Red Cabbage, Pistachio and Cranberry Salad

Makes 8 serving.

The crunchiness of the cabbage and nuts combined with the chewiness of the sweet, dried cranberries makes for an interesting taste. This dish becomes more flavorful when you prepare it a day or two ahead.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small head of red cabbage, about 1½ pounds

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ cup pistachio nuts

• ½ cup dried cranberries.

• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Discard the limp and discolored outer leaves of the red cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half then in quarters. Holding on to the core finely shred the cabbage.  I use the mandolin, rather than a knife.  

2. Place the cabbage in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, pistachios, cranberries, vinegar, Tabasco, salt and pepper.

3. Let sit, then season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Baby Kale Salad

2 servings. 

Delicate and delicious, this salad is one of my favorites.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 ounces baby kale, long stems discarded

• 1½ tablespoons cranberries

• 1½ tablespoons almond slivers, or any other nuts, toasted  

DRESSING

• 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients. Toss the salad with the dressing, the cranberries and nuts.

2. Season to taste.

NOTE:

You may have some dressing left over. It will remain fresh in the refrigerator for a few days and can be used on other salads.

Corn Salad

Makes 4 servings.

This is an all year-round, nutritious, and colorful salad or side dish.  

In the summer, I use fresh corn on the cob without cooking it. In the winter, I use frozen corn, thawed.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ears corn, or 14.4 ounces frozen corn, thawed

• 1 bell pepper, seeded, cubed

• 3 scallions, including the green parts, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado not overly ripe, peeled, stoned, cut into large cubes

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 -4 tablespoons lime juice

• ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves 

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Shuck the corn into a large bowl. You do that by running a knife down the length of each corn.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper.  

Raw Corn Salad

Makes 4 servings. 

I love this salad, but alas I have to wait to the height of the summer to be able to get fresh corn.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ears corn

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small jalapeno pepper seeded, finely chopped, optional (Note)

• 1 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

• 4 scallions, including green part, thinly sliced

• 4 tablespoons lime juice

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Cut the kernels from the corn by running a knife down the length of each corn. Do it over a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil, jalapeno, parsley, scallions, lime juice, salt and pepper.  

2. The salad should be a bit tangy.  

3. Before serving I suggest that you recheck the seasoning.  

NOTE:

When seeding jalapeno peppers, I advise wearing thin plastic gloves to avoid irritating your skin or eyes.

Kohlrabi Slaw

Makes 4 servings. 

I have recently discovered this vegetable, and I’m making it quite often. Like cabbage, kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. The flavor is sweet, mild with a crisp and juicy texture. The salad does not lose its crunchiness; it actually improves with time.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound green kohlrabi (3 small)

• 1 small greening apple

• 1 medium carrot

• ¾ loosely packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lime juice, approx

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Peel the kohlrabi deeply, making sure it is trimmed well at the root. Cut into eights to fit into the feeding tube of a food processor fitted with the medium grating attachment, and grate. 

2. Peel the apple, cut into quarters, core and grate.

3. Peel the carrot and grate. 

4. Place the kohlrabi, apple and carrot in a large bowl. Add the parsley, toss well and season with lime juice, salt and pepper.

5. I suggest that you check the seasoning before serving.

 Note:

Sometimes the kohlrabi can be watery. If that happens drain it in a colander before combining with the other ingredients.

Carrot Salad

Makes 6 servings. 

Perhaps because carrots are so readily available all year we do not see them very much on menus.  In France carrot salads are iconic dishes. This carrot salad is easy to prepare and goes well with meat, poultry or fish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¼ pounds carrots, about 8 carrots (See Note)

• 2 tablespoons natural rice vinegar

• 6 sprigs tarragon, remove leaves and chop coarsely

• 3 scallions, including most of the green part, thinly sliced

• 2 teaspoons honey

• Kosher salt

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

PREPARATION:

1. Peel the carrots. Grate in a food processor fitted with the medium grating attachment. 

2. In a large bowl combine the vinegar, tarragon, scallions, honey and ½ teaspoon salt. Slowly add the olive oil.

3. Add the carrots and the parsley and toss well. Season to taste with vinegar and salt.

NOTE:

If possible look for bunches of medium carrots with the greens still attached.  

Kohlrabi Salad

Makes 4 servings.

Kohlrabi is part of the cabbage family. It is nutrient dense with a nutty taste and a delicious crunch. The jalapeno in this salad gives it a little bite. 

The salad actually improves with time.

I tend to prefer the green variety of kohlrabi, which I find milder than the purple, but the taste of both is similar.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ pounds green kohlrabi (2 medium)

• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped (See Note)

• 3 scallions including the green part, cut into thin slices

• ½ cup tightly packed cilantro leaves

CITRUS HONEY VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin-olive oil

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Peel the kohlrabi deeply, making sure it is trimmed well at the root. Cut into eighths to fit into the feeding tube of a food processor fitted with the medium grating attachment.

2. Place the kohlrabi into a medium bowl and add jalapeno, scallions and cilantro.

3. Whisk the dressing and toss with the kohlrabi. Season to taste.

NOTE:

When seeding jalapeno peppers, I advise wearing thin gloves to avoid irritating your skin or your eyes.

I suggest that you recheck the seasonings before serving.  

Simple Ratatouille

Makes 6 main course servings or 8 side dish servings.

This is not the classic ratatouille where each vegetable is sautéed separately and then all are combined. In this dish all the vegetables are cooked together to produce a wonderful healthy dish.

Topped with grated Mozzarella or crumbled feta, it can be a nutritious meal by itself. 

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 zucchini
• 2 baby eggplants (about 1 pound together) (See Note)
• 2 yellow squash
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 plum tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, cubed (See Note)
• ¾ cup tightly packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup tightly packed basil leaves, torn to pieces
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Mozzarella, or crumbled feta, about 6 ounces

PREPARATION:

1. In a large covered saucepan, heat ¼ cup olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté, over low heat until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes.
2. Rinse the zucchini, pat dry, trim the ends and discard. Cut into small cubes. Do the same with the yellow squash. Peel the eggplant, cut into small cubes. Core the pepper, seed and cut into small cubes. 
3. Add the rest of the oil into the saucepan. Add all the vegetables and toss until all the vegetables are coated. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time until the vegetables are soft.
4. Add parsley and basil. Season to taste.
5. To serve top with the cheese of your choice, or serve as is. 

NOTES:

I prefer to use baby eggplants, because they have fewer seeds.

To skin tomatoes, drop them into boiling water. Return the water to a boil and drain.  Loosen the tomato skin and slip it off. After blanching the tomatoes, core them, cut them in half widthwise, and squeeze each half gently until the seeds pop out.  Some seeds will remain.

Basil leaves discolor if they are chopped. It is best to tear them to the desired size. 

Feta comes in many strengths, from mild, which I prefer, to strong.

Celery Root and Carrot Salad

Makes 6-8 servings.

Despite the name, celery root has nothing to do with celery. Celery root is also known as celeriac or knob celery. It is a fall and winter vegetable which is rich in vitamins.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small to medium celery root, about 2 pounds
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 scallions including green parts

DRESSING  

• 2 -3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup extra- virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

PREPARATION

1. Drop celery root into boiling water. Cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh with cold water.
2. Peel celery root and remove all the dark embedded spots (this rough-looking vegetable is a bit tricky to peel). Cut into eights to fit into the feeding tube of a food processor fitted with the medium grating attachment. Press hard to try and obtain long, even matchsticks. Empty into a bowl.
3. Peel the carrot, trim and grate.
4. Trim the scallions and cut into thin slices.  Add both to the bowl.  
5. Combine vinegar and mustard in a small bowl.  In a slow stream, whisk in the olive oil to form an emulsion. Toss with celery root. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for a short while and season to taste again.

Cucumber Salad

Makes 2 servings.

I love Persian cucumbers. They are mini, seedless, and slightly sweet with a smooth skin. They are available all year round and pair well with any food. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Persian cucumbers, rinsed, dried and ends trimmed.

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar.
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sprigs of dill, finely snipped with scissors

PREPARATION

1. Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds (if you have large quantities of cucumbers you can use a mandoline).
2. Toss with the dressing, season to taste and add dill.