Winter Salads

At this time of year, in order to keep myself sane, I need to work to find things that I like about winter. Some of those things are fires on cold nights, citrus, skiing, and winter salads. In fact, I might like winter salads better than summer salads, and it's really a relief that something is better in the winter than in the summer. I would say that the lack of bugs is another thing that's better in the winter, but there are currently stinkbugs in my house, so that one no longer applies.

Call me crazy, but winter salads tend to have a crunch, a bitterness, and a heartiness that's missing in the more delicate (dare I say wimpier) summer salads. I find them more interesting than salads made from wilty little green leaves because they have so much more character and personality. They're not always easy to get along with, but it's worth making the effort. 

After the holidays I really need to take a break from cookies and creamy things, and these flavor-packed salads get me wanting to eat salads, as opposed to eating them because I think I should because I'm a fatty. I recommend that you give these salads a try--their peppery bite just might add some needed brightness to your gray days. They work for me.

Radicchio Salad with Green Olives

(By Molly Watson of The Dinner Files)

Serves 2-4 

• 1 head radicchio
• 18 green olives
• 1 teeny glove garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or sherry vinegar
• A pinch of sugar
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)

Trim radicchio and cut or tear into bite-size pieces, and place in a large bowl. Mince the olives and garlic into a paste and mix with the lemon juice or vinegar, and the sugar, salt, and pepper. (I actually do all of this in a little food processor, and I don't add pepper because radicchio leaves are so peppery.)

Toss the radicchio with the dressing, and divide amongst the serving bowls. Top with Parmesan if you like. (I actually find that it's not necessary.)

Endive Salad with Walnuts

(By Molly Watson, of The Dinner Files)

Makes 4-6 Servings

• 4 heads Belgian endive
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, cider vinegar, or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Toast the walnuts in a toaster oven or a 350 degree oven. Trim the ends of the endives, and chop or slice them into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and the mustards. Add salt and pepper to taste (I actually find that pepper is not necessary.) Add the endives and toss until thoroughly coated. Divide the salad into serving bowls and top with the toasted walnuts.

Veal Packets in White Wine Sauce, Endive Braised in Creme Fraiche

Did someone puke on my plate, or was that my dinner?

How can you have eaten whatever horror came from that plate, you ask? Well, let me assure you that it tasted better than it looked. I'm not necessarily a Mad Plating Master, but my food does not normally resemble the deposits that my Dad's cat so lovingly leaves on the carpet. Or, if she's feeling really special, on my brother's bed.



This meal started out looking like this:

It's really not much of an improvement, I know. Veal ala vomit.

I guess we could have tried to pretty it up a bit by arranging it more nicely or something, but we were kind of just so appalled by its slovenly appearance that we figured it wasn't going to get much better, and we should probably just eat it.

The veal packets with their vegetables are like a very simple country stew, which is nice on a cold winter night. And the endive is awesome. Anything with that much butter, cream, cheese, and expensive cured pig product has to be delicious, right? It's was creamy and rich, and the prosciutto makes it just salty enough for a salt fiend like me. There's also some lemon somewhere in there, so it has a brightness underneath the creaminess, which lends the dish a nice well-rounded flavor, and the endive then provides a tiny bit of bitterness on the back end. 

Overall, it's the kind of 'Party in Your Mouth,' as Hunter said, that keeps you coming back for more. And more. I liked it so much by itself and with the potatoes that I ended up with a cream hangover. You know how you'll go to bed at night and feel like cream is just oozing out of your pores? That's how I felt, but I think it was worth it.

I would highly recommend serving the braised onion with pork, or possibly with a steak. I'm not including the recipe for the veal packets in white wine sauce because I just wasn't crazy about the recipe. If you would like to make a dish that's vaguely similar-chicken braised in white wine-then I would recommend this recipe from Epicurious.

Endive Braised in Creme Fraiche

(Adapted from Braise by Daniel Boulud)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 14 heads Belgian endive, leaves separated
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Coarse sea salt or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound French ham (such as Bayonne) or prosciutto, sliced
• 1/2 pound Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace or freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the sugar

Add the endive leaves and lemon juice and cook until almost all the liquid in the pan has evaporated, 3-4 minutes.

Pour in the white wine and continue to cook until the leaves are evenly coated with the reduced pan liquid, about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let cool to room temperature.

Lay the endive leaves in the bottom of a casserole dish, and cover with the creme fraiche. Season with salt, pepper, and the mace or nutmeg. Layer the prosciutto over this mix, and top with the cheese.

Cover with a buttered parchment round and transfer to the oven. Braise for 1 hour. Preheat the broiler. Remove the parchment and place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling; watch it carefully. Remove from the oven and serve.

Several of the pictures in this post were taken by Hunter.