Brussel Sprout Apple Salad

(photo courtesy of Pixabay.com)

I was so busy eating my roasted brussel sprouts and apple salad that I didn't get a photo. It was delicious and easy to assemble. The salad made a perfect side dish for our broiled salmon and boiled potatoes. Total preparation time was under 30 minutes.  

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Apples and Walnut Salad

1 lb brussel sprouts, washed and halved

1 whole Kiku, Fuji or Honey Crisp apple, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup walnut pieces, chopped

4 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 Tbs dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a foil lined baking sheet arrange brussel sprouts in a single layer and drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil. Roast 20 minutes in the oven or until tender. Mix remaining olive oil, dijon mustard and seasoned rice wine vinegar in a bowl. Put roasted brussel sprouts, apples and walnuts in a bowl and add vinaigrette. Mix to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.  

The art of simple food

Last week I picked up a used copy of Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food at my local library book sale.  It was perhaps the best and most satisfying $5 I've spent recently.

Though it isn't a new cookbook, it is indeed a delicious revolution.

The chapter I'm digging into, pardon my corny self, is Salads.

There is no meal or side dish quite so simply elegant and satisfying as the salad. When Waters writes, "I love salad. I love to wash it. I love to eat it. As far as I'm concerned, a meal withut one is incomplete," I feel as if she has channeled my thoughts exactly.

So it is with great delight and anticipation that I peruse her writings on the composed salad, the art of combining and arranging ingredients on a plate. I anticipate the mesclun and fresh herbs from my edible garden- if I can wrest them from the digging squirrels - as mainstays on many a happy plate from my kitchen.

The joy of salad making for me is the infinte variety.  From fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits to tasty roast leftover meats to slivers of nuts and cheese, there are many and diverse ways to build a lovely salad. 

Here is a recipe using one of my favorite ingredients, the beautiful beet.

Recipe: Marinated beet salad

Alice Waters, "The Art of Simple Food"

Beets of different colors make a very beautiful salad.  Dress the red ones separately so their color doesn’t bleed all over the others.

Ingredients

• 1 pound beets (red, Chioggia, golden, or white)
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (red wine, sherry, or white wine vinegar)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil.

Preparation

Trim the greens to 1/2 inch from 1 pound beets (red, Chioggia, golden or white).

Wash thoroughly. Put them in a baking dish with a little water (enough to cover the bottom of the dish to a depth of 1/8 inch) and sprinkle with salt.

Cover tightly and bake the beets in a 350°F oven until they can be easily pierced with a sharp knife, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size. Uncover and cool. Cut off the tops and roots and slip off the skins. Cut the peeled beets into small wedges or 1/4-inch dice and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon vinegar (red wine, sherry or white wine vinegar) and salt.

Let stand for a few minutes to allow the beets to absorb the flavor. Taste and add more salt or vinegar as needed. Toss with 1 to 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil.

Serve alone, or with other salads.

Tips

Variations

• Substitute fresh orange juice for some of the vinegar and toss with grated orange zest.
• Toss with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as mint, tarragon or cilantro.

 

Wild Arugula, Sweet Corn & Pasta Salad

I'm going to be sad when summer is done. There will be no more salads piled high with fresh greens and assorted wonderful vegetables, the crisp sweet corn, vine ripened tomatoes, crunchy carrots, beautiful beets!

This salad, another lovely layered one, is so easy to make and so delicious. I made a meal of it with some Pugliese artisanal bread from Sullivan's Bakery and a glass of pinot noir.

Wild Arugula, Sweet Corn & Pasta Salad

2 cups of wild arugula

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 1/2 cups cooked pasta, mixed with 1/4 cup pesto

2 ears of sweet corn, grilled & planked

red pepper cored, thinly sliced

4 oz of goat cheese, medallions or chunked

1/4 cup extra virgin oil

of one lemon

and pepper to taste

ingredients: arugula, carrots, pasta, sweet corn, red pepper, and goat cheese. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the salad, season to taste. Plate and serve.