Category: Side Dishes

This recipe is based on one of the little cooking vids that appear on my Instagram, with the recipe in fine print in the comments. The original is half shaved Brussels sprouts and half kale, but about the only way I could buy Brussels sprouts this time of year is pre-shaved in a little bag from Whole Foods for like $3.50. Whereas whole bunches of kale cost less. So I used all kale. I like a sweeter dressing, too, so added the maple syrup in the dressing.

Salad ingredients:
1 large bunch kale
3.5 oz., generous 1/2 cup almonds
3-6 shallots, about 3/4 cup, peeled and thinly sliced
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons maple syrup
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

1. Stem the kale and toss it into a sink or bowl of cool water, and let it soak while you prepare the almonds and shallots.
2. Place the almonds into a skillet big enough to hold them in one layer, 10- to 12-inches. Toast over medium high heat, stirring and shaking the pan.  Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
3. Pour the olive oil into the wiped out skillet and cook the shallots over medium high heat until they are starting to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Lift the kale out of the water and drain well in a colander. Take handfuls of the leaves and place them on a cutting board and slice thinly. Place in a large mixing bowl.
5. For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a spouted measuring cup or shake in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid.
6. Add most of the almonds and shallots to the kale in the mixing bowl, pour about 2/3 of the dressing over, and toss well. Taste and add as much more dressing as you like (I used all of it), and season with salt and pepper. Top the salad with the remaining almonds and shallots and serve. The dressed salad also keeps well in the fridge for a few days and makes a tasty lunch.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds assorted tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large or two smaller shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings (about 1/3 cup)
good pinch of kosher salt
sprinkle of sugar
1-2 tablespoons good vinegar – I prefer red or white wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

Arrange the tomatoes on a platter. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and add the shallot, and the salt and sugar. Cook, stirring, until the shallots have softened.  remove the skillet form the heat and add the vinegar. Pour over the tomatoes, and grind on the pepper. Eat, on top of a bed of greens, or without.

I am sure this dish would be just as good with zucchini as yellow squash. It’s almost like corn pudding, with eggs and milk and breadcrumbs rounding out the squash. And of course, cheese!

4 cups sliced yellow squash or zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (I used a mix of whole wheat & white)
1 cup shredded cheese, your choice – I used mostly cheddar with a little goat cheese thrown in
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter (half a stick), melted
good pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 400°

Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a little bit of water, and cover the pan.I pour a few tablespoons of water into the lid of the pan. Cook until the squash is tender, and the onions are translucent. Remove the lid and raise the heat to boil off any excess liquid. Transfer the squash to a large bowl.

Mix the bread crumbs and the cheese, and stir half of the mixture into the cooked squash and onions. Beat the eggs with milk, then add to squash mixture, and finally stir in the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper. Spread into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Enjoy! Even better re-heated!

Posted summer 2021 – maybe it’ll become a CSA box recipe!

Coleslaw is the first recipe in the long messy list at Deb’s Lunch Classic, and I’ve recorded a few variants there, but thought this version, created on a cold Friday in February 2021, deserved its own page.

Spicy coleslaw

• About 6 cups of cabbage, thinly sliced or grated
• 2/3 to a scant cup of grated carrot
• one medium shallot, grated
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 fat pinches of kosher salt
• 1/3 cup lime juice or lemon & lime, mixed
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• a few dashes of cholula
• half a small bunch of cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• fresh ground pepper and more salt, if necessary

Combine the cabbage, carrots, shallot, sugar, and salt in the large bowl (preferably one that fits your colander). Toss everything together, massaging in the salt and sugar with your hands. Transfer the salted & sugared vegetables to a colander – you probably want to do this in the sink to avoid a mess on your counter. Place the colander over a bowl – same bowl, rinsed out, works well – and allow to wilt for at least 2 hours and up to 4. Drain the liquid and clean out the bowl. Put the vegetable mixture back into the bowl, and add the lime juice, cumin, mayonnaise, cilantro, and grind in a generous amount of black pepper. Stir with a fork, taste, and add more salt or anything else if necessary, and chill for as long as you have until you want to serve.

Originally posted February 2021

Mushroom Sauce (based on Ovens of Brittany Cookbook):

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups mushrooms, washed and sliced – about 1 pound
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 large or 2 smaller cloves of garlic, minced or put through a press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 2 tablespoons dried onion or vegetable soup mix (optional)
• ½ cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (optional)
• ½ cup sour cream
• A few grates of fresh nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Crispy shallots

• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots – about 2 large
• ½ cup oil – olive or other
• Salt

Beans

• 1 ½ to 2 pounds green beans

Make the sauce: Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a wide skillet, and sauté the mushrooms, onions, and garlic until they’re tender, 5-10 minutes, seasoning with salt & pepper. Set aside. Melt the three tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir well until you have a smooth paste (roux). Heat the milk in the microwave or stove stop, and add the soup mix if using, then pour slowly into the roux, whisking. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Stir until the it’s smooth and thickened, then fold in the mushrooms and the tomatoes if using, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and remove from the heat.

Make the crispy shallots: Combine the shallots and the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and place on a burner on medium heat. When the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat, and fry the shallots stirring occasionally, for 15-18 minutes. Watch carefully, since once they begin to brown, they can burn quickly. Scoop the shallots out and drain on paper towel or drain in a strainer set over a bowl. Reserve the oil for salad dressings or sautéed vegetables.

Prepare the green beans: rinse and trim the beans – remove the stem ends; blossom end optional. Cut the beans into bite size length – about 1 ½- 2 inches. Place the beans in the basket of a steamer and steam until they’re tender but still bright green.

Assemble the dish: Place the beans in a shallow casserole, and cover with the sauce. Cover with foil and bake in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes until heated through and starting to bubble. Remove the foil, top with the shallots, and cook another 15 minutes.

Originally posted November 2019; for Orange Tree Imports Cooking Class