Lovely Autumn/Winter Salad

Here's the salad doubled for a crowd.  Instead of roasting the sweet potatoes,
I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and sauteed them
in a bit of olive oil and butter.  I them drained them on a paper towel. 
(You can allow them to cool and then keep them
in the fridge until you're ready to add them to the salad.)
I cut the arugula up into bite-sized pieces also for easier serving and eating.
As you can see, it makes a stunning addition to any table.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food 

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

This salad not only tastes fabulous, but it’s gorgeous to look at with the bright arugula, the golden butternut squash, creamy cheese and crusty brown walnuts.

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks (butternut squash makes a fine substitute)

3 Tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon olive oil

Kosher salt and ground pepper

½ cup walnuts

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used ½ teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey (I used l bit more.)

1 package of arugula or 2 bunches watercress and/or baby lettuces

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (blue cheese or goat cheese make good substitutes)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks on upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with 1 Tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast on upper rack, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.

On another rimmed baking sheet, toss walnuts with cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon oil. Bake on lower rack, until golden, 6 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Add watercress, and toss to combine. Serve topped with sweet potatoes, walnuts, and feta.

Wild Ramp Wrap

Wild Ramp Wrap Under Construction

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice Wootton

Wild Ramp Wrap Ready to Eat!

This wrap will liven up your lunch box!  All the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli!  Make this for a great Meatless Monday meal!

Place a whole wheat lavash on a plate.  Smear one heaping Tablespoon of Wild Ramp Pesto over the lavash. Sprinkle on ¼ cup or so of shredded pepper cheese (We used habanero cheese!) Add about 1/3 cup cooked rice (We used leftover Yellow Indian Rice.) Sprinkle on about ¼ cup black beans, rinsed and drained.  Top it all off with a small handful of fresh watercress or baby spinach.  Pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make the lavash more pliable.  Roll the whole thing up like a soft taco. Cut it in half crossways to make it easy to eat.

Note:  You could add a bit of cooked chicken or salmon to this wrap if you wish, but it’s pretty hearty as is.

Sweet Potato Hash with Prosciutto and Fried Eggs

Recipe from Epicurious 

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Serves 4

  

With a mixture of sweet potatoes, onions, Dijon, horseradish, a bit of ham and greens, and topped off with eggs, you've got one heck of a brunch dish good enough for company.  You can even prep the ingredients in advance the night before work and make it for breakfast while your coffee is percolating. I've made this a couple of times, once with watercress and again with baby spinach.  The original recipe called for ham, but I used prosciutto ham because I always keep that in the fridge.  I really like the runny egg yolks, but if you don't wish to serve your eggs like that, you can certainly scramble the eggs and then put them on the top.

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4 tablespoons olive oil, divided


2 1/2 cups 1/3-inch cubes peeled red-skinned sweet potato (yam)



2 cups 1/2-inch cubes ham (I used one package of prosciutto ham, which was about 6 slices.  I just roughly chopped the prosciutto.)



1 large white onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)



1/4 cup Dijon mustard with horseradish (I used a little less than 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard and added a heaping Tablespoon of horseradish to it.)



2 cups baby spinach or coarsely chopped watercress tops 



Kosher salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste



4 large eggs






Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add yam cubes; cover and cook 5 minutes. Mix in ham, onion, and mustard. Cover and cook until yam is tender and bottom of hash begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using spatula, turn hash over in portions and press to compact. Cook uncovered until golden, turning and pressing occasionally, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in chopped watercress (or spinach) until wilted, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into skillet and cook until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. 
Divide the hash among 4 plates. Top with eggs. 

Wheat Berry Salad with Citrus Dressing

Recipe from Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6 to 8

Close your eyes and imagine chewy, crunchy, citrus and tartness in your mouth all at once and you’ll have a good idea about how wonderful this salad truly is.  Jim LOVED this salad and raved about how filling and delicious it was.  It’s not only that, but it’s just darn pretty to look at and healthy too.  Wheat berries are unprocessed kernels of whole wheat with bran and germ in tact.  They provide protein, fiber, vitamin B, iron, calcium, folic acid, magnesium and other minerals.  Serve this salad for satisfying Meatless Monday lunch.  Lost River Market & Deli has lovely Indiana grown watercress right now, however, baby spinach would be a good substitute when watercress in not available.  You can find wheat berries in the bulk section of the store.

Salad

1 cup wheat berries, rinsed (I bought Winter Wheat Berries from the bulk section.)

1 bunch watercress, washed and spun dried, roughly chopped (about 2 cups) (Baby spinach would be a fine substitute if watercress is not available.)

1 large carrot, scrubbed and grated

½ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lime

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Citrus Dressing

Juice of 1 orange (a blood orange would be nice)

Juice of 1 lime

1 Tablespoon minced shallot

2 teaspoons maple syrup

3 Tablespoons olive oil

½ Kosher salt

Add the wheat berries to a large saucepan filled with enough salted water to cover them by a few inches.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook the wheat berries until they are plump and tender, about 75 to 90 minutes.  Test as you cook; cooked wheat berries are still somewhat chewy.  Drain and set aside to cool completely.

Add the watercress to the wheat berries, along with the carrot, cranberries and citrus zests.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.  Just before serving, combine the dressing with the wheat berry mixture and gently mix.  Toss in the toasted pecans. 

To make ahead, store the salad ingredients and the dressing separately and then toss just before serving.

Lovely Autumn Salad

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food and Tested in Alice's Kitchen

We had good friends over for dinner last night and we had this salad. It was the star of the dinner. You will find all the ingredients you need for this salad at the Lost River Market & Deli. The salad was gorgeous to look at with the bright arugula, the golden butternut squash/sweet potatoes and crusty brown nuts. Roasting chunks of sweet potatoes or butternut squash caramelizes them -- they're great to eat all on their own or tossed with crunchy nuts, tangy cheese, and crisp watercress or arugula.

Serves 4
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks or butternut squash
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey (I used a bit more, about 2 teaspoons)
2 bunches watercress (12 ounces total), stems trimmed or 1 package of arugula
4 ounces feta, crumbled (blue cheese or goat cheese will make good substitutes)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks on upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast on upper rack, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.
On another rimmed baking sheet, toss walnuts with cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon oil. Bake on lower rack, until golden, 6 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Add watercress, and toss to combine. Serve topped with sweet potatoes, walnuts, and feta.
Make-ahead: Make all the salad components in advance and then just before serving, place on salad plates and then drizzle with the dressing.

arugula [ah-ROO-guh-lah] is a bitterish, aromatic salad green with a peppery mustard flavor. The leaves should be bright green and fresh looking. Its leaves hold a tremendous amount of grit and must be thoroughly washed just before using. Arugula makes a lively addition to salads, soups and sautéed vegetable dishes. It's a rich source of iron as well as vitamins A and C.

watercress is a member of the mustard family, which can often be found in the wild in and around streams and brooks. Watercress has small, crisp, dark green leaves. Its pungent flavor is slightly bitter and has a peppery snap. Watercress is available year-round and is customarily sold in small bouquets. Choose crisp leaves with deep, vibrant color. There should be no sign of yellowing or wilting. Refrigerate in a plastic bag (or stems-down in a glass of water covered with a plastic bag) for up to 5 days. Wash and shake dry just before using. Watercress may be used in salads, sandwiches, soups and a variety of cooked dishes. It's also a popular garnish.