Week 11 Boxletter

Kale Salad with Apples and Cheddar

(and an alternate form of the same salad)

Listen, as I altered this recipe to fit this week’s box all I could think was how great this would be as a grilled cheese.  Our apples are particularly tart/sweet this year and if you paired with some good quality cheddar and a bit of a lightly dressed kale salad thrown in the mix to cut through the richness, pressed and toasted in a hot pan with some butter till golden brown and gooey?  I wish I had not already eaten all my kale this week because I would be making that sandwich RIGHT NOW.  Now if you go the sandwich route, I would probably leave the almonds out and just lightly dress some thinly sliced kale with the lemon, olive oil and garlic mix and maybe give it a little massage to soften. 

4 cups very finely chopped kale

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds

1 apple,  cut in 1/4-inch dice

1 ounce sharp Cheddar cheese, cut in 1/4-inch dice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 Salt to taste

1 very small garlic clove, minced and smashed with the side of your knife

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Cobine the kale, almonds, apple and Cheddar in a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, salt, garlic and olive oil. Add to the salad, and toss well. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top, and serve.

Adapted from NYT Cooking/Martha Rose Shulman

Tomato Marinated Greens and Beans on Toast

This recipe came across my inbox this week and I was stoked that so many box ingredients were featured.  The original recipe calls for grating the tomatoes to get their juices out and make basically a vinaigrette with them.  Here’s my take, just dice them up.  I’ve made many a marinated tomato in my day and once you cut up a ripe Jubilee tomato and hit it with a bit of salt, vinegar and olive oil, it will release all the juices you could ever want without risking grating the skin off your knuckles trying to grate (read: Smash) a tomato onto your box grater.  While I left this as a topper for a piece of good crusty bread this concoction would be great tossed with pasta or along side eggs in the morning.  Lentils can be replaced by chick peas or white beans with great results.

1 pound ripe tomatoes (about 2 large tomatoes), diced small.  Think ¼” pieces here. 

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons drained capers, plus 1 tablespoon caper brine

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 tablespoons white vinegar (this seems real strong, feel free to sub in red or white wine vinegar or my favorite with tomatoes, sherry vinegar. 

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

⅛ teaspoon finely minced garlic

4 ounces Swiss chard, stems separated and thinly sliced, leaves stacked and cut into 1/4-inch-thick ribbons

1 cup lentils, cooked (small French de puy or beluga lentils hold their shape best)

4 thick toast slices

 Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Place diced tomato in medium large bowl.  Stir in oil, capers and caper brine, shallot, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic. Add Swiss chard and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir lentils into tomato-marinated greens and mix well. Spoon mixture over toast. Drizzle with oil, top with cheese and serve immediately.

Adapted from NYT Cooking/Kay Chun

Vegetable Pancakes or Fritters or whatever you want to call them

I’ve put this take on Japanese okonomiyaki in here before but todays twist is don’t be confined to the ingredients listed below! Just about any vegetable can be frittered or pancaked if you will.  I for one have my eye on some old broccoli in my fridge that I will steam till very tender and do kind of a rough mash with to mix in with the cabbage and kale.  You could also do cauliflower this way.  Of course summer squash can be added but you’ll want to shred it and strain it a bit to get the excess liquid out.  I did not include the dipping sauce recipe here but a real simple sriracha mayo will do the trick as would any assortment of yogurt sauces.  Try adding pesto to yogurt for a super quick topper, 

1/2 small head cabbage, very thinly sliced (1 pound or 5 to 6 cups shreds) which will be easiest on a mandoline if you have one

2 cups other veggies; steamed broccoli or cauliflower, shredded zucchini, carrots, beets or potatoes.  Literally anything you want to get rid of in your fridge.  I mean, within reason.   

5 lacinato kale leaves, ribs removed, leaves cut into thin ribbons

4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Canola, safflower or peanut oil for frying

Toss cabbage, carrot, kale, scallions (and whatever other veggies you have) and salt together in a large bowl. Toss mixture with flour so it coats all of the vegetables. Stir in the eggs. Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with oil and heat that too.

To make small pancakes, you can use tongs but I seriously find using my fingers and grabbing little piles, letting a little batter drip back into the bowl, and depositing them in piles on the skillet easier, to form 3 to 4 pancakes. Press down gently with a spatula to they flatten slightly, but no need to spread them much. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the edges brown. Flip the pancakes and cook them again until brown underneath.

Regardless of pancake size, you can keep them warm on a tray in the oven at 200 to 250 degrees until needed

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen