Spring Greens and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette – All Year Long

 

Bright, young leafy greens and gorgeous red strawberries combine for a delightful salad that screams “springtime.” But -- happily -- the story is  more complicated. 

“Spring Mix,” a collection of young salad greens is now available throughout the year. And most of it is hydroponically grown in greenhouses. Increasingly it’s produced locally in all seasons. Strawberries, which in my childhood were very seasonal and locally grown, are available year round, and are either shipped in, or now also greenhouse grown. Strawberries are safest if organic or at least raised in greenhouses.

 

Here’s my “springtime” salad offering, which was previously a column in Boom Magazine, an Athens publication for which I regularly write about food and cooking.

Using some of the strawberries, particularly the less beautiful ones in the package, to infuse the salad dressing makes the salad an even more intense celebration of spring. And, thanks to modern agriculture, it can be enjoyed any time of year.

 

The recipe serves six. The salad dressing can be made in advance.

 

1 pint (16 ounces) strawberries, organic or greenhouse grown

1 sprig fresh mint or other herb, optional

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus to taste

3 tablespoons wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil or part olive oil

4 cups (loosely measured) spring mix salad greens (from supermarket)

 

Divide the strawberries into two halves, the prettiest berries in one half. Save those for topping the salad.

 

Using the less pretty berries, cut off the hulls and stems and chop or mash the berries finely. Mix them in a bowl with the fresh herb, if used, sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Mix well and allow to sit for an hour or more. Put mixture through a strainer into another bowl and press down firmly to extract the juices. Discard the squeezed-out strawberry pulp. Add the black pepper and oil to the liquid in the bowl. Mix and taste for salt, adding a little, if needed, to taste. It should be faintly salty.

 

Place the spring mix (no need to rinse the leaves if the package indicates they were already washed) in a salad bowl. Hull the reserved (prettier} strawberries. Slice them from top to bottom 1/4-inch thick and distribute them on top of the salad greens. Transfer the dressing to an attractive jar. Just before serving, and preferably at the table for the diners to see, toss the dressing with the greens and berries.

 

Red White and Blue Potato Salad for the 4^th of July

 

I love potato salad, preferably tangy sweet-sour potato salad without a lot of glubby mayonnaise.

 

Fourth of July, Independence Day, backyard “barbecues” in my childhood always included potato salad. I thought it must be the most American, and patriotic, of dishes. Hot dogs, after all, are actually Germanic sausages. Frankfurters were named for the West German city of Frankfurt, wieners for the Austrian city of Vienna. And hamburgers were named for the North German city of Hamburg.

 

Of course, later I learned that potato salad is a specialty throughout central and northern Europe, from Germany to Sweden to Russia and all points in between. Ah well!

 

For fun, I now make Fourth of July potato salad in the colors of red, white and blue. That’s not to be confused with the French national colors “bleu, blanc et rouge” (blue, white and red), or the Russian colors, white, blue and red.

 

When I began this culinary prank, I used small red-skinned potatoes and purple-blue potatoes. But the red skins cook to a weak pinkish tan and the blue potatoes fade to pale violet. That’s pretty wimpy for the Fourth of July.

 

Now I go bold, as our national honor dictates: red from diced or sliced beets and blue from blueberries to perk up the white of the potatoes. The beets are stirred into the salad briefly before serving so they don’t stain it pink. Pink potato and beet salad is a specialty in Sweden and Russia, especially around the winter holidays.

 

The trick for making good potato salad is proper simmering, not hard boiling, of the potatoes to achieve firmness yet without an under-cooked crunch.

 

The recipe serves 6 to 10 as a side dish or appetizer.

 

3 pounds small-medium yellow-skinned or russet potatoes

1 large fresh beet or equivalent in canned whole beets

1/4 cup minced onion

4 tablespoons mayonnaise (“real” mayonnaise works best)

4 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

 

In large, uncovered pan with plenty of water, bring potatoes just to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil them or cover the pan. If water begins boiling, pour in a little cold water to slow it. Swirl the pan occasionally to gently move the potatoes around. After 10-12 minutes, start testing a potato for doneness by piercing with a toothpick. Continue simmering until potatoes are just tender. Remove from the heat. Drain and cool.

 

In a separate pan of water, boil the raw beet, if used, unpeeled. When tender when pierced with toothpick, let it cool. Peel it. Alternatively, use canned whole beets of roughly similar total volume to a large beet. Cut in small dice, or if small canned beets, slice them 1/8 inch thick. Season with a little salt and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Set aside.

 

Peel potatoes. Slice them 1/4 inch thick, first cutting in half lengthwise if large. Place in a large bowl for easy mixing.

 

Mince onion. Mix it in a small bowl with mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until mayonnaise breaks up.

 

Stir mixture into potatoes, mixing gently with a large spoon or hands (use plastic gloves). Let sit for 10 minutes. Mix again and taste. If necessary, add salt, vinegar and/or sugar. The taste should be slightly salty (the potato will absorb more) and tangy sweet-sour.

 

Potato salad is best if made in advance and refrigerated a few hours or up to several days.

 

Shortly before serving, stir again. Taste and add salt, if needed. Stir in diced beets (drained) and part of blueberries. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with remaining blueberries.

 

 Buffalo-Style Chicken Tenders, Roasted

 

I’ve rarely cooked with chicken tenders, but recently tried them for a lunch dish for several grandkids. Drawing on what I knew of Buffalo Chicken Wings, I made the tenders in more or less the same style, except that I seasoned the chicken pieces before cooking and didn’t deep fry them.

 

I initially tried pan frying the tenders, but it had to be done in two batches, and they stuck a little to the pan, making the surfaces a rough. Roasting them on a flat baking sheet in the oven is easier and makes more even-looking pieces, and they’re all cooked at the same time. However it means heating up the oven. Either way, the taste works well, and the kids loved them.

 

Frank’s RedHot cayenne pepper sauce is, reputedly, the particular sauce used on the original Buffalo Chicken Wings, and I like it. But Crystal or Louisiana brand hot sauce or Texas Pete hot sauce (made in North Carolina!) will work. There is always some butter in the sauce as it goes on the chicken.

 

Buffalo chicken is usually served with celery sticks, and a salad dressing to use as a dip. The dressing originally was chunky bleu cheese dressing, which was a typical salad dressing in the 1960s, when Buffalo Wings were created. But now it’s more likely to be Ranch, which is now the most popular.

 

The recipe serves six as a substantial snack. (Leftovers, cut up, make a nice addition to a mixed salad.)

 

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

T/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons sunflower or canola oil

1/4 teaspoon vinegar

2 tablespoons Frank’s “RedHot” or other American hot sauce

1 teaspoon butter

 

With a sharp knife, remove the tough tendon off each tender, by grasping it and sliding a sharp knife under it, so as to remove as little of the meat as possible. If one or more tenders are much larger than the others, cut them in half lengthwise on an angle so the pieces look more like the others.

 

In a bowl, mix the chicken well with the dry seasonings and cornstarch. Then mix in the oil and vinegar. Allow chicken an hour or more to season, mixing it occasionally, before cooking.

 

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Smear some oil on a flat baking sheet, and lay out the chicken pieces so they are not touching. 

 

Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 8 minutes. Turn the pieces over with a spatula, and bake for 5 minutes more. Test for doneness by cutting part off one piece. The raw pink interior color should be gone. If not yet cooked, bake for another two minutes, Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a clean, wide mixing bowl.

 

Put the hot sauce and butter in a microwaveable cup and microwave for 30 seconds or until the butter is melted, Stir this sauce into the roasted chicken tenders to coat them well. Transfer chicken to a platter to serve.

 

If desired, accompany with celery sticks, and bleu cheese or Ranch dressing as a dip.

 

Chickpea Sauce and Parmesan Cheese for Pasta

 

I’m always looking for vegetarian counterparts to meat dishes when I’m preparing food for entertaining or feeding the grandkids at our weekly dinners. That way I can offer a vegetarian option when the crowd includes people with different food preferences. This one, which is easy, started as the counterpart to a chicken and pasta dish. The chicken version was relatively good, but not special. The vegetarian version did much better. 

The two dishes were designed to serve with orzo pasta, or with rice if avoiding pasta. Orzo looks like rice, but its name in Italian actually means barley, which cooked it also resembles. This is not an Italian dish, but some of my experience with Italian food influenced it. We had a side of crisp-tender broccoli and a salad with the dinner.

 

Here’s my chickpea dish. The recipe serves 4 to 6 persons, accompanying 1/2-3/4 pound of orzo pasta, which is cooked separately and lightly oiled after draining so it doesn’t stick together.

 

1/2 of a medium-small onion, minced

1 medium-large clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup water, plus more as needed

2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 sprigs fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

6 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1/2 to 3/4 pound orzo pasta, freshly cooked for serving

 

In a medium-sized pot, gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until onion is softened but not turning golden. Add the water and bring to a boil.

 

Stir in the drained, rinsed chickpeas, oregano, salt, paprika, black pepper and cayenne. Simmer 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sour cream and bring back just to a boil. Add a little water if sauce is too thick. Taste and add a little salt if needed.

 

Serve now (or hold and reheat later in a microwave or on the stove top) over orzo pasta. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.

 

 

Chicken Salad made from Roasted Chicken Breast

 

 

A dish I’ve made for years somehow didn’t get onto this recipe blog. Perhaps that’s because it is nearly like the roasted chicken salad we make at the restaurant, which sells very well there. But I don’t expect that we will lose sales, or that some competitor will take advantage of our trade secrets, if I post the recipe.

 

The key to what we make is rubbing boneless, skinless chicken breast with seasonings and a little oil and roasting it. Then we chop it finely (in a food processor usually) and mix it with diced celery and green onion, mayonnaise, horseradish and lemon juice.

 

The finished product will keep for 6-7 days refrigerated. It makes outstanding sandwiches, for example on croissants and adding some thin-sliced cucumber or fresh spinach, or as an appetizer spread, or for topping a lunch salad.

 

The recipe makes enough for six good-sized sandwiches.

 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 3 medium breast halves)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon dry Herbes de Provence (or 1/4 teaspoon thyme plus 1/4 teaspoon oregano)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower or canola oil

10-inch length of celery stalk

2 green onions, white and green parts

1/2 cup mayonnaise

5 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

 

Trim off tough or fatty parts from the chicken. Place chicken pieces on flat baking sheet and sprinkle on both sides with the salt, herbs and black pepper. Drizzle oil onto the chicken.

 

Roast in a 350 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for ten minutes. Turn the pieces over and roast another ten minutes then turn pieces over again. Continue to roast, 5-10 minutes depending on thickness, until cooked: internal temperature of 165 degrees with a meat thermometer or no pink color when a piece of chicken is cut in half. Let cool.

 

On a clean cutting board, split the celery lengthwise into 1/8-inch wide strips. Cut them in half lengthwise. Line them up together and slice them across thinly with a chef’s knife to dice the celery. Place it in a mixing bowl. Remove the roots and bottom 1/4 inch of the green onions and cut off the tips of the green parts. Cut the onions in half in the middle. Line up the pieces and slice them very thinly. Add them to the celery. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and horseradish. Mix well.

 

Add any pan juices from the chicken pan to the mixture in the bowl. Chop the chicken finely: cut into chunks then pulse it in a food processor, about half at a time, until well chopped, but not puréed or mushy. Alternatively, slice then chop the chicken, part at a time, on the cutting board, using the chef’s knife.

 

Add chopped chicken to the bowl and mix well until evenly moistened. Taste a bit, and add a little salt, if needed, to taste.

 

The flavors intensify as the chicken salad is allowed to sit for a while. Mix well one final time, and taste again for salt, adding a little if needed. Use now, or refrigerate in a covered container.

 

 

 

 

Rice Pilaf with Peaches and Rosemary

 

With peaches coming in strong here in Georgia, I enjoy cooking savory dishes with them, as well as enjoy them as fruit. Rosemary, which is year-round here, makes a nice foil to the peach flavor,
at least if used sparingly.

 

“Pilaf” historically applies to rice cooked with a seasoned broth and added meat, seafood, vegetables or fruits and nuts. Here’s a version using seasonal peaches. Rosemary and a few whole spices add delicate flavor highlights.  The dish will go well with grilled food, or pork, duck, smoked sausage or with a savory braised dish.

 

The recipe serves six.

 

1 1/2 cups Basmati or other long grained rice

2 large or three medium peaches

2 tablespoons white wine

Water (see instructions below)

1 medium shallot or 1/2 small onion, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

18 individual leaves taken off a sprig of rosemary

6 whole peppercorns

2 whole cloves

Minced fresh parsley for garnish

 

Rinse rice several times and drain well. Set aside to “dry” somewhat.

 

Peel peaches. Chop flesh coarsely. Place in large (4-cup) measuring cup with the wine. Add enough water to bring the volume up to 2-3/4 cups.

 

Mince shallot or onion. Heat a heavy pot and fry onion in olive oil, stirring frequently, until onion is limp and beginning to become golden. Add drained (and somewhat dried) rice and stir and fry one minute.

 

Add peaches and liquid mixture plus salt, sugar if used, rosemary, peppercorns and cloves. Stir.

 

Bring to a boil, without stirring until after rice is fully cooked. Reduce heat to low, cover pot. Simmer, covered without opening, 20 minutes. Do not lift lid, but turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes.

 

Remove visible rosemary leaves and whole spices from the surface. Fluff rice with a fork.

 

Serve, sprinkled with minced parsley.

 

Caprese Salad, Another Way

 

I love Caprese Salad, that beautiful combination of fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and salt. I’ve typically made it the classical way with sliced tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves arranged on a platter then sprinkled lightly with salt and olive oil.

 

But for catering at the restaurant we often do as an appetizer small Caprese skewers, like mini-kebabs, of tomato and fresh mozzarella that was marinated briefly in a mixture of finely minced basil, olive oil and salt. Having some “pearl”-sized mozzarella balls leftover recently, I marinated them and then served them plattered and surrounded with my favorite tomatoes (other than tomatoes fresh from the garden at peak season), Campari. The result was a cheery appetizer as a starter for dinner. I think I like it even better than the classical presentation.

 

So as fresh basil from my garden is just getting underway, here’s my recent variant on Caprese Salad. The recipe makes enough for the starter course for a dinner for six.

 

12 medium-large fresh basil leaves, plus a small sprig for garnish

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls, ideally the small “pearl” size

6 Campari tomatoes, or other small sweet tomatoes (roughly 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups total)

 

Finely mince the basil leaves on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add the olive oil and salt. Mix well. Add the mozzarella, individual pieces separated (or halved if larger variety) and mix carefully to evenly coat them.

 

Place the marinated mozzarella in the center of a serving dish. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, with the stem bit cut off, and arrange them around the mozzarella. Place the small basil sprig in the top of the pile of mozzarella, and serve.