Treviso Radicchio Salad with Feta
This is one of those salads that hits all four flavors—bitter, salty, sweet and sour, all in one bite.
Ingredients:
1 large head Treviso radicchio
¼ cup pitted dates
4 ounces feta cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Separate the leaves of the radicchio and rinse and dry thoroughly, then chop the leaves into large chunks. Place in a large serving bowl.
2. Slice the dates into long slivers and sprinkle over the radicchio. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes, then drizzle the olive oil over. Squeeze the lime juice and crumble the feta cheese over everything, and grind pepper freshly from a pepper mill. Toss and serve immediately.
Fall Salad with Roasted Squash, Apples & Candied Squash Seeds
Topped with a maple-mustard vinaigrette and candied squash seeds, this salad would pair nicely alongside this week’s antipasti bites.
Ingredients:
8 cups fall salad mix, or a mix of your favorite greens
1 apple, cut into large matchsticks
1½ cups cubed and roasted winter squash of your choice, such as Robin’s Koginut
¼ cup thinly-sliced red onion
â…“ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup candied squash seeds (see recipe)
Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a large bowl, toss the greens with half of the vinaigrette. Arrange the apple slices, squash, red onions, feta, and candied seeds on top of the greens. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.
Radicchio Salad with Fennel & Blood Oranges
This crisp, citrus-kissed salad is just beautiful.
Ingredients:
4 cups mixed radicchio, trimmed and sliced
2 blood oranges
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Vinaigrette:
1 shallot, peeled and minced
â…“ cup freshly squeezed juice from a blood orange
â…“ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Add radicchio greens to a large mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges. Stand oranges up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice oranges crosswise into thin wheels.
3. Add orange and fennel slices to the mixing bowl, along with the red onion. Drizzle lightly with the vinaigrette and taste. Drizzle more dressing and season with ground pepper as desired. Top with fennel fronds to serve.
How-To: Brine Your Thanksgiving Turkey
Soaking a turkey overnight in a solution of salt and water ensures a moist, juicy interior; beautiful aromatics infuse it with flavor.
(Makes enough for one 17-20 pound turkey)
Ingredients:
7 quarts water
Farm & Larder brine mix
1 bottle dry white wine
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves
1 bouquet garni (a bundle of dried herbs, such as this week’s thyme and rosemary, plus sage)
Tools:
5-gallon brining container (tub, stockpot, or bucket)
Large brining bag (included in your brining kit)
Method:
1. One day before roasting the turkey, bring 1 quart water and the brine mixture to a simmer, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. To minimize cleanup, line a 5-gallon container with the brining bag. Place turkey in the bag and add salt mixture, remaining 6 quarts (24 cups) water, and the other ingredients. Tie bag tightly; if turkey is not fully submerged, weight it down with a plate. Refrigerate for 24 hours, flipping turkey once. (If there isn’t room in your refrigerator, place the turkey inside a cooler, and surround it with ice, replenishing as necessary to keep it at 40 degrees).
3. Remove turkey from brine one hour before roasting, and pat it dry inside and out. Let stand for up to an hour before roasting it to your preferred recipe’s specifications.
Bietola Swiss Chard Gratin
Creamy with just a hint of mustard, this rustic gratin makes for a lovely side dish.
Ingredients:
1 pound Bietola Swiss chard, with both stems and leaves intact
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1¾ cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Butter, for baking dish
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 350°. Cut the chard leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into short lengths, then cook briefly in boiling, lightly salted water until crisply tender. Remove the stems. Drop the leaves in the boiling water briefly, until they relax. Drain, let cool, and wring out the leaves. Spread the stems and leaves in a buttered shallow ovenproof dish.
2. Put the mustard in a bowl and stir in the cream and a grinding of salt and black pepper. Pour the seasoned cream over the stems and leaves, cover with grated Parmesan, and bake, 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden brown.
Bratwurst with Caramelized Onions, Leeks & Sweet Peppers
This inviting main dish is incredibly flavorful! (If you happen to have any leftovers, try piling them into a sandwich with this week’s pumpernickel bread.)
Ingredients:
4 bratwurst links
2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced into half-rings
2 leeks, trimmed of root and dark green ends and thinly-sliced
2 sweet peppers, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Method:
1. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and then add the onions, leeks and peppers, cooking over low heat until all the onions and leeks are caramelized and the peppers are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in another skillet, simmer the bratwurst in 1-2-inches of water to cover for 20 minutes. Then drain off the water from the skillet and continue cooking just long enough to brown the bratwurst lightly.
3. To serve, pile the bratwurst atop the caramelized veggies and serve with sauerkraut and mustard on the side.
Fried Duck Eggs Over Roasted Fall Vegetables
Shake up your breakfast routine with this hearty, healthy vegetable hash!
Ingredients:
1 pound Huckleberry gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups carrots, peeled, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed of fronds and root ends and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying the eggs
4 duck eggs
1 teaspoon finely-chopped thyme
Sea salt
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. Using your fingers, toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and thyme in a bowl and then transfer to the baking sheet.
3. Put the vegetables in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them gently with a spatula and continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and crispy, another 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully crack 1 duck egg and drop into the pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Fry until whites are set and crispy around the edges, but yolk is still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining eggs.
5. Remove vegetables from the oven and top each individual serving with a fried duck egg.
Variation: This hash is extremely versatile: Clean out the crisper and use any vegetables you have on hand!
Braised Fennel & Carrots
Kissed with honey and orange zest, this beautiful side sings with bright flavor.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch-long sticks
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored and cut into â…›-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Zest of 1 orange
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ cup water
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fennel fronds, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the butter, olive oil and honey. Stir well and add the carrots, fennel, orange zest and fennel seeds. Toss until the slices are well coated with the oil. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the fennel starts to soften.
2. Add the water, orange juice, salt, and pepper. Toss quickly and reduce heat to between medium and medium-low. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
3. Uncover the pan. Raise heat to high and fast-simmer until the juices have all evaporated and some of the vegetables are golden-brown, about 6 to 7 minutes, tossing occasionally. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the fennel fronds, and serve immediately.
Slow-Roasted Ginger-Lime Carrots
These flavorful carrots from Jennifer Perillo’s Homemade with Love cookbook are wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled and stems discarded
1 (1½ -inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest of 1 lime
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Add the ginger, syrup, lime zest and salt to a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. Beat with a fork or whisk to mix well.
3. Arrange the carrots in a roasting pan. Pour the ginger-oil mixture over them, tossing the carrots to coat them well. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Roman-Style Puntarelle Salad
This classic Italian salad recipe makes ingenious use of Puntarelle greens.
Ingredients:
1 head Puntarelle chicory, trimmed of root end and then with greens thinly sliced
4 anchovy filets
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons high-quality olive oil
3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the Puntarelle into a bowl of ice water and let sit for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop and smash anchovies and garlic to make a paste, then whisk in the olive oil and vinegar to make a smooth dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Drain Puntarelle and pat dry, then toss with dressing. Serve immediately.