Winter into Spring Salad

Recently while scrolling Instagram a beautiful salad from AOC in Los Angeles caught my eye.   It isn’t really surprising that this happened…I love Suzanne Goin’s salads.  They are always beautiful.  But more importantly, they taste even better than they look.  She has a gift for combining not only colors and shapes, but textures and flavors.  I don’t think I have made all the salads in her book Sunday Suppers at Lucques…but I have made a lot of them (some I have shared on my blog).  I have never been disappointed.

Of course I didn’t have a recipe for the salad pictured on Instagram, but that didn’t stop me from making it.  The combination of arugula (a long time favorite lettuce) and radicchio (my current favorite winter “green”) with oranges, dates, pistachios and goat cheese rang all my bells.  And because I have been keeping radicchio as part of my “lettuce pantry” this winter, I had all the ingredients on hand.

I did make a couple of changes to the salad.  First, I added some roasted beets. I don’t always have roasted beets in my fridge, but for some reason that escapes me now, I had some.  When I began pulling the ingredients for the salad out on the day I intended to make it for lunch, I pulled out the beets because my memory of the picture included beets.  When I checked the IG post before I made my salad to make sure I had everything, I realized there were no beets in the image.  All I can say is that they clearly belonged in my version of the salad. 

The other change I made was the kind of cheese. I had goat cheese out and was going to use it, but decided at the last minute while I was making the salad that I wanted a salty element.  So I used Feta instead of goat cheese. It was delicious—not only did I really like the salt with the sweet beets and dates, I liked the crumblier, firmer texture of the Feta.

I mentioned in my last post that I like to keep a versatile mustard and shallot based vinaigrette on hand.  The one I had in my fridge was a simple champagne vinaigrette that is good with bitter winter greens (like radicchio) and winter fruits… so that’s the one I used.  It worked very well. 

The salad was just excellent.  I’m sharing it here as I made it: for one.  But it would be an easy thing to multiply the ingredients to make a big platter for a crowd…or several individual plated salads.

The day I made the salad, I posted a picture of the salad on Instagram.  When my sister-in-law saw it she commented that the plate just screamed springtime.  I was struck by her comment because the ingredients (citrus…winter lettuces….beets…) seemed very wintery to me.  But she was right about the brilliant colors.  So I’m calling this my “Winter into Spring Salad.” 

 

Winter into Spring Salad
(Arugula with Radicchio, Citrus & Dates)

1/2 a large or 1 small, Cara cara orange
1/2 oz. Arugula
1/2 oz. Radicchio (about 2 leaves), torn into large bite-sized pieces
1 T. (or to taste) Champagne Vinaigrette (see below)
1 medium beet (about 3 oz.), roasted and cut into 8 to 10 wedges or halved and sliced crosswise (dressed with lemon or vinegar of your choice, if you like)
2 Medjool dates, pitted and each cut into 6 to 7 lengthwise strips
A mounded tablespoon of pistachios, lightly toasted (or not—as you prefer) and very coarsely chopped
1 oz. Feta in brine, broken/crumbled

Prepare the orange:  Slice off the stem and blossom ends.  Set the fruit so that it is resting on one of the flat, cut surfaces.  Using a thin, sharp knife, cut away the rind in strips.  As you cut, follow the contour of the fruit with your knife and use the previous cut to guide where you make the next cut so that you remove all of the peel, pith and membrane...but as little of the flesh as possible. Slice from top to bottom and rotate the fruit as you make each cut.  You should end up with a smooth, sphere of citrus that is free of membrane, pith and peel.  Cut the orange in half from top to bottom (direction of the segments).  If the orange is large, I only use one half.  If small, I’ll use the whole thing.  Cut the halves into quarters, lay them on their side and cut cross-wise in quarter inch or so slices.

Place the arugula and radicchio in a small bowl. Season with salt and drizzle with enough vinaigrette to barely coat—don’t weigh the greens down with the dressing…you can drizzle more over the salad after you build it.  Toss to thoroughly coat the lettuces.  Give the beets a drizzle of the vinaigrette and season with salt & pepper if you didn’t dress them with vinegar and season them when you roasted them.

Scatter half of the greens over the plate.  Arrange half of all the other elements over the greens.  Repeat these two layers.  Drizzle with more vinaigrette and serve.  Serves 1…but multiplies easily to serve as many as you like.

Champagne vinaigrette:
2 T. Champagne vinegar
1 small shallot, peeled and finely minced (1 1/2 to 2 T.)
1/4 t. salt, or to taste
1 t. Dijon mustard
6 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Make the vinaigrette:  Place the vinegar in a small bowl with the shallots and salt.  Set aside for five minutes or so to let the shallots soften a bit. Add the mustard and whisk until smooth. While whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a thin stream to form a slightly thickened, emulsified dressing.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt.  Set aside.

Printable Version

Harissa Spiced Lamb Chops with Carrots, Dates, Feta & Fresh Herbs

I have been a bit behind lately in coming up with ideas…and consequently syllabi…for my cooking classes.  Recently I scheduled a wine pairing class with nothing but a title (A Late Winter Menu with Wine).  It was gratifying that the class filled anyway.  Unfortunately this allowed me to push coming up with a menu until the last minute.  Testing recipes at the last minute was a little stressful—but a good thing for the class because I taught from a perspective of fresh inspiration.  Several regulars commented afterwards that they thought the menu was exceptional.   

I decided to prepare lamb for the main course.  I found my inspiration in Diana Henry’s delightful cookbook Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavors.  I picked this book up a couple of years ago and have not really had the time to spend in it that I would like.  I remember making a delicious baked pasta with chestnuts and cream when I was looking for some fresh ideas for chestnuts…but that’s about it.  While preparing for this class I spent a little bit more time in my perusal…and will definitely be returning to the book.  “Effortless Food, Big Flavors,” is a truly appropriate title. 

It was the bold flavors of this Mediterranean-style lamb dish that attracted me:  Spicy lamb…  tangy yogurt…  salty Feta… soft, sweet dates… and loads of fresh herbs.  Basically a flavor party on a plate.   I used all of these great contrasting flavors in the dish I ultimately taught…with a few touches of my own. 

The first thing that struck me as I considered the original recipe was that Harissa would have been a perfect condiment.  I didn’t have any Harissa on hand…and because I was in a bit of a rush I didn’t want to make any.  Instead, I augmented Henry’s cumin and cayenne spice rub with coriander, caraway and paprika (basically making my own harissa spice blend).

I also decided to add a few carrots, roasted with this spice mix, to the plate.  I always want more vegetables.  As a bonus, the carrots add great color—and they are delicious with dates. 

I served it all with a simple farro pilaf. Call me old-fashioned, but I always like to include a starch of some kind with an entrée.  Henry suggests olive oil roasted potatoes, bulgur, or couscous as go-withs.  And I think any of these would be good…but I was particularly pleased with how the farro added a subtle nutty and sweet earthiness to the whole dish.  I will probably always serve it with the farro.

As an aside, the farro recipe I made yields a bit more than you will probably need to go with the lamb.  But this is not a bad thing.  I always love having extra cooked grains on hand since I then have an excellent foundation for a quick lunch.  While testing the recipes for this class I used it for just that, topping the leftover farro with a poached egg and some Harissa roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots (an excellent combination).

Since we are heading into spring…and my class menu was planted firmly in  winter in terms of ingredients…I will probably wait until next fall or winter to post the appetizer and salad (both of which were delicious).  The dessert doesn't really need its own post (at least not for the near future (it was the banana cake from my last post...baked in layers, filled with salted butter caramel, frosted with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and garnished with candied pecans).   But I wanted to go ahead and post the lamb entrée now.  Doing so allows me to present it with the fresh enthusiasm that was, I think, so appealing in the class.  Plus, I tend to eat lamb more during the spring and summer months, and I think this particular dish would be wonderful during the early part of the growing season when young carrots and soft, fresh herbs are available.  When the weather warms up, this lamb will be fantastic prepared on the grill.

Harissa Spiced Lamb Chops with Carrots, Dates, Feta & Fresh Herbs

4 lamb loin chops (see notes)

salt

2 T. Olive oil

2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

2 t. Harissa spice (see below)

1 lb. carrots, trimmed and peeled

2 T. olive oil

2 t. Harissa spice (see below)

1/2 c. (125 g.) Greek Yogurt, preferably full fat (5%)—see notes

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice (more or less, to taste)

1 clove garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

4 t. olive oil

3 to 4 t. water                                                                                         

salt

3 to 4 oz. Feta in brine, drained and broken into small and medium chunks

6 to 8 Medjool dates, pitted and cut into 6 strips each

1/2 c. of very coarsely chopped fresh herbs—a mix of Italian Parsley, Mint, and Dill (if the leaves are small, you may leave them whole)

1 T. finely sliced chives

If possible, salt the lamb 12 to 24 hours ahead.  Up to two hours before cooking, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and harissa in a shallow dish.  Add the lamb, turning the chops to coat with the marinade.  If cooking within half an hour, leave at room temperature.  Otherwise refrigerate until a half hour prior to cooking.

Cut the carrots on the bias in 1/3-inch thick slices.  Cut these slices lengthwise into two or three strips (approx. 1/3-inch wide).  The carrots should look like quills (or penne pasta).  Toss with olive oil and the harissa spice mix.  Spread on a rimmed sheet pan and roast in a 400° oven until tender and nicely caramelized—about 25 minutes. (If serving with farro, it works well to add the water to the farro when the carrots go into the oven).

While the carrots roast, make the sauce:  In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, water and a good pinch of salt.  The consistency should be like regular plain yogurt—add more water or olive oil if it is too thick.  Taste and correct the acidity with lemon (the sauce should be very tangy).  Check the seasoning and correct as necessary. (The sauce may be made ahead.)

When the carrots are almost done, heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.  When the pan is hot, add the lamb chops (there should be enough oil on the chops…but if the pan seems dry, add a bit of oil).  Allow the chops to cook until they are nicely caramelized on the first side before turning them over (2 or 3 minutes).  Cook in a similar fashion on the second side, regulating the heat to prevent scorching.  When the chops are well browned, tip them on their sides to quickly sear (on all sides).  Check the temperature of the lamb so you’ll have an idea of how close it is to your preferred doneness (see temperature guide in the notes below).  If necessary, transfer the pan to the oven to continue cooking until they are the way you like them.  For small chops, even if you like them well done, this won’t be much longer than 7 or 8 minutes.  If you like your lamb rare, you may not need to put them in the oven at all. 

To serve, place a spoonful of sauce on one side of each plate, spreading it out into an arc.  Place a small mound of farro next to it (on the other side of the plate)…or a mound of couscous, or roasted potatoes, etc.  Scatter half of the carrots, dates and herbs over the sauce.  Place the chop on top (leaning against the farro), followed by the remaining carrots and dates.  Scatter the Feta and the remaining herbs over all.  Drizzle with olive oil if you like.  Serves 4

(Recipe inspired by a recipe in Simple by Diana Henry)

Notes:

• I have written the recipe assuming one loin chop per person. Many would consider this to be a very small portion. Recipes frequently give quantities assuming 2 per person. In my experience loin chops weigh about 4 to 5 oz. You should prepare as many as you like. Simply adjust the quantity of marinade to cover the number of chops you will be preparing.
• You may use lamb rib chops (cut from the rack) in place of the loin chops. As with the loin chops, you should prepare as many as you like, depending on appetites. When I use rib chops I think 2 is a nice portion. But as for the loin chops, many people would prefer 3 or 4.
• I have made this recipe using both commercial Greek yogurt and my own homemade Labneh. Since my homemade yogurt is quite tangy, it didn’t require near as much lemon juice. You should add lemon juice to taste, remembering that the sauce needs to be very tangy.
• Lamb temperature guide (remember that the temperature will continue to go up a few degrees after the lamb is out of the oven/pan): Rare—120°F; Medium Rare—125°F; Medium—130°F; Medium Well—135°F; Well Done—140°F.
• Substitute a few halved Brussels sprouts for some of the carrots.

Farro Pilaf

2 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 medium shallots, peeled and finely diced

salt

1 c. pearled farro, rinsed

1 T. picked thyme, roughly chopped

2 1/2 c. water

Warm the olive oil in a medium sauce pan set over moderate heat.  Add the shallot along with a pinch of salt.  Sweat until the shallot is tender—about 5 minutes.  Add the farro and thyme and continue to cook and stir until the farro is well-coated in the fat, lightly toasted and hot through—about 3 minutes.

Add the water, along with some salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the farro is tender but still has texture (al dente)—about 25 minutes. Let the farro rest, covered, off of the heat for a few minutes.  Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.  To serve, taste and correct the seasoning.   Drizzle with a bit of olive oil (for flavor and moisture) if you like. Serves 4 generously (I always have some left over—which I love having to make a grain bowl or a salad for lunch).

Harissa Spice

4 t. cumin seed

2 t. coriander seed

2 t. caraway seed

1 t. cayenne

4 t. paprika

Pound the cumin, coriander and caraway until fine using a mortar & pestle—or grind in a spice grinder.  Add the cayenne and paprika.  Recipe makes a generous quarter cup of blended spice.

Notes:

• If you prefer, you may substitute pre-ground cumin, coriander and caraway, but the flavor will not be as vibrant.
• Harissa should have some heat. I find this mix to be sufficiently spicy, but if you like a lot of heat, feel free to increase the cayenne. Conversely, if this is too hot for you, simply decrease the cayenne.

Printable Version

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Labneh Toast...and a short discussion of how to make perfect "toast"

Today’s post is one hundred percent inspired by my favorite local bakery.  If you live in the Kansas City Metropolitan area and you have never been to Ibis, you need to make a point to visit soon.  Their breads are some of the best I have ever had…if not the best.  Likewise, their pastries, sweets and laminated doughs are fantastic.  I don’t know why I was so surprised that the items on their limited little breakfast and lunch menus would be so delicious too…but they are. 

I mentioned the avocado toast that my friends ordered at my first outing to the new Ibis location in my grain bowl post.  What I didn’t say in that post was how perfect the toast itself was…which may seem like a strange thing to make note of.  “Toast”—meaning a knife and fork little plate with a slice of toast topped with something (hopefully) delicious—has become a thing.  You can get them everywhere…and they are easy to make yourself since basically decent artisanal-style bread is widely available.  The thing is, delicious as these “toasts” can be, often eating them is a bit of a wrestling match.  The toasting process hardens the crust (which usually has the “chew” desirable in artisanal-style breads) into something that is quite difficult to cut through and eat with any semblance of the grace appropriate for polite dining.  We put up with this, I suppose, because the toppings are delicious…and the bread is delicious…but it is at the very least an inconvenience.  I’ll be honest…I really don’t like to fight with my food.  And I don’t like to worry that it might fly off the plate during the battle.

Anyway, the toast portion of that avocado toast was, as I said, perfect:  It had substance…but was easy to cut.  You may recall from my earlier post that I didn’t order the avocado toast, but one of my friends who did drew my attention to the perfection of the toast (that is, the bread portion).  So, the next time I ate there, I ordered a “toast” (with house made pastrami…which was truly excellent as well).  And the toasted bread was, as my friend had pointed out, extraordinary:  flavorful, with a beautiful golden browned and crisped surface (it’s toast, after all)—and substantial enough to absorb the flavors of the toppings without disintegrating.  The whole thing did require the use of a knife and fork…but it was yielding enough that it wasn’t a fight.  Perfect. 

I began to wonder how they achieved this balance.  Did they have a better toaster than I did?  Had they aged the bread a bit…then soaked it in something?  I really don’t know.  What was obvious to me though, was that in the process of toasting the bread, they still managed to conserve the moisture of the bread.  So, I set about figuring out how I could do the same thing in my own kitchen.

The first thing I did was ditch the toaster.  It occurred to me that well buttered bread, fried in a skillet, was more likely to be uniformly crisped and golden while still maintaining a bit of interior softness than bread that was subjected to the dry heat of the toaster.  (If you have ever made croutons by sautéing them in a skillet as opposed to tossing them in oil and toasting them in an oven, you know exactly what I mean.)  But even this isn’t enough to keep those wonderful artisanal crusts from becoming unmanageably hard.  I decided that a little bit of steam might do the trick…so I tried covering the skillet while I toasted the bread, thinking the moisture still inherent in the bread would be captured by a lid.  I’m happy to report that this did the trick.    

As I said…I have no idea how they are doing it at Ibis, but thanks to the inspiration of their perfect toasts, I am now much happier with the toasts that come out of my kitchen and appear on my table.  And I have been putting my new found skill to work…

in an avocado toast (of course)…

and recently for a toast smeared with labneh, topped with a sautéed mushrooms and squash, finished with fontina and then run under the broiler… 

Obviously the possibilities are without limit. 

I don’t know if it was the fact that I associate toast with Ibis.  Or the fact that I brought home a loaf of their wonderful bread on the same day I sampled a Moroccan carrot salad in their café that I just had to recreate at home (it was that good).  But ultimately I ended up turning my take on their Moroccan salad into a “toast”. 

The original Moroccan carrot salad at Ibis was a delicious green salad with little baby carrots scattered throughout (which surprised me…when I think of Moroccan carrot salads, I think of a salad of mostly carrots).  The greens were a mix of finely cut arugula, claytonia and baby red veined sorrel.  I didn’t have the sorrel in my pantry, but I did have the arugula and—surprisingly—the claytonia.  I had purchased some at the farmers’ market and had been wondering how I was going to use it.  This…along with the fact that I had also picked up some sweet little baby carrots at the market…played into my desire to recreate Ibis’s wonderful salad.

In addition to the fine little greens and baby carrots, their salad included golden raisins and candied sunflower seeds.  Everything was tossed in a lemony, harissa-spiced vinaigrette.  The whole effect was vibrant and delicious.

I recreated the salad for dinner with my arugula and claytonia and baby carrots.  I have been in the habit of keeping harissa on hand, so I dressed the cooked baby carrots with some of that (if you have never dressed cooked carrots with nothing but a little olive oil and harissa, you should definitely give it a try…it makes a wonderful little side dish…served hot or cold).  Instead of golden raisins and sunflower seeds, I added strips of Medjool dates and toasted pistachios.  I tossed the whole thing with a simple sherry vinaigrette.  And since I wanted to make my salad slightly more substantial, I added some blobs of labneh and served it with a slice of Ibis bread.  It was fantastic.

The very next day, I turned it into a “toast” for lunch.   Instead of dolloping the labneh all over the salad and serving it with bread, I made toast (using my covered skillet method) and smeared it with a generous quantity of labneh and piled the salad on top.  I no longer had any baby carrots, but plain old, full-grown carrots, peeled, cut into fat quills and roasted (using my favorite method) were a perfect stand in…and also something I always have on hand.  And this is a good thing, because I will be making this particular “toast” again and again.

 

Moroccan Carrot Salad Toast

The Carrots:

Trim and peel the carrots.  Cut the carrots on a diagonal about 1/3-inch thick.  Cut the slices in two or three pieces length-wise.  Your carrots pieces should look about like a piece of penne pasta.  

Toss the carrots with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper.  Place the carrots in a baking dish that is just large enough to hold them in a snug single layer. Add a splash of water (just enough to barely film the bottom of the pan).  Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in a 375° to 400° oven.  After 20 minutes, uncover the pan and give the carrots a stir.  Return the pan (uncovered) to the oven and continue to cook until the carrots are tender to the tip of a knife—10 to 20 minutes more.  Add a bit of harissa and toss to coat.  

Serve hot or room temperature.  You can add as much or as little harissa as you like.  For me, a heaped tablespoon per pound (pre-trim weight) of carrots is about right.  A pound of carrots will make enough carrots for 4 or 5 servings of Moroccan Carrot Salad Toast.

The Toast:

For each toast, you’ll need a thick (about 3/4-inch) slice of a hearty artisanal-style bread.  Something wide is best.  If your loaf is narrow, maybe cut a slice on a diagonal.  Put a cast iron pan over a moderately high heat.  Spread both sides of the bread generously with soft butter.  

Place the bread in the skillet.  You should hear a quiet sizzle.  Cover the pan with a lid.  (The lid for my cast iron skillet does not fit tightly, so you may find that you may need to put a tight fitting lid on so that it is slightly ajar.  Or perhaps not.  It’s hard to say.  If you find your bread is too soft when covered tightly—leave the lid ajar…if it is too crunchy when the lid is ajar—cover it tightly.  You should make it work for you.)  After about a minute, check the bread—if it looks dry, add a bit of butter to the pan…if it’s cooking too quickly (burning in spots) lower the heat.  Adjust the position of the bread if you pan/burner has hot/cold spots.  After about 2 minutes, the bread should be golden and crisp.  Flip it over and cook it the same way (covered) on the second side.

Labneh:

Labneh is yogurt cheese.  You can purchase it…or make your own.  I like to make my own with homemade whole milk yogurt (you can make it with purchased yogurt too).  Whisk 3/4 t. kosher salt into a quart of yogurt.  Line a strainer suspended over a bowl with some cheesecloth.  Scrape the yogurt into the cheesecloth and let drain (in the refrigerator).  The longer it drains, the thicker it will be.  I usually let it drain for 48 hours (and since I don’t want my strainer out of commission for that long, I gather the ends of the cheesecloth together and tie them in a knot and then slide a wooden spoon through the loop and suspend the bundle over a bowl and let it drain that way.)  But labneh comes in all kinds of textures.  It can be fairly soft (the texture of Greek yogurt)…or very thick (the texture of firm fresh goat cheese).  The longer it drains, the thicker it will be.  If you only let it drain for 6 hours or so, it will be soft.  Sometimes, I will make just a small “quick” amount (not even bothering to salt it and letting it drain for only an hour or two) if I want something soft and tangy to dollop on a grain salad.  For the toasts, I like the really thick stuff (48 hours)…and I have been in the habit of keeping a jar of it in my fridge.  It will keep for about a month.  You can also use the whey that drains off…for baking, cooking, etc.   A quick internet search will yield a multitude of uses.  A quart of yogurt will make about a cup and a half of thick labneh. 

The Vinaigrette:

Place 2 T. finely diced shallots in a small bowl and cover with 2 T. Sherry vinegar. Add a good pinch of salt and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes (or longer) so the shallots can soften.  Add 6 T. olive oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper.  Add more vinegar or olive oil to balance.  The dressing should be tangy.

The Salad (one serving):

1 slice of skillet fried bread

3 to 4 T. (or more, to taste) thick labneh

1 handful fine baby lettuces (arugula and claytonia, arugula alone, baby lettuces, etc—whatever you can find that is flavorful and perky), washed and spun dry

1 serving harissa-spiced carrots (see above)

2 large Medjool dates, halved, pitted and each half cut into four lengthwise strips

2 T. lightly toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped

A spoonful or two of sherry vinaigrette

Salt & pepper

While the toast cooks, place the greens in a bowl with the carrots, dates, and pistachios. 

Smear a generous quantity of labneh on the toast and place on a plate. 

Season the salad with salt and pepper and drizzle sparingly with the vinaigrette.  Toss carefully and gently to coat the greens.  Add more vinaigrette if the salad seems dry…but don’t add too much, the small tender greens can become soggy very quickly. 

Mound the salad on top of the toast, allowing some of the cheese covered toast to show and allowing the salad to spill over onto the plate.  Drizzle everything with more vinaigrette and serve with a knife and fork.

Serves 1

Printable Recipe

The salad is great with a quesadilla too!

What's in Season?... Blood Oranges

Over the years, For Love of the Table has turned out to be a lot of things...some planned, some not.  Always food, cooking and table related...but also covering a wide ranging array of topics.  I have focused on basic techniques...and because I am always learning, I have also covered not-so-basic techniques.  I have posted complicated recipes appropriate for a formal meal (from my private dinner service) or a weekend project...as well as things that were simply what I happened to be eating and enjoying at the moment.  There have been many posts for foods so simple they don't really require a recipe.  As for a theme...if you discount the fact that a preponderance of the posted recipes reflect my personal addictions to cake and pasta...I think it's fair to say that my blog is almost always about enjoying the abundance of each season.  So this past Christmas when my good friend Bonnie gave me a handmade calendar (created and drawn by her daughter Johanna) that celebrated a single fresh food each month, I knew I had not only a lovely calendar, I also had inspiration for at least one post a month.

For January, Johanna chose blood oranges.  What a perfect way to start the year!  Blood oranges begin to trickle into the stores in December, but they don't really hit their stride and peak until January and February...finally tapering off in March and April.  At a time of year when the bright and cheerful colors of the holidays have abruptly faded into the muted and sometimes depressing grays of winter, their brilliant red flesh is a welcome sight.  A glass of freshly squeezed blood orange juice will give the most ordinary breakfast a special feel.

Blood oranges of course taste of orange...but at the same time seem to have more depth.  They can be very sweet...but also often have a pleasantly tart edge.  I think it is this rich, sweet-tart character...combined with their ruby red coloring...that causes many to say that they have a raspberry-like flavor.  I'm not sure I would go that far...but they definitely have a "something more" about them.  They are apparently the most popular of all the orange varieties in their native Italy and once tasted seem to inspire fervent allegiance.  I was surprised when I purchased my first of the season last week to observe the holiday-weary and rather glassy-eyed clerk at the checkout suddenly perk up as she rang them through, exclaiming "I didn't know they were here!  I LOVE blood oranges"...

As noted above, blood oranges make wonderful juice.  And they are also beautiful in desserts...tarts and upside down cakes being two places where they really shine.  But I love them best in salads.   You can use them in any salad where you would normally use a navel orange:  with fennel...red onions....beets....avocado...olives....arugula....all manner of endives....pomegranate.....grapefruit and tangerines....  You get the idea.  I posted a citrus, avocado and olive salad a couple of years ago that featured slices of blood orange.  If you have never cut an orange into pinwheels or filets, that particular post includes some basic instructions on how to do just that. 

Today, I wanted to share one of my very favorite salads from Suzanne Goin's book Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  Goin created this salad as a showcase for the blood orange.  This is one of those recipes that really isn't a recipe.  As she points out, it's more of a tapestry....an artful arrangement of delicious and beautiful foods on the plate.  Her recipe has a definite Italian feel....whereas my version is more Spanish, featuring Manchego cheese (instead of Parmesan) and Marcona almonds.  You should feel free to alter the specific ingredients to suit your tastes...and your pantry.

I was so inspired as I flipped through the beautiful drawings in Johanna's calendar.  It is my hope during the coming months....as I occasionally share a recipe that features the ingredient she chose to represent a particular month....that you will be inspired too.  Happy New Year. 

Blood Oranges, Dates, Manchego & Marcona Almonds

15 Deglet Noor dates (see note)

4 blood oranges

4 oz. chunk Manchego (see note)

2 oz. arugula or other spicy green

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Extra Virgin Olive oil (see note)

1/2 c. Marcona almonds (see note)

Fleur de Sel

Freshly ground black pepper

Cut the dates in half and remove the pits. If you like, cut the halves lengthwise.

Slice the stem and blossom ends from the blood oranges.  Place each fruit cut side down on the cutting board and following the contour of the fruit with your knife, remove the peel and cottony pith—working from top to bottom, and rotating the fruit as you go.  Slice each orange thinly into 8 to 10 pinwheels, discarding any seeds that you find.  Place the orange slices in a bowl and set aside.

Place the Manchego, flat side down, on a cutting board.  Using a chef’s knife, shave large thin slices of cheese from the chunk. 

Place the arugula in a bowl and give it a squeeze of lemon and a light drizzle of olive oil.  Scatter one third of the arugula on a large platter (or divide among individual plates).  Arrange one-third of the oranges, dates, cheese and nuts.  Scatter another layer of arugula, and continue layering in the same manner, letting the ingredients intertwine together.  Finish by drizzling more olive oil over the salad and seasoning lightly with fleur de sel, pepper.  If you like, drizzle some of the blood orange juice remaining in the bowl over all.  Serves 4 to 6

Notes:

• If Deglet Noor dates are unavailable, use Medjool. Medjool are larger and softer….so use 8 and cut them in quarters or sixths (lengthwise) rather than in halves or quarters. Medjool dates are easier to cut when they have been refrigerated. 
• In the original recipe, Goin uses almond oil. If you have almond oil, use it, otherwise, a nice Extra Virgin olive oil is fine. 
• If you don't have Marcona almonds, simply use regular almonds, roasting them yourself. Spread the almonds on a small baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350° oven and bake until slightly darkened and fragrant. Set aside to cool. 

(Recipe adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin)

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