Category Archives: Salads

Shaved Radish and Celery with Garlic Chives, Pine Nuts, and Anchovy-Caper Dressing

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I am fortunate to live in an area that promotes farm to table eating and locally sourced food.  I have two farmer’s markets in close proximity to me and I do my best to swing by each weekend.  This is truly the best way to venture out and try produce I’ve never bought, or even heard of for that matter.  I remember first buying a watermelon radish years ago, and almost falling over when I cut into it and witnessed the brilliant fuschia interior.

radish

You just don’t get those moments when you’re staying in your comfort zone.

Now, I do realize that not everyone lives so close to a farmer’s market so I wanted to share a simple Spring salad made of local ingredients to me but not so esoteric that you won’t be able to find them at your favorite market.  Here I’ve adopted one of my favorite vegetable cutting techniques, shaving on a mandolin.  Mandolins are not so scary once you get comfortable with it, and are willing to forsake the last inch of produce to keep your fingers intact!  They really produce beautiful shapes with great texture.  They are also cheap, and can be found all over the place, so get one if you don’t already have one.

Since I love salads that DON’T include greens (no offense to the Cruciferous vegetable family.  I love you, just not everyday), this is a favorite combination of mine when the weather starts to get balmy.  The crisp, slightly sweet radish is offset by the oniony chives and pungent anchovies and capers.  The pine nuts are buttery, the parmesan is just that hit of rich salt you need, and the fresh lemon brightens it all up.  One important thing in keeping the salad crisp and lovely:  Dress the vegetables as close to serving as possible.

Here’s to spring, healthful living, and the farms that work to provide us with these gorgeous treats.  From my market to yours, enjoy.

 

Shaved Radish and Celery with Garlic Chives, Pine Nuts, and Anchovy-Caper Dressing

SERVES 4

 

1 large bunch radishes, trimmed, scrubbed, and shaved on a mandoline

3 large stalks celery, shaved on a mandoline

1 teaspoon anchovy paste, OR 1 anchovy filet, finely minced

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon coarsely chopped capers

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup parmesan, freshly grated

1 Tablespoon garlic chives OR standard chives, minced

Sea salt and cracked pepper

 

In a jar, combine anchovy paste or filet, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Shake vigourosly.

In a large bowl, combine radishes and celery.  Toss to combine.  Add pine nuts and parmesan, tossing again.

Add the dressing and chives to the salad and fold until well blended. Adjust lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve within 30 minutes.

 

*My Two Cents:  Toasted walnuts or almonds would be a nice swap for the pine nuts here.

If you don’t care for anchovy, simply replace it with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.  It won’t have quite the same punch, but it’ll be close.

 

 

Photo credit:  organic authority.com

Blue Hill Farm’s Kale and Farro Salad

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This recipe comes from the extraordinary restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a mecca of fresh and local food that sources its ingredients from the surrounding pasteurs and farms in Pocantico Hills, New York.  There is truly not enough room on this blog to boast all that they do, but you can get a glimpse of them HERE.

And, you can get a humble taste of them here.  I made this salad yesterday, and it will be a salad I return to many times this fall, I assure you.  I fell in love with kale salads a couple of years ago, and the first one of the season tells me that autumn is really here.  You may remember last year I posted my Superfood Salad, with raw kale, roasted beets, red cabbage, and tahini.

This one interprets kale very differently, as the pine nuts, farro, currants, Parmigiano-Regianno cheese, and Tuscan kale all sing of Italy.  The farro, also known as ember wheat, is one of my favorite grains.  It is chewy, nutty, and very hearty:  add it to the vinegar-doused kale, plump fruit, salty cheese, and buttery pine nuts and you’ve got the best darn bite your taste buds could hope to get.  Please note, if you cannot find currants you can use dried cranberries; if you do not have a shallot you can skip it and add more chives; if you have white or red wine vinegar, the kale will wilt pleasingly under that as well.  This recipe makes a very large salad, so cut the portions in half or thirds for a more conservative quantity. The only must is that you specifically use Tuscan (otherwise known as Lucinato or Dinosaur kale), and authentic parmesan cheese.  This is a salad with simple and rustic ingredients so use the best quality you can afford.

Since securing a waitlist seat for Stone Barns is as hard as getting a 7:30am tee time at Augusta National, this dish will need to tide you over.  Enjoy this salad in all of it’s healthful, genius glory.

 

BLUE HILL FARM’S KALE AND FARRO SALAD

SERVES 12-16

• 1 cup dried currants
• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 cups thinly sliced Tuscan kale or other kale
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups cooked farro*
• 1 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (authentic Parmigiano-Regianno)
• 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan

In small bowl combine currants and orange juice. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 2 to 24 hours to plump currants. Drain currants; discard half of the orange juice.

In large bowl toss kale with white balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Let stand 10 minutes. In very large bowl stir together cooked farro, plumped currants and juice, pine nuts, and shallot.

Add kale mixture, Parmesan cheese, chives, olive oil, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper; toss well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to large serving dish. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan. Serve at room temperature. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

*Cooked farro: In 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 4 cups uncooked farro; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add 6 cups water and 1 bay leaf. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 25 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and farro is just slightly chewy. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Transfer cooked farro to sheet pan; spread out to cool. Measure 6 cups for recipe. Chill or freeze remaining farro for another use.

 

Farmer’s Market Carrot Salad with Mizuna, Ginger, and Raisins

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The warmer months make it so, so easy to be a rockstar.

No, I’m not referring to shoulder baring crop tops and cut-off denim, or cherry red convertibles blasting the latest summer anthem.  I’m talking about the party that appears on your plate when you take advantage of the impressive bounty that the Earth provides.

I ran down to my neighborhood farmer’s market last weekend and picked up yellow and pink heirloom tomatoes, rainbow colored beets, and sunburst carrots with lengthy tops.  Just a quick look and you can tell they are just hours out of the ground.

Produce this spectacular and fresh needs very little but a few accessories to make them shine.  This is where the rockstar part comes in.

This is a lunch I whipped up after returning home from my weekly voyage.  The ginger is bright, the mizuna is spicy, and the carrots and raisin marry to provide natural sweetness.  Cucumber provides crunch and a bit more texture.

I cannot say it enough, step outside of your comfort zone and search out a farmer’s market.  Wander around, eavesdrop, and ask questions… that’s what the farmers want!

Love your farmer’s market, and it will love you back.

 

 

Farmer’s Market Carrot Salad with Mizuna, Ginger and Raisins

Serves 4-6

 

2 bunches carrots, the freshest you can find, washed and peeled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 cup mizuna (spicy, Asian lettuce) leaves

1 cup English cucumber, diced

1 cup raisins

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

 

Using a vegetable peeler, shave each carrot into wide ribbons.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the carrot ribbons and toss quickly for just 20 seconds to take the raw edge off.  Add raisins, lemon zest and juice, ginger and a dash of salt and remove from the heat.

Once completely cool, add the mizuna leaves and cucumber and toss.  Add the other tablespoon of olive oil, more salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.  Serve.

 

Superfood Salad: Roasted Beet, Kale, and Red Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

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As the temperatures rise, the necessity of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food drops.  Those first days of spring when you can FINALLY venture outside jacket-less are the beginning of a season that transforms my food attitude.

I crave fresh produce, bright flavors, and lots of crunch.  I crave vibrant colors and sunny plates of food.  I crave salads like this.

I adore roasted beets, and find that they fit the bill for the sweet/tender component you want to pair with fibrous vegetables.  I have had tahini in my fridge since making hummus the last couple of months, so decided to add it to a basic lemon vinaigrette to replace some of the olive oil with it’s inherent creamy, sesame goodness.  It’s a delicious combination as the sesame tahini adds a nutty backdrop, and it all makes for a gorgeous plate of food.

I’ll spare you the 470 different vitamins and beneficial properties you’ll get from eating these foods, and I’ll just say this:  The more you eat this the better you’ll look in that impending bikini.

Done.

 

SUPERFOOD SALAD:  ROASTED BEET, KALE AND RED CABBAGE SALAD WITH LEMON TAHINI VINAIGRETTE

SERVES 6-8

 

1 large bunch Lucinato Kale (also called Tuscan or Dinosaur)

3 medium red beets, peeled and root ends cut off

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced by hand or with mandoline

½ small to medium red cabbage, thinly sliced

½ cup sunflower seeds, hulled and unsalted

½ cup Tahini Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drizzle peeled beets with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt, before wrapping tightly in foil.  Place wrapped beets in a small baking dish and roast for 1 hour or until a knife can pierce the tender flesh.

Set aside and allow to cool.

Remove tough, bottom parts of the ribs from the kale, then slice crosswise into thin ribbons.

Cut reserved, cooled beets into ½ inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, kale, sunflower seeds, and carrots and toss.  Add beets last to avoid the color bleeding on the carrots, and toss again to fully combine.  Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with tahini vinaigrette, and serve.

 

TAHINI VINAIGRETTE

MAKES: 1 CUP

 

2 Tablespoons tahini

juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

In a small bowl (or a ball jar, as I use) combine all ingredients.  Whisk in the bowl, or shake in the jar to completely emulsify.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

*My Two Cents:  You may use apple cider, white wine, champagne or almost any vinaigrette you have.  I’d just stay away from balsamic to maintain the bright yellow color of the dressing.

 

 

Pink Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

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Did you know that at 21 years old, Lilly Pulitzer got started as the owner of a citrus stand in Palm Beach?  She designed her first multi-colored sundress to wear to disguise the juice stains she acquired during the day.  I’m sure she had no idea the impact she would have on Ladies who Lunch everywhere.

I wanted to call this “The Lily Pulitzer” salad, but I feared one would think it required you to wear a shift dress and pearls to make it.  I have nothing against shift dresses or pearls, I adore them both, but it is not a solid requirement here.  The combination of glossy, pink grapefruit segments and creamy, grass green avocado is beauty simplified.  It takes no work, and just a little thought, to create a plate that is as visually appealing as it is delicious.  I took a cue from the ingenious Alice Waters, of Chez Panisse, and used the precious juice left in the grapefruit membrane as a base for the vinaigrette.  I love putting every part of the ingredient to work.

This is an elegant starter for a dinner party, or a refreshing lunch during the warmer months.  However, since grapefruit season is technically at its peak during the winter, it’s a year-round salad, in my book.  I think every season is an opportunity to eat beautiful, wholesome food.  I think there is nothing that makes you feel like more of a lady than fixing an elegant dish like this for yourself and sitting in peace to relish each pleasurable bite.

Except, maybe, a strand or two of pearls.

 

PINK GRAPEFRUIT AND AVOCADO SALAD

SERVES 4

2 medium ruby grapefruit, peeled with a sharp knife down to the flesh, removing all the rind and membrane

2 ripe hass avocados

2 small fistfuls of mixed greens (arugula or spinach would be okay, too)

1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Cut the sections free, slicing carefully along the partitioning membranes.

Squeeze the juice from the membranes. Measure 3 tablespoons of the juice into a small bowl. Stir in the vinegar, salt and black pepper and whisk to dissolve the salt.  Add olive oil and whisk to fully incorporate. and adjust the acid and salt.

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Peel the halves and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Arrange the grapefruit sections and avocado slices alternately on a plate, top with a fistfuls of mixed greens, and spoon the vinaigrette over the entire dish

*My Two Cents:  You can make this dish a bit heartier by adding some nice grilled shrimp.  Rare, seared tuna would also be a nice addition and play into the punchy pink color scheme.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Sweet Apple, Walnuts and Mustard Vinaigrette

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Fact:  If you told me ten years ago that I would get enthused about raw Brussels sprouts I’d have told you to get your head examined.  Then again, if you had told me I would outgrow my beloved, nightclub-essential sequined tube tops I would have scoffed in a similar fashion.

Things change.  People change.

When someone tells me they don’t like grapefruit or artichokes or, yes, Brussels sprouts, I now consider it a bit of a challenge.  Everything has delicious potential if cooked or served in the right way.  I love salads and have looked to everything from kale to beets to celery to keep things interesting.  Raw Brussels sprouts are shaved and paired with salty pecorino, buttery walnuts and sweet Fuji apple before being tossed with a pungent, mustardy vinaigrette.  This salad rocks.

Almost as much as my tube tops.

 

SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD WITH APPLE, WALNUTS AND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

SERVES 4-6

 

1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, thinly shaved by hand or on a small mandoline

½ small bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced by hand or on mandoline

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

1 fuji apple, cut in half, cored and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup Dijon Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

In a medium salad bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts, fennel, walnuts, cheese, parsley and apple. Add the vinaigrette, toss, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

DIJON VINAIGRETTE

Yield: ½ cup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Put mustard into bowl large enough to whisk with movement.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until fully incorporated.  Add lemon juice and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper, taste and pour over salad.

*My two cents:  I suggest buying the best cheese you can find, and there is a very big difference between true Parmigiano Regiano cheese and Americanized Parmesan.  If it doesn’t have its name stenciled into the rind, it’s playing dress up.  This is not to say I always buy the absolute finest quality cheeses, but when you are serving ingredients fresh, it is absolutely worth the splurge.

You can certainly swap in radicchio or endive for the fennel, or stick to Brussels sprouts as the green component.  I particularly like the contrast of textures and flavors of the Brussels and fennel.  Salads are about rounding out the palate to balance tart, sweet, and crisp flavors. Neither acid, fat, salt or sweet should scream at you. They should whisper to you, nudging you in the direction of the others. Play around and see what your taste buds tell you.

Warm Mushroom Salad with Pecorino and Toasted Hazelnuts

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WARM MUSHROOM SALAD WITH PECORINO AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS

For a number of years I was spending days “sauteing” vegetables, when in actuality I was steaming them in a saute pan.  A proper saute requires medium-high to high heat and an uncrowded pan.  This means it will take you longer to cook these two pounds of mushrooms in 4 to 6 batches than if you dumped the entire lot in at the same time, but the result is well worth it.  Your reward is a heaping pile of deeply, beautifully browned mushrooms rather a whole lot of greyish, slippery little things.  In a simple salad like this, where the mushrooms are the star, take the time to do it right.  You won’t be sorry.

WARM MUSHROOM SALAD WITH PECORINO AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS

Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

SERVES 4-6

6 ounces arugula

1 cup mixed fresh herbs such as Italian parsley, tarragon, basil, chives and chervil

5 tablespoons extra –virgin olive oil

2 pounds assorted mushrooms such as shitake (stemmed), oyster, cremini and button

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons shallots, finely chopped

4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

2 ounces Pecorino Romano, shaved

Directions

Wash and spin dry all greens and place in large bowl with herbs.  Cover and refrigerate.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Add ¼ of the mushrooms.  Do not crowd pan or they will not brown properly.  Immediately add ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté for 2-4 minutes, until they begin to soften and brown.  Add 1 teaspoon of the shallots, 1 teaspoon of the thyme and 1 ½ teaspoons of the butter.  Continue to cook for 2 more minutes, then remove to a shallow pan or dish to cool.

Continue to cook the other ¾ of the mushrooms in batches, the same way.

Transfer hot mushrooms to bowl of salad greens.  Whisk sherry vinegar into hot skillet to deglaze pan.  Taste and if it’s too acidic for you, add additional olive oil to taste.  Remember, it dresses a lot of salad and the cooked mushrooms bring some oil with them as well.

Pour over salad, toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.

Top with hazelnuts and shaved cheese and serve.

*My Two Cents:  This salad is an elegant starter for a dinner party, but also a wonderful lunch for a weekend at home.  Be sure to splurge for one kind of exotic mushroom as it makes a world of difference in a dish with so few main components.