes from Joseph Fields Farm and some good gorgonzola from Goat Sheep Cow on hand. I decided I’d make gnocchi, but instead of relying on a recipe, I just decided to go with my gut.

First, I peeled the sweet potatoes, cut them into cubes to make them cook faster, and put them on a steaming rack in a large pot.

When I could easily pierce the chunks of sweet potato with a knife, I took them off the heat. I fed the pieces into a potato ricer.

I fitted my mixer with the flat beater at first, just to combine the ingredients. I added the flour (less than I thought I needed), an egg, a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a healthy pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

Once the ingredients were combined, I switched the flat beater out for the dough hook. I added more flour as I mixed, stopping occasionally to stir the mixture with a spatula to keep it off the bottom of the bowl.

I kept adding flour until the dough pulled away from the sides of the bowl and turned into a ball. Then I revved up the mixer and let the hook knock the dough around for about 20 seconds to develop the gluten in the sweet potatoes, which helps the gnocchi hold together.

I tossed some flour onto the cutting board, then rolled the kneaded dough out onto the board.

I sprinkled it with more bench flour, then cut the dough into thirds.

I rolled and pulled one of the thirds into a long dowel.

I used a pastry cutter to cut the dowel into pieces.

I sprinkled the forming gnocchi generously with more flour to keep them from sticking together, and tossed them around in the flour for insurance.

Then, using my thumb and forefinger, I rolled the gnocchi along the back of a fork. The ridges give them texture and help them hold the sauce.

I put together a quick, simple sauce. I added a splash of whole milk to a small nonstick skillet and warmed it over medium heat. I crumbled in a chunk of gorgonzola, and swirled the pan around to help it melt. Then I just simmered the sauce until it was thick and looked like it would coat the gnocchi.

I simmered the gnocchi gently in boiling salted water until they expanded, floated and were hot in the center, about 5 minutes. I lifted them out of the water with a slotted spoon and added them straight into the sauce. I added lots of fresh ground black pepper and simmered them until they were coated.

Making fresh pasta always seems a like a big commitment, but it usually ends up being easier — and tastier — than I expect.

I love broiling eggplant. Since the oven’s heat hits the eggplant from above (as opposed to from below like on a grill) it’s easier to baste the eggplant with a flavorful sauce and have the sauce stay put to really sear into the eggplant’s flesh.

Last week when I came across a few firm purple Chinese eggplants, I decided to pick them up to broil for dinner. To make the sauce I picked up some really smooth fresh ginger, a few Thai chiles, a bag of my favorite Jasmine rice and a thick bone-in pork chop for the grill.

Before I broiled the eggplant I put together the sauce:

I minced a tablespoon each of ginger and garlic and thinly sliced a Thai chile. I put those in a bowl along with two tablespoons each of soy sauce and lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and one teaspoon of peanut oil.

Then I whisked those together with a basting brush.

I cut two eggplants into half-inch strips lengthwise; I wanted them to be thin enough to cook through before they burned, but thick enough that their centers would stay moist. Then I lined them up on a small aluminum-clad broiling pan.

I preheated the broiler to high and generously brushed the tops of the slices with the sauce.

I slid the pan about 8-inches beneath the broiler and left them alone to broil on the first side.

After about 8 minutes, they were brown. I flipped them over and basted the second side with the sauce, and broiled them for another 8 minutes.

They were crisp on the outside, steamy and pillowy on the inside, and infused with the salty umami taste of the soy, chile heat, aromatic ginger, pungent garlic and nutty sesame and peanut oils. They were delicious draped over a pile of Jasmine rice alongside a simply seasoned grilled pork chop.

Like this recipe? See more eggplant recipes at cookthink.com. Or try our search tool to find whatever you’re craving.

A 2008 back issue of Saveur that I flipped through over the weekend has me inspired.

Around that time, along with the usual beautiful photography, they were starting to focus more and more on ingredients and techniques, with the various cuisines of the world as context. This month they highlight crab, brown rice and southern peas (which, it turns out, are really beans).

The issue prompted me to stop by by Murphree’s Fruits And Vegetables, a coveted local source of freshly hulled peas. I picked up a pound each of fresh pink-eyed purple hull and cream peas. I packed them with a few bags of frozen peas for the trip back.

When I got back to Charleston late Friday night, I went right to work on a pasta dish featuring the peas.

I dropped a half pound or so of penne in boiling salted water. I simmered a big handful of peas with olive oil and white wine in a medium skillet until they were tender, about ten minutes. I pureed an heirloom tomato in the food processor, added that to the peas, seasoned everything with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a few red pepper flakes, and simmered the sauce until it thickened, another five minutes.

When the pasta was al dente, I crumbled a few ounces of feta and thinly sliced some basil. I added them both to the sauce along with the cooked pasta, and tossed everything together just until the feta melted a little.

The peas themselves were so delicious and fresh I almost wished I had cooked them alone; but the bright acidic tomato and earthy, salty feta complemented them well, and made for a satisfying post-travel meal.

Recipe: Carrot And Leek Ragout With Green Peas And Mint (Cookthink)
Recipe: Hoppin’ John (Cookthink)
Recipe: Potato Pea Curry (VeganYumYum)
Reference: What is a legume? (Cookthink)

serves 2

Ingredients:
2-4 links merguez sausage (about 1/2 pound), sliced
1 bunch red kale (about 1 pound), stemmed and cut into ribbons
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Instructions:
1. Prep the sausage, kale and chickpeas.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the merguez and stir. Leave it alone to brown 2 minutes. Stir and cook another minute. Add the kale and the water and cover the pan. Cook until the kale softens, 3-5 minutes.

3. Uncover the pan and stir. Season the kale with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted but still bright green, 8-10 more minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro and vinegar. Serve over rice, couscous or quinoa.

These days you can buy the bird in so many forms — turkey pieces, turkey cutlets (or tenders), turkey sausages, smoked wings and legs, rolled or bone-in breast roasts — that there are endless options for cooking turkey.

Last night I put together a simple, elegant saltimbocca that’s a take on the classic Italian veal saltimbocca. I substituted turkey cutlets, rolled up with prosciutto and sage, lightly fried, finished with a white wine pan sauce and served over a bed of pasta.

All you do is pound turkey cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap until they are 1/8-inch thick (you can use a meat pounder, a skillet or an empty bottle of wine).

Top each cutlet with a couple of fresh sage leaves and a slice of prosciutto, then roll the cutlets up and secure with a toothpick. (You can also fold cutlets in half or leave whole, for a more informal presentation.)

Season the saltimbocca with freshly ground black pepper, sear in a hot pan with some butter and olive oil, add some white wine, reduce the heat, cover and cook through, about 10 minutes total. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over a bed of buttered noodles — and there you have it.

Recipe: Turkey Saltimbocca (Cookthink)
Recipe: Egg Noodles With Peas And Parmesan (Cookthink)
Recipe: Sautéed Baby Spinach With Garlic (Cookthink)
Recipe: Sambal-Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Cookthink)

Pan roasting is one of my favorite ways to cook meat indoors. Any cut of meat that will fit in a pan (chicken breast, steak, pork chop, etc.) can be seared over high heat, then finished in a moderately hot oven. Searing gives the meat browned flavor and crispness, and finishing in the oven helps the meat cook evenly throughout.

Over the weekend I picked up a duck breast to pan roast. Duck sometimes seems daunting to cook at home. But a duck breast is about as easy to cook as a strip steak, especially when pan roasted. Searing the breast fat-side down helps render and crisp the thick layer covering the meat.

Go to cookthink.com to see full instructions for how to cook duck breast.

Here in the lowcountry, local markets are replete with squash of all kinds. Over the weekend I picked up some of the butternut variety, and decided to tempura fry them as a gameday appetizer for a few friends.

Tempura frying is quick and the batter is light, so as long as the oil is nice and hot the food shouldn’t be oily. In fact, hot oil seals in the essence of the squash a lot better than other cooking methods.

This is one of my favorite dipping sauces for anything fried, but you might also try an Italian green sauce or a salsa verde.

Butternut Squash Tempura

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. First, cut the butternut squash in two at the intersection of the cylindrical neck and the round base. If the skin is too thick to peel with a vegetable peeler, try standing the neck with the flat cut-end down and slicing downward around the squash with a paring knife. (If the neck is really long, cut into two shorter pieces before doing this.) Peel the skin from the round base and then split it in two lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape to remove the seeds and fibrous flesh. Cut the squash into 3-inch pieces. Put the pieces on a broiler pan, season them lightly with salt and pepper, and bake until barely tender, 20-30 minutes.

3. Fill a heavy, straight-sided saut� pan no more than halfway to the top with canola or grapeseed oil for deep frying. (Be sure not to fill the pan higher than halfway up the sides: the oil will expand when you fry, and could spill over and ignite.)

4. When the squash has cooled, cut the pieces into long rectangles.

5. Whisk together the rice flour and club soda. Add more flour or soda so that the batter is thick (like pancake batter).

6. Turn the heat on medium-high to warm the frying oil. When the oil reaches 360-375F, dip the squash pieces into the batter and let the excess drain off; the batter should cling to the squash but not be too clumpy.

7. Carefully set the squash pieces into the oil, letting them fall away from you so you don’t splash oil onto your fingers. (You can also do this with tongs or a slotted spoon.) Work in batches of 6-8 pieces of squash at a time so the oil temperature is constant. Fry, turning the squash gently, until they’re golden brown in spots, 3-5 minutes.

8. Remove the squash pieces with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel- or newspaper-lined plate. Season immediately with salt and pepper.

9. Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, ginger and sesame oil. Serve alongside the squash.