I promised you I’d go lighter and fresher this week (though I really hope you made that pot roast!). Et voila: Endive and Radicchio Salad with Blood Oranges, Avocados, and Roasted Chickpeas. About as fresh as it gets. And if the colors in this salad don’t get you at hello, then the textures and flavors will win your heart.
The easy dressing — spiked with lime juice, lime zest, and hot pepper jelly — brings everything together beautifully. And thanks to the Roasted Chickpeas (you should make those even if you don’t make the salad) and the avocado, this is filling enough for supper, too. (I swear.) Happens to be vegan and gluten-free as well.
Staying in the fresh and green (and who knew?) department for a moment, food writer Cathy Walthers had an inspiring visit this week to The Greenhouse, a hidden gem in Oak Bluffs where all kinds of interesting salad greens, Asian greens, kale and Swiss chard are growing year-round.
Cathy wound up cooking an all-local dinner for her son’s last night home from college with freshly picked Asian greens and bay scallops, which were on sale at The Net Result. Find out what else she cooked with her green loot and how you can join The Greenhouse.
And now something spicy. Or more accurately, spice–y. We asked Vineyard caterer Jan Buhrman to help us get bolder with spices in our cooking.(Jan sells her spice blends locally under her Kitchen Porch label).
She responded with her trademark enthusiasm: First, she teaches us to make our own Indian Curry Powder and our own Moroccan Ras el Hanout. (But not without first explaining that while the spice blends might seem mysterious, they actually share ingredients with something familiar — Pumpkin Pie Spice!)
Next, she gives us two recipes to try out our new (highly aromatic homemade) spice blends: Fragrant Vegetable Curry and Spiced Brownies. The Spiced Brownies are gluten-free (made with almond flour) and have a light texture and deep chocolatey flavor. The ras el hanoutlends a warm background note, but you can substitute ground ginger or cinnamon if you like.
Plus a bonus: A simple recipe for mulling spices not just for apple cider, but for red wine, too. (Or even a pot of water to make your house smell good.) Winter Sangria! Mulled Cider!
If all this fresh and spicy stuff is just too exciting for you, never fear. I have something that’s pure delicious comfort for your dinner tonight: Baked Eggs Pizzaiolo. Warm, gooey, cheesy. Spinach and artichoke hearts on the bottom.
No need to say more about that!
We’ve got three new installations of The Cook and the Book coming up, plus some special recipes for Super Bowl day and Valentine’s Day, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, check in with us on Instagram, Facebook, and of course, here at cookthevineyard.com.
Hey, share this newsletter with a friend while you’re at it. And drop me a line in the comments below with any feedback you have this week or any week!
