RECIPES
Barley, Beet and Feta Salad:
4 medium beets, tops removed
1 cup dried pearl barley
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
1/2 large red onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard (about 1 pound)
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, plus more for serving Image Credit: Emma Christenson
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450°F. Loosely wrap the beets in aluminum foil. Roast until they are just fork tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the barley, soak the onions and prepare the chard.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the barley and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the barley and return it to the pan. Cover with a clean dishtowel until ready to use. Place the onions in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Wash the chard and pat dry, but leave some moisture clinging to the leaves. Strip off the leaves, stack them in a pile, and slice them crosswise into 1/2-inch ribbons; set aside. Dice the stems into small bite-sized pieces and set aside.
When the beets are ready, set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel and dice the beets into 1/2-inch cubes.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chard stems and a pinch of salt and sauté until they start to turn translucent around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chard leaves, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring gently, until the leaves are bright green and wilted, 4 to 5 minutes more. If the pan is very dry, add a few tablespoons of water so the chard can keep steaming; set aside.
Drain the red onion from the soaking water and place in a large bowl. Add the beets, barley, and chard. Let everything cool to room temperature.
Stir in the feta. Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Drizzle over the salad and stir to evenly coat all the ingredients. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Adapted from The Kitchn
Creamy Squash "Orzotto":
This dish would be great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
1 1/2 pounds squash, peeled and seeds removed (no need to peel if using your delicata!)
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Cut the squash into chunks small enough to fit through the feeding tube of your food processor. Fit the food processor with the shredding blade and shred the squash. (You will have about 6 cups of shredded squash.) Set aside.
In a saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter (or warm the olive oil) over medium-high heat. Add the barley and sauté until grains are golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the leek and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring, until the liquid has almost completely reduced, about 1 minute.
Add the shredded squash, stock, thyme and salt, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until barley is cooked through but still chewy and squash is falling apart. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of toasted pecans and grated cheese, if desired.
Stir-Fried Red Napa Cabbage with Spicy Garlic Sauce:
4 cloves garlic—two chopped and two minced
Kosher salt
4 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
One 1 1/2-pound head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Mince and mash the chopped garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Stir together the scallions, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, water, hot red-pepper flakes and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the cabbage, season with a pinch of salt, and stir-fry, using tongs to stir, until the cabbage is just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.
Velouté Carmen (Creamy Carmen Pepper Soup):
1 ounce butter
1 cup onion, minced
2.5 ounces flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1.5 cups red carmen peppers, seeded and diced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and white pepper freshly ground, to taste
0.5 cup heavy cream
Bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan.
Velouté: In a saucepan over moderately low heat, melt the butter and stir in the onion. Cook slowly until the onions are transparent for about 5 minutes. Blend in the flour. Stir gradually for 2 minutes, to cook the flour without letting it color. Add the tomato paste and cook for an extra minute. Remove from heat and when the bubbling stops, pour in 1 cup of hot liquid all at once, whisking vigorously to blend smoothly. Whisk in the rest of the stock. Add the red bell pepper and bring to a simmer while stirring and simmer gently for 40 minutes. Stir constantly and skim frequently. Taste and season with salt and white pepper.
Finish the Velouté: The soup base should coat a spoon. Add dollops of more liquid if it is too thick. If too thin, add a little bit of Roux. Blend the soup in a blender until very thin and strain through a fine mesh strainer or chinois.
Reheat the soup and add the heavy cream. Taste and rectify the seasoning. Simmer for a couple of minutes, skimming if necessary. Reheat the rice in some in Consommé, chicken or vegetable stock.
Serve the Velouté: In a preheated soup plate or bowl serve the Velouté hot. Drain the rice and sprinkle over the Velouté. Garnish with a teaspoon of sour cream, sprinkle some paprika over the cream and top with a few dill leaves.
Eggs Florentine:
4 egg yolks
2 Tbs. fresh lemon and lime juice
1 Tbs. water
1/8 tsp. salt
2 pinches of freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
4 English muffins, split and toasted
3 Tbs. softened unsalted butter
4 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
8 eggs
To make the sauce, in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, combine the egg yolks, lemon and lime juice and water and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, then continue whisking for about 1 minute more, but remove the bowl from over the pan as soon as the mixture thickens. Add the salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper. Using a stick blender with the aerator attachment, blend the mixture while slowly pouring in the melted butter in a thin stream until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cover and keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.
Lightly spread the cut side of each muffin with 1 tsp. of the softened butter.
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 1 tsp. butter. Add the spinach and cook until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. You should have about 1 1/2 cups cooked spinach. Keep warm.
Fill an egg-poaching pan with 1/2 inch water, set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lightly coat the poaching cups with nonstick cooking spray and crack an egg into each cup. Cover and cook until the whites are firm and the yolks are glazed over but still soft, about 3 minutes, or until done to your liking. Transfer the eggs to a warmed plate and repeat with the remaining eggs.
Place 2 muffin halves on each of 4 warmed individual plates. Top each muffin half with some of the spinach, an egg and some of the sauce. Serve immediately.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Brunch Entertaining, by Janeen Sarlin (Time-Life Books, 1999).
Valentine Radish, Orange, and Feta Salad:
1 shallot or half of a small red onion
2 to 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
2 to 3 valentine radishes
2 to 3 oranges, clementines, grapefruit, etc. (I love Cara Cara oranges, which are sweet, pretty and delicious)
a handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped (see notes)
goat cheese to taste
chives, minced, optional, but they add some nice color
olive oil to taste
Mince shallot. Place in small bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vinegar depending on how big of a salad you are making. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Cut off one end of the radish. Leave the other intact so you have a handle when you run the radish down your mandoline. Peel the radishes if you wish, though it is by no means necessary. Thinly slice on a mandoline. Arrange radish slices on a platter. I try to fold some of them so they’re not all squished down in one flat layer, but arrange however you wish.
Season with salt.
Cut off each end of each orange. Squeeze each end over the radishes, then discard. Use a sharp knife to remove the skin from the orange. Cut in between membranes to remove each slice. Squeeze remaining membrane all over the radishes to extract any juice. Scatter oranges over the radishes.
Scatter walnuts and goat cheese to taste over the radishes and oranges. Pour macerated shallots and vinegar over top. Drizzle olive oil to taste (one to two tablespoons) over top.
Scatter chives over top if using.
Let sit for thirty minutes for the flavors to meld before serving.
Adapted from Alexandra Cooks
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