Baked Beets Over Salt
Geoffrey Zakarian, chef at two of New York’s popular restaurants, Town and Country, says roasting beets brings out their sweetness and color: “Baking them on a bed of salt provides a stable temperature for thorough, even cooking. Serve with steamed or roasted whole fish or chicken. Just a touch of lemon juice helps offset their emerging sweetness. If you’re in a hurry, you can microwave them: Simply peel and slice them thick, stack them in a microwaveable dish in overlapping pattern, add a little salt, pepper, and olive oil, and zap them on high for 4 to 5 minutes.” From “Geoffrey Zakarian’s Town/Country,” serves 8 as a side dish.
Ingredients
1 pound kosher or coarse sea salt
8 medium beets, washed but unpeeled
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Leaves of 4 sprigs tarragon, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cover a medium sheet pan with kosher salt to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Place beets on the salt, evenly spaced, and lightly drizzle with some of the oil. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until done (check by inserting the tip of a sharp knife or metal skewer into a beet; if you encounter no resistance, the beets are done).
Remove the beets from the oven, transfer to a platter, and allow to cool. Peel the beets by hand while still warm but easy to handle. Cut them in large chunks, place them in a bowl, sprinkle with tarragon, lemon juice and olive oil to taste. Add a generous portion of cracked black pepper. Toss lightly and serve.
Spring Vegetable Platter with Aioli, Tarator and Warm Anchovy Bath
To avoid boring vegetable platters, focus on color and flavor, looking for veggies in peak condition. Allow a small handful of vegetables per guest. You can prepare the vegetables ahead of time, but make sure you cover them with a damp cloth and store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The three dips can be made a day in advance. From “Keep It Seasonal,” by Annie Wayte.
Ingredients
Baby carrots
Beans, such as dragon’s
tongue, romano or yellow wax, trimmed
Cooked baby beets, various colors
Fava beans, shelled, boiled for
1 minute, then plunged into cold water and the outer layer of skin removed
Fennell, tough exterior trimmed and cut into small wedges
Cooked artichoke hearts
New potatoes, cooked in salted water until tender
Celery hearts, trimmed
Thin asparagus spears, trimmed and peeled
Free-range eggs, boiled for approximately 6 minutes, chilled, then peeled and cut in half
Red chicory or Belgian endive leaves, trimmed
Directions
Arrange any combination of vegetables attractively on a large platter and serve with the three dips whose recipes follow.
Wine ideas: Aioli, tarator and warm anchovy sauce are addictive dips, so the primary consideration when it comes to wine is that you have enough of it. For me, this means going for the 1-liter bottles of Berger or Hofer grüner veltliner from Austria: The grape’s bright, crisp snap- pea flavor is made for vegetables, and the price – less than $15 – is right. -Tara Q. Thomas
Aioli
Garlic-flavored mayonnaise. Makes 1 cup.
Ingredients
1/2 clove garlic or 1 bulb spring garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sunflower oil or grapeseed oil
Lemon juice
Directions
Pound garlic with sea salt in a mortar and pestle, or process for a few seconds in a food processor. Add egg yolk and mix thoroughly until thick and gluey. Slowly trickle olive oil and sunflower oil into mixture, drop by drop, beating vigorously until emulsified. If it becomes too thick, add a drop of lemon juice and continue to beat until all the oil has been added. Adjust seasoning and consistency with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Note: Pregnant women, the elderly, the ill and those with immune system disorders should avoid eating raw eggs.
Tarator
A Turkish sauce made with walnuts, garlic and bread, tarator goes well with grilled meats, fish, and vegetables. Makes 3/4 cup.
Ingredients
1 slice white bread, crusts removed
1 clove garlic
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cayenne pepper
Directions
Place bread in a small bowl, add water to cover, and set aside to soak. Mash garlic, sea salt and nuts in a mortar and pestle until smooth, or process in a food processor. Squeeze water from bread and add bread to mortar (or processor) along with 1 tablespoon of the water. Work with the pestle (or process) until sauce is smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more water if you like. Stir in lemon juice and sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper.
Warm Anchovy Bath
This dip is salty, rich and unctuous. The best anchovies for this recipe come packaged in sea salt. Rinse and fillet them with your fingers. However, if you are working on a tight schedule, use anchovies packed in olive oil; remove them from the can and scrape off any excess oil. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Ingredients
1 bulb spring garlic or 3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
6 anchovy fillets
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
Generous splash red wine vinegar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Directions
Pound garlic, salt and pepper with a mortar and pestle to form a paste. Add anchovies and coarsely mash. Warm olive oil and butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add anchovy mixture, vinegar and zest. Simmer gently 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Serve warm.
Rhubarb Pick-Me-Up
Tiramisu is Italian for “pick-me-up” and this recipe is an adaptation of the popular Italian dessert of that name. From “Eating Outdoors,” serves 12.
Ingredients
1 pound rhubarb, chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed, plus extra to serve
6 large egg yolks
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon grappa or other white liqueur
2 egg whites
24 ladyfingers
To serve:
Confectioners’ sugar
3 whole star anise pods
Directions
Put the rhubarb in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then add 1/2 cup of the sugar and simmer for about 10 minutes until soft.
Put the rhubarb in a dish and add the anise seed. Stir well, then drain thoroughly and reserve the juice in a large, shallow container.
Put the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk until thick and creamy. Fold in the mascarpone and the grappa, then beat again until smooth.
Put the egg whites in a bowl, whisk until stiff, then fold into the mascarapone mixture.
Make a layer of ladyfingers in a glass dish, dipping each one in rhubarb juice as you do so. Cover the ladyfingers with half of the rhubarb, then half the mascarpone mixture. Make another layer of ladyfingers and cover the remaining rhubarb and mascarpone. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and a little aniseed and decorate with a few whole star anise pods.
Variation: Use stewed plums or blueberries instead of rhubarb.
Wine ideas: Rhubarb has such a tangy, almost tannic feel that it can be hard to pair with wines. The best match for this dish is a dose of the alcohol you put in it – for grappa, look for producers such as Jacopo Poli and Bertagnolli from Italy, or Germain-Robin from California.-Tara Q. Thomas
Chilled Spinach, Arugula and Watercress Soup
Plunging lightly cooked leaves and vegetables into ice water helps preserve their natural fresh green pigment. From “Eating Outdoors,” serves 4.
Ingredients
Olive oil, for frying
4 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 nutmeg, grated, plus extra to serve
1/3 cup white wine
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
8 ounces mixed spinach, arugula and watercress leaves
3/4 cup cream or yogurt
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
4 teaspoons cream
4 large leaves of arugula
Directions
Heat enough olive oil to cover the base of a frying pan, add shallots, garlic and nutmeg and fry over low heat until soft. Add wine and stock and bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Put spinach, arugula and watercress in a large pan containing 1 quart of lightly salted boiling water, gently submerge leaves with a spoon and blanch for 60 seconds. Drain. Plunge leaves into a bowl of ice water to chill quickly. Drain, squeezing out excess water with your hands. Put leaves and soup in a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency. Add the cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Ladle the soup into bowls, feather with cream and serve with arugula leaves and grated nutmeg.
Wine ideas: This chilled soup is so refreshing that it could serve as a cool drink on its own, but if you want to serve it with a glass of wine, try a sauvignon blanc. With light, grassy flavor, examples like Brander, Girard or Geyser Peak from California will meld well. -Tara Q. Thomas
Couscous-stuffed Red Bell Peppers
This is a quick and easy wasy to get some fresh spinach in your diet. From “Good for You,” makes 2 servings (2 pepper halves each).
Ingredients
1 box (5.7-ounce) roasted garlic and olive oil-flavored couscous
1 1/4 cups water
2 large red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook couscous in water as directed on box, omitting oil; cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in 8-inch square pan (2 quart) microwavable dish, arrange bell pepper halves; add 2 tablespoons water. Cover with microwavable waxed paper. Microwave on high 3-4 minutes or just until crisp-tender.
Stir spinach and cheese into couscous. Spoon mixture into pepper halves.
Wine ideas: Reflect the hue of the bell pepper with a rosé – its light strawberry flavors will do well against the cheese-enriched filling too. The south of France specializes in them, but California vintners like Calera and Verdad also do a good job. -Tara Q. Thomas
Glazed Baby Carrots
This recipe is about as easy as it gets. Kids love these glazed carrots because they are sweet, and parents like them because they aren’t too sweet! If you have trouble getting your kids to eat vegetables, problem solved. From “The
Family Kitchen,” serves 4-6.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound baby carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups chicken stock or
low-sodium broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a shallow saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until it bubbles. Add carrots and sauté about 2 minutes. Add sugar and sauté for another minute.
Add stock, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until liquid is almost evaporated and the carrots are soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Arugula, Grapefruit and Crayfish Salad
Like lobster, crayfish are so luxurious that it’s good to eat them only occasionally. You can cook them yourself, or buy cooked crays or lobsters, which will be easier – but you do need to make sure you’re buying something that was ideally cooked that morning and not a week before. If you can’t get crayfish or lobster, use cooked shrimp instead – allow about 6 ounces cooked weight per person. From “Salads,” by Peter Gordon, serves 4.
Ingredients
1 thumb-sized piece of very fresh and young ginger (if the skin is too dark and dry you can use pickled sushi ginger, also called gari, from Japanese food stores)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or use 3 tablespoons lemon juice)
2 tablespoons mirin (or use 2 tablespoons superfine sugar)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large grapefruit, segmented, all juice reserved
3 avocados
Large handful of arugula
4 crayfish or lobster, each about 14 ounces, cooked and the flesh removed
Chive dressing:
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 tablespoon avocado oil
Directions
Thinly slice the ginger using a mandoline or very sharp knife, then cut the slices into fine julienne strips. Mix with the lime juice, mirin, and 2 pinches of salt, and leave to cure for 10 minutes, during which time it will pinken a little and lose its raw edge.
Segment the grapefruit and add any juices that drip off to the ginger. Place the segments in a small bowl. Cut the avocados in half and twist out the seed. Scoop out the flesh in one piece with a large spoon, then cut it into fat wedges.
To make the chive dressing, mix the chives with the oils and season with a little black pepper.
To serve, divide the arugula and avocado among 4 plates and lay the crayfish meat on top, then scatter with the grapefruit segments and the ginger and its juices. Drizzle the chive dressing on last of all, mixing as you do so.
Wine ideas: Spain’s albariño grape makes wines with rich texture yet transparent, savory flavor – perfect for the light but rich flavor of sweet shellfish. Albariños often tend to be affordable, too, so you can spring for this dish more often. Burgans, Condes de Albarei and Nora make good examples in the under-$15 realm. -Tara Q. Thomas
