Beet, Carrot, & Watercress Salad
(adapted from Lucinda Scala Quinn, “Mad Hungry”)
4 medium-sized beets
2 TB sugar
½ cup sherry vinegar
1 bunch watercress
coarse salt
3 radishes
1 TB vegetable oil
ground pepper
4 small carrots, cut on the diagonal
olive oil
Place beets in saucepan with vinegar and pinch of salt. Add water to cover. Cover pan with foil. Poke four holes in foil. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool, cut into wedges, and refrigerate. Saute carrots in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until golden brown on one side. Add sugar, stir, and cook until tender and crispy. Cool and refrigerate. Slice radishes and combine with watercress, beets, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
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Creamed Spinach with Montreal Salted Herbs
(adapted from Food & Wine)
4 TB butter
1 coarsely chopped carrot
2 TB olive oil
1 coarsely chopped parsnip
16 c. spinach (not baby)
1 coarsely chopped celery rib
1 c. chopped shallots
½ onion, coarsely chopped
1 c. dry white wine
1 c. packed parsley leaves
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. snipped chives
ground pepper
1/3 c. coarse sea salt
Add 15 c. spinach gradually to large saucepan and cook in 2 TB butter and 1 TB oil over high heat until wilted. Remove from pan, drain, then squeeze out excess water. Add remaining butter and oil to pan and sauté shallots until softened. Add wine and cook until absorbed. Add cream, bring just to a boil, and simmer until reduced by half. Meanwhile, pulse carrots, parsnip, celery, and onion in food processor until finely chopped. Add parsley, chives, and remaining 1 c. spinach and pulse until mixture is finely minced. By hand stir in salt. Stir 2 teaspoons of this mixture into cream sauce. Season with pepper. Add cooked spinach and scrape mixture into a buttered baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes until bubbling and thickened. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
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Vinegar-Glossed Chicken
(adapted from Lucinda Scala Quinn, “Mad Hungry”)
1 c. red-wine vinegar
salt and pepper
2 TB minced garlic
olive oil
1 TB minced fresh rosemary
¾ c. chicken broth
5 and ½ lbs. chicken pieces
Combine vinegar, garlic, and rosemary and let stand for 15 minutes. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown on both sides in olive oil over high heat. Add broth, scraping up brown bits, lower heat and simmer to reduce, about 15-20 minutes. Increase heat to high, pour in vinegar mixture, and swirl until it evaporates to form a shimmering glaze.
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Aunt Patty’s “Coffee” Cake
(adapted from Lucinda Scale Quinn, “Mad Hungry”)
1 c. plus 2 TB sugar
1 and ½ tsp. salt
1 TB instant coffee
1 stick softened butter
1 TB cocoa powder
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
Combine 2 TB sugar. coffee, and cocoa. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and remaining 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined. Beat in one-third of flour mixture, then half of sour cream, then another third of flour mixture, then remainder of sour cream and final third of flour mixture. Add vanilla and mix well. Pour one-third of batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of coffee-cocoa mixture on top, add another third of batter, sprinkle remaining coffee-cocoa mixture on top, and cover with remaining batter. Using a knife, swirl batter to marbleize. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until cake tests clean. Serve with ice cream.
