Local-Farm Zucchini “Rollatini” with polenta fries, garlic oil, pea leaves, and rosemary edamame
For the Zucchini:
2 ea. fresh zucchini
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
to taste kosher salt
to taster cracked black pepper
Procedure:
- Remove tip and tail from squash; briskly scrub with cold water, and towel-dry.
- Slice on electric slicer (#25 setting). Brush lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season.
- Grill on char-grill to achieve some decent grill marks. Grill on one side only, as the squash is relatively thin, yet pliable.
- Transfer to paper towel to dry; chill all.
- Using a small offset spatula, apply a thin layer of ricotta filling (see below) to length of each piece of squash, then roll from one end to the other, to make “rollatini.” Cover, near station, for plate-up.
For the Ricotta Filling:
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 cup ricotta salata
2 ea. egg yolk
1 oz. sun-dried tomato, minced
1 tsp. fresh oregano
1 tsp. garlic oil
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
Procedure:
- Place ricotta and hand-grated ricotta salata in a stainless-steel bowl.
- Fold in yolks, minced sun-dried tomato, herbs and oil.
- Cover and chill for zucchini application (see above).
For the Polenta:
5 cups vegetable stock, hot
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. minced shallot
2-¼ cups medium-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup grana padano, grated
pinch saffron
2 tbsp. fresh basil
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
Procedure:
- Bring fresh vegetable stock to a rolling boil. Add a pinch of saffron. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- While stirring vigorously, add minced shallot and cornmeal. Depending on grind of polenta/grit product, this cooking, while stirring, may last 12-15 minutes.
- After reaching a desired consistency, pull from fire and fold in the fresh grated grana padano cheese.
- Fold in fresh herbs with spatula.
- Transfer mix to a parchment paper and half sheet-pan brushed with olive oil. Smooth the mass to an equal density.
- Drop once or twice to table, to remove air pockets. Cover and put into freezer to chill. When cool, invert pan to another sheet pan and flip, releasing the mass.
- Cut into desired planks, fries or batonettes. Wrap in foodservice film for a la minute frying.
For the Pea Leaves/Tendrils:
4 ozs. pea leaves
1 tbsp. garlic-scented oil (see note below)
to taste kosher salt
to taste cracked pepper
Procedure:
- Clean the pea leaves in cold water; trim tails to a desirable length. (I personally like the texture and flavor of the tail.) Towel-dry and reserve in cooler for service, open-air chilled.
Note: We process fresh cloves of garlic constantly in the commercial robot coupe, for all areas of the kitchen. We then pack it in extra-virgin olive oil, to maintain color and flavor. I purposely pour extra “evoo” over the minced garlic; this is the oil I draw for “garlic-scented oil.”
For the Edamame:
2 ozs. IQF shucked edamame
3 ozs. rosemary
1 oz. parsley
16 ozs. canola oil
Procedure:
- Rinse IQF edamame through a steady stream of cold water, until thawed. Pat dry.
- Blanch parsley in rolling boiled salted water for 20 seconds. Shock in ice bath. Drain well and paper-towel dry.
- Add rosemary and partial oil to blender; begin to puree. As you see a firm puree, add the rest of the oil in a steady stream.
- Strain oil through cheesecloth; this may take 15 minutes. It should render a vibrant, pungent herbal oil.
- Toss the thawed soy beans with this seasoned oil, and reserve for service.
For the Fresh Tomato Puree:
1 cup ripe tomato ends or pulp
1 clove garlic
½ cup sun-dried tomato
1 cup canola oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
to taste kosher salt
to taste cracked pepper
Procedure:
- In a very good blender/vitamixer, add fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and half of the oil; puree.
- Once you feel you have a good puree, add the balance of the oil in a steady stream. Add the Dijon mustard, and season to taste.
- Strain through a chinois to remove the pulp. Adjust seasoning and funnel into a squeeze bottle.
For Final Pickup/Plate-Up:
- Place three parcels of zucchini on a sizzle platter and fire in to a 350-degree oven.
- While it is re-therming, drop the “fries,” three pieces at a time. Note: These will crisp before they brown; waiting for them to brown is not 100% necessary.
- Add a reasonable amount of garlic oil into a hot sauté pan; don’t let it smoke. Add pea tendrils and season. We are looking to wilt these greens, not sauté them down like steamed spinach.
- Add pea tendrils to the plate first, as the base. Add the “fries” next; they will be hot and crispy. A linear progression is fine for balance.
- Balance rollatini of zucchini on each fry and garnish the perimeter of the plate with seasoned edamame beans.
- Add random droplets of fresh tomato puree, and garnish the plate.
Submitted by Marshall Violante, Executive Chef, Glen View Club, Golf, Ill.
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