Roasted Romanesco With Blood Oranges and Black Olives
Serves 4.
Note: Can't find romanesco, the green, spiky, cauliflower-like vegetable? Use cauliflower instead. From "Season" by Justin Wangler and Tracey Shepos Cenami (Cameron + Company) of Jackson Family Wines.
• 1 1/2 lb. romanesco or cauliflower florets (from 2 1-lb. heads)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 blood oranges, divided
• 1/2 c. loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/2 c. pitted and quartered dry-cured black olives
• 1/2-inch piece fresh horseradish, peeled
• Maldon sea salt, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a half-sheet pan in the oven and preheat for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, toss the romanesco (or cauliflower) florets with kosher salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Remove the hot sheet pan from the oven and carefully pour the florets onto it in a single layer. Roast, stirring once halfway through the roasting, for 10 to 12 minutes, until just fork-tender.
While the romanesco or cauliflower roasts, finely grate the zest of 1 blood orange, then halve and juice the orange. With remaining oranges, cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each orange to reveal the flesh. Stand the oranges upright and, using a sharp knife and following the contour of the fruit, slice downward, cutting off the peel, pith and membrane in wide strips. Then, cut along each side of the membrane between the segments to release the segments. Cut the segments crosswise into thirds.
In a large bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, orange segments, parsley, olives and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add the warm roasted romanesco (or cauliflower) to the bowl and toss to mix evenly. Arrange mixture on a large shallow platter. Using a fine-rasp grater, grate a generous amount of horseradish over the top. Sprinkle with the Maldon salt, to taste, and serve.
Slow Cooker Wheat Berries With Carrots and Oranges
Serves 6 to 8.
Note: From "The Complete Slow Cooker" by the editors at America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen).
• 1 1/2 c. wheat berries
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. freshly grated orange zest, plus 1 orange
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp. honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped tarragon
Directions
Combine 5 cups water, wheat berries, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon salt in slow cooker. Cover and cook until wheat berries are tender, 4 to 5 hours on low and 3 to 4 hours on high. Drain wheat berries, transfer to a large serving bowl and let cool slightly.
Cut away peel and pith from orange. Quarter orange, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.
In a medium bowl, whisk together orange zest, shallot, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add orange and any accumulated juices, vinaigrette, carrots and tarragon to wheat berries, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Date and Orange Salad With Feta and Pistachios
Serves 4.
Note: From "Local Flavors" by Deborah Madison (Broadway Books).
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced red onion
• 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
•6 large moist dates, such as Medjools
• 4 navel or blood oranges
• 1 head butter lettuce, trimmed
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 c. freshly chopped cilantro
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. roasted pistachio nuts or shelled green pistachios
• 2 oz. feta cheese, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a medium bowl, toss the orange zest, onion and vinegar and refrigerate while you assemble the remaining ingredients.
If the dates are hard, cover them with a hot damp towel for 5 minutes or longer, as needed, to soften. Remove the stones and quarter the dates lengthwise.
Section the oranges, working over a bowl to catch and reserve the juice.
Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
Drain the vinegar from the onion into a measuring cup (reserving onions) and add enough reserved orange juice to make ¼ cup (any remaining juice is for the cook). Stir in salt, paprika, cumin, coriander, cilantro and olive oil. Taste for balance and add more vinegar if you think it needs to be sharper.
In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the orange sections, reserved onions, dates, pistachios and vinaigrette. Mound the salad on a platter, scatter the cheese over the top, season with pepper, and serve.
