something bright for a cold january

 


This is a really simple salad form the Ottolenghi cookbook — I've been making this salad with English cucumbers (pictured here but those small Mexican cucumbers are even better), poppy seeds, Fresno peppers, salt, sugar, rice vinegar, and sunflower oil. It was fantastic paired with the Korean tacos that Miss Fats made me last weekend, and it's fantastic with a simple sandwich on rye.

summertime

I am quite thankful that I have been able to find great tomatoes, such as these cherokee purples, in Chicago. It makes a composed salad all the more glorious: with potato salad (à la Julia Child, basically a vinaigrette-based dressing), blanched green beans, red lettuce, and a delicously bright local egg.

niçoise

Summertime is when salade niçoise is the best way to entertain without air conditioning: everything can be prepared ahead, and then assembled just before serving.

asparagus salad

This was the first week of widespread farmers' markets across the city, and I found the most beautiful asparagus that I have seen since I lived in Western Massachusetts (home to the incomparable Hadley Asparagus). There were also some wonderful tomatoes, rhubarb, oyster mushrooms, turnips, radishes and strawberries (this is all the more exciting considering how difficult it it to get decent produce in Chicago).

Deborah Madison's new book has a recipe for an asparagus salad; it is quite simple: roasted asparagus, a chopped egg, toasted and torn ciabatta, and a vinaigrette of coarse mustard, olive oil (I used a fruity unfiltered one) and red wine vinegar (Eden makes a fabulous naturally fermented and raw one that I love). I finished the salad off with chervil, which I have growing on my porch.

While the asparagus were incredible, there's also something about the sum being more than the parts here: this was a huge hit, and really tasted exceptional. I tossed the bread in some dressing in the roasting pan before assembling, which soaked up the oil and seasoning from roasting the asparagus.

endive and cress

My new favorite salad: julienned endive, watercress, lemon juice, olive oil.

summer.

A simple salad with wheat berries from Four Star Farms, purslane and cute tomatoes from my friend Kate, all tossed with oil-packed tuna, avocado and olive oil. Finish with salt and pepper. Purslane's tart character alleviates the need for vinegar and is buttery with a nice fruity olive oil.