A Bounty

I have to be honest here: Los Angeles isn’t as sunny as I expected it to be.  I know I know, what a sob story.  But in all seriousness, even having grown up here, I had dreams of dressing almost exclusively in shorts and a tank top while living here.  While there are most definitely not seasons in LA, it does rain and sometimes the gloom just does not burn off like you hope it would.  The good news is that when this happens, two days later you’re sitting comfortably in the shade wearing a tank top and sandals.  It’s really rough out here.

Photo taken January 2012 (yes, strawberries grow in the middle of winter here)

What I’m saying is that living here has not changed the fact that I still get giddy when the sun comes out (I thought that was a Seattle thing, but apparently it’s just a me thing), and this past weekend had me doing every possible outdoor activity I could think of-- even driving all the way out to Santa Monica on a Saturday.  Now, most normal people would have made this trek for the promise of ocean and a lazy day in the sand-- but not me.  Actually, I didn’t even see the ocean on this trip.  I headed west exclusively to explore the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, where I bought more produce than my measly one drawer in the fridge can comfortably accommodate.  It was amazing.  By the end of the morning, I had two bags full of produce and my mind was reeling with how I would manage to use everything in a timely manner.  This salad was my solution.

The idea is simple: Toss as many fresh ingredients as you can handle into a bowl, coat lightly with a simple dressing, and feast.  I have always been a huge fan of one-bowl meals, so this recipe could not appeal more to me.  I love that it is so informal and endlessly adaptable to whatever is in season or happens to be in your refrigerator on any given day.  Spring is an especially exciting time for produce since the markets are finally popping with color and potatoes are not the only crop in season (I’m looking at you, Seattle).  Just think, cherries will be here soon!  Until then, take advantage of what is available now and be thankful that the worst is behind us.

Everything Salad
adapted from My New Roots

As I stated above, please do not feel the need to use the same ingredients or amounts as I did.  If you have a favorite vinaigrette, use that instead.  Or maybe you have some leftover marinara sauce from homemade pizzas that you need to get rid of and feel like it might be great mixed in with a poached egg?  Sounds like dinner.  Create a dish that is colorful and pretty to look at and it’s almost guaranteed to taste delicious, too.

Also note that this is a great make-ahead salad that will keep for days in the fridge.  Just make sure not to add any dressing until you are ready to serve.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
½ bunch asparagus (a small handful), tough ends removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces*
1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1-2 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 ½ cups arugula
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 15oz can, drained)
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
3 small radishes, thinly sliced
a selection of fresh herbs (I used a few leaves of basil and a couple stems of parsley), chopped
¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
salt and pepper

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. minced green garlic (or regular garlic)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
big pinch of salt

Start by whisking all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar, then set aside to let flavors develop.

Make the quinoa: Thoroughly rinse the quinoa under running water for about 30 seconds (fun fact: the outer coating of the quinoa seed is very bitter in order to repel insects, but a quick rinse before cooking will remove this coating!).  Bring quinoa, water, and a big pinch of salt to a boil in a large saucepan.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes (or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy).  Remove pan from heat.

Wash and chop all vegetables.  Toast sunflower seeds (or any other nut/seed you choose).

Fill a large, shallow skillet with about 2 inches of water and a pinch of salt, then bring to a boil.  Add asparagus and green beans, cooking just about 2 minutes or until bright green and barely tender (you still want some crunch).  Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

In a very large bowl, mix together quinoa and all other ingredients.  Add salt and lots of fresh ground pepper to taste and finish with the honey lemon dressing (or if you’re not serving this right away, hold off on the dressing).

Enjoy.

*My favorite way to trim asparagus is to gently bend each stalk about an inch or two from the stem until the tough end snaps off. 

Blasphemy (almost)

I was planning to tell you about chocolate cake today.

This cake was a serious, no nonsense birthday cake and I am pretty sure it was a success.  There were two layers of rich cake sandwiched around a peanut butter cream cheese filling, then coated all over in chocolate ganache.  There was butter and white flour and lots of highly controversial vegetable oil, but you’ll be glad to know I fit in some organic unrefined cane sugar.  Phew, it was quite a celebration.

However, in an effort to maintain the integrity of this blog, I am going to switch gears here and try to convince you that you want to eat salad just as much as you want to eat cake (or at least preface your cake eating with a few vegetables?).  This is a dish that I have made over and over again since finding the recipe over at Love and Lemons last month.  One of the reasons I love to read other blogs is that it gives me confidence to experiment more on my own.  I never would have decided to roast cauliflower with vinegar because, in my head, vinegar is not an ingredient that should be heated.  Now that I have tried it (with success), I am more likely to use this technique with other ingredients, as well.  Yum.

The downside of this salad is that it is about to be archived until next winter.  You (like me) might be at your wits end trying to put together meals with winter produce, but I would encourage you to make this your final hurrah.  Dense, wintery vegetables are paired with brighter additions like capers and golden raisins, making this a good segway into lighter spring salads.  If spring is already in full swing where you are, substitute the kale in this recipe for arugula and just add the chopped (uncooked) shallot to the mix with the capers and raisins.  For a great guide to what produce is in season, check out this calendar put together by the Eat Seasonably campaign in the United Kingdom.  Although the calendar is based on a very specific climate, I still think it is a great starting point.  Of course, to really find out what is in season where you are, go visit the farmer’s market in your area.  Seriously, give it a try!

Roasted Cauliflower and Kale Salad
Adapted from Love and Lemons

1 small/medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. coconut oil, divided
1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. agave syrup (use more if you want a sweeter result, and feel free to substitute honey)
1 large shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch (or a few big handfuls) kale, chopped and thoroughly rinsed
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp. capers, drained
small handful of golden raisins
about ¼ cup almonds, roughly chopped and toasted
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 500 F and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper (I usually just need one, but if you have more cauliflower then you might need two).  Arrange chopped cauliflower on baking sheet so that the pieces do not overlap.  Drizzle 1 tbsp of the melted coconut oil, the vinegar and agave over the cauliflower.  Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt and a few grinds of pepper, then roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  The cauliflower is done when it looks nice and caramelized around the edges.

While the cauliflower is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tsp coconut oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add chopped shallot and cook for a minute or two, (stirring occasionally) until softened and starting to brown, then stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (no more than 30 seconds).  Toss in the kale, add a generous pinch of salt, and cook for just a minute or two until the leaves start to soften.  Remove the pan from heat and stir in capers, raisins, almonds, and roasted cauliflower.  Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.

Serve over quinoa, or top with a poached egg for a complete meal.

P.S. If you love chocolate and cake and peanut butter filling, find recipes worth your time here and here.