Posts Tagged sides and salads

Shaved Apple, Fennel, and Celery Salad

I love life’s simple pleasures: the colors of autumn, sipping a great cup of coffee, putzing about the house in my crappy old blue plaid pajama pants.

In my own life, I find that I am constantly striving for simplicity. I want to take the time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. And to be quite honest, I’m failing miserably.

My life isn’t simple, at all.

I’m always busy.

I’ve probably said this before, but I’ve discovered that cooking can be extremely therapeutic. When I step into the kitchen, everything feels different. I fall into a certain rhythm while chopping, slicing, and stirring. I find enjoyment and fulfillment in tweaking and adjusting, tasting and perfecting.

Maybe it’s cheesy to admit, but the kitchen is where I find my sense of simplicity. Specifically, when I cook food and share it with others, somehow everything just feels right. And sometimes, this feeling translates directly into the actual food on the plate. When life feels busy and overwhelming, I’m often compelled to make food that is remarkably simple and beautiful.

This is one of those things. It isn’t fancy and it isn’t complicated.

It’s simplicity on a plate.

It’s everything I’m striving for, and not quite achieving.

I’ll get there eventually.

SHAVED APPLE, FENNEL, AND CELERY SALAD
(Serves two.)

Note: For some reason, I really wanted a creamy dressing for this salad so I used a little mayo. But I think it would be quite nice with just oil & vinegar. Also, I tossed some dried lovage into the dressing but I didn’t include it in the recipe as it’s not a terribly common pantry item. At the last second, I tossed a few toasted pecans into salad and it was the best decision I’ve made in awhile. You should try it.

Ingredients:
1 apple (current favorite apple varietals: Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Elstar)
3 stalks of celery
1 small fennel bulb (with fronds)
1.5 teaspoons olive oil
1.5 teaspoons mayo
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste

Optional:
Dried lovage
Toasted pecans

Method:

Using a mandoline (or knife or food processor or magic!), thinly shave the fennel bulb and celery stalks (reserve the fennel fronds for the dressing). With a paring knife, cut the apple into thin matchsticks. (I like to slice the apple with the mandoline and then use a knife to julienne the apple into smaller pieces.) Gently toss the apple, celery, and fennel together in a bowl.

Mince the fennel fronds until you have roughly 1 tablespoon. Stir together the olive oil, mayo, vinegar, minced fennel fronds, salt, and pepper (and lovage, if using). Taste, and adjust the portions if necessary. (I happen to like a lot of pepper.)

Gently toss the salad with the dressing, just to coat. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with fennel fronds and toasted pecans.

Note: This salad keeps for about a day in the fridge, but it really tastes best the day you make it. Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing (Recipe Swap)

Last month, I wasn’t able to participate in the Recipe Swap, as I was driving across the country with my sister. In two years of swapping, this is the only post I’ve missed! I was bummed to miss out on all the recipe swap fun, but driving across the country isn’t exactly conducive to cooking. (On the contrary, driving across the country is conducive to eating a lot of crappy food and drinking gas station coffee.)

That being said, it’s good to be back.

There are times when Christianna emails the swap group our recipe for the month, and I’m completely inspired by it. This was not one of those times. This month’s recipe – “Russian Salad” is just plain nasty. It’s essentially a potato salad with veal and herring. (Yes, herring.) If I’m being truly honest, I got to the herring part of the recipe and decided to read no further. I am just not down with fish in my potato salad. So, I went in a totally and completely different direction. Really, the only thing my pumpkin kale salad has in common with Russian Salad is that they are both….salads. That’s it.

I blame this salad on Pinterest. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there’s been a bit of a ‘pumpkin craze’ on Pinterest as of late. It’s all pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cocktails, etc, etc. I hate it! You see, I love pumpkin. I love it in curries and soups and stews. I love pumpkin in salads, gratins, and casseroles. Pumpkin is an amazingly flavorful and versatile fruit. And, sure, I love pumpkin pie as much as the next person, I just happen to believe that pumpkin does not belong in coffee. ;)

So, this is my take on the Russian salad, as well as my official submission to the great pumpkin craze. I hope you like it.

PUMPKIN & KALE SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING
Makes 6-8 servings

Salad ingredients:
1 small heirloom pumpkin (or 1/2 of a large pumpkin)
2 heaping cups of chopped lacinato kale
2 heaping cups of roughly chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup candied pecans*
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
1 teaspoon nutmeg

For the Tahini dressing:
2 tablespoons sesame tahini paste
2 small cloves of garlic
the juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon water (more, if needed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper

*You could easily make your own spiced or candied pecans, or use plain pecans. I happened upon some candied pecans at Trader Joe’s that I thought were quite tasty in this salad.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a Silpat.

Using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and then cut each half in 2 or 3 pieces (whatever is easiest to handle). Using your knife, carefully remove the pumpkin skin from each segment. Once the skin is removed, chop the pumpkin into 1″ cubes. In a bowl, toss the pumpkin cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to coat. Spread the pumpkin pieces into an even layer on the baking sheet, and roast until fork tender, but firm (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the pumpkin is cooling, mix the dressing together. Stir together tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. The mixture will thicken and turn a lighter shade. Begin adding water, a little at a time. Stir until the mixture is light and creamy, and the desired thickness. Stir in yogurt and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the chopped lettuce and kale. Toss with tahini dressing, and gently mix in the pumpkin cubes, pecans, and minced parsley. Toss with a bit more tahini dressing, until coated. Taste, and season with extra salt & pepper, if needed.

Asparagus & Arugula Salad with Feta and Mint

I took a week off from everything.

It’s been wonderful.

I slept in (which I never do). I went to the gym. I spent time with friends and family.

I cooked, I baked. I concocted fun summer cocktails.

I watched a lot of Breaking Bad.

I went off the grid.

It was just what the doctor ordered.

And now, I’m starting my new job with Plate & Pitchfork. Our summer dinners start next weekend and I honestly can’t wait. It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s the work I want to be doing. It’s what I love.

Oh, and I suppose I should say something about this asparagus salad. That’s what you’re here for, right?

The salad is remarkably simple. It’s bright and summery and wonderful. The asparagus is crisp, with just a hint of delicious char. Since we are nearing the end of asparagus season, I’m imploring you to snatch up as much as you can. Get it while it’s hot.

ASPARAGUS & ARUGULA SALAD WITH FETA & MINT
Note: While I call for roasted asparagus in this recipe, you could also grill, steam, or sauteé the asparagus. Really, it’s up to you! I prefer roasting or grilling, as I think the char on the asparagus tastes particularly good in this salad.

1 bunch of asparagus (approx. 1 lb)
1.5 cups arugula
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Drizzle of good quality olive oil (1 tablespoon, plus more for roasting)
Salt & pepper, to taste
Fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus. Toss asparagus with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. When the oven is hot, roast asparagus in the oven for 8-12 minutes, or until asparagus is roasted. I prefer my asparagus to be slightly undercooked, so it’s still crisp (but cooked).

Remove asparagus to a plate (or bowl) to cool.

Once the asparagus is fully cooled, toss the asparagus with the arugula. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture, and toss with vinegar and lemon juice. Gently toss in the feta cheese and mint. Season with salt & pepper. Add more olive oil or lemon juice, if needed.

Serve immediately. (Note: this salad doesn’t keep particularly well. It is best if you eat it the same day you make it.)

Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette

First off, I’d like to thank you all for your support, kind words, and encouragement! I’m so excited to start my new job at Plate & Pitchfork, and your support means a lot.

In all the excitement of preparing for the new job (and training my replacement at the old job), I’ve not had a lot of time to cook. Honestly, I’ve not had a lot of time to do anything (Laundry, housecleaning, etc.). It’s just a busy season in life.

But, I bought a few pints of strawberries at the Montavilla Farmer’s Market last weekend and they sort of forced my hand. I used up some of the strawberries to make Minted Strawberry Shortcakes with Lemony Whipped Cream.

But I was over-zealous in my strawberry purchasing (they looked so good!) and I had a lot of strawberries leftover. They were just sitting in the fridge, begging me to use them. I noticed that a couple of the strawberries were beginning to brown, and I knew I had to do something about it. I couldn’t let them go to waste!

So I roasted the strawberries and then blended them with garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices. I transformed the last of my strawberries into a vinaigrette (and a darn good one, at that).

I saved the strawberries and got a delicious salad dressing out of the deal.

It’s a win-win situation.

ROASTED STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE
(Slightly Adapted from Glow Kitchen)
Makes 1.5 cups (or so) of vinaigrette.

Ingredients:
1 pint of ripe strawberries (2 cups)
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
14 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary
Salt & pepper, to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is preheating, de-stem the strawberries and slice them in half. Line a baking pan with tinfoil and place the strawberries on the lined baking pan. Bake, until the strawberries are roasted and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Remove strawberries from the oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, blend the strawberries together with the rest of the ingredients, using a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Depending on your preference you can add more olive oil (or water) if the dressing is too thick.

Store the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge. The dressing will keep for a week (or more).

Recipe Swap: Brussels Sprout Slaw

Why hello, everyone!

I’m sure that most of you know the drill by this point. Every month, I participate in a Recipe Swap that is organized by the lovely Christianna from Burwell General Store. If my memory serves me correctly, I’ve been participating in this swap since last November – which means it’s almost been a year (!). How time flies when you’re having fun…

And I certainly always have fun with the recipe swap. Last month I managed to turn a recipe for Wild Rabbit with Vegetables into a recipe for a Bloody Mary(with lots of gratuitous pictures of my cute bunny rabbit, of course).

But that was last month! This month, Christianna sent out a doozy of a recipe. She asked us to re-interpret a recipe for Hot Slaw.

This recipe cracks me up. I think that the words “coddled” and “custard” should never be used with cabbage. Ever. I can’t even begin to imagine what this hot slaw tastes like, but it certainly doesn’t sound especially appetizing.

So, my basic goal with this particular swap was to make something that sounded a bit more appetizing than coddled cabbage custard (I dare you to say that five times fast!). I chose to use Brussels sprouts as the base of my slaw because I LOVE Brussels sprouts and I happen to think that they look (and taste) like miniature cabbages.

So, in a sense, I made a miniature cabbage slaw. A miniature cabbage slaw with bacon, blue cheese, pears and hazelnuts. Essentially, I took everything I love and combined them together to make one delicious slaw. This slaw is a great fall dish, as Brussels sprouts and pears are currently in season. The flavors are bold, and yet everything works together so nicely. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Below is my recipe for the slaw, but please be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post so you can see all the other amazing creations from my fellow swappers.

BRUSSELS SPROUT SLAW (WITH BACON, BLUE CHEESE, AND PEAR)
Adapted from The Family Kitchen

1.5 pounds of Brussels sprouts
4 strips of bacon
1 ripe pear
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 high quality blue cheese (such as Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue)

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Quickly blanch Brussels sprouts in the boiling water (3-5 minutes). Remove from boiling water and rinse with cold water (or plunge into an ice bath) to stop cooking. Pat Brussels sprouts dry. Trim ends (‘stems’) off the brussels sprout and slice very thinly by hand.

In a small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients. Toss dressing with Brussels sprouts, and refrigerate for at least an hour (to allow flavors to develop).

Meanwhile, cook strips in a skillet over medium heat. I like my bacon crispy for this salad, so I cook my bacon a little longer than usual. Remove bacon to a plate (lined with paper towels) and set aside until cool. Once cooled, slice (or crumble) bacon into small pieces.

When the Brussels & dressing have sat for an hour, remove from the fridge. Slice the pear thinly and toss with the Brussels sprout mixture. Sprinkle roasted hazelnuts, blue cheese crumbles, and bacon over the top of the slaw. Serve immediately.

Vintage Recipe Redo and Swap Project: This recipe redo/swap idea was brought to life by Christiana of Burwell General Store upon finding a cool vintage hymnal/recipe book at a swap meet in Arizona. She had the vision of bringing those recipes back to life with a twist. We swappers must change at least three things to make it our own and stay true to the intent of the recipe. There is a growing group of international talent wielding their monthly vision in our recipe swap. You can check them out by clicking their links below or via the link for Christianna’s blog above. All recipes will be posted by 6 p.m. PST on Sunday October 2, 2011.

See below (or visit the Recipe Swap page) to see all the other great interpretations of Hot Slaw! Happy swapping, y’all!

Grilled Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Avocado

And just like that, I have a husband again.

You see, my husband has a new job. Rather, he has a new/old job. For the last 6 months, he was working a corporate job in the suburbs. We didn’t realize it while he was there, but the job was killing both of us. He wasn’t happy. I wasn’t happy. Our schedules were out of sync and we barely saw each other.

And now he’s back working at his old job…and suddenly everything is different. I forgot how nice it is to have afternoons and evenings together. Or how nice it is to cook and eat a meal together. We’ve been so thrilled about his schedule, that we’ve found ourselves cooking together almost every night. We’ve been making fancy meals for no reason, just because we can. We’re just soaking up this newfound time with each other, and we’re loving it. We’ve also been grilling a lot, and I can’t express to you how lovely it is to sit outside, drink a glass of wine, and enjoy a lazy summer meal together in our backyard.

This grilled corn salad was created on one such evening. Nich was grilling tequila lime shrimp (for shrimp tacos) and I decided to make a grilled corn salad to go along with the tacos. I went with flavors that I thought would compliment the meal – cilantro, lime, cumin, and avocado. It was bright and full of flavor – the sweetness of the corn played off the tangy lime and the fresh tomatoes beautifully.

I now insist on making this salad every time we fire up the grill. I adore this salad. I’ll eat it on its own, throw it on tacos (or burritos, quesadillas, etc), or devour it with chips. And while I know that it is now September, I’m hoping for an Indian Summer. I am simply not ready to welcome the changing of seasons (yet). I need a few more lazy summer dinners in the backyard with my husband. I need a few more impromptu BBQ’s. And frankly, I need more excuses to make this corn salad while the summer corn is ripe and sweet.

So, hello, September, I hope you’re kind to us in the Northwest. We’d like a bit more summer, if you don’t mind.

Grilled Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Avocado

1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ears of sweet corn, husks removed
1 ripe avocado, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 small red onion (or 1/2 large red onion), diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
The juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper, to taste

Brush 2 ears of corn lightly with olive (or canola) oil. Place shucked corn directly on the grill, turning every few minutes. Once the corn has a slight char on all sides, remove to a plate and allow to cool.

In a small or medium bowl, mix together avocado, red onion and cherry tomatoes. Once the corn has cooled, take a knife to the side of the corn and cut off the kernels. Stir into the avocado & tomato mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, cumin, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Pour gently over the corn mixture, and stir to combine. Add the liquid slowly, and only add enough to just dress the salad. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.

Options & Variations: The first time I made this salad, I also threw in some grilled zucchini and it was quite tasty. I’ve also added a bit of Serrano pepper to the mix, and that adds a nice spicy kick.

Chioggia Beet Salad with Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette and Feta

So, a couple months back I wrote about my newfound love of beets. And while I was enjoying the wonderful world of beets, I also made sure to apologize to all the beet haters of the world and promised that I would cool it on the beet posts for awhile. I did mention, however, that I had just planted a bunch of chioggia beets and said that I would probably post about beets again when I harvested my beets. Well, my friends, that time has finally come. My beets are ready!

But let me back up for a second. As you can probably tell from the above photo, this is no an ordinary beet. Chioggia beets are an Italian heirloom varietal of beet, known for their gorgeous red and white striped flesh (they are also called candy cane beets, which makes perfect sense!). I first heard about this type of beet when I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”. While I had mixed feelings about the book, I did come away from it with a clear understanding of what it means to cultivate heirloom vegetables. Currently the term ‘heirloom’ gets thrown around a lot in trendy restaurants and high end food stores. However, there really is something to be said for planting (and eating) heirloom foods.

I won’t attempt to take on the whole of the American food system today (I’ll save that for another day!). Instead, I would simply like to point out a few major changes that have taken place in the agricultural system. As you can see in the diagram below, the availability of different types and varieties of vegetables has greatly dwindled. Just take beets for an example: 100 years ago, there were 288 varieties of beets. Today, there are just 17 varieties of beets in existence.

(Graphic from Prana.com)

If nothing else, these figures are incredibly sobering. Fruits and vegetables are now bred and modified to be resistant to pests, to last longer on grocery store shelves, and to look more appealing to the eye. While the nutritional value of heirloom vs. genetically modified produce is often debated, I happen to believe that heirloom vegetables simply taste better. I also love the variation and beauty that is often found heirloom varietals: purple, yellow and green tomatoes; black zucchini; candy cane striped beets, and more.

It is for these reasons (and more) that I am personally a fan of heirloom vegetables. If nothing else, I find that they are often much prettier than their hybrid counterparts! (Note: To learn more about heirloom varietals and ongoing attempts to save and share heirloom seeds, visit the Seed Saver’s Exchange)

As for the recipe, I made this salad when I was home alone one evening. I went to my backyard, picked some raspberries, mint, and beets…and an hour later I had an incredibly fresh and tasty dinner (I ate the salad alongside a baguette and Salted Molasses Butter). Sadly, the chioggia beets lose a lot of their candy cane brilliance once you roast them, but they still taste amazing!

Roasted Beet Salad with Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette and Feta

4-6 small to medium sized beets (If you can’t find chioggia beets, red or golden beets will also work)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh mint
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (could substitute lemon or lime juice)
1 small shallot, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Method
Roast the beets: To roast the beets, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim beet greens off (reserve for other use), leaving 1/4 inch of the stems in tact and leaving the skins on. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and bake until tender when pricked with a fork or knife (30-45 minutes). The times will vary depending on the size of the beets. Set beets aside and allow to cool. Once cooled, peel off beet skins. The skins should come off easily when rubbed with a paper towel (or you can just use your fingers).

To make the vinaigrette: Macerate raspberries and mint in a small bowl. Whisk in shallots, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if you desire a thinner consistency. Allow vinaigrette to set for 30 minutes or more, to allow the flavors to meld together.

To assemble the salad: Slice cooled beets into quarters, and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle crumbled feta over the beets, and drizzle raspberry vinaigrette over the beets and feta. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve immediately. (Note: this beet salad could be served atop a bed of arugula, spinach, etc.)