Shallot vinaigrette

I made a simple green salad the other day, just mixed greens, cucumber, and goat cheese. The onion flavor of this dressing was perfect with it. The recipe calls for shallots, but you could use red onion or sweet onion instead.

1 finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine the first four ingredients in a jar and let sit 20 minutes at room temperature. Add the olive oil, shake to combine, and serve.

Duck fat and grapefruit salad

Awwww yeah. Hot duck fat poured over napa cabbage. Just what you always wanted, right?

It's actually a much more balanced salad than it sounds. The crispy raw cabbage is cut by the acidity of the grapefruit but then there's the richness of the duck fat. Delicious hot or cold, but best hot.

2 grapefruit
6 cups shredded napa cabbage
1/4 cup duck fat
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Grate the zest off the grapefruit and set aside. Cut out the segments (without the pith or membrane) and juice the remainder. Save the grapefruit segments and juice. Shred the cabbage and place in a large bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the duck fat over medium heat and add the shallot. Cook til softened, add the remaining duck fat and the grapefruit segments and juice. Stir until hot. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss to mix. Serve immediately.

Arugula and pea greens salad with balsamic dressing

Who knew a simple salad could be so delicious? The tenderness of the pea shoots perfectly balanced the bitterness of the young arugula. I threw in some parmesan and some cherry tomatoes, too, just because.

This balsamic dressing is thicker than I'd normally make, but then it clung nicely to each individual leaf. Be sure to use your hands to gently work it into the salad.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (aged)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Add all except olive oil into a bowl. Mix, then whisk in olive oil slowly to emulsify.

Kale and mint salad with spicy peanut dressing

There are only so many mint juleps you can drink, so now I have most of two bunches of mint to use up. Fortunately, that shouldn't be hard.

I used regular (not lacinato) kale in this, and left out the pomegranate molasses (didn't have any).

From Food52, reprinted below:

1 bunch (large) lacinato kale, chopped very small, almost minced
1 cup fresh mint, minced
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

Toss the chopped kale, chopped mint and the walnuts together. Put the peanut butter, warm water, garlic, rice wine vinegar, pomegranate molasses, soy sauce, minced ginger, sesame oil and red chili flakes into a blender and whirl away at high speed until everything is smooth. Toss the dressing with the salad.

This makes an excellent wrap filling, as well.

1.  

Kale and avocado salad with lime-Sriracha viniagrette

You know I can't resist a good raw kale salad. This one has avocados (2 for $1, on sale) and a lime-Sriracha dressing. Yum, yum!

Salad:
1 head of kale, stripped from the stems and torn into pieces
2 avocados, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons Sriracha (or more to taste)
Olive oil

Mix the lime juice and Sriracha together, then drizzle in olive oil while whisking until an emulsified dressing is formed. Add Sriracha to taste. Pour over the salad, then using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale. Let sit for at least an hour. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Kale salad with apples, pecans, goat cheese, and dried cherries

Man, I love a good kale salad. Especially some lovely red kale.

1 bunch kale, stripped from the stems and torn into pieces
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed
1/2 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
2 oz goat cheese

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Toss everything together, add the dressing, and toss well again. Let sit for 10-20 minutes before eating.

Raw mustard greens salad, take 2

I've made this raw mustard greens salad before, but I think I like this one better. The Parmesan and soy/anchovy notes give the salad a really nice Caesar-dressing-like savoriness, and you can fix it ahead of time. The more the greens sit with the dressing, the less sharp and peppery they will be.

2 bunches mustard greens
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 minced anchovy fillet or 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional, but really nice)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Strip leaves from the stems (discard stems). Wash and dry the leaves. Tear the leaves into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Add Parmesan, oil, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, anchovy (if using), pepper and salt. With clean hands, firmly massage and crush the greens to work in the flavoring. Stop when the volume of greens is reduced by about half. The greens should look a little darker and somewhat shiny. Taste and adjust seasoning with more Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce and/or pepper, if desired.

Lentils with kale and butternut squash

This can either be a hot dish or a cold dish/salad.

1 butternut squash, peeled, roasted and cubed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup lentils
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, diced small
1 rib celery, diced small
1/2 onion, diced small
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 pound chopped kale, about 6 cups
1 clove garlic, minced

Place the lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 2 inches. Season generously with salt and bring just to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Drain, rinse well, stir in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. While the lentils are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion and dried red pepper flakes, and cook until the onions and celery are translucent, about 5 minutes. Rinse the kale under water and add it, still dripping, to the skillet in heaping handfuls. Add the minced garlic and salt to taste, and stir to mix well. Cover the pan, leaving the lid ajar, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is very soft, dark and frazzled looking, about 30 minutes. It should be very sweet. Stir the lentils into the cooked kale, taste and adjust seasoning for salt, pepper and vinegar. Gently stir in about 2 cups of the roasted squash before serving, snd sprinkle with cumin

Kale salad with bacon,butternut squash and toasted almonds

I adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit. I used half a head of kale, and supplemented with mixed mesclun greens. I used half a butternut squash, too.

I have to say, this was the tastiest salad I've had for a long time.

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 medium shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups roasted and cubed butternut squash
1 bunch kale, stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 5 cups)
4 pieces of bacon, cooked, and torn into pieces
3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
Parmesan (for shaving)

Whisk oil, vinegar, shallot, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add kale and cook, tossing frequently, until bright green and slightly wilted, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat; add 3–4 Tbsp. dressing and toss to coat. Add squash, bacon and almonds to kale; toss well and season with pepper. Divide among bowls; drizzle with more dressing, if desired. Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan over.

Overnight cole slaw

Today is barbecue day!

And what goes with barbecue? Cole slaw, baked beans, and barbecue sauce. (Maybe some cheese grits.)

I'm not a big fan of mayo-heavy slaws. This slaw is great because you can make it the day before, and leave it sitting in the sun for as long as you need to, since there's no mayo involved.

3 1/2 lbs cabbage, shredded
1 large Vidalia onion, shredded
1 lb carrots, shredded
3 celery ribs, shredded
1 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup peanut oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Mix the veggies together and add the sugar.

In a saucepan, combine the vinegar,oil, and seasonings (not the parsley). Bring to a boil. Pour the dressing over the slaw and mix well. Refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, drain the slaw and add the parsley.

Caesar salad

I've written about kale caesar salad before, but something about spring cries out for a nice crisp caesar salad with romaine lettuce and freshly-made dressing.

I added some leftover pork loin, too. Pork caesar salad is the best.

There are all kinds of recipes for caesar dressing, some involving eggs and/or anchovies, most involving lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and possibly Worchestershire. This is Mark Bittman's.

1 clove garlic, halved
2 eggs, boiled for 60 seconds (enough to turn the whites white, but not enough to solidify anything)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced anchovies or anchovy paste
Dash Worchestershire
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Run the cut side of the garlic around the inside of the bowl and discard. (If you like a particularly garlicky dressing, you can mince it, mash it to create a little garlic paste, and continue.) Crack the eggs in and beat lightly. Add the lemon juice, anchovies, and Worchestershire. Whisk the olive oil in, in a steady stream. Salt and pepper to taste.

And of course, the salad itself is romaine lettuce, croutons, and fresh parmesan cheese. (Pork is optional.)

Microgreens salad

My container garden of herbs is just starting to bloom. Thanks to my restaurant, I was able to add a tray of curly kale microgreens to the haul. They've been growing their own microgreens in  the basement (kale, beets, basil, all kinds of things) to use as garnishes, and the brunch manager gave me a tray to grow on my own. The curly kale came up beautifully, and I harvested it the other day.

Since I have no real need for fancy garnishes, I trimmed my other herbs and made a microgreens salad.

If you have access to microgreens, either growing your own or buying them in the supermarket, I highly recommend this. Because the greens are so small, there's a lot of flavor.

Don't pour a heavy salad dressing all over this; drizzle a little olive oil, a little fresh lemon juice, and some salt into the bowl and massage the dressing into the greens. Serve with something light and refreshing: a piece of fish, maybe, or a frittata.

Pistachio vinaigrette

Mmmm, pistachios!

If your pistachios are not already roasted/shelled, shell them and toast the nuts in a low oven (or in a cast-iron skillet over a low flame).

Pulverized toasted pistachios (just pulse them in a food processor until powder consistency)
Sherry vinegar
Olive oil
Chunks of toasted pistachios

Add the pistachio powder to sherry vinegar, and add the olive oil in a stream, whisking constantly, to emulsify. Add chunks for texture and serve.

I didn't add amounts, but you want roughly 2-3 times as much oil as vinegar (depending on how vinegary you like your dressing) and enough pistachios for the final product to taste like pistachios. Tinker with the amounts until you find a combination you like.

Roasted beet and peach salad with pistachios

Otherwise known as: Greatest Salad Evah!

(Ignore the pecans in the picture. Imagine pistachios in their place.)

Green lettuce
1-2 roasted beets, sliced thinly
1 big peach, peeled and sliced
Goat cheese
Shelled, salted pistachios

For the dressing, I used olive oil and my mother's blackberry vinaigrette.

Panzanella (tomato-bread salad)

I was a little skeptical about this recipe for panzanella, a traditional Italian recipe and excellent use for stale bread--not because I didn't think it would delicious, but because I assumed my reaction would be "Yawn, another tomato salad."

Well, hold the presses, because this is definitely the most awesome tomato salad I've ever put in my mouth.

My only regret was that I didn't have more bread.

This is essentially a tomato salad with lots of stale bread, and an anchovy-mint dressing. Don't let the anchovy part throw you--anchovies don't taste like fish, they taste like umami (that strange, savory fifth flavor). It gives the dish a depth and kind of dark saltiness that perfectly offsets the sweetness of the tomatoes. Without being fishy.

Reprinted from The Kitchn:

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
4-6 ounces day-old peasant bread, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeds scooped out, and diced
1/2 small red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons drained capers
small handful fresh mint (15-20 leaves) picked and sliced into thin ribbons, divided

For the dressing:
2 anchovy fillets
1 clove garlic
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup good-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Slice the tomatoes in halves or quarters, going for manageable bite-size pieces. Place them in a colander set over a bowl and sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt. Set aside to drain for about 15 minutes (place a plate or bowl below to catch some of the juice).

In a large salad bowl, place the drained tomatoes (reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice), bread hunks, chopped cucumber, red onion, capers, and about half of the sliced mint.

In a mortar and pestle, combine the anchovies, garlic, half of the remaining mint and a small pinch of salt. Pound it aggressively to make a paste.

Add the olive oil and vinegar to the reserved 2 tablespoons of tomato juice. Drop in the anchovy paste and whisk until emulsified. Alternatively, shake it all up in a jar. Taste for seasoning; it may need more salt or a few cracks of pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss. I like to use my hands to toss a panzanella to feel the juices start penetrating the bread. Allow the salad to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the bread to soak in the juices.

Notes: I used a red pepper instead of cucumber; a shallot instead of red onion; and anchovy paste instead of two anchovy fillets. Also, my salted tomatoes did not produce any juice. So I just skipped that step. And make sure your bread is actually stale (as in, hard), otherwise the bread will soak up all the dressing and the tomatoes won't get any.

Chard salad

Another variation on the raw-winter-greens salad.  I'm starting to really like these--they have more flavor and substance (and texture) than regular lettuce salads. They also hold up better to dressings.

1 bunch chard, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 red wine

1/4 cup OJ

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup parmesan

Mix the liquids and sugar together, adding the oil last in a slow stream while mixing. Add to the chard and mix well. Add raisins, walnuts and parmesan and serve.

Tahini dressing

I love salad dressings I can make on the fly, out of random pantry items.

1/2 cup tahini
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt to taste

Combine, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until just pourable.

Raw collard green salad

I love these winter greens-raw salads. They're suuuuuper-healthy, quick and summery, and the longer they sit, the better they taste (which is perfect for taking leftovers to lunch the next day).

1 head collard greens, ribs removed and chopped
a handful of walnuts
a handful of grated parm or Romano

dressing:

1/4 cup walnut oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic
1 tablespoon dijon
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
garlic powder to taste

Mix, add to collard greens, top with walnuts and cheese. Let sit one hour for flavors to meld and dressing to soften greens.

Carrot and cilantro salad

4-5 carrots, grated (a food processor grating blade works great for this)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

For dressing:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil
salt and pepper

Mix the carrots and cilantro together. If you grated your carrots in the food processor, use that to make the dressing. Combine all but the oil, whir, and add the oil in a slow stream until emulsified. (Or whisk together in a small bowl.) Add dressing to carrots just before serving.

Cool, quick, cheap, tasty. The perfect summer salad. (And in my opinion, a more flavorful and less mayonnaise-y alternative to slaw.)

Raw kale salad with bacon

I FINALLY found something summery to do with kale.

I keep getting kale in my CSA box. As if I didn't eat enough CSA kale this winter, now I gotta eat it all summer, too? But my normal winter methods for eating kale (soup, etc.) just won't fly in June.

Fortunately, I discovered this recipe for Raw Lacinato Kale Salad with Bacon and Egg. And behold! I had all of the ingredients, including two bunches of kale.

Let me tell you, this salad is a rock star. Best of all, since it's kale, the salad doesn't wilt under all the dressing. Best of all part two, this dressing would work well on any kind of salad.

Reprinted here, from food52:

1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 bulb spring garlic, minced
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons raw honey
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced sage
salt to taste
6 eggs
1/2 pound bacon
2 bunches kale

1.For the dressing: In a food processor, combine the feta cheese, vinegar, garlic, egg yolk and honey and blend. Slowly add the grapeseed oil with the food processor running until it is emulsified. Add the olive oil and salt accordingly. You don't want it to be too thick. Add a little water so it is more of a salad dressing consistency, not mayo. You can also loosen it with more vinegar if it is not acidic enough for you. Add the sage at the end for a flecked green look and further depth of flavor.

2.For the eggs: Cover the eggs with cold water in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil then shut off the heat, cover the pot and wait for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, submerge the eggs in ice water. Wait another 10 minutes then peel the eggs and slice or mince them.

3.For the bacon: I used a chili cured bacon, but you can use what ever you want. Cook the bacon until crispy (rendering out the fat), then chop into small pieces.

4.Remove the stems from two bunches of kale. Tear into bite size pieces. Toss the kale in the dressing and garnish with the minced egg and bacon. Serve.