roasted cauliflower salad with pomegranate and hazelnuts

For those of you in the US, I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving! Ours was much better than I expected. As I wrote in my last post, I had been having a hard time getting in the holiday spirit after the election. A few days before Thanksgiving (with no menu whatsoever in place) I happened upon this article, which gave me the idea to draw on Middle Eastern flavors for our holiday meal. The bright flavors of Turkey, Iran, Lebanon and Israel felt like just what I needed to lift me out of my funk.

So I decided to scrap the turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce in favor of lemony leek meatballs; a basmati pilaf with chickpeas, currants and dill; homemade flatbread with za’atar; cucumber yogurt and a beautiful pink beet hummus. The star of the dinner, though, was this roasted cauliflower salad with pomegranate and hazelnuts. 

The recipe comes from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi--one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. This salad is earthy, nutty, sweet and tart all at once. The silky texture of the roasted cauliflower is balanced by the crunch of raw celery and toasty hazelnuts. The fact that this salad sits at the unlikely intersection of so many contrasting flavors and textures is a large part of it’s appeal. The fact that it’s beautiful and healthy doesn’t hurt either.

After I made this for Thanksgiving, I realized how festive those jewel-toned colors are--perfect for adding a bright splash to your holiday table. Or a quick weeknight supper. Either way, you can’t go wrong. 

And in case you’re wondering, my post-election blues seem to be fading. I’ve been talking to friends about meaningful ways to take action and stand up for what I believe in. And gathering around the table with loved ones as often as possible. Which, in my opinion, is the best ways to cure any sort of blues.

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Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad

• 5 tablespoons hazelnuts, raw or toasted
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• Kosher or sea salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 large stalks celery, cut on the bias into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/4 cup celery leaves
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

*Note: I recommend toasting your own hazelnuts for this recipe so their dark, nutty flavor really comes through. But pre-roasted nuts will do in a pinch.

If you are using raw hazelnuts: preheat your oven to 325° F. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed sheet pan and roast until the skins start to loosen and the nuts turn golden-brown and fragrant, 8-12 minutes  Transfer the hot hazelnuts to a clean tea towel. Gather the four corners of the towel and twist them together to form a parcel around the hazelnuts. Rub vigorously to remove as many skins as possible. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Increase the oven temperature to 475° F. Place the cauliflower on a parchment lined sheet pan, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss with a generous pinch of salt. Roast until browned in spots and tender, 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, sherry vinegar, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Roughly chop the hazelnuts and place them in a large bowl along with the cauliflower, pomegranate seeds, celery, celery leaves, parsley and the vinaigrette. Stir to coat, taste, and adjust seasonings.

Serve at room temperature.

Makes 3-4 side-dish servings.
Adapted slightly from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

charred brussels sprouts with turmeric vinaigrette and toasted cashews

Hello, friends.

It’s been a rough week, hasn't it?

Whichever side of the political fence you find yourself on, the events of the past few days (and months, for that matter) have been pretty stressful. Which is why I’m glad Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It gives us a perfect opportunity to put our conflicts aside, gather friends and family around the table, and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for.

To help you make this Thanksgiving as stress-free as possible, I have another easy holiday recipe for you. This one is courtesy of my friend Kyle. To my mind, this is the best sort of Thanksgiving fare: the traditional roasted Brussels sprouts enlivened with a bright turmeric dressing, crunchy cashews and radishes, plus a handful of fresh herbs. It’s a beautiful combination of flavors old and new, ingredients from near and far--like America herself.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I don't normally get that excited about Thanksgiving. But this year, I’m going all out to make our celebration bright. As we sit down at the table to share and give thanks, I’ll be hoping the holiday encourages us all to extend a little extra warmth and kindness towards those who need it.

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Charred Brussels Sprouts with Turmeric Vinaigrette and Toasted Cashews

• ½ cup cashews
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced (about ¾ cup)
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons neutral oil (we used avocado oil), divided
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. brussel sprouts, cleaned, halved and patted dry
• 1 large or 2-3 small radishes, sliced into thin rounds (we used small watermelon radishes)
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, picked or roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dill fronds, picked or roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 350°F. 

Place the cashews on a sheet pan and toast until they smell fragrant and have a light golden color, 10-12 minutes. Transfer cashews to a plate to cool. Crank your oven to 500°F.

While the oven is heating, make the vinaigrette: place the onion in a small saucepan with the mustard seeds, turmeric and ½ cup of the neutral oil and the olive oil. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place the Brussels sprouts on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons neutral oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Place into oven and roast for 10-12 minutes. Take care not to overcook the sprouts. You want them cooked through and charred in spots but still bright green. Check their doneness with a fork or paring knife; you should be able to poke all the way through but still feel a tiny bit of resistance. Pull the Brussels sprouts and set aside to cool slightly. Place the sprouts in a large bowl. Add the cashews and radishes

When the dressing has cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon salt, the honey and lime juice. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

To serve, add ¼ cup of the cumin vinaigrette and most of the herbs to the bowl with the sprouts. Toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe by Kyle Wisner

swiss chard gratin

Hello!

This week I’m dropping in with an easy little recipe for Swiss chard gratin. Now that Halloween is behind us, my thoughts are turning to Thanksgiving dinner and which dishes will make the cut. I haven’t decided if I’ll roast a turkey. Or maybe a goose? A glazed ham never disappoints. I’ve even been toying with the idea of a crown roast or salt-crusted rack of lamb or some other dramatic dish.

For those of you who look forward to turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce all year, this must sound like nothing short of heresy. But alas, we have no set Thanksgiving ritual in my family. For most of the 90s, for example, we chose a different country or region each year and fashioned our holiday feast around its cuisine. (Ireland was my favorite, if you’re curious. Followed by Cajun.)

But back to this gratin. This is the only dish that’s Thanksgiving 2016 approved thus far. I made it for a cooking class I taught during my Paris culinary retreat in September and it struck me then what a wonderful holiday dish it would make. I served it alongside chicken with roasted turnips and grapes (recipe coming soon) and it was the perfect creamy foil for those earthy-sweet flavors.

So to all the Thanksgiving purists: This gratin may not be traditional, but I’m thinking it will do your turkey and cranberry sauce proud.

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Swiss Chard Gratin

• 1 large bunch (about 1 1/2 pounds) white-stemmed Swiss chard
• Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 2 shallots, minced (should yield about 1/4 cup)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
• Freshly-grated nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 cup grated aged Comté or Gruyère cheese

Trim the stems from the chard, discarding any that are wilted. If any stems seem tough, peel them with a vegetable peeler to remove the strings. Bring a large pot of generously salted water (it should taste like the ocean) to a boil. Cut the chard stems crosswise into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Coarsely tear the green tops. Drop the stems into the boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the green tops and continue to cook until the tops are wilted and the stems are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Set a colander over a large bowl or pot. Drain the chard well, pressing on it with a flexible spatula or ladle to get out as much water as possible. Reserve the cooking liquid.

While the chard is cooking, generously butter a gratin dish. Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the bechamel: Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, but not browned. Stir the flour into the shallots and cook for about about one minute, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flavor. Measure out one cup of the chard cooking liquid and add it to the pan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the crème fraîche and bring just back to a boil. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with lemon juice and nutmeg.

Arrange the drained chard over the bottom of the gratin dish. Pour the bechamel over the chard, sprinkle the cheese over the top and heat under the broiler until golden brown and bubbling. Set aside to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Anne Willan, The Country Cooking of France