At our Carmel Valley Farm, our organic café roasts a jewel-like assortment of beets, and they always sell out quickly. The vibrant colors and sweetness of the beets and blood oranges in this salad are accentuated by the creamy-white feta and crunchy nuts. Feel free to substitute mixed baby greens, mâche, or frisée for the arugula. Fresh goat cheese works just as nicely as feta. If you can’t find baby beets, larger ones will do fine.
Serves 4 as a side salad
1 pound Roasted Baby Beets (recipe follows), at room temperature
About ⅓ cup Orange Walnut Vinaigrette (recipe follows) or Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby arugula, carefully rinsed and dried, if needed
2 blood oranges or naval oranges, segmented (optional; see box)
½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
½ cup Spiced Candied Walnuts (recipe follows), or ½ cup walnuts, toasted (see Toasting Nuts and Seeds)
1. Cut the beets in half or quarters so that they are bite size. If you are using larger beets, cut them into ½-inch dice. Place the beets in a small bowl, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, and toss until the beets are coated. The salad can be prepared to this stage 1 day in advance, if desired.
2. Just before you plan to serve the salad, place the arugula in a large salad bowl. Add about 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Toss to lightly coat the arugula, then taste to see if more vinaigrette is needed.
3. Transfer the arugula to a platter or individual salad plates. Arrange the beets and orange segments, if using, on top of the greens and sprinkle the feta and walnuts over them. Serve immediately.
Freshly roasted beets are a far cry from the canned beets I remember from my childhood. Baby golden or ruby red beets are sweet and lovely, but larger beets are quicker to peel, and both large and small beets taste equally delicious. In any case, try to select beets that are similar in size so they will cook at the same rate. Since they will keep for several days, roast extra beets to add to salads at the last minute or to warm as a quick side dish, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Serves 4
1 pound baby beets, preferably an assortment of varieties (see Note)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Trim off the beet greens, leaving the stringy root end and about ½ inch of the stem attached. Set the beet greens aside for another use (see box). Rinse the beets under cool water and gently scrub them with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt. Dry the beets with paper towels.
3. Place the beets in a shallow baking dish and coat them with the olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the beets. Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
4. Bake the beets until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35 to 45 minutes (larger beets will take longer).
5. Let the beets cool enough to handle, then, using a paring knife, remove the stems and stringy roots and slip off the skins. If you are using different colored beets, cook and keep each variety separate until serving so that the colors do not bleed together. The beets can rest for up to 2 hours at room temperature. They can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.
NOTE: Look for baby beets that are about the size of golf balls. If you use larger beets, increase the cooking time by 15 to 30 minutes.
The candied walnuts and oranges in the roasted beet salad harmonize beautifully with the walnut oil and citrus in this dressing. Together, the flavors simply sing! The vinaigrette is also delicious drizzled over steamed green beans or grilled asparagus.
Makes about 1¼ cups
½ cup good-quality roasted walnut oil
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice or blood orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
5 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
Place all the ingredients in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. Let the dressing sit at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop before serving. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 1 month. Let it return to room temperature before using.
The quality of the oil and vinegar makes all the difference in this dressing. If you find a roasted walnut oil, the nutty flavor will not be lost in the rich balsamic vinegar. This is an intensely flavored dressing that also makes a nice basting sauce for grilled figs.
¾ cup roasted walnut oil
¼ cup good-quality balsamic vinegar (see box)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the walnut oil, vinegar, and mustard in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 month. Let it return to room temperature before using.
When you go to a farm stand or specialty market, you may find red beets, golden beets, even red-and-white striped Chioggia beets that look like a bull’s eye when sliced. Usually beets are cooked, but for a change, try grating raw gold or striped beets over a salad. Beet roots have the highest sugar content of any vegetable, but they are high in fiber and vitamin C. The greens are even better for you, offering just as much fiber and even higher levels of vitamins A and C.
When buying beets, select ones with firm, unblemished skins. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. If you buy beets with their greens attached, you’ll know they were recently picked. Because the greens draw moisture from the beets, cut them off before you store the beets, leaving about an inch of stem attached and refraining from cutting the tap root. (If cut before cooking, beets bleed and stain everything in proximity a bright crimson.)
Don’t automatically toss the greens. Tiny, tender leaves can be added raw to mixed baby salad greens. If the leaves are a bit bitter but are still young and fresh, they will be delicious braised or stir-fried by themselves or with a mix of other sturdy greens, such as kale, chard, or collards.
Citrus slices are tastier and easier to eat in a salad when you cut off the bitter white pith along with the peel and remove the tough membranes that hold the juicy segments together.
First, cut a thin slice off both ends of the fruit so that it can sit level on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, cut downward following the contour of the fruit, removing wide strips of the peel and pith and leaving the flesh intact. Then, while holding the fruit over a bowl to catch the juice, slice between each white membrane to release the flesh in wedges, leaving behind the tough membrane casing.
Sweet and spicy walnuts make memorable a simple salad or dessert. The unusual flavor of these candied nuts comes from the Chinese five-spice powder and they are especially good on salads that have roasted walnut oil in the dressing. Hazelnuts, almonds, or pecans are also good prepared this way.
Makes 2½ cups
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 tablespoons honey
2½ cups (8 ounces) walnut halves or pieces
Salt
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for the easiest cleanup) or grease the baking sheet. Set it aside.
2. Place the sugar, five-spice powder, honey, and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium-size saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and add the walnuts. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Transfer the walnuts to the prepared baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Bake the walnuts until they are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir the nuts after 4 minutes, and keep a close eye on them during the final minutes of baking because they can burn very quickly.
4. Season the walnuts with salt to taste, then let them cool to room temperature.
5. Break apart any nuts that are stuck together. Store the walnuts in an airtight container, placing pieces of waxed paper between the layers to separate them. The nuts can be kept at room temperature for up to 1 month. If the walnuts become too moist or sticky, recrisp them by spreading them on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and heating them in a 325°F oven for 10 minutes. Cool the nuts before serving.
The first waldorf salad was created in the 1890s at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. Originally, it was just apples and celery tossed with mayonnaise, but over the years, nuts, grapes, and raisins have become standard additions. We just couldn’t resist giving the salad a West Coast spin by tossing the apple salad with tender baby spinach leaves and sparking up the dressing with curry and yogurt.
Serves 4 as a side salad
⅓ cup plain nonfat yogurt or sour cream
⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon honey or sugar
1 unpeeled apple, cut into ⅓-inch dice (1 cup)
½ cup thinly sliced celery
½ cup raisins
¾ cup seedless grapes, cut in half
½ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted (see Toasting Nuts and Seeds)
5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach or mixed greens, carefully rinsed and dried, if needed
1. Place the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, curry powder, and honey in a small glass, ceramic, or wooden bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Place the apple, celery, raisins, grapes, and nuts in a large bowl. Add about half of the yogurt dressing and stir to combine. Just before serving, add the spinach and toss to combine. If the salad is too dry add more dressing. Any leftover dressing can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. It’s good in chicken salad or as a dip for broccoli florets or apple slices.
The red, green, and orange colors of this salad are eye-catching, and the jicama adds a succulent crunch. The Orange-Sesame Vinaigrette, with its blend of citrus and Asian flavors balanced with just a hint of sweetness, brings all the components into perfect harmony.
Serves 4 to 6 as a side salad
2 medium oranges
1 small jicama (8 ounces; see box), peeled and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks (1 cup)
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
3 cups (about 2½ ounces) baby spinach, rinsed and dried if not prewashed
3 cups rinsed, dried, torn red-leaf lettuce leaves (bite-size pieces)
About ½ cup Orange-Sesame Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (see Toasting Nuts and Seeds)
1. Using a sharp knife, cut the peel and white pith from the oranges. Working over a mixing bowl, cut on either side of each membrane, releasing the orange segments into the bowl. Remove any seeds, and cut the orange segments in half.
2. Place the orange segments, jicama, red onion, spinach, and lettuce in a large salad bowl and toss to combine. Add ¼ cup of the Orange-Sesame Vinaigrette and toss lightly to coat the salad. Taste to see if more dressing is needed. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.
The classic trinity of Asian ingredients—soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar—gets a boost from fresh orange juice, which adds a hint of sweetness and a bright note to this tasty vinaigrette. It can also do double duty as a quick marinade for shrimp or fish.
Makes about ¾ cup
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine the canola oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, orange juice, vinegar, ginger, and honey in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake vigorously to combine. Taste the dressing, and season with salt and pepper if desired. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 weeks. Let it return to room temperature and shake well before using.
About Jicama
Jicama is a round tuber that can vary in weight from 4 ounces to 6 pounds. It is native to Central America and is a cousin of the sweet potato. Covered in a thin, nondescript brown skin, the flesh inside is white and exceptionally crisp and juicy, with an applelike texture. It is mildly sweet and has hints of nutty flavor reminiscent of fresh water chestnuts. By itself jicama is somewhat bland, but its fresh, clean taste marries beautifully with other ingredients. Most often eaten raw, jicama adds texture to salads and makes a crunchy addition to vegetable trays. Try it with hummus as a low-calorie alternative to bread or crackers, or dunk it in your favorite dip. For something out of the ordinary, serve it as they do in Mexico: cut into sticks and sprinkled with fresh lime juice, chile powder, and salt for a refreshing snack. Jicama can also be cooked in stir-fries, braises, and soups, where it absorbs flavors without losing its characteristic crunch.
Jicamas are generally imported from Mexico or South America and are available year-round. Select small to medium-size jicamas with smooth, unblemished skins; large specimens can be fibrous, tasteless, and starchy. Avoid any that show signs of shriveling or cracking. The skin should be thin, not thick and desiccated. Jicamas can be stored in a cool, dry place, uncovered, for up to 1 week, or refrigerated, uncovered, for up to 2 weeks. Once peeled or cut, wrap it tightly, refrigerate it, and use it within a week.
Jicama is an excellent source of vitamin C and contains calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin A—all for a mere 49 calories per cup. If that isn’t enough to convince you of the health advantages of this vegetable, consider that 1 cup also contains more than 6 grams of fiber!
To prepare jicama, remove the skin as well as the fibrous flesh directly under the skin, using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. If the jicama is very fresh, the skin will simply pull off.
Escarole is a perfect choice for winter salads because it’s sturdy and assertive enough to stand up to an array of ingredients and flavors. It has a crisp, juicy texture with a peppery bite, which makes a nice counterpoint to the sweet, chewy dates, mellow toasted walnuts, and smoky pieces of bacon in this salad. If escarole is not available, frisée is a delicious substitute, or use a combination of radicchio and Belgian endive. Complemented with a walnut vinaigrette, this salad makes a refreshing first course for a rich meat meal.
Serves 4 as a side salad
1 large head (7 ounces) escarole, outer leaves discarded, rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces (6 lightly packed cups)
4 ounces (about 5 slices) bacon, cooked until crisp, broken into bite-size pieces
⅓ cup chopped pitted dates (about 6 dates)
¼ cup walnut pieces, toasted (see Toasting Nuts and Seeds)
Scant ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
Walnut Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1. Place the escarole, bacon, dates, walnuts, and red onion in a large bowl and toss to combine.
2. Add half of the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat. Add more dressing to taste and serve immediately.
Toasted walnut oil is simply sumptuous and we love it in vinaigrettes, where its rich, nutty flavor really sings. Here it mellows the peppery bite of escarole and amplifies the flavor of the walnuts in our Escarole with Walnuts, Dates, and Bacon, adding an exquisite balance to a hearty salad.
Makes ½ cup
⅓ cup toasted walnut oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the walnut oil and vinegar in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. The dressing can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 months. Let it return to room temperature and shake vigorously before using.
Romaine lettuce and red cabbage make a delicious, crunchy combination. The colors of this salad are beautiful, and every bite is good for you. Apples, pears, persimmons, and pomegranates are the signature fruits of autumn; for a change of pace you can add dried cranberries, sliced grapes, or a handful of toasted and chopped nuts.
Serves 6 to 8 as a side salad
12 ounces red cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
2 romaine hearts, coarsely chopped (about 6 cups), rinsed and dried if not prewashed
2 crisp apples, such as Fuji, Gala, or Braeburn, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 2 cups)
2 ripe but firm pears, such as Bosc or Anjou, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1½ cups)
2 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice, seeds discarded, if any
Apple Cider Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Seeds from 1 medium pomegranate (optional)
20 fresh mint leaves, cut into thin ribbons
1. Place the cabbage and romaine in a large bowl and toss to combine.
2. Just before serving, add the apples, pears, and persimmons to the cabbage-romaine mixture and toss to combine. Add half of the Apple Cider Vinaigrette and toss again, adding more dressing as desired.
3. Transfer the salad to a large platter and garnish with the pomegranate seeds, if using, and the mint. Serve immediately.
This sweet-tart dressing is terrific with sturdy or assertive greens like the romaine and red cabbage in the Chopped Autumn Salad. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar or a tablespoon of honey or agave syrup.
Makes about ¾ cup
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt, or more to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake vigorously to combine. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 weeks. Let it return to room temperature and shake vigorously before using.
Soba are long, thin, flat Japanese noodles made from a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours. The buckwheat gives them their distinctive beige-brown color and nutty flavor. Slivers of crunchy radish and carrot add texture and color to this salad, which is very light and fresh tasting, with a subtle hint of sesame flavor. It goes well with grilled chicken or fish.
Serves 6 to 8
8 ounces dry soba (buckwheat) noodles
¼ cup plain sesame oil (see box)
½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 cups julienne-cut, seeded, peeled cucumber
2 cups grated carrots
2 cups grated radishes (about 16 radishes)
6 scallions (white part and 3 inches of green), thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (see Toasting Nuts and Seeds)
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the noodles. Cook at a slow simmer until the noodles are just tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a colander and set it under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain well, and transfer the noodles to a large bowl.
2. Mix the sesame oil and vinegar together in a small bowl.
3. Add the cucumber, carrots, radishes, and scallions to the noodles, and toss to combine. Add the dressing, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to a serving platter, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve. The salad can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days.
Sesame oil is available in two forms: plain and toasted. Plain (or cold-pressed) oil is made from raw sesame seeds and has very little color, aroma, or flavor. Its neutral taste and high smoke point make it a good choice for sautéing. It will keep for up to 6 months at room temperature. Toasted (or roasted) sesame oil, on the other hand, is made from toasted seeds, a technique that draws out a rich fragrance and flavor. It is a deep brown color and should be stored in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage. Unlike plain sesame oil, it should not be used as a cooking oil, although a few teaspoons are often added to a dish at the very end of stir-frying once the pan is off the heat. Use toasted sesame oil for vinaigrettes and cold sauces, too.
I love these grilled figs—mouthfuls of heavenly sweetness wrapped in prosciutto. They are truly luscious, especially when perched on a bed of lively baby greens and surrounded by crunchy walnuts. Fresh figs are available in the early summer and again in the early fall. If your figs are not ripe, they will soften after a few days on the kitchen counter.
Serves 4 as a side salad
8 small ripe but firm figs
8 paper-thin slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons good-quality roasted walnut oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces (5 to 6 cups) mixed baby greens, carefully rinsed and dried, if needed
About ¼ cup Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette
½ cup Spiced Candied Walnuts or toasted walnuts (see Toasting Nuts and Seeds)
1. Cut each fig in half through the stem end. Cut each slice of prosciutto in half so each piece is just large enough to wrap around a fig half. Wrap each fig half with a piece of prosciutto so that the ends overlap on the fig’s cut side. Press the ends of the prosciutto together to seal them (the moisture from the fig and prosciutto will hold them together).
2. Set up a barbecue grill and preheat it to medium-high.
3. Brush each wrapped fig with some of the walnut oil and sprinkle pepper over it.
4. Place the figs on the grill and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until the prosciutto is golden browned and slightly crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the figs to a plate and set aside.
5. Just before you plan to serve the salad, place the greens in a large salad bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Toss to lightly coat the greens, then taste to see if more vinaigrette is needed.
6. Transfer the greens to individual salad plates. Arrange 4 fig halves on each salad and top with the Spiced Candied Walnuts. Serve immediately.
Paper-thin rounds of raw baby turnips and carrots are moistened with a fresh lemon-parsley dressing to make an unusual and remarkable salad. Baby white turnips are sweet and juicy, with a mild hint of pepperiness. They are a world removed from their mature cousins, which are often hard and stringy and have a very sharp bite. Mid-March through June is the peak season for tender baby turnips. Look for very small turnips with a diameter about the same as the carrots’. If you can find purple or red carrots, use an assortment of hues to add a colorful note. This salad benefits from a short marination, up to 2 hours, to allow the flavors to develop and meld. Anything much longer than this, however, and the salad will begin to lose its appealing crunch and vivid colors.
Serves 4
6 baby white turnips, golf-ball-size, washed and trimmed
2 large carrots, peeled
¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ tablespoon minced shallot
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Using a mandoline (see box), slice the turnips into paper-thin rounds. (Alternatively, use a sharp knife to slice the turnips as thin as possible.) Transfer the turnips to a medium-size bowl. Slice the carrots in the same manner, using only the thickest part of the carrots so that all the rounds are approximately the same size. Add the carrots to the bowl. (Unused parts of the carrots can be saved for stocks, soups, or healthy snacks.) You want roughly equal quantities of turnip and carrot for the salad. Stir in the parsley.
2. Combine the shallot, garlic, and lemon juice in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Let this mixture marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
3. Add the olive and canola oils to the shallot mixture, seal the lid tightly, and shake vigorously to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. The dressing can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days. Let it return to room temperature and then shake vigorously before using.
4. Add the dressing to the turnip-carrot mixture, tossing to coat. Season the salad with sea salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the salad, covered, for up to 2 hours before serving.
5. Transfer the salad to a platter or individual salad plates, and serve.
Mandolines
A mandoline is the secret to achieving uniform, wafer-thin slices of vegetables. This handy tool, also called a V-slicer, is sold in most cookware shops and housewares departments, in a range of styles and prices. For home use, inexpensive plastic models work perfectly well, so don’t feel that you need to invest in a $200 stainless-steel import. Look for a slicer that has interchangeable slicing blades, usually ranging from 1/16 inch to ¼ inch, as well as a julienne blade for cutting vegetables into matchstick-size strips. Because the blades are extremely sharp, it’s important to choose a mandoline that comes with a safety guard to protect your fingers.
Insalata Caprese, the sublime Italian classic that marries tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella di bufalo, is spectacular when sun-ripened tomatoes are in season. But from December to June, when tomatoes are lackluster, sweet earthy beets make an excellent substitution. In our unorthodox version of this popular salad, disks of meltingly soft mozzarella alternate with roasted beets and rounds of juicy citrus. Drizzled with an orange-scented vinaigrette, the salad is a beautiful study in colors and textures as well as a pleasure for the palate. Be sure to use soft fresh milk or buffalo milk mozzarella sold in water, not the hard mozzarella that is used for grating and has a plastic texture. If fresh basil is not available, use arugula or parsley as a winter substitute.
Serves 4 to 6
4 medium beets, preferably 2 red and 2 golden, scrubbed and trimmed (see About Beets)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey, or more to taste
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 balls (4 to 6 ounces each) fresh milk or buffalo milk mozzarella cheese, drained and patted dry
2 medium oranges
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced in very thin ribbons, or opal basil sprigs
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Dry the beets with paper towels and rub them with the tablespoon of olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper, and then wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil, sealing it tightly. Place the beets directly on the oven rack and roast until they are very tender, 50 to 60 minutes, depending on their size.
3. Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool on a rack (still in their foil packets) until they are cool enough to handle, 30 to 40 minutes. (The cooked beets can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 days in advance. Return the beets to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
4. Peel the beets or rub off the skins with a clean kitchen towel. Cut the beets into ¼-inch-thick rounds, discarding the top and bottom pieces.
5. Place the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, honey, and extra-virgin olive oil in a glass jar. Cover the jar tightly with a lid and shake it vigorously to combine. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste, and add more honey if you prefer a sweeter flavor. Set the dressing aside at room temperature while you finish the salad (or refrigerate it for up to 5 days).
6. Cut the mozzarella into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place the cheese on a platter and drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Cut off a thin slice from the top and bottom of each orange so that the fruit will sit level on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, remove wide strips of the peel and white pith by cutting downward, following the contour of the fruit. Leave the flesh intact. Cut the oranges crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices.
8. To assemble the salad, arrange slices of beets, cheese, and oranges in an attractive overlapping pattern. Drizzle the salad with some of the vinaigrette, and season it lightly with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Scatter the basil ribbons over the salad, and serve at room temperature. The beets will bleed and color the cheese, but that is part of the effect.
I love the crunch of this beautiful salad as well as its brilliant colors. The combination of sugar, citrus, and jalapeño pays homage to the elemental Thai trinity of sweet-sour-spicy. The salty crunch of peanuts is the crowning touch, but be sure to add them just at serving time so they don’t get soggy.
Serves 4
About 8 ounces red cabbage, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1½ cups)
½ cup coarsely grated seedless (English) cucumber (peeled or unpeeled)
3 tablespoons finely diced jalapeño pepper, with or without seeds (see box)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon minced peeled garlic
2 teaspoons fish sauce (see box)
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts (optional)
1. Place the cabbage, carrots, cucumber, jalapeño, mint, and basil in a large bowl and stir to combine.
2. Combine the lime juice, oil, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a small glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week.
3. Add three-quarters of the dressing to the cabbage mixture, and toss to combine. Taste, and add more dressing if needed. Just before serving, stir in the peanuts if using.
Judging the heat of jalapeño peppers by sight alone is a challenge. Every pepper, even those of the same size, has a different level of heat, depending on the amount of capsaicin it contains. (Capsaicin is a potent compound responsible for the fiery intensity of some chiles.) The only way to accurately gauge a pepper’s nature is to sample a small piece. To lessen the kick, remove some or all of the white ribs and seeds, which is where the capsaicin is concentrated. The flesh of the pepper has only a fraction of the heat of its interior components.
Vietnamese Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is a defining element of Vietnamese cuisine. Its use as an ingredient or a condiment compares to salt in Western cooking or soy sauce in Chinese and Japanese cuisines. The best Vietnamese fish sauce, called nuoc mam, is a thin, amber-colored liquid derived from merely two ingredients: fish and salt. However, the simplicity of its composition belies its unique complexity of taste. To Western sensibilities, “fermented fish juice” sounds anything but appealing. Don’t allow this to deter you, because fish sauce heightens the richness and intensity of a dish, unifying its diverse and complex flavors.
Traditional production techniques, although basic, are time-consuming. Small fresh fish, usually anchovies, are dried on trays in the sun until they begin to ferment. They are then packed between layers of salt in wooden vats or clay jugs. Left in a hot place for many months or more than a year, the fish slowly exudes its juice. This liquid is drained from the vat and constitutes the first extraction, which is the most prized (and very rarely available in the U.S.). To increase production yields, salted water is generally added back to the fish in the vat, and after a shorter fermentation period, the liquid is once again extracted. The fish sauce usually available in the U.S. is the diluted version, which is the accepted standard for everyday use in cooking.
Fish sauce is also used in other Asian countries, primarily in Thai cuisine. Thai fish sauce (nam pla) is the source of most brands sold in the United States. In general, Thai fish sauce has a stronger and saltier taste than its Vietnamese counterpart. If you substitute Thai fish sauce for Vietnamese nuoc mam, use less to avoid overwhelming the other flavors of your dish. Look for Vietnamese fish sauce in Asian markets, and once the jar is opened, store it in the refrigerator. If you are unable to find nuoc mam, look for the Thai-produced Vietnamese-style brand called Viet Huong’s Three Crabs; it is a delicate, fragrant, and pleasant-tasting substitute.
Bulgur wheat is a quick-cooking grain that works well in salads because it’s light and fluffy but still has a tender, chewy texture. Here I’ve added an assortment of colorful grilled vegetables, crumbles of briny feta cheese, and a zesty red wine vinaigrette to the bulgur, which soaks up the flavors in a delicious way. It also makes a beautiful appetizer—simply top whole leaves of butter or romaine lettuce with about ¼ cup of the salad for each lettuce cup. The salad is meant to be served at room temperature, but I also like it served both cold and warm. It can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days.
Serves 6 to 8
SALAD
2 cups bulgur wheat
3 cups cold water
Salt
3 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick strips
1 large red onion, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces, or 2 raw red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
⅓ cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
DRESSING
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ tablespoon minced peeled garlic
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Prepare the salad: Place the bulgur, cold water, and 1½ teaspoons salt in a large saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the bulgur is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain off any excess water and transfer the bulgur to a large bowl, stirring to fluff the grains.
2. If you intend to grill the vegetables, place the zucchini, onion, and raw bell peppers, if using, in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Grill over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 8 minutes. (The zucchini will cook faster than the red peppers.) Set aside at room temperature.
If you are using a ridged grill pan or a cast-iron skillet for indoor cooking, heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and cook the zucchini until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the strips over and cook on the other side until crisp-tender, another 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a cutting board and let cool. Repeat with the raw red peppers, if using, and the onion rounds, cooking each vegetable separately until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes each, adding 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet for each vegetable.
3. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut them into ½-inch dice. Add the vegetables to the bulgur. (If you are using roasted red peppers, add them as well.) Add the feta, and toss to combine the ingredients.
4. Prepare the dressing: Place all the ingredients in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. The dressing can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 month. Let it return to room temperature and then shake vigorously before using.
5. Add half of the dressing to the bulgur mixture, and toss to coat. Taste, and add more dressing if needed. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Persimmons and pomegranates are lovely fruits. They’re harvested in California from October into December. Fuyu persimmons—a nonastringent variety that’s good for salads—are round, sweet, and crisp, like an apple, but they have a golden-orange color, both inside and out. They taste great with pomegranates, which are nature’s jewel boxes. When you cut through the pomegranate’s leathery skin, you’ll find it filled with juicy, ruby-red seeds loosely held together by a papery white membrane. Bite into a seed and you get an explosion of sweet-tart juice that’s full of heart-healthy antioxidants. Persimmons and pomegranates teamed with tender baby greens, crunchy hazelnuts, and chewy dates make this colorful salad a crisp-weather favorite.
Serves 4 as a side salad
2 Fuyu persimmons, peeled (see box)
½ pomegranate
4 ounces (5 to 6 cups) mixed baby greens or mâche, carefully rinsed and dried, if needed
About ¼ cup Pomegranate Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 dried dates, each pitted and cut into 6 thin strips
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted (see Toasting Nuts and Seeds)
1. Cut the persimmons in half through the stem end, then into very thin half-moon slices, about ⅛-inch thick. Arrange the slices so that they slightly overlap around the edge of 4 salad plates.
2. Scrape the seeds from the pomegranate and discard the leathery skin and white membranes. Set the seeds aside.
3. Just before you plan to serve the salad, place the baby greens in a large salad bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Toss to lightly coat the greens, then taste to see if more vinaigrette is needed.
4. Mound the greens on the salad plates so the persimmons show around the edge. Scatter some of the dates, hazelnuts, and pomegranate seeds over each salad. Serve immediately.
Pomegranate juice, with its ruby-red color and potent sweet-tart taste, makes a unique vinaigrette, perfect for a festive salad. Juicing fresh pomegranates is a messy task, so look for bottled juice in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 teaspoons finely minced shallot
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons good-quality roasted walnut oil
Coarse (kosher) salt
1. Place the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Cook until the juice has reduced to about ¼ cup, about 12 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature.
2. Transfer the pomegranate juice to a glass jar with a lid. Add the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and walnut oil and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. Season the vinaigrette with salt to taste. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let it return to room temperature before using.
About Persimmons
Persimmons, with their beautiful reddish-orange skin, are harvested during the fall and early winter. There are two basic types of persimmons, with very different uses.
• Hachiya persimmons, with a tapered heart shape, have a mouth-puckering astringency until they are very soft and ripe—then they are excellent for baking.
• Fuyu persimmons are not astringent at all and are delicious eaten raw. They have a squat applelike shape, with a similarly crisp texture that becomes somewhat softer as the persimmon ripens.