In Mixt Salads, the co-founder and executive chef of San Francisco’s beloved boutique salad joints shares his inventive, flavor-forward creations. Blending all of the best trends in healthy, mindful eating—seasonal, locally grown, modest portions but big flavor—Swallow develops each entrée salad as if he were in the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant. With his penchant for innovative constructions and unabashed flavor, he reinvents the salad with playful yet elegant offerings.
Swallow teaches you how to create fresh, delicious, and addictive salads that take center stage as the entire meal, breaking free of side-dish status. Starting from scratch, he walks you through his salad-building essentials and highlights produce availability so that you can create your own imaginative masterpieces year round.
Some of the recipes in this book include raw
eggs, meat, or sh. When these foods are
consumed raw, there is always the risk that bacteria, which are killed by
proper cooking, may be present. For this reason, when serving these foods raw, always
buy certi ed salmonella-free eggs and
the freshest meat and sh available from
a reliable grocer, storing them in the refrigerator until they are served.
Because of the health risks associated with the consumption of bacteria that
can be present in raw eggs, meat, and
sh, these foods should not be consumed by infants, small children,
pregnant women, the elderly, or any persons who may be immunocompromised.
Copyright © 2010 by Andrew Swallow Photographs
copyright © 2010 by Sara Remington
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed
Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press
colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Eco-gourmet is a registered trademark of Mixt
Greens.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data is on le with the publisher.
eBook ISBN: 9781607745617
Hardcover ISBN: 9781580080576
Many thanks to our excellent photography team
including Sara Remington, Nani Steele, and Ethel Brennan.
v3.1
This is for you, mom—thanks for
believing
in me.
CONTENTS
Introduction
The Seasonal Table Building A
Salad Spring
Summer Fall
Winter
About the Author Index
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
In the great city of San
Francisco, home to the most obsessive foodies in the United States, I’ve
created salad junkies who are just as passionate as the original co ee junkies. I’ll stop by any of my Mixt
Greens restaurants in the middle of the afternoon and there’s always a line out
the door. It makes me feel good to see all those people eating those wonderful
greens. One day a man walked up to me and said, “I don’t know how you did it,
but you’ve even gotten mento eat salad all the time!” Now, granted, they’re not eating
prewashed greens thrown into a bowl and loaded up with some overly sugared
dressing … These are my kinds of salads: organic, hyper-fresh, deeply layered
with avors and textures, and totally,
completely addictive.
Cooking
with ne products and the conscious use
of seasonal ingredients have been part of my cooking vocabulary for a long
time, starting on the East
Coast. After a
stint at New
York’s Gramercy Tavern, I attended the Culinary Institute of America.
While there, I studied Alice Waters’s farm-to-table movement, which
supported local, organic,
and sustainable eating.
I could hear California calling. New York is a food
mecca, but it is more French in uenced,
while the farm-to-table chefs in California have more of a fusion-in uenced cuisine that was exciting to me. And
when I eventually came to San Francisco, I could see that the food economy was
really driven by local artisans. Farmers deliver directly to restaurants here.
The interaction is huge, and the community is highly aware of local,
sustainable eating. It’s Alice Waters’s legacy in full
force. So, after
working in various
restaurants, I was convinced this was the place I wanted to
start my own restaurants. To be embraced by this highly evolved—and picky—super-foodie
community would be
a great feeling,
and the San
Francisco
equivalent of “If you can
make it here.…” A gig at Gary Danko ended up being the key step in becoming
friendly with the city.
After all, part of the reason I created Mixt Greens was to
give to this community—to deliver premium, good food in a fast-casual
environment. To create
fun, accessible ne
dining that’s not intimidating. And, in the process, to
teach people how to eat in a sustainable way.
LIVING RESPONSIBLY
Along the
way, I’ve adopted
habits that lower
my personal environmental impact.
Here’s a rundown of some commonsense, sustainability basics for your kitchen:
• Buy local products and
produce. • Eat and cook seasonal foods.
• Use wooden tools in the kitchen, but never use wooden salad
bowls. They look
good and are environmentally friendly but the oils and vinegars leach into the
wood and make it taste bad, whereas there are no remnants in stainless steel
bowls. Think of it like this: wine that’s aged in porous wooden barrels has an
earthy taste of the wood; wine that’s aged in stainless steel barrels has a
cleaner mineral or fruity nish.
• Use dishrags, not paper
towels, and cloth napkins instead of
paper.
• Eliminate the use of
disposable utensils and plates. • Recycle, and instead of lining the recycling
bin with a bag you
buy in a grocery store, use a paper bag your grocery store
packs your items in—then you’ve recycled that, too.
• Use green cleaning products, including a green hand soap. This
is really
important, because chemicals
on your hands
can transfer to your food!
• Composting at
home is very
easy if you
don’t have a
commercial service.
If you can garden as well, create compost to fertilize your garden. (For
non-gardeners, there are a lot of easy things to grow, from a windowsill herb
garden to a pot of tomatoes on your back step—now, that’s local.)
•
Know what you’re going to get out of your refrigerator before you open
it. Each time
you open the
fridge you’re using tremendous energy,
including the cooling
and even the
lightbulb that turns on.
Know where your item is and grab as many things as possible at once.
• When buying new
appliances, look for the highest ENERGY
STAR rating.
• When selecting
your foods, choose
unprocessed, fresh
ingredients, fresh
vegetables, fresh everything. A tip: when in the supermarket, keep to the
perimeter. Stay out of the middle. You want fresh meat, sh, produce, and dairy, not packaged items.
Avoid the frozen food section. Buying processed food is outrageously expensive,
and there are extra calories to boot. Make it fresh!
• When buying produce,
check out the numbers on the labels to
know how it was grown (more on that in the rst chapter).
BIRTH OF MIXT GREENS
When I was
sixteen, I started
working at the local
Chatham Sandwich Shop in my New Jersey hometown. At that point I never
expected that I would make a career out of it. At twenty, I started working in ne dining and I got hooked. But the one
thing that
always drove me nuts was
the lifestyle: coming home at 2 a.m., sleeping ’till noon, then starting all
over again the next day—plus having to work weekends and holidays. This all got
me thinking about how I could improve my routine while working in this industry
that I care so deeply about.
Then it came to me:
open a high-end, quick-service restaurant using all that I learned in top-notch
gourmet restaurants over the years. I got excited rethinking the whole approach
to fast-casual food—creating a chef driven company serving the highest quality local
and organic ingredients, all with the highest level attention to customer
service. It sounded like a fantastic idea; I knew I wanted to share my passion
for food with the masses. I had been playing around with a few potential
concepts when one day my best friend Joanne suggested salads. Man, did that get
the wheels turning. While driving back from snowboarding in Lake Tahoe with my
sister and my brother-in-law, I turned to them and said, “What do you guys
think about a salad concept?” With that, the collaboration began.
With the expertise
of my sister, who has a degree in biodiversity, conservation, and
management, and the
business savvy of my
brother-in-law, a partnership was born. On
rst glance, it seemed crazy; family members are the last people I ever
expected to found a restaurant with. But man, what a great call—we’re a dynamic
trio and every day is full of adventure. We’re happy to say that Mixt
Greens is not
just great food
with a side
of environmental
responsibility—it’s the whole experience.
WHY EAT SEASONAL?
Befriend your
local organic farmers.
You’ll nd the
friendship becomes a lesson
in patience and
variety that illustrates
how working with the
seasons, organic products,
and sustainable harvesting gives
you the most wonderful avors and the
best quality of life. When seasons change, it’s like Christmas for me. There’s
nothing like biting into sweet white corn in the summertime or tasting a
wonderfully sweet, yet acidic, blood orange in the winter. The anticipation
I’ve had all year makes them that much more satisfying and exciting to devour
when they rst appear at the market. I
even daydream about next season’s produce, getting ready to try out some new
ideas. I’ve put together a seasonal chart for you to follow that will help you
prepare salads, and the rest of your meals, too. Use the chart to buy foods at
their peak harvesting time, when they’re at their most avorful and abundant at the market. If you
adopt this way of eating, you’ll see that, as the adage goes, good things come
to those who wait. Seasonal eating is a celebration of the earth’s wonderful
nutrients, and seasonal and sustainable eating go hand in hand, because when
you support your local economy by eating what’s in season and buying from your
farmers’ markets, you’re eating in a sustainable way. So leave the box food
stores in the dust—the products they sell have little to no avor. Just think, back in the day you would
go to a speci c place to buy your produce and
they knew you
by name; you’d
have a personal relationship with the butcher, and
you’d trust the products he was selling
to you and
your family. We
need to support
small community purveyors so we can have those relationships again. If
you don’t have a local farmers’ market, your next best options are small local
specialty markets or Whole Foods.
You’re on the hunt for what I call feel-good food, or eating
from the roots. When you know where and how something is produced, it
makes you feel better
about consuming it. That’s also called “clean food.” Eating things that have
been sprayed with pesticides is not good for your body, so shell out the extra
money if you can get organic. The more we support our local economies, the better
products those economies will produce for us. In San Francisco, I’ve seen the
farmers’ market reach maximum capacity with local farms and artisans. They’re
very well supported in the Bay Area, and it’s plain to see they liketo
produce these wonderful products for their community. And
there’s always someone
growing or making something new for the community to
try, which is a very exciting thing if you have a passion for food and your
local area. My cooking philosophy is to cook simple and from the heart. I get
so much enjoyment out of cooking small, intimate dinners for friends and
family. Cooking simply is very easy: just let the food speak for itself, and
don’t overdo the number of ingredients. For example, just slice a few varieties
of heirloom Early Girl tomatoes, place them on a plate, drizzle with a ne olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and
cracked pepper. It
does not get
much better than
that in summertime; it’s like
the Fourth of July in your mouth. That’s the look I want to see when I watch my
friends eat my food. They enjoy it as much as I enjoy going to the farmers’
market and choosing, creating, and preparing.
There is an art to
tossing a good salad, mixing the proper amount of textures
together matched with
the right acid
and oil and seasoned well. I can always tell how well
a kitchen is run and whether there is a chef on “the pass” if I get a perfectly
dressed salad. Nine times out of ten, when I order a salad at a restaurant,
it’s overdressed. Why? No one ever cares about the salad tosser; chefs are more
worried about their signature dishes. I don’t get it—why put something
on your menu
just for ller?
It’s a wasted opportunity. It’s starting to change,
but most chefs are still more passionate about their foie gras dishes, which is
very funny to me because they all pretty much taste the same. So move on,
people, there’s so much more you can do with a salad, and it’s not going to
clog your arteries. My goal is to show you just how incredible the overlooked
salad can be.
PRODUCE SHOPPING: IT’S A NUMBERS GAME
Whether you’re at a
neighborhood market, Whole Foods, or a small specialty store, there may not
always be a sign to tell you where or how an item was grown, but there’s always
a number assigned. When it starts with a 4, it is conventionally grown. But
beware: although this special code exists, most producers realize that the
majority of consumers
are trying to
steer clear of
genetically modi ed foods—so
they’ve stopped using the separate designation. The number you want is 9, which
means organic—not altered by a scientist or sprayed with pesticides. Organic
produce will not always look the prettiest, but it will always taste much
better and be much healthier.
SEASONAL PRODUCE CHART
Get in tune with the
seasons and capture peak avor. This
chart makes it easy to uncover when produce is at its prime, with a reference
to the appropriate recipes in the book. Check out the supremely edible gifts of
the season.
SPRING
Apricots: May-July
Artichokes: March-May Asparagus: March-June Blueberries: May-July Green Garlic:
February-June Fava Beans: February-July Leeks: March-June
Fennel: February-June
Morel Mushrooms:
April-June/July Pea Shoots: February-June Radish: April-June
Strawberries:
February-September Watercress: April-June
SUMMER
Blackberries: May-July
Eggplant: July-October Figs: June-October
Bean Varieties:
July-November Lemon Cucumber: July-September Lychee: June-August
Melons: July-September
Nectarines: June-October
Pear: July-September Peaches: June-September Sweet Corn: July-September
SummerPeppers: July-September Summer Squash: June-September Tomatoes:
June-October
Watermelon: June-October
FALL
Apples: July-November
Asian Pear:
September-November Butternut: August-January Belgian Endive: Year round
Brussels Sprouts: September-May Grape Varieties: July-October Parsnip:
October-April Rutabaga: October-April
Chanterelles:
September-February Persimmons: October-January Pomegranate: September-January
Turnip: September-April
WINTER
Beets: Year round
Castlefranco:
December-March Cabbage: Year round
Green Papaya: Year round
Grapefruit: November-March Blood Orange: December-March Cara Cara Orange:
November-March Fingerling Potato: Year round Jicama: Year round
Radicchio: November-March
Tangerines: November-March Passion Fruit: Year round Mango: Year round
Pineapple: Year round Meyer Lemon: October-April
I
call my recipe-creation process “building” a salad because I use identi able, simple techniques that will help you
expertly balance avors and textures to make your own creations. Once you know
the pro les of the seasonal ingredients
and how they interact, it’s easy to choose the right produce, meats, and
dressings. The rst things I think
about are which part of the season I’m in, what’s available, and what pro le of salad I want to create. Do I want an
appetizer-style salad or a light entrée-style salad, or a more robust second
course? I consider the type of event, too, whether it is an intimate dinner
with family, a large gathering
of friends, or something at the restaurant. Next, I break
down what I’m going to make.
Appetizer salads depend
on the second
course. If it’s springtime and I’m serving spring lamb
as a main course, I would want a light and fresh salad instead of heavier avors. I might use fava beans with pecorino,
herbs, and lemon. But an entrée salad for spring could incorporate lamb in the
salad itself. A lamb main-dish salad could have spring lamb, seasonal fava
beans, perhaps wild ramps, and olives. Or perhaps an olive tapenade
vinaigrette. It’s all about
thinking of the
classic avors and
accompaniments that complement
the protein, or produce, I’ve selected. Try to balance rich, salty, bitter,
sweet, and tangy avors in concert with
one another.
While
you’re picking the elements of the salad, pay attention to texture. Just as
with the avor elements, you want a
variety of textures. If you have all soft ingredients with soft lettuce, you’re
just going to have a bowl of mush. Try to have crisp, crunchy, creamy, and
chewy textures represented for an ideal “mouthfeel.” That may sound strange,
but it adds hugely to the experience of the recipe. For example, nuts have one of
the strongest crunchy textures and cheeses
have one of
the softest and
creamiest, therefore they complement one another. Grapes are chewy
and sweet. Apples are crisp. With those four ingredients, I’ve got crunchy,
creamy, chewy, and crisp, so there’s a foundation of di erent textures to blend together for a
balanced nal product. Try to have one
in each category if you can nd
seasonal ingredients that work together.
When looking for the best
lettuce, think about both the avor and
the texture. Lettuce can be bitter, buttery, sweet, earthy, tart, spicy,
silky soft, crunchy,
or chewy (yes,
chewy, like chicory).
For example, radicchio is crunchy and so bitter it almost burns your
mouth. Check out my
“Types of
Greens”
section if this
feels intimidating. Too often, the ubiquitous mesclun is used, which can
be perfect, but sometimes another lettuce might make the salad sing!
The
acids and seasonings in the sauce or vinaigrette are what pull it all together
once you’ve designed your protein and produce components. Think about
complementary avors when constructing
the dressing. A lot of my recipes use more than one vinegar or oil. I’ll use a
percentage of grapeseed oil cut with olive oil, or straight canola oil, or
canola oil and olive oil. When it’s a vinaigrette base that uses a good extra
virgin olive oil, you don’t want the
avors to completely overpower the oil. A combination of Meyer lemon
juice, shallots, extra virgin olive oil, and a little salt and black pepper is
one of my favorites. They work so well together because you can taste the Meyer
lemon as well as the olive oil—good olive oil you
want to taste, not waste.
If you’re looking for a clean, neutral taste, use grapeseed and canola oils.
Mustard, interestingly, tastes great with chicken, pork, and sh, but not steak. Balsamic does not work
with sh, and balsamic with pork is a
little too much because pork is so sweet on its own. However, when you combine
red wine vinegar, which is really tart, with a little balsamic, it totally
works with pork.
ANATOMY OF A SALAD: THE CATCH
When putting together the
salad The Catch for Mixt Greens, I rst
thought, “What tastes best with salmon in wintertime?” Citrus. You’ve got the
smokiness and fattiness of salmon, which needs to be cut by something that is
bitter and sweet, so I added shallots to the citrus; something salty would
complement it, so I added capers. But it needed a avor infusion, so I came up with the intense
combo of tarragon and dill. Those herbs enhance all of it. Next, I added
watermelon radishes, which are earthy with a little bit of heat and spiciness
to them. For the lettuce, a delicate, crunchy mixed greens wasn’t going to
work. I wanted something rich, not bitter, and creamy, because salmon is
creamy. Romaine would be too watery— but butter lettuce hit the right note.
Next came the vinaigrette. What would I want to drink with salmon? Champagne,
not wine or sherry. So I created a complementary, high-acid champagne-vinegar vinaigrette
that breaks down the fattiness of the salmon and can stand up to the rest of
the avor components.
It’s just a matter
of thinking it through, step by step. With steak, I might use blue cheese,
caramelized onions, and potatoes, and a deep, rich balsamic dressing. And all
of that goes beautifully with red leaf lettuce that has a neutral, earthy avor and good texture. The bottom line is,
don’t be afraid to use ingredients that you’d never think to make a salad out
of. It’s simple if you just focus on two things: a variety of seasonal avors that taste great together and that
have textural variation. To make this all even easier, I’ve pulled together
some basic guides to lettuce, meats, seafood, herbs and seasonings, and oils
and vinegars. These guides, in concert with the seasonal produce chart, can be your Salad Blueprint. Now, get building!
SHOPPING FOR GREENS
I like to shop for my
seasonal greens at my farmers’ market, and I’ve noticed as people have become
more conscious about what they put into their bodies the demand for more
varieties of greens has increased—and the farmers have enthusiastically
responded. You can see the passion they put into growing their lettuces, and
the excitement they feel
when introducing new
varieties to their customers. Everybody has their staple
favorites, but the range can be anywhere from delicate and buttery to extremely
bitter and chewy.
If you can’t get to
the farmers’ market, always buy the loose greens that are on display, they tend
to be fresher. The prepackaged greens at the grocery store have often been
gassed so that they’ll hold for long periods of time.
One of the things
people like most about salads is the crunchy texture, so once you’ve got your
greens home heed these storage tips to keep them crisp:
• Keep greens in the refrigerator, wrapped in a slightly moist
towel, or if your
leaves are loose, in a bowl in the refrigerator with a moist towel on top.
• Be sure
to clean your
lettuce well—not to
rinse o the
pesticides because
I know you’re buying organic (right?), but to remove the little critters and
the tiny pieces of grit that hide out toward
the core. A great tool is the
salad spinner, which removes the
excess water from
the greens without
extra bruising. If you don’t have one, make sure you pat the greens dry
before serving; excess water dilutes the
avor in the salad, an awful crime.
• To eliminate as much
wilting as possible, wash and dry your
lettuce, and wait until you’re just about to plate or toss
before
tearing the leaves apart.
Bottom line, try some new varieties and take good care of
your greens and you’ll reap the rewards in your salads.
Types of Greens
Baby SpinachSoft and tender in texture, baby
spinach has a mild, clean avor—not
bitter or astringent like fully matured spinach. Try it with berry salads.
Belgian EndiveWith its bitter juicy spears and
tangy avor, endive is a wonderful
choice. Add it to green salads for a contrast in color, texture, and avor. Choose the small, light, crisp hearts
to maximize the avor. I love it paired
with goat cheese and pears.
ButterAlso
known as Bibb or Boston, butter lettuce is delicate in avor with a velvety
texture. Hands down, it’s the most popular lettuce at Mixt Greens—and it’s my
favorite lettuce, too. People love its creamy, buttery avor; I suggest using this lettuce with
citrus.
IcebergAlso
known as crisphead, this lettuce is, well, crisp, like its name, and it has the
mildest avor of all the lettuces. It has
a light green color with rm leaves.
Crisphead is all about the crunchy
texture, not the avor. I think it’s best quartered and topped
with a rich blue cheese dressing.
FriséeThis member of the chicory family has a
blanched white center with tender, feathery leaves that pack a bittersweet avor punch. When selecting, make sure you
look for rm leaves. They’re always a
little tan at the base, and go from yellow or white into the delicate greens.
Try it with
crispy pork belly
and a poached egg … mmmm.
MâcheAlso
called lamb’s lettuce, mâche is a tiny, dark green plant with a soft, buttery,
and nutty avor. It has a fragile
structure, so gently toss and serve it immediately so that the leaves do not
wilt prematurely. This green should be used the day it is bought. I like to
serve it with roasted baby beets and toasted hazelnuts.
Little GemsThis lettuce is often described
as a combination of butter lettuce and romaine. It’s crisp and juicy, like
romaine, and soft and sweet, like butter. The nutty avor has a reserved sweetness that I
guarantee you’ll enjoy.
Mesclun MixTypically, this is a light, fresh
blend of lettuce leaves with a mix of soft and spicy greens. Sometimes
radicchio and frisée are mixed in to give it more body and a stronger avor.
Pea SproutsThese tendrils plus the uppermost
leaves are one of the secrets to be discovered in Asian cooking. The fresh,
crunchy texture is bursting with a distinct pea avor. They’re great to used on their own or
thrown in a mesclun mix.
Radicchio There are
four varieties of
radicchio: Castelfranco, Verona,
Treviso, and Chioggia (which is the most common type). All have a avor that is a bit bitter and mildly peppery
with a chewy and crunchy texture—except Castelfranco, which has a mild avor and lettuce-like texture. Mix it with
softer or mild-tasting greens for variety.
Red LeafAlso known as looseleaf, this
lettuce has beautiful redtipped leaves. Its soft, mild avor works wonderfully on its own or mixed
with stronger- avored greens.
RocketAlso called arugula, rocket is in
the mustard family. It has a tender leaf with a peppery taste and sharp, bitter
bite. Rocket is great on its own or in a mix. It pairs well with salty, rich,
sweet, and acidic ingredients. Look for baby rocket, which has a softer texture
and milder avor. Rocket is best in the
spring and fall. This is one of my favorite lettuces for salads—and one of my
top garnishes for other dishes.
RomaineThis
lettuce is known for its fresh, sweet, slightly bitter avor and crisp, rm texture. The outer leaves are much darker
in color, and the
lighter-colored hearts tend
to have a
stronger tartness.
Classically paired with
Caesar salad, romaine
is a utilitarian lettuce that
can pretty much stand up to anything you ever toss it with. Look for speckled
romaine for its beautiful color.
WatercressThis pungent member of the
mustard family has a peppery, tangy punch and a slight juiciness. It’s great on
its own and tastes great mixed with chicories. Because it’s delicate and highly
perishable, make sure you use it the day it is purchased. Look for a bright
green color with no yellow and a fresh smell.
LETTUCE FLAVOR PROFILES IN BRIEF
Mild:Baby Spinach, Butter, Crisphead,
Lamb’s Lettuce, Little Gems, Mesclun Mix, Pea Shoots, Red Leaf, Romaine
Tart:Belgian Endive, Frisée, Hearts of
Romaine, Watercress Bitter:Radicchio,
Rocket
SHOPPING FOR MEATS
The best places to buy
meats are your local butcher shop or farm stand where you can ask lots of
questions. Shopping for meat at a box food store is very di cult, because the label usually only tells
you the grade and cut and maybe the breed. Ask your butcher where the meat
comes from and how the animal was cared for. It’s really important to buy
Certi ed Humane, which allows the animal
to engage in its natural behaviors; such animals are raised with a su cient amount of space, shelter, and gentle
handling to limit stress, and have fresh water and a healthy diet without
antibiotics or hormones. Stay away from factory-farmed poultry. These chickens
are raised in an inhumane manner and are pretty much tasteless. Look for
cage-free or free-range poultry, and if you don’t have to sell your soul to
meet the price, buy organic. Beef should have a deepred color and look dry but
shiny.
CATTLE BREEDS
American
Kobe: It’s very common
to nd American
Kobe products on the menus of higher-end restaurants. It comes from
original genetic lines of Wagyu cattle from Japan.
Angus:There is “red” and “black;” look
for Certi ed Angus, which is the best
Black Angus.
Wagyu:This includes many di erent breeds. Wagyu beef is known for its
wonderful marbling of fat and is extremely tender.
BUTCHER TALK: BEEF TERMS
Certi
ed Humane: Animals
have freedom to
move, and antibiotics and
arti cal means to induce growth are
prohibited.
Certi
ed Organic:
Cattle raised on
vegetarian feed grown without chemical pesticides and
fertilizers.
Natural:Beef that does not contain
arti cial ingredients. Prime:The
highest grade for American beef.
Wet versus Dry Aging:Aging
beef gives it a slight gamy avor and
also increases tenderness. Wet-aged beef is vacuum-sealed and aged. Dry-aged
beef is hung in a cold, moderately humid place to tenderize it and concentrate
the avor.
Types of Beef for Salads
Filet MignonThe let mignon is considered to be the most
tender cut of beef, and the most expensive, but in my opinion, it lacks avor.
However, if you get American Kobe or Japanese Wagyu let mignon, both of which have signi cant fat content, the high-end reputation ts the
avor. It’s best served rare to medium-rare to achieve maximum
tenderness.
Flat IronAlso called top blade, at iron steak usually has a signi cant amount of marbling that gives it a
wonderful avor and juiciness. Thinly sliced,
it works great on top of salads. It’s a thin cut of meat, so it cooks very
fast. You don’t want to cook it much more than medium-rare or you’ll lose the
juiciness. It also takes quick marinades well.
HangerThis cut is the best-kept secret
of steak lovers. Hanger is prized for its full avor. The meat is not particularly tender,
so make sure you cook it quickly at high heat, because it’s best served rare or
medium-rare to avoid toughness. It’s sometimes known as “butcher’s steak”
because butchers would
often keep it
for themselves rather than o er
it for sale.
Strip SteakThis is one of the
highest-quality cuts, with great marbling and that classic “steak” avor. Cook it at a high heat to crisp the
outside, and then bring it down to a slow roast. Cook rare to medium-rare. I
like these steaks to be cut 2 inches thick, and then I thinly slice the cooked
meat and place it on top of a salad.
Types of Poultry for Salads
ChickenWhat is there to say about
chicken? It is the most popular meat
we serve at
Mixt Greens. Almose
everyone loves to eat
chicken. Chicken breast works best for salads because it’s easy to cook and
requires little labor. It’s a healthy option as well, because chicken breast
has very little fat.
DuckI like to use duck in two ways in
a salad: duck breast and con t. Duck
breast has a wonderful, succulent, gamy
avor with a crispy skin that chicken lacks. I like to thinly slice it and
top a salad with it. Duck con t on salad
is an almost perfect marriage. The rich, fatty, salty avor pairs perfectly with vinegar and oil.
Types of Pork for Salads
BaconThere’s not too much to say about
pork belly. It just makes everything taste better. Just be sure you buy a
natural product when you use bacon. (Let’s face it: it’s already bad enough for
you.)
ChorizoThere are many di erent styles of this highly seasoned ground
pork sausage, and it comes either fresh or dried. I prefer Spanish and Mexican
styles. Although most people would probably not think of putting chorizo in a
salad, when matched up with the right
ingredients, it does
wonders. Think dates,
tomato, and peppers, and take it
from there.
PancettaThis salt-cured and spiced pork
belly from Italy is not smoked. It usually comes in sausage-shaped rolls, and
it’s great to use in place of bacon because it tends to be on the salty side.
Pork TenderloinThis is the let mignon of the pig, and it has a
super-tender texture. I recommend a marinade or a rub because the tenderloin
has a mild avor. Try to nd Berkshire pork when using pork products.
It is full in avor and renowned for its
superb meat marbling.
ProsciuttoMy favorite style of this dried,
cured Italian ham is prosciutto
di Parma, sliced paper-thin. I think it’s best paired with fresh mozzarella, gs, and fresh melon.
Types of Lamb for Salads
Lamb Tenderloin, Sirloin, and LoinI like to
use a couple of di erent cuts of lamb on
salad, including these three. I recommend marinating them in extra virgin olive
oil, fresh garlic, and rosemary. All three cuts are full in avor and tender, and best served mediumrare.
SHOPPING FOR SEAFOOD
The most important thing
to remember when buying seafood is to use a reputable store or shmonger. Then, ask the right questions.
When did they receive the product? Is it fresh or previously frozen? Wild
caught or farm raised? Where did the product come from? If you’re landlocked,
most likely the sh has been previously
frozen— no matter what the sign may say—unless it’s a store that specializes in
fresh seafood. Most sh have seasons,
which you should try to follow. Just ask. You’ll also save money on a product
when it’s in season because the
markets will be
ooded with them.
When choosing your seafood, there are a couple of steps to follow. Ask
the purveyor to hand the sh over on a
piece of deli paper. Look to make sure it’s nice and rm, with a shiny esh. Look for any discoloration. Smell
the sh, and if it does not smell like
the ocean, hand it back.
Types of Seafood for Salads
Albacore Tuna“White meat” tuna has a couple of
di erent names, including tombo and
albacore. It has a creamy esh that
tastes buttery. When shopping for tombo, look for a pinkish color. It does well
poached, seared, or raw, but if you’re going to eat it raw specify sushi-grade
tuna. Again, buy troll-or pole-caught tuna; just ask your shmonger how it was caught.
Arctic
CharThis sh is in the
salmon and trout family. It has delicate red
esh with a rm texture and a
mild, clean taste. When grilling or roasting, cook it to medium-rare for the
best results. Be
sure to buy closed
farmed sh, which means the sh is separated from the external
environment.
CrabThis crustacean has a delicate
texture with a sweet, mild taste. Depending on where you live, fresh lump blue
and fresh Dungeness are both great on salads. Their spongy texture picks up
other avors beautifully.
Diver ScallopsThese bivalves have a meaty,
tender texture with a hint of sweetness. Diver scallops are more ecologically
friendly because they’re handpicked by divers instead of being harvested by
heavy chain sweeps that are dragged across the sea oor, destroying everything in their path.
LobsterOne of the most sought-after
delicacies from the ocean, lobster has a rich, sweet avor. There are two di erent lobster types to choose from, depending
on where you live: clawed lobster from New
England and the
spiny lobster from
the Caribbean or California. Lobster is best eaten fresh,
and it is normally purchased live. Try to avoid previously frozen.
SalmonEating salmon is healthy because
it is high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D. Salmon esh is generally orange to red in color. Try
to buy wild salmon, when available. If you buy farmed salmon, buy closed
farmed sh, which means the sh is separated from the external
environment. Salmon should be cooked to medium-rare.
ShrimpThis is the most popular seafood
sold in the United States, so you need to know what to look for when shopping.
Wild shrimp have a rm esh with a sweet, succulent avor. Farmed shrimp are often tasteless and
bland. Select wild-caught shrimp, either fresh or frozen. Avoid imported
shrimp, whether farmed or trawled, because of the negative environmental
impact.
SquidBetter known in the restaurant industry
as calamari, squid is tender and pleasantly chewy. Calamari must be cooked
quickly at high heat to avoid toughness—about one minute. You can buy cleaned
squid by the bodies, the tentacles, or a combination of both. I prefer to use
more tentacles than bodies because I like the texture better.
Yellow n
TunaYellow n has a mild avor and a
rm texture, which make it useful for numerous applications. Avoid buying
what is called “burnt tuna,” which does not have the typical deep red
pigmentation. Burnt tuna is more likely to dry out because it has more water
content and less fat. Make sure you buy troll- or polecaught tuna; just ask
your shmonger how it was caught.
SHOPPING FOR HERBS AND SEASONINGS
I love the way you can use
fresh herbs to add fragrance and avor
to salad. Some have a pronounced avor
and others have a delicate, soft avor.
Herbs can lend subtlety, harmony, and complexity to any dish. They’re also very
powerful and can overwhelm many things, depending on the amount, so experiment
with them rst. Too much of anything is
not a good thing. It’s all about bringing the salad into skillful balance. You
will see that I also add herbs and seasonings to my vinaigrettes and
herb-infused oils. There’s no rhyme or reason as to when to use them; it’s all
up to you and your palate. When shopping for herbs, try to buy organic.
Herbs for Salads
BasilOne of my
favorite herbs, sweet basil has slight anise and mint aromas nished with a bright sweetness. The other
basil I like to use is Thai basil, with its peppery aroma and slightly licorice
avor. And I like to add opal basil for its wonderful purple color.
ChervilElegant in taste (mildly
licorice) and appearance (feathery, tiny leaves), chervil, a member of the
parsley family, is a staple in most French cooking. It combines well with most
other herbs, but it has a short life span, so make sure you use it the day you
purchase it.
ChivesThe most pleasantly avored member of the onion family, chives
have a great, crunchy texture. I recommend it as one of the herbs to
always have on
hand at home.
It works just
about anywhere.
CilantroMost people have a love/hate
relationship with this herb. If you can get past the soapy taste of cilantro,
you will discover its true refreshing, lemon-ginger avor.
DillA mild herb with lemon and anise
aromas, dill works well with citrus-based salads. A classic pairing is smoked
salmon with dill sprigs.
FennelThis herb has a straightforward
anise taste with a hint of sweetness. It’s a great way to add fresh avor to a salad. You can use the shaved bulb
or the delicate fronds.
Flat-Leaf ParsleyWith a clean, mild, and
fresh taste, parsley works well with most other herbs. Flat leaf has the
best avor for cooking.
LemongrassI like to use the wonderful
citrus avor of lemongrass when making
Asian-inspired dressings. Be
sure to pound
the lemongrass rst, which breaks
the bers to extract the oils, and use
only the stalk.
MintSpearmint
has a menthol aroma with sweet, tangy, and spicy avors. I like to pair a
chi onade of basil and mint with fresh
melons and berries in the summer.
OreganoThis well-known herb has a slight
bitterness with spicy and peppery notes. I prefer to use this herb in
vinaigrettes and infused oils due to its strong avor. Use very small amounts to accent
other herbs.
RosemaryA hearty herb, rosemary is like
biting into a pine tree with all its pine aromas. It de nitely has a pungent avor, too, so use it sparingly. It makes a
great marinade for meats—just add garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
TarragonHints of pine, licorice, and
anise give tarragon a strong
avor, so use it sparingly. It works well with poultry and
seafood.
ThymeThis small evergreen shrub has
aromatic notes of earth with hints of mint and clove. I also like lemon thyme
with citrus notes. I often use thyme blended in a vinaigrette.
Salt and Pepper
Kosher SaltThe main di erence between salts is the texture. Cooks
prefer to use kosher salt when cooking due to its large surface area. Its
coarse, aky texture is easier to
control, and it adheres better when seasoning foods. The size and shape also
allow it to absorb more moisture than other forms of salt. Kosher salt contains
no preservatives and
can be derived
from either seawater
or underground sources. Due to its
ne grain, table salt contains far more sodium that kosher or sea salt;
for example, a single teaspoon of table salt contains more sodium than a
tablespoon of kosher or sea salt. I prefer to use Diamond Crystal brand kosher
salt, found at most grocery stores.
Sea SaltThe broad term sea salt refers to
unre ned salt derived directly from a
living ocean or sea. It’s harvested from evaporated sea or ocean water and
receives little or no processing, leaving its mineral content intact. It has a
bright, pure, clean avor. I like to use
eur de sel, an artisanal salt from
the Guérande region of France, as a
nishing salt sprinkle on vegetables and meats.
Black
PepperBlack pepper comes from the berries of the pepper plant. Freshly
ground black pepper has fruity, woody, and citrus notes. Be
sure to use
freshly ground pepper
through a mill. Preground pepper is dried out and has
lost its avorful oils to evaporation.
Black, green, and white peppercorns are actually all
from the same fruit. The
di erence in their colors is due to the
varying stages of development and processing methods. Freshly ground black
pepper on a salad is almost a must, but how much is personal preference.
SHOPPING FOR OILS AND VINEGARS
I love to experiment with
making dressings. My cooks think I’m a mad scientist when I start creating new
dressings for the menu at Mixt Greens. They see me pull everything out of the
pantry and throw it all into the Vita-Prep.
By giving you all the tools you need to make a fresh and
fantastic dressing, I’d like to inspire you to move away from buying bottled
vinaigrettes and dressings at the market for good. With just a few minutes of
e ort—wow, what a di erence a fresh dressing will make! The
dressings at the stores are usually loaded with all kinds of crap that you do
not need to put into your body. Just pull one o the shelf and start reading the
back.
Making Your Own Vinaigrette
The standard vinaigrette
recipe is three parts oil to one part vinegar, which I nd way too oily. I mean, I love the taste of
a good olive oil, but I prefer not to have glossy lips after each bite. A good
rule to use is this: the stronger the acid, the more oil you will need to use
to balance the avors. It all depends
on what avor pro le you’re trying to create. Sometimes I want
the oil to come through as the predominant taste; other times, I prefer the
acid. Sometimes I want the prefect balance.
You
only need a few tools to make a dressing. A Vita-Prep is my favorite blender
for a few reasons: 1) It will emulsify the dressing without emulsi ers. 2) You can throw in whole ingredients,
such as shallots, garlic, chiles, and herbs, and the Vita-Prep grinds them all
up. 3) There are lots of di erent speed
settings. However, you can also just use a blender, making use of the lowest
settings. Of course,
there’s also the old whisk
and stainless steel bowl. I still make a lot of simple vinaigrettes and
dressings that way.
Making dressing is
basically a two-step process. First, place the vinegar and dry ingredients
together and give them a whisk or a quick
blend. Second, slowly
add a small
stream of oil
while whisking or blending. If you add the oil too fast, it will not
emulsify. If you let your vinaigrette stand for awhile, it most likely will
break or separate anyway, but you can prevent this from happening by adding
mustard or egg, either of which will help stabilize the emulsion.
Once you start to
make dressing at home, and see how easy it really is, you’ll never go back to
store-bought. You’ll discover all the wonderful oils and vinegars that are
available and take them home to experiment, just like I do. Currently, the
vinegars I like the best are produced from grapes, including Cabernet,
Moscatel, Cava, and aged sherry. I am a vinegar a cionado. My pantry at home is full of
vinegars from all over the world. Every time I see one, I buy it and try new
things with it.
So, explore and
remember that a vinaigrette is what ties together everything in a salad, giving
you reworks on the plate and the
palate.
Oils
Argan
This oil comes
from ancient argan
trees, a species indigenous to North Africa. It has a
very rich, nutty avor, and, similar to
pumpkin seed oil, is a great topping oil. At about $40 for 250 ml, it’s very
expensive, so use it sparingly.
Canola A versatile
oil, canola can
be used for
just about everything. It’s never
overpowering, and has a light, neutral taste that will complement other
ingredients. It also contains less than half the amount of the saturated fat
found in olive oil.
Extra Virgin OliveAlso nicknamed EVOO, extra
virgin olive oil is the rst pressing of
the olives without any re nement.
The avor and style
vary by producer—some
are buttery, some
mild or peppery. The largest
producers of olive oils are Spain, Italy, and Greece. I like to use Italian oil
from Tuscany as a nishing oil or in a
vinaigrette. Do not be cheap when buying it. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.
On the other hand, always keep cheaper oil in the pantry to cook with.
GrapeseedThis is one of my favorite oils
to use for vinaigrettes. It has a very neutral
avor that complements, rather than overpowers, other ingredients.
SesameToasted sesame oil has a very
predominant avor and a deep, rich amber
color. You only need to use a small amount, because too much can be
overpowering. When used in the proper amount, it will add a rich, nutty avor to your dressing. It’s best used in
Asian-inspired dressings.
Tru eStore-bought
tru e oil has an aroma similar to
actual tru es but tastes nothing like
them. That’s what happens when things are made in a lab. Therefore, I make my
own tru e oil with chopped summer
tru es from Italy and extra virgin
olive oil.
WalnutThe wonderful, roasted nut avor of walnut oil gives a dressing
richness. Extra virgin olive oil and walnut oil work well together. Do not heat
this oil, because the delicate avor
will be destroyed.
Vinegars
BalsamicThere are
two types of balsamic vinegar on the market, the large bottle for $10 or the
baby bottle for $50. True balsamic is made from the Trebbiano grape. It has a
rich avor with a nice
balance between sweet and
sour, and is used to nish dishes.
Grocery store or factory-made balsamic is great to use for dressings and
marinades. Golden balsamic has no added molasses, leaving its color lighter
than common balsamic.
ChampagneA light and crisp vinegar that
has a hint of vanilla, this is a must for your pantry.
CiderThis vinegar is made from apples.
It has a strong acidity level, so make sure you add either honey or sugar to
cut the burn.
Fruit BasedThere are many di erent types of fruit-based vinegars on the
market, including raspberry, pear, g,
strawberry, black currant, and cherry. The wonderful sweetness that comes from
the fruit complements the acid in the vinegar to give a nice balance. These
vinegars are made by adding fruit to either a white or a dark vinegar. Use them
when adding fruit to a salad or if you’re looking to add a hint of fruit to a
dressing.
Rice WineMade from fermented rice, rice
wine vinegar has a mild sweetness. It works nicely with citrus-based dressings.
SherryMade from Oloroso sherry from
Spain, sherry vinegar has a strong, complex avor of raisin and nut. This is my favorite
vinegar to use in the kitchen. If you feel like splurging, try my favorite:
Aged Spanish sherry vinegar.
Wine BasedI love to use wine-based
vinegars, made from either white or red grapes, to make dressings. My favorite
specialty wine vinegars include Chardonnay,
Banyuls, Cabernet, Moscatel,
and Cava. They all have complex
avors and are great for making a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing. It’s
all you need; just add good olive oil from Tuscany and freshly ground black
pepper and salt, and you’re o to the
races.
SALAD TOOL ESSENTIALS
Topping my list of tools
is a $5 or $10 kitchen scale. I use ounces in some of my recipe instructions
because the simple truth is if you try to use cups with something like greens
it’s never going to be accurate. People might pack in too much or if it’s
something diced the size of the dice is going to vary greatly between di erent people. So this is my way of ensuring
you’re getting precisely the intended balance of avors in every salad—and you’ll nd it’s a much more accurate way of passing
your own recipes on to your family and friends, as well.
Here’s a rundown of some
of the most useful, basic tools out there for making salad:
Stainless steel bowl Tongs
Salad spinner Japanese
knife Mandolin
Pepper mill
Measuring cups
Tablespoons and teaspoons
WhiskStick or immersion blender Vita-Prep or countertop blender
Park Ave.
Grilled chicken with asparagus and
rocket
Gems
Little gems and apricots with blue
cheese
May
Fava beans with grilled fennel
Berry
Blackberries and strawberries with goat
cheese
No-Frills
Mixed spring greens with shaved fennel
and
green
olives
Mr. Bean
Spring lamb with grilled baby artichokes
Tokyo
American Kobe beef carpaccio with
frizzled
leeks
and rocket
Pentwater
Grilled asparagus and six-minute egg
Field
Butter lettuce and fresh herbs with
Maytag blue
cheese
Sweet
Haricot verts with sweetbread croutons
Spring
English peas with morels
PARK AVE. / SERVES 4
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS AND
ROCKET
With the Park Ave., I set out to make a
chichi, ladies-who-lunch kind of a salad; basically, a really fancy salad.
Grilled chicken with roasted ngerling potatoes, Parmesan, tender asparagus,
and a champagne vinaigrette seemed to t the bill. It’s light but luxe. I
wanted it to complement a salad I make called the Bachelor, but thought guys
wouldn’t order it if I called it the Bachelorette. So instead I referenced New
York’s Park Avenue (but don’t tell the guys—they buy it like crazy).
VINAIGRETTE
¼ cup champagne vinegar 2
teaspoons minced shallot 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ½ cup canola oil
½ cup extra virgin olive
oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
½ pound French ngerling potatoes, sliced 2 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh at-leaf parsley 1 teaspoon chopped fresh
rosemary Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1½ pounds boneless, skinless
chicken breasts 1 bunch asparagus
½ pound wild rocket ¼
pound mâche
24 cherry tomatoes,
quartered
tablespoons toasted pine
nuts 1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 375°F
and set the grill to medium-high heat.
To make the vinaigrette,
combine the vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a blender. Slowly add the oils in
a stream and blend until emulsi ed. Season
with salt and pepper and set aside.
On a baking sheet, toss
together the potatoes, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the parsley, rosemary,
and salt and pepper to taste. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes.
Season the chicken with
salt and pepper and grill for about 15 minutes total, or until cooked through.
Let rest for 5 minutes.
Coat the asparagus with
the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for
about 4 minutes, or until lightly charred, then slice the asparagus into
1½-inch pieces.
In each of 4 serving
bowls, toss together 2 ounces rocket, 1 ounce mâche, 6 cherry tomatoes,
one-fourth of the sliced asparagus, 1 tablespoon pine nuts, and ¼ cup Parmesan
with 4 teaspoons of the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the
chicken breasts and divide evenly among the bowls.
Gems
GEMS / SERVES 4
LITTLE GEMS AND APRICOTS WITH BLUE
CHEESE
These hoity-toity specialty ingredients
should please every blue blood at your table. And get ready for explosions of
good taste, because little gems are picked at the most avorful point in their
growth. Maytag blue cheese is one of the most prestigious farm cheeses in the
United States.
DRESSING
½ cup golden balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon agave nectar 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 little gems
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper 6 tablespoons Maytag blue cheese 4 apricots, sliced
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, mustard, and agave nectar in a blender. Add the oil slowly
in a stream and blend until emulsi ed.
Set aside.
Peel o the outer layers of the little gems, then
slice them in half.
To plate each serving,
toss 4 of the gem halves in 2 tablespoons of the dressing and season with salt
and pepper. Garnish with 1½ tablespoons blue cheese and 1 sliced apricot.
MAY / SERVES 4
FAVA BEANS WITH GRILLED FENNEL
For this composed salad, I sought an
earthy combination, something simple, light, and quick to put together. Fava
beans are very mellow and I wanted to enhance the avor of fennel, so I added
basil, for its complementary hint of anise avor. Throwing it on the grill
gives it little bit of a charred avor and really brings the whole thing
together. In addition, the fava beans are soft and the grilled fennel has a
snap to it, so you have a great balance of textures.
pound fresh fava beans 2
fennel bulbs
4 teaspoons extra virgin
olive oil, plus more for
coating
salt and freshly ground
black pepper Four ¼-inch-thick slices pancetta, cut into lardons
(½-inch chunks)
Juice of 1 lemon 1 bunch
opal basil ¼ pound mâche
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove and set the grill to medium heat. Prepare a large
bowl of ice water.
When the water comes to a
boil, blanch the fava beans for 30 seconds, and then immediately shock in the
ice bath. After the favas have cooled, split the pods open with your ngers and remove the beans. Set aside.
Return the water to a
boil, blanch the fennel bulbs for 5 minutes, and then shock in the ice water.
After the fennel has cooled, slice the bulbs into ½-inch pieces, coat them with
extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fennel for
about 5 minutes total, or until nicely charred.
While the fennel is
cooking, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the pancetta until super
crispy, about 5 minutes, and set aside.
Place 4 pieces of fennel
on each of 4 salad plates. Top each with ½ cup fava beans and 1 tablespoon
pancetta. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon lemon juice over all,
then arrange 8 basil leaves and 5 sprigs of mâche around the beans. Season with
sea salt and pepper and serve.
BERRY / SERVES 4
BLACKBERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES WITH
GOAT CHEESE
A good balsamic and ripe berries taste
really, really good together. This salad is a wonderful marriage of the
sweetness of strawberries and blackberries, the syrupy tartness of balsamic,
the creaminess of goat cheese, and the texture of pecans. All conspire to make
a crunchy, fresh, and simple spring salad.
CANDIED PECANS
cups pecans
2 tablespoons sugar 2
tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon
ground cayenne
DRESSING
½ cup balsamic vinegar 1
tablespoon minced shallot 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh
thyme leaves 1 teaspoon honey
1 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
8 ounces mixed greens
1 pint blackberries
1 pint strawberries,
sliced 2 teaspoons chi onade of mint 2
teaspoons chi onade of basil 4
tablespoons goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a bowl, toss together
the pecans, sugar, salt, cumin, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon water. Spread this
mixture on a sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, and honey in a blender. Slowly
add the oil in a stream and blend until emulsi
ed. Season with salt and pepper.
To plate each serving,
gently toss together 2 ounces mixed greens, 2 ounces each blackberries and
strawberries, ½ teaspoon mint, ½ teaspoon basil, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, and
1 ounce of the candied pecans with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Season with
salt and pepper.
NO-FRILLS / SERVES 4
MIXED SPRING GREENS WITH SHAVED
FENNEL AND GREEN OLIVES
Fresh-picked spring greens with shaved
fennel, nished with a nice Tuscan olive oil and sea salt, makes for simple
refreshment and embodies the grassy, clean aromas of the season.
fennel bulb
½ pound mixed spring
greens ¼ cup chervil leaves
½ cup green olives, pitted
and sliced 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the top and bottom
o the fennel bulb. With a mandoline or
a sharp knife, slice the fennel into paper-thin slices.
Place the greens, chervil,
olives, and fennel in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Mr.
Bean
MR. BEAN / SERVES 4
SPRING LAMB WITH GRILLED BABY
ARTICHOKES
The delicate avor of spring lamb pairs
perfectly with lightly earthy, spring Mediterranean vegetables. I added
ageolet beans to round off the salad with a little nutty avor. As it can be a
challenge to nd spring lamb, get on over to your best butcher for his help
with sourcing.
BEANS
pound dried ageolet beans ½ lemon
½ cup chopped fresh garlic
10 sprigs thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
LAMB
¼ cup extra virgin olive
oil 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic 8 spring lamb
tenderloins
TAPENADE
½ cup extra virgin olive
oil 1 tablespoon chopped spring garlic ¼ cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
SALAD
red bell pepper 8 baby
artichokes
Extra virgin olive oil 2
ounces frisée
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
To make the beans, soak
the dried beans in water to cover for 4 hours. Drain.
In a large saucepan,
combine 8 cups water with the beans, the lemon half, garlic, thyme, and salt.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until al dente.
To prepare the lamb,
combine the olive oil, rosemary, and garlic in a shallow dish; add the lamb
tenderloins, and marinate for 3 to 6 hours, depending on how much time you have
and how much avor you want the meat to
absorb.
To make the tapenade,
combine the olive oil, spring garlic, and olives in a small bowl. Season with
salt and pepper and set aside.
To make the salad, over an
open ame, roast the bell pepper until
all sides are properly charred, but not completely burnt. Place the pepper in a
bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 5 minutes. (This will steam the pepper,
making it easier to remove the skin.) Remove the skin and seeds from the
pepper, then julienne and set aside.
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove. Peel o
the outer artichoke leaves until you reach a layer where they are almost
yellow. Blanch the artichokes for 7 minutes, then let them cool down a bit
before cutting each one in half. Coat them with extra virgin olive oil and
season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the grill to
medium-high. Remove the lamb from the marinade, removing any pieces of garlic
or rosemary because they will burn on the grill. Season the lamb with salt and
pepper. Grill the lamb for 4 to 5 minutes, or until medium-rare, turning them a
few times. Grill the artichokes at the same time, turning them a few
times, until you get grill
marks on all sides, about 3 minutes. Let the lamb rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then
slice.
Place the beans, bell
pepper slices, frisée, and artichokes in a bowl with the tapenade. Toss gently
and season with salt and pepper. Place the sliced lamb on top and serve.
TOKYO / SERVES 4
AMERICAN KOBE BEEF CARPACCIO WITH
FRIZZLED LEEKS AND ROCKET
The Americans are at it again, stealing
the prized Japanese Kobe breed (minus the sake massage) and creating wonderful
avors and textures at a tenth of the cost of the foreign products. Yet another
reason to go local.
Note: Ask your butcher to cut a fresh
let from the center of the tenderloin. Once home, wrap it in plastic wrap and
place it in the freezer overnight—this will allow you to slice the let paper
thin.
pound American Kobe
beef let
6 leeks, julienned
1 quart buttermilk
AIOLI
egg yolk
½ cup canola oil
½ teaspoon fresh lemon
juice
1½ teaspoons nely chopped kalamata olives ½ tablespoon
aged sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon minced fresh
garlic Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups canola oil
2 cups all-purpose our 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon
ground cayenne
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
ounces rocket
4 teaspoons extra virgin
olive oil 2 teaspoons aged sherry vinegar
To slice the frozen let, use a mandoline to achieve the thinnest
slices possible. As you are slicing, arrange the slices to cover the bottom of
each serving plate, about 8 slices per plate. After all slices are plated, wrap
each plate with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.
Place the leeks in a large
bowl with the buttermilk. Let soak for 15 minutes.
While the leeks are
soaking, make the aioli by placing the egg yolk in a non-stainless steel bowl.
While whisking, slowly add the oil in a stream until thickened. Mince the
olives, then mix the lemon, vinegar, garlic, and olives into the aioli. Season
with salt and pepper and set aside in a small squeeze bottle.
Heat the 4 cups of canola
oil to 325°F.
In a large mixing bowl,
combine the our and baking powder. Mix
in the cayenne. Working in batches, remove the leeks from the buttermilk and
coat them in the our mixture. Fry them
in the hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and season
them with salt and pepper while they are still hot. Repeat until all the leeks
have been fried.
For each serving, toss
together 1½ ounces fried leeks and ½ ounce rocket with 1 teaspoon olive oil and
½ teaspoon sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, then place in the
center of the plate over the beef. To
nish, drizzle the aioli over the dish in thin ribbons, using the squeeze
bottle.
Pentwater
PENTWATER / SERVES 4
GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND SIX-MINUTE EGG
When I think of asparagus, I think of
Pentwater, a small town on the northern peninsula of Michigan where I grew up
eating asparagus in the summertime. Here I’d like to share one of my childhood
memories but with a spin on it: salty pancetta, rich and creamy trufe, and egg
married with the earthy sweetness of asparagus.
TRUFFLE AIOLI
egg yolk
½ cup extra virgin olive
oil 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh tru e Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 asparagus spears
Eight ⅛-inch-thick strips
pancetta Four 1-inch-thick slices brioche bread 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1
tablespoon sea salt
4 organic farm eggs
To make the aioli, place
the egg yolk in a bowl (do not use stainless steel). While whisking, slowly add
the oil in a stream until thickened. Add the vinegar and tru e. Season with salt and pepper and set
aside.
Preheat the grill to
medium. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil on the stove and prepare a bowl
of ice water.
Cut o the bottoms of the asparagus spears. Wrap a
strip of pancetta around the middle of a pair of spears. Grill the wrapped
asparagus bundles for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pancetta is crispy.
Using a 2½-inch ring mold,
cut out the middle of each brioche slice. Brush both sides of each slice with
butter and season with the sea salt. Grill the bread, attaining grill marks on
each side.
Cook the eggs for 6
minutes in the boiling water, and then place them in the ice bath to cool. Peel
the eggs and cut them in half, being very careful not to let the yolks fall
out.
Place 2 slices of grilled
bread on each of 4 serving plates and top with some tru e aioli. Place 2 bunches of asparagus on
each piece of bread and top with an egg half.
Field
FIELD / SERVES 4
BUTTER LETTUCE AND FRESH HERBS WITH
MAYTAG BLUE CHEESE
Hands down every time, Field is what I
make if I’m going to have a salad as a starter. It’s creamy and sharp, rich and
fresh, with a little bit of heat from the whole-grain mustard. Classic.
DRESSING
½ cup pear vinegar
1 tablespoon minced
shallot 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ¾ cup
grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper 2 heads butter lettuce
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper ½ cup Maytag blue cheese
4 shallots, nely diced
Leaves from 1 bunch
tarragon Leaves from 1 bunch chervil
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a blender. Add the oils in a
stream, and blend until emulsi ed.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Wash the lettuce and
separate the leaves. For each serving, toss 5 large leaves in 2 tablespoons of
the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Place the leaves on the plate,
stacking them largest to smallest. Top with 2 tablespoons blue cheese, 1
tablespoon diced shallot, 1 teaspoon tarragon leaves, and 1 teaspoon chervil
leaves.
Sweet
SWEET / SERVES 4
HARICOT VERTS WITH SWEETBREAD
CROUTONS
If you haven’t discovered sweetbreads
before now, you’re in for something special; they’re a chef favorite with a
texture and avor that pair perfectly with bacon—hard not to love that. Foodies
who already know and love sweetbreads will enjoy the inventiveness of this
combination: crunchy sweetbread croutons tossed with a snappy sherry
vinaigrette in a bean and cipollini salad with bacon lardons and a balsamic-red
wine reduction. Note that this salad needs to be started the day or night
before serving.
pound sweetbreads ½ pound
haricot verts ½ pound cipollini onions 2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
REDUCTION
cup red wine
1 cup balsamic vinegar
DRESSING
tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted
butter Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme 4 ounces frisée
strips bacon, cut into
lardons (½-inch chunks)
and cooked until crispy
½ pound pancetta, cut into
lardons
Rinse the sweetbreads,
then soak them in water overnight.
The next day, bring a pot
of salted water to a boil on the stove. Drain the sweetbreads and cook them in
the salted water at a simmer for 2 minutes, then remove and drain. Let them
cool for about 1 hour, and then carefully remove the membrane.
Bring another pot of
salted water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Trim the stem
ends of the beans. Blanch the beans in the salted water for about 2 minutes,
then remove and shock them in the ice bath. Set aside.
Remove the onion skins and
cut each onion into sixths. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a sauté pan
over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until caramelized, about 5 minutes.
Remove and set aside.
To make the reduction,
combine the wine and vinegar in a saucepan over high heat. Cook until the
mixture is reduced to ¼ cup, about 15 minutes.
To make the dressing,
whisk together the olive oil, sherry vinegar, and mustard in a bowl. Season
with salt and pepper; set aside.
Heat the remaining 1
tablespoon canola oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Break up the
sweetbreads into thumb-size pieces, being very careful not to tear the esh. Season with salt and pepper. Turning
continuously to achieve even cooking, sauté the sweetbreads for 4 to 6 minutes,
until golden brown. After about 4 minutes, remove the fat from the pan with a
paper towel and add the butter and thyme. Baste with the butter for about 1
minute.
In each of 4 individual
serving bowls, combine 1 ounce frisée, 1½ ounces beans, 2 tablespoons bacon, 2
tablespoons pancetta, ¼ cup onions, and about 7 sweetbreads. Toss with about 1
tablespoon of the dressing, and then season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the
reduction over the salad.
SPRING / SERVES 4
ENGLISH PEAS WITH MORELS
One of my favorite times of year is when
the rst morels come to market. They have a fantastic chewy texture and a
clean, yet earthy, nutty avor. But I’m not alone in my enthusiasm; they’re the
number one target for wild-mushroom foragers across America.
cups English peas
7 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar Salt and freshly ground black
pepper 8 cups fresh morels
2 bunches watercress,
stemmed
¼ pound Parmesan cheese,
shaved, for garnish
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove and prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Shell the English peas,
then rinse under cold water. Blanch the peas for 2 minutes in the boiling
water, then shock them in the ice bath and set aside.
Combine 5 tablespoons of
the oil and the vinegar in a bowl, whisking to incorporate, and season with
salt and pepper.
Clean and dry the morels.
Slice them into little disks. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the
remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sauté the morels for about 4 minutes, or until
slightly caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.
For each serving, toss
one-fourth of the peas and mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Season
with salt and pepper, if needed. Place the mixture on a plate. Next, toss
one-fourth of the watercress in 1 teaspoon of the dressing and place on top of
the peas and mushrooms. Garnish with the Parmesan.
Sour
Grilled sourdough with Brandywine tomato
and
fresh
herbs
Sol
Summer squash with ricotta
The Noodle
Soba noodles with enoki mushrooms
Bachelor
Filet mignon with Roquefort and red leaf
Cob
Grilled sweet white corn with mixed baby
tomatoes
Maui
Coriander-crusted ahi tuna with mango
and
avocado
Pole Bean
Pole beans with warm sherry vinaigrette
The Greek
Summer tomato and lemon cucumber with
fried
tulumi
Picnic
Heirloom tomato with watermelon
Diver
Roasted corn and hedgehog mushrooms with
diver
scallops
Sea
Crab with cantaloupe and caviar
Fruit Cup
Summer melon with g and prosciutto
Leswood
Roasted summer vegetables with
portobello
mushrooms
Pure Heirloom
Summer heirlooms with Tuscan olive oil
and
sea
salt
Steakhouse
Iceberg with all the xings
Burger
Ground Kobe with grilled onion
Summer
Heirloom tomato salad with balsamic
vinaigrette
Fresh
Hamachi with fresh hearts of palm
Orchard
Grilled summer peaches with Parmesan
cheese,
rocket,
and Treviso
Spa
Mâche with summer lemon cucumbers and
lychee
SOUR / SERVES 4
GRILLED SOURDOUGH WITH BRANDYWINE
TOMATO AND FRESH HERBS
San Francisco’s famous sourdough inspired
this version of a panzanella salad. I paired it with some favorite Spanish
ingredients like anchovies and caperberries. Their pronounced avor, along with
the savory bread, makes this classic salad my own.
small loaf levain bread
6 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large Brandywine
tomatoes, diced 12 large caperberries, quartered 20 white Spanish anchovy llets,
chopped 1 bunch basil, chi onaded
1 bunch savory, leaves
picked 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice Zest of 1
lemon
Preheat the grill to
medium-high.
Slice the sourdough into
½-inch-thick slices. Coat the bread with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and
season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread for about 7 minutes, turning a few
times to achieve a nice char and avor.
Let the bread cool, then cut into large cubes.
To plate each serving,
toss together one-fourth of the diced tomatoes, 1 cup bread cubes, 3 quartered
caper berries, 5 chopped anchovies, 1 tablespoon basil, ½ teaspoon savory, 1
tablespoon of
the remaining virgin oil,
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, and ½ teaspoon lemon juice. Season with salt and
pepper and top with ¼ teaspoon lemon zest.
SOL / SERVES 4
SUMMER SQUASH WITH RICOTTA
On a hot summer day, this raw salad is
the perfect side for a barbecue. The light, fresh, and clean avors accompany a
2inch-thick grilled porterhouse to perfection.
zucchini
4 yellow squash
4 teaspoons pine nuts
1 pint cherry tomatoes,
quartered ½ cup crumbled ricotta salata ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1
lemon
1 bunch opal basil, leaves
picked 1 bunch mint, chi onaded
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper 4 large squash blossoms, julienned
Using a mandoline,
julienne the zucchini and squash. Simply run the vegetable lengthwise down the
mandoline, turning after each cut and stopping when you reach the seeds.
In a dry sauté pan over
medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Coarsely
chop the toasted nuts.
To plate each serving,
toss together 3½ ounces zucchini, 1½ ounces yellow squash, 1½ ounces cherry
tomatoes, 2 tablespoons ricotta, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1
teaspoon lemon juice, 10 basil leaves, and 1 teaspoon mint. Season with sea
salt and pepper and top with 1 teaspoon chopped pine nuts and 1 squash blossom.
THE NOODLE / SERVES 4
SOBA NOODLES WITH ENOKI MUSHROOMS
Borrowing from traditional Asian avor
combinations, this salad combines toasted sesame seeds, refreshing cucumber,
and cool noodles. Miso is a fermented bean paste that I use in the dressing to
add richness to this light, healthy salad without adding fat.
DRESSING
½ cup rice wine vinegar 1
teaspoon minced fresh garlic 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 1 tablespoon fresh
lemon juice 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon white miso 1
cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
12 ounces soba noodles
1 cucumber
2 (3 ½-ounce) packs enoki
mushrooms 4 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 cups pea sprouts
2 red bell peppers, seeded
and julienned Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove.
To make the dressing,
combine the rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, sugar, and white
miso in a blender. Slowly add the oil
in a stream and blend
until emulsi ed. Season with salt and
pepper and set aside.
Boil the soba noodles for
4 minutes, until al dente, then rinse under cold water and set aside.
Peel the cucumber, then
slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds by running a spoon down the
middle of the cucumber. Slice it into half-moons.
Gently peel the mushrooms
apart from each other and set aside. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry sauté pan
over medium heat for 6 minutes.
To plate each serving,
toss together 1 cup soba noodles, ½ cup pea sprouts, ½ cup bell peppers, ½ pack
mushrooms, ½ cup cucumber slices, and 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Season
with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds.
Bachelor
BACHELOR / SERVES 4
FILET MIGNON WITH ROQUEFORT AND RED
LEAF
You got it, here’s what every guy wants
to eat all the time: meat and potatoes. I designed this salad at Mixt Greens to
win over men and get them to start eating salad. Putting these ingredients
together almost forces them to try it—it’s one of the bestsellers at the
restaurants and has been for more than three years.
large Yukon Gold potatoes,
diced 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
DRESSING
½ cup balsamic vinegar 2
teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic 1 teaspoon sliced
shallot 1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
leaves 1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup canola oil
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large yellow onions,
chopped 4 (6-ounce) prime lets mignons
2 heads red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
large Early Girl tomatoes,
quartered and sliced ½ pound Roquefort blue cheese
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Preheat the grill to high.
In a bowl, toss the
potatoes with the extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper.
Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic, shallot, honey, thyme, and sugar in a
blender. Slowly add the canola oil in a stream and blend to emulsify. Season
with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat the 1 tablespoon
canola oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 10 to 12
minutes, until the natural sugars caramelize. Season the steaks with salt and
pepper. Turn down the grill to medium-high. Grill the steaks for about 7
minutes per side, until medium-rare. Remove the steaks from the grill and let
them rest for about 3 minutes before slicing into 1-inch cubes.
To plate each serving (or
for all ingredients if serving on a platter, family style), toss 3 ounces red
leaf, slices from half a tomato, 2 tablespoons blue cheese, ½ cup potatoes, and
3 tablespoons onions with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper
and top with the cubes from one steak.
COB / SERVES 4
GRILLED SWEET WHITE CORN WITH MIXED
BABY TOMATOES
As the seasons change from spring to
summer, the sweet white corn begins to develop in Brentwood, California. In my
opinion, it’s the best corn on the planet. In Cob, I’ve take one of my favorite
Mexican street foods and put my twist on it by taking it off the cob. The queso
fresco is a straightforward, slightly salty cheese, and it works with the
aromatic basil and the acidic tomatoes. Enjoy this salad on a hot summer day
with a 1-inchthick steak; you choose the cut. I prefer to cook over charcoal to
get more avor—the sweet corn pairs perfectly with the smokiness.
½ pint Sun Gold tomatoes ½
pint Sugar Plum tomatoes 5 ears fresh corn
1 teaspoon fresh lemon
juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 20 small basil leaves
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper Queso fresco, for garnish ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
Preheat the grill to high.
While the grill is heating
up, cut the Sun Gold and Sugar Plum tomatoes into quarters and set aside.
Place the corn, still in
their husks, directly on the grill. Grill on high for about 3 minutes, or until
all sides are charred. Then turn down the temperature to medium, continue to grill
the corn for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly tender, and set aside to cool.
After the corn has cooled,
cut the kernels from the cobs and place in a large bowl with the tomatoes. Toss
with the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and basil leaves. Season with
salt and pepper. Scoop the salad onto a large platter to serve. To garnish,
grate queso
fresco on top and sprinkle with cayenne.
Maui
MAUI / SERVES 4
CORIANDER-CRUSTED AHI TUNA WITH
MANGO AND AVOCADO
The idea behind this salad came from one
of my favorite sushi rolls made here in San Francisco: avocado, mango, and
macadamia nuts. I added onion, tomatoes, and a citrus vinaigrette to the rich
butter lettuce to beautifully bind together all these Pacic Rim avors.
DRESSING
½ cup mango purée ¼ cup
rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon chile garlic sauce 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro ½ cup canola
oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 cucumber
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper 4 tablespoons crushed coriander seeds 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 heads butter lettuce 1
large Hass avocado, sliced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 ripe mangoes, peeled,
seeded, and julienned 1 red onion, nely
diced
1 bunch basil, leaves
picked
½ cup crushed macadamia
nuts
To make the dressing,
combine the mango purée, vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, garlic sauce, and
cilantro in a blender. Blend until smooth, then slowly add the oil in a stream
and blend again. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Peel the cucumber, slice
in half lengthwise, then run a spoon down the middle and scoop out the seeds.
Slice the cucumber into halfmoons.
Season each tuna steak
with salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon crushed coriander. Make sure you press
the coriander down on the tuna so it sticks. Heat a sauté pan over high heat
and add the canola oil. When the oil is about to reach its smoking point, sear the
tuna steaks on all sides, about 6 seconds total. After all the tuna has been
seared, slice each steak into 3 large pieces and set aside.
To plate each serving,
gently toss 4 ounces butter lettuce, 2 ounces avocado, 2½ ounces cherry
tomatoes, 2½ ounces mango, 2 tablespoons onion, 2 ounces cucumber, and 12 basil
leaves with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Top
with 2 tablespoons crushed macadamia nuts and 1 sliced tuna steak.
POLE BEAN / SERVES 4
POLE BEANS WITH WARM SHERRY
VINAIGRETTE
Here I use Romano, Blue Lake, and wax
beans, but there’s a wonderful variety of pole beans that you can use
throughout the summer—so get a variety of what’s in season to make this salad.
In warm weather, I like the contrast of the cool beans with the warm
vinaigrette; it’s more refreshing and emphasizes their crisp texture. Try
serving this with a simply prepared dayboat halibut.
½ pound Blue Lake beans ½
pound wax beans ½ pound Romano beans ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ cup nely diced shallots ¼ cup aged sherry
vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Salt and
freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Cook the Blue Lake, wax,
and Romano beans in the boiling water for about 3 minutes, then shock in the
ice bath. Let the beans cool, then drain them and place on a serving platter.
In a sauté pan over medium
heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sauté the shallots for about 4
minutes, or until lightly caramelized.
Add the vinegar to the pan
and deglaze. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the mustard, and the lemon
juice. Whisk together and season with salt and pepper.
Top the beans with 3
tablespoons of the warm sherry vinaigrette and serve.
THE GREEK / SERVES 4
SUMMER TOMATO AND LEMON CUCUMBER
WITH FRIED TULUMI
Playing off a traditional Greek salad, I
top this with fried cheese and a nice Spanish vinaigrette. Frying gives rm
tulumi a crispy exterior that adds to the salad’s texture and further brings
out the avor of the cheese.
lemon cucumbers 1 Armenian
cucumber 4 ounces tulumi cheese ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 red onion, nely diced 4 Early Girl tomatoes, diced
1 Marvel Stripe heirloom
tomato, sliced 1 bunch oregano, leaves picked 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Fine sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
Cut the lemon cucumbers
into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice them. Slice the Armenian cucumber a
little thicker than the lemon cucumbers into moons.
Slice the tulumi into
½-inch-thick pieces, then cut them into long strips. In a sauté pan over medium
heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is nice and hot, place
the cheese in the pan and cook for about 1 minute per side, or until golden
brown.
To plate each serving, gently
toss together half of a lemon cucumber, one-fourth of the Armenian cucumber, 1
tablespoon
diced red onion, 1 diced
Early Girl, one-fourth of a Marvel Stripe, 10 oregano leaves, 2 teaspoons of
the remaining olive oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and ½ teaspoon lemon juice. Season
with salt and pepper. Cut the fried tulumi into medium-size cubes and top each
salad with 7 cubes of the cheese.
Picnic
PICNIC / SERVES 4
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES WITH WATERMELON
The Picnic is the most refreshing salad
I’ve ever made. Hands down, if it’s hot outside, it’s what you want to eat.
I’ll admit that creating it was a total uke. People don’t think watermelon and
tomato go together, but when I tried them I realized that the acid and sweet
earthiness in heirloom tomatoes tie into the sweetness and earthiness of the
watermelon—and the mint gives it a really great, fresh zing. Use
top-of-the-line Italian extra virgin olive oil for the best avor.
pounds seedless
watermelon, cut into 1-inch
cubes
3 large heirloom tomatoes,
cut into 1-inch cubes 6 ounces Greek feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup fresh basil
leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
To assemble each salad,
place the cubed watermelon and tomatoes in the center of the plate, and crumble
1½ ounces feta over the top. Drizzle with about ½ tablespoon olive oil. Season
with salt and pepper. Top with the basil and mint.
DIVER / SERVES 4
ROASTED CORN AND HEDGEHOG MUSHROOMS
WITH DIVER SCALLOPS
A true summer treat, sweet white corn is
matched up here with the earthy hedgehog mushroom. And adding the rich, plump
diver scallop will make the most nicky foodie’s mouth water.
ears sweet corn
DRESSING
tablespoon chopped shallot
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup plus 1½ tablespoons
champagne vinegar ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup canola oil
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
½ pound hedgehog mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 pound
diver scallops
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper 1 tablespoon canola oil
4 teaspoons nely chopped chives ¼ pound rocket
Sea salt
32 shavings summer
tru e
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place the 2 ears of corn,
still in their husks, on a baking sheet. Roast the corn for 15 to 20 minutes,
until just tender. After the corn has cooled, shuck the ears and cut the
kernels o the cobs.
To make the dressing,
combine the shallot, mustard, and vinegar in a blender. While the blender is on
low, slowly add the olive and canola oils in a thin stream to emulsify. Season
with salt and pepper.
While the corn is
roasting, clean and quarter the mushrooms.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of
olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Sauté the mushrooms for about 5
minutes, until they have released their moisture. Add the thyme and the roasted
corn to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is little bit
caramelized.
Trim the foot o the scallops and season with salt and
pepper.
Heat the 1 tablespoon
canola oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add the scallops to the pan and sear
until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
For each serving, place
one-fourth of the corn salad on a plate, then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the
tru e dressing over the top. Add 1
teaspoon chopped chives and a small handful of rocket sprigs. Place the
scallops on top and sprinkle a little sea salt on each scallop. Garnish with a
few more rocket leaves and 8 tru e
shavings.
Sea
SEA / SERVES 4
CRAB WITH CANTALOUPE AND CAVIAR
I thrive on discovering new avor
combinations, and Sea is a great example of a totally thrown together idea that
worked out beautifully. That day I was really in the mood for some crab salad,
but I wanted to do something untraditional. One of my purveyors had sent me
some Tuscan cantaloupe to try, so I rst made a melon emulsion. Then I tossed
the crabmeat with my Colvin Vinaigrette (which is basically good on anything).
I thought that avocado would be great with the melon, so I started with a
little melon on the plate, then I layered sliced ripe avocado and the crab
mixture with a huge quenelle of caviar I had on hand to top it all off.
Honestly, it was like heaven. I had so much crab that I made two mini ones for
my two friends downstairs, and they were like, “What the hell is this avor
combination? This is amazing!” Give it a try—it’s elegant and just incredibly
good.
COLVIN VINAIGRETTE
tablespoons champagne
vinegar 1 teaspoon minced shallot 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ cup extra virgin
olive oil ¼ cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 pounds fresh crabmeat,
cooked, shelled, and
picked
2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1
bunch chives, chopped
Fine sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper 1 Tuscan cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into
chunks
2 avocados, peeled,
seeded, and sliced 1 ounce caviar (Sturgeon royal)
To make the vinaigrette,
whisk together the vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a bowl. Slowly pour in the
oils, whisking until emulsi ed. Season
with salt and pepper.
Squeeze any excess water
out of the crabmeat. Place the crab in a mixing bowl with the mayonnaise,
vinaigrette, and chives, and season with salt and pepper. Mix together well and
set aside. Purée the cantaloupe in a blender.
For each serving, place 2
tablespoons of the cantaloupe purée in the center of the plate. Place a ring
mold on top and ll with a layer of
sliced avocado and then crab. Place a dollop of caviar on top of the crab to
complete.
Fruit
Cup
FRUIT CUP / SERVES 4
SUMMER MELON WITH FIG AND PROSCIUTTO
I’ve been eating fruit for breakfast for
what seems like forever, and I’m pretty tired of your average fruit cup. So
this salad is a play on a breakfast fruit salad—complete with that breakfast
classic pork (parma) and a wonderful kick from chile akes that’ll denitely
get you on your toes early in the morning.
sharlyn melon, peeled,
seeded, and cut into
medium dice
1 honeydew melon, peeled,
seeded, and cut into
medium dice
1 cantaloupe, peeled,
seeded, and cut into medium
dice
½ pound prosciutto di Parma,
julienned 1 bunch opal basil, micro leaves picked 4 black gs, trimmed and quartered ¼ pound rocket
¼ cup Tuscan extra virgin
olive oil
1 (4 ounce) block ricotta
salata, shaved, for garnish 1 tablespoon chile
akes, for garnish
For each serving, place 2
ounces of each melon in the center of the plate. Place ½ ounce prosciutto on
top of the melon, followed by 8 micro basil leaves, 4 g quarters, and a few rocket leaves. Drizzle
about 1 tablespoon olive oil on top and garnish with the shaved ricotta and a
pinch of chile akes.
LESWOOD / SERVES 4
ROASTED SUMMER VEGETABLES WITH
PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
I based this recipe on my favorite
vegetable sandwich that I cooked while at Gramercy Tavern. If you’re a
vegetarian, it doesn’t get much better than this. At one point this was called
Dagwood, but my sister Leslie loves it so much that I named it after her.
DRESSING
½ cup aged sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced fresh at-leaf parsley 1 teaspoon minced fresh
oregano 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup
grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
sweet rolls, cut into mini
croutons (¼-inch dice) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for
coating
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
4 portobello mushrooms
1 large sweet onion,
sliced 2 zucchini
4 Gypsy peppers
2 tablespoons canola oil
ounces mixed greens 4
ounces rocket
½ cup goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Preheat the grill to high.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, thyme, honey, and sugar in
a blender. Slowly add the grapeseed oil in a stream and blend to emulsify;
season with salt and pepper.
Place the mini croutons in
a mixing bowl and toss with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and
pepper. On a baking sheet, bake the croutons in the oven for 10 minutes, or
until golden brown, and then set aside. Leave the oven on.
Coat the mushrooms with
olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 5 minutes on each
side, then transfer to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more. Set aside to cool.
Heat the canola oil in a
sauté pan over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté for about 12 minutes, or
until caramelized.
Cut the zucchini
lengthwise into thin slices, coat with olive oil, and season with salt and
pepper. Grill the zucchini for 5 minutes on each side, and set aside. Once
cooled, cut the zucchini into 1½-inch strips.
Cut the seeds out of the
Gypsy peppers, quarter them, then coat with olive oil and season with salt and
pepper. Grill the peppers for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on size, turning
to cook all sides. Set aside to cool. After the mushrooms and the peppers have
cooled, julienne them.
To plate each serving,
gently toss together 2 ounces mixed greens, 1 ounce rocket, 1½ ounces Gypsy
pepper, 2½ ounces zucchini, 1½
ounces mushrooms, 1 ounce
onion, 2 tablespoons goat cheese, ¼ cup croutons, and 2 tablespoons of the
dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
PURE HEIRLOOM / SERVES 4
SUMMER HEIRLOOMS WITH TUSCAN OLIVE
OIL AND SEA SALT
How do you showcase heirloom tomatoes? As
simply as possible. They’re one of my favorite fruits, and they don’t need to
be messed with. I think all they need is great Tuscan olive oil and aky sea
salt—and my sea salt of choice is the Maldon brand from England. Marvel Stripe,
Brandywine, Green Zebra, and Purple Cherokee are all good heirloom tomato
choices for this salad, if you can nd them.
pounds mixed heirloom
tomatoes, sliced into ¾
inch-thick rounds
½ cup Tuscan extra virgin
olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup chi onaded basil leaves 1 bunch opal basil,
leaves picked
For each serving, place ½
pound tomatoes on the plate. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil on top, then
season with sea salt and black pepper. Top with 1 tablespoon basil and 10 small
opal basil leaves.
STEAKHOUSE / SERVES 4
ICEBERG WITH ALL THE FIXINGS
This is my modern version of a steakhouse
wedge, covering all the bases with crunchy onion rings, creamy, sharp blue
cheese, a kick of raw garlic, and savory bacon.
quart canola oil
DRESSING
½ cup buttermilk ½ cup
mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime
juice 4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped
fresh at-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon
chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 teaspoon puréed raw
garlic 1½ teaspoons chopped chipotle 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
ONION RINGS
½ cups all-purpose our 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1½ teaspoons
salt
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
12 ounces Negro Modelo beer
3 sweet onions, cut into
½-inch-thick slices Fine sea salt
slices smoked bacon, cut
into lardons (½-inch
chunks)
1 head iceberg lettuce,
shredded ¼ pound Point Reyes blue cheese 1 pint Sun Gold tomatoes, sliced in
half
Warm the canola oil to
350°F in a pot on the stove over mediumhigh heat.
To make the dressing,
combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, lime juice, sour cream, parsley, cilantro,
chives, raw garlic, chipotle, and vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and
pepper and set aside.
To make the onion rings,
combine the our, baking powder, 1½
teaspoons salt, cayenne, and beer in a bowl. Coat the onion slices in the
batter and fry them in batches (about 6 to 8 at a time) until golden brown,
about 1½ minutes. Set aside on a paper towel and season with sea salt.
In a sauté pan over
medium-high heat, cook the bacon lardons until crispy; set aside.
For each serving, toss
one-fourth of the shredded lettuce with 2 tablespoons of the dressing in a
bowl. Top with 1 ounce blue cheese, 1 ounce lardons, and 1 ounce Sun Golds.
Garnish with a stack of 5 or more onion rings, to taste.
Burger
BURGER / SERVES 4
GROUND KOBE WITH GRILLED ONION
Being passionate about burgers, and not
being able to serve them at Mixt Greens, I came up with this idea of a burger
salad. Miniature patties are served on butter lettuce with all the
accoutrements of a gourmet burger.
DRESSING
cup mayonnaise ¼ cup ketchup
½ cup diced kosher dill
pickle 2 tablespoons diced shallot 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup
freshly grated horseradish 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced fresh
garlic Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, cut into
¼-inch slices 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black
pepper ½ English cucumber, sliced
¼ cup champagne vinegar 1½
pounds ground Kobe beef 12 slices sharp white cheddar 1 head butter lettuce,
leaves separated 1 large Brandywine tomato, sliced into half moons
Preheat the grill to
medium-high.
To make the dressing,
combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle, shallot, Worcestershire, horseradish,
lemon juice, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set
aside.
Coat the onion slices with
olive oil, then grill for about 8 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper
and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine
the cucumber and the champagne vinegar and let soak for 3 minutes.
Form twelve 2-ounce mini
burger patties. Season the mini burgers with salt and pepper and grill for
about 3 minutes per side. Melt a slice of cheddar on each burger and set aside.
For each serving, place 3
small butter lettuce leaves on the plate, then add a second leaf layer so that
each lettuce “cup” is doubled up. Place 1 teaspoon of the dressing in the
bottom of each cup. Place a mini burger on top of the dressing in each lettuce
cup. Garnish each burger with a slice of grilled onion, a half-moon slice of
tomato, and a small slice of cucumber.
SUMMER / SERVES 4
HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH BALSAMIC
VINAIGRETTE
When summer comes around, the rst things
on my mind are heirloom tomatoes and corn. Now, most people pair heirloom
tomatoes with mozzarella, etc., Caprese style. It’s good, but boring. I like to
go outside the box, and in searching for a great complement I came up with
Maytag blue cheese. It might sound strange at rst, but I swear there is
something in that pairing that intensies the avor of heirlooms—like heirloom
tomatoes on steroids. The sweet corn speaks for itself. And word gets
around—this salad sells out every day.
BALSAMIC ONION VINAIGRETTE
teaspoon grapeseed oil 1
yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ cup aged balsamic vinegar 1
teaspoon Dijon mustard Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Fine sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
SALAD
ears sweet white corn
6 large mixed heirloom
tomatoes, cores removed,
sliced ½ inch think
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
ounces Maytag blue cheese,
crumbled ½ cup chopped fresh tarragon ½ cup chopped fresh chives ½ cup chopped
fresh basil
½ cup chopped fresh at-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make the vinaigrette,
heat the grapeseed oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and
garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, until they’ve caramelized a bit. Add the
balsamic vinegar and simmer for 2 minutes, so that the vinegar is absorbed by
the onion. Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the mustard and thyme and
blend. While the blender is on low, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture
emulsi es. Add the sugar and season with
salt and pepper. Set aside.
To make the salad, place
the ears of corn, still in their husks, on a baking sheet and roast for 15 to
20 minutes, until just tender. After the corn has cooled, shuck the ears and
cut the kernels from the cobs.
Toss the sliced tomatoes
in a bowl with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the tomatoes
into 4 portions and stack 1 portion in the center of each plate. Top each with
one-fourth of the roasted corn, 1½ ounces blue cheese, and 1 tablespoon of
mixed tarragon, chives, basil, and parsley. Drizzle the vinaigrette around the
edge of each plate.
FRESH / SERVES 4
HAMACHI WITH FRESH HEARTS OF PALM
The distinctive avor of yuzu adds a
wonderful brightness to raw sh. If you’ve never tried it, grab some at your
local Japanese market and experiment. You’ll be pleasantly surprised; it’s one
of my secret weapons for impressing my friends.
Note: You’ll need to go to a reputable
sh supplier for yellowtail or hamachi, and be sure to specify that it’s going
to be served raw, as sashimi. Ask for about a pound cleaned. You will have a
little left over—lucky you. It is not that easy to nd fresh hearts of palm, so
you might want to do some reconnaissance ahead of time. Sea beans can be found
in specialty markets.
ounces hamachi (sashimi
grade)
½ pound fresh hearts of
palm
SALSA
tablespoons nely chopped jalapeٌo pepper 1
tablespoon nely chopped shallot 1
tablespoon nely chopped sea beans 1
tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
¼ pound sea beans
¼ cup extra virgin olive
oil 4 teaspoons yuzu juice Sea salt
Slice the hamachi into
thin, sushi-sized pieces. You’ll need 6 pieces per salad. Put the hamachi on a
plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you prepare.
Slice the hearts of palm
into about ⅛-inch-thick slices.
To make the salsa, combine
all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix, seasoning with the salt and pepper.
For each serving, place 1½
ounces hearts of palm on the plate and season with salt and pepper. Add 5 sea bean
sprigs, then drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon yuzu over the salad.
Place 6 pieces of the hamachi on top and sprinkle with sea salt. Finish by
garnishing with 1 tablespoon of the salsa.
ORCHARD / SERVES 4
GRILLED SUMMER PEACHES WITH PARMESAN
CHEESE, ROCKET, AND TREVISO
When peaches are perfectly ripe and juicy
at your farmers’ market, bring them home and let them speak for themselves with
this simple recipe. The spicy and bitter rocket, the ribbons of Treviso, and
the aromatic and fresh-tasting basil and mint create a bouquet that’s an
ultimate palate-pleasing backdrop for the velvety, sweet fruit.
DRESSING
¼ cup plus 1½ tablespoons
champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¾
cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 white peach
1 yellow peach ½ pound
rocket
1 head Treviso, chi onaded 1 bunch mint, chi onaded 1 bunch basil, chi onaded 1 (4 ounce) block Parmesan cheese Salt
and freshly ground black pepper
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, honey, and mustard in a blender. Slowly add the oil in a
thin stream, and blend to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the peaches so that
you have 8 slices per half.
For each serving, gently
toss 1½ ounces rocket, ½ ounce Treviso, ½ teaspoon mint, 1 teaspoon basil, 4
slices white peach and 4 slices yellow peach with 1½ tablespoons of the
dressing in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and shave fresh Parmesan on
top.
Spa
SPA / SERVES 4
MآCHE
WITH SUMMER LEMON CUCUMBERS AND LYCHEE
This salad reects the refreshing
cucumber and lemon water provided at day spas, post-treatment or workout. The
oral fragrance of the lychee is light or powerful depending on how much you
use, and the green avor of the cucumbers seems to pull the impurities right
out of you. If you can’t nd fresh lychees, you can use canned; just make sure
to rinse them thoroughly.
DRESSING
¼ cup rice wine vinegar 1
tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup extra virgin olive
oil
Fine sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
1 pint fresh lychees
1 (3½-ounce) pack enoki
mushrooms 8 ounces mâche
1 pint mixed cherry
tomatoes, halved 2 lemon cucumbers, sliced into half-moons 1 English cucumber
Fine sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
To make the dressing,
whisk together the rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar in a bowl. Pour
the oil in a stream and whisk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper and set
aside.
Peel and chop the lychees.
Gently separate the mushrooms from one another.
For each serving, toss 2
ounces mâche, 2 ounces cherry tomatoes, one-fourth of the mushrooms, 2 ounces
lemon cucumber, and 1 ounce English cucumber with 1 tablespoon of the dressing
in a bowl. Season with sea salt and pepper. Top with 1 teaspoon chopped lychees
and a pinch of sea salt. Add more lychees if you would like a stronger oral
avor.
Grove
Honey Crisp apple with Point Reyes blue
cheese
Heaven
Mixed chicory and chanterelles with duck
egg
Green
Mixed seasonal apples with Mexican spice
Porky
Mixed greens with pork tenderloin,
roasted
butternut
squash, and port reduction
Grain
Roasted fall root vegetables with farro
Donald
Duck con
t with persimmons and blue cheeses
Sprout
Brussels sprouts with warm brown butter
vinaigrette
Vine
Heirloom grapes with tarragon leaves
Sonoma
Mixed greens and Cabernet-poached pear
with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese
Autumn
Roasted golden beets with Cambozola
cheese
Mashup
Broccoli, cauli ower, bacon, and more
GROVE / SERVES 4
HONEY CRISP APPLES WITH POINT REYES
BLUE CHEESE
When the local apples start being
harvested in Sonoma, there’s such a wide variety available at the farmers’
market that it’s hard to pick a favorite, but Honey Crisp is right up there at
the top for me. I think their sweetness mixes well with the aromatic licorice
avor of fennel and the nish of a very salty blue cheese.
SPICED NUTS
cup walnut halves 2
tablespoons corn syrup 2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cumin ½
teaspoon ground cayenne ¼ teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon chili powder ½
teaspoon salt
DRESSING
¼ cup champagne vinegar 1
teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon minced shallot 1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sugar ½ cup
canola oil
½ cup extra virgin olive
oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 head butter lettuce
¼ pound Point Reyes blue
cheese, crumbled
Honey Crisp apples, cored
and sliced 1 Asian pear, cored and sliced 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Leaves from 1 bunch
tarragon
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the spiced nuts,
soak the walnuts in warm water to cover for 3 minutes. In a separate bowl,
combine the corn syrup, sugar, cumin, cayenne, coriander, chili powder, and
salt. Drain the walnuts, add them to the spice mixture, and toss to coat.
Spread the coated nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, then remove
from the oven and let cool.
To make the dressing,
whisk together the vinegar, mustard, shallot, honey, and sugar in a mixing
bowl. Add the canola and olive oils in a thin stream and whisk until
emulsi ed; season with salt and pepper.
To plate each serving,
toss 3 ounces butter lettuce leaves, 1 ounce blue cheese, 1 ounce sliced apple,
1 ounce sliced pear, 1 ounce sliced fennel, and 1½ ounces of the spiced nuts
with 1½ tablespoons of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and top with 2
tablespoons pomegranate seeds and 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves.
Heaven
HEAVEN / SERVES 4
MIXED CHICORY AND CHANTERELLES WITH
DUCK EGG
Of all the wild foraged mushrooms,
chanterelles are among the most versatile. They have a delicate, woodsy avor
and a spongy, meaty texture. Their earthy but neutral elegant taste can be
paired with most anything. Watch out for the nine-minute egg; it’s habit
forming.
DRESSING
¼ cup aged sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1 teaspoon minced
caperberries ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
½ pound fresh chanterelles
3½ tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced
Leaves from 1 bunch thyme
1 cup cubed brioche, as
mini croutons (¼-inch
dice)
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper 4 duck eggs
8 strips bacon, cut into
lardons (½-inch chunks) ½ pound mixed chicory
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, mustard, shallot, and caperberries in a blender and blend
until smooth. Slowly add the
olive oil in a stream and
blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt
and pepper.
Bring a pot of water to a
boil on the stove and prepare a bowl of ice water.
Wash the mushrooms gently
in cold water, then dry them and pull them apart into quarters. Set aside.
In a sauté pan over medium
heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and ½ teaspoon
of the fresh thyme leaves, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the brioche cubes and
cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season the croutons with salt and
pepper while they are still hot, then set aside.
Cook the eggs in the
boiling water for 9 minutes, then shock them in the ice bath.
Heat the remaining 1½
tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms for
3 minutes, then add ¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and sauté for about 1 minute
longer.
In another sauté pan over
medium heat, sauté the bacon lardons until crispy; set aside to drain on a
paper towel.
To plate each serving,
toss ½ ounce bacon, 1 ounce chicory leaves, and 2 ounces mushrooms with 2
tablespoons of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Peel a duck egg and
carefully cut it into 4 pieces—it should still be very soft inside. Place the
egg pieces on top of the chicory-mushroom mixture, and garnish with 1
tablespoon croutons.
GREEN / SERVES 4
MIXED SEASONAL APPLES WITH MEXICAN
SPICE
I call this my snack salad. Crunchy and
light, it’s a good one for keeping around when you start getting the munchies.
Granny Smith apples, diced
large
2 Black Jonathan apples,
diced large 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
SPICE MIXTURE
¼ teaspoon ground cumin ¼
teaspoon ground cayenne ¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder ¼ teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon chile akes
In a mixing bowl, toss
together the apples and the lemon juice.
To make the spice mixture,
combine the cumin, cayenne, chile powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Transfer the apples to a
serving dish and sprinkle the spice mixture over the top. Sprinkle freshly
grated lime zest and a few chile akes
over the top.
Porky
PORKY / SERVES 4
MIXED GREENS WITH PORK TENDERLOIN,
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, AND PORT REDUCTION
This autumnal pork salad highlights the
seasonal avors of apples and roasted butternut squash. Pistachios and spices
traditionally go beautifully with pork tenderloin’s subtle avor, and the
mustard brings out its depth. The sweet port wine reduction truly ties it all
together.
SPICE RUB
tablespoon ground cumin 1
tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder ½ tablespoon mustard seed 1 tablespoon fennel seed 1
teaspoon red chile powder 1 teaspoon ground cayenne 1 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups port wine
DRESSING
¾ cup champagne vinegar 1
tablespoon minced shallot 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ cup canola oil
½ cup extra virgin olive
oil
Fine sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
strips apple-smoked bacon,
cut into lardons (½
inch chunks)
1 large butternut squash,
peeled, seeded, and cut
into a medium dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin
olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
3 pounds pork tenderloin
¾ pound mixed greens
2 Black Jonathan apples,
cored and sliced 4 ounces shelled pistachios, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make the spice rub,
combine all the spices in a mixing bowl and set aside.
In a sauté pan over medium
heat, reduce the port wine to ¼ cup and set aside.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth.
Slowly add both oils in a stream and blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper.
In a sauté pan over
medium-high heat, sauté the bacon lardons until crispy, then set aside to drain
on a paper towel.
In a bowl, toss the
butternut squash with the olive oil and sage, and then season with salt and
pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until
tender. Keep warm (but not hot) for serving.
Increase the oven
temperature to 395°F. Spread the spice rub on a plate, dredge the pork in the
spice rub, coating all sides, and place on a baking sheet. Roast the pork for
about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 150°F on a meat
thermometer.
Remove from the oven and
let rest for 5 minutes. When the pork has cooled, slice into ¼-inch-thick
slices.
For each serving, toss 3
ounces greens, 2 ounces warm squash, 1½ ounces bacon, and 2 ounces sliced apple
with 1½ tablespoons of the dressing; season with salt and pepper. Place in the
middle of the plate. Top the salad with 4 ounces pork tenderloin. Drizzle 1
tablespoon of the port reduction over the top, sprinkle with 1 ounce chopped
pistachios.
GRAIN / SERVES 4
ROASTED FALL ROOT VEGETABLES WITH
FARRO
You’re about to enjoy the wonderful
avors of roasted root vegetables alongside the hearty texture of farro,
guaranteed to keep anyone satised on a brisk fall night.
½ cup farro
2 teaspoons salt
1 celery root, nely diced 4 parsnips, nely diced 1 rutabaga, nely diced 2 white turnips, nely diced 2 large carrots, nely diced 2 large cipollini onions, nely diced ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
DRESSING
½ cup red wine vinegar 2
tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves ½ teaspoon chopped
fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced 1
cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 tablespoons nely chopped chives, for garnish Preheat the
oven to 375°F.
In a saucepan over medium
heat, combine the farro, 4 cups water, and the salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, or
until al dente and a little chewy.
In a mixing bowl, toss the
celery root, parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, carrots, and onions with the olive
oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet and
roast for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, honey, and garlic in a
blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add the oil in a stream and blend until
emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large serving bowl,
gently toss together the vegetables, farro, and about 2 tablespoons of the
dressing. Check for seasoning and serve the salad warm, garnished with the
chives.
Donald
DONALD / SERVES 4
DUCK CONFIT WITH PERSIMMONS AND BLUE
CHEESES
I love duck cont. I’m a huge fan of the
rich avor and the tender texture, plus it’s easy to buy it ready-made these
days if you don’t have the time to make it. In this salad, I highlight
persimmons, which are underutilized and amazing with this game bird. You’ll
have some extra duck cont to do what you like with—I always like to have extra
to snack on. I’m sure it won’t stay around for long!
CONFIT
large duck legs
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 shallots, peeled and
chopped 8 sprigs thyme
5 cups duck fat
VINAIGRETTE
½ cup aged sherry vinegar
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1½ teaspoons honey
½ cup canola oil
½ cup extra virgin olive
oil
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
2 Belgian endives,
julienned
bunches frisée, trimmed 1
head radicchio
Leaves from 1 bunch at-leaf parsley ¼ pound Stilton cheese,
crumbled ¼ pound Point Reyes cheese, crumbled 4 persimmons, sliced paper-thin
into half-moons Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Season the duck legs with
the salt and pepper. Arrange the garlic, shallots, and thyme on a baking sheet
and place the seasoned duck legs on top. Refrigerate, covered, for 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 225°F.
Remove the duck from the
refrigerator and wipe o the salt and
pepper. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the duck fat until melted.
Place the duck legs in a casserole dish and cover with the fat. Bake for 2 to 3
hours, or until the meat falls o the
bone. (Note: Never let the fat get too hot; it should just have a few bubbles
while cooking.) Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the legs from the
fat, then carefully separate the meat from the bones, ideally keeping the meat
in one piece.
To make the vinaigrette,
combine the vinegar, mustard, shallot, and honey in a blender and blend until
smooth. Slowly add the canola and olive oils in a stream and blend until
emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the
the cooled duck fat in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the duck legs
in the pan, skin side down, and sauté until brown and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove the duck from the pan and cut the meat into long strips. Set aside.
For each serving, toss 1
ounce endive, 1 ounce frisée, a few radicchio leaves, 8 parsley leaves, ¼ ounce
each Stilton and Point Reyes, and 12 slices persimmon with 5 teaspoons of the
dressing.
Season with salt and
pepper. Place the mixture on the plate and top with 2 ounces duck meat, crispy
side up.
Sprout
SPROUT / SERVES 4
BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH WARM BROWN
BUTTER VINAIGRETTE
As a child, I used to feed the Brussels
sprouts my mom would make for dinner to my dog under the table—and the dog
didn’t even want to eat them. Over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate them,
however. The leaves taste earthy and delicious, and have a sweet, savory
bitterness. I added the turnip to the mix for its raw crunch.
pounds Brussels sprouts
(should yield 12 ounces
of leaves)
8 strips bacon, cut into
lardons (½-inch chunks) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons unsalted
butter
1 Fuji apple, cored and
sliced ⅛ inch thick Salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup pomegranate
seeds
1 white turnip, julienned
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove and prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Remove the bottom of each
sprout and peel apart all the leaves. Blanch the leaves for 2 minutes in the
boiling water, then shock them in the ice bath; drain and set aside.
In a sauté pan over
medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer
the bacon to a plate and set aside.
Drain the fat from the
pan. Add the butter to the pan and let it slowly melt, browning slightly, then
add the sage and sauté for 1 minute to infuse the butter. Add the mustard and
vinegar to the pan, then whisk the mixture until emulsi ed.
Place the sprout leaves in
a serving bowl or on a platter and toss with the apple slices. Top with the
brown butter vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the
bacon, pomegranate seeds, and turnip.
Vine
VINE / SERVES 4
HEIRLOOM GRAPES WITH TARRAGON LEAVES
This salad could be served at any time of
the year, but since I live in northern California I start thinking about grapes
during harvest in the fall. I’ve made this for my winemaker friends, who, at
the end of a long day of pressing them, know and love their grapes better than
anybody.
DRESSING
½ cup golden balsamic
vinegar 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard 1 teaspoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 bunch (6 ounces) red
grapes 1 bunch (6 ounces) green grapes 1 bunch (6 ounces) black grapes 1 head
fennel, sliced paper-thin Leaves from 4 bunches tarragon Leaves from 1 bunch
opal basil Salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ pound Manchego cheese, for
garnish
To make the dressing,
whisk together the vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add
the grapeseed oil in a thin stream and whisk until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice all of the grapes in
half.
To plate each serving,
toss 2 ounces fennel, 1½ ounces each type of grape, 2 tablespoons (.02 ounce)
tarragon leaves, and 10 basil leaves with 1½ tablespoons of the dressing.
Season with salt and pepper and shave the Manchego cheese over the top.
SONOMA / SERVES 4
MIXED GREENS AND CABERNET-POACHED
PEAR WITH HUMBOLDT FOG GOAT CHEESE
Starting a meal with a spicy
cabernet-poached pear salad on a chilly fall night is a great way to usher in
the season. Humboldt Fog goat cheese is a wonderful local selection where I
live; it’s chalky on the outside and creamy in the middle. Seek out a similar
goat cheese from your area.
POACHING LIQUID
(750-ml) bottle Cabernet
or Zinfandel 1 cup port wine
1 cinnamon stick 1 bay
leaf
2 Bartlett pears
½ cup coarsely chopped
pecans
DRESSING
½ cup cider vinegar ½ cup
currants 1 cup grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
¼ pound Humboldt Fog goat
cheese ¼ pound rocket
1 head radicchio, leaves
separated Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the poaching
liquid, combine the red wine, port, 1 cup water, the cinnamon stick, and bay
leaf in a pot over medium heat.
While the poaching liquid
is being brought to a simmer, peel the pears and cut them in half. Poach the
pears in the simmering liquid for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking them
after 45 minutes. Pierce each pear with a knife to test for doneness. You’re
cooking them at a low temperature to infuse the avor of the wine and herbs so they should
remain somewhat rm; you do not want
them to become mushy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the pecans on a
baking sheet and roast for 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar and currants in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly
add the oil in a thin stream and blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the goat cheese into
thin slices. Be careful not to break the cheese pieces when slicing, because
they are very fragile. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid, and core and
slice them.
To plate each serving,
toss 1½ ounces rocket, 1 ounce radicchio, 1 ounce of the toasted pecans, and 2½
ounces of the poached pears with 4 teaspoons of the dressing; season with salt
and pepper. Top the salad with 1 ounce sliced goat cheese.
AUTUMN / SERVES 4
ROASTED GOLDEN BEETS WITH CAMBOZOLA
CHEESE
San Francisco has a fetish for goat
cheese and roasted golden beets; it seems to make an appearance on just about
every menu in town. I am ofcially vetoing the goat cheese and adding Cambozola
for an updated avor prole. I don’t like to run with the pack!
large golden beets
1 tablespoon extra virgin
olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup pine nuts
DRESSING
½ cup champagne vinegar 1
teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced shallot
¾ cup chopped fennel 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 heads butter lettuce
¼ pound Cambozola cheese,
sliced 1 bunch chives, nely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a bowl, coat the beets
with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet
and roast for 30 minutes, or until
tender when pierced with a
fork. Let cool, cut into a medium dice, and set aside.
In a dry sauté pan over
medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer
to a plate to cool.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, and fennel in a blender and blend
until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil in a stream and blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper.
To plate each serving,
toss 1½ ounces butter lettuce, 4 ounces of the roasted beets, and 1 ounce
Cambozola cheese with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Season with salt and
pepper. Top with 1 tablespoon of the toasted pine nuts and 1 teaspoon chives.
MASHUP / SERVES 4
BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, BACON, AND
MORE
This is my version of a modern-day
chopped salad—not the kind at your local deli. I developed it to be great for
lunch, but it is also capable of making a die-hard carnivore content at dinner.
head broccoli, cut into
small orets
1 head cauli ower, cut into small orets 6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
(½-inch chunks) 4 organic farm eggs
DRESSING
¼ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons champagne
vinegar 1 teaspoon diced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼
cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes,
quartered
1 tablespoon pitted and
chopped kalamata olives ¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup nely diced shallot
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1
tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Blanch the broccoli and
cauli ower for 4 minutes in the boiling
water, then shock in the ice water to cool. Drain.
In a sauté pan over
medium-high heat, cook the bacon lardons for 5 minutes, until crispy.
Return the pot of water to
a boil and cook the eggs for 12 minutes, then cool in the ice water. Peel the
eggs, then chop them.
To make the dressing,
combine the canola oil, vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a blender. Slowly add
the olive oil in a stream, and blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper and set
aside.
In a dry sauté pan over
medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer
to a plate to cool.
In a large serving bowl,
combine the broccoli, cauli ower, bacon,
eggs, tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, and shallots with ½ cup of the dressing.
Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the feta and chopped parsley,
chives, and oregano.
Spears
Grilled romaine with Meyer lemon
Beet-neck
Tangerine and golden beet salad
Siam
Gulf shrimp with mango and green papaya
Cabo
Mango and avocado with lime
Lobster Boat
Poached lobster with roasted golden
beets
Navel
Cara Cara oranges with Marcona almonds
and
picholine
olives
Castle
Castelfranco with a six-minute egg and
avocado
Bunny
Moroccan-style baby carrot salad with
citrus
San Sebastian
Chorizo and dates with greens
Monterey
Squid and gigante beans with chorizo
Phuket
Grilled hanger steak with buckwheat
noodles
Indo
Grapefruit and jicama with Thai basil
Passion
Crab and citrus with passion fruit
Bistro
Filet of beef with proper xings
Tropical
Mixed citrus and fresh coconut
Egghead
Farm egg with caviar and poached quail
egg
Classic
Heart of romaine with mini croutons
Captiva
Butter lettuce with citrus and avocado
Crudo
Arctic char with fresh horseradish
Tower
Tuna tartare
Treat
Roasted
ngerling potatoes with herbs and
tru e cheese
SPEARS / SERVES 4
GRILLED ROMAINE WITH MEYER LEMON
Let’s be honest: romaine is boring. I am
tired of seeing plain, watery romaine. But by charring the romaine on the
grill, I’ve added a wonderful smokiness and nuttiness to the leaves that
enhances their slightly bitter avor. The aromatic Meyer lemon is a vibrant
citrus whose bright acid that pairs perfectly with grilled romaine.
hearts romaine
¼ cup extra virgin olive
oil, plus more for coating Juice of 2 Meyer lemons
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper ¼ pound Parmesan cheese
16 Spanish white anchovies
Preheat the grill to high.
Cut the hearts of romaine
in half and coat in olive oil. Place on the grill and turn to achieve light
grill marks on all sides. Remove from the grill. Trim o the bottom of each one, then cut each heart
of romaine in half again.
Place the romaine on a
large platter. Drizzle with the ¼ cup olive oil and the lemon juice and season
with sea salt and black pepper. Shave fresh Parmesan on top. Place 1 anchovy on
each heart and serve.
Beet-neck
BEET-NECK / SERVES 4
TANGERINE AND GOLDEN BEET SALAD
In the wintertime, I look forward to the
arrival of bright, fresh citrus because it pairs so well with these sweet,
roasted baby beets. It’s a simple, elegant avor combination.
pound golden baby beets
4 teaspoons pine nuts
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper 1 pound Pixie tangerines, peeled and sliced 2 teaspoons fresh Meyer
lemon juice 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons nely diced shallot
2 teaspoons chi onaded basil (opal basil and
regular)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Roast the baby beets on a
baking sheet in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Toast the pine
nuts on another baking sheet for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven. While
the beets are still warm, remove their skins by gently rubbing with a towel.
After the beets have cooled, slice o
the top and bottom of each beet, then cut them in half. Season with salt
and pepper.
For each serving, arrange
5 beet pieces and 5 tangerine slices on the plate. Drizzle ½ teaspoon lemon
juice and 1 teaspoon olive oil on top. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon shallot, 1
teaspoon of the toasted pine nuts, and ½ teaspoon basil. Season with salt and
pepper.
Siam
SIAM / SERVES 4
GULF SHRIMP WITH MANGO AND GREEN
PAPAYA
I made a Thai-inuenced salad, then in a
last-minute thought, which happens often, I added the chipotle honey, which
really brings it together. Its heat and smokiness paired perfectly with the
fruit and made the dish.
Note: I recommend using a mandoline to
julienne the green papaya, because it can be very tough.
MARINADE
cups fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons chopped
jalapeٌo pepper 3 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic 3 tablespoons chopped fresh
ginger Freshly ground black pepper
20 large fresh Gulf
shrimp, peeled and deveined
DRESSING
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1½ teaspoons minced Thai
bird chile ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sh sauce ½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh
garlic 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass 1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
cup unsalted peanuts
CHIPOTLE HONEY
teaspoons chopped canned
chipotle chile ¾ cup honey
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper 1 daikon radish, diced
2 mangoes, cored, peeled,
and julienned 1 green papaya, peeled, seeded, and julienned 1 red bell
pepper, nely diced
2 shallots, nely diced
Leaves from 1 bunch
cilantro 1 bunch basil, chi onaded 1
bunch mint, chi onaded
To make the marinade,
combine the orange juice, jalapeٌo, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper in a bowl. Add the shrimp and let marinate in the
refrigerator for 4 hours.
To make the dressing,
combine the lime juice, chile, vinegar,
sh sauce, soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass, and sugar in a blender. Slowly
add the canola oil in a stream, and blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper and set
aside.
Preheat the oven to 300°F
and preheat the grill to high.
Spread the peanuts on a
baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool, then chop and set
aside.
To make the chipotle
honey, add the honey and chipotle chile to a blender and pulse to combine. Set
aside.
Remove the shrimp from the
marinade, season with salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes, or until
opaque, ipping once.
To plate each serving,
combine ¼ cup daikon, 1 cup mango, 1 cup papaya, 3 tablespoons bell pepper, 1
tablespoon shallot, 2
tablespoons cilantro
leaves, 2 tablespoons basil, and 2 teaspoons mint with 2½ tablespoons of the
dressing. Place 5 shrimp on top, garnish with 2 tablespoons of the roasted
peanuts, and drizzle with 1½ teaspoons of the chipotle honey.
CABO / SERVES 4
MANGO AND AVOCADO WITH LIME
This dish was inspired by street food
that I’ve had in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I’ve added some avocado for richness.
avocados, peeled, seeded,
and sliced
2 mangoes, peeled, seeded,
and sliced Juice of 2 limes
1 large jalapeٌo pepper,
diced 1 red onion, diced
Leaves from 1 bunch
cilantro Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For each serving, place 5
avocado slices and 6 mango slices on the plate. Drizzle 1 teaspoon fresh lime
juice on top. Garnish with 1 teaspoon jalapeٌo, 1 teaspoon red onion, and 7
cilantro leaves. Season with salt and pepper.
Lobster
Boat
LOBSTER BOAT / SERVES 4
POACHED LOBSTER WITH ROASTED GOLDEN
BEETS
This is by far my favorite salad in the
book. The earthiness of the beets paired with the sweet, rich avor of the
lobster and nished with the spicy pickled onion will make your tastebuds sing.
ROASTED BEETS
golden beets, cut into
¾-inch chunks Extra virgin olive oil, for roasting Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
VINAIGRETTE
Juice of ½ Meyer lemon ¼
cup champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon agave nectar 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
PICKLED ONION
large red onion, thinly
sliced 1 cup cider vinegar
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 jalapeٌo pepper, nely diced 1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup pine nuts
Two 1½-pound live lobsters
½ cup unsalted butter
Leaves from 1 bunch
tarragon
pound mâche
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the roasted beets,
lightly coat the beets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast
them on a baking sheet in the oven for about 1 hour, or until fork-tender. Let
cool, then use a paper towel to rub o
the skins.
While the beets are
cooking, make the vinaigrette by placing the lemon juice, vinegar, and agave
nectar in a blender. Slowly add the olive oil in a stream, and blend until
emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper
and set aside.
To make the pickled onion,
combine the onion, vinegar, lime juice, jalapeٌo, and sugar in a bowl. Let the
mixture marinate for 1 hour.
In a dry sauté pan over
medium heat, toast the pine nuts until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a
plate to cool.
Bring a large pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove and prepare a large bowl of ice water.
The most humane way to
kill a lobster at home is to use a very sharp chef’s knife to slice the
lobster’s head in half; use one swift motion. Do this with each lobster, then
separate the lobster claws (with knuckles attached) and tails from the bodies.
Place the claws and tails
in the boiling water and cover the pot. Cook the lobster tails for 6 minutes,
then place in the ice bath. Cook the claws for 8 minutes, then place in the ice
bath. After the lobster has cooled, remove the meat from the claws, knuckles,
and tails (keeping the meat intact). Cut the lobster into medium-size pieces.
In a saucepan over medium
heat, melt the butter. Add the tarragon and stir to combine. Place the lobster
meat in the butter and poach
for 2 minutes, then set
aside.
Toss 4 sprigs of mâche and
5 pieces of beet with the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.
For each serving, make a
bed of the dressed mâche and beets on the salad plate. Place 6 chunks of the
lobster meat and 5 slices of the pickled onion on top, and garnish with 1
teaspoon of the toasted pine nuts.
NAVEL / SERVES 4
CARA CARA ORANGES WITH MARCONA
ALMONDS AND PICHOLINE OLIVES
I like this salad’s play on briny,
acidic, and nutty avors with a hint of bitterness from the Treviso. Try
serving it with sh, perhaps day boat halibut, to take full advantage of its
clean, bright-on-your-palette notes.
head Treviso
4 heads Belgian endive 2
Cara Cara oranges
¼ pound Marcona almonds 1
cup picholine olives, pits removed ¼ pound rocket
¼ cup extra virgin olive
oil 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper ¼ pound Manchego cheese
Julienne the Treviso and
endive and set aside. Peel the oranges, cut them in half, then slice them into
half-moon cross-sections. Coarsely chop the almonds and olives.
To plate each serving,
toss 1 ounce rocket, ½ ounce Treviso, 1 ounce endive, and 2½ ounces orange with
2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar. Season with sea salt and
black pepper. Top each serving with ½ ounce chopped almonds, 1 teaspoon chopped
olives, and some shaved Manchego cheese to taste.
CASTLE / SERVES 4
CASTELFRANCO WITH A SIX-MINUTE EGG
AND AVOCADO
In the chicory family, Castelfranco is
one of the least bitter. Okay, it’s still bitter, but it is more delicate, so
go hunt some down. If you’ve had less than happy moments with bitter chicory,
you may be pleasantly surprised; I’ve created this salad to tempt you to give
it a go.
CROUTONS
sweet roll
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
DRESSING
cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour
cream
1½ tablespoons champagne
vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 salt-packed anchovies 1 clove garlic
¼ cup chopped chives
¼ cup chopped fresh at-leaf parsley
8 strips bacon, cut into
lardons (½-inch chunks) 1 head Castelfranco
4 organic farm eggs
1 avocado, peeled, pitted,
quartered, and chopped Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil on the stove and prepare a bowl of ice
water.
To make the croutons,
slice and cube the sweet roll to make 1 cup of mini croutons. Place the bread
in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and
pepper. Spread the croutons on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until
golden brown. Let cool and set aside.
To make the dressing,
combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic,
chives, and parsley in a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Heat a sauté pan over
medium-high heat and cook the bacon lardons for 5 minutes, until crispy; set
aside.
Wash and dry the
Castelfranco leaves, being sure to remove any excess water on the leaves. Tear
the leaves into medium-size pieces and set aside.
Cook the eggs in the
boiling water for 6 minutes, then shock in the ice bath. Peel the eggs and cut
in half very carefully.
For each serving, toss 3
ounces Castelfranco leaves with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Place the leaves
in the middle of the salad plate and top with one-fourth each of the bacon,
croutons, and avocado. Top each salad with 2 egg halves and season with sea
salt and black pepper.
BUNNY / SERVES 4
MOROCCAN-STYLE BABY CARROT SALAD
WITH CITRUS
Bunny is a simple play on classic
Moroccan avors—a fresh combination of herbs, spices, and golden raisins,
tailor-made to accompany grilled lamb. The carrots are not technically pickled,
but their long 24-hour marinade makes them rival the avor of the best pickled
vegetables.
DRESSING
tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2
tablespoons nely minced shallot 1
tablespoon minced fresh garlic ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 pound mixed baby carrots
1 bunch cilantro, leaves picked 1 bunch
at-leaf parsley, leaves picked ¼ cup golden raisins, chopped 1 teaspoon
chile akes
To make the dressing,
whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, shallot, garlic,
cayenne, cinnamon, and cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper; set
aside.
Peel the baby carrots. In
a bowl, toss the carrots with the dressing. Cover and let marinate in the
refrigerator for 24 hours, tossing the carrots every few hours.
To serve, toss the carrots
with ¼ cup each of the cilantro and parsley leaves and place in a serving dish.
Top the salad with the raisins and the chile
akes to complete.
San
Sebastian
SAN SEBASTIAN / SERVES 4
CHORIZO AND DATES WITH GREENS
This dish was inspired by one of my
favorite restaurants in Chicago. I think the pairing of the three main
ingredients is true perfection—especially when garnished with aromatic basil
and spicy chicory frisée.
strips bacon, cut into
lardons (½-inch chunks) 1 red bell pepper
2 teaspoons harissa
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper ½ pound chorizo, formed into 12 meatballs ¼ cup extra virgin olive
oil
2 teaspoons aged sherry
vinegar 1 bunch frisée
2 ounces mâche
4 Medjool dates, julienned
¼ teaspoon chi onaded basil
Heat a sauté pan over
medium-high heat and cook the bacon lardons for 5 minutes, until crispy. Set
aside.
Over an open ame, roast the bell pepper, charring on all
sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle,
remove the skin and seeds. Place the bell pepper and harissa in a blender and
purée. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat another sauté pan
over medium-high heat and sauté the meatballs until cooked through, about 5
minutes, turning them constantly. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk
together the olive oil and vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Toss the
frisée and mâche with the oil and vinegar mixture.
For each serving, place 1
tablespoon of the bell pepper sauce on the plate. Arrange 3 meatballs, 1
julienned date, and 1 tablespoon bacon on the plate. Top the meatballs with
about ½ ounce of the dressed greens.
MONTEREY / SERVES 4
SQUID AND GIGANTE BEANS WITH CHORIZO
This simple, Spanish-style squid salad is
infused with the spicy avor of chorizo. I chose these great gigante beans for
their richness and creamy texture. Seek them out at specialty food markets. If
you can’t nd gigante beans, substitute Great Northern or Navy beans.
Note: If you haven’t worked with squid
before (and plan on having a nice evening), I highly recommend buying it
already cleaned by your shmonger and ready to cook. Between removing the beak
and dealing with the squid ink mess, cleaning squid is a tricky business.
cups dried gigante beans
2 tablespoons salt
1 lemon, halved 1 red bell
pepper
½ pound chorizo, chopped 1
pound squid, cleaned and sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 bunch
frisée
¼ cup extra virgin olive
oil 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice Leaves from 1 bunch chervil 1 teaspoon coarse
sea salt
Soak the beans in water to
cover for 4 hours. Drain. In a pot, combine the beans, 10 cups water, the salt,
and the lemon halves, and simmer the beans for 1½ hours. Drain and set aside.
Discard the lemon halves.
While the beans are
cooking, roast the bell pepper over an open
ame until all sides are lightly charred. Place in a bowl and
cover with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and seeds,
julienne, and set aside.
Heat a large sauté pan
over high heat—make sure the pan are nice and hot. Sauté the chorizo for about
1 minute, then add the squid. Cook the squid for 3½ minutes, constantly ipping it. (When cooking squid, make sure
that you do it at high heat for no longer than 4 minutes, or it will turn
rubbery.) Add the beans and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute longer. Season
with salt and pepper.
Place 8 frisée leaves on a
platter and top with the sautéed squid, chorizo, and bean mixture. Drizzle with
the olive oil and lemon juice. Garnish with the chervil leaves, sprinkle with
the sea salt, and serve.
PHUKET / SERVES 4
GRILLED HANGER STEAK WITH BUCKWHEAT
NOODLES
Hanger steak, aka “butcher’s cut,” is one
of my favorite cuts of meat due to its full avor. Most of the time butchers
don’t like to sell this cut because they want to take it home and cook it for
themselves. Good luck nding it; try not to get addicted.
MARINADE
cup red wine
1 cup teriyaki sauce
½ cup chopped fresh garlic
1 pound hanger steak ½
pound soba noodles
DRESSING
¼ cup toasted sesame oil ½
cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced jalapeٌo
pepper 1 teaspoon sh sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh
garlic 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
(black and white) 1 head napa cabbage, shredded
1 head green cabbage,
shredded 1 large jalapeٌo pepper, diced
bunch red radishes,
trimmed and sliced ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 bunch scallions, sliced
Leaves from 1 bunch watercress Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the marinade,
combine the red wine, teriyaki sauce, and garlic in a glass baking dish. Add
the hanger steak and marinate, refrigerated, for 1½ hours.
Bring a pot of salted
water to a boil on the stove. Add the soba noodles and cook for 12 minutes, or
until al dente, then rinse under cold water and drain.
make the dressing, combine
the sesame oil, vinegar, jalapeٌo,
sh sauce, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a blender. Slowly
add the canola oil in a stream and blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper and set
aside.
Preheat the grill to high.
Season the hanger steak with salt and pepper. Grill for about 15 minutes,
turning constantly. Hanger steak is a very
brous meat, so do not cook it past medium-rare or it will become very
chewy. Let the meat rest for about 4 minutes before slicing.
In a dry sauté pan over
medium-high heat, toast the sesame seeds until lightly browned, about 6 minutes,
watching carefully so as not to burn them.
To plate each serving,
toss together 1 cup napa, 1 cup green cabbage, one-fourth of the soba, 1
tablespoon jalapeٌo, ¼ cup radishes, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 tablespoon
scallions, ¼ cup watercress, and 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Season with
salt and pepper. Top each salad with ½ teaspoon of the toasted sesame seeds and
4 ounces sliced hanger.
INDO / SERVES 4
GRAPEFRUIT AND JICAMA WITH THAI
BASIL
This refreshing marriage of avors from
Asia and Mexico is sure to brighten up any winter day. If you’re a fan of the
Siam at Mixt Greens, think of this as an amped version of that salad—with more
complex avors and a wider variety of textures, it’s on another level.
ROASTED PEANUTS
cups raw peanuts 2
teaspoons corn syrup ½ teaspoon ground cayenne 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder 2
tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground
black pepper
4 cups shredded red
cabbage
DRESSING
½ cup fresh orange juice ½
cup rice wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon chopped fresh
garlic 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger 1 tablespoon chopped Thai basil 1 cup
canola oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 pound jicama, julienned
1 grapefruit, peeled,
seeded, and sliced
teaspoons chi onaded mint ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To prepare the peanuts,
combine the peanuts, corn syrup, cayenne, curry powder, sugar, salt, pepper,
and ½ teaspoon water in a bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 15
minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
While the peanuts are
cooking, rinse the shredded cabbage under cold water to let the color bleed
out. Dry the cabbage with paper towels.
To make the dressing,
combine the orange juice, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, and Thai basil in a
blender. Slowly add the oil in a stream and blend until emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper and set
aside.
To plate each serving,
toss 1 cup cabbage, one-fourth of the julienned jicama, one-fourth of the
grapefruit slices, 1 teaspoon mint, and 1 tablespoon cilantro with 2½
tablespoons of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and garnish each salad
with 2 tablespoons of the roasted peanuts.
PASSION / SERVES 4
CRAB AND CITRUS WITH PASSION FRUIT
Here, I was interested in mixing the
freshness of the sea—to me that means crab—with an exotic fruit combination. To
that end, the bright avors of winter citrus mixed with one of South America’s
tropical jewels, passion fruit, was a no-brainer for me. The avors hit on
salty, rich, and acidic notes; don’t pass this one over.
DRESSING
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons champagne
vinegar 2 tablespoons passion fruit purée 1 tablespoon agave nectar
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 heads butter lettuce
½ pound fresh crabmeat 1
bunch chives, chopped 1 bunch red radishes, sliced
2 avocados, peeled,
seeded, and sliced 2 Cara Cara oranges, peeled and sliced 1 grapefruit, peeled,
seeded, and sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the dressing,
place the orange juice, vinegar, passion fruit, and agave nectar in a blender
and blend until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove the outside leaves
of the lettuce, then separate the remaining leaves. Squeeze any excess water
out of the crabmeat.
For each serving, combine
the leaves from half of a head of lettuce with 1 tablespoon chives, 10 radish
slices, 6 avocado slices, 8 orange slices, and 6 grapefruit slices. Toss gently
with 1½ tablespoons of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on
a plate and top with one-fourth of the crabmeat.
BISTRO / SERVES 4
FILET OF BEEF WITH PROPER FIXINGS
This is my salad version of the classic,
featuring seared beef tenderloin and completed with all of the traditional
accompaniments.
DRESSING
½ cup red wine vinegar 1
tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic ½ teaspoon Tabasco
sauce ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
4 (4-ounce) beef lets
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper 2 hearts romaine, shredded
4 tablespoons capers,
drained 4 tablespoons nely diced
shallot 4 tablespoons sliced cornichon 4 tablespoons sliced red radish Leaves
from 1 bunch tarragon 4 tablespoons brioche bread crumbs 4 quail eggs
Preheat the grill to high.
To make the dressing,
combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic, Tabasco, and Worcestershire in a blender.
Slowly add the olive oil in
a stream and blend until
emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper
and set aside.
Season the beef on both
sides with salt and pepper and grill for 4 minutes per side, to rare. Let the
meat rest for 2 minutes, then cut into a small dice.
For each serving, place
one-fourth of a sliced heart of romaine in the bowl. Add 1 tablespoon capers, 1
tablespoon shallot, 1 tablespoon cornichon, 1 tablespoon radish, and 8 tarragon
leaves and toss with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Top with 1 tablespoon bread
crumbs. Place 1 whole diced let on top
and crack 1 quail egg over the top of each one. Give it a good toss.
Tropical
TROPICAL / SERVES 4
MIXED CITRUS AND FRESH COCONUT
Tropical is my modern version of ambrosia
salad—minus the marshmallows and mayonnaise, of course. If you’re not familiar
with Cara Cara oranges, their taste is a cross between a grapefruit and an
orange—a true gem during cold winter months.
grapefruit
2 Cara Cara oranges 2
blood oranges 1 jicama
1 pineapple, peeled,
cored, and diced 2 tablespoons chi
onaded fresh basil leaves Grated fresh coconut for garnish
Peel the grapefruit and
all the oranges. Slice the grapefruit and oranges into rounds or whole moons.
Make sure you cut the citrus types separately from one another, because their
juices are di erent colors and they will
bleed into each other. Peel and cut the jicama into a small dice.
Arrange the citrus on a
large serving plate or individual serving plates, then top with the pineapple,
jicama, and basil. Garnish with the freshly grated coconut and serve.
Egghead
EGGHEAD / SERVES 4
FARM EGG WITH CAVIAR AND POACHED
QUAIL EGG
This is the Rolls Royce of egg salad: a
luxurious nger food. The combination of the warm, rich quail egg yolk and the
salty-rich caviar is nothing short of pure decadence.
organic farm eggs
2 heads butter lettuce 2
tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon
nely diced shallot 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons nely diced cornichon Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper ½ teaspoon white vinegar
8 quail eggs
2 tablespoons caviar
(Surgeon royal) 1 bunch of chives, tips only
Bring a pot of water to a
boil on the stove. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Boil the farm eggs for 12
minutes, then shock them in the ice bath.
While the eggs are
cooling, carefully peel o the large,
outer leaves of the lettuce and set 8 of them aside—these will be your lettuce
cups for serving the salad.
Peel the farm eggs, cut
them into quarters, and slice. In a bowl, combine the eggs, mayonnaise,
shallot, mustard, and cornichon. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring a small pot of water
and the vinegar to a simmer on the stove. Carefully break the quail eggs and
add to the water 1 at a time. Poach the quail eggs for about 2 minutes,
depending on the size of your quail eggs.
Scoop the egg salad into
each of the 8 lettuce cups. Place 1 quail egg on top of the egg salad, add a
dollop of caviar, then top with one chive tip. Place 2 lettuce cups on each of
4 plates and serve.
CLASSIC / SERVES 4
HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH MINI CROUTONS
I’ve come up with a simple idea to
enhance everyone’s Caesar salad experience: the mini crouton. No longer will
your mouth be cut while eating monster croutons, and you will enjoy the crouton
avor in every single bite. Go mini croutons!
CROUTONS
sweet roll
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
DRESSING
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons champagne
vinegar 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon
Dijon mustard 4 salt-packed anchovies
½ cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese ½ cup grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 hearts romaine
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper 8 white Spanish anchovy
llets
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make the croutons, cut
the sweet roll into small cubes about ¼inch square. Place 1 cup of the bread
cubes in a mixing bowl and
toss with the olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for
10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.
To make the dressing,
combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, and
Parmesan in a blender. Slowly add the oil in a stream and blend until
emulsi ed. Season with salt and pepper
and set aside.
Cut o the bottom of each romaine heart, carefully
pull apart the leaves, and rinse under cold water. Remove all excess water from
the leaves.
For each serving, stack 5
leaves in the middle of the plate and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the
dressing. Top with the mini croutons and season with sea salt and pepper. Place
1 anchovy llet on either side of the
romaine leaves.
CAPTIVA / SERVES 4
BUTTER LETTUCE WITH CITRUS AND
AVOCADO
Here’s another recipe I developed on the
spot while hanging out in Captiva last winter. It’s perfect beach food because
it’s light and healthy and won’t mess up your beach bod.
PICKLED ONION
cup cider vinegar 1 cup
fresh lime juice 1 jalapeٌo pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon sugar
1 red onion, thinly sliced
DRESSING
tablespoons fresh Meyer
lemon juice 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar 1 teaspoon agave nectar
3 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heads butter lettuce,
leaves washed and removed 2 avocados, peeled, seeded, and sliced
2 grapefruits, peeled and
sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts, for
garnish
To make the pickled onion,
combine the vinegar, lime juice, jalapeٌo, sugar, and onions in a bowl. Let
marinate for 2 hours at room temperature.
To make the dressing,
combine the lemon juice, vinegar, and agave in a blender. Slowly add the olive
oil in a stream and blend to
emulsify. Season with salt
and pepper, and set aside.
To plate each serving,
toss half of a lettuce head with half of an avocado, half of a grapefruit, 2
tablespoons of the pickled onion, and 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Season with
salt and pepper and garnish with 2 tablespoons macadamia nuts.
Crudo
CRUDO / SERVES 4
ARCTIC CHAR WITH FRESH HORSERADISH
I’ve chosen to use arctic char here for
its rm texture and delicate avor. It’s a sustainable farmed sh choice, so
please use it as a substitute for farmed salmon.
HORSERADISH CREAM
tablespoons crème fraîche
2 tablespoons freshly
grated horseradish Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound arctic char,
cleaned
1 bulb fennel, thinly
shaved, fronds reserved for
garnish
4 Cara Cara oranges,
peeled and sliced ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon
juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 bunch chives, chopped, for garnish
To make the horseradish
cream, combine the crème fraîche and horseradish in a small bowl and season
with salt and pepper. Let sit for one hour.
Cut the char into 16
slices.
For each serving, toss ¼
cup shaved fennel and 1 sliced orange with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½
tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place 2
tablespoons of the horseradish cream on a plate, and add 4 slices of sh on top of the cream. Top
with the fennel and orange
mixture and garnish with the chives and a few fennel fronds.
TOWER / SERVES 4
TUNA TARTARE
Plain and simple, this is my take on
tartare. It’s the straight-up philosophy of how I make food, with a variety of
textures and avors. There’s the saltiness of the caviar, the clean ocean taste
of the tuna, the acid from the yuzu, and the creaminess of the avocado, nished
with the crunch of cucumber. This should please any foodie who dines at your
table.
YUZU SAUCE
teaspoon yuzu juice ¼
teaspoon white soy sauce
2 teaspoons unseasoned
rice wine vinegar ¼ cup mayonnaise
TUNA
pound ahi (sushi
grade), nely diced 2 tablespoons plus 2
teaspoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic 2 teaspoons minced fresh
ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1
teaspoon minced jalapeٌo
pepper
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
6 tablespoons chopped
avocado
½ cup peeled, seeded, and
chopped into small dice
cucumber
4 teaspoons caviar
(Sturgeon royal)
To make the yuzu sauce,
whisk together the yuzu, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and mayonnaise in a
bowl; set aside.
To make the tuna, toss
together the ahi, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and jalapeٌo in another bowl.
Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, place 1½
teaspoons of the yuzu sauce in the center of each plate. Place a 2½-inch ring
mold in the center of the plate. Layer the ingredients, starting with the
avocado, then the cucumber, then the tuna. Top each with 1 teaspoon caviar.
Treat
TREAT / SERVES 4
ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES WITH
HERBS AND TRUFFLE CHEESE
I came up with this earthy combination to
be served alongside a big hunk of juicy rib-eye. I added my favorite trufe
cheese for pure decadence and enjoyment; grate as much as you want on top,
indulge yourself. Go trufes! You can nd trufe cheese at Whole Foods and
specialty shops.
½ pounds mixed ngerling potatoes 2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon chopped
fresh at-leaf parsley ½ teaspoon
chopped fresh thyme ½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
½ pound tartufo moliterno, (or
other raw sheep’s
milk tru e cheese)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cut each of the potatoes
in half and place in a bowl. Toss with the olive oil and season with a pinch of
salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes,
or until lightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes.
Place the potatoes on a
serving platter. Top with the chopped fresh herbs and season with sea salt and
black pepper. Grate the desired amount of tru
e cheese over the top and serve.
About the Author
After working at Gramercy
Tavern, ANDREW
SWALLOWgraduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park,
New York. He continued to develop his craft at
ne restaurants including Ajax Tavern in Aspen and Huntley Tavern, and as
a manager of Gary Danko. During his tenure there, Andrew decided to create a
new eco-gourmet fast-casual option: Mixt Greens. Partnering with his sister and
brother-in-law, Leslie and David Silverglide, the team launched the San
Francisco Bay Area’s greenest restaurant in 2005. Mixt has since expanded to
multiple locations across the country while still preserving its gutsy approach
to salads, maintaining ecologically sound business practices, and retaining its
original mandate of environmental sustainability. Swallow’s home base is in San
Francisco.
ANN VOLKWEINis a food and lifestyle writer
and editor based in New York City and Austin, Texas. A former culinary producer
for the Food Network, she has written four cookbooks.
INDEX
A
Almonds
Navel (Cara Cara oranges with Marcona
almonds and
picholine
olives)
Anchovies
Classic (hearts of romaine with mini
croutons) Sour (grilled sourdough with Brandywine tomato and fresh
herbs)
Spears (grilled romaine with Meyer lemon)
Apples
Green (mixed seasonal apples with Mexican
spice) Grove (Honey Crisp apples with Point Reyes blue cheese) Porky (mixed
greens with pork tenderloin, roasted butternut
squash,
and port reduction)
Sprout (Brussels sprouts with warm brown
butter vinaigrette)
Apricots
Gems
(little gems and apricots with blue cheese) Arctic char
Crudo
(arctic char with fresh horseradish) Argan oil
Artichokes
Mr.
Bean (spring lamb with grilled baby artichokes) Arugula. See Rocket
Asian pears
Grove (Honey Crisp apples with Point
Reyes blue cheese)
Asparagus
Park Ave.
(grilled chicken with asparagus and rocket) Pentwater (grilled asparagus and a
six-minute egg) Autumn (roasted golden beets with Cambozola cheese)
Avocados
Cabo (mango and avocado with lime)
Captiva (butter lettuce with citrus and avocado) Castle (castelfranco with a
six-minute egg and avocado) Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with mango and
avocado) Passion (crab and citrus with passion fruit)
Sea (crab with cantaloupe and caviar)
B
Bachelor (let mignon with Roquefort and
red leaf ) Bacon
(castelfranco with a six-minute egg and
avocado) Heaven (mixed chicory and chanterelles with duck egg) Mashup
(broccoli, cauliower, bacon, and more) Porky (mixed greens with pork
tenderloin, roasted butternut
squash,
and port reduction)
San Sebastian (chorizo and dates with
greens)
Sprout (Brussels sprouts with warm brown
butter vinaigrette) Steakhouse (iceberg with all the xings)
Sweet
(haricot verts with sweetbread croutons) Balsamic vinegar
Basil
Beans
May (fava beans with grilled fennel)
Mr.
Bean (spring lamb with grilled baby artichokes) Monterey (squid and gigante
beans with chorizo) Pole Bean (pole beans with warm sherry vinaigrette) Sweet
(haricot verts with sweetbread croutons)
Beef
Bachelor (let mignon with Roquefort and
red leaf ) Bistro (let of beef with proper xings) Burger (ground Kobe with
grilled onion)
(grilled hanger steak with buckwheat
noodles) Tokyo (American Kobe beef carpaccio with frizzled leeks and
rocket)
Beet-Neck (tangerine and golden beet
salad)
Beets
Autumn
(roasted golden beets with Cambozola cheese) Beet-Neck (tangerine and golden
beet salad) Lobster Boat (poached lobster with roasted golden beets)
Belgian endive
(duck cont with persimmons and blue
cheeses) Navel (Cara Cara oranges with Marcona almonds and
picholine
olives)
Berry (blackberries and strawberries with
goat cheese) Bibb lettuce. See Butter lettuce
Bistro (let of beef with proper xings)
Blackberries
Berry
(blackberries and strawberries with goat cheese) Boston lettuce. See Butter
lettuce
Broccoli
Mashup
(broccoli, cauliower, bacon, and more) Bunny (Moroccan-style baby carrot salad
with citrus) Burger (ground Kobe with grilled onion) Butter lettuce
Autumn (roasted golden beets with
Cambozola cheese) Burger (ground Kobe with grilled onion)
Captiva (butter lettuce with citrus and
avocado) Egghead (farm egg with caviar and poached quail egg) Field (butter
lettuce and fresh herbs with Maytag blue cheese) Grove (Honey Crisp apples with
Point Reyes blue cheese) Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with mango and
avocado) Passion (crab and citrus with passion fruit)
C
Cabbage
Indo
(grapefruit and jicama with Thai basil) Phuket (grilled hanger steak with
buckwheat noodles)
Cabo (mango and avocado with lime)
Canola oil
Cantaloupe. See Melon
Captiva (butter lettuce with citrus and
avocado)
Carrots
Bunny
(Moroccan-style baby carrot salad with citrus) Grain (roasted fall root
vegetables with farro)
Castle (castelfranco with a six-minute
egg and avocado)
Cauliower
Mashup (broccoli, cauliower, bacon, and
more)
Caviar
Egghead (farm egg with caviar and poached
quail egg) Sea (crab with cantaloupe and caviar)
Tower (tuna tartare)
Celery root
Grain
(roasted fall root vegetables with farro) Champagne vinegar
Cheese
Autumn (roasted golden beets with Cambozola
cheese) Bachelor (let mignon with Roquefort and red leaf ) Berry (blackberries
and strawberries with goat cheese) Burger (ground Kobe with grilled onion)
(hearts of romaine with mini croutons)
Donald (duck cont with persimmons and blue cheeses) Field (butter lettuce and
fresh herbs with Maytag blue cheese) Gems (little gems and apricots with blue
cheese) The Greek (summer tomato and lemon cucumber with fried
tulumi)
(Honey Crisp apples with Point Reyes blue
cheese) Leswood (roasted summer vegetables with portobello
mushrooms)
Orchard (grilled summer peaches with
Parmesan cheese,
rocket,
and Treviso)
Picnic (heirloom tomatoes with
watermelon) Sol (summer squash with ricotta)
Sonoma (mixed greens and Cabernet-poached
pear with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese)
(heirloom tomato salad with balsamic
vinaigrette) Treat (roasted ngerling potatoes with herbs and trufe
cheese)
Chervil
Chicken, .1, .2
Park
Ave. (grilled chicken with asparagus and rocket) Chives
Chorizo
Monterey
(squid and gigante beans with chorizo) San Sebastian (chorizo and dates with
greens)
Cilantro
Classic (hearts of romaine with mini
croutons) Cob (grilled sweet white corn with mixed baby tomatoes)
Coconut
Tropical (mixed citrus and fresh coconut)
Corn
Cob (grilled
sweet white corn with mixed baby tomatoes) Diver (roasted corn and hedgehog
mushrooms with diver scallops)
Summer
(heirloom tomato salad with balsamic vinaigrette) Crab
Passion
(crab and citrus with passion fruit) Sea (crab with cantaloupe and caviar)
Crisphead. See Iceberg Lettuce
Crudo (arctic char with fresh
horseradish)
Cucumbers
Burger (ground Kobe with grilled onion)
The Greek (summer tomato and lemon cucumber
with fried
tulumi)
The Noodle (soba noodles with enoki
mushrooms) Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with mango and avocado) Spa (mâche
with summer lemon cucumbers and lychee) Tower (tuna tartare)
D
Dates
San
Sebastian (chorizo and dates with greens) Dill
Diver (roasted corn and hedgehog
mushrooms with diver
scallops)
Duck
Donald (duck cont with persimmons and
blue cheeses)
E
Eggs
Bistro (let of beef with proper xings)
Castle
(castelfranco with a six-minute egg and avocado) Egghead (farm egg with caviar
and poached quail egg) Heaven (mixed chicory and chanterelles with duck egg)
Mashup (broccoli, cauliower, bacon, and more) Pentwater (grilled asparagus and
a six-minute egg)
Equipment
F
Farmers’ markets
Farro
Grain
(roasted fall root vegetables with farro) Fennel
Autumn (roasted golden beets with
Cambozola cheese) Crudo (arctic char with fresh horseradish)
Grove (Honey Crisp apples with Point
Reyes blue cheese) May (fava beans with grilled fennel)
No-Frills (mixed spring greens with
shaved fennel and green
olives)
Vine (heirloom grapes with tarragon
leaves)
Figs
Fruit
Cup (summer melon with gs and prosciutto) Fish, See also Anchovies
Fresh (hamachi with fresh hearts of palm)
Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with
mango and avocado) Tower (tuna tartare)
Fresh (hamachi with fresh hearts of palm)
Frisée
Donald (duck cont with persimmons and
blue cheeses)
Mr.
Bean (spring lamb with grilled baby artichokes) Monterey (squid and gigante
beans with chorizo) San Sebastian (chorizo and dates with greens) Sweet
(haricot verts with sweetbread croutons)
Fruit Cup (summer melon with gs and
prosciutto)
G
Gems (little gems and apricots with blue
cheese) Grain (roasted fall root vegetables with farro)
Grapefruit
Captiva (butter lettuce with citrus and
avocado) Indo (grapefruit and jicama with Thai basil) Passion (crab and citrus
with passion fruit) Tropical (mixed citrus and fresh coconut)
Grapes
Vine
(heirloom grapes with tarragon leaves) Grapeseed oil
The Greek (summer tomato and lemon
cucumber with fried
tulumi)
(mixed seasonal apples with Mexican
spice) Greens. See also Mixed greens; individual greens
avor
proles of
shopping for storing
types of
Grove (Honey Crisp apples with Point
Reyes blue cheese)
H
Hamachi
Fresh
(hamachi with fresh hearts of palm) Heaven (mixed chicory and chanterelles with
duck egg) Herbs
I
Iceberg lettuce
Steakhouse (iceberg with all the xings)
Indo (grapefruit and jicama with Thai
basil)
J
Jicama
Indo (grapefruit and jicama with Thai
basil) Tropical (mixed citrus and fresh coconut)
L
Lamb
Mr.
Bean (spring lamb with grilled baby artichokes) Lamb’s lettuce. See Mâche
Leeks
Tokyo (American Kobe beef carpaccio with
frizzled leeks and
rocket)
Lemongrass
Leswood (roasted summer vegetables with
portobello
mushrooms)
Lettuce. See also individual greens
avor proles of
shopping for storing
types of
Little gems
Gems
(little gems and apricots with blue cheese) Lobster
Lobster Boat (poached lobster with
roasted golden beets)
Lychee
Spa (mâche with summer lemon cucumbers
and lychee)
M
Macadamia nuts
Captiva
(butter lettuce with citrus and avocado) Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with
mango and avocado)
Mâche
Lobster Boat (poached lobster with
roasted golden beets) May (fava beans with grilled fennel)
Park Ave. (grilled chicken with asparagus
and rocket) San Sebastian (chorizo and dates with greens) Spa (mâche with
summer lemon cucumbers and lychee)
Mangoes
Cabo (mango and avocado with lime)
Maui
(coriander-crusted ahi tuna with mango and avocado) Siam (Gulf shrimp with
mango and green papaya)
Mashup (broccoli, cauliower, bacon, and
more) Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with mango and avocado) May (fava beans
with grilled fennel)
Melon
Fruit
Cup (summer melon with gs and prosciutto) Picnic (heirloom tomatoes with
watermelon) Sea (crab with cantaloupe and caviar)
Mesclun mix
Mint
Mr. Bean (spring lamb with grilled baby
artichokes)
Mixed greens
Berry (blackberries and strawberries with
goat cheese) Heaven (mixed chicory and chanterelles with duck egg) Leswood
(roasted summer vegetables with portobello
mushrooms)
No-Frills (mixed spring greens with
shaved fennel and green
olives)
Porky (mixed greens with pork tenderloin,
roasted butternut
squash,
and port reduction)
Sonoma (mixed greens and Cabernet-poached
pear with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese)
Monterey (squid and gigante beans with
chorizo)
Mushrooms
Diver (roasted corn and hedgehog
mushrooms with diver
scallops)
Noodle (soba noodles with enoki
mushrooms) Heaven (mixed chicory and chanterelles with duck egg) Leswood
(roasted summer vegetables with portobello
mushrooms)
Spa (mâche with summer lemon cucumbers
and lychee) Spring (English peas with morels)
N
Navel (Cara Cara oranges with Marcona
almonds and picholine
olives)
No-Frills (mixed spring greens with
shaved fennel and green
olives)
The Noodle (soba noodles with enoki
mushrooms)
Noodles
The Noodle (soba noodles with enoki
mushrooms) Phuket (grilled hanger steak with buckwheat noodles)
O
Oils
Olives
Mr. Bean (spring lamb with grilled baby
artichokes) Navel (Cara Cara oranges with Marcona almonds and
picholine
olives)
No-Frills (mixed spring greens with
shaved fennel and green
olives)
oil
Onions
Burger (ground Kobe with grilled onion)
Grain (roasted fall root vegetables with farro) Steakhouse (iceberg with all
the xings)
Oranges
Crudo (arctic char with fresh
horseradish) Navel (Cara Cara oranges with Marcona almonds and
picholine
olives)
Passion (crab and citrus with passion
fruit) Tropical (mixed citrus and fresh coconut)
Orchard (grilled summer peaches with
Parmesan cheese, rocket,
and
Treviso)
Oregano
P
Palm, hearts of
Fresh
(hamachi with fresh hearts of palm) Pancetta
May (fava beans with grilled fennel)
Pentwater (grilled asparagus and a
six-minute egg)
Papayas
Siam
(Gulf shrimp with mango and green papaya) Park Ave. (grilled chicken with
asparagus and rocket) Parsley
Passion fruit
Passion (crab and citrus with passion
fruit)
Peaches
Orchard (grilled summer peaches with
Parmesan cheese,
rocket,
and Treviso)
Peanuts
Indo (grapefruit and jicama with Thai
basil) Siam (Gulf shrimp with mango and green papaya)
Pears
Sonoma (mixed greens and Cabernet-poached
pear with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese)
Peas
Spring
(English peas with morels) Pea shoots
The Noodle (soba noodles with enoki
mushrooms)
Pecans
Berry (blackberries and strawberries with
goat cheese) Sonoma (mixed greens and Cabernet-poached pear with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese)
Pentwater (grilled asparagus and a
six-minute egg) Pepper, black
Persimmons
Donald
(duck cont with persimmons and blue cheeses) Phuket (grilled hanger steak with
buckwheat noodles) Picnic (heirloom tomatoes with watermelon)
Pineapple
Tropical (mixed citrus and fresh coconut)
Pistachios
Porky (mixed greens with pork tenderloin,
roasted butternut
squash,
and port reduction)
Pole Bean (pole beans with warm sherry
vinaigrette)
Pomegranate seeds
Grove
(Honey Crisp apples with Point Reyes blue cheese) Sprout (Brussels sprouts with
warm brown butter vinaigrette)
Pork, See also Bacon; Chorizo; Pancetta;
Prosciutto Porky (mixed greens with pork tenderloin, roasted butternut
squash,
and port reduction)
Potatoes
Bachelor (let mignon with Roquefort and
red leaf ) Park Ave. (grilled chicken with asparagus and rocket) Treat (roasted
ngerling potatoes with herbs and trufe
cheese)
Prawns. See Shrimp Produce
seasonal
shopping
for Prosciutto
Fruit
Cup (summer melon with gs and prosciutto) Pure Heirloom (summer heirlooms with
Tuscan olive oil and sea
salt)
R
Radicchio
(castelfranco with a six-minute egg and
avocado) Donald (duck cont with persimmons and blue cheeses) Navel (Cara Cara
oranges with Marcona almonds and
picholine
olives)
Orchard (grilled summer peaches with
Parmesan cheese,
rocket,
and Treviso)
Sonoma (mixed greens and Cabernet-poached
pear with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese)
Red leaf lettuce
Bachelor
(let mignon with Roquefort and red leaf ) Rice wine vinegar
Rocket
Diver (roasted corn and hedgehog
mushrooms with diver
scallops)
Cup (summer melon with gs and
prosciutto) Leswood (roasted summer vegetables with portobello
mushrooms)
Navel (Cara Cara oranges with Marcona
almonds and
picholine
olives)
Orchard (grilled summer peaches with
Parmesan cheese,
rocket,
and Treviso)
Ave. (grilled chicken with asparagus and
rocket) Sonoma (mixed greens and Cabernet-poached pear with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese)
Tokyo (American Kobe beef carpaccio with
frizzled leeks and
rocket)
Romaine
Bistro
(let of beef with proper xings) Classic (hearts of romaine with mini
croutons) Spears (grilled romaine with Meyer lemon)
Rosemary
Rutabaga
Grain (roasted fall root vegetables with
farro)
S
Salads. See also individual recipes and
ingredients
building
overlooked nature of textures in
Salmon
Salt
Scallops
Diver (roasted corn and hedgehog
mushrooms with diver
scallops)
Sea (crab with cantaloupe and caviar)
Seafood, See also individual varieties
Seasonings
Seasons, eating with, .1, .2
Sesame oil
Sherry vinegar
Shopping
for herbs and seasonings for lettuce
for meat
for oils and vinegars for produce, .1,
.2 for seafood
Shrimp
Siam
(Gulf shrimp with mango and green papaya) Sol (summer squash with ricotta)
Sonoma (mixed greens and Cabernet-poached
pear with
Humboldt
Fog goat cheese)
Sour (grilled sourdough with Brandywine
tomato and fresh
herbs)
San Sebastian (chorizo and dates with
greens) Spa (mâche with summer lemon cucumbers and lychee) Spears (grilled
romaine with Meyer lemon) Spinach
Spring (English peas with morels)
Sprout (Brussels sprouts with warm brown
butter vinaigrette)
Squash
Leswood (roasted summer vegetables with
portobello
mushrooms)
Porky (mixed greens with pork tenderloin,
roasted butternut
squash,
and port reduction)
Sol (summer squash with ricotta) Squid
Monterey
(squid and gigante beans with chorizo) Steakhouse (iceberg with all the xings)
Strawberries
Berry (blackberries and strawberries with
goat cheese)
Summer (heirloom tomato salad with
balsamic vinaigrette) Sustainability, itr.1, itr.2
Sweetbreads
Sweet (haricot verts with sweetbread
croutons)
T
Tangerines
Beet-Neck
(tangerine and golden beet salad) Tarragon
Thyme
Tokyo (American Kobe beef carpaccio with
frizzled leeks and
rocket)
Tomatoes
Bachelor (let mignon with Roquefort and
red leaf ) Burger (ground Kobe with grilled onion)
(grilled sweet white corn with mixed baby
tomatoes) The Greek (summer tomato and lemon cucumber with fried
tulumi)
Mashup (broccoli, cauliower, bacon, and
more) Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with mango and avocado) Park Ave.
(grilled chicken with asparagus and rocket) Picnic (heirloom tomatoes with
watermelon)
Pure Heirloom (summer heirlooms with
Tuscan olive oil and
sea
salt)
Sol (summer squash with ricotta)
Sour (grilled sourdough with Brandywine
tomato and fresh
herbs)
Spa (mâche with summer lemon cucumbers
and lychee) Steakhouse (iceberg with all the xings)
Summer
(heirloom tomato salad with balsamic vinaigrette) Tools
Tower (tuna tartare)
Treat (roasted ngerling potatoes with
herbs and trufe cheese) Tropical (mixed citrus and fresh coconut)
Trufe oil
Tuna
albacore
Maui (coriander-crusted ahi tuna with
mango and avocado) Tower (tuna tartare)
yellown
Turnips
Grain (roasted fall root vegetables with
farro)
Sprout (Brussels sprouts with warm brown
butter vinaigrette)
V
Vinaigrettes, .1, .2 Vinegars
Vine (heirloom grapes with tarragon
leaves)
W
Walnuts
Grove (Honey Crisp apples with Point
Reyes blue cheese) oil
Watercress
Phuket (grilled hanger steak with
buckwheat noodles) Spring (English peas with morels)
Watermelon
Picnic (heirloom tomatoes with
watermelon)
Z
Zucchini
Leswood (roasted summer vegetables with
portobello
mushrooms)
Sol (summer squash with ricotta)
THANKS …
To Leslie and Dave, thanks for all
the support over the years, and for helping me turn my dreams into a reality.
To Joanne, I couldn’t have done this
without you.
To Meme, thanks for being the
greatest grandmother in the world.
To Wendy, thanks for all the
encouragement and caring that you have given me over the years.
To Barbra, thanks for “investing” in me.
Katie, thanks for all your help with
the recipe testing. You rock!
To Tony and Matt, thanks for your
dedication and all your hard work.
To the MG staff, the greatest
employees on the planet, thank you for keeping my vision alive. Keep up the
good work.