It’s getting chilly outside, and while warm comforting food is high on the crave-list, it’s more important than ever to keep eating salads, brimming with healthy nutrient-rich vegetables and grains. The good news is that the cooler weather gives us an excuse to fortify our salad bowls, transforming the light and wispy summer salad into a healthy hearty autumn bowl.
A key ingredient in this cold-weather salad is nutrient-rich kale. Raw kale can be bitter and difficult to digest in large quantities, so it’s important to tame the tough and sturdy leaves to deter picky eating. This can be easily accomplished by massaging them. Yep, that’s right: Drizzle the kale leaves with a little lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt, and then rub them for a minute or so to coat the leaves. You will be rewarded with a slightly softened version of the hearty leaf, that’s not only easier to munch on, its earthy flavor will be softened by the lemon and salt.
Treat this salad just like your fall wardrobe, and pile on the layers – it can handle it. I’ve added finely chopped cauliflower and dried cranberries, along with a shower of quinoa and seeds. Because these salads are so sturdy, they hold up well and don’t mind a little standing once they are fully dressed – which is great for do-ahead assembly.
Chopped Autumn Salad
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
1 bunch curly green kale, tough ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
2 scallions, white and green parts sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1/2 head small cauliflower, florets finely chopped
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pepitas for garnish
1. In a large bowl, rub the kale leaves with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt until thoroughly coated, about 1 minute. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Add the scallions, carrot, cauliflower, quinoa, parsley, and cranberries and toss to combine.
3. Make the dressing: Whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over the salad and toss well to thoroughly combine. Garnish with the pepitas. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
There is no better time to have a salad than the winter. Yep, that’s right: Salads aren’t only summer fare. When the cold weather settles in, it’s even more important to get your daily dose of vitamins and nutrients, and, luckily, winter provides it’s own produce stars – from glistening citrus to sturdy greens and hardy crucifers and roots. Shredded, chopped, and juiced, these ingredients can be layered into hefty salads laden with dried fruit, grains, seeds and nuts that fill and nourish.
Winter Citrus Quinoa Salad This salad is very flexible and forgiving. The key is to get a balance of heat and sweet to offset the earthy quinoa. Poblano peppers can vary in heat, so taste a small piece before adding. If desired you can increase or decrease the amount of spices to your taste.
Serves 6
1 1/2 cups red quinoa
Extra virgin olive oil
3 cups water
Salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 small (or 1 large) poblano chile peppers, finely diced
1 large yellow or red sweet bell pepper, finely diced
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, leaves chopped
1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped
1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and thoroughly drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and cook for 1 minute to lightly toast the seeds, stirring frequently. Carefully add the water (it will sizzle) and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat until the quinoa is tender and releases its germ, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Drain the quinoa and transfer to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin, paprika, coriander, and cayenne. Stir to combine then cool to lukewarm or room temperature.
4. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the parsley and cilantro. Stir to blend and taste for seasoning. (At this point the salad may be prepared up to 6 hours in advance of serving. Cover and refrigerate.)
5. Before serving, mix in the parsley and cilantro and taste again for seasoning. Serve at room temperature.
I am not a patient baker. My desserts tend to be “rustic” which, in my case, is a polite way of saying messy and imprecise. Fortunately for me there is a place in the dessert world for my rustic desserts. I call it my sweet spot (pun intended) which includes crisps, crumbles, cobblers, galettes, and crostatas. These desserts show off the season’s best fruit, in the company of some sort of pastry dough or streusel and are assembled in a delightfully unfussy way. This Cranberry Pear Galette is a perfect example – it’s a free-form tart, which is also known as a crostata. Unlike a traditional tart or pie, a baking dish is not required. The spiced fruit filling is simply mounded into the center of the pastry dough, then the pastry edges are gathered and folded around the filling leaving the top exposed. The result is a golden free-form crust cocooning a bubbling center of oozing fresh fruit. Now, that’s my kind of dessert. Try this one on for your Thanksgiving holiday.
Cranberry Pear Galette
Serves 6
Pastry dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, but into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup ice water
Filling:
4 ripe but not too soft pears (bosc or anjou), peeled and cored, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons almond meal, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly whisked
1. Make the pastry dough: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse once or twice to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter is pea-sized. Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Transfer the dough to a work surface and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
2. Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper into a circle approximately 12-inches in diameter. (It does not have to be perfect!) Slide the dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the pears, cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons almond meal, the lemon juice, orange zest, cardamom, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir to combine.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon almond flour over dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Mound the fruit over the almond flour. Fold the borders up and around the fruit. Lightly brush the dough with the egg and sprinkle the galette with the 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Transfer the galette to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender and bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla a ice cream.
I won’t lie: These ribs take two days to make. Now, before you click away from this page, just hear me out. I promise that if you make these ribs, you will be a very happy cook. Your family will be eternally grateful. Your guests will be impressed. And you will be rewarded with a deeply flavorful, warmly spiced, tender and rich braise. The only people who might not be pleased will be your neighbors, because they will have to live through a day of incredible aromas wafting from your kitchen window, knowing full well they are not coming to dinner.
Now if that is not enticing enough, here is some more good news: While it takes two days to make these ribs, most of the time you will have little to do in the food prep department, because the ribs will take care of themselves, braising in the oven or sitting in the refrigerator. You will be actively involved in the beginning, when you brown the meat (a very important step which will make you feel useful), then when you reduce the sauce (which technically your stove will do for you), and then finishing the braise for serving. Your most difficult task will be…waiting. All of the time invested is for good reason: to tenderize the beef to a supple version of itself, and to infuse the meat and sauce with knock-your-socks off flavor. So go ahead and give it a try. Start on a Friday and eat it over the weekend. And feel free to double the amount so you can freeze extras for another day or have a party – it might be a good time to invite the neighbors.
Red Wine and Chipotle Braised Short Ribs
If you have the time (and patience) rub the short ribs with the spices the night before browning to develop the flavor. The chipotles in adobo will add a nice kick of heat to the braise. Serves 4 to 6.
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (750 ml) bottle heavy-bodied red wine
1/4 cup chipotles in adobo, chopped with juices
1 bay leaf
2 cups beef stock (or chicken stock)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rub the meat:
Combine the dry rub spices in a small bowl. Arrange the ribs on a rimmed baking tray. Rub the spices all over the ribs. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour (or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.) Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before browning.
Braise:
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches without crowding the pan, brown the ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes. (This step is very important, so take the time to do it well). Transfer to a plate or bowl and repeat with the remaining ribs.
Drain off the fat from the pot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, the onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute the vegetables over medium heat, stirring up any brown bits in the pan, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika, and coriander and cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and stir to create a nice slurry. Add the wine, chipotles, and bay leaf and return the ribs and any collected juices to the pot. Pour in the beef stock. If the ribs are not completely covered with the liquid, add more stock or wine to top off the ribs. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven and slow cook until the ribs are very tender, about 3 hours, stirring every hour or so.
Refrigerate:
Remove the pot from the oven. Uncover and let the braise cool slightly. At this point you can remove the bones and cut away any gristle from the ribs or proceed with the bones intact – it’s up to you and how you like to serve the ribs. Cover the pot and refrigerate overnight. (This step is helpful because it will allow the fat to congeal on the top of the stew, which will be easily removed before proceeding. It also allows the flavors to develop overnight.)
Reduce:
At least 1 hour before serving, remove the pot from the refrigerator and lift off the layer of fat on the surface of the stew. Gently reheat the braise over medium-low heat until the stock is liquid enough to remove the ribs. Carefully remove the ribs from the sauce and arrange in a baking dish.
Strain the sauce through a strainer, pressing down on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible, and transfer the sauce to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce is reduced by about half and has a thickened to a rich sauce consistency, about 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over and around the beef. The beef should not be entirely submerged; if you have extra sauce, reserve for serving. Cover the dish with foil. (The beef may be prepared up to 3 hours in advance of serving to this point. Keep refrigerated until finishing.)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the short ribs in the oven and cook until thoroughly heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve with mashed root vegetables or mashed potatoes.
Root vegetables are sadly underrated. The lowly unsung root is, in fact, a storehouse of nutrients, natural sugars, and starch, and a very healthy and flavorful substitute for the ubiquitous russet potato. It’s also a delicious and simple way to get your daily dose of vitamins during the cold weather season. A peel of the skin reveals a rainbow of anti-oxidant-rich colors ranging from magenta to ochre to buttery yellow, guaranteed to brighten a gray day – and your holiday table. I used sweet potato, celery root and rutabaga for this mash. You can add other roots, such as parsnip, carrot, and the handy russet potato to the mix as well. Be sure to choose a variety for a balance of sweetness and nutty creamy flavor.
Smashed Roots
I use a combo of sour cream and Greek yogurt in this mash, which creates a little naughty richness and a little tangy lightness. So long as you use a combined amount of 1 cup, you can opt for all of one or the other.
3 pounds mixed roots (such as 1 pound each of sweet potato, celery root, and rutabaga)
Salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper
Peel the root vegetables and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place the vegetables in a large pot with 2 teaspoons salt and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender. Drain the vegetables and return them to the pot; cool 5 minutes. Add the garlic, butter, sour cream, and yogurt. Smash with a potato masher until the ingredients are blended and the the mash is your desired consistency (I like mine a little chunky). Add salt to your taste and a generous amount of pepper. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve warm.
Prepare ahead:
The mash may be prepared up to 1 day in advance of serving. Cool completely and transfer to a buttered, deep gratin dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from them refrigerator 1 hour before serving. To reheat, heat the oven to 325°F. Dot the top of the mash with about 1 tablespoon of diced butter and cover with foil. Bake in the oven until heated through, 30 to 40 minutes.
This tart is a vehicle for two of my favorite things – caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese. Caramelized onions are super sweet, thanks to the cooking process which takes the time to allow the natural juices and sugars to release and reduce, resulting in a squidgy caramelized heap of onion. Gruyere cheese is a wonderful Swiss melting cheese (and a key ingredient in fondue) which is nutty and piquant and tames the sweetness of the onions. Serve this tart as a light meal, or cut into thin slivers and pass around as an appetizer.
Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Tart
Serves 8
Dough: 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut in 1/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons ice water
Filing: 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Calvados
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces finely grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
1 egg, slightly beaten
1. Prepare the crust: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal, with some pieces of the butter visible. Add the water and pulse once or twice – just until the dough comes together, adding another tablespoon of water if necessary. Dump the dough onto a work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or pot. Add the onions and salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown, soft and squidgy, about 30 minutes. Add the Calvados and black pepper and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
4. Roll out the dough to fit in the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch round tart tin. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bottom of the tart. Spread the onions in the shell and sprinkle the thyme over the onions. Brush the exposed crust rim with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tart and crust with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake the tart until the crust is firm and golden and the onions are deeply colored. without blackening, about 30 minutes. Remove and cool slightly. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature garnished with additional thyme.
Certain food combinations are not meant to be messed with – and this is a classic example: Plump seductive figs, salty supple prosciutto, and fresh creamy goat cheese are a holy triumvirate. Teamed up with rosemary (does that make it a quadrumvirate?) and roasted in the oven until crispy, bubbling, and luscious, you have a sensational appetizer – period; forget the Latin lesson.
Roasted Figs with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese (and Rosemary)
The rosemary sprigs do double duty as a toothpick and aromatic, infusing the cheese and figs with woodsy aroma while they bake in the oven. The trick is to discard the roasted sprigs and replace them with fresh leaves as a decorative garnish for serving.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Cut each fig in half lengthwise and place on a work surface, skin side down. Gently make a small indentation in each center with a teaspoon. Mix the goat cheese and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Fill the indentation with goat cheese. Wrap a prosciutto slice, cross-wise, around the fig, like a belt. Spear a rosemary sprig through the center to hold the prosciutto in place. Repeat with remaining fig halves.
Place the figs in a baking dish and lightly brush the prosciutto strips with olive oil. Bake in the oven until the prosciutto begins to crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove and transfer the figs to a platter. Gently remove and discard the baked rosemary sprigs; fill the incision with a few fresh rosemary leaves. Lightly drizzle the figs with honey and garnish with lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Why do I overlook lentils? These humble legumes resembling tiny pancaked pebbles are often bypassed in my pantry, as I reach for rice, farro, couscous. When I finally do cook with lentils, I remember how good they taste, how satisfying they are to eat, and how easy they are to prepare. Eminently flexible, they can stand in for a grain, starch, even a protein. They are healthy too – rich in nutrients, high in protein, iron, and fiber, arguably placing them neck and neck with other lauded superstar foods in the nutrition department. They cook quickly and without any fuss, gamely absorbing the flavors and seasoning from their fellow ingredients and braising liquids, adding a hearty, earthy, and rich base to soups, stews, side dishes, even salads. Really, I must eat more lentils – and you should too.
Lentil Soup
This soup is simple, to the point, and deservedly all about the lentil.
Serves 4.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed and sorted through
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Madeira or Port wine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves for garnish
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and sauté until the carrots begin to soften and brighten in color, about 2 minutes. Add the stock, lentils, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. (The soup should be somewhat thick. If desired, thin the soup to your preferred consistency by adding additional chicken stock 1/4 cup at a time.) Stir in the sugar, wine, vinegar, salt, and pepper and taste for seasoning. Simmer the soup, partially covered, over low heat to thoroughly heat through and meld the flavors, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with the parsley. Serve hot.
I make a version of this soup throughout the fall and winter. The recipe is easy and delicious, following a simple template which I switch up with different seasonal vegetables, often a grain, and sometimes beans. The basic stock is chicken, to which I add a can of Italian plum tomatoes for fruity acidity, plus a hunk of Parmesan rind which breaks down while cooking, adding a little oomph (aka umami) to the broth. From there I embellish, adding a grain, such as farro or barley, and chunks of sturdy vegetables, such as fennel, butternut squash, and carrot. If I crave more substance (think one-pot dinner), I’ll dump a can of cannellini beans or chickpeas into the mix. Finally, I stir in chopped hearty greens, such as kale, mustard, or spinach, and simmer until they just wilt but remain bright and fresh. You can do this too – use the following recipe as your template, and mix and match the veggies and grains to your taste.
Winter Vegetable Soup with Greens and Grains
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, thinly sliced (or 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash)
1 small fennel bulb, fonds and end trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup uncooked barley or farro
1 (15-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, with juice
6 cups chicken stock, or more as needed
1 (2 to 3 inch) Parmesan rind
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained (optional)
2 cups coarsely chopped kale (or spinach)
Grated Parmesan for garnish
Heat the oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot or squash and the fennel. Saute until brightened in color, about 2 minutes. Add the barley and stir to coat, then add the tomatoes, chicken stock, cheese rind, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the barley is tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. If the soup becomes too thick, add more stock as necessary. Add the beans, if using, and bring to a boil, then add the greens and simmer until bright green in color and just wilted. Taste for seasoning. Serve hot with grated cheese.
Finally – the weather has turned cooler. Most of the year I hear from folks about how much they envy our Northern California climate, but I have to admit that as a New England native, I miss the distinct change of seasons – especially in the fall. At this time of year we’re supposed to be pulling on our fleece and socks, not slipping into sandals and t-shirts. It might still be a too warm for wool right now, but I can at least make this drink. And you should too, especially if you are lucky enough to be enjoying a nippy November.
This Cranberry Tequila Toddy is my latest recipe in the November issue of Marin Magazine. It takes inspiration from the margarita and warms it up with autumnal ingredients such as cranberry and cider. Part cocktail, part toddy, all good.
Cranberry Tequila Toddy
Makes about 6 cups.
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup Cointreau
4 cups apple cider
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup gold tequila
Lime wedges
Dried Cranberries
Orange slices
6 cinnamon sticks
Combine the cranberries and cointreau in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the cider, cranberry juice, and orange juice in a saucepan until very hot without letting it come to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the tequila, cranberries, and Cointreau. Serve warm with a squeeze of lime. Garnish with the orange slices and a cinnamon stick for stirring.
