Roasted Garlic, Three Ways
The Hungry Mouse blog shares favorite ways to enjoy this essential aromatic ingredient: roasted, in compound butter and as an infused oil.
Ingredients:
Whole heads of garlic
8 tablespoons butter
Olive oil
Method:Â
1. Roasted: Preheat oven to 350°. Cut head(s) off of garlic about half-inch from the top, set trimmed head(s) in baking dish. (You may discard tips, or toss them into the baking dish—just keep an eye on them during roasting as these small pieces burn more easily.) Drizzle garlic with a generous swig of olive oil, seeping oil down into the head(s). Cover dish with aluminum foil, roast for 30-45 minutes until garlic is a deep caramel color and soft. Remove cloves from skin with sharp paring knife.
2. Compound Butter: Cut a stick of butter into small pieces and set in a bowl to soften. Once soft, add in mashed roasted garlic and mix together with a fork. (For 1 stick of butter, add the equivalent of half head of roasted garlic. Feel free to play with this ratio for stronger—or more subtle—versions!) Refrigerate until ready for use. Use to make garlic bread, stir it into mashed potatoes or to garnish a grilled steak.
3. Infused Oil: Set strainer over a small bowl. Take baking pan with extra olive oil and garlic skins and strain into bowl, pressing garlic skins with a spoon to squeeze out any and all extra oil. Keep garlic-infused oil in the fridge, use within one week.
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Peas with Spring Onions, Lettuce & Herbs
This side dish from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters is bursting with the bright flavors of spring.
Ingredients:
1 pound shelled sweet peas
1 head of fresh lettuce, torn
1 cup spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Thyme sprig and fresh chives
Method:
1. In a saucepan, gently stew onions and lettuce leaves in a tablespoon each of butter and water, plus a sprig of thyme, until onions begin to soften.
2. Add shelled peas and cook until just tender. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a little butter and finely-chopped chives.
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Braised Red Cabbage
This French dish courtesy of Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook is an excellent accompaniment to roast pork or game. The trick here is the slow-cooking process, which produces a wonderful texture and result.
Ingredients:
1 head red cabbage
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cooking apples
2 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Quarter cabbage, cut out and discard core and shred the rest finely. Put cabbage in large sauce pan of boiling salted water; bring back to a boil and drain.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven, add the onion, cover and cook until translucent. Peel, quarter and slice apples thinly before adding to pot. Cook for a few minutes, then remove mixture.
3. Add cabbage to dish, layering with onion and apple mixture and sprinkling with the vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Season to taste. Cover with thickly-buttered parchment paper and lid, bake for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until very tender.
4. Soften remaining butter in a bowl and mix in flour. Push cabbage to one side of pan, revealing liquid at bottom. Add a quarter of butter-flour mixture and stir in (liquid will thicken slightly). Push cabbage to other side of pot and repeat. Toss together, and only add more butter-flour mix if any watery liquid is still present. Season to taste with additional sugar and vinegar as needed.
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Homemade Granola
Marge Granola owner Megan Gordon shares her tips and tricks for creating your own scrumptious batch of granola.
Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 to 2 ½ cups your choice of nuts and seeds*
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ cup oil, such as olive oil
½ cup + 1 tablespoon liquid sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup
¾ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cups dried fruits, chopped
* Note: Nuts that are already roasted should go in at the end after the granola is baked so as not to burn.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the oats and any untoasted nuts or seeds together in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Add salt, cinnamon, and cardamom and stir thoroughly to combine, then stir in the oil, sweetener, and vanilla.
3. Turn the granola out onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the mixture is light brown and toasty. Stir every 15 minutes or so for an even color and to make sure the granola is cooking evenly. (If using coconut, add in the last 15 minutes of baking.)
4. Roughly chop any dried fruits and roasted nuts being added after baking. Remove from the oven and add the chopped dried fruits and any roasted nuts at this time. Stir to combine. Let cool before enjoying and store in an airtight container for fresh granola up to 7 to 10 days.
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Buttered Savoy Cabbage
Simmered in water and enjoyed with just a touch of butter, fresh cabbage takes center stage in this recipe from Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
1 Savoy cabbage
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cut the cabbage in half, then remove thick ribs and core. Cut crosswise into 1-inch strips.
2. Place cabbage in a large skillet with 1 cup water (skillet will be very full). Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover skillet; simmer until cabbage is very tender, tossing occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Pour out any water remaining in skillet. Add butter; season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions
This fragrant recipe, also from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, balances the natural pairing of Brussels sprouts and bacon with fresh onion and thyme.
Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 sprigs of thyme
Sea salt
Lemon juice (optional)
Method:
1. Trim away any damaged outer leaves and cut stems from the Brussels sprouts. If the sprouts are very small, cut the sprouts in half; for medium-sized ones, cut into quarters. Cook the sprouts until tender in salted boiling water. Drain well.
2. Heat a heavy sauté pan over high heat and add olive oil and bacon. Cook bacon until rendered and brown, but not crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Add onion and thyme to the fat in the pan. Cook until onion is soft, but not browned. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon (optional).
3. Turn heat down to medium-high, add the drained sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until sprouts are warmed through and starting to brown. Add bacon and toss. Season to taste as needed.
Variations: For a vegetarian option, this dish is also delicious sans bacon, or tossed with chopped fresh thyme. It can also be prepared with Brussels sprout leaves: Cut stem from sprouts and separate the leaves. Thinly slice the compact centers. Do not boil leaves, instead add to onion after it has been cooked and salted. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth to a depth of about ¼ inch, cover and cook until leaves are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
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Beets, Four Ways
Beets, Four Ways
Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table, shares her favorite ways to prep colorful, luscious beets—take your pick!
Ingredients:
1 pound beets of your choice, such as Chioggia or red
Prep:
Cut beets loose from greens, leaving an inch of the stalk; save the greens for another use. (The greens are excellent sautéed with garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil—eat as a stand-alone side dish, or enjoy with the rest of the beets!) Scrub beets under running water, using a vegetable brush if you have it.
Methods:
1. Roasted: Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 425°. Put the beets in a baking dish, pour in a few spoonfuls of water, cover the dish with foil and stab a little hole in it. Roast for 35-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until you can pierce easily with a knife. Peel once cool enough to handle.
2. Steamed: Arrange a steam basket in a saucepan and add enough water to come to about 1 inch under the basket. Add beets, cover the pan and steam over medium-high heat until beets can be easily pierced with a knife, about 20-30 minutes for small beets and up to 1 hour for large ones. Peel once cool enough to handle.
3. Boiled: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in beets and boil them until tender. Drain and peel once cool enough to handle.
4. Microwaved: Put beets into microwave-safe container with a few drops of water, cover and cook on high power for 10 minutes. Remove the beets once they are tender enough to be pierced easily with a knife. (If they are still too firm, cook in 30-second spurts until done). Cool and peel.
Once prepped, add to a salad or toss with your favorite fresh herbs and vinaigrette and enjoy!
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Rainbow Swiss Chard with Parmesan
Nutty parmesan and rich butter add nuanced flavor to Swiss chard in this easy stovetop recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds fresh rainbow Swiss chard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Sea salt
Method:
1. Pull chard leaves from the ribs (save ribs for another purpose); tear leaves into large chunks. Wash the leaves and cook until tender in a large pot of salted water, about 4 minutes or so.
2. Drain the leaves and cool, then squeeze out most of the water out and coarsely chop.
3. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add the chopped chard and salt to taste. Heat through and add a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serve warm.
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Romaine Salad with Blue Cheese & Hazelnuts
Drizzled with our creamy housemade dressing, this crisp salad is topped with fresh blue cheese and earthy, toasted Northwest hazelnuts for a flavorful finish.
Ingredients:
1 head baby romaine lettuce
½ cup chopped hazelnuts
½ cup crumbled Westward Blue cheese (included in box)
Westward Blue cheese dressing (included in box)
Method:
1. Wash lettuce and pat dry with paper towels. Trim root section and cut head in half lengthwise.
2. Pile greens on a serving platter and top with chopped hazelnuts and crumbled blue cheese, then drizzle with dressing. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste.
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Braised Chard with Sweet Onions
Gorgeous young red chard takes center stage in this meltingly tender side dish from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters. Try it simply sautéed with onion and olive oil, or customize your own version by adding minced garlic, freshly-squeezed lemon or pan-fried pancetta.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh young red or green chard
1 large sweet onion
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Separate chard leaves and ribs. Wash, drain and cut leaves into a rough chiffonade.
2. Slice a large sweet onion and start it stewing in some olive oil in a pot large enough to hold all the chard leaves.
3. After the onion softens, add the chard leaves, season with salt and pepper, cover and stew for 20 to 3o minutes, stirring every so often.
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