Very Green Salad

Back in the dead of winter, definitely in the middle of a snowstorm, I was desperate for a few things --- inspiration, hope, and maybe some fresh greens wouldn’t hurt. After being a really diligent seasonal eater, I had reached a point where ragged and frostbitten vegetables had gotten the best of me. I remember it very specifically (Feb 21st) because I had clocked quite possibly the worst week in work history ever and even had to work on the weekend because of it. I left my office that Saturday afternoon feeling defeated and weary and a little annoyed that because of both the snowstorm and it being late in the day, I had most likely missed my weekly farmer’s market run.  (Hence the need for inspiration and hope.)

Feeling resentful I headed downtown anyways to see if maybe, just maybe, I could still catch a few stands. There was one stand that particularly stood out amongst the few remaining. It was because through its clear plastic sheath the shock of green was blatant against the white blanket of snow that had coated the square. It was too springy and green and welcoming to not step in and admire for just a moment. I lost my steely seasonal resolve in about 30 seconds.

I remember thinking --- I’m sure these little leaves are grown inside and are not truly seasonal but they are everything to me right now. The little flower that was tucked into the top of each box was the bright spot in the eye of the storm and it made the whole day, week, world okay. It doesn’t take too much to make me happy, obviously. But seriously, at that moment it was just the ticket. 

I went home and made the greenest thing I could possibly manage because I needed it to not be cold and snowing and winter and the worst week ever. And somehow this salad helped me to pretend that, yes, maybe it was actually okay, and don’t worry spring is just around the corner, the days are getting lighter, and soon the flowers will bloom and it will all be fine.

This salad has been on repeat in my lunchbox/random dinner/midnight snack rotation for weeks now. But its true season has only just appeared. The baby lettuces, crispy romaines, and soft spinach leaves are being tucked into pillowy beds in every market stand these days. It’s perfect for a late spring salad, but obviously served me well through the dreary winter weather we only just left.

---

Very Green Salad

Ingredients:

1 head romaine, cut into 1-inch pieces (or 8 ounces baby greens)

½ bunch lacinato kale, shredded

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup raw or roasted pepitas

1 cup golden raisins

1 avocado, sliced or cut up into 1-inch chunks

¼ cup shredded parmesan

juice of one lemon

good drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl until well combined.

Add the greens and toppings to a large bowl and pour dressing over. Toss gently to coat in dressing.

Serves 4 to 6

Ramp Ricotta Meatballs

At what point do we all start getting indignant about turning on an oven? At what point do the words meatballs and braise sound too heavy and hot to bear even listening to just because the warmth outside has climbed beyond our collective comfort zone?

I've never been one to not cook because it’s too hot outside. Not sure if you remember, but I had my oven ripping during a heatwave at the end of August in name of pulled pork for dinner. It was so hot in my kitchen that whipping cream refused to whip and these baked peaches had some very lackluster cream drizzle as their garnish. In actuality it was way too hot to have my oven going that day. But that was at the end of August --- very different from these end of spring chilly mornings.

I, for one, have had no problem packing these babies up these past chilly mornings. To top it off, I don’t know about your offices, but mine borders on arctic level temperatures most days. It’s nice sometimes to inhale something comforting and warming after spending the morning with numb fingertips.

I’d also like to think of them as a transition food. They could be considered winter fare for sure. But that springy dollop of ramp ricotta folded into the meat mix not only keeps them moist but adds a fresh spring spin on something normally considered hearty.

While I nestled these little nuggets among some sturdy kale, they would be just as tasty on a bed of fresh baby spinach  leaves which would really lighten the meal up to spring standards. Truthfully, they would also easily fit in among some red sauce --- spaghetti and meatball status, but that brings up unwanted memories of harsh winter weather, which I am desperately trying to forget.

Let’s dismiss that from our minds together and focus on all of the ramps, and peas, and spinach, and rhubarb this spring has brought us!

---

Ramp Ricotta Meatballs

with garlicky braised kale

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup almond flour or oats

½ cup leftover roasted ramp ricotta (recipe can be found within here)

salt and pepper

1 pound ground meat

olive oil for frying

2 bunches kale, chopped into 1-inch pieces (approximately 6 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup shredded parmesan

dash of butter

red pepper flakes, if desired

Directions:

(Recipe for ramp ricotta can be found within this recipe)

In a large bowl, mix beaten egg, almond flour, ramp ricotta, and salt and pepper until well combined. Add in the ground meat and begin to gently incorporate until well combined.  Take care not to overwork the meat, let’s keep it tender up in here.

Roll tablespoonfuls of the meat mix into golf ball sized meatballs. You should get about 25 balls out of this.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Once the meatballs have been rolled, heat olive oil in a medium to large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot enough, begin browning meatballs one small batch at a time. Brown the meatballs on all sides and set on a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Continue in batches until all meatballs are browned. Set aside.

Immediately add kale to the same pan. You may have to do this in batches as kale wilts down. Toss to coat in olive oil and meat fat. Salt and pepper to taste. Once kale has wilted down a bit, make a space in the middle of the skillet and add in minced garlic. Saute until fragrant and then mix into the kale. Add the cup of chicken broth, butter, and the parmesan. Stir. Season to taste, add pepper flakes here if desired.

Remove skillet from heat and nestle those little meatballs into the kale mix. Garnish with a bit more parm if desired and then throw into the oven to braise for about 15 minutes.  Serve.

Serves 4 to 6

Winter Slaw

Disclaimer: We are going to pretend I didn’t go MIA yet again last week okay?...I don’t want to talk about it.

Well that went fast. It’s March already? How the hell did that happen? Winter is, dare I say, almost over?

I'm not winter's biggest fan or anything, and yet I’m vaguely sad about it. I’m not sure if it’s just time passing by so quickly that makes me feel wistful or if it’s genuinely the fact that another season has just ticked by. I was really getting in the swing of things for winter cooking. Baking all the squash, eating all the kale salads, living off pears, apples, and citrus. Braising, roasting, soup-making.

The thought of winter cooking terrified me when I was sitting upon heaps and heaps of summer produce (with scarcely an idea of what to do with ALLLLL of it.) I realize now, the abundance of summer produce can be downright overwhelming.

Where as, and I’ve said this before, the limited variety of winter produce has me figuring out how to use the same vegetable in several different, more creative ways. I also look back on past winters when I was always so disappointed with the general lousiness of vegetables. Mealy pink tomatoes, rubbery peppers, miniscule zucchinis, nevermind the tasteless strawberries and costly raspberries -- then seasonal eating went and slapped me upside the head. Um, hello! It ALL makes sense now. Eating locally and seasonally has changed my entire life, and I can say definitively for the better.

So since winter is just about done (although currently in NYC there looks to be no end in sight, i.e. snowing the rest of the week) I’m sharing with you today a Winter Slaw. I lived off this slaw for about a week and it only got better with time. And then I made it again, because it was that good. And before winter yields to spring in a few weeks, I want to make another batch, to toast to the cabbage, and kale, and carrots, and apples. Because even among the grey, dreariness of the season, they made everything a little brighter.

---

Winter Slaw

Ingredients:

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 head red cabbage, shredded thinly

½ bunch kale, chiffonaded

4 carrots, shredded or julienned

1 granny smith apple, shredded or julienned

½ cup golden raisins

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients and whisk together until well combined. Set aside.

To assemble slaw, add all prepped vegetables to a large salad bowl and toss together until well mixed.

Pour dressing over vegetables and toss again to coat.

The slaw only gets better with time, taste wise and it turns a very pretty magenta after a day or two in the fridge.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Kale & Sausage Dinner Tart with Cheesy Rice Crust

So, it’s Saturday. Not Friday, when this post was supposed to go up. And I have no excuse really. I just suck. But let’s not focus on that right now, let’s focus on this tart, pie thing.

Pie. This was Sausage Pie. And it was glorious.

I’m using the past tense here, because that beautiful thang is long since gone, and I may or may not be still mourning it’s end. The lovely smell of sausage filled my kitchen for the better part of a day and it was heaven. Heaven, I tell you.

I can not take full credit for the ideas, I found both recipes at different times on Food52. But then I had the "genius" (um, common sense) idea to put them together. So la di da. I adapted lightly here and there to adjust for what I had on hand. Most especially there is a lot more sausage in here than the original recipe which I like to think is an improvement. I carnivore, therefore, I am. I am also not the type of person who typically has wine on hand for throwing into recipes. Do you think of me differently now? Chicken stock (from da freezer!) sufficed.

What is actually genius is the vision to smash leftover rice into a crust for a flawless gluten free alternative to tart dough. So thanks for that, Food52. Writing about this makes me want to make it all over again. Next time, I’d go all out and use hot italian sausage instead. Nice and sassy like.

---

Kale & Sausage Dinner Tart with Cheesy Rice Crust

Ingredients:

Crust:

lightly adapted from this recipe at Food52

1 ½ cups cooked rice

¼ cup shredded parmesan

¼ cup white cheddar

1 egg white

salt and pepper to taste

Tart filling:

lightly adapted from this recipe at Food52

1 pound sweet italian sausage

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, cut into 1 inch pieces

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup ricotta

2 eggs beaten

salt and pepper to taste

shredded parmesan for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, mix together rice, cheeses, egg white, and salt & pepper until well combined. Mixture should be sticky enough to hold together if you squeeze it lightly in hands.

Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. Par bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Lower heat to 400 degrees.

Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside in a large mixing bowl. In the fat from the sausage, add onion to the pan and saute until translucent and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic to pan and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale to pan and cook until wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. Add chicken stock to pan and cook until reduced just slightly, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan as you go. Remove from heat and add to bowl with sausage. Stir to combine. Allow to cool slightly.

Once cooled, about 5 minutes, add ricotta, eggs, and salt & pepper. Stir to combine well and then pour into prepared crust. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle top with shredded parmesan if desired.

Bake in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until crust has browned a bit on the edges.

Once removed from oven, leave to cool a bit and set.

Serves 8

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad

Now that we are firmly in resolution territory….brussels sprouts and kale for everybody!

Amirite? Or amirite? Great!

As already discussed, I am one of those suckers that looks forward to January 1st for that giant, metaphorical reset button. In life, in health, in food.

I mentally press it with all my might the second I pop out of bed New Year’s Day and get excited to start eating super cleanly again, as though I needed permission to do so.

This salad is decidedly virtuous. I get a straight up health high knowing how good it probably is for me. Between the sprouts, the ever true health beacon that is kale, and the endless pops of anti-oxidants as I chew down on those pomegranate seeds. Oh MAN! I am so good at being healthy!

Please don’t hate me when I post so many salads over the next coming weeks. I’ll come to my senses eventually and balance all this clean eating shit out with some sort of sinful something.

I promise. <3

---

Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons of maple syrup

squirt of mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

1 pound brussels sprouts

½ bunch of kale

½ cup of toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

seeds of 1 pomegranate

¼ cup of shredded parmesan

Directions:

Whisk olive oil, vinegar, syrup, mustard, salt and pepper together until combined. Set aside.

Thinly shred brussels sprouts (the easiest way is to use a mandoline) and chiffonade the kale leaves by destemming them, layering them on top of one another and then rolling them up into a long tube. Cut across tube to create thin strips of kale.

To assemble salad --- toss brussels sprouts and kale with hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds and parmesan. Drizzle dressing on top and then gently toss again to coat evenly in dressing.

Serves 6 as a side.

Kale, Garlic scape, and Feta Frittata

Wait! Don’t go! 

I know that is the most burnt, unappealing looking frittata ever but don’t lose hope in me yet! I’m just easily distracted.

Here’s what you’re gonna do when you make this --- you’re gonna take it out about 5 mins earlier than I did, and you won’t be disappointed. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on anything that’s under the broiler. Noob move here. What I wouldn’t give to have a window in my oven door. But seriously, underneath that blackened exterior was the most luscious, well flavored eggy concotion I’ve ever thrown together.

I mean the moment I saw I had burnt the thing beyond saving, I was like, well there goes posting that. But I was also half starved and needed lunch, so I decided to see if it was still edible. And my goodness, yes it was! The flavor! The yum! The ahhh - I have to tell everyone about this! Screw the top!

So are garlic scapes still a thing? Real talk, I made this frittata a bit ago when I had a pound of them from my farm share.  I’m not so sure they are still available but if they are, find ‘em and do it! My CSA gave me so many that they went into EVERYTHING and it was the best. Assuming they are long gone from farmstand, garlic would be just fine here, I’d say 1 clove minced should do the trick

Obviously I could have redone this attempt. But sometimes there’s something endearing about a total screw up...yea? Life’s beauty is in the imperfections, right????

(I’m just tryin’ to make myself feel better about burning my frittata.)

---

Kale, garlic scape, and feta frittata

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter (or other cooking fat)

1 bunch kale, destemmed and torn into bite size pieces (I used lacinato)

½ medium size onion, sliced

3 garlic scapes, diced (or 1 clove of garlic minced)

pinch of red pepper flake (if desired)

6 eggs beaten

½ cup grassfed heavy cream

salt & pepper

⅓ cup feta cheese

sprinkle of shredded pecorino or parmesan (optional)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add kale, onion, garlic scapes, and red pepper flake to pan. Cook until onions are transculent and kale is soft and wilted.

While veggies are cooking down, beat 6 eggs with heavy cream, salt and pepper. Once fully beaten, stir feta in.

Add in second tablespoon of butter and allow to melt into vegetables. Pour eggs over the sauteed vegetables and stir in quickly to incorporate. Now leave to set over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes. Turn on your broiler. Right before placing under broiler sprinkle a bit of shredded pecorino or parmesan, if desired. Broil for approximately 10 minutes, but keep a watchful eye, remove once top of frittata is puffy and becomes a delightful golden brown.

Welcome! And a Red Russian Kale Strawberry Salad

Welcome to Sizzle & Sass! 

Coming to you from a tiny NYC kitchen where the challenge is simple. Cook and bake as seasonally, as locally, and as organically as possible in a typically small city kitchen with a grand total of two and a half feet of counter space. At least my fridge and oven are life size. Thank you, Queens.

Consider this challenge accepted, I’m beyond excited to conquer.

So, let’s start this thing off right, with a strawberry kale salad. Specifically, “Red Russian” Kale (the magenta veins just shouted to me at the farmer’s market - “I wanna meet some strawberries!”) I’d like to think it’s terribly seasonal and quite pretty in pink. I also threw some last of the season asparagus in there. Grab it up before it’s too late and try it fresh! It’s so crunchy and sweet! And then I dressed it all up in a jalapeno vinaigrette. If that ain’t sassy, I don’t know what is. 

If you do dairy, a salty feta or a tangy goat cheese would be lovely here. I had none on hand, but it also wasn’t missed. Next time, I will definitely throw in some sunflower seeds if I have them for added crunch - I love me a crunchy salad.

It’s only slightly spicy, but I cut out the rib and seeds, next time I might leave some in there to kick it up a notch. I was also thinking it might be nice to make the dressing a day ahead and let the pepper really steep into the liquid.

---

Red Russian Kale Strawberry Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Salad Ingredients

1 bunch Red Russian Kale

4 to 5 asparagus spears

½ of a red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup of fresh strawberries, sliced

optional:

handful of sunflower seeds

a bit of feta or goat cheese 

Vinaigrette Ingredients

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 jalapeno, finely minced

salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Prepare your vinaigrette first, perhaps even a day in advance

The Lazy Way (how I did it):

Whisk together the oil and vinegar, then add in the mustard, syrup, salt and pepper and jalapeno and whisk again until combined.

The Proper Way:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, syrup, salt and pepper then slowly drizzle olive oil in while whisking until dressing has emulsified. Stir in the minced jalapeno.

Set aside.

Prep your washed kale by removing the stems. Stack the leaves on top of each other one by one. Then roll them up tightly into a tube shape, then cut across to create very delicate thin strips of kale. This is called a chiffonade! Easy to toss, easy to eat!

Line up two asparagus at a time and slice at a slight diagonal, to create thin oval discs.

Throw the kale, asparagus, and red onion into a large bowl and toss a bit to incorporate. Pour over the dressing and then add the sliced strawberries. Gently fold the strawberries in and distribute the dressing evenly.

Serves 4