Roasted Radishes
Seasoned with fresh thyme and red onions, these buttery radishes are an excellent accompaniment to just about any protein.
Ingredients:
1 bunch radishes, trimmed
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat oven to 400°. Place radishes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter butter pieces over. Sprinkle thyme leaves over radishes, season with salt and toss to coat.
2. Roast 15-20 minutes, giving pan a shake midway through cooking.
3. Remove from oven, let cool slightly. Slice radishes into thick rounds. Place on serving dish, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, scatter with red onion slices.
Romanesco Salad
Bright Romanesco florets are tossed with an equally vibrant red wine vinaigrette, plus red onions, celery and capers in this fabulous salad from food blog Simple Recipes.
Ingredients:
2 heads Romanesco
2 stalks celery
½ large red onion
1 cup loosely-packed fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Dressing:
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ anchovy, minced (optional)
¼ cup high-quality olive oil
Method:
1. Cut Romanesco heads into quarters, stalk to tip. Cut out the tough core and any outside green leaves. Cut again lengthwise. Place into a steamer basket in a pot with about an inch of water. Sprinkle the Romanesco florets with a little salt. Bring water to a boil. Cover and steam until just tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove Romanesco florets from steamer, place into a bowl, and chill.
2. Thinly slice the celery and red onion. Place the red onion slices in a bowl and cover with water. Set aside.
3. Smash the whole clove of garlic (not cut, just smash with the flat side of a chef’s knife) and place in the bottom of a small bowl. Add the vinegar and salt, stir to dissolve the salt. Add the minced anchovy if using. Whisk in the olive oil.
4. Break up the wedges of Romanesco into smaller chunks of florets. Place into a large serving bowl. Add celery, onions (drained of the water), parsley, capers, and lemon zest. Remove the garlic clove from the dressing and add dressing to the salad. Toss to coat with the dressing. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour. (It’s even better left overnight.) Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to serve.
Cara Cara Orange Salad with Arugula, Pea Shoots & Fennel
This crisp, citrus-kissed salad is both bold in flavor and beautiful in presentation.
Ingredients:
1 Cara Cara orange
½ pound arugula greens
½ pound pea shoots
2 petite fennel bulbs, quartered, cored and thinly sliced, plus a handful of the fronds
Vinaigrette:
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
⅓ cup freshly squeezed juice from a Cara Cara orange
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Spread the arugula greens out on a large, round serving platter to make a bed.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the orange. Stand oranges up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice oranges crosswise into thin wheels.
3. Arrange the orange on top of the arugula, overlapping the slices slightly. Then layer on the fennel slices. Scatter the pea shoots on top of the salad.
4. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad and then season with ground pepper if desired.
Green Beans & Herbs
These tender-crisp beans are accented with a medley of fresh herbs and butter.
Ingredients:
1 pound green beans
¼ cup yellow onion, finely-chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons parsley, finely-chopped
2 tablespoons oregano, finely-chopped
2 tablespoons basil, finely-chopped
2 tablespoon mint, finely-chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Lemon wedges
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Boil the beans for 2 minutes. Plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain the beans and pat dry on a cloth or paper towel.
2. Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Cook the onions until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the green beans and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add all the herbs and some salt and pepper and toss to combine. Cook for 1 minute more. Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.
