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Salad Days of Summer: Farm Fresh Summer Squash & Arugula Salad

Aug 13, 2016 | Dressings & Sauces, Recipes, Salads, Sides

How is it exactly that “Salad Days” has gone from meaning green and naïve (Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra) to the more current American connotation of being at one’s heyday or pinnacle? So American, right? Wait long enough and it can mean whatever you want. And what I want is green – as in green salad with green (and yellow) summer squash. It’s reparation for making you go to that 425^o kitchen last week, chasing a cherry pie. This one is perfect for these oppressive muggy days. You won’t have to turn on a thing.

I have to admit, I never really thought about raw squash as a tasty treat, finding it a bit pithy and bland. However a couple summers ago I was on a media tour for a client and met a journalist at a farm to table restaurant in NYC where I promptly fell in love with a version of this salad. The trick is to thinly slice the squash – as paper thin as possible. I like using a mandoline and particularly like the Matfer Mandoline.

I once styled a cooking segment on the Today Show for the best chef in the Army, and he turned me on to this fine piece of equipment. I have had it for 15+ years and it is still in great shape. It’s got good safety features, so it’s not scary like some mandolines, and it doesn’t pit or corrode like the one I got in France a zillion years ago and need to toss. Chef arrived on some kind of Army transport so he didn’t have to worry about blades at TSA. However his most important travel companion was an 8 1/2 x 11” flat piece of striped genoise sponge cake that was created by piping razor thin lines of alternating chocolate and vanilla batter. He used it to line a tall glass trifle bowl for an elegant presentation. And he carried it in a manila file folder. Filed under P for pastry? I was pretty much speechless. Given the turn of world events, I often wonder if our military still carry pastry in their file folders.

After first tasting that salad in NYC, I have tweaked it pretty much every time I make it and this is how it rolls this summer. A dear friend recently delivered a spice jar filled with a pepper blend which I found I couldn’t live without. I burned through that jar in short order and have now made my own. Mine seems a lot darker than hers so I suspect mine has more black pepper. She even recommends adding green peppercorns to the mix, but so far I have not tried that. I love the KitchenAid coffee grinder to grind all my spices – and now they have an even better model that comes with an additional bowl fitted with a blade optimized for spices, in addition to the primary bowl specifically tooled for coffee – two gadgets in one – KitchenAid Blade Coffee and Spice Grinder Combo.

Zesty Pepper Blend

1 cup ground black pepper
1/2 cup cardamom seeds
1/2 cup coriander seeds

Grind each seed separately in a spice grinder or mini chopper. Mix all spices together and store in an airtight container.

Summer Squash and Arugula Salad

1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
3 cups arugula
¼ pound sheep’s milk cheese, such as Ewephoria, cut in shards or with a cheese planer
Seasoning: flaky sea salt like Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and zesty pepper blend
Dressing: equal parts fresh lemon juice and EVOO, whisked together

Trim the zucchini and yellow squash and slice thinly by hand or using a mandoline.

Arrange the summer squash and arugula on four salad plates. Grate the sheep’s milk cheese on top and season with salt and zesty pepper blend.

Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette.

Serves 4.

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Firecracker Cole Slaw – a Side with More than a Little Sass

Jul 27, 2016 | Dressings & Sauces, Recipes, Salads, Sides

Okay, Okay, Okay!! I heard you already. I have been getting a lot of requests for the Firecracker Cole Slaw that got a fleeting mention at the end of the burger pot lucky post. I guess it’s time.

This is a recipe adapted from my very first menu at New World Grill. We served it with a delicious steak sandwich with a horseradish aioli on toasted sourdough (I know you can do that on your own). The tang of the cole slaw with the richness of the beef was a match made in heaven. But for reals…cole slaw?? What doesn’t it go with?? It’s fantastic on pulled pork. Wait, did I say fantastic? No, sir. It is mandatory! Reubens? Pa-lease. I’m a New Yawker! And required with a fish sandwich. Bien sur. And because at New World we always took the “less-traveled” route and never made anything in classic style, Firecracker Cole Slaw had Black Sesame Seeds (the cracker) and a splash of chili oil (the fire). And for added fire, this version has both chili oil AND sriracha. If you are a minimalist you can go with one or the other and double down (Sriracha gets my vote).

It’s a well-documented fact that I am a hater when it comes to mayo. I won’t go so far as to say I never use it but I won’t slather it on my turkey sandwich with white bread. I like the sass of Dijon. And speaking of sass, let me introduce you to my bestie buttermilk. Buttermilk feels rich and creamy, but it’s really low fat (1 cup has 2 grams of fat) and it adds the acid hit I am always desperately seeking. I have another favorite slaw I will bring you soon that gets its juice from white miso paste. Forever seeking rich and single…er, creamy without the fat or mayo.

You can absolutely use bell peppers of any color, but here I am using mini sweet peppers. They happen to be on hand, but I also like the contrast of the mini bell rings to the cabbage shreds. Go with your heart on this one. No wrong choices. And #nojudgement.

This is a super simple dish to whip up if you put your food processor and blender to work. And a little bit of cabbage goes oh so far. I last made a double batch of this, but had a crowd. It holds well for a couple days. If you are making it ahead, add the seeds at serving time.

Firecracker Cole Slaw

Cole Slaw Dressing:

1 cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
2 teaspoons chili oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined.

Makes 2+ cups

Firecracker Cole Slaw

½ head red cabbage, finely shredded
½ head green cabbage, finely shredded
½ pound mini sweet peppers, cut into rings (or 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, diced or slivered)
¼ cup Black Sesame Seeds

Toss cabbages and peppers in a large mixing bowl and pour on dressing, stirring to combine. Depending on your cabbage size, you may have some dressing left over. (Refrigerate for future use in an airtight container).

Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

Stir in black sesame seeds before serving.

Makes 1 ½ quarts.

Some other great salads perfect for summer…

Everything but the Farmer Farmer’s Market Salad

$Everything But The Farmer Farmer\'s Market Salad in a red bowl: grilled corn, avocado, bacon, scallions, tomatoes and basil$

Roasted Beet and Nectarine Salad

South of the Border Texmati Rice & Grilled Veggie Salad

Tuscan Kale with Green Goodness Dressing

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Summer Grilling: South of the Border Texmati Rice & Grilled Veggie Salad Bowl

Jul 15, 2016 | Dressings & Sauces, Recipes, Salads, Sides

South of the Border Texmati Rice & Grilled Veggie Salad Bowl

1 cup RiceSelect Texmati White Rice
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more to drizzle on Little Gems
3 tomatillos, husks removed
3 ears corn, husks and silk removed
1 poblano pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, trimmed and seeded and cut into 4 sides and tossed in olive oil
½ 6-pack Little Gems baby romaine (3 heads), trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
Ground coriander
6 ounces heirloom cherry and/or grape tomatoes cut in quarter wedges
4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
1 Avocado, chopped

Cook RiceSelect Texmati rice according to package directions. After you remove the pan from the heat and let it stand 5-10 minutes, transfer the rice to a mixing bowl and drizzle with 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil, fluffing with a fork. Set aside.

Grill the vegetables over a hot grill: tomatillos, corn, poblano pepper and yellow bell pepper. Let the poblano char completely and transfer to a plastic bag to sweat. When cool enough to handle, pull off the char under running water and remove stem and seeds.

Coarsely chop the tomatillos, poblano and bell pepper and cut corn from cob. Add to the rice, along with any juices that release from the tomatillos.

Drizzle the Little Gems with olive oil and sprinkle with coriander. Grill cut side down until the lettuce just starts to wilt and gets grill marks. Chop coarsely and add to the salad.

Add tomatoes, queso fresco and avocado, and dress the salad with the Cumin Lime Cilantro Dressing.

Adjust seasonings before serving.

Makes about 3 quarts and is a fabulous leftover.

Cumin Lime Cilantro Dressing:

1/3 cup EVOO
¼ cup chopped cilantro (see note)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons Sriracha
Zest and Juice of 2 limes
½ Tablespoon ground cumin
½ Tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Note: This will make twice the dressing needed for this salad and it will keep for several weeks refrigerated if you add the cilantro to the salad instead of the dressing itself. Or make a double batch of the salad and use it all!

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Oh Sweet Pea, Won’t You Dance With Me….

May 15, 2016 | Dinners & Mains, Dressings & Sauces, Recipes, Salads, Savvy Kitchen Tips

Say it ain’t so!! This sad infographic appeared this week from a consulting company that focuses on food and beverage trends. For me, the really sad part is the title – Erosion of Meal Rituals. According to the Hartman Group, more people are eating meals alone and most meals are planned in less than an hour. The last part sounds really good to me. With a well-stocked pantry, and the fact that spring has sprung and sweet peas are starting to appear, this soul-satisfying dish can be whipped up in no time. But it’s just as easy to make this for two – or three – or four or more – so please don’t eat alone. Breaking bread with friends and family is one of life’s great treats and truth be told is the real soul-satisfying part of any meal.

This spicy horseradish lemon dressing is a fantastic vinaigrette to make in a big batch and have on hand. I always have four or more vinaigrettes available at any time and the flavor profile of each can take a dish in a whole new direction. Lemon/EVOO is a staple, doctored here with a dose of spicy mustard and horseradish. I love a creamy miso dressing, an Asian ginger/soy/sesame oil one and of course something balsamic-based – maple, raspberry, white balsamic, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Using classic French technique, salt and pepper are added first with the acid so that they can dissolve before drizzling in the oil in a thin stream for a perfect emulsion. Seemingly every kitchen in France had a different benchmark as to what was the right amount of seasonings. And no matter how I did it, I was American and it was wrong. Oh wait, I was an American Woman, and it was really wrong. I will dedicate a whole post to the classic technique, but for today we will just dump and whisk. As an American, I reserve the right to change the technique and I find that using a grainy salt and pepper in just a measured dose at the end – here I use it strategically on the avocado where its texture and flavor make it a standout – allows for more control over sodium intake which isn’t a bad thing. Certainly not as bad as eating alone. These are my favorite salts today – Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and Maine Coast Sea Seasonings.

Sweet Peas, Tuna and New Potato Salad

1 pound small new potatoes
½ pound fresh (or frozen) shelled sweet peas
10 ounces tuna (I prefer chunk light tuna in water – especially love the pouches that need no draining)
5 ounces arugula
1 avocado, sliced or chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Spicy Horseradish Lemon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 Tablespoon spicy Dijon mustard

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain liquid and let potatoes cool to room temperature.

While the potatoes are cooling, place an inch of water in the pot and bring to a boil. Transfer the peas to a steamer basket and add the basket to the pot and cover. (Frozen peas can just be thawed – no need to cook). When tender (about 2 minutes), remove the basket and run under cool water to stop the cooking.

Prepare the Spicy Horseradish Lemon Vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine well, or place in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Arrange greens in four bowls and divide and arrange potatoes, peas, tuna and avocado. Drizzle with spicy horseradish lemon vinaigrette. Or combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl and drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Either way – composed (aka deconstructed) or tossed – it’s as fresh as the spring air.

Serves 4.

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Celery Root: Fall’s Best Kept Secret

Nov 7, 2015 | Recipes, Salads, Sides

This homely little vegetable belies its knobby, unsightly exterior, showing up instead packing a flavor punch and chocked full of crunch. It became one of my favorites during my year in France. While interning in Michelin starred restaurants, I had this crazy schedule, leaving at 7am for work about an hour away, and returning home well after midnight on the last metro of the day. There were a few others in this tiny studio apartment, but I got the “walk in” (if you could call it that) closet which I used as my salon – having a glass of wine, checking my mail and unwinding from the day. I was always the last one in and first one out each day. My personal time in the apartment came on Saturday when everyone else was either at work or away for the weekend. I spent that day off each week combing the specialty food shops in my neighborhood, doing laundry and plotting for dinner. Being on a budget meant a lot of chicken, but it also meant trying new things with cheap root vegetables. Céleri Rémoulade (grated celery root with mayonnaise) and Salade de Carottes Râpées (grated carrots, lightly dressed) became two staples of my weekend dining. The French don’t favor raw vegetables, but they make exception for these two which are damn near national treasures. The Céleri Rémoulade mayonnaise dressing bore faint resemblance to its American cousin. It was rich and creamy and somewhat tangy.

I don’t think about those dinners all that often, but this time of year when I see celery root, technically celeriac, with the remaining farmers braving brisk market mornings, I am immediately back there in that tiny kitchenette. It reminds me how hard I worked to make it taste the same each time, something that a professional takes pride in. These days, I like to make it different each time. Sneak in a new ingredient, change the dressing. The recipe below masquerades grated apple and white cheddar. They both look about the same as grated celery root, but what a delight to find that the intense celery flavor is elevated with sweet/tart apple and rich cheddar lurking within.

Here in the US, celery root is not so well known. When the farm stands are gone, invariably I’m forced to buy it at the supermarket. Without fail, I get one of the befuddled cashiers giving me a “Whaaaaaat?” look. I am so smitten with the flavor – think celery and parsley – and versatility that I have been known to sneak celery root into a mystery basket for auditioning chefs. On one particular project, the first three candidates failed to use it (a strict mystery basket no-no) and when the fourth got a last minute chance to audition, he asked if he could use the abundance of celery root he had seen in the walk-in. Guess who still has the job? Unlike the others, he was well aware that celery root can not only be served grated and raw, but also steamed, boiled, and roasted to include in soups, stews, bisques, gratins and mashes, the very way he chose to serve it.

When shopping, look for small, firm celeriac that seem overly heavy for their size. Bulbs with bruises, soft spots or a lot of shoots or rootlets are past their prime. Not only will they have lost their intense flavor, they tend to be a bit pithy inside and that is no good for a raw salad. To prepare for grating, trim the ends to create a flat surface, then use a sharp knife to cut off the woody exterior. Cut in wedges that will fit into your processor, fitted with the large grating disc. The exposed flesh will start to turn brown eventually, so have your dressing ready and dress as you go.

Celery Root, Apple and Cheddar Slaw

Dressing:

¾ cup combined lemon juice and EVOO, 50-50 ratio
1 Tablespoon white miso, available at health food stores or Asian markets
1 Tablespoon Dijon or spicy/pepper mustard

Put all ingredients into a blender and combine until well blended.

Slaw:

1 pound celery root, trimmed and grated
1 pound crisp-tart apples such as Braeburn, peeled and grated
¼ pound sharp white cheddar, such as Barber

Grate each ingredient using the large grating disc on your food processor.

Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with dressing, tossing and dressing to desired coating.

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

Serves 6-8.

This time of year just feels like spicy brats and sausages, and while I reached for a cabbage slaw variant all summer, this celery root, apple, cheddar slaw is the perfect accompaniment for fall outings.

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Hey Summer, Say Hello to Fall

Sep 22, 2015 | Recipes, Salads

Roasted Beet and Nectarine Salad

There is still a lot of stone fruit hanging from the trees, if you are lucky enough not to have been hit by a late spring freeze. But truth be told, I’ve had my fill of cobblers and pies (and don’t really race to the sweeter side even at the peak of the season). I am much more likely to turn even the sweetest of produce into something savory given the chance. So ponder this if you will – a nectarine or peach salad, made savory with fresh goat cheese and mint, and…wait for it…tossed with some luscious roasted beets! Trust me, this works.

I won’t take full credit because my pal Cindy dates it back to her Grandpa. Not sure, but I think I have made a few tweaks of my own. I love to drizzle mine with raspberry condimento. If you aren’t familiar with these, they tend to be more flavored (all kinds of fruits), cheaper, and have a higher viscosity than bona fide Balsamico. They are generally made in the traditional manner, but made in the wrong region or matured less than required for official Balsamico designation. Win-win in my books: great flavor and cheaper. And, I like the thickness. All the better to use as a judicious drizzle. The Cheese Lady has an enormous collection of flavors, though apparently in-store only. For online sourcing, I’m a big fan of O&Co.

This dish works on so many levels. The pungent earthiness associated with roasted beets is the perfect foil for the juicy sweetness of nectarines or peaches. The acidity of fresh goat cheese provides a needed contrast to any richness. And lots and lots of fresh mint truly elevate all flavors.

I love the idea of candy cane beets, which have a beautiful red and white stripe when cut into. But I have to say, their pattern is best in slices, not wedges, and their radiance smudges when cooked. There is nothing quite like a garnet-hued beet wedge up against a marigold-tinged nectarine wedge. If you haven’t roasted beets – before or lately – it could not be simpler! Preheat the oven to 400^oF. Trim both ends of the beet and wrap each one, individually, in foil. Place on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on size. Start testing after 30 minutes, by sliding a knife into the flesh. The knife will slide right out when they are done. Remove from the oven and unwrap, when cool enough to handle. The skin will slide right off. There is zero point in struggling with a peeler in advance – this is much easier and has the added benefit of keeping all the nutrients within.

Be warned however, that you can’t tent the whole pan of beets in one big foil envelope. I’m horrified to report that I was beat by beets once before when I tried to, with 35 pounds of beets, short cut the individual wrap. I basically created a big ass beet steamroom, and they got very sweaty and harder still as they shriveled into small rocks. Just something about that individual foil wrap that makes the difference. Sauna 1. Steam 0, if you are keeping score.

Roasted Beet and Nectarine Salad

1 pound roasted beets, any variety, peeled and cut into wedges
1 pound nectarines or peeled peaches, pitted and cut into wedges
3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Raspberry condimento (what’s condimento, you ask? See article above.)
Serious amount of mint, coarsely chopped*

*I like to remove the leaves from the stem, stack the leaves, and fold into a tight roll. Snip cross-wise with sharp scissors. You almost can’t have too much mint. Especially if it’s free because you steal it from a neighbor like I do.

Prep

Arrange the beets and nectarines or peaches in a serving bowl. I try not to stir too much because the colors will start to bleed.

Crumble the cheese on top.

Drizzle with the raspberry condimento.

Sprinkle the fresh mint on last, just before serving.

Serves 8.

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