Fresh from the Farmers Market: Dandelion Greens

Now that spring is in full swing the farmers market is up and running again, and there’s no better place to be. The lush, vibrant produce is so inspiring after the long winter.

If these displays don’t make you get excited about cooking and eating your vegetables, then nothing will.

Of course, there are sweets there too to tempt you as you load up on the healthy stuff.

Eat your vegetables and you earn your dessert, right?

Believe it or not though, I’m drawn to the greens more than the sweets this time. The rainbow of greens.

This day my basked is filled with eggs, kale, chard, arugula, broccoli raab, dandelion greens, red radishes, daikon radishes, a chuck-eye steak, and a pork rib chop.

The Clio Italian dandelion greens were mislabeled puntarelle, which is what gave me the idea for this salad.

Dandelion Greens with Lemon-Anchovy Dressing & Crispy Crumbs
Printable Recipe

1 1-pound bunch young dandelion greens, chopped
3 ounces sourdough bread, torn into pieces
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce grated Parmegiano-Reggiano
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeeze lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 anchovy fillets, minced
Freshly ground black pepper

Soak the dandelion greens in a large bowl of ice-cold water for 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Toss together the breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons of the oil in a small bowl, making sure that the breadcrumbs are evenly coated. Stir in the Parmegiano and a generous pinch of salt. Spread on a baking tray and bake, stirring once or twice, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and anchovies in a small bowl. Continue whisking while adding the remaining 1/3 cup oil in a thin stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the dandelion greens and dry in a salad spinner. Toss together the dandelion greens and dressing in a large bowl and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Arrange the salad on individual plates, divide the breadcrumbs among them, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side salad. This recipe was inspired by the classic Roman puntarelle salad with anchovy dressing. Italian dandelion, like puntarelle and other chicories, has a pleasantly bitter flavor. Use young dandelion greens for this salad and other raw applications as they are relatively tender and sweet. Soaking the dandelion greens in ice water, though not absolutely necessary, leeches out excess bitterness and makes them crisp and succulent.

A Big Salad for Dinner

It's that time of year when what you want for dinner is a big salad. The farmers market is bursting with lovely yellow and green beans, tender lettuces, sweet tomatoes, and earthy potatoes. Put that all together and a big salad is exactly what you get.


Tuna Salad Niçoise*
Printable Recipe

12 ounces fingerling potatoes
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 7.8-ounce jar canned oil-packed tuna
Freshly ground black pepper
2 hard-cooked eggs
4 ounces haricot vert, trimmed and blanched
6 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 ounces mesclun greens
¼ cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives

Place the potatoes in a medium pot and add enough water to cover by several inches. Add several large pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a plate. Let rest for about 15 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle.

Whisk together the red wine vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, rosemary, and parsley in a medium bowl. Continue whisking while adding the oil in a thin stream. Drain the tuna and whisk the oil from the tuna into the vinaigrette. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the potatoes into quarters when they are cool enough to handle and toss with enough vinaigrette to coat in a medium bowl.

Cut the eggs into sixths and flake the tuna. In separate bowls, toss the haricot vert, tomatoes, and greens with enough vinaigrette to coat.

Mound the greens on a platter. Arrange the potatoes, haricot vert, tomatoes, eggs, olives, and tuna decoratively atop the greens. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Serves 2 as a main course. This composed salad hails from sunny Nice in the South of France. The flavor depends largely on the quality of the tuna, so splurge on the best you can afford. Personally, I like Ortiz Bonito del Norte. Any yellow-fleshed potatoes may be used. Haricot vert, which are French green beans, are very slender and more tender than other varieties. They are often available at gourmet grocers and farmers markets. If you cannot find them, use the smallest green beans you can find. You can also use a combination of green and yellow wax beans.

*For a related Seared Tuna Salad Niçoise recipe and everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores now.

Caesar Salad

I’m not going to wax poetic about the inherent beauty of a leaf of romaine lettuce or tell you a romantic story involving garlic and anchovies. But that doesn’t make Caesar Salad any less special. All I can say about it is that it’s something we in my family always crave—we could eat it every day and never tire of it.

Please try this recipe. It’s simple and delicious, and the dressing in the plastic bottle bears absolutely no resemblance to the real thing.

Caesar Salad
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 anchovy fillets, minced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 hearts romaine lettuce, leaves separated
2 handfuls Craveable Croutons
1 ounce (about ¼ cup) shaved Parmegiano-Reggiano

Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, and anchovies in a small bowl. Continue whisking while adding the oil in a thin stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss together the lettuce, croutons, and dressing in a large bowl. Arrange the salad on individual plates, divide the Parmegiano among them, top with a generous grinding of pepper, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a first course or 2 as a main course. If you like a creamy dressing, whisk an egg yolk into the dressing before adding the olive oil. As much as I love eggs, I usually leave the egg out of my Caesar Salad dressing; I like to make a large batch of the dressing and keep it in the refrigerator for use at a moment’s notice, and it keeps better without the egg. Use good quality anchovies—the ones that come in a glass jar are preferable to the ones from a tin. Some people prefer to cut the romaine into bite-size pieces. To shave Parmegiano, use a vegetable peeler. Of course this salad is good topped with grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak, but you should really try it with Pan-Fried Razor Clams.

Homemade Croutons

Stop. If you try these, you may never buy a box of croutons again. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.


Craveable Croutons
Printable Recipe

½ 1 ½-pound loaf sourdough bread, cut into ¾-inch cubes
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ teaspoons granulated garlic
1 ¼ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Toss together the bread, oil, granulated garlic, paprika, Mexican oregano, pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl, making sure that the bread cubes are evenly coated. Season generously with salt. Arrange the croutons in a single layer on a baking tray and bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Let cool.

Makes enough croutons for several large salads. These are the best croutons ever, even if I do say so myself. They are crisp and infinitely more flavorful than the ones that come in a box, and they’re equally enjoyable with or without a coating of salad dressing. I have to hide them from my husband, or he will eat them all before they ever see a leaf of lettuce. They’re perfect for Caesar salad, and they also make a fantastic soup garnish (I especially like them in tomato soup). Use artisan-style sourdough bread, the kind with a crisp crust, irregular crumb, and tangy flavor; either fresh or day-old is fine. Cut the crust off the bread if you like, but I don’t bother. Dried Mexican oregano, which has a unique floral character, can be found at some gourmet grocers and (usually for less than a dollar) at any Mexican market. If you can’t find it, you can substitute common oregano in this particular recipe. For the best browning, use a heavy baking tray, like the aluminum sheet pans used in restaurants, and be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Croutons keep well for a couple of weeks in a tightly sealed container in the pantry. For parmesan croutons, simply add a handful or two of finely grated Parmegiano-Reggiano when tossing the bread cubes with the oil and spices.

Salad, Please

Since our indulgent trip to San Francisco, I’ve had the desire to eat light and healthy food and lots and lots of vegetables. So this week we’ve had salad nearly every night. I’ve made Cobb salad and Chinese Chicken Salad, and I’m making another big composed salad (I would call it a “chef salad”, but I’m afraid of being judged) for dinner this weekend. I did make a mushroom, spinach & Swiss frittata last night, but it was mostly greens. I’m sure that this craving for light food will pass soon, I can’t seem to stay away from cream and butter for long…


Chinese Chicken Salad
Printable Recipe

1 quart chicken broth
1 star anise
1 1-inch cinnamon stick
3 cloves garlic, crushed, plus 2 cloves, grated
3 ¼-inch slices ginger, plus 1 ½ teaspoons grated
¼ cup soy sauce
2 10-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons dark sesame oil
12 ounces napa cabbage, thinly sliced
4 ounces red cabbage, thinly sliced
3 ounces baby spinach, chiffonaded
2 carrots, julienned
½ red bell pepper, julienned
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Combine the broth, star anise, cinnamon, crushed garlic, sliced ginger, and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the chicken breasts and poach at a bare simmer for about 20 minutes, or until just cooked through. The chicken breasts will be firm to the touch and the juices will run clear when they are just cooked through. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate, reserving the broth for another use, and let cool.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, grated garlic, grated ginger, and remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce in a small bowl. Combine the napa cabbage, red cabbage, spinach, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds in a large bowl, add the mayonnaise mixture, and toss to coat. Arrange the salad on individual plates, slice the chicken breasts thinly and fan out the slices atop each salad, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a main course. Delicious served on a bed of deep-fried cellophane noodles, but since I was going for light and healthy, I didn’t go there.

Three Bean Salad, Reinvented

Is this what comes to mind when you think of three bean salad?


Maybe not. But it’s what I think of. It’s not that I have anything against the classic version or canned beans. But when there’s so much to choose from at the farmers market, I can’t open cans. For my version of three bean salad, I use fresh shelling peas.


And fresh fava beans.


And fresh haricot vert.


The farmers market also had snow peas and sugar snap peas that looked very tempting, but who’s ever heard of five bean salad?

Three Bean Salad with Peas, Favas & Haricot Vert
Printable Recipe

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound English peas, shelled and blanched
1 ¼ pounds fava beans, shelled, blanched, and peeled
4 ounces haricot vert, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, and blanched
2 ounces shaved Pecorino-Romano
6 ounces baby spinach, stemmed

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Arrange the prosciutto slices about an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn the slices and bake another 5 to 6 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, shallot, lemon zest, mint, and oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble the prosciutto. Toss together the prosciutto, peas, favas, haricot vert, Pecorino, and half of the dressing in a medium bowl. Toss together the spinach and remaining dressing in a large bowl. Arrange the spinach on individual plates, divide the bean mixture among them, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 as a first course or 2 as a main course. Substitute young green beans if you can’t find haricot vert. To shave Pecorino, use a vegetable peeler. Serve with crusty bread.

Another Asparagus Salad

I stocked up on Oregon asparagus at the farmers market again this week. It’s amazingly juicy and sweet right now and definitely the best I’ve ever had. I love it in different salads, like this one with orange and sesame. I can’t remember what inspired it anymore, but this particular salad has been one of my most popular ever since I came up with it years ago.

Asparagus-Orange Salad
Printable Recipe

2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 clove garlic, grated
½ teaspoon grated ginger
¾ pound asparagus, trimmed of woody ends, cut on a bias into 1 ½-inch pieces, and blanched
Suprêmes from 1 orange
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl. Toss together the asparagus, suprêmes along with their juices, sesame seeds, and dressing in a large bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish. This healthy salad is especially delicious with stir-fried shrimp or grilled salmon fillets.

Duck Eggs

By now you probably know that I’m head over heels for eggs. So when I saw big, white, farm-fresh duck eggs at the farmers market, I couldn’t resist. They just dwarf chicken eggs, they’re so big.


What better way to showcase these beauties than with the classic French salad?


Frisée aux Lardons
Printable Recipe

¼ pound bacon, cut into 1½×¼×¼-inch strips
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Kosher salt
2 duck eggs
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 medium head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground black pepper

Add enough water to a large, heavy sauté pan to come to a depth of 1 inch. Heat over medium heat to a bare simmer. Heat a small, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add the bacon and fry, tossing frequently, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until rendered.

Meanwhile, crack each egg into its own ramekin. Add the white vinegar and a generous pinch of kosher salt to the pan of water. Gently slip each egg from its ramekin into the barely simmering water and poach for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Using a wire skimmer, remove the eggs to a paper towel-lined plate and drain.

When the bacon is rendered, remove it to a plate. Add the shallot to the pan and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the oil, red wine vinegar, and mustard. Immediately toss together the frisée, bacon, and dressing in a large bowl and season to taste with fleur de sel and pepper. Arrange the salad on individual plates, top each with an egg, and serve immediately.

Serves 2 as a main course. Narrow strips of bacon like the ones used in this recipe are known as lardons. Pepper bacon is a fantastic choice here. If you cannot find duck eggs, use chicken eggs instead; poaching time is 2 to 3 minutes for large ones. The fresher the eggs, the better they will hold their shape during poaching. Maintain the water at a bare simmer throughout the poaching time for the best results. A baguette is the perfect accompaniment to this salad.

Japanese Cravings

Here’s a recipe inspired by produce from the farmers market and the flavors of Japan.


Soba with Mizuna, Shiitakes & Sesame-Miso Dressing
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons red miso
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, sliced
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
8 ounces soba
Kosher salt
6 ounces mizuna, blanched
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the miso and water in a small bowl. Whisk in the tahini, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sugar, and green onions.

Combine the shiitakes and ¾ cup hot water in a small bowl and let soak for 10 to 12 minutes, or until rehydrated and pliable. Remove the shiitakes to a cutting board, trim off and discard the stems, and thinly slice the caps.

Cook the soba in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package directions. Drain the soba when it is just tender. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and drain again. Toss together the soba, mizuna, shiitakes, sesame seeds, and dressing in a large bowl. Arrange on individual plates and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. The dressing is also fantastic on green salads.

Coleslaw

You know what else you just have to have with smork? Coleslaw.


Barbeque and coleslaw just belong together.

Classic Coleslaw
Printable Recipe

1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon celery seed
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
½ head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, shredded
Kosher salt

Whisk together the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, honey, celery seed, and pepper in a small bowl. Combine the green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrot in a large bowl, add the mayonnaise mixture, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt, transfer to a serving bowl, and serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 10. Delicious as a side dish or sandwich topping. Cabbage is fairly bland and need lots of salt to bring out its flavor, so season the coleslaw liberally, tasting as you go.

Must Have Potato Salad

We just made smork again. A big smork dinner would be incomplete without potato salad. But it doesn’t have to be the same old potato salad.


Potato Salad with Sesame
Printable Recipe

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes
Kosher salt
¾ cup canola oil
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes into a large pot and add enough water to cover by several inches. Add several large pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a plate. Let rest for about 15 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle.

Whisk together the canola oil, soy sauce, cider vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Peel and dice the potatoes when they are cool enough to handle. Mix together the potatoes, onion, sesame seeds, and oil mixture in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to a serving bowl, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8. Boiled potatoes absorb dressing best when they’re still hot, so don’t let them cool too much before dressing them. This salad is tasty at room temperature or even chilled, but it’s most delicious served right away, while it’s still warm. Keeps for a couple of days tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Also try it with the addition of blanched green beans—it’s tremendous.

Serendipity

Sometimes the best flavor combinations are created quite by accident. A healthy snack of a Pink Lady apple and a handful of roasted and salted sunflower seeds turned out to be one such discovery. I didn’t even think anything of the pairing at first, it was just what I had around. Then the flavors mingled in my mouth, and I knew I had stumbled upon something fantastic. Of course, it makes sense—apples and peanut butter are classic, but this combo’s even better. Hmm, I'm thinking this could be a great new garnish for a fall salad.

Lettuce

It’s great to have a gardener. My gardener is very serious and he doesn’t say much. He doesn’t like being interrupted when he’s working, either. Sometimes I watch him work from the kitchen window when I’m washing the breakfast dishes. I recommend everyone have a gardener, fresh lettuce is so good. My gardener is my husband.

Many months ago, he sewed Tom Thumb butterhead, Sucrine romaine, and Valmaine romaine/cos lettuce seeds, he said to “overwinter”. I had my doubts. Even if the lettuces made it through the rains, they would not survive the dog. The seeds sprouted, but week after week, month after month, the sprouts did not grow any bigger.

The gardener announced spring had arrived. The skies were still grey but he was sure. He said the lettuces were almost ready. I looked out the window but the sprouts were still the same size. Then the sun came out and it was time to eat salad.

It’s more fun to go to the garden for lettuce than to the grocery store. I harvest the heads of lettuce with a bird’s beak paring knife, and I try to be gentle since the lettuce is so tender. The lettuce tastes. It is crunchy and juicy and sweet, it hardly needs a dressing. The slugs are making a concerted effort to eat our lettuce before we do.


I separate the green leaves and slowly, carefully wash each one. Then the leaves go for a dizzying ride in the salad spinner. Not a drop of water to dilute their flavor or to keep the dressing from sticking. Sometimes I eat the innermost hearts as I go, but I always save at least one for the gardener.

I dress the whole leaves lightly, sometimes with olive oil from Provence and fleur de sel, sometimes with a mixture of olives and capers. Delicious.


Olive-Caper Dressing
Printable Recipe

¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives
¼ cup drained capers
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the olives and capers in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the olive oil and pulse a few more times.

Makes plenty. Keeps for several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before use.