In-Season Recipes

We moved here 12 years ago from sunny South Carolina. I took several years (while my kids were young and learning to ski) to enjoy some solitude. Then I started to feel left out and decided it was time to try and learn! Since then, I've found that the more I'm outside in the winter — walking or skiing — the more I enjoy this cold and dark season. I look forward to it now. As far as meals, winter doesn't mean you are stuck making stews and soups. Salads can be part of your diet even in the darkest and coldest days of the season. Here are two winter salad recipes, plus a comfort-food cookie recipe. Escarole Salad with Apples, Walnuts and Blue Cheese This is a great winter salad that also works with kale or arugula. Yield: 6 servings 1 large head escarole 1 cup walnuts 4 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon maple syrup ¼ cup olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots ⅔ cup crumbled Bayley Hazen or other blue cheese 2 crisp not-too-tart small apples, cored but NOT peeled, and cut into ½" cubes Wash and dry the escarole well. Tear it into small pieces and put in a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 300 F. and toast the walnuts briefly, not long enough to brown them, just enough to elevate the flavor. Cool and chop into coarse bits. Make the vinaigrette by whisking or immersion blending together 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, the mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, ¾ teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper. Place the shallots in a small bowl, pour the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar over them, massage them a bit, and let stand for ten minutes. To escarole, add shallots, walnuts, cheese and apple. Dress with vinaigrette as desired, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Local ingredients: cider vinegar, maple syrup, shallots, Bayley Hazen cheese —--------- Carrot Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachios Another great winter salad, and I could eat this all the time. This is modified from The Department of Salad, an e-newsletter I subscribe to and cook from frequently. It's super healthy and satisfying, and it's nice to have a salad without cheese so you can easily pair it with other salads. Dressing can be repurposed on other salads, too. Yield: 4 cups 1.5 pounds multicolored carrots, peeled and julienned 1 small head radicchio, julienned ½ cup pomegranate seeds ½ cup lightly toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped Immersion blend dressing: 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons maple syrup 2 teaspoons kosher salt ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper ⅓ cups olive oil Toss carrots with dressing. Lay on a bed of radicchio and garnish with pomegranate and pistachios. Local ingredients: carrot, maple syrup ------------ Maple Espresso Cookies My mom hates to make desserts, but that changed when I gifted her the book, "Snacking Bakes" by Yossy Arefi. Now, she usually has two recipes done before anyone else has gotten up for coffee. I've adapted this to stay with my usual format, but the book's appeal lies in its very consistent approach. Every dessert uses a 350 F. oven, one bowl, and no mixer. Cold eggs, cold butter — no problem. If you have a kitchen scale it's even easier. I did decrease the amount of maple glaze in this recipe. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 6 tablespoons sugar ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 large egg ½ teaspoon baking soda 1¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder Maple Glaze ½ cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon water Pinch of salt Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with foil and parchment. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the egg and whisk until thick and glossy. Whisk in the baking soda. Fold in the flour and espresso powder. Scoop into heaping tablespoons. Bake until golden brown for about 13-15 minutes. While cookies bake, whisk all glaze ingredients together. Once cookies cool, drizzle the glaze. Local ingredients: butter, egg, maple syrup.