Salads

May – Balsamic Skirt Steak and Chili Cherry Tomatoes
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May – Balsamic Skirt Steak and Chili Cherry Tomatoes

A butcher here on the coast told me recently that skirt steak was only of interest in the summer when folks used their BBQs, so they didn’t stock it right now. I mean really…we don’t live in the middle of Montana where temperatures are in the negative double digits in the winter! Can you imagine anything more ridiculous? Unless it’s pouring rain outside, BBQ weather on the California coast is 12 months of the year.

Consequently, the skirt steak didn’t come from our local market here on the coast. I purchased a couple from my favorite butcher in Oakland and froze them on my return to Fort Bragg.

Now tomatoes are a different matter. Nothing compares with summer sun-ripened tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have to stand in during the cooler months and they could use some doctoring. I would serve this tomato salad with any grilled or roasted meat. In the summer it would be fun to use cherry tomatoes of different colors.

Balsamic Skirt Steak with Chili Cherry Tomatoes

Balsamic Skirt Steak with Chili Cherry Tomatoes

Skirt steak cooks very quickly, it took longer to heat the BBQ grill. It also has different thicknesses, so everyone can have their favorite degree of doneness. Make the cherry tomato salad ahead, it will only improve from sitting at room temperature for a few hours. You can add the arugula (or basil if you are lucky enough to have it) at the last minute.

Balsamic Skirt Steak with Chili Cherry Tomatoes

Balsamic Skirt Steak with Chili Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • For the marinade –
    • 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
    • 1/4 cup of olive oil
    • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
    • 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, such as a combination of rosemary, basil, and sage – finely chopped
  • For the steak –
    • 3 pounds of a skirt or hanger steak
    • 1 basket of cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced (I used 1/2 since one person is sensitive to heat)
    • 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
    • 1 garlic clove grated
    • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
    • 1 bunch of basil or arugula

Method:

  1. Whisk the marinade ingredients in a 1-gallon plastic bag or a bowl.
  2. Cut the steak into manageable pieces.
  3. Season the steak with salt and pepper and pour the marinade over it. Marinate overnight.
  4. Make the tomato salad by tossing the tomatoes with the salt and the chili pepper. Stir in the vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. Set aside until the steak is grilled.
  5. Grill the steak over high heat for a few minutes on each side, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  6. Toss the tomatoes with the basil or arugula.
  7. Cut the steak into manageable pieces, and scatter the tomato salad on top.
Marinated and Grilled Skirt Steak with Spicy Cherry Tomato Salad

Marinated and Grilled Skirt Steak with Spicy Cherry Tomato Salad

 

Balsamic Skirt Steak with Chili Cherry Tomatoes

Balsamic Skirt Steak with Chili Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe came from Malibu Farm Cookbook, Recipes from the California Coast by Helene Henderson.

Malibu Farm Cookbook

Malibu Farm Cookbook

May – Carrot and Saffron Socca
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May – Carrot and Saffron Socca

Saffron Socca or chickpea pancake seasoned with saffron and topped with thinly sliced carrots and radishes, garnished with a carrot top pesto

Carrot and Saffron Socca

What is socca? It’s a pancake made with chickpea flour. A more complete explanation comes from Google:

Farinata, socca, torta di ceci, or cecina is a type of thin, unleavened pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flour. It originated in Italy and later became a typical food of the Ligurian Sea coast, from Nice to Sardinia and Elba islands. It is also typical in Gibraltar, where it is called calentita.

Socca is gluten-free and dairy free. In this recipe crumbled feta is added to the salad, leave it out for a dairy-free and vegan meal.

The recipe comes from salad freak by Jess Damuck.

There are a couple of ways I will change this when I make it next time. Suggestion number one has to do with the batter. The socca batter is baked in a 12-inch cast-iron or round griddle pan. The pancake was quite thick and although it was crisp on the outside, it was more like a regular fluffy pancake in the middle. The salad makes enough for two pancakes. And there is enough batter to make two thinner pancakes, which would be crisper.

Suggestion number two is that I would dress the salad with a tablespoon of mild vinegar, two of olive oil, salt, and pepper. The pesto would be dolloped on top, each person could mix it in as desired. I felt it was lost as a dressing for the salad.

I plan to make this again very soon with the changes noted above. Meanwhile, I will post this as it was written in the book, let me know what you think.

Saffron Socca or chickpea pancake seasoned with saffron and topped with thinly sliced carrots and radishes, garnished with a carrot top pesto

Carrot and Saffron Socca

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of fresh carrots with their tops. Peel the carrots and reserve the tops
  • 2 lemons
  • 3 radishes
  • 3 scallions
  • Fresh chives with their flowers
  • 1/3 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
  • Big pinch of saffron
  • 1 cup of chickpea flour
  • 1 cup of lukewarm water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil

For the pesto and salad:

  • 1/3 cup of olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of sliced almonds, toasted
  • Crushed red pepper flakes

 

Saffron Socca or chickpea pancake seasoned with saffron and topped with thinly sliced carrots and radishes, garnished with a carrot top pesto

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, and place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or round griddle inside

Prepare the socca batter –

  1. Add a big pinch of saffron to the 1 cup of lukewarm water, and let it seep for 10 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of chickpea flour and 1 teaspoon of salt (kosher), add the saffron water and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Prepare the pesto –

  1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Put a bowl of water in the sink with some ice cubes, this will be your ice bath.
  3. Remove the tops for the carrots, discarding any tough stems or wilted leaves. Rinse the tops well until clean. Add them to the boiling water and cook for about 30 seconds, until bright green. Transfer the tops to the ice bath with a slotted spoon or spider. Once cool, remove the tops and squeeze out any excess moisture. Spread them on paper towels or a tea towel to dry completely.
  4. Once dry, finely chop them in a small bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup of olive oil, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Taste and season with salt. (I used a mini food processor for this step.)

Prepare the salad –

  1. Using a Y-peeler or a mandoline, create thin ribbons from the carrots.
  2. Thinly slice the radishes.
  3. Add both vegetables to the ice bath used for the carrot tops. This will crisp them while you cook the socca.
  4. Slice the scallions and chives (if using)

Make the socca –

  1. Carefully remove the preheated pan from the oven and place it on top of the stove.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the scallions and cook until softened.
  3. Carefully pour the batter into the pan and return it to the oven.
  4. Bake until golden brown and completely set – 10 to 12 minutes. For additional color, you can broil it for a couple of minutes.

Assemble –

  1. Drain the carrots and radishes, pat them dry, and add them to a bowl. Toss with a few spoonfuls of the pesto, 1/2 cup of toasted almonds, 1/3 cup of crumbled feta, and the chives.
  2. Scatter this mixture on top of the socca and serve with the pepper flakes on the side.
Saffron Socca or chickpea pancake seasoned with saffron and topped with thinly sliced carrots and radishes, garnished with a carrot top pesto

Carrot and Saffron Socca

 

Saffron Socca or chickpea pancake seasoned with saffron and topped with thinly sliced carrots and radishes, garnished with a carrot top pesto

Carrot and Saffron Socca

Everything could be made ahead, baked, and assembled at the last minute. Other recipes I have seen for socca call for letting the batter rest, in the fridge, for several hours. The salad would be more flavorful if it had a chance to soak up some of the dressing. Goat cheese would be a good stand in for the feta.

It’s a wonderful, light, flavorful meal. It could even be a starter, cut into small portions.

 

May – Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad
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May – Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

This recipe comes from Pinch of Yum. They call it Miso Crunch Salad and you can find the link to their blog here. It’s Asian-ish and would go wonderfully with any grilled protein. They add shrimp to make it a full meal, chicken would be equally delicious, even some leftover grilled steak. I served this as a salad with gochujang marinated grilled chicken. Leftover chicken was added to the salad for lunch the next day.

Thai influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

The salad was still crunchy and delicious for lunch two days later. This would be a good salad to take to a party. It does contain peanuts but any other spiced nut would work. I only modified the recipe slightly, adding thinly sliced red onion and radishes.

Ingredients:

Dressing – 

  • 1/3 cup of avocado or other neutral oil
  • 1/3 cup of lime juice from 4-6 limes
  • 1/4 cup of white miso
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Salad –

  • 5 cups of shredded kale
  • 5 cups of shredded cabbage (a cole slaw mix would work here)
  • 1/2 cup of thinly sliced red onion
  • 4 thinly sliced radishes
  • 1 cup of chili-flavored peanuts or something similar
  • 2 avocados, chunked
  • 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup of sliced scallions (optional)

Method:

  1. Shake the dressing ingredients together in a jar, whisk in a bowl, or mix in a small food processor until smooth. Add a few drops of water if it seems too thick.
  2. Toss the salad together with the dressing in a large bowl and massage slightly.
Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

BBQ season is starting and the folks over at Fiesta Friday might want to keep this in their back pocket. It’s Fiesta Friday #483 hosted by Angie and co-hosted this week by Pauline @ Beautiful Voyager

Click on the link to view recipe, craft, and decorating posts.

April – Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad
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April – Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad

Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad

Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad

The inspiration for this dish came from the cookbook salad freak by Jess Damuck. Of all the cookbooks I own (and there are many), this one has the most earmarked pages. The original recipe called for snap peas, snow peas, pea tendrils, and creme fraiche, none of which were on hand. However, I did have a bunch of fresh asparagus, arugula, and sour cream in the fridge. And, always, frozen peas in the freezer. If you are lucky enough to have snap and snow peas, please feel free to substitute. Only have green beans? Go for it. Baby baby carrots with peas would be a classic combination, and colorful as well. I think the only rule is to blanch the vegetables so they are still crisp-tender. What do I mean? A bit of bite but not raw.

I dislike the restaurant trend of undercooked vegetables.

I think this is the perfect dish to celebrate spring. If you can get fresh-shelled peas from the farmer’s market or your vegetable garden, please use them. Their tendrils could replace the arugula or spinach. If not, frozen peas (I always have a bag in the freezer) will be just fine. Put them in a colander and run boiling water over them. That’s all they need. When our child was a toddler we called them “ice peas”. They were a favorite, still frozen.

Wild Spring Onions

Wild Spring Onions

I have a patch of wild spring onions in the garden and used some of the flowers in the salad. Chive flowers would be lovely if you happen to have some.

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 1 large bunch of asparagus (about a pound), cut on the bias into pieces about 1 inch long
  • 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 handfuls of baby spinach or arugula
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 pound of fresh salmon, skin removed (cut into 4 portions)
  • 2 tablespoons of sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons of grainy mustard
  • 1/3 cup of finely chopped pistachios
  • 1 tablespoon of white wine or white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F or 165 degrees C
  2. Pat the salmon dry, season it with salt and pepper, and place it in a baking dish with what would have been the skin side down.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of the sour cream with the 2 tablespoons of mustard. Smear this mixture over the salmon and sprinkle the pistachios on top to coat the fish.
  4. Prepare a bowl with ice water in the sink.
  5. Put the peas (if frozen) into a colander in the sink.
  6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the asparagus, blanch for 2 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Use a spider or tongs to transfer the asparagus to the bowl of ice water. If you are using fresh-shelled peas, you can add them to the boiling water with the asparagus and add them to the ice water as well.
  7. If using frozen peas (which are now in the colander), pour the remaining boiling water over them to defrost and cook them slightly.
  8. Bake the salmon for 20 to 25 minutes if you prefer it completely opaque, and 15 minutes if you like it on the medium rare side. The timing will depend on the thickness of your fish.
  9. While the salmon is baking, prepare your dressing. In a small bowl, combine the zest and juice of one lemon, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk or mix well and season with salt and pepper.
  10. Drain and dry the vegetables on paper towels, then combine them with the greens in a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Garnish with edible flowers.
  11. Serve the salad alongside the salmon with additional lemon wedges.

 

 

 

 

 

November – Roast Vegetable Salad with Horseradish Goat Cheese
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November – Roast Vegetable Salad with Horseradish Goat Cheese

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Roasted Vegetable Salad

This is another recipe from salad freak.

salad freak

Salad Freak by Jess Damuck

I have found this book very inspiring, especially useful because I am not feeling very inspired in the kitchen these days. I seem to be there way too often since Covid hit. I served the salad as a side with a juicy steak off the grill, the horseradish goat cheese was a perfect match. This was also useful as a ‘clean out the fridge’ salad, you can use whatever is hanging out and needs to be roasted before the new week’s shopping. I found a small head of Romanesco cauliflower (or is it broccoli Romanesco?), some Brussels sprouts and carrots. With shallots and garlic cloves from the pantry it was a go. The original recipe adds fingerling potatoes. If you have some in your pantry or fridge, by all means add them. Just wash and cut them in half, no need to peel.

The important thing is to check the timing on the vegetables as some items may need longer or shorter times in the oven.

Broccoli Romanesco

Broccoli Romanesco

If you want some extra crunch, add toasted torn croutons. I find torn ones are much more interesting than ones cut into little squares. The craggy bits become that much more toasty.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Horseradish Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of small carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half (quartered if very large)
  • 1 small head of Romanesco cauliflower or regular, separated into florets
  • 4 shallots, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
  • 1 tablespoon of jarred horseradish
  • 2 lemons
  • 5 ounces of fresh goat cheese at room temperature
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups of fresh chopped parsley or arugula

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
  2. On a rimmed parchment lined baking sheet, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Separate them so they are not touching.
  3. On a second parchment lined baking sheet, toss the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, shallots, garlic and potatoes (if using) with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. They will roast to a toastier brown if cut side down.
  4. Roast the vegetables for about 25 minutes, then give them a toss. Roast for another 10 minutes until they are brown and crispy.
  5. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool a bit.
  6. Make the horseradish goat cheese. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the horseradish with the goat cheese, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper. Blend until whipped and smooth.
  7. Spread the roasted vegetables on a platter, squeeze the other lemon over and taste. Add more olive oil, salt and pepper as needed. Scatter the parsley or arugula on top and dollop with the horseradish goat cheese. Alternately you can first spread the horseradish goat cheese on the platter and arrange the salad on top.
Roast Vegetable Salad with Horseradish Goat Cheese

Roast Vegetable Salad with Horseradish Goat Cheese

Roast Vegetable Salad with Horseradish Goat Cheese

Roast Vegetable Salad with Horseradish Goat Cheese