Beet, Orange, and Apple Salad

Inspiration:
Tim's newfound love of beets and allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds beets
• 2 cups shredded beet greens
• 1 large orange
• 2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored
• and sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry beet roots and greens. Shred greens to measure 2 cups and set aside.
2. Place beets in a sauce pan with enough water to cover. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool.
3. Trim and peel off skins; cut into 8 wedges.
4. Peel and section orange. In a bowl, combine orange sections, beets and apples.
5. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and garlic. Pour over beet mixture and toss well.
6. Arrange 1/2 cup beet greens on 4 salad plates. Top with beet mixture, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

Notes: Loved this recipe. It's not for beginners--kind of time consuming--but it's delicious. Next time I'll double the dressing recipe and keep the salad ingredients the same. I may also add in an extra orange.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Warm Lentil Salad with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese

Inspiration:
Bobby Flay and beets from our CSA


Ingredients:

• 1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 carrot, quartered
• 1 stalk celery, quartered
• 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/4 cups dried French green lentils
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 pound slab bacon, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 4 cups frisee or mixed greens
• Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• 4 slices goat cheese
• French bread, for serving

Instructions:

Begin by roasting the beets.

Lentils:

Tie onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs together in cheesecloth. Place chicken stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the lentils, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the cheesecloth bag of aromatics.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels. Add the garlic and carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.

To assemble, place the frisee in a large bowl, toss with half of the vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the roasted beets around the outside of 4 dinner plates. Divide the greens among each plate in the center. Top the frisee with some of the warm lentils and place a slice of the goat cheese on top. Drizzle each salad with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve with slices of French bread.

Roasted Beets:

3 medium beets (red or gold), scrubbed, leaves trimmed

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat beets lightly with oil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Sherry Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until emulsified.

Liz's Rating: 8/10

Quinoa Salad with Cucumber

Inspiration:
A search for a new rice/pasta/other salad to take for lunch, and Martha Stewart's Living.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• Coarse salt
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

1. Bring water, quinoa, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet, and let cool on a wire rack.
2. Combine shallot, vinegar, and red-pepper flakes in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil until emulsified.
3. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl, and stir in cucumber, parsley, and vinaigrette. Season with salt.

Notes:
I substituted white wine vinegar for the champagne vinegar and used a regular cucumber.

While this was ok, I think it would be even better with some feta or ricotta salata cheese added-- or kalamata olives or diced red bell pepper.


Liz's Rating: 7.5/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Bok Choy Salad

Inspiration:
A desire to increase my vegetable intake during lunches and Martha Stewart's Living.


Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 5 cups sliced, raw bok choy (any type; about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cashews

Instructions:

1. Whisk together 4 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 3/4 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Toss in 5 cups sliced, raw bok choy. Top with 2 tablespoons chopped cashews.

Notes:
I had a little extra bok choy, so I doubled the dressing amount and tripled the cashews :)

Updated Notes:
If you are going to store this for later, one batch of the dressing should be enough. This salad is so good!

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

Inspiration:
Modified from a recipe found on allrecipes.com

Last year, my New Year's Resolution was to improve my yeast breads. I did pretty well with that and am enjoying homemade pizza and bread rather often.

This year's New Year's Resolution: take lunch to work more often. This will not be difficult to do, as I rarely brought lunch last year. It is too tempting to go out for pho with friends or swing by one of the sandwich places near my office. Now, I have a refrigerator in my office, and I am going to try to bring some sort of pasta/rice/couscous salad every week with some greens for a good midday meal 3-4 days a week. The remainder of the days-- I'll likely be having pho :)


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 (16 ounce) package bow tie or similar-shaped pasta
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup light soy sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat
  
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1 can baby corn, sliced
• 1/4 diced red bell pepper
  
• 1/2 cup julienned carrot
• 1 cup blanched and sliced snow peas
  

Instructions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds, and cook stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper. Shake well.
4. Pour sesame dressing over pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Gently mix in chicken, cilantro, green onions, and other vegetables.

Notes:

• I made the chicken mixture and kept the pasta separate. The chicken tasted even better after the flavors melded overnight. Each morning, I prepared a to-go pyrex dish with the chicken mixture on the bottom, with pasta and baby spinach leaves sitting on top. This way the pasta didn't soak up all the dressing. I then mixed it right before lunch.
  
• Change up the type and amount of vegetables to your liking. Water chestnuts may be an option if you care for them. I blanched the snow peas in the pot of boiling water, removed them, then boiled the pasta.
  
• For the shredded chicken, I poached two bone-in chicken breasts using The Kitchn's method.
  
• After I took the photo I realized I forgot the sesame seeds and had to re-mix--whoops. It looks even better with all the toasted sesame seeds!

Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10

Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil, and Goat Cheese Salad

Inspiration:
Bon Appétit

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup French green lentils
• 6 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (from about one 2-pound whole pumpkin)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Instructions:

1. Place lentils in small bowl. Cover with cold water and soak 10 minutes; drain.

2. Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Drain lentils. Rinse under cold water, then drain.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pumpkin in large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and sea salt. Arrange pumpkin in single layer on baking sheet; roast 20 minutes. Turn pumpkin over. Roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

4. Combine lentils, pumpkin, and oil from baking sheet with arugula, half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates; sprinkle remaining goat cheese over.

Notes:
Peeling pumpkin is not fun. I would use butternut squash next time. This was a nice weekend lunch.

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Chard Salad with Bacon, Beets, and Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

Inspiration:
Beets and chard from our garden
as well as
a recipe shared by Beth Jones, Executive Chef of the University of Minnesota Campus Club


Ingredients:

• 8 small, or 4 large beets, boiled or roasted, peeled, and cut into 1-inch dice
• 1 large bunch rainbow chard, well washed, leaves torn and stems finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T good-quality maple syrup
• 2 T cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked until crispy

Instructions:

1. Toss the chard leaves, stems, and diced beets in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, Dijon, maple syrup, vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
   
3. Drizzle over the salad and sprinkle with the bacon. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes:
By mid July you are sure to find the bacon, beets, chard and garlic for this salad at a local famers market. When you buy chard and beets, look for a variety of colors. If you buy beets with the tops still attached, wash the leaves and stems and add them to the salad.


My Notes:
This was the perfect recipe to bring to my Community Garden's pot luck. Both the beets and the chard were grown in my garden! I served bacon on the side as many of my friends either are vegetarian, vegan, or avoid pork. You could also add blue cheese, which would really complement the flavors.


Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions

Inspiration:
Giada
as well as CSA tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon honey
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
  
• 6 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 pound orzo (or riso)
  
• 2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved (or 2 large tomatoes, diced)
  
• 1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
  
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
  
• 1 cup chopped green onions
  
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Instructions:

1. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
   
   
2. Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool.
   
   
3. Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Giada's Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

Inspiration:
CSA arugula and tomatoes and the lovely Giada

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces Gorgonzola
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 3/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for deep-frying
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups coarsely torn arugula (about 10 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Blend the Gorgonzola in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the work bowl occasionally. Using 1 rounded teaspoon of cheese for each, form the cheese into 18 (1-inch) balls. Working in batches, roll balls and flatten into patties, coat the patties with the egg then with the bread crumbs. Repeat coating the patties in the egg and bread crumbs. Arrange the patties on a small baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Whisk the lemon juice, garlic, and lemon peel in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup oil. Season the dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside.

3. Add enough oil to a heavy small saucepan to come 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. At this point, remove the refrigerated Gorgonzola patties from the refrigerator. Working in batches, add the cold balls to the hot oil and fry just until golden brown, about 20 seconds. (It is essential that the Gorgonzola patties be cold when they go into the oil, otherwise they will fall apart in the oil. If they start to warm up at any point, return them to the refrigerator to firm back up.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried patties to paper towels to drain.

4. Toss the arugula in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad on plates. Top the salads with the hot fried Gorgonzola patties and serve immediately.

Notes:
Wow. I can't believe I made this. It's amazing! The dressing, the combination of the arugula and the gorgonzola- delicious. Tip: make sure that your oil is hot enough before you fry the patties.


Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("Best salad I've ever had.")
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Moosewood's Apple-Celery En Bleu

Inspiration:
The first fresh apples of the season!
and
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet, crunchy apple (Empire, Mutsu, or I used Zesta)
  
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue or Roquefort Cheese
• 2 servings of salad greens
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Core the apple and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Thinly slice the celery. Combine the apples, celery, and crumbled cheese in a serving bowl. Add the greens to the bowl.
2. In a cup, use a fork to whisk together the vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and honey.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Tim's Note: Don't pair with shiraz wine. The flavors don't complement each other. :)

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

Inspiration:
An attempt to make more vegetarian dishes!

Ingredients/Instructions:
Bon Appétit
Notes:
I *loved* this dish! We do not care for bell peppers, so I substituted a large tomato, chopped, and added it along with the beans. If you can find cotija cheese, you must buy it. It's so fantastically delicious. This was an easy meal to put together on a weeknight. Serves 3-4 as a main course.

Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("My favorite salad I've ever had.")

Grated Beet Salad with Blue Cheese

Inspiration:
Beets from our CSA and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 small beets
• beet greens
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• olive oil
• 2 scallions sliced
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Scrub the beets and separate them from their tops. Line a heavy baking pan with foil and put the beets inside then drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 60 minutes or until barely tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool, then rub off the skins with a paper towel. Grate the beets with a coarse box grater and set aside.
2. Boil the fresh orange juice with the vinegar and sugar until reduced by half. Set aside to cool.
3. Wash the beet greens thoroughly to remove all sand and grit, then slice into fine ribbons. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy frying pan and cook the garlic over medium until golden and soft. Add the beet greens and saute until tender. Let cool slightly.
4. Toss the grated beets, greens, cooled orange juice dressing, scallions and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Notes:
"If a salad can be called rich, this is a rich salad. Beets have a sweet, dark earthiness, especially when roasted, that gets paired here with their own spicy green tops, shredded and cooked with garlic. We crumbled in a little Gorgonzola for savor, too, giving this salad a heft and a richness that we really enjoyed.

The thing that pushed this salad over the top for us, though, was using fresh orange juice for the dressing. We simmered it with vinegar into a concentration of sweet orange that spiked up the dark beet flavors beautifully."

My Notes:
This is so good. It tastes much better than it photographs :)
It was nice to get rid of 2 bunches of beets in one recipe. I have a lot more room in my fridge now! This is my favorite beet recipe so far. It would be a good side dish for a holiday event-- it's so beautiful!

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Basil Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

Inspiration:
The Saint Paul Farmers' Market Cookbook
as well as green beans, basil, fresh garlic, and tomatoes from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of green beans. steamed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 cups red and gold cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
  

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve hot or cold.
   

My Notes:
It's great to find a recipe that uses all CSA ingredients except for olive oil, salt and pepper :)
I substituted two medium tomatoes for the cherry tomatoes.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 8.5/10

Egyptian Cucumber Cheese Salad

Inspiration:
Mary Broeker's recipe in the Saint Paul Farmers' Market Cookbook
as well as a cucumber from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and halved lengthwise, seeds removed
  (see note below before making this)
  
• Salt
• 12 oz. feta cheese, drained if necessary
• 1/2 cup mild onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• mint sprigs for garnish
  

Instructions:

1. Score cucumber with a fork. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 20 minutes.
2. Crush cheese with fingertips or fork and mix thoroughly with onion, lemon juice, and oil. Season with pepper.
3. Drain, rinse, and slice cucumber about 1/3-inch thick. Combine with cheese mixture.
4. Place in a shallow serving dish and decorate with mint sprigs. Chill about 30 minutes before serving.
   

My Notes:
I loved all of the flavors in this recipe. Unfortunately, the proportions were WAY off. There was not enough cucumber... there must be a typo in the recipe. I was on recipe auto-pilot and didn't notice the overabundance of cheese mixture until it was too late. I think 4-6 cucumbers would be better. I found this recipe online, which is quite similar. It uses 8 oz. feta to two cucumbers. I will try working with the proportions next time and make this again; it was quite tasty. (Oh and next time I may peel the cucumber as suggested; I missed that part of the recipe the first time around.)

Liz's Rating: 9.5/10 (for potential); 6/10 (actual recipe)

Chicken, Rice, and Black-Bean Salad

Inspiration:
I like to take pasta salads to work during the week. I had this recipe from Martha Stewart sitting in my recipe binder and finally got around to making it (with some modifications).


Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown (or white) rice
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked with olive oil, kosher salt, Adobo Seasoning from Penzeys, cooled and diced
  
• 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2-4 on-the-vine tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3-4 scallions and 1 garlic scape (optional), thinly sliced
  
• 1 jalapeno chile (seeds and ribs removed for less heat, if desired), minced
• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Spread on a baking sheet; refrigerate until cool.
2. Place cooled rice in a large bowl; add chicken, beans, tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, vinegar, oil, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 day.

Recipe Notes: To make a Southwestern-style salad that's a meal in itself, toss together chicken, rice, beans, and tomatoes with a light, spicy dressing. Serves 4.

My Notes: I loved this recipe--what a great summer dish! I love the flavors, and it has a nice kick. If you don't like spicy food, cut back or eliminate the jalepeño. I absolutely love the Adobo Seasoning from Penzeys and highly recommend it. Although this isn't really a Mexican recipe, I am tagging it as such due to its flavor profile. I am already looking forward to tomorrow's lunch.


Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10

Chicken-Gorgonzola Pasta Salad

Inspiration:
My desire to recreate the pasta salad from D'Amico and Sons and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. uncooked gobbetti or radiatore pasta
• 4 cubed cooked chicken breasts
• 1lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 diced roma tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, lightly packed
• 1 cup ranch dressing (more to taste)
• 1 cup gorgonzola, crumbled (4 oz)

Instructions:

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
2. In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, chicken, bacon, tomatoes and spinach.
3. Pour dressing over pasta mixture, toss until coated.
4. Fold in cheese.
   
5. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
   
   

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Asparagus and Arugula Salad with Cannellini Beans and Balsamic Vinegar

Inspiration:
Arugula from our CSA, Tim's love for cannellini beans, and this recipe featured on Bridget's blog (originally from Cook's Illustrated).

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ medium red onion, sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 1 cup)
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (about 1½ cups)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus 2 teaspoons
• 14 ounces arugula (1 large bunch), washed, dried, and stemmed (about 6 cups lightly packed)

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke; stir in onion and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add asparagus, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook until asparagus is browned and tender-crisp, about 4 minutes, stirring once every minute. Off heat, stir in beans; transfer to large plate and cool 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until combined. In large bowl, toss arugula with 2 tablespoons dressing and divide among salad plates. Toss asparagus mixture with remaining dressing, place a portion over arugula, and serve.

Recipe Notes:
Serves 4 to 6 as a first course or 2 to 3 as a main dish

My Notes:
This is a filling, delicious vegetarian meal. We had sliced leftover steak on the side, though, which was really good!

Tim's Rating: 9/10

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Shaking Beef with Pea Shoot Salad

Inspiration:
Sirloin steak from Batalden Farms, pea shoots from our CSA, and this recipe from Food and Wine


Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef sirloin, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 medium onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 6 ounces baby pea shoots
  

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, toss the beef with 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of garlic, 2 teaspoons of sugar and the fish sauce; season with pepper. Let stand.
2. In a bowl, toss the onion and vinegar. In another bowl, mix the soy sauce with the olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a wok, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat until smoking. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Add half of the meat and cook for 3 minutes without stirring; turn and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a plate; cook the second batch. Return the meat to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
4. On a large platter, toss the pea shoots with the onion and the soy dressing. Spoon the beef on top and serve.

Suggested Beverage: A light, fruity Pinot Noir

Notes: The sirloin tasted so good. We loved it. The pea shoots, not so much. I don't think we're fans of pea shoots. The leaves taste good, but it's a lot of work to prepare and eat them. I will use this beef marinade and preparation again in the future, either to serve over mixed greens or brown rice.

So we're just rating the beef.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette for Two

Inspiration:
A recipe from our CSA's newsletter (Our farmer's wife is a chef.)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• pinch ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
• grape tomatoes, chopped carrots, green onions, celery, other salad fixings (optional)
  

Instructions:

1. Combine vinegar, shallot, mustard (if using), salt, and pepper in a bowl with a fork. Add oil, then whisk or mix with fork until smooth, about 30 seconds.
   
2. Place greens in large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until greens are evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes: The dressing will separate after 5 or 10 minutes, so use immediately or mix again before tossing with greens.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Raw Corn and Radish Salad with Spicy Lime Dressing

Inspiration:
A need to bring a salad to book club tomorrow, and this recipe from Food and Wine.


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 ears)
• 6 medium radishes, halved and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. In a blender, puree the lime juice, jalapeño, honey and cumin. With the machine on, add the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, toss the corn with the radishes, parsley, red onion and dressing. Season the salad with salt and pepper, transfer to plates and serve.

Suggested Beverage: Hmm... not sure. Beer?

Notes: This is ok, but I much prefer the Black Bean and Corn Salad.

Tim's Rating: n/a (Not a member of book club)
Liz's Rating: 7.5/10