Carbonara Makes the Dog Sneeze

You know you're doing something right in the kitchen when before things even start to bubble on the stove, before the garlic hits the simmering butter, before the whole kitchen smells of wintery stew - the dog is perched on the floor behind you. This is Frank, she's the closest thing we've got to a farm dog. When we cook, she stares intently into our souls and silently begs us to drop something on the floor.

And maybe it isn't our culinary prowess that draws the dog in. Maybe it's the fact that dogs have over 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to 6 million in humans. So Frank's brain is able to process that bacon is on the counter 40 times faster than ours can.

Tim's childhood dog was a foodie too. Sunshine, a beloved Dachshund, would sneeze uncontrollably when Tim's parents made carbonara, a sign of her excitement.The intoxicating aromatic melody of bacon and cheese was too much for Sunshine to take, and the sneezing would begin.

Carbonara is one of our all time favorite recipes.  Perfectly cured bacon, fresh pasta, and farm eggs. Its rich, its unctuous... A meal worth sneezing about. 

(Let the dog lick the plate. She loves that pasta 40x more than you do.) 

WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

HALF SHARE

Omnivore Protein - Bacon from Feather Brook Farms and Clark Farm, Eggs from Brookford Farm
Pescatarian Protein - Fresh Scallops from Red's Best
Vegetarian Protein - Tofu from Twenty First Century Foods, Eggs from Brookford Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Spinach, Garlic, Mutsu Apples and Sweet Potatoes from Busa Farm; Potted Herbs from Langwater Farm
Grain - Fresh Garlic Pasta from Nella Pasta
Special Treat - Donut Holes from Union Square Donuts (at the request of Amy and Sam. Enjoy!)

WHOLE SHARE

Omnivore Protein - Bacon from Feather Brook Farms and Clark Farm, Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms, Eggs and Greek Yogurt from Brookford Farm
Pescatarian Protein - Fresh Scallops and Hake Fillets from Red's Best; Eggs and Greek Yogurt from Brookford Farm
Vegetarian Protein - Tofu from Twenty First Century Foods, Eggs and Greek Yogurt from Brookford Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Swiss Chard, Spinach, Garlic, Mutsu Apples and Sweet Potatoes from Busa Farm; Potted Herbs from Langwater Farm; Micro Greens from Clark Farm
Grain - Fresh Garlic Pasta from Nella Pasta
Special Treat - Donut Holes from Union Square Donuts (at the request of Amy and Sam. Enjoy!)

DOUBLE SHARE

Protein - Bacon and Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms, Cheese, Eggs and Greek Yogurt  from Brookford Farm; Smoked Salmon Pate from Boston Smoked Fish Co.
Fruits and Veggies - Swiss Chard, Spinach, Garlic, Mutsu Apples and Sweet Potatoes from Busa Farm; Potted Herbs from Langwater Farm; Micro Greens from Clark Farm, Broccoli Rabe (first of the season!) and Beets from Pete's Greens
Grain - Fresh Garlic Pasta from Nella Pasta and Baguette from Iggy's Bread
Special Treat - Donut holes from Union Square Donuts (at the request of Amy and Sam. Enjoy!); Mini Pastries from Iggy's Bread (yum!)


RECIPES

Fu Family Carbonara: Master this dish and everyone you know will love you forever.

Needed:
1/2 pound bacon 
4 garlic cloves
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 dry white wine (not required)
3 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano Cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley is a good pick)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 lb pasta

Steps: 
0. Set a large pot of water to boil, add a pinch of salt. (Nerd Alert: Tim started this list at zero)
1. Cut bacon into 1/4-1/2 inch-wide strips.
2. Peel the garlic and smash it with the knife blade, but don't chop it. Add to a pan with the oil over medium heat.
3. When the garlic is fragrant and lightly brown, discard it.
4. Cook bacon strips in the oil until they start to crisp, add wine if you are using it. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes and turn off heat.
5. Cook the fresh pasta for 90 seconds - 2 minutes. Taste until it is al dente. Strain and place the pasta in a large mixing bowl. Reserve some of the cooked pasta water in a heat-proof measuring cup or tea cup. You will use this later to fine-tune the sauce.
6. In another mixing bowl, break three (3) eggs. Beat lightly and add the grated cheeses, as much pepper as you enjoy (the Fu's love pepper). If the bacon grease has cooled and you're feeling particularly gluttonous, you can add some of the bacon fat to this mixture.
7. Slowly pour the egg and cheese mixture into the cooked pasta, mixing quickly so that the mixture coats the pasta, instead of scrambling. The pasta heat will cook the eggs.  If it's too thick, add a bit of the pasta water.  If it's too thin, grate more cheese directly into the dish.
8. Mix about half of the bacon into the pasta. Sprinkle the rest of the bacon and herbs on top of the pasta. This will give the pasta a great nose while also adding color and brightness. We recommend checking the saltiness at this point. Bacon flavor and saltiness varies when it's grown and cured in small batches. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Enjoy. NOM. NOM. NOM.

Curried Scallops and Spinach: While it literally pained us not to include a recipe for scallops with a half a pound of butter and a pound of fresh pasta (again!) - this caught our eye. Keep a crusty bread on hand to mop up all that sauce.

Tofu Sweet Potato Bean Bowls: To the vegetarians in the house who haven't used your beans from last week - what about a tofu, bean sweet potato bowl? Hearty and delicious.

Mustard Crusted Tofu with Sweet Potatoes: The spinach or the rabe will stand in nicely here. Its so beautiful it almost looks like meat. Hmmm. Meeaaat. (sorry)

Broccoli Rabe with Poached Egg: Someday, SOMEDAY we will write a blog post that doesn't include poached eggs. That day is not today. Broccoli Rabe is ready for garlic and craving the fattiness of the egg yolk. It makes a nice lunch, or as the recipe suggests; a breakfast. Move over, avocado toast. 


TIPS AND TRICKS

Deus Meus, nimis multi ova !!

Yes, language nerds. That does say "My God! Too many eggs!" in Latin. We're fancy like that. Several of you have noted that you have a plethora of eggs (thanks for the feedback, Danielle!). Our friends and Family Dinner members Laura and Casey reminded us of the joy of a good frittata. You could be precise in your recipe, or go rogue like we do and just empty the fridge to see what might reasonably fit in a baked egg dish. 

We love this approach. A few veggies, a nice shredded cheese, and plenty of salt and pepper and brunch is ready. Cut the rest into little triangles and wrap in foil or in Tupperware for a mid-day savory snack at work. Frittata basics from the KITCHN are all you need.