Winter Greens Salad with Cara Cara Oranges, Almonds & House Citronette
A light, bright, and refreshing addition to any brunch lineup.
Ingredients:
4 large handfuls of salad greens, such as mix of this week’s Lacinato kale and red-veined sorrel greens, washed and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup coarsely-chopped radicchio
2 Cara Cara oranges, sliced into segments
â…“ cup goat cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
¼ cup pomegranate arils
F&L citronette
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds for a few minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Once the almonds are fragrant and starting to turn golden, remove from heat.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine the greens, radicchio, segmented blood oranges, goat cheese, pomegranate arils and warm almonds.
3. Just before serving, drizzle the salad with about ½ cup of the citronette, tossing lightly to combine. Add more dressing as desired, and season generously with fresh ground pepper.
Lacinato Kale Frittata
A wonderfully-easy entrée!
Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale, leaves separated from thick ribs and cut crosswise into wide strips
¼ cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
8 large eggs
¼-½ cup Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt
Method:
1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a broiler-proof nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes, or until garlic is soft and fragrant. Add kale, by the handful, tossing to coat leaves with the oil. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until kale is completely wilted and tender. Season with ½ teaspoon salt.
2. Preheat oven broiler, positioning oven rack about 4-6 inches from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, Grana and an additional ½ teaspoon salt. Slowly pour egg mixture over greens. Cook eggs over medium-low heat without stirring for 8 minutes, or until almost set.
4. Transfer skillet to broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until top of frittata is browned. (Check often to make sure it does not burn.) Remove and let sit 1-2 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.
Variation: Layer cooked, crumbled sausage into the frittata to add a little extra protein and flavor!
Honey-Kissed Carrots with Sea Salt
The opposing flavors of sweet honey and flaky sea salt balance this beautiful side.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, ends trimmed
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoons sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Tomme, Grana or Parmesan cheese, for grating
Method:
1. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil, thyme, bay and garlic. When the oil is hot, add the carrots and cook, tossing often, for 7 to 9 minutes, or until tender.
2. Taste for seasoning, then add the honey and coat the carrots, tossing a few times before transferring to a serving dish. Sprinkle the sea salt evenly on the carrots, making sure it sticks to the honey. Lastly, add a couple of twists of black pepper and grated cheese if desired.
Roasted Cipollini Onions
These tender little onions are fabulous mixed into scrambled eggs.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 pounds Cipollini onions, peeled and trimmed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 325°.
2. Melt butter in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and roast, tossing occasionally, until deeply caramelized and tender, about 30 minutes.
Challah Bread French Toast
This lovely and light French toast is wonderful topped with syrup, berry jam, or confectioner’s sugar.
Ingredients:
1 large loaf Challah bread
2 eggs
1½ cups milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon smoked cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 250°.
2. In a large shallow bowl or pan, whisk together the eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla, smoked cinnamon, honey and salt. Slice the Challah in ¾-inch thick slices. Soak the slices in the egg mixture for 5 minutes, turning once.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed.
Roasted Potatoes & Parsnips with Herbs
Fragrant herbs add a bright touch to these roasted vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 pound Huckleberry Gold potatoes
1½ pounds parsnips
1 yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley and thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine all the fingerling potatoes, onions and parsnips in a large bowl, tossing with the olive oil to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange potato mixture on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until potatoes and parsnips are tender and browned in spots, turning after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
3. Garnish with the fresh-chopped herbs before serving.
Blue Cheese & Pear Salad with Arugula Greens
Tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Ingredients:
4-6 cups arugula greens
1 D’Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic until well combined. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine arugula greens and pearl slices. Toss with about half of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste as desired. Crumble blue cheese over top and serve.
Poached Eggs Over Braised Greens on Multigrain Toast
Fantastic for lunch, brunch, a snack or supper!
Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vinegar
1 pound braising greens, such as spinach or baby kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Multigrain bread, sliced and toasted
Method:
1. To poach the eggs, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. Meanwhile, crack each egg into its own small bowl and add a teaspoon of vinegar to each. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately (and softly!) slip the egg into the pot. Turn the heat down low, and cook for three minutes. Gently lift eggs out of the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the greens and cook until all are just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. To serve, top a piece of multigrain toast with a hearty helping of greens and a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with microgreens.
Caramelized Delicata Squash
Glazed in brown sugar and white wine vinegar, this squash from The Glorious Vegetables of Italy is a wonderful balance of sweet and savory.
Ingredients:
1 pound Delicata squash, trimmed, peeled, seeded and cut into half moon slices
½ cup olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced (optional)
Method:
1. Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until the garlic is softened and fragrant, but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Press down on cloves to release their flavor, then remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Arrange a layer of squash slices in the skillet and fry, turning once or twice, until lightly browned on both sides and just tender. Transfer to a platter and continue to fry squash in batches.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Carefully return all of the squash slices to the skillet. Sprinkle sugar-vinegar mixture over the squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook, gently moving pieces of squash around, for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to a thick syrup. Sprinkle mint over top if using.
4. Return squash to platter, cover loosely and let sit for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle. Serve at room temperature.
Beet, Carrot & Pomegranate Salad
This colorful salad is perfect for winter and beyond.
Ingredients:
5-6 beets, cooked and peeled
2-3 carrots, peeled
½ cup pomegranate seeds
1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup pistachios, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Slice the beets and carrots thinly using a mandoline or hand held slicer. Layer on a plate or platter, alternating the beets and carrots. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and set aside.
2. Mix the red wine vinegar and honey in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle the dressing on the vegetables to coat. Add pistachios and parsley. Season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed and serve immediately or at room temperature.