GEORGE'S RECIPE of THE MONTH.
 George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.
After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.
Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.
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1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and trimmed 2 celery stalks, chopped int 1/2” pieces 8 garlic cloves, smashed 1 bunch kale, trimmed 1 small wedge of Parmesan with rind 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes 1/2 loaf crusty country bread (about 10 oz.) 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling Sea salt (to taste) 1 14-oz. can cannellini beans 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes |
  1 - Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°.
2 - Prepare mirepoix by combining chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Transfer to a medium bowl. Smash and peel the garlic cloves with the back of your knife. Add to bowl, also.
3 - Strip stems from kale and discard. Tear leaves into 2" pieces; set aside.
4 - Cut rind off of 1 small Parmesan wedge; set aside.
5 - Place 28 oz. canned tomatoes and their juices in a strainer set inside a medium bowl. Squeeze tomatoes and crush them with your hands while leaving them submerged in their liquid.
6 - Tear 1/2 loaf crusty bread into 1 1/2" pieces.
7 - Heat 1/2 cup extra-virgin oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bowl of mirepoix and 2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring
occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 8–10 minutes. 8 - Lift strainer full of tomatoes and give it a few shakes to remove any liquid. Add tomatoes (but not juices) and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
9 - While tomatoes are cooking, drain and rinse canned cannellini beans in the strainer you just used, then add to pot along with Parmesan rind, tomato juices, red pepper flakes, and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer.
10 - Add kale, stirring often and allowing to wilt.
11 - Add about one-third of torn bread and cook, stirring occasionally, until coated and warmed through, about 5 minutes more.
12 - Remove from heat. Place remaining torn bread chunks on top of stew. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Transfer pot to oven and bake stew until thick, bubbling, and bread is golden brown on top, 10–15 minutes. Ladle stew into bowls, drizzle each generously with olive oil, and grate lots of Parmesan on top. Serve immediately.
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                     FEB 2021
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