Nicoise Salad

This salad was made by it's interesting combination of toppings & the fresh mixed greens.

A satisfying mix of crisp red lettuce, bitter-nutty frisee, & peppery arugula, though of course any mixed greens are called for. The egg, tomato, tuna, & nicoise olives played out well together.

The dressing was a pleasant balance of sweet mustardy acidity.

Whisk or shake well together: 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, & 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Then toss 4 cups of greens with the dressing.

Top with: 5 ounces canned tuna (drained), 3 boiled & quartered small potatoes, 2 hard-cooked eggs in wedges, one medium tomato in wedges, & at least ten Nicoise olives.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Charles Bradley- The World is Going up in Flames

Dandelion Bacon Salad

Dandelion Greens are quite likely my least favorite vegetables. I am not one for bitter tastes, as a general rule. And anyhow there are so many other more delightful greens.

However, out of curiosity I decided to try this recipe from Simply in Season. I figured, if a recipe from this book doesn't make them palatable then I'll just be done with them forever.

The result was actually quite tasty. I think it was the lemon juice which offset the bitterness. It is still not one of my favorite vegetables, but I do think I will find myself craving this salad from time to time...

Blend one quarter cup lemon juice, one quarter cup sugar, a pinch of salt.

Stir in one half cup evaporated milk.

Fry four slices of bacon, crumble, set aside.

Remove all but one tablespoon of bacon fat. Add one tbsp flour to the pan. Stir until smooth.

Slowly add the lemon mixture. Heat & stir until thickened.

Turn off heat but leave pan on burner.

Add eight cups of dandelion greens & stir gently to coat.

Garnish with bacon & hard cooked egg.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time):

Timber Timbre- Trouble Comes Knocking

Au Gratin Cabbage

1. Shred 2 cups of cabbage. Grate one half cup of carrots. Slice one third cup green onions. Saute until "crisp-tender".

2. Transfer to one quart baking dish.

3. Mix together one half cup milk, one egg, & three tablespoons cheese. Pour over cabbage, etc.

4. Bake thirty minutes at 350.

More like a fritatta than au gratin, but still satisfying.

A warm meal & hot mulled cider on a cold night, followed by the comforts of phone calls, couch, sheepskin, cats, & togetherness.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Bellowhead- Cold Blows the Wind

Golden Carrot Bake

This is another incredible comfort-dish. While the Bounty Rice featured Italian flavours reminiscent of lasagna, this Golden Carrot Bake follows in the tradition of quiche. On the one hand it is not so rich as quiche, but on the other it feels lighter & more guilt-free with no loss of yum-factor.

This recipe, once again from Simply in Season, was split into three easy steps.

1. Boil 3 cups of shredded carrots, 1.5 cups of water, a half cup of brown rice, salt & pepper. Then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Do not strain.

(I used long grain white rice. So I only simmered for fifteen minutes.)

2. Add to the pot 1.5 cups of shredded Monterey Jack, one cup of milk, two eggs (beaten), a quarter cup of chopped onion, & nutmeg.

(I used green onion for added colour.)

3. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish & bake at 350 for an hour. Then sprinkle a half cup of shredded Monterey Jack on the top & bake for another two minutes.

I served ours with some tea. We sat at the table for a few hours nibbling "just one more small slice" & sipping tea. One thing that always amazes me about good food is the good conversation it invites. Especially when shared in good company.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Damien Dempsey- Madam I'm A Darlin'

Beautiful Beets

Last night we sampled the "Shredded Beet Salad". The beets were a bit difficult to shred, but they looked so shiny on the grater. And after shredding they boiled up nicely in no time. For a salad, all in all, it took more prep time than I anticipated.

I'd say this salad was all about the way the ingredients played off of each other. The parsley, beets, lemon juice, and olive oil seemed to dance with each other. That's the best I can put it.

Then for garnishes: egg, carrots, & olives. Each added to the previous ingredients their own notes in perfect harmony. (Our olives had been brined with orange rinds, adding further intrigue.)

It was one of those dishes that seemed to have many ingredients. I could even taste each one. But somehow the flavors kept winding up lost in each other in various and interesting ways.

The servings were appropriately small for such a rich & dense salad. But I'd say the recipe did in fact produce the four servings it promised.

It was a pleasant bit of interest at the start of an evening spent with entertaining folks.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Jim Moray-All You Pretty Girls