Cape Cod Chopped Salad

A few weeks ago, I got together with several friends to review the book "The China Study".  The book is about an observed correlation between diet and heart disease as well as host of other illnesses.  This isn't exactly new information but the author presents it in a way to suggest that a lot of information is being "withheld" from the public.  It was an interesting discussion with a retired scientist pointing out that content in the book does not follow scientific study protocol so she dismissed the book after the first 50 pages.

Our hostess made a smoky butternut squash soup and a Cape Cod chopped salad.  Both were a big hit with the group and we all wanted the recipes. We remarked how refreshing and delicious the dressing on the salad was, so I'm adding the recipe.

8 ounces of baby arugula or mixed green
1 large granny smith,  peeled and diced
1/2 toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled

Optional: 8 ounces of thick bacon

 Dressing:

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 tsp. Dijon  mustard
2 Tbps. maple syrup or Agave
sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Serves 4

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and blue chesse.
For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Chop the bacon in large pieces and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately. from The Barefoot Contessa

Gold Beets

I work from home some of the time and when I do, I head to the kitchen when it's time for lunch.  Wondering what would be good for lunch today, I took a look in the frig to see what my options were.  I had some gold beets that I had oven roasted a couple of days previously, some fennel, carrots and left over steamed broccoli. (It's time to go shopping...) I opted for the beets.  Here's what I did with them.

2 medium-sized roast gold beets
1 TBSP of well-aged balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Peel and slice the beets, arrange on a plate; add salt and pepper.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add toasted hazelnuts.  Serves 1-2, depending on whether it's a side dish or lunch.

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

I was talking with Susanne before spin class this evening about a recipe from Sprouted Kitchen and she told me about this soup from My New Roots - another great resource for wholesome foods. This soup with the fancy name looks delicious and appears to be fairly simple to make.  I'm ready to give it a try and am adding the ingredients to my shopping list.  The recipe comes from Design Love Fest.

This soup gets its velvety texture from beans instead of dairy. This is a great technique when making blended soups because beans add so much creaminess without the high fat content, plus you get an extra hit of filling fiber.

Topped off with crispy, roasted, Ginger-Kissed Pumpkin Seeds, this Sweet Potato Vichyssoise is the updated autumn classic that will warm your belly and your heart. Here’s the recipe, we hope you enjoy it!

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
Serves 4-6
• 3 leeks
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup cooked white beans (cannellini, navy, butter…)
• knob of coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter), or butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. turmeric (optional)
• cayenne to taste

Photo from Design Love Fest

what to do:

• Prepare leeks by removing the very tip of the root, and the tough, dark green parts at the very top. Chop leeks, then swirl them around in a large bowl of water to remove any dirt (due to how they grow, leeks can have a little grit between their layers).

• In a large stock pot, heat a knob of coconut oil or butter, add turmeric, cayenne and leeks with a teaspoon of sea salt. Stir to coat and let cook on medium heat for five minutes or so, until leeks have softened. Mince garlic and add to the pot.

• Scrub the sweet potatoes, and chop them into rough cubes (leave the skin on!). Add them to the pot, stir and cook for a few minutes. Add broth and beans. Bring a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until sweet potatoes are soft, about 15 – 20 minutes.

• Using a regular blender or stick blender puree the soup until totally creamy. Add olive oil and lemon juice, plus salt to taste if necessary, blend once more and serve with Ginger-Kissed Pumpkin Seeds.
Ginger-Kissed Pumpkin Seeds
Makes ½ cup
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• ½ Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. ginger powder
• pinch sea salt
what to do:
• Preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C.
• Toss pumpkin seeds with other ingredients. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until toasty and fragrant. Remove and let cool. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

A SIMPLE TOMATO + BURRATA SALAD

It's mid-November and I still have quite a few heirloom tomatoes that continue to ripen in the basement.  While wondering about some new salads to make with heirlooms, I came across this one from the Sprouted Kitchen.  I did not use the bread or the cheese as neither were in the house when I wanted to make the salad so I did the improvise thing..  I also sauteed the shallots in a little sake I had in the frig and  sprinkled a very small amount of gorgonzola cheese on the salad.

Give it a try with your own twist or make it verbatim--either way, I think you will enjoy it.

A SIMPLE TOMATO + BURRATA SALAD // Serves 4-6
Inspired by Big Sur Bakery Cookbook
Take note of the size of your burrata balls, you may need two. I assume about 4 oz. per person. This salad is very free form, don't pay too close attention to measurements. It's a summertime salad, it's meant to be easy going.

1 cup torn bread (preferably from a baguette or fresh loaf)
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sea salt
fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs/ 4-ish heirloom tomatoes
sea salt + fresh ground pepper
2 cups soft lettuce of choice (arugula, spring greens, butter lettuce)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 oz. burrata cheese, room temperature
good quality extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Photos are from Sprouted Kitchen

Preheat the oven (ideally toaster oven) to 400'. Spread the torn bread on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are crisp and brown. Set aside.
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4'' slices and arrange them on your serving tray in concentric circles. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and the chopped shallots. Chop the soft greens and basil together, toss them gently with 1 tsp. each olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then mound it in the center of the tomatoes. Distribute the croutons on top and then place the burrata in the center of the lettuce pile, breaking open the creamy center if you'd like.
Drizzle the burrata with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste and finish with a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Apple Tart

From Food & Wine - serves 10

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer whole wheat pastry flour 

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
About 1/2 cup ice water 1 teaspoon finely grated

lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
4 Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 large egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the butter and mix at low speed until it is the size of small peas, 30 seconds. With the machine on, gradually add 1/4 cup of the ice water. Add as much of the remaining ice water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is just evenly moistened (it shouldn't mass on the paddle). Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 17-inch round, then trim it to a neat 16-inch round. Transfer the dough to the cookie sheet.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Add the apples and lemon juice and toss well. Arrange the apples on the dough in 2 concentric circles, leaving a 3-inch border all around. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the apples, overlapping the dough on itself as needed. Brush the rim with the egg white and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
   
   
4. Bake the pie in the center of the oven until the crust is golden and firm and the apples are tender, about 55 minutes.* Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool. Slide the pie onto a plate, cut into wedges and serve.
   
   * My tart was done after 43 minutes--you may need to adjust your cooking time.

Make Ahead The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. The tart can be baked earlier in the day and rewarmed before serving.