Shaved Brussels Sprout Slaw
November 6, 2011
It has been a slow transition to fall around here. Halloween has come and passed, but until today the skies have been clear and the air relatively warm. This must be the reason I have not yet completely embraced the hearty warm foods of the darker months. Now daylight savings has come to an end and the rains are finally pelting down. The last of the tomatoes found their way into salsa and the eggplants into stir fries. It is time to break out the symbolic fall and winter vegetables and what better to start with than brussels sprouts in salad form?
Shaved Brussels Sprout Slaw is a bright and crisp salad. Brussels sprouts (which are rarely served raw) are sliced very thin and tossed with red onion, a lemony mustard vinaigrette, and percorino romano cheese. If you think you do not like brussels sprouts, be sure to give this a try. Leaving them raw keeps them crisp and mild in flavor with none of the distinctive odor that comes from cooking them. Serve this salad with just about anything, but I love to serve it beside some other rich saucy dish where it adds a fresh and acidic counterpoint.
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Acorn Squash Rings with Apple Glaze
October 23, 2011
Nothing says fall like winter squash… and apples… and walnuts, so clearly this is the perfect side dish to make NOW. We are big fans of butternut squash around here, check out the Butternut and Black Bean Salad from last year. This year though, somehow butternut squash never made it into the ground and we are the happily storing quite a few acorn squashes that took their place in the planting beds. There are lots of fun ways to cook up these beautiful treats, but my favorite is to make Acorn Squash Rings with Apple Glaze.
Take care in slicing the squash, as that is as good a way as any to loose a finger. It helps to take a small slice off of one side, then place the cut side down. That will give the squash some stability as you hack into it. Scoop out the membrane and seeds and they are ready to steam. Do not forget to try on some squash glasses for size! Note: at least with my kids, they are more likely to eat the veggies if they have a hand in making/playing with them! (For more ideas on getting kids to eat their veggies check out this post.)
This recipe is not mine and if you look you will find many versions on the web. While that may be a turn-off to some, I say it is evidence of a great recipe that is worth sharing. My version uses non-clarified butter and less of it, but otherwise it is basically the same. The tender squash soaks in the sweet and tangy apple glaze and the candied walnuts add a pleasant crunch. These rings look beautiful on the plate, making it great for a weeknight dinner or special enough for a holiday. My mother-in-law first introduced me to this yummy dish with asparagus laced through the centers of the rings (as you will find is the most common version.) I opted not to include the asparagus this time (there is no chance of finding local asparagus in October), but love the way they make this into a truly elegant side dish. If we have any squash leftover in springtime, I will definitely add them in. The acorn squash rings are attractive enough to stand on their own, or fill the centers with a scoop of wild rice or stuffing.
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Mango Cranberry Chutney
March 24, 2011
Have you noticed the beautiful mangoes in the market this month? They are abundant, inexpensive, and delicious! Mangoes have firm flesh and a sweet and tangy flavor. This makes them incredibly versatile. They are hardy enough to cook, soft enough to eat raw, and excellent in salads and of course chutneys. First though, you have to know how to cut into the fruit. Since mangoes have a disc-shaped seed in the center of fruit, it is important to locate it and cut around the seed.
First peel the fruit.
Then, hold the fruit upright and slice down, guiding the knife along the side of the seed. Repeat on the other half, so you end up with two halves and one seed pod with minimal flesh attached. Slice or dice the mango halves depending on what you are using it for.
Mango Cranberry Chutney is a medley of sweet mango, tart cranberry, spicy peppers and zippy ginger. I love having a stash of it in the pantry. It is a wonderful accompaniment to a cheese platter. I made this batch especially to serve with Redwood Hill’s cheese at the Sono-Ma Soiree tomorrow night. It is also delicious as a side to any Indian meal. Try it with Divine Indian Butter Chicken.
Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart
March 11, 2011
The other night at bedtime, my 4 year old son announced to me that he is a vegetarian. Never mind the fact that he had just put away three helpings of chicken at dinner. I nodded and told him he never had to eat anything that he did not want. He asserted once more that he was a vegetarian, but then went on to tell me that he only eats bacon, hamburgers, and sausage. Oh, I said, that kind of vegetarian. I was amused, but also relieved. Though I am sympathetic to vegetarians, since I refrained from meat and dairy myself for many years, it is so much easier to cook for a household that agrees to eat the same kinds of foods. Not to mention that my husband and I just filled the freezer with many pounds of homemade sausage. Now is not the best time to opt out of sausage in our house.
Oh, the Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart. This is the single most soul satisfying tart I have ever made. Sausage and kale both are iconic winter fare. They dominate this tart with only minor distractions from sauteed onion, garlic, and the slightest addition of ricotta cheese. Served atop the flaky butter crust, this is a winter meal to celebrate. Both pork and chicken sausage work equally well, as do kale and chard. You can trade out the egg for egg white, but it really will not put much of a dent in the fat of this dish given the buttery crust. This is not diet food. This is late winter though, and our last chance to enjoy the decadence of the cool months before the threats of swimsuit season are upon us. Enjoy!
Update: My Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart won for Best Dirt Cheap Dinner on food52!
Roasted Beet and Hazelnut Salad with Feta
March 6, 2011
One winter while living in Eugene, Oregon, my roommates and I joined a local farm’s CSA (community-supported agriculture) for the winter. We wanted to support a family that was growing organic vegetables through the winter in the soggy Northwest. As it turned out, that winter was extremely harsh. Most above ground crops froze. Our weekly box from the farm consisted of only vegetables that could be stored in the cellar or the ground.
There was an abundance of potatoes, parsnips, burdock root, sunchokes, and beets. There really was not much else aside from a scant amount of winter squashes that were harvested in the late fall. Since we had spent the bulk of our food budget for the season on our CSA share, we were fully committed to making our meals from the food on hand. It was an education. We ate the roots boiled, pureed, and roasted with just about any flavor combinations you can imagine. Still as the months wore on, our creativity began to wane. It has taken me years to regain my affection for beets. I am still working on burdock…
My Pantry Shelf 