Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

This recipe was inspired by a Summer Farro Salad on Food 52 but I reduced the amount of farro, simplified the cooking of it, increased the amount of "goodies", and used a different dressing so I claim this recipe as my own.

1 1/2 cups uncooked farro
2 cups water, include water from Mozzarella if desired
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 ounces red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound cherry tomatoes, a mix of colors is nice, halved
8 ounces Mozzarella Ciliegine, halved or quartered
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespooon red wine vinegar

Add the farro, with the water to a 2 quart pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off burner and let sit, covered, until cool. If in a rush allow to sit for 5 or 10 more minutes until the water has been fully absorbed by the farro, then spread the grains out on a baking sheet and refrigerate until cool.

Toss the cooled farro with the onion, tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, and basil.

Whisk together the oil, pomegranate molasses, and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Makes about 6 main course servings.

Lemony Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad

For a long time I had my doubts about a raw Brussels sprouts salad, I thought the raw sprouts would be too strongly flavored. But a glut of homegrown sprouts had me looking for something new to do with them so I took the plunge and gave the raw sprouts a try. Perhaps the success of this recipe is because I used sprouts that were growing in the depth of winter and had been sweetened up by a few freezing nights plus they were super fresh. Or perhaps the assertive flavors of lemon juice and Parmesan cheese outcompete with the strong flavor of raw sprouts. I don't know, but the salad is addictively delicious. If you like a shredded kale salad then I highly recommend trying a shredded Brussels sprouts salad.

1/2 pound very fresh Brussels sprouts, weighed after trimming
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice or regular lemon juice but a little less
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Use a mandoline to shred the Brussels sprouts into 1/8-inch slices. Toss the sprouts, cheese, and almonds together, then toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. Taste for salt, it probably isn't necessary because of the salty cheese. Serve immediately with a grinding of black pepper.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Variations that I may try:
- substitute pecorino cheese for the Parmigiano or use a combination
- substitute toasted hazelnuts, pecans, pepitas, pine nuts, or walnuts for the almonds
- add citrus segments such as blood oranges, grapefruit, or pomelo
- add some anchovy and garlic for a Caesar salad flavor and don't forget the croutons

Backcountry Brussels Sprouts and Carrot Salad

Detailed Method:

To slice the vegetables use a mandoline to get consistently thick slices so that they dehydrate at the same rate. I have a very easy to use and inexpensive Benriner mandoline (from Japan) that can slice up to 1/8-inch thick slices. For thicker slices I use a big stainless steel mandoline made by Bron in France - it can slice up to 1/4-inch thick.

I used cherry flavored balsamic vinegar because I like the flavor of cherries with brussels sprouts, but regular balsamic is fine also.

Note also that I did not blanch the sprouts first, they are shredded raw and dehydrated raw.

For the Brussels Sprouts
12 ounces washed and trimmed brussels sprouts, leave a bit of stem to hold when shredding
1 tablespoon cherry balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

I used my Benriner mandolin to shred the sprouts 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick. Toss the shredded sprouts with the balsamic and arrange them in a thin layer on parchment paper or a silicone mat on the dehydrator tray. Sprinkle the shredded sprouts with the salt and dry at 125ºF (52ºC) until nearly crisp.I use a few paper clips to attach the paper to the mesh mat that sits on the tray to keep the paper from flopping around as the fan blows over the trays. My old circular dehydrator had fruit leather trays which might work, but I found that food tends to stick to them.

For the Carrots
6 ounces fresh carrots, scrubbed, peeling is not necessary
1 teaspoon cherry balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Shred the carrots on the coarse holes of a box grater. Then use the same method as for the brussels sprouts.

For the Onions
3.5 oz. sweet red onions
1 teaspoon cherry balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Use a mandoline to slice the onions 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick. Then use the same method as for the brussels sprouts.

Store the dried vegetables in airtight bags or jars.

To make the salad. Combine the dried vegetables in a heavy duty resealable bag, add hot water a bit at a time until the vegetables stop readily absorbing the water. Seal the bag and let the vegetables sit until they have cooled. Shake the bag every once in a while to distribute any remaining water over the vegetables. When it's time to serve the veggies add some chopped dried tart cherries, a splash of red wine vinegar and drizzle with olive oil. I didn't measure those ingredients, I just seasoned the salad to my taste. Serve with some toasted salted sunflower seeds.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

I did weigh the vegetables after they were dry and here's the results:

12 ounces* fresh sprouts = 1.8 ounces dried
6 ounces fresh carrots = .8 ounces dried
3.5 ounces fresh onions - .7 ounces dried

*The fresh shredded sprouts were a bit less that 12 ounces because the stems from the whole sprouts got discarded.

Yes! 3.3 ounces of veggies are so much easier to carry in my backpack than 1.3 pounds! (94 grams dried vs. 610 grams fresh)

I definitely like the way the brussels sprouts rehydrated and I'm going to experiment a but further with the salad, using apple cider vinegar and dried apples for another version, perhaps a bit of cinnamon too. I also like dried currants with brussels sprouts so I will try another version with those and some regular balsamic and some toasted almonds or pine nuts. I think the dried shredded sprouts would also be great used in a warm rice or couscous pilaf.

Kale, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad

1 generous pound Lacinato kale
1 x-large tart/sweet apple such as Stayman Winsap, Black Twig, Arkansas Black, or Pink Beauty
Arils from 1 x-large Pomegranate
About 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano
Dressing (below)
Croutons (below)

Remove the ribs from the kale, stack them and cut the leaves crosswise into 1/4-inch julienne.

Cut the apple into quarters, remove the cores, cut into thin slices (a mandoline is helpful) then stack the slices and cut them into a fine julienne. Toss with some lemon juice or some of the dressing to keep them from browning.

Toss the kale with the apple, most of the pomegranate arils, the Parmigiano, and as much dressing as desired. Scatter the remaining pomegranate over the top and serve.

Dressing:
8 cloves or more of confited garlic
salt to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
Generous grindings of black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mash the garlic cloves with some salt to a puree, whisk in the rest of the ingredients.

Croutons:
Whole grain sourdough bread
Oil from garlic confit
Finely grated Parmigiano

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the bread into cubes about 3/4-inch large (you need not remove the crusts). Toss with the garlic oil and some grated Parmigiano. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with more Parmigiano, don't worry about the cheese on the parchment it will become crunchy and delicious. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on how rustic the bread is, until the croutons are starting to brown, crunchy on the outside but still give in the center. Use as soon as possible or they lose their crunch.

Serves 4.

Grilled Peppers with Tuna and Egg

This is my adaptation of a recipe from Penelope Casas' book La Cocina De Mama. It's good with any sweet pepper that roasts well. I like to use a mix of red and yellow peppers and some times I add sliced fresh tomatoes to the salad.

6 medium red bell peppers or other thick fleshed sweet peppers, blackened, peeled, and seeded
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons flaked tuna, preferably olive oil packed (I like Ortiz Bonito del Norte in jars)
1 large hard boiled egg, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
12 olives, pitted or not, green or black or a mix

Slice the peppers in long narrow strips. Arrange in a single layer on a platter. Season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the tuna and egg over the peppers and drizzle with the oil and vinegar. Taste for salt. Scatter with the olives and let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Shaved Zucchini and Arugula Salad

This is my version of a recipe from Faith Willinger's book Red White & Greens for Zucchini Carpaccio. Her version calls for slicing the zucchini into very thin rounds and laying it out on a platter, much like classic beef carpaccio. I like to slice the zucchini lengthwise into ribbons and pile them in the center of the plate or platter and then finish arranging the dish. I also prefer to use a good red wine vinegar or my favorite Merlot Agrodolce (sweet & sour) vinegar instead of blasamic vinegar. Whatever vinegar you choose to use, it shouldn't be too harsh.

The key to success for this dish is to use the freshest zucchini possible and you may want to try different varieties of zucchini to find one that you like for eating raw. The other trick to getting this dish right is slicing the zucchini. I use an inexpensive Benriner slicer most of the time or if I'm going to be preparing a larger amount I'll haul out my big stainless steel mandolin slicer.

Slice the zucchini so that the ribbons aren't so thin that they collapse under their own weight, but not so thick that they are too thick to curl easily. It doesn't really matter that some are too thin or thick, once all the zucchini are piled together they will look fine. But I also find that the texture of the raw zucchini is most pleasant to my taste when it is sliced just right.

Shaved Zucchini and Arugula Salad

2 small very fresh zucchini
1 small bunch of arugula, coarsely chopped or torn
Red Wine Vinegar, best quality, 2 to 3 teaspoons
Extra virgin olive oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
Freshly ground pepper
Parmigiano

Slice the zucchini into very thin strips that will curl prettily on the plate. Mound the zucchini in the center of each plate or on one large platter. Scatter the arugula over the zucchini, drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste. Shave the parmigiano as thinly as possible with the slicer or a vegetable peeler directly over the salad and serve immediately.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Cucumber-Carrot Salad with Asian Flavors

Cucumber season is starting and the Tortarello Abruzzese plant which barely germinated, started out runty, and very nearly hit the compost instead of the garden is pumping out its fuzzy cylinders. With 2 1/2 large cucumbers in the fridge and more nearly ready to harvest in the garden it's time to come up with some quick and easy uses.

I tossed this together without measuring but it was so tasty that I want to remember what I put in there, perhaps I can refine it later.

Grab the Benriner and very thinly slice a few young sweet carrots and half of a large cucumber. Toss with some fish sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, a dash of sesame oil and a glug of rice bran oil. Add toasted sesame seeds, chopped chives, chopped mint, and chopped basil. Serve right away so it doesn't get too watery.

Kale Caesar Salad

I had my first Kale Caesar Salad at Cafe Rouge in Berkeley earlier this year and loved every bite of it. I vowed to myself that I would make something similar at home but I waited ever so many months to do so until I harvested the first Lacinato kale from my own garden. One of the things that I loved about Cafe Rouge's version of the salad was the texture which was the result of finely shredding the kale rather than tearing or cutting the leaves into larger pieces. It has been too long to accurately remember the flavor of the Cafe Rouge salad so I cannot say that this is a replication of that salad, but it turned out to be just what I wanted, no need to fiddle around with the recipe, this it IT.

1 pound very fresh Lacinato kale, preferably not too mature and tough
Juice of half a lemon (standard lemon, not Meyer)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 anchovy filets (preferably salt packed, rinsed), minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce (Caribe)
1/2 cup or your favorite extra virgin olive oil (McEvoy Ranch is mine)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano, plus additional
Generous grinding of black pepper
Your favorite crunchy croutons (homemade whole wheat garlic for me)
Boquerones (Spanish marinated anchovies), optional

Wash the kale in 2 or 3 changes of water, inspecting thoroughly for aphids and caterpillars. Cut out the mid ribs. Stack the kale leaf halves in batches and then slice them crosswise into short julienne (the width of the leaf halves) about 1/4-inch or so wide. Place in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the lemon juice, garlic, anchovy, mustard, egg yolk, Worcestershire, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to create a thick emulsified dressing.

Pour all the dressing over the kale and toss well, add all of the Parmigiano and as much freshly ground black pepper as you desire and toss to mix thoroughly. At this point you can toss in the croutons or save them to scatter on top of the salad.  Serve immediately or, one of the beauties of this salad if you don't add the croutons right away, refrigerate to serve later.

Serve with a sprinkle of Parmigiano, more freshly ground black pepper, croutons, and the optional Boquerones draped over the top.

We had this salad for dinner (as dinner, not as a side salad) and ended up with leftovers which were refrigerated overnight and were delicious for lunch the next day. There wasn't enough to save past lunch but I suspect that it would have kept well even a bit longer.

Variations on a theme, Celery Salad

From a recipe in Secrets of Success:
Celery
Dates
Parmigiano
Parsley leaves

Better Than Waldorf:
Celery, plus some julienned celery leaves
Apple
Manchego cheese
Walnuts
My favorite lemon-mustard-honey dressing
A dab of mayo

Jeweled Celery Salad:
Celery (of course)
Pomegranate arils
Toasted pecans
Crumbled feta (not too much or it will taste too salty)
Champagne vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Celery Chicken Salad:
Celery
Avocado
Chicken
Pomegranate Arils
Olive Oil
Sherry Vinegar

Wilted Napa Cabbage Two Ways

Napa Cabbage with Chorizo Blanco

Olive oil
A couple sprigs fresh thyme
2 small fresh bay leaves
1/2 large sweet onion, cut in slivers
1 mild New Mex chile (Big Jim), cut in thin slices
1 dozen or so dried Mission figs, cut into quarters
Chorizo Blanco, (Catalonian sausage), cut in bite sized slices
1/2 large head of napa cabbage, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch slices
Aged fig balsamic vinegar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Heat some olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the herbs, onion, chile, and figs. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring, until the onion wilts. Add the Chorizo (it should be a ready to eat type) and stir to mix. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, until the cabbage wilts or is cooked to your preference. Season to taste with the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Napa Cabbage with Chantrelles


Olive oil
A few slices pancetta, cut into bits
1/2 large sweet onion, cut into slivers
1/2 pound fresh chantrelles, sliced thin
1/2 large head of napa cabbage, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch slices
Moscato vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat some olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pancetta, onion, and chantrelles. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring until the chantrelles have softened and start releasing their juices. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring until the cabbage wilts or is cooked to your preference. Season to taste with the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately

Lentils with Sausage, Onions, and Spigariello Broccoli

1 cup lentils that stay intact when cooked,
--- such as du Puy, Pardina, or Norcia
3 cups water
3 smoked sausages, about 9 to 10 ounces
--- I used venison andouille
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh bay leaf
1 pound sweet onions, quartered and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup or more olive oil
--- (don't panic, it doesn't all end up in the dish!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spigariello broccoli, about 1/2 pound,
--- tough stems removed, tender parts, including leaves,
--- chopped into about 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or concentrate
--- or about 1/2 tablespoon good balsamico

Sort through the lentils to remove any stones or other debris, rinse them and put them in a medium sauce pan. Add the water, sausages, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, turn the heat low and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. This could take from 20 minutes to more than 40 minutes, depending on how old the lentils are. There should be very little liquid left when the lentils are done, it may be necessary to add more water if they take a long time to cook. When the lentils are nearly done, remove the sausages and set aside until cool enough to handle, then slice the sausages about 1/4-inch thick. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaves when the lentils are done.

While the lentils are cooking, put the onions in a medium sized skillet with the olive oil and fry the onions over medium to medium low heat (you may have to turn the heat down as the onions start to brown), until the onions are golden. Drain the onions through a metal sieve, saving the olive oil.

Return the skillet to the heat with a tablespoon or two of the onion flavored oil (reserve the remaining oil to saute something else that would taste good with the onion flavor, like potatoes). Add the garlic and saute briefly, don't allow it to brown. Add the chopped broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat with the oil, add a few tablespoons of liquid (lentil cooking liquid if there's enough) and cover the pan and braise the broccoli over low heat to whatever degree of tenderness you like, most of the liquid should be gone.

Add the sliced sausage, drained onion, and braised broccoli to the lentils, drizzle in the pomegranate molasses and stir everything together. Taste for salt, it may not be needed if the sausage is salty. Serve warm.

Makes about 4 servings.

Beet Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese

3 medium beets, roasted, peeled, cooled
3 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
about 1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled
juice of 1/2 lemon
a splash of white wine vinegar (if using meyer lemon)
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil, about 1/4 cup
a touch of truffle oil (totally optional but totally tasty)

Slice the beets into thin crosswise slices and arrange them on a plate or platter, slightly overlapping. Scatter the crumbled bacon and blue cheese over all. Whisk the remaining ingredients together to make the vinaigrette and drizzle as much as you like over the salad, I didn't use it all for this salad. If I had had some arugula, I would have tossed it separately with some of the vinaigrette and then mounded it in the center of the plate on top of the beets.

Makes 2 servings.

Warm Chioggia Beet and Apple Salad

3 medium chioggia beets
about 3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 small (about 9 ounces) crisp tart apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped
1 whole star anise seed head
salt to taste
white wine vinegar, something light and fruity

Trim the leaves and roots off the beets and wrap each beat individually in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the beets on a baking tray and roast at 400 F. for about 40 to 50 minutes until tender, depending on size. Carefully open the beet packets and run cold water over the beets, you should be able to handle the beets then by holding them under cold running water, rub the skin off the beets and set them aside to cool.

While the beets are roasting, heat a medium size skillet over medium heat. Toast the pine nuts in the hot skillet until they just start to brown. Remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside to cool.

Peel and core the apples. Cut each apple into 16 wedges. Melt the butter in the skillet, add the apples, chopped shallot and star anise and saute over medium to medium low heat until the apples are tender. Set aside until the beets are finished roasting.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, cut them into wedges about the same thickness as the apples. Add to the skillet with the apples and add the toasted pine nuts. Saute to heat everything through. Season with a splash or two of vinegar and serve.

Serves 2 to 3.

I used a Spanish moscatel wine vinegar by Unio that is wonderfully light and fruity. If your white wine vinegar is very tangy, I would substitute rice vinegar. Also, if you can't find star anise, a pinch of dried tarragon would be good instead.