Salad Daze!

Rumor (that is, The Wild Carrot) has it, we'll be getting some good greens this week.

What are your favorite salad dressings?  Do you have a special family recipe?  A weeknight go-to?

Here is our workhorse vinaigrette, which lends itself to wonderful variations, depending on the composition of the salad.  Greens on the bitter side?  Add a teaspoon of Agave nectar, maple syrup, honey or apricot jam.  Pomegranate molasses works beautifully, as well, and adds a warm, fruity note. Want just a hint of spice?  You can use a spicier mustard, and a bit more of it.  Need something richer?  Swap out the white wine vinegar for balsamic, and replace the shallot with garlic.

Another quick salad tip: Save an old mustard or jam jar, and you'll have the perfect salad dressing shaker.  Simply add all the ingredients, and shake until emulsified.

Basic Vinaigrette

3 teaspoons white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Whisk together, and then slowly whisk in 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Lentil Salad with Kohlrabi, Couscous and Greens

Kohlrabi, a cabbage-like bulb with a radishy flavor, is surprisingly difficult to find in most grocery stores and instead is available primarily through farm markets, friends' gardens and CSAs, and only when in season. But it's worth the wait. It makes for a marvelous afternoon snack, with just a bit of Kosher salt, but provides a nice crunch in a bean and grain salad, the same way a radish might.

The flavors of this salad are strong, so the couscous and greens provide a mellowing base, not to mention an elegant presentation. This is hearty enough for a vegetarian dinner, and yes, you read that correctly: this recipe will make 8 main-course servings.

Curried Red Lentil, Kohlrabi and Couscous Salad
Adapted from Bon Appétit (August 2010), via epicurious.com

Serving size: 8 adults
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet curry powder
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 16-ounce package red lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
3 large kohlrabi (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), leaves stemmed and thinly sliced, and bulb peeled and cut into a 1/3-inch dice (about 3 cups)
1 cup plain couscous
1 cup chopped green onions OR 3/4 cup diced red onion
Several handfuls of spinach or other mild-flavored greens
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or 1/8 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins

Make the vinaigrette: In an empty glass jar with a lid, combine sherry vinegar, curry powder and pressed garlic. Pour in olive oil and shake vigorously until emulsified. (If you don't have a glass jar, you can, instead, combine first the vinegar, curry powder and garlic, and then slowly whisk in the oil.) Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Cook the lentils: Bring about 6 quarts of well-salted water to a boil. Add lentils and kohlrabi leaves and cook until lentils are "al dente", a bit tender but not at all mushy, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool, and then leave in the colander to drain some more while you finish cooking.

Cook the couscous: In the same, now-empty saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups water to boil. Remove from heat, and then add in 3 tablespoons dressing, a pinch of salt and 1 cup couscous. Give it a good stir, and then cover the pot and leave it for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the couscous with a fork to keep the grains from sticking together, and transfer to a medium bowl to cool. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once cool, toss with the mint or cilantro.

Make the lentil salad: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the cooled lentils with 1/2 cup dressing, the diced kohlrabi bulb and either the chopped green onions or, for a bit more bite, the diced red onion. Stir in the raisins and pecans. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put it all together: To serve, toss the spinach leaves with 2-3 tablespoons of dressing, and a sprinkle of salt, and the spread the greens across the bottom of a large, rimmed platter. Mound lentil mixture in the middle of the platter, atop the greens. Spoon the couscous around the lentils. Pass the remaining dressing on the side.

The Other Broccoli

There are so many ways to enjoy this bittersweet green -- and they all include extra virgin olive oil and garlic, no? -- but this Italian classic is about as foolproof as it gets.  Submitted by new CSA member Megan Hope and adapted from Gourmet, via epicurious.com, this recipe is equally delicious made with Italian-seasoned turkey sausage.

Broccoli Rabe with Sweet Italian Sausage 

Serving size: 8 servings

Active time: 30 min

Total time: 30 min

 

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds broccoli rabe (about 3 medium bunches), trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped

Prep:

• Bring roughly 6 quarts of water, aggressively salted, to a boil in a large pot.  Add broccoli rabe and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out excess water.
• Preheat broiler.  Broil sausage a few inches from heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm, covered.
• While sausage broils, heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
• Add cooked broccoli rabe to the pan, and sauté in garlic oil until coated with oil and heated through, about 4 minutes. Stir in sausage.
  
  

CSA Advice

Here's a great link for those new to CSA cooking and meal planning.

First of the Season

Look at these beets. . . oh my!

And while there are so many inventive, gorgeous beet recipes out there -- please share! -- I can't resist my favorite and simplest for this first harvest.

Roasted Beets

Preheat oven to 425. Scrub beets, trim "beard," and trim stems to about 1/4 inch. Lightly toss with a bit of olive oil, wrap each beet in foil, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. They are done when you can easily slip a knife through them.

Once they are cool enough to handle, you'll be able to rub the skins right off. Trim any stubborn bits.

You can slice the beets and eat them, warm or cold, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of kosher salt. They are wonderful in a salad -- on Rushton Farm greens, of course! -- with some toasted hazelnuts and a lemony vinaigrette. Blue cheese, feta or crumbly goat cheese are a lovely addition for those who eat dairy.

So let us know. . . how will you be cooking your beets this week?

We can't wait to hear from you!