Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad
Tossed with a sweet-tart citrus dressing, this salad is fresh and bright and pairs nicely with just about any main dish.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from thick stems, washed and patted dry
1 cup slivered almonds
⅓ cup lemon juice
1½ cups olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a small skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Using the flat side of a knife, crush the garlic cloves and add to the dressing, setting aside to steep.
3. Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the almonds. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for both dressing and salt, adding more as needed. Serve within 1 hour.
Sparkling Spearmint Lemonade
This fizzy concoction is pure bliss when enjoyed on a warm afternoon.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup packed spearmint leaves, stems removed
1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Ice
Club soda or sparkling water
Method:
1. To make mint simple syrup, combine sugar, water, and mint leaves in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Immediately reduce heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Strain the leaves.
3. To assemble the lemonade, add 1 ounce each of simple syrup and lemon juice to a tall glass filled with ice. Top with about 6 ounces of club soda or sparkling water. Stir. Garnish with fresh mint.
Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter & Lemon
The sweet, nutty brown butter here lends a beautiful finishing touch.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch medium radishes
1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Brush a large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but ½ inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in a medium bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.
2. Melt butter in a heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pinch of coarse kosher salt to skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.
3. Transfer roasted radishes to warmed shallow serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.
Lemon-Olive Oil Polenta Cake
This rustic cake has a slightly-crunchy texture courtesy of polenta and is beautifully flavored by olive oil.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder lemon olive oil cake mix
½ cup olive oil
1 cup milk or buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup crème fraîche or whipped cream
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-inch cake pan or cast iron skillet with 2-inch sides with some of the olive oil.
2. Whisk together milk or buttermilk, eggs, lemon peel, vanilla, and olive oil. Pour the cake mix into this milk mixture and fold together with a spatula until just combined; do not over-mix. Scrape batter into greased pan and spread evenly.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and cake pulls away from sides of pan. Immediately run a knife around edge of cake, and turn cake out onto a cooling rack. Allow cake to cool before cutting.
4. To serve, slice cake into wedges and top with your choice of fresh berries and a generous dollop of crème fraîche.
For optional cake glaze: Combine ¾ cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, adding more lemon juice if needed. Drop by spoonfuls over cake after it has been placed on cooling rack, spreading within half an inch of the cake’s sides.
