January is here! It never ceases to amaze me how health conscious many of my friends become after the new year. All of a sudden it starts to matter what they're stuffing into their bodies. I suppose it's all the indulging over the holidays and the New Year’s resolutions that cause their mindsets. Later, when February rolls around, many are back to their old habits. For my part, I also crave rich food when it's really cold, like it is now. This time of the year I enjoy preparing seasonal winter salads. They're a nice change of pace to the everyday menus that tend to be filled with heavier foods. Leafy salads like frisée, endive, escarole, radicchio and dandelion greens have a bitter flavor profile that needs to be complemented with flavor-balancing ingredients. I suggest rich dressings such as brown butter, bacon, egg yolk and oil (a.k.a. mayonnaise), tahini and crumbled blue cheese, and buttermilk. I like to toss some marinated olives into the mix with their salty, brine-y taste. Furthermore, rich nuts such as cashews and pine nuts add welcome texture. Additionally, I usually add a sweet note with fresh fruits like apple slices, chunks of pears, orange segments, pomegranate seeds or dried fruits such as dates, cranberries or apricots. These fruits give balance to the natural bitterness that come along with the salad greens.
When composing a winter salad the variations seem endless to me but I’m listing some of my recent favorites here. Each recipe yields two salads.
Romaine & Apples with Dates
6 oz romaine, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 apple, such as crispin or granny smith
1/4 cup cashews, toasted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 black pepper grindings from the mill
4 dried dates, pitted and cut into thin slices
1) Toss all ingredients in a bowl.
Frisée & Bacon with Blue Cheese
6 ounces frisée, cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 thick slices of bacon, 1/4-inch thick cut, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
1 slice whole grain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
5 grindings black pepper from the mill
1) Heat bacon on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bread and continue to cook for another minute.
2) In a bowl, sprinkle frisée with vinegar, then add cooked bacon/bread mixture. Adjust seasoning with sea salt if necessary.
Endive & Orange with Pine Nuts
4 pieces endive, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and divided into sections
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon tahini
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 grindings black pepper from the mill
1) Toss all ingredients in a bowl.
Dandelion & Pomegranate with Candied Walnuts
1 cup walnuts
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 bunch dandelion greens, chopped 1-inch wide
4 ounces romaine, chopped 1-inch wide
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 grindings black pepper from the mill
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1) Coat a plate with vegetable oil. Toast walnuts on medium heat for 2 minutes, then add maple syrup. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, constantly stirring with a spoon. Pour nuts onto the greased plate. Cool for 10 minutes, then chop nuts with a knife into small pieces.
2) In a bowl, toss all ingredients.
