A plea for spring
Brightly colored produce to brighten up your winter blues
Hi everyone! I’m a little behind on sending this week’s newsletter out but I come bearing some really colorful loose recipes that will hopefully brighten up your winter blues! Even in the depths of winter, when it’s not even 30 degrees out, there are little patches of warmth and hints that spring is just around the corner.
Citrus season is at its peak in March. You can find everything from huge snacking sumos to ombre blood oranges to Ojai’s famous pixie tangerines and so many more varieties of citrus galore. I love using Meyer lemons in anything and everything to add floral notes to my food. It’s a little peek at spring and its blooming flowers. Not only does citrus add a bright and tangy flavor to your dishes, it adds color, too. The rainbow of red and orange oranges, bright yellow lemons, and ruby red and pink grapefruits liven up your food this time of the year.
Radicchio is in full swing right now, too. A red chicory that leads us into spring. I love all of the colors and varieties that radicchio comes in—there are so many more than you would probably have guessed! Just some of the many you can find are: radicchio veneto (your most common dark red), rosa del veneta (a rainbow of pink), castelfranco (a green speckled with pink), and treviso tardivo (a reddish-purple that looks like long skinny fingers). These lettuces are really a spectacle to cook with and eat. They can be a little bitter but a creamy dressing really balances them out. You can also submerge them in ice water for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to dull the bitter flavor.
Radishes are in desperate need of better PR. So consider this my official request for you to cook with radishes more because they seriously add so much to a dish. I love their slightly bitter bite and pop of color that makes winter feel just a little less brutal—different varieties have a slightly different flavor profile so some will be less bitter than others. If you know me, you know I love watermelon radishes. You can guarantee I will add them to almost any crudité platter and salad this time of the year.
Now that you’re a little more versed on all the colorful produce that March has to offer, you need some inspiration to utilize all of this newfound bounty! One of the best ways to brighten up winter is with big, colorful salads. Here are some loose recipes of just a few that I have made and loved so far this season!
Little Gem Salad with Watermelon Radish, Cucumber, Avocado, Scallion, and Carrot-Ginger Dressing
The dressing for this salad is a homemade version of your classic Asian restaurant carrot-ginger dressing that is drizzled over iceberg lettuce. It’s a nostalgic dressing for many people, including myself, and I love how easy it is to make at home. In a blender or food processor, combine one carrot, a small knob of ginger, a splash of soy sauce and maple syrup, and 1:2 ratio of rice vinegar to neutral oil (I used avocado oil) until smooth. Thin with a few tablespoons of water, if needed.
Radicchio Salad with Watermelon Radish, Castelvetrano Olives, Ricotta Salata, Supremed Blood Orange, Pistachios, and Blood Orange Vinaigrette
I like to grate the ricotta salata over the top to give it a snowy blanket. The dressing for this salad is an easy vinaigrette, made a little more interesting by using blood orange juice. Whisk together (or add to a jar with a lid and shake) a 1:2 ratio of blood orange juice to olive oil, blood orange zest, a splash of champagne vinegar, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, and a drizzle of honey until emulsified.
Radicchio Salad with Watermelon Radish, Herbs, and Miso-Poppyseed Vinaigrette
I love love love this salad dressing from the Kismet cookbook. I have most definitely written about it before but I think it’s the perfect dressing for bitter radicchio leaves. It’s just sweet enough to offset the bitterness and is creamy enough to create a glossy blanket over the sturdy leaves. The bright yellow dressing against the pink leaves will trick you into thinking it’s spring even if it’s snowing outside. Watermelon radish and lots of herbs, like dill, chives, and parsley, are the perfect finishing touches. For dinner the other night I flaked some roasted salmon overtop along with the most luscious 2 hour steam-baked Japanese sweet potato (method from @bonberi!). It’s one of those salads that you miss before you even finish the bowl.
The method for the miso-poppyseed dressing is below. It makes a TON of dressing so just be ready to eat it on everything and anything. I doubt that will be a difficult undertaking though!
1/4 cup white miso
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup aquafaba (from a can of chickpeas)
1 cup neutral oil (I use avocado)
1 1/2 teaspoons poppyseeds
Combine everything except the oil and poppyseeds in a blender until smooth.
Slowly drizzle in the oil until emulsified.
Add the poppyseeds and pulse a few times until evenly dispersed. If the dressing is too thick, thin it out with a few tablespoons of water.
