Baked Fennel
This classic Italian finocchi gratinati is simply sublime.
Ingredients:
4 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a frying pan over high heat, sauté the fennel slices with the butter for about 15 minutes until tender, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Transfer to a baking pan, sprinkle the fennel with the grated cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 10 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and melted.
Fennel & Lemon Relish
This crisp slaw from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food II is excellent tossed with roasted vegetables, or even served as part of a charcuterie board.
Ingredients:
2 lemons
2-3 fennel bulbs
1 shallot
2-3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
- Using a box grater or rasp, zest both lemons, then reserve the zest and fruit.
- Peel and finely dice the shallot. Place shallot in a small bowl with the lemon zest, juice of 1 lemon, Champagne vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and let sit for a few minutes to macerate. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for salt and acid and adjust as needed.
- Trim the fronds and dark green stalks from the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and then into a fine dice. Toss with salt to taste and stir into the lemon-shallot mixture. Remove all the remaining peel from the remaining lemon and cut the segments from their membranes. Cut segments into a medium dice and gently stir them into the relish. Let relish sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Sage & Brown Butter Pasta with Summer Squash
This light, summery pasta is deeply flavorful with a sage-butter sauce and crisp squash.
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta of your choice
2-3 assorted summer squash, washed and peeled
4 tablespoons butter
8 sage leaves
½ lemon, juiced
¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or other Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place a large pot of generously salted water on the stove over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain, reserving about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, slice the summer squash very thinly using a sharp knife or mandoline and season with salt and pepper.
3. Melt butter in a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan and continue cooking until golden brown in color. Add sage leaves and sauté until leaves are crisp. Add lemon juice, then gently pour drained pasta into saute pan and heat. Add the cheese and squash, toss to coat and serve immediately.
Pepper, Fennel & Onion Relish
Jimmy Nardello peppers lends themselves perfectly to this classic trio—an excellent condiment-style topping for sandwiches, scrambled eggs or even crostini!
Ingredients:
4 Jimmy Nardello peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 red onion, or 2-3 Tropea onions, or a combination of the two, peeled and chopped
¼ cup olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Toss together all ingredients with ½ teaspoon salt in a large shallow baking pan. Broil 4 inches from heat until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Turn over and stir, then broil 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.
Warm Radicchio & Pear Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
This elegant warm salad celebrates fall’s sweetest contrasts: caramelized pears, toasty nuts, and the gentle bite of radicchio drizzled in honey.
Ingredients:
1 head radicchio, cut into 6 wedges through the core
2 ripe pears, cored and sliced into thick wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Bella Luna wildflower honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup shaved Gruyère (or blue cheese, if preferred)
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange radicchio and pear wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 12–15 minutes, turning once, until the edges caramelize and the pears are tender.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, Dijon, and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Arrange the warm radicchio and pears on a serving platter. Drizzle generously with the honey vinaigrette, then top with toasted nuts and shaved Gruyère. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a hunk of Gruyère bread or alongside your favorite fall main.
Crème Fraîche Salad Dressing
Creamy, yet light, this dressing is fantastic tossed with greens and thinly-sliced radish.
Ingredients:
¼ cup crème fraîche
¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 scallions, white parts only finely-minced, or 1 shallot, peeled and finely-minced
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, olive oil, and honey.
2. Add the scallion or shallot, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk again. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, or a touch more vinegar if you prefer your dressing on the acidic side.
Grilled Cherry Salsa
This flavorful salsa is excellent on top of pork tenderloin, or served with crackers and whipped ricotta!
Ingredients:
1½ cups cherries, pitted
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup diced shallot
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Method:
1. Heat the grill to high.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the cherries with oil until well coated. Carefully place the cherries onto the grill grates (or use a grilling basket) and grill until lightly charred in spots and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to return the cherries to the bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Once the cherries have cooled, add the onion, garlic, vinegar and cilantro. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper.
Buttermilk Cornmeal Pancakes
These hearty pancakes boast a delightful texture, and are wonderful topped with Maple-Spiced Apples.
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
¼ cup melted butter
Butter or oil, for greasing the griddle
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal/polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter until blended. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients; stir just until combined (do not overmix).
2. Heat a lightly greased griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake onto the griddle. Cook until bubbles form and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden-brown on the second side, about 1–2 minutes more.
3. Serve immediately with butter, maple syrup, or your favorite toppings.
Radicchio Salad with Fresh Chevre & Marcona Almonds
This salad is crisp and colorful, complete with blushy radicchio and juicy citrus.
Ingredients:
1 head Chioggia radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 orange, removed of peel and any pith, and sliced into thin rounds
1 blood orange, removed of peel and any pith, and sliced into thin rounds
½ cup top-quality olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 ounces chevre cheese, crumbled
½ cup Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the radicchio and greens to a large salad bowl, and drizzle with about half the vinaigrette and toss until coated. Add the orange slices, goat cheese and hazelnuts, drizzle with additional vinaigrette, and season the salad with salt and pepper. Toss gently together once more and serve.
Roasted Carrot & Cherry Tomato Agrodolce
A sweet-sour Sicilian-inspired side dish with roasted roots and juicy summer tomatoes.
Ingredients:
1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
1 cup mixed cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
For the agrodolce glaze:
1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional: 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh herbs like thyme or basil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the carrots and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes, until the carrots are tender and beginning to caramelize, and the tomatoes are blistered.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, honey, grated garlic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Remove the vegetables from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with the agrodolce glaze and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with fresh herbs if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.