celery root gratin with apple and blue cheese

Those of you who read last year's post on Thanksgiving know that, until recently, I'd lost touch with this holiday. Several things led to the rift between Thanksgiving and I. I left home for college, then grad school. My grandparents passed away. I spent several years living abroad. The ties to that steadfast notion of “home” from my childhood grew thinner and thinner until one day they were gone. Eroded by time and distance and my own apathy and self-centeredness, I suppose. For a long time, I simply couldn’t be bothered to make much of an effort.

But as I wrote last year, I've begun to embrace Thanksgiving again. I am married and settled and happy, with friends and family nearby and work that I love. Beau and I are talking about enlarging our own little family. 

I spent my 20s and most of my 30s ping-ponging around the globe, looking for The Thing that would click my life flawlessly into place. I wanted the coolest job. The most enviable husband. A perfectly decorated house with a closet full of the chicest clothes. But of course I’ve finally realized things are perfect right here--in this home I’ve built for myself. It’s far from flawless, but it’s all mine. And it has nothing to do with what I own.

This is not a new tale, I know. But it makes me happy to think on it. And it makes me particularly happy to look forward to Thanksgiving again. This year, we’ll be attending Friendsgiving at our friends Alex and Kelsey’s house. There will likely be a ridiculous amount of food, far too much wine and hopefully a highly-competitive game of Celebrities afterwards. (I kill at Celebrities. And yes, I’m one of those people when it comes to boardgames. You've been warned.)

I’m thinking I might bring this Celery Root Gratin with Apple and Blue Cheese to dinner. I always feel like serving this dish is cheating a little though, since it’s virtually impossible for guests not to like it. It’s got thinly sliced potato and earthy celery root, bathed in crème fraîche and baked until meltingly tender. There’s apple for a hint of sweetness and blue cheese adds a savory, salty, umami layer. Emerging from the oven golden and bubbling, this gratin is sexy enough to serve as a vegetarian main. And of course, it plays well with turkey and stuffing and especially tart cranberry sauce. 

As I type this and think about a Thanksgiving full of friends and games and comfort food, I realize I actually can’t wait for next Thursday. This year, it seems I have a little extra something to be thankful for. 

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Celery Root Gratin with Apple and Blue Cheese

• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pound celery root, peeled, halved and sliced ⅛ inch thick
• 1 large russet potato (weighing about 1 lb), peeled, halved and sliced ⅛ inch thick
• 1 large sweet-tart apple, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced ⅛ inch thick
• Coarse salt and freshly-ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups crème fraîche
• 6 ounces blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

*Notes: If you haven’t worked with celery root (also called celeriac) before, note that they have a gnarled root end that is almost always full of dirt and will have to be cut off completely. I call for a 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pound celery root to make up for lost root end. Once your celery root is cleaned, it should weigh somewhere between 14 oz and 1 lb. But a gratin is a very accommodating thing; a little more or less celery root, potato or apple won’t hurt anything.

- You can make this in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish if you like. The gratin will be thinner and there will be more of the crispy, golden-brown top to go around. This is an especially good option if you’re going to serve the gratin as part of a holiday buffet for a lot of people. I prefer to make it in a smaller roasting pan (the one pictured measures 8 x 12 inches), which yields thicker slices. 

- This dish has always been a crowd-pleaser for me and I’ve had many sworn blue cheese haters ask for seconds. If you’re serving this to anyone who claims to dislike blue cheese (!), I have two recommendations: First, use a mild, creamy and salty blue cheese rather than a dryer, more pungent one. I recommend Fourme d’Ambert or Bleu d’Auvergne. These two French blues are delicious, fairly mild and have the added bonus of being inexpensive as far as cheeses go. A second, sneakier, option is to fail to mention that the gratin contains blue cheese. A lot of people never even realize it's there.

- If you really, REALLY hate blue cheese, just substitute another sharp, salty cheese. Sharp white cheddar or an aged gruyère would be delicious.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and generously butter a medium baking dish or roasting pan. Arrange half of the celery root, potato and apple slices in the pan. For this first layer, you don’t need to arrange the slices very artfully as they won’t be seen, just be sure to distribute them evenly over the bottom so each bite contains some celery root, apple and potato. Generously salt and pepper this layer. Stir the  crème fraîche to loosen the consistency then pour half over the top. Spread it to the edges with a flexible spatula, if necessary. Crumble half the blue cheese over the crème fraîche.

For the top layer, neatly arrange the slices of celery root, potato and apple, overlapping them as necessary to fit them in your pan. Generously salt and pepper this layer then cover with the remaining crème fraîche and blue cheese.

Bake the gratin for 20 minutes then cover with aluminum foil and bake until the potatoes are tender (they take the longest to cook through), about 30 minutes more. Check for doneness with a paring knife; you should feel almost no resistance when you insert the knife into the gratin. Take off the aluminum foil and continue to bake until the top is deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Remove the gratin from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped chives just before serving. 

Makes about 6 servings.

swiss chard and winter squash salad with pomegranate vinaigrette

I’m a little later getting this post up than I’d hoped. This is mainly because I was in a foul mood when I returned to Seattle from my trip to Portugal, Brussels and Paris. 

Monday was especially rough. I woke to a gunmetal sky and crushing rain. The idea of returning to the daily mundanities of doing dishes, answering email and paying bills left me huddled beneath the covers, imagining myself back to the limestone streets of Lisbon. Eventually, I managed to roll out of bed, dress and get on with the business of day-to-day life. 

Somewhere in the middle of this stormy week, a small shift took hold. I unpacked my suitcases and fell into the familiar rhythms of cooking breakfast, doing laundry, watering plants. I snuggled my cat and brewed pots of tea. I settled into being Home.

When I was finally ready to sit down and write this post, it occurred to me that those little rituals of home are what cured me of my post-travel blues. And none more so than the pleasure of being back in my own kitchen, cooking for loved ones.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And while I’m not a huge fan of all the holiday pomp, I am ever in favor of cooking for those you love. I made this salad for Beau and I this week and realized that it would be right at home on the holiday table. Any leftover salad is wonderful with pieces of roast chicken (or turkey) tossed in. And I have a hunch that a few spoonfuls of cranberry sauce would play right along with the sweet squash and toasty pine nuts. 

I’m finally feeling happy to be home. I’m looking forward to the traditions that make the holidays bright. And, more than ever, I’m appreciating the little rituals that connect our days. For me, one of those rituals is sharing my travels and photos and recipes with you. So thank you for being here, part of the home it feels so good to return to!

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Swiss Chard and Winter Squash Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 2 lbs. delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch thick half moons
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for roasting the squash
• Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 small shallot, minced (should yield 2-3 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly torn if large
• 3 tablespoons mint leaves, roughly torn if large
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta

* Notes: I like the way the delicata looks in this salad and the fact that you don’t have to peel it , but any winter squash will work here. If you’re using a different squash, I recommend cutting it into 3/4 cubes (for a squash like butternut) or 1/2 inch slices (for a squash like acorn). Cook time will vary depending on the squash and how thickly you’ve cut it, but should range from 20-35 minutes.

- For this salad, I look for Swiss chard with white stems. The ones with red and orange stems have a mineral beet flavor that I don't like as well in this recipe.

- I use lacinato kale in raw salads because I think it's the most tender. 

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the squash on the sheet pan and toss with olive oil to lightly coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast, turning squash after 10 minutes, until light golden-brown and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes total. When the squash is done roasting, set it aside to cool.

While the squash is cooking, make the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, combine the shallot, red wine vinegar, pomegranate molasses, a generous pinch of salt and a few grindings of black pepper. If you have time, let this sit for 10-15 minutes to mellow the shallot. Whisk in 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

To assemble, place the Swiss chard and kale in a large bowl. Add the mint, parsley, 2/3 of the cooled squash and half the pine nuts to the bowl with the greens. Lightly dress the salad with the vinaigrette. Taste and add a bit more dressing if necessary. Arrange the salad on a serving platter and top with the rest of the squash and pine nuts. Crumble the feta over the top and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

spring slaw with herb-roasted salmon

As you’ve probably figured out from previous posts, I am not the best at keeping things short and sweet.

This is part of the reason I don’t post as often as some. I love the meandering process of creating new recipes. Paging through cookbooks. Weaving my way through the farmers market. Testing. Tweaking. Pulling linens and china and silverware to find just the right pieces to set the mood. Then photographing. And finally, finding the words to describe a memory sparked by a dish, or the grain of inspiration from which it came.

As to whether I regret this slow pace, I am of two minds. 

I post here to share recipes and thoughts and experiences. To encourage others to cook and travel and gather around the table with friends new and old. Part of me would like to share more. And more often.

And part of me knows that rushing the process would erode the joy. And likely the quality of what I create as well. 

But there is, of course, a time for short and sweet.

Right now I’m in Europe doing all sorts of marvelous things--taking a photography workshop, leading culinary tours in Paris, and doing research for a tour of Portugal in the fall. When I get back home, summer will have arrived. But I didn’t want to leave you without any spring recipe inspiration.

So here’s a recipe I put together to celebrate the tender spring produce that should be hitting farmers markets right about now. It’s my interpretation of a delicious spring vegetable slaw I had at Manolin in Seattle. (If you’re going to be anywhere near Seattle, you need to get on over there, pronto!)

In my version, tender shaved asparagus is the star of the show. Its delicate nuttiness is beautiful against a handful of sweet shelling and snap peas. And the cruciferous tang of thinly sliced baby turnips and broccoli stalks is balanced with a creamy honey-almond vinaigrette.

This crunchy slaw is great on its own or piled high on top of a simple filet of roasted fish. Either way, it comes together in no time, short and sweet--and just right for a fresh, springtime supper.

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Spring slaw with herb-roasted salmon

• 1 recipe herb-roasted salmon (see below)
• ½ cup whole almonds
• ½ cup neutral-tasting oil (I used sunflower seed oil)
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Pinch salt
• Pinch cayenne
• 3 tablespoons homemade or best quality store-bought mayonnaise
• 12 oz. asparagus, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• ½ cup shelled English peas (from about 12 ounces of pods)
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, stemmed and sliced on a sharp bias
• 5-6 baby turnips, very thinly sliced or shaved
• 1 4- to 6-inch broccoli stem, peeled and julienned or shaved

*NOTES: Feel free to use whatever crunchy spring vegetables you find at the market for this slaw. Radishes would be lovely. Or fava beans. Morels or other mushrooms quickly sauteed with a little garlic would not be amiss. 

I use this peeler to julienne vegetables.

For a vegan version, simply omit the mayonnaise from the dressing and add an additional tablespoon or two of the almond-infused oil.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the almonds out on a rimmed sheet pan and roast until dark golden brown and fragrant, about 13 minutes. Transfer the almonds to another sheet pan or plate to cool.

When the almonds are cool, place them in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Place the ground almonds in a small saucepan and top with the oil. Heat over medium heat until the oil foams. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to infuse for at 10 minutes. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the ground almonds.

To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, cayenne and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. While whisking, gradually add ¼ cup of the almond infused oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Use any oil you have left drizzled over roasted vegetables or fish or mixed with a little honey drizzled over ice cream.)

Just before serving, dress the slaw to taste with the vinaigrette. Top with the reserved ground almonds and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Makes 4 servings

Herb-Roasted Salmon

• 1 2- to 2 ½-lb. fillet wild salmon with skin, pin bones removed (I like Sockeye or King)

• Olive oil

• Coarse sea salt

• A small bunch of mixed herb sprigs. (I used rosemary, thyme, dill, and tarragon.)

1 2- to 2 ½-lb. fillet wild salmon with skin, pin bones removed (I like Sockeye or King)
Olive oil
Coarse sea salt
A small bunch of mixed herb sprigs. I used rosemary, thyme, dill, and tarragon

Preheat oven to 300°. Arrange the herbs on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Lay the salmon on top of the herbs, skin-side down. Drizzle with olive oil rub the oil over the salmon to coat completely. Sprinkle with salt. Roast the salmon until medium rare, about 12 minutes per inch of thickness. You can start checking at about 8 minutes by inserting a paring knife in the salmon. You want it to flake and look moist, but not raw in the interior, like this. Keep in mind it will cook a bit more once you take it out of the oven.

Remove the salmon from the bed of herbs and place it on a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with dressed slaw.

Makes 4 servings