Argentinian Style Marinated Lamb Tongue

At the behest of my friend who grew up eating lamb and goat tongue (it is so delicious, she said), I ordered some lamb tongue on my quarterly meat order from Hilltop Family Farms. I've been eyeing tongue for awhile - sort of wanting to try it, but cow tongue is so enormous that it was more of a side-eye look. I hadn't totally thought about smaller animals until she mentioned it. Goat and lamb tongue seem like great entry options, they are small and seem less intimidating. Also, my Odd Bits cookbook describes lamb tongue as mild, which I found reassuring. Jennifer McLagan (of Odd bits) is a fan of tongue brining, which I'll try in the future.

It seems people most often slow braise their tongues, and then peel the outer tongue layer while warm. This family recipe was passed on to MN chef, Alan Bergo, who I stumbled upon while perusing internet tongue recipes. He has a website called Forager Chef, and a book coming out in two weeks called The Forager Chef's book of Flora that looks lovely. I mean, how serendipitous to find him - it's everything I want in a food blog: foraging (thus seasonal and local), creative, and looking at various cultural food traditions for inspiration. I can't wait to dive into his website some more - my jaw dropped when I saw his recipe for pollen honey fudge. What?!! Genius. (Especially b/c he uses a little butter to cut the sweetness, which is thumb's up from me.) He even has a post about roadkill. 💕

So, tongue!! I mostly like it - I am interested to try it some more. (I liked it enough that I am drinking the braising broth, which is good cold and a bit like collards/nettle pot liquor meets a light bone broth.) Tongue is slightly pate-like to me, but more firm. Firm the way smoked oysters out of a tin are. I especially liked this marinated tongue on some seed crackers (perhaps sparking the smoked oyster thought), which was super tasty. My salad was good, and modeled after Alan Bergo's video. He used avocado and cooled potatoes (think salad nicoise) and radish. I used cooled jerusalem artichokes and asparagus (steamed and also cooled), and fresh pea pods. Both of us used lettuce and a hard boiled egg. The marinade was very tasty, though I used a bit too many red pepper flakes so the tongue was spicy. I think it is a really nice appetizer (I ate mine for dinner), and I really like the fresh herbs in there. The marinade (with cilantro and mint) made me think of chimichurri, no surprise, which was really nice in this summer heat. I would make this again, except maybe I'd actually just use a chimichurri sauce and serve it on crackers. 

One note: tongue is both the part visually discernable as tongue, but also with some other meaty part. Both tasted good, but differed texture-wise. Also, thankfully Jennifer McLagan menionted that tongues come in all variety of hues, from pink to gray, and some are mottled. One of mine was, and it was weird looking, causing me to wonder. But it's normal. Also, it is normal that 3 out of 4 tongues will peel really easily, and one will be stubborn and require a paring knife. FYI. That was true for me, too.

This is the tongue without other stuff

Braising the Tongue

• 1-1.25 lbs Lamb or Goat Tongue (about 4-8 tongues, depending on size)
• 5 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 each: small carrot ½ small yellow onion and 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• salt

Final Marinade

• ½ cup blend of fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, mint, tarragon (I used cilantro and mint)
• ½ cup virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
• Crushed red pepper about ¼ teaspoon, or more to taste (optional)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove lightly crushed with the back of a knife
• lemon zest (opt)

Instructions

• Combine the tongues and ingredients for braising in a high-sided pan, such as a 3 qt sauce pot. Make sure the tongues are covered with water, if they aren’t add a little more water until they’re covered by approximately ½ inch.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook slowly, covered, about 1.5 hours, or until the tongues are tender when pierced.
• When the tongues are tender, take them off the heat and cool in their liquid until you can handle them. Peel with your hand or a paring knife, it will be easier if they’re still warm.
• Trim any excess connective tissue and bits of skin that may be left on if any were resisting being peeled.
• Refrigerate the tongues for a few hours to firm up and make them easy to slice.
• Slice the tongues into ¼ inch slices, then combine with the marinade ingredients. Double check the seasoning and add more salt, vinegar, or crushed red pepper to taste, keeping in mind the seasonings will get stronger as the tongues sit and the flavors meld.
• Transfer the tongues to a container, pressing them down so the vinaigrette and juices cover the top and refrigerate until needed. They're best after marinating for a few hours/overnight. The tongues will keep refrigerated for 4 days. 
  Serve the tongue on crackers, or add some veggies to the marinade and toss it up for salad. I think a little sweetness is a good gesture here (potatoes or jerusalem artichokes, carrots, avocado, peas, asparagus, maybe beets) along with some lettuce and herbs.
  

Sauerkraut slaw

Well, for a little change of pace (not greens!) I made some slaw with last summer's kraut. Why have I not put kraut in slaw before?! For some reason in the heat, I really like eating cold sour things. I finished off my (cold) apple cider vinegar soaked nettles, which was ideal to eat out of a jar from the fridge, and I've been eating up some of last year's experimental ferments: ginger beet (not great, I'll do ginger carrot next time) and a Morrocan spiced beet (still needs some tweaks, but good). 

I've now got 4 days of training in Pacific time, so I made brisket overnight in the crock pot (basically homemade bbq sauce and brisket simmered for 12 hours) and this slaw for some easy dinners. Both things I want to eat when it is hot.

This concoction was inspired by a fermentation book from the library that I photocopied some recipes from, but sadly did not write down the name of the book. (Sorry dear author who I am now not referencing. She also had recipes for fermented ketchup and dosa and all kinds of things that may show up in future posts.) I've made this slaw a couple of times now with what I have on hand, and have felt satisfied each time. I mean, sour + sweet = you can't go wrong (usually).

• 1/4 c raisins
• 1/2 small red or green cabbage, sliced thinly (red is prettiest!)
  
• 1 c kraut
• 2 carrots, julienned/grated/match-sticked
• 1 large apple (I like pink lady), chopped small
• 2 green onions (or equivalent red onions), finely chopped
  
• Fresh parsley if you have it (2 T)
• 1/3-1/2c mayo
• 1 T mustard
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T honey 
• salt to taste

1. Combine the dressing ingredients (mayo, mustard, vinegar, and honey) in a small bowl, mix until homogenous. Add the raisins to it to get them extra juicy!
   
2. Combine the veggies and fruit in a large bowl.
3. Pour the dressing on top, add salt (or kraut juice) to taste. Serve! (This gets better if you let it sit a bit, so make early for extra deliciousness.) 
   
   

   

   This time I added a little kale with the green cabbage
   

Nettle Oxymel Salad

This is not a fancy recipe, but it IS a stellar salad - so simple, and so delicious. I first made this salad to have with soft boiled eggs, cooked over a rocket stove to celebrate a friend's retirement, outdoor picnic style. It might be a combo of the fresh herbs, the sweetness from the nettle oxymel, and the salty gomasio, but really I could eat this salad daily (which I basically am right now). 

An oxymel is apple cider vinegar with honey and additions, in my case nettles. Fire tonic, with ginger and garlic and whatever else, is another oxymel. You basically soak the herbs in the vinegar/honey concoction for some time, infusing extra health benefits, so that you can sip on the health promoting tincture, or in my case use it as salad dressing. 

 

 

 

 

Nettle Oxymel

• 1 lb fresh nettles, chopped
  
• 1 1/2 quarts apple cider vinegar
• 1 pint honey

Combine all ingredients in two quart jars, submerging nettles below the surface. The original recipe recommends chopping your nettles, but I forgot that and used whole ones. I think chopping will impart more flavor, so I'd do that next time. Let sit for 2 weeks, then strain and bottle. Refrigerate. *Since I did not chop my nettles, I steamed them with some red onion and ate them afterwards. They were deliciously vinegar-y, with some sweetness. 

My salad was a combo of some lattuces, arugula, dandelion greens, mint, dill, parsley, and tarragon. I tossed the greens with the nettle oxymel and olive oil, and then doused the whole thing with a hearty shake of nettle gomasio. The salad is GREAT with eggs (with more gomasio) or just as is.

Pickle Salad

Perhaps you, like me, have some jars of fermented pickles in your fridge that will not taste as delicious soon, and are finding it time to make a move on them. Perhaps you also, like me, ate too much hollandaise and eggs benedict for lunch and needed a lighter dinner. 😂 

Here then is a good move: Pickle Salad. I though about substituting pickles for cukes in a tabouli sort of salad, but then I did a search to see if any recipes would come up - one from Bon Appetit did, which I used as inspiration for this dish. I didn't have fennel though, and instead used parsley and tomatoes, meaning I still sort of went with the tabouli salad idea! I thought it was great, and will make it again, especially since I still have tomatoes turning red on the counter and fresh parsley in the fridge. The toasted walnuts and Parmesan are especially delicious in there.

• ½ cup walnuts
• 4 whole pickles, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1" pieces, plus 3 Tbsp. picklebrine 
• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. honey or monkfruit sweetener
  
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ small white or red onion, thinly sliced
  
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 
  
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved  
  1 banana pepper, finely chopped
• ½ cup parsley, shopped
  
• 2 oz. Parmesan, shaved
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.

Meanwhile, whisk pickle brine, vinegar, mustard, honey/sweetener, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Let sit to allow onion to soften slightly, at least 5 minutes and up to 15 minutes.

Add walnuts, pickles, tomatoes, pepper, parsley and Parmesan to dressing and toss to coat. Transfer salad to a large shallow bowl or platter (or individual bowls) and drizzle with oil.

Kohlrabi and Apple salad

I grew my first kohlrabi! Not all of my seeds became plants because some bug was eating all the cruciferous seedlings, but a good half dozen pulled through. I love growing kohlrabi - you can also eat the greens, which makes this vegetable a twofer! I so far make the greens Ethiopian-style with onions, garlic and maybe ginger, with butter or spiced ghee, water, and a longer cook time.

I harvested this first kohlrabi thinking I might just eat it raw with some toasted spice and salt, but then saw this Bon Appetit recipe and decided to get a little fancy. The fancy is maybe a result of talking food all weekend with my friend, and her going into detail about a $1200 dinner (for 3) at a fancy Persian restaurant in New York that sounded exquisite. Especially because somebody else was paying! This lead to dreaming of post pandemic trips. If there ever is a post-pandemic time, which, well, is hard to say.

So, until then, fancy food can be attempted at home. This shaved kohlrabi and apple salad was really nice. I am listing the original recipe below, though I substituted almonds for hazelnuts, and aged cheddar for Parmesan because it is what I had. (Cheddar wasn't bad, but Parmesan would be best!) Do be sure to peel your kohlrabi to get the tough outer layer. Inside is a soft, crisp, very pale interior that matches the apples, which just have that sliver of red b/c I didn't peel mine. *Also, it turns out my 1970s mandoline is on it's last days, at least on the thin slicer setting, so I used a vegetable peeler and that worked fine. It was just a bit more tedious.

Kohlrabi and Apple Salad

½ cup blanched hazelnuts (or almonds)

2 medium kohlrabi (about 2 lb. total), peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline

1 tart apple (Pink Lady or Crispin), peeled/cored, thinly sliced on a mandoline

½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

½ cup torn fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 oz. Pecorino or Parmesan, shaved (about ¼ cup) 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. *I did this all on the stove tip b/c it's hot and I do not have A/C.

2. Toss kohlrabi, apple, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar in a medium bowl; season with salt. 

3. Add ½ cup mint and gently toss to just combine.

4. Toss toasted hazelnuts and oil in a small bowl to coat; season with salt.

5. Divide kohlrabi salad among plates and top with seasoned hazelnuts, Pecorino, and more mint.

 

Last night's dinner was this salad, plus leftover pork roast and a cucumber salad of mint, dill, cucumbers, lemon juice, and a little mayo. Yum.  

Fermented Pickles (and Warm Salad)

One of my cucumber varieties started producing (the other two are flowering now), and I have had cucumbers for about a week now. I wanted pickles, even though I didn't have many yet, so I made a small jar a few days ago that tasted ready today. I actually just made a quart of salt brine, so that I could make a jar at a time as I have some extra stuff (not that making salt brine is hard, but might as well just measure it out once and have it ready to go). So far the brine has resulted in this small jar of cucumbers, and a quart of dilly beans, which are my favorite.

My experience lacto-fermenting cucumbers is that they do not last as long as other things. The cucumbers I need to eat in a month or so, but if I leave them for the winter or spring, they are too soft and I don't eat them. The dilly beans (and kraut) always stay crisp, and I keep those in the fridge for a year and they are still good.

My method was to make a fairly salty brine, which tends to be better for hot weather: I used 3 T of salt to 1 quart water, though you could use less. Once you have the brine, you can pour that over whatever veggies you want to pickle: cucumbers, green beans, green tomatoes, garlic, peppers, etc. You can add in any herbs or spices you like. Below is what I would use in a quart of (dill) pickle.

Fermented Pickles
1 quart jar filled with veggie of choice
1 head flowering/seeded dill
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
pinch of peppercorns
red chili pepper flakes
fresh oak/horseradish/cherry or grape leaf
*(if you have it to keep the veg crunchy)
salt brine solution (3 T salt to 1 quart water)

Put everything in a jar and stuff it full as well as you can. Be sure to use the freshest vegetables you have, and to remove the flowers from cuke ends and trim the green beans. Ideally, you want all veggies to be submerged under the brine, but they sometimes get sneaky and stick out, or the spices float. This means you may get a little white film on anything sticking out, which you can just pull off. I just loosely cover my jar with the lid, screwed on but not tight, and don't worry about it. But you can also fill a ziplock with some water and use that to press everything under the brine, or fill a smaller jar with something to weight the veggies down. Sometimes the liquid will overflow, so I set it on a plate and check them every day or two.

These take anywhere from 2-5 days, depending on the heat and how you like your pickles. Taste them and decide what you like.

I ate my pickles on a cheeseburger, and also made a warm-ish salad of seared zucchini, tomatoes, blanched green beans, cucumbers, basil, mint, and feta. It was delicious with a simple vinagrette on top.

Garden Salad

There is a show on Hulu that Padma Lakshmi started about food and culture of different immigrant groups in the US called Taste the Nation. I have only watched the first 4 episodes (the 4th is my favorite so far about the Gullah Geechee people in South Carolina) and it is really good, highlighting people growing/serving their own cultural food. And it is fun to see Padma in a more relaxed way than Top Chef, and meet her mom and daughter in episode 2!

The show continues to inspire a way of living to cook from the land. The Gullah way of making gumbo includes using okra as the thickening agent (rather than a roux), and last week I read that Chinese people use daylilies to thicken stew and soups. I wonder about a daylily thickened fish soup? Something to ponder. Or if I could dry daylilies and make a powder? Questions abound.

This post isn't a recipe really, just a big salad of things from the garden, including the first tomatoes and cucumbers. I ate a lot of protein in the prior 26 hours (including kitfo and kocho take out from Dilla's, which was delicious), so all I wanted for dinner was this. I also went with my friend to Costco this weekend (my first ever Costco excursion), where I bought a bag of avocados and kerry gold cheddar, so they went on the salad too. Definitely not a cooking from the land aspect of this dinner!

Salad:
Lettuce/arugula
Daylily leaves
Nasturtium
Snap peas
Cucumber, diced
Tomatoes, halved
Fresh Herbs (dill, mint, basil, tarragon)
Avocado, sliced
Diced cheddar

Ranch style dressing:
Mix together homemade mayo, sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, dill, heavy cream.

Snap Pea Salad with Mint and Feta

The snap peas are in full swing and I am finding them so tasty! I've been eating them with eggs and garlic scapes for breakfast, or with some salad greens, but tonight decided to make them the primary salad feature. This is just a simple, garden fresh salad using what I had: garlic scapes, mint, and the snap peas. Had I any radishes left, they would also be delicious in here. I also had some mild feta, though the salad was good plain, so you wouldn't need it.

Snap Pea Salad (makes one larger salad or 2 mini ones)
2 cups snap peas, sliced thinly at an angle
1 garlic scape, sliced thinly
2-3 mint sprigs, chopped
2 T mild feta crumble (opt)
juice of half a (large) lemon
1+ T olive oil (long pour!)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and eat!

Dandelion greens, fennel & pear salad

This is my latest favorite salad - the combo of the bitter dandelion greens with the crisp fennel and sweet pear is really perfect. I had some parsley and radish thinnings, so I threw those in too, though you don't need them. I had this salad with my leftovers from Eid dinner (a cheeseburger, plus potatoes with spring onions and asparagus) and a cocktail called the "suffering bastard" which I'd seen during Ramadan and wanted to try. It is gin, bourbon, lime juice, bitters, and ginger brew, all of which I had in the pantry, plus a mint sprig from the garden. I added a splash of sparkling water because I found it a little sweet, and that was just perfect on the humid evening.

Suffering Bastard - weird drink name

I didn't measure these quantities, but here is my best ratio guess for a salad for 2.

Salad - combine the following in a bowl:
2-3 cups dandelion greens (I go for small-medium sized leaves), cleaned
1/2 of a large fennel bulb, sliced thinly
several fennel fronds, chopped
1 pear, julienned
handful of parsley or other garden thinnings
handful of pecans (I did not toast mine, but you could and that would be extra good!)

Dressing:
Mix equal parts lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) and olive oil with a squirt of mustard and pinch of salt. Toss with salad to coat.

Curry Sardine (or tuna) Salad

It was 60 degrees out today! When I was out on my walk I laid on the golf course and felt like I was getting a hug from the new green grasses that are coming up in that weird-golf-course-grass kind of way. Oh sweet spring! The nice weather inspired me to make a "warm weather dinner," aka: cold dinner.

I made this up and it was delicious. It is a convenient meal with stuff you might have around. Don't sweat it if you don't have red pepper or parsley; it will still be good. I don't buy tuna anymore because I feel better about eating smaller fish. Tuna are over-fished, and smaller fish have less mercury and other heavy metals in them. I most often buy sardines that have skins and bones in them (that is all good for you!), but I had a few tins without, which I used this time for a smoother/less crunchy salad. You can pick your preference.

Curry Sardine Salad
1 tin sardines in olive oil
1/4 c (homemade) mayo (or a little more)
squirt of dijon mustard
2 T minced red onion
1 celery rib, diced small
2-3 T red pepper, diced small
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1+ tsp curry powder (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
handful of almonds, chopped
*raisins or currents would also be good in here if you like that kind of thing
**I also put in some sauerkraut and a squeeze of lemon

Mix all ingredients together. Serve with salad greens, toast, crackers, etc. Yum.
(To get fancy, which I did, toast your almonds prior to chopping over med heat in a heavy skillet.)

Winter Kohlrabi Salad

I bought a kohlrabi at the grocery store last week because I hadn't had any in awhile, and because it is one of the still local veggies available at the co-op. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, until I found this Food 52 recipe for this lovely salad. I didn't have any cilantro, and I still thought it was great. In lieu of cilantro, spinach or arugula would also be good. This salad will become a winter staple.
*I also used this dressing on a green cabbage/carrot/apple salad with good results!

Winter Kohlrabi Salad 
1 head kohlrabi
1 apple (I used pink lady) 
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
¹/₂ tsp chili flakes
1 pinch cumin
¹/₂ teaspoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

1) Peel the kohlrabi. Cut it and the apple into matchsticks, or julienne with a mandolin.
2) Mix all dressing ingredients and pour over veggies. Stir to combine.

Paleo Tabbouleh

This photo is with hemp seeds - but pepitas are just as good!

I was never a big tabbouleh fan - I'm not sure why really, except that it just seemed to be too much parsley and too grain-y. (Traditionally the salad is largely bulgher.) But this recipe is not that way it all - this version is all fresh veggies with just a bit of grain crunch - though in this case the "grain" is some chopped up pepitas.

The recipe I modeled this version from is actually a nutiva recipe - I order my coconut oil from them because it is super cheap to get in a 1 gallon bucket. Their original recipe uses hemp seeds (no pepitas), but hempseeds are expensive. I did try the recipe with hempseeds initially (see photo) only to realize that I could really use any number of chopped nuts/seeds. And it turns out I LOVE tabbouleh! At least this version. You could certainly add more pepitas - but I like them as a small part of the overall salad.

Garlic chive blossoms

I also used some garlic chive blossoms instead of onion. These are all over the garden at the Northside homestead - and they are not actually related to the garlic plant (good for my garlic allergy) - and are more like chives. The blossoms taste like mild green onion, but with fun texture. I've been putting them in just about any fresh salad thing because they are so plentiful and pretty. Also they grow like crazy - I am going to bring some down to my house so they can be there for late in the season fresh onion-ness.

Paleo Tabbouleh
Huge bunch parsley (I used flat leaf cuz that's whats in my garden)
1/2 c chopped pepitas (or hemp seeds)
2 c cucumber, diced
1 c tomato, diced (use a nice sweet variety)
1/4 c red onion or garlic chive blossoms, diced
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
6 T olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

1. Mix parsley, pepitas, cucumbers, tomatoes and onion/chives in a bowl.
2. In a small bowl mix lemon juice, salt, and olive oil. Pour over tabbouleh. Serve!

Thai/Hmong Larb Salad

I have made this dish twice in the last few weeks because it is so great to eat with garden cucumbers and makes a really good work lunch. I used to make this salad back in my vegetarian days with mock duck (after discovering it at Chang Mai Thai restaurant), but that was years and years ago, and I had sort of forgotten about it. Then I went to the World Street Kitchen a few weeks ago and had the lemongrass meatballs wrapped in lettuce.* They triggered my memory of larb salad, which gets wrapped in lettuce or eaten with cucumbers (and rice, traditionally). I realized they are a perfect paleo food item - especially at this time of year.
*The meatballs and pickled cucumbers at WSKwere delicious, btw. I recommend them for some easy paleo eating out.)

I created a recipe based on a few I found online, and then "paleo-izing" them, which really just meant not using any rice flour. This recipe is also set up for what is currently in my garden...if it were green onion season, those would be in there instead of regular onions - so modify accordingly. Garlic would also be good, and is traditional - but I can't eat it so it is not in this version.

Larb Salad
1 T lard or coconut oil
1 lb ground or minced beef
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 tsp chili pepper flakes (or sliced/minced hot chili pepper)
1-2 Tbsp fish sauce, to taste
lime juice to taste (I use the juice of 1/2 a lime)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp coconut aminos/tamari
1 big handful chopped cilantro
2 big handfuls chopped mint
(some minced lemongrass or kafir lime leaves are also good if you have them)

1. Heat fat in pan and add onions. Saute until beginning to become translucent, then add chili pepper and beef. Cook until meat is browned.
2. Transfer beef/onion mix to a bowl, and stir in remaining ingredients. It should be well-seasoned and richly flavored since you eat it with crisp veggies. Adjust the lime juice/fish sauce/aminos to your liking.
3. Serve with lettuce and cucumbers - you can scoop the larb up on cucumber planks, or wrap the larb in lettuce. It's delicious! And translates well at room temp for a work lunch.

Citrus Salad with Fennel Vinaigrette

I saw this salad on the Bon Appetit website and decided I wanted to try it for these sesame clusters that topped the salad. But then when I made the sesame clusters, I opted to use stevia instead of sugar, and that was kind of a disaster. BUT, the dressing was AMAZING. I did use some honey in there - so that was partly it, but the fennel, shallots and ginger tasted brilliant together, especially with some fresh mandarin oranges in the salad too. I just skipped the sesame clusters after attempt one, but you can see them in the photo. If you want to make them, follow Bon appetit's recipe and just use the sugar!

As we slog through the last days of winter, I just want some fresh stuff! I've made a variation on this salad several times in the past month - and my favorite is to stick pretty true to the original recipe. It's a bit fancier than what I would ever make on my own, and though it is simple, the flavors are pretty bold.

Citrus Salad with Fennel Dressing (from Bon Appetit)

⅓ cup olive oil 

¼ small fennel bulb, finely chopped, plus ½ cup chopped fronds  

1 small shallot, finely chopped  

2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger 

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed  

¼ cup white wine vinegar  

2 tablespoons honey (or honey/stevia combo)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  

4 navel oranges, blood oranges, tangerines, and/or grapefruit  

10 cups mixed hardy salad greens (radicchio, frisée, endive, etc; about 1 lb) 

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

This one had less citrus and more dressing!

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped fennel, shallot, ginger, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring often, until tender (do not let brown), 8–10 minutes. Mix in vinegar and honey. Let cool; season with salt and pepper.

2. Finely grate 1 tsp. zest from 1 orange; set aside. Using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from all oranges; discard. Cut between membranes to release segments into a medium bowl; discard membranes. (This was far too fussy for me. I just peeled the mandarins and put the sections in the salad. I sliced my blood orange and cut off the peel...way easier, but less gorgeous I spose.)

3. Toss greens, parsley, fennel fronds, oranges, and dressing in a large bowl. Serve topped with reserved orange zest.

Chicken with Olives and Lemon (+ Carrot Salad)

After making paleo bastila last month, I got inspired to get some Moroccan cookbooks from the library. One of them is my favorite so far, with stunning photos and lots of great recipes: The Food of Morocco. Yesterday I made a couple of recipes - one of the chicken/olive/preserved lemon ones (there are at least 6 or 8 different recipes focused on these three ingredients), and a traditional carrot salad. I LOVED the carrot salad - it was spicy and fresh tasting, and the chicken was good too.

It was the first time I tried cooking a chicken on a can - it was super easy and cooked faster than roasting and got a nice crispy skin. Plus it was very comical to see the chicken all standing upright on a can! Why is that so funny and bizarre? I will totally cook chickens this way form now on - though probably I'll go even simpler and not even do the sauce. The sauce was good, and had nice preserved lemon flavor - but also not totally necessary for me. My adaptation below does not include garlic or saffron, but put both in if you have them!

I served the whole feast with some cauliflower couscous and ate a stuffed date for dessert. Yum.

Carrot Salad with Cumin, Cinnamon, and Sweet Paprika
1 pound (6-8) carrots, trimmed
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sugar (or 1 drop stevia)
fine sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

1. Early in the day, or the day before: Steam carrots over boiling water until just tender, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Dice the carrots and put in a bowl. Mix with the spices, lemon juice, sugar, and pinch of salt. Cool, then cover and chill until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, correct the seasoning with salt. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.

Roast Chicken on a Faux Spit with Lemon and Olives 
One 3 1/2 pound chicken
1 preserved lemon
Coarse salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3 T chopped flat leaf parsley
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T ghee
1 c chicken stock
2 med onions, grated, rinsed, and squeezed dry
12 green-ripe or red olives, pitted*

1. About 4 hours before serving, rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry. Slide your fingers under the skin to loosen the flesh.

After cooking the wings tucked themselves in!

2. Remove the pulp from the preserved lemon, chopping and saving the peel for the sauce. Add the lemon pulp (4 cloves garlic and saffron water if using), 1 tsp salt, ginger, pepper, turmeric, herbs, oil, and ghee to a blender and grind to a paste. Insert some of the paste under the chicken skin, and "massage" onto the flesh. Put some of the paste in the cavity, and rub the rest all over the skin. Put the chicken in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
3. About 2 hours before you plan to serve the chicken, remove it from the fridge. Position a rack on the lowest shelf of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Set a beer/soda can in a shallow baking dish, and stand the chicken on it. Add one cup of water to the pan, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, until a thermometer set deep into the inner thigh reaches 165 degrees.
5. Meanwhile, add the chicken stock to the marinade bowl, then scrape all the liquid and marinade into a 9" skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the onions turn golden brown (10-15 minutes). Add the olives and reserved lemon peel and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.
7. Meanwhile, skim the fat from the juices in the baking dish (I actually just added all the juices, fat included), add the juices to the skillet, and boil down to a thick, unctuous sauce.
8. Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce.

*I had a hard time finding unflavored olives, so used some of the kalamata type ones. Because they are brined with vinegar and other spices, I did several cold water rinses to get ride of it so that the olives would not taste strange in this dish.

Whole30 Update and Carrot Beet Salad

I am at the three week mark of my Whole30, and am feeling pretty good. I'm eating some occasional fruit, but my biggest splurge was when I ate a date last weekend. This is the most sweetener-free I have ever been, and I notice I am very aware of a sober sort of feeling. I have certainly had some days/emotions come up where I've wanted to eat chocolate or something, and I've eaten a good share of frozen coconut macadamia nut bars instead, but its not like I can eat a lot of them - they are just too filling. And really, even if I ate lot of them, I don't know that I would have any negative side effects.

One feature of the Whole30 that I hadn't really expected was how easy it helps me be with my food boundaries. I've had a long road of that - initially feeling like I was being rude for turning down food that was made/brought for me, and sometimes eating stuff because it was gluten free and looked delicious even if it maybe wasn't what I felt good about eating (some really mediocre wedding cake for example). Maybe it's because the Whole30 is so clear, I just have not had a problem or felt tempted. 

Yesterday I happened to look at The Heavy Table for something or other, and also saw a link to a new bakery that is opening up near my house this month. It's a cupcake place, and for whatever reason I thought I'd peruse their cupcakes. Honestly, it's kind of crazy to see that much sugar. I was fascinated to watch myself not feel pulled in/interested in eating them (the gluten free ones). I don't know if that will last since I don't plan to keep up with the rigid boundaries, but I'm curious about the craving landscape and how it changes.

I've been eating lots of cooked veggies of late: squash and kale, cauliflower and carrots. Frozen peas were on sale so I made pea puree and ate almost all that I made (a whole bag of frozen peas! it was so good). This salad was nice for lunch one afternoon though - fresh and raw, and with veggies and mint from the garden. Soon I'll need to pull all the carrots and beets, so I need to start eating them all up! The original recipe contains honey, but I omitted that, and added olive oil.

2 c grated carrots (about 3 carrots)
1 c grated fresh beets (about 1 medium beet)
1/2 c golden raisins or dried cherries
1/2 tsp paprika (sweet, not hot)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Small pinch of cayenne
2+ Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp (sliced) fresh mint leaves

1. Combine carrots, beets, and raisins in a bowl.
2. Mix remaining ingredients (except mint) together in a jar or small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad. This salad will taste best after it sits for an hour or two so the dressing can permeate the veggies. Toss in the mint just before serving. (I love mint, so used the leaves whole. You can also slice them for a more subtle taste!)

Garden Veggie Salad with Sardines

This week has been fairly uneventful on the food front - my daily routine is to get home from work, eat dinner, go for a walk, and watch some Lynx basketball before getting into bed and reading a bit. Except sometimes eating dinner and watching basketball overlap a little, which I don't actually like doing but is tempting anyway - it's a slippery slope if I am waiting for something to cook and just want to see the start of a game or something. I've become a super Lynx fan lately - I watch all of our games of course (mostly at home via "Live Access" where you can watch every WNBA game for $15 a year or some such), but I also started watching some of the other teams - especially the good ones who "we" will likely play in the coming weeks in the play offs. I'm finding it all very exciting.

The Lynx really have nothing to do with today's salad - which has everything to do with the current garden haul. It is a new time of bounty because the beets and carrots are finally sweet and ready to eat. And they are gorgeous! The carrots especially with the multi-color variety.

Each weekend I spend a day at the northside homestead watering and harvesting and maybe pickling or freezing or pesto-ing. And then I pack up a big haul of veggies to bring home and eat throughout the week. Most all of them made an appearance in today's salad: beets, carrots, green beans, cukes, arugula, and tomatoes, plus some dill and parsley. 

Garden Veggie Salad with Sardines: Assemble whatever veggies you've got!

Handful arugula
1/2 carrot, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
Cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Sliced boiled beet*
Blanched green beans**
Fresh herbs: dill, parsley
Tin sardines
Dressing: olive oil from sardines, sherry vinegar, mustard, mayo (opt), salt, pepper.

*Beets: I've been boiling my beets in one batch each week so that I can have sliced beets whenever I want. They are great in so many ways, or plain with a little vinegar, olive oil, and salt.Bring pot of water to a boil. Put in beets (skin on) and boil for 30-45 minutes, depending on size, until tender. Remove and chill in cold water; remove beet skin with thumb.
**Green Beans: Add green beans to boiling water for 1-2 minutes; remove and cool in cold water.

Cucumber Sardine Boats

Happy over-the-hump of the heat wave! Earlier this week I looks at the temps, and seeing all those hot red sun images on the 7-day-forecast (they are gone now) inspired me to think about going up north for the weekend. There is a high of 75 along northern Lake Superior (think Beaver Bay and Grand Marais) - but still hot in Ely and inland from the Lake. So I think My Charming Companion and I are going to try a spontaneous mini Superior Hiking Trail trip for a couple of days. I have never hiked the trail, so this seems a very mild introduction to see how it goes. I haven't actually been hiking in close to 10 years, and my backpack was quite cobwebby when I pulled it out of the garage. But 2 days!? Why not.

I bought a roasted chicken so that I could just eat that (cold) all week rather than cook. And I've had smoothies and cobb salads (with cucumbers instead of cheese & avocado), lots of pickles, and sardine salad boats - aka, sardine salad in a cucumber. They are easy to eat, sort of akin to an open faced sandwich, and perfect on a 95 degree day. You could also do the filling in small cucumbers for a festive appetizer or potluck sort of item. You know - anything easily picked up and eaten makes a good candidate for a potluck.

Wild Planet sardines are on sale at the Co-ops again - only $2 each (I think only til Sept though). I bought more than a case full because it seems handy to have these on hand. I started using sardines in place of canned tuna for "tuna" salad just because sardines are more sustainable and are so good for you. Sardine salad is a little more wet - though I imagine that is partly because I get them packed in oil as opposed to the water packed tuna.

Cucumber Sardine Boat
2-4 cucumbers (depending on their size), sliced in half, seeds removed
One tin sardines
2 T Mayo
2 T Fresh herbs: I used Dill and Parsley, chopped
Either pickles or olives, chopped
2 T red onion, minced
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2 T Toasted pistachios, chopped

Mix everything but the pistachios (and cucumbers, obviously!) in a bowl. Spoon into hollowed/de-seeded cucumber "boats" and sprinkle with pistachios.

To-go cucumber boats!

Creamy cucumber salad

Poona Keera

Cucumber mania! I planted three kinds of cucumbers this year, and they all have been delicious. One is a standard pickling cuke (National Pickling), another is a long english variety (Sweet Success), and the third, my favorite, is a brown/white skinned cucumber that is really crunchy and delicious and "never bitter" (says the seed catalog). It's an heirloom from India called Poona Keera.

Pickler in front, Poona Keera in back

The Sweet Success were the most prolific last week, and I used those to make a really simple, super refreshing and tasty salad. The recipe was created by My Charming Companion - so all credit goes there for the clever use of coconut milk and fresh herbs. Actually, this dressing makes an excellent ranch alternative - it would be great on all kinds of salads (slaw, green salads, etc) and is nice and creamy and super fresh tasting with the fresh herbs. I actually don't even know how to describe this salad - it's like a more salad-y raita maybe? 

The salad can be prepared any number of ways: I thinly sliced the cucumbers, but I've also done a rough chop. You can peel the cukes or not, remove the seeds or keep them in. Add tomatoes, and switch up the herbs. *Note that cucumbers do seem to get watery if you make a salad like this and are saving some or making enough for left overs. Removing the seeds will decrease the excess water.

Creamy cucumber salad
3-4 cucumbers (any variety will do), sliced thin or chopped
1 small red onion, sliced thin or minced
1 c coconut milk
1/4 c combined fresh mint and parsley
1/4 c olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard powder
pinch of cumin
black pepper

1. Prepare your cucumbers and onions however you like and toss together in a bowl.
2. In a blender mix coconut milk and herbs. You want the herbs to mix in really well and get minced. Add remaining ingredients and continue to blend until thoroughly combined. Toss dressing with cucumbers and onions and serve!

Since eating the salad listed here, I've also had a variation using dill, parsley and garlic scape buds in the dressing (rather than mint) with cucumbers and tomatoes - see photo. Yum. It also looked really pretty with a blend of the white and darker green cukes. So festive!

Beet and Sardine salad

My co-worker is not a beet eater and every year, to my delight, she brings me the beets from her CSA. My garden beets are just a bit slow (they aren't in the sunniest garden spot) and aren't quite ready yet, so these were a treat. While perusing the beet section in Tender, I came across a recipe for beets and marinated mackerel. I used it as inspiration to make something simpler - with sardines and a bit of arugula added in. Nigel Slater says that oily fish (sardines, mackerel and herring) are a perfect accompaniment to beets, and based on this dish I agree!

Spring beets are so nice and small, you can boil them on the stove top and they are ready in 20-30 minutes. They peel easily after they cool - just use your thumbs and fingers to press off the beet skin and watch your fingers turn pink. Once the beets are made, this is a super quick salad. I ended up using some of my pickled onions, but regular ones would work too. I also had purchased a tin of Bela sardines (the Wedge carries them) - usually I get the Wild Planet ones - and wanted to try them for a taste comparison. (The Bela's are the fave from Nom Nom Paleo.) They definitely look different than the Wild Planet sardines, and they tasted delicious. I don't know that I could tell a difference by taste alone between the two products though, and the Bela's cost a bit more for fewer ounces.

Beet and Sardine Salad
3 small beets, cooked/boiled and peeled
handful arugula, chopped
fresh dill, chopped
pickled (or regular red onions), sliced thin
one tin sardines packed in lemon olive oil
juice of half lemon
1 t dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Slice beets thickly and arrange on a plate over arugula. Remove sardines from tin, reserving olive oil, and lay sardines and onions on salad. Mix sardine olive oil, lemon juice, dill, mustard and salt and pepper together and pour over salad.

This tasted really good - the beets were sweet and almost creamy tasting with the sardines. I also think you could forgo the arugula entirely. It wasn't necessary, though I enjoyed it as a surface with which to eat more of the dressing on. Next time, I will go straight up beets and no lettuce - the simplicity is appealing to really taste the strong flavors.