Lots of salads this time around. I had to include a classic Caesar Salad again this year as it just is a wonderful way to dress romaine lettuce. And they are some hearty, one-dish meal salads like the steak salad and the sesame noodle one with lots of mizuna and scallions. The red lentil and mustard green dish might seem wintery but it is actually bright and lovely this time of year with the gorgeous mustard greens.
The greens, particularly turnips greens, mustard and mizuna, are the most tender of the greens in your share this week so I suggest using those first. The Chard and Romaine will keep quite well if sealed well in the fridge. The turnips themselves keep well as do the scallions. Enjoy!
Turnip Salad with Mustard, Capers and Scallions
Flank, Skirt or Flatiron Steak Salad
Classic Caesar Salad
Chard, Herb-roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Scallion Mint Vinaigrette
Sesame Noodles with Scallions and Mizuna
Red Lentil, Mustard and/or Turnip Greens and Coconut Milk
Rice and Lettuce Soup
Turnip Salad with Mustard, Capers and Scallions
I made this on a whim this weekend to try to come up with something new for these lovely, sweet, crisp spring turnips and really liked it. It would be wonderful served with roasted potatoes or with a frittata or any kind of meet or fish. Use however many turnips you want and adjust the dressing ingredients accordingly.
4 medium turnips, scrubbed and trimmed but not peeled, cut into small dice (1/2-inch or smaller)
2 scallions, finely sliced (greens and all)
1 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped up a bit
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoons red vinegar (or more to taste)
1 ½ tablespoons good olive oil (or more to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Put the vegetables and herbs in a medium bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over vegetables. Toss well and taste and adjust seasoning. A little lemon juice won’t hurt either if things need brightening a bit.
Flank, Skirt or Flatiron Steak Salad
Serves 4
The beautiful fresh greens and spring onions and herbs this time of year pair well with a flatiron steak (also knows as top-blade or flank or skirt steaks). For this dish you can either toss the thinly sliced steak with the greens and dressing or simply serve the sliced steak along side the salad.
Leftover steak salad makes a wonderful sandwich filling.
For the Salad:
½ small bunch parsley, washed, leaves picked from stems and left whole
3 cups mizuna, well washed, dried and roughly chopped
2 cups romaine, well washed, dried and roughly chopped
2-3 turnips, scrubbed, quartered or halved and thinly sliced
2 scallions, trimmed of roots and any ragged tops, washed, and thinly sliced into rounds (greens and all)
Dressing:
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard (optional)
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 sprigs thyme, finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 lbs flatiron steak (about 1 ½ inches thick)
Salt
Put the greens, herbs and spring onions in a large salad bowl or platter. Stir the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with sea salt.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the meat and cook, undisturbed for about 3 ½ minutes. Flip the meat with tongs and cook for 3 ½ to 4 more minutes. This should give you a medium rare steak if the steak is about 1 ½ inches thick.
Remove the steak from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for at least 5 minutes. Slice the steak thinly across the grain. You can either leave it in long strips or cut it into smaller pieces and then toss with the greens and the dressing. You can also just dress the greens and serve the sliced steak on the side or on top of the salad. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or pepper.
Classic Caesar Salad
Serves 4-6 depending on appetites and what else is being served
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4-5 flat anchovy filets (or more to taste)
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
Freshly grated black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)
1 large head of Romaine lettuce, washed, leaves cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1 1/2 inch ribbons
¾ – 1 cup croutons or toast a slice or two of good crusty bread and tear it into bite-sized pieces
You can either use a food processor or a mortar and pestle. If using the latter, put the garlic, anchovy, pepper and salt in it and pound it into a smooth-ish paste. Scoop the paste out of the mortar and put it into a bowl. Then whisk in the lemon juice and egg yolk and then slowly add the oil and finally the Parmesan. If using a food processor start with the garlic, anchovy, lemon juice and salt and then add the ingredients in the same order. Stir the parmesan at the end after you’ve removed the dressing from the processor.
Toss with Romaine lettuce, top with croutons and some more freshly grated Parmesan.
Chard, Herb-roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Scallion Mint Vinaigrette
This is the loveliest platter of food—blanched chard and roasted chicken are dressed with the same, lemony, minty shallot vinaigrette. You can also roast the potatoes and cook the chard and use perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs (cover eggs generously with cold water, bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit in hot water for 8-9 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water) instead of chicken or you could use canned Oregon Albacore. The minty dressing is really what ties all together.
3 tablespoons sage, finely chopped
2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt1 large bone-in chicken breast half, preferably at room temperature (use eggs or Tuna instead—see headnote)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium to large Yukon gold or red potatoes, well scrubbed and cut into thumb-sized chunks
1/3 cup water
1 large bunch chard, well washed and stems separated from leaves
Dressing
2 scallions, thinly sliced (greens and all)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
6 tablespoons good olive oil (use the best you have)
8 sprigs mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 450.
Mix the chopped rosemary, sage and salt with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Dry the chicken breast well with paper towels. Use about half the herb mixture to cover the chicken on all sides, using your hands to thoroughly cover. Place chicken in an 8” x 13” baking dish.
Toss the potatoes with the remaining herb mixture and arrange the potatoes around the chicken. Add the 1/3 cup water and roast for 35 – 45 minutes. You can test the chicken by carefully cutting into the thickest part of the breast and checking for any pink flesh.
Meanwhile, stir together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt. It should be quite tart so don’t be shy with the lemon juice.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (use about 1 tablespoon of salt for 3 quarts of water). Chop the chard stems into 1-inch pieces. Pile the chard leaves on top of each other and cut the leaves lengthwise once or twice (depending on how big the leaves are) and then cross-wise four or five times.
Add just the chard stems to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, then add the chard leaves and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain well and press out as much moisture as you can against the side of the colander. Return the chard and stems to the pan and cover to keep warm.
When the chicken is done carve the breast into slices. You might need to use your hands to carefully loosen the bottom of the slices from the breastbone. Arrange the chicken on a large platter with the potatoes and the chard and drizzle the chard and chicken generously with the shallot vinaigrette. You can certainly dress the potatoes too, if you have plenty of dressing.
Sesame Noodles with Mizuna and Scallions
-inspired by Bon Appetit, June 2013
I love green/spring onions and especially the greens so I use them liberally here. You can cut back if you’re not as much of a fan. The chili oil, of which you’ll have some leftover, is wonderful on any salad or meat or roasted veggie.
This makes a lot! You can only dress 2/3 of the noodles and save the rest of the nooles for something else and just have a bigger veggie to noodle ration (which I prefer).
I also made a version with canned Oregon Albacore which was delicious—definitely a meal in itself.
5 scallions, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced
1/2 cup vegetable oil
scant 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (less if you don’t like a lot of heat)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lb thin spaghetti (de Cecco is my favorite brand)
3 cups mizuna, chopped
Dressing:
Sea salt
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Cook spring onion whites, vegetable oil, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until oil is sizzling and scallions are golden brown, 12–15 minutes; let chili oil cool in saucepan.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water. About 2 minutes before the noodles are until al dente add the snap peas, cook for a few more minutes; drain. Rinse under cold water and drain well and put in a big bowl. Toss with a little of the chili oil to keep noodles from sticking.
Whisk tahini, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and 2–3 tablespoons chili oil (depending on desired heat) in a large bowl; season with salt. Add noodles, peas, arugula, and onions tops and toss to coat. I found tossing the salad with my hands was by far the most effective technique to get the thick dressing well distributed. Makes a mess but it’s quick and easy.
Red Lentil, Mustard and/or Turnip Greens and Coconut Milk
This is quick, delicious and easy to vary/adapt. It’s even better the next day. It’s quick enough to make in the morning before you leave the house if you don’t have a hectic schedule and you’ll get the “next day” effect at dinner that evening.
I like the spicy mustard greens in combination with the richness and mellowness of the lentils and coconut milk. You can stretch this dish and serve it over rice but it’s wonderful just plain.
Serves 4 or more
1 tablespoon olive oil, ghee, coconut oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or more ground cumin)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt (likely will need more)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional or more/less to taste)
1 cup red lentils
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably)2-3 cans (I use the coconut milk can to measure) water or vegetable broth (you can use more if you want it thinner – this makes a fairly thick dish which is what I prefer
1 large bunch mustard greens or mustard greens and turnip greens, well washed and chopped
Juice of ½ a lemon (optional)
Put the oil, mustard and cumin seeds in a large pot and heat over medium-high heat until seeds begin to pop. Immediately add the onion and garlic and stir well. Turn down the heat a bit if things brown quickly. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the ground cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes and salt and cook for another minute or two. Add the lentils, coconut milk and water or broth and bring to a boil. Turn down and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the greens and cook for about 10 minutes more or until the lentils have fallen apart. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and lemon juice.
Rice and Lettuce Soup
–slightly adapted from The Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler
This recipe caught my attention when I first read this book, several years ago. I came back to the book, as I periodically do, for general inspiration recently. Tamar’s writing just pulls you in and makes you want to cook and makes you feel so creative and frugal and fun—at least for me it does.
And I think this soup could feed six people for about $5 or less . . . if frugality is on your mind. I was skeptical about it but came away satisfied. You can’t skip the butter though—it’s essential!
1 ½ onions, diced
2 tablespoons butter (do not substitute olive oil or anything else)
½ cup Arborio (or other risotto rice like Carnaroli)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
8 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth or a combination of stock/broth and water (which is what I did)
1 head romaine lettuce, well washed, trimmed and cut into thin ribbons (this is important too, that the lettuce is cut up well)
Salt and pepper and good olive oil for drizzling
Gently cook the onions in the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, rice and broth or stock or water and salt (amount will depend on how salty your stock/broth is, if using) and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 35-40 minutes until the rice is very tender and as Tamar says, “jagged around the edges”. There’s no al dente going on here. Now, if you’re ready to eat, add the lettuce and stir it in well and take it off the heat. Taste and adjust for salt—you need salt here too, like you need the butter. Serve in wide bowls and drizzle with olive oil and a good grinding of pepper.