Endive and Apple Salad

(recipe from Food & Wine magazine)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
3 heads Belgian endive, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup torn escarole leaves
1/2 medium Fuji or Braeburn apple, cored, cut into 6 wedges, thinly sliced crosswise

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set vinaigrette aside.  Mix endive, escarole, and apple in a large bowl.  Toss salad with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette, or to taste.

Shaved Cabbage Salad with Paprika Vinaigrette

(recipe from Food & Wine magazine)

1 small shallot, minced
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 1/2 Tbsp. sweet paprika, plus more for garnish
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
One 3/4-lb. head each of green and red cabbage - halved, cored and shredded
1 large apple - peeled, cored and julienned
1 cup chopped parsely
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup snipped chives
1/2 cup julienned baby turnips
1/2 cup salted roasted pepitas
6 red radishes, thinly sliced

In a bowl, whisk the shallot with the mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, honey and the 1 1/2 Tbsp. of paprika.  Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the cabbages with the apple, parsley, cilantro, chives, turnips, pepitas, and radishes.  Add 1/2 cup of the dressing and toss well.  Season with salt and pepper and garnish with paprika.  Serve the additional dressing at the table. 

(It is helpful to shred the cabbages, apple, and turnips in a food processer using the shredding attachment.)

Autumn Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette

(recipe from Sprouted Kitchen)

3/4 lb. Brussels sprouts
3/4 lb. cauliflower florets
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2"cubes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. white balsamic (I used regular balsamic vinegar)
3/4-1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
few pinches of cayenne
1 cup cooked white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
2 packed cups arugula
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 large clove garlic
1/2 a shallot
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper, to taste
handful of fresh chives and/or parsley
dollop of crème fraiche, optional

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Cut the Brussels in half lengthwise, and cut the cauliflower into similar size chunks.  Add both of these and the squash to a large rimmed baking tray.  Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a few pinches of cayenne and toss everything together with your hands to coat.  Roast in the upper third of the oven for 35 minutes, until edges are browned.

While the vegetables roast, make your dressing.  In a mini blender or processor, combine the horseradish, garlic, shallot, honey, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, herbs and crème fraiche, if using.  Blend everything together to mix well.  Taste for salt and pepper and set aside.

As soon as the hot tray is out of the oven, add the beans onto the tray and toss everything together.  Allow the vegetables to cool to room temperature.  Add the pomegranate seeds, arugula, and a good drizzle of the dressing and toss everything to coat.  Serve at room temperature.

Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pomegranate

(recipe from Paleo Perfected magazine)

1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced crosswise1/2-inch thick
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small shallot, minced
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
12 oz. Lacinato kale, stemmed and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (7 cups)
1/2 head radicchio (5 oz.), cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400F.  Toss potatoes with 1 Tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper.  Lay potatoes in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and roast until bottom edges are browned on both sides, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through roasting  Transfer potatoes to plate and let cool for 20 minutes.

Whisk shallot, honey, vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper together in a large bowl.  Whisking constantly, gradually drizzle in remaining oil until emulsified.

Place kale in a large bowl or on the counter.  Vigorously squeeze and massage the kale with your hands until the leaves are uniformly darkened and slightly wilted, about 1 minute.  Add kale, radicchio, and roasted sweet potatoes to the vinaigrette and gently toss to combine.  Transfer salad to serving platter and sprinkle with pecans and pomegranate seeds.  Serve.

Roasted Potato Salad with Shaved Fennel and Salsa Verde

(recipe from finecooking.com)

2 lb. small red-skinned or Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives
3 Tbsp. drained, rinsed, and chopped capers
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used a smaller amount of dried thyme)
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 medium clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium-small fennel bulb

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450F.  Spread the potatoes on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper, and roll them around to evenly coat them with the oil.  Spread the potatoes in a single layer, preferably with a cut side down.  Roast until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes.  The potatoes should be browned on the sides touching the pan.  Loosen the potatoes from the pan with a thin spatula and transfer them to a large serving bowl.

While the potatoes are roasting, in a medium bowl, stir the parsley, olive oil, chives, capers, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest, thyme, shallot, and garlic to make the salsa verde.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut off the top and the bottom of the fennel.  Cut the fennel bulb in half from top to bottom, and again into quarters - remove the cores.  Lay each quarter on its cut surface and then slice crosswise as thinly as possible.

Add the salsa verde and shaved fennel to the bowl of roasted potatoes - they can be added while potatoes are still warm, or at room temperature.  Toss well, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Deviled Eggs

(I cobbled this together from internet recipes)

1 dozen eggs
1/3 cup mayo
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. minced shallot
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste

Place eggs in a large pot; cover with water by and inch or two.  Bring water to a rolling boil.  (You can put 1/2 tsp. salt or 1 tsp. vinegar in the water to help the shells become easier to peel.)  Turn off the heat, cover, and allow to sit for 12-15 minutes.

Drain eggs.  Fill pot with cold water and allow eggs to cool.

Peel eggs.  Cut each in half lengthwise.  Remove yolks, place them in a medium bowl, and mash them.  Set whites aside on a dish.  Add remaining ingredients to mashed yolks and mix thoroughly.  Spoon yolk mixture into egg white hollows.  Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

(Tangy and delicious!)