Warm Beet Salad with Cara Cara Oranges & Chevre
Topped with tangy goat cheese and juicy orange slices, this colorful salad is a true springtime pick-me-up.
Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven
1 Cara Cara Orange
½ cup crumbled fresh chevre
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts or pecans, chopped
Fresh-cracked pepper
For the dressing:
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
A large pinch of this week’s La Boîte spice blend
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then toss about half of the dressing with the warm beets.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the orange. Stand the orange up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice it crosswise into thin wheels.
3. On a serving platter, arrange the beet slices and then top with the orange slices. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette as desired, then top the salad with the crumbled chevre and toasted nuts.
Variation: This salad is also lovely served atop a bed of baby spinach greens.
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
⅓ 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.
Shaved Fennel Salad with Beets & Raspberries
Tossed with a raspberry-honey vinaigrette, this showpiece salad boasts beautiful color.
Ingredients:
1 bunch beets, cleaned and trimmed
4 cups water
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly shaved crosswise, fronds reserved
¼ cup Grana cheese, grated
4 cups loosely-packed salad greens, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
½ cup raspberries
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
For the vinaigrette:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup raspberry wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1-2 teaspoons honey
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place beets in a large roasting pan and pour over water, red wine vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with parchment and foil. Roast until just tender, they should be easily pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Peel beets under cool water. Cut into quarters.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the roasted beets, fennel, fennel fronds, and greens with about ½ cup of the raspberry-honey dressing. Plate dressed greens. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary, sprinkle with the Grana cheese and raspberries and serve.
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Chive Blossoms
This beautiful dish is sure to be a new spring favorite!
Ingredients:
3 pounds fingerling or other small new potato
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces soft mild goat cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Fresh flowering chives, snipped with scissors, for garnish
Method:
1, Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Peel potatoes and cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices with a manual slicer or sharp thin knife. Keep slices in a large bowl of cold water while making sauce.
3. Cook shallots in butter in a small skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Transfer to a blender and purée with milk, cream, cheese, kosher salt to taste, and pepper.
4. Drain potatoes in a large colander and pat dry. Arrange in a buttered 3-quart shallow baking dish in 3 layers, pouring some of sauce over each layer (use all of sauce) and putting best potato slices on top layer. Bake, covered with foil, in lower third of oven. Remove foil after 45 minutes and continue to bake until potatoes are tender, 30 to 45 minutes more. If desired, briefly broil potatoes under preheated broiler until top is golden.
