Harvest time. The local crops are in and we still have a few weeks left to take advantage of our exceptional Oak Park Farmers Market. Numerous apple varieties (including, of course, the extraordinary Honey Crisp apple), a staggering array of heirloom tomatoes, and some very uncommon potatoes are reason enough to visit our open air marketplace, but there’s also a veritable cornucopia of fruits and vegetables as well that you just won’t find at your local supermarket.
Vegetables of all kinds are at the forefront this week as I contemplate, prepare, and savor the wonders of Bagna Cauda [BAHN-yah KOW-dah], a mouth-watering dish of raw vegetables-or Crudités [kroo’di tay] as they say in France-from the Piedmonte region of northern Italy. Crudités is an assortment of raw vegetables (we call it a relish tray in Middle America), usually accompanied by a dipping sauce and served before dinner.
Bagna Cauda, meaning “hot bath,” is a warm dipping sauce, kind of like fondue in the way it is eaten. Made with olive oil, butter, lots of garlic, and anchovies, it’s the perfect foil for raw vegetables and, believe me, once you’ve tasted raw veggies this way, you won’t want to stop eating them. Incidentally, if you’re thinking (negatively) about the anchovies, think again.
Anchovies are the “secret” ingredient for many Italian-plus this non-Italian-cooks. They’re the “secret” ingredient you can’t seem to put your finger on-absolutely indispensable in a correct marinara sauce and a key ingredient in the original Caesar Salad. When anchovies are used judiciously, they are virtually unrecognizable, both visually and on the palate. Here’s how to do Bagna Cauda. Be sure to invite your friends.
Bagna Cauda
Serves 6
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced fine (use a micro-plane grater if you have one)
10 anchovy filets, rinsed in cold water, patted dry, and minced fine
Salt & black pepper to taste
Assortment raw, bite size vegetables
1 French Baguette, cut into bite-size slices
½ pint Whipping cream (optional, see note)
For the sauce
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat
Add the butter and let it begin to foam
Add the garlic and cook until it turns barely golden
Add the anchovies, reduce the heat low, and stir until the anchovies are completely dissolved
Season to taste with salt & black pepper
Arrange the assortment of vegetables on a platter
Pour the sauce into a flameproof dish, such as fondue pot that can be placed over a candle, or a can of Sterno. Or place the dish on a table top warmer.
Serve with the bread slices.
Note: Cream is added to the Bagna Cauda in some regions of Piedmonte. This helps to emulsify the sauce and lessen the taste of the garlic.
Here is a suggested list of vegetables for dipping. Feel free to make any substitutions you like:
n Carrots, peeled & trimmed
n Celery stalks, separated and washed
n Red & green bell peppers, cut in strips
n Whole scallions
n Mushrooms, halved or quartered
n Zucchini slices
n Cauliflower florets
n Broccoli florets
n Fennel slices
n Cherry tomatoes
n Green beans
n Romaine lettuce
n Belgian endive