An Apple A Day Recipes
Alongside autumn all-stars like Romano beans, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini and sweet corn, this week’s delivery trumpets the arrival of another fall favorite: fresh-picked apples from our own orchard here at Bella Luna! Enjoy a fun mixed variety of those this week, as well as beautiful golden Chanterelle mushrooms, Pain au Levain bread, and eggs from our heritage breed laying hens, plus a bevy of fragrant herbs and a bounty of greens that includes pea tendrils, escarole and Chioggia radicchio, all ready to incorporate into your own favorite meals of the fall season.
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Radicchio Salad with Apples, Blue Cheese & Dried Cranberries
This beautiful salad is light and fresh, a perfect pairing for fall’s heartier pastas, risottos and soups.
Italian Parsley-Caper Vinaigrette
This adaptation of the pungent vinaigrette from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables is magical drizzled over greens or roasted vegetables!
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Roasted Sweet Onions
Roasted sweet onion adds a wonderful depth of flavor to this refreshing salad.
Garlic Butter-Roasted Mushrooms
Roasted with capers and garlic, this simple mushroom dish is a real show-stopper.
Honey-Kissed Carrots with Sea Salt
The opposing flavors of sweet honey and flaky sea salt balance this beautiful side.
Carrot & Apple Sauté with Rosemary
This beautiful combination sings with fresh flavor!
Italian Parsley-Caper Vinaigrette
This adaptation of the pungent vinaigrette from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables is magical drizzled over roasted vegetables or salad greens!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup golden raisins
3 garlic cloves, peeled
4 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 cup lightly packed Italian parsley leaves
⅓ cup olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Put the vinegar and raisins in a little bowl and let the raisins plump for about 30 minutes.
2. Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely minced, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the capers and pulse until you have a coarse paste. Add the parsley and pulse again until completely chopped.
3. Add in the raisins and vinegar and pulse until the mixture is blended, but still slightly coarse. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the olive oil to make a slightly chunky dressing. Taste and adjust with salt or more oil, if needed.
Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette
This lovely vinaigrette is bright with lemon juice, sweet honey and fresh parsley.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed
¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together lemon juice, zest, honey, parsley, mustard and garlic in a small bowl.
2. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Use immediately, or chill for a later use. If chilled, allow vinaigrette to come to room temperature again, then whisk again to combine.
Shelled Pea, Red Spring Onion & Sweet Red Pepper Salad
A perfect summer side for grilled proteins and veggies, or even tossed with cold pasta!
Ingredients:
1 pound shelled peas
3 red spring onions, trimmed of ends and finely diced
2 sweet red Bell peppers, seed removed and diced
¼ cup combined chopped herbs, such as parsley, salad burnet, chives and basil
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Vinaigrette:
1 sweet red Bell pepper, roasted at 400° until blackened, then stripped of seeds and chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 small shallot
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prepare vinaigrette, purée the roasted red pepper in a food processor or blender as much as possible, then add the remaining ingredients and run the machine until the dressing is silky smooth. Adjust the vinegar level and seasonings to taste.
2. In a large bowl, combine shelled peas, diced onions and diced pepper. Toss with vinaigrette, then drizzle with the lemon juice. Garnish with the fresh herbs.
