Go! And the Race Is On... – Day 4 of the Marathon of Sides

What’s cooking? Mâche, Watercress, and Endive Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

As you’re dashing around making the stuffing and the turkey and the pie and the sides, the final dish to prepare should also be the easiest. That last dish is almost invariably the salad, because the ingredients can’t really be readied the day before, can they? It would be a sad salad indeed that has been sitting in the fridge overnight.

Now let me stop for a moment and make a confession: the Kitchen Goddess doesn’t like to make salad. I’m not sure why – maybe because it doesn’t really involve cooking. Salad dressings are interesting enough, but not salad. So my favorite salads are the kind that, once you assemble the ingredients, you’re essentially done. I don’t mind cutting up a few things, but I don’t want to shred cabbage or tear all those large lettuce leaves into small pieces, or julienne the celery, or any of those other salady tasks. Crazy? Probably. But we all have those tasks we avoid – taking out the trash, washing dishes, making the bed, ... Mine is making salad.

So this salad, which in my humble opinion is a really good salad, is particularly notable for fast, easy assembly. The endive must be sliced (minimal task), the oranges must be peeled and sliced (which actually can be done a day or two before) and the pomegranate seeds must be dug out (surely you have a son/daughter/spouse/guest to whom you can hand off this job); but then it’s all along the lines of throw-it-in-the-bowl and add some dressing.

The mâche (pronounced "mahsh") is one of those greens that used to be a weed and is now chic. Also known as “lamb’s lettuce,” it may be the most delicate of all salad greens; but unlike most salad greens, it’s a good source of the B-group vitamins, vitamin C, iron, potassium and folic acid. Mâche’s soft, sweet, almost nutty-flavored leaves pair well with the peppery flavor of the watercress and the sharp, citrusy Belgian endive. Add the lightly tart pomegranate seeds and the sweet orange pieces, and you have yourself a flavor rainbow. I like to toss on some toasted almonds at the last for a bit of crunch and because they go so well with the honey-lemon vinaigrette.

Watercress: For this salad, I trim the tough stems way back.

Shopping tips: I find the mâche at Whole Foods; it’s supposed to be available year-round, but it’s especially common in winter salads, so you should be able to find some. If not, just add extra watercress and endive. When buying Belgian endive, look for firm heads with tips that are pale yellow-green; avoid those that seem wilted or are browning. Store the endive wrapped in a paper towel and placed in a plastic bag. For watercress, look for perky, dark green leaves – avoid bunches that have been smashed or are wilted or yellowing.

You can, of course, make the vinaigrette a day or two ahead. Use it sparingly on the salad, as you don’t want to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the mâche.

Pewter is a great salad bowl material. Chill the bowl separately or with the undressed salad, and  the salad will stay fresh a long time.

Mâche, Watercress, and Endive Salad

Serves 6.

Ingredients
1 large navel orange
3-4 ounces watercress
2 large heads Belgian endive
2+ ounces mâche rosettes
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
1-2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Directions
Cut a thin slice of the orange off to give you a stable base. Slicing down the sides of the orange in long, continuous strokes, remove the peel and any of the white pith showing. Cut the remaining orange ball crosswise into slices about ⅜-inch thick. Cut the slices into pie-shaped bits and reserve.

Lay the bunch of watercress on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut off the thick stalks. Toss any yellow or limp pieces, and further trim back any thick stalks from the sprigs.

Slice across the endive heads in ½-inch widths.

In a large salad bowl, combine the watercress, endive, and mâche rosettes and toss well. Sprinkle the orange pieces and the pomegranate seeds on top. If not serving immediately, lay a damp paper towel across the top of the salad and refrigerate.

When you are ready to serve, toss the salad with a couple of tablespoons of the vinaigrette, taste and add more vinaigrette if necessary. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and sprinkle the toasted almonds on top.

Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes about 1 cup.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons lemon juice (regular or Meyer lemons)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8-10 grinds of fresh black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Combine the honey, lemon juice and salt in a jar and shake well to dissolve the salt. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well until emulsified.

For the Mâche, Watercress, and Endive Salad, start with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, toss the salad well, and add – sparingly – more dressing to taste. Store extra dressing in the fridge.

* * *

Thus ends the 2017 Marathon of Sides. As usual at this time of year, I am especially thankful to all of you for cooking along with me, laughing along with me (please tell me you are occasionally laughing -- life is too short not to), and learning along with me. I wish you all a happy and at least somewhat stress-free Thanksgiving. I'll be back after my grandchildren leave, with a holiday shopping list for the foodies in your life.

It’s the Season of Salads What’s cooking? Caribbean Fruit Salad with Cilantro-Citrus Dressing

Summertime is here, and the Kitchen Goddess has flown north. The view from my desk in Jersey City is decidedly urban – a far cry from the view in Austin. And as I sat here putting words on a screen, a Carnival Cruise ship floated past the window. Which seemed like a great segue into the Caribbean salad I have for you today.

The trip north wasn’t exactly a flight – it was a 27-hour drive. And my hubby was slaving away at a golf course in South Carolina, so I was on my own with the car. Two things saved me: NPR and friends in Nashville.

As an NPR geek, I had stored up an enormous number of podcasts on my phone, and it turns out that if you hit the right button on today’s in-car stereo systems, you can plug your phone in and listen to all those podcasts while you drive. So I entertained myself with hours of Science Friday, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, The TED Radio Hour, This American Life, and The Splendid Table. It was such fun I can hardly wait for the return trip.

I also took a break in Nashville – the halfway point in my journey and home to three of my college friends. It occurred to me that I could reward myself (and give my fanny a rest) after a day of driving with dinner at a place I’ve read wonderful things about. So I petitioned those Music City friends, and they humored me by sharing an evening at The Catbird Seat.

Friends, if you are ever in or even near Nashville and feel like treating yourself, you must try The Catbird Seat. This tiny restaurant near the downtown area hosts about 20 customers at a time – two seatings per evening – in a format that truly lives up to its name, which Webster defines as “a position of great prominence or advantage.” The serving area resembles a large picture frame, with guests seated around the outside, while 6-7 chefs in the center prepare the most amazing food right in front of you. So there is no bad seat, you get to chat with the cute chefs, and the fourteen courses are mostly small, but each a delectable gem. A feast for the eyes and the palate. Needless to say, the Kitchen Goddess was in her element. And in the relaxed atmosphere that is becoming quintessentially Nashville, much of the food is eaten with your fingers. I cannot remember having more pure fun at a restaurant.

* * *

One of the best aspects of summer weather is the prominent role salads take on in meals. Before leaving Texas, the KG and her hubby participated in a gourmet dinner with a Caribbean theme, and our assignment was the salad course. In putting this one together, I learned that “salad greens” in the Caribbean tends to mean heartier fare than lettuce. Think arugula, raw spinach, or watercress, instead of Bibb, Boston, or butter lettuce.

For the dinner party, I fried plantain chips and gave each person dipping sauce. But the plantain chips were a lot of trouble and didn't stay crisp, so I won't be doing that again. The salad, on the other hand, was terrific.

Kitchen Goddess note: It’s not really Caribbean to roast the pineapple, but I loved the extra dimension this gave the flavor, to say nothing of the added beauty. Roasting is soooo easy, and takes a bit of that pucker away from the pineapple. I tossed only the avocado and hearts of palm with the vinaigrette because the pineapple was so pretty I just wanted to sprinkle it plain over the rest of the salad. The leftover vinaigrette will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, and is wonderful on any salad.

Caribbean Salad with Cilantro-Citrus Vinaigrette

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, January 1995

Serves 8.

For the vinaigrette:
heaping ½ cup cilantro, large stems removed
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:
3 large avocados, peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice
1 can/jar (about 14 ounces) hearts of palm, sliced in ½-inch pieces
3 cups fresh pineapple, cut in wedges
2 bunches watercress or arugula, thick stems removed
optional: thin-sliced red onion
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To make the vinaigrette:
Load all ingredients but the olive oil into a food processor, and process until chunky. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse for a few seconds more season with additional salt to taste. Remove to a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the salad:
If you’re not buying cored pineapple, check out this video: How to Core a Pineapple
Once you have the outer skin and eyes removed, and have cut out the fibrous core, start with slices 1 inch thick, and cut the pieces into segments that are about ¾-inch around and 1 inch deep.

Set the oven to broil. Place the pineapple pieces in a bowl and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Line a sheet pan with baker’s parchment and spread the pineapple out on the paper. Broil about 4 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes, or until you start to see browning marks. Use tongs or a fork to turn the pineapple pieces over and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes more, or until the other sides begin to brown. Remove pineapple pieces to a bowl and set aside.

Toss the avocado and hearts of palm with ½ cup dressing. Arrange the greens on plates and spoon avocado and hearts of palm on top. Sprinkle roasted pineapple around the top. Garnish with red onion, if desired. Season to taste and serve with extra dressing.

Wine Note: We served our salad with a 2014 ARA Single Estate Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, NZ. Like the citrus in the dressing, the citrus notes in the wine were a good balance with the creamy avocado and the sweetness of the pineapple.

Fresh Takes on Old Friends – Day 1 in a Marathon of Sides What’s cooking? Watercress Purée

Start your engines! In my days as a New Jersey person, the opening notes of the Thanksgiving season were sounded by the obligatory gathering of the neighborhood cooks: my next-door neighbor, Anne; my backyard neighbor, Claudia; and I. We were the original Kitchen Goddesses.

It took a full morning for us to construct a Turkey Day menu, balancing the needs of each family for preferences in stuffings, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and desserts. Then, in the spirit of healthful eating, we’d each take on something green to prepare. And as we counted 7 teenage boys among the eaters, we included calculations of roast turkey, smoked turkey, and ham in our deliberations. Usually, by the time we had the list of dishes firmed up, we’d planned enough food for our own group and any wandering armies that might pass by.

I miss those years. But my younger son (a doctor) will be working that day, and the older one will be with in-laws in New Jersey. Life moves on. My husband and I will be driving to San Antonio to spend Thursday with my brother and cousins; so this morning, I called my cousin, Helen, who’s hosting that dinner, to make sure I knew what I’d promised to take. We went over the dishes each of us and a third woman will contribute, covering important points like who will make the whipped cream, and oblique issues like serving spoons and candles. It took a good half hour, at the end of which I felt as satisfied as if I’d actually had a meal.

“Well, that was nice,” I said.

“Yes,” said Helen. “There’s nothing like a good menu chat with someone who cares.”

So if you’re cooking this week, I hope you’ll take an opportunity to call a friend and have a menu chat. It helps to get your thoughts organized and to bring a semblance of order to what can often veer dangerously close to chaos. Thus begins the giving season.

* * *

Last year, on the theory that what looks good will taste even better, the Kitchen Goddess vowed to help you give a face-lift to four vegetables:

■ Haricots Verts garnished with Toasted Panko Crumbs

■ Gem-cut Carrots garnished with Quinoa Crispies

■ Spinach and Sautéed Mushrooms

■ Asparagus Coins

So if you’re looking for side dishes, those are still great choices. This year, my focus again is the sides, in which we’re going for a slightly different take on a traditional food. If it’s not Thanksgiving unless you can serve those marshmallow-blanketed sweet potatoes, I will apologize. But consider for a moment that variety may actually be the spice of life, and give one of these treatments a whirl.

I’ll be posting four different dishes over the next four days. So if today’s offering isn’t what you want, check back tomorrow or the next day or the next.

Today, I want to introduce you to a stand-in for the traditional puréed spinach. Watercress, according to Wikipedia, is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables eaten by humans. Smart choice – it’s high in iron, calcium, iodine, and folic acid, as well as vitamins A and C and all those antioxidants. So it’s great for you, and has two other attributes that push it way ahead in my book: (1) it’s lots easier to clean – none of that soaking and rinsing and soaking and rinsing some more that you have to do to get rid of the sand on spinach; and (2) it has none of the tannins that characterize the “funny” mouthfeel you often get with cooked spinach.

Watercress also has a peppery taste that gives it a bit more zing. And the cooking process for this recipe is almost negligible. So it’s fast, easy, and tasty – what more could you want? Unless you don’t like cooked spinach and didn’t want it or a substitute on your menu. In which case, you should check back tomorrow, when I’ll have another delicious option.

This is about half the amount of watercress you'll need, but the photo has needs as well, so...

Watercress Purée

Adapted from Garlic & Sapphires (2006), by Ruth Reichl

Serves 4.

salt
1 medium potato (9-10 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1½ pounds watercress (3 large bunches), rinsed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the potato and cook 20 minutes.

While the water continues to boil, remove the potato and set aside. Add the watercress to the water, and when it returns to a boil, cook for 1 minute. Drain the watercress in a colander, pressing with the back of a large spoon to remove as much of the water as possible.

Put the watercress and the potato into the bowl of a food processor and run until it becomes a smooth purée. Add the butter and process again until the butter is completely incorporated. Add the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and pulse until incorporated. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve.

Doing the Veggie Shuttle What’s cooking? Fall Harvest Frittata

So I hope you all didn’t think I’d fallen off the roof or something. I had an unexpected trip back to New Jersey last week, and it completely threw me off course. The good news is that I took advantage of the occasion to make one final visit to the farmers’ market there, and loaded up completely.

A couple of weeks before that in Texas, I met a woman – another foodie – who used to live in Brooklyn. We got to chatting about the wonderfulness (and yes, I know that’s not a word) of the New Jersey/New York farmers’ markets. She told me she always takes an empty suitcase on return trips so she can stock up on her favorite foods. What a great idea. And while I didn’t take an extra suitcase, I did pack as efficiently as I could to allow room for a few items to help me extend the season.

Summer’s Over but Salad Season Is Still Going Strong What’s cooking? Poppy Seed Dressing

It’s been a salad-y week for me. I’m in Texas getting ready to spend 10 days in Italy, so you may not hear from me for a while. And in an effort to shed a few of the pounds that will no doubt reappear over these coming 10 days, I’ve been experimenting with just about every combination of salad ingredients available. But I haven’t lost any weight in the process. It must have been the ice cream I had for dessert.

As the weather gets a bit cooler, there’s a resurgence of lovely types of greens that don’t really like the heat of August. And you can still find wonderful, fresh salad items like tomatoes and figs and blackberries. I read somewhere that a new type of sprout – from sunflower seeds – is the latest rage among professional chefs, so I pounced on that, too, when it showed up at my local Whole Foods.