Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns
½ cup sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1 T. salt
1 tsp. red pepper flake
Rind of 1 orange peel
6 each black peppercorns
½ pound fiddlehead ferns, cleaned, trimmed and blanched for 1 minute
Two days before making dish, boil first six ingredients for pickle liquid. Cool. Pour over blanched fiddleheads. Chill.
Honey-Glazed Onions
2 T. melted butter
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 T. low-sodium chicken broth or white wine
2 T. honey
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
4 medium red or yellow onions (1 1/2 pounds)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine butter and oil in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Whisk in vinegar, broth (or wine), honey, salt and pepper. Leaving onions whole, remove the papery outer skins. Cut the onions in half from stem through root end. Place the onions in the baking dish, cut-sides up. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil. Using tongs, carefully turn the onions, keeping them intact. Bake, uncovered, until the onions are very tender and the honey mixture has thickened, 25 to 30 minutes more.
Roasted Lotus Flower Onions
4 Red Onions
50ml Balsamic Vinegar
50ml EVOO
½ T. Salt
(It’s important to cut the onion in the right way so you get the lotus-flower results. Cut from the top down, being careful not to cut all the way through. You should aim for about 12-16 sections. Once the onions are cooked, you can gently pull out sections of the onions to form separate petals.) Cut the top end of the red onions. Make a cut in half without reaching the bottom end, make another cut in half again and repeat until you have four cuts. Repeat with the other onions. Place the onions in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add the balsamic vinegar, mix, and let stand for 10 minutes. Place the onions in an oven-safe baking dish, and drizzle with the oil mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C/400°F. Remove the aluminum and return to the oven for 10 minutes. To make a sweet and sour variation, mix together red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, dark brown sugar, and olive oil. Drizzle over the onions before baking. Store leftover roasted onions in an airtight container (or plastic bag), in the fridge, for up to 4 days. You can also freeze roasted onions. Allow them to cool completely, then place them on a baking tray, and freeze for a few hours. Once they are frozen, transfer to a sealable plastic bag, and freeze for up to 6 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature (or in the fridge if you’re thawing them overnight) and reheat in the microwave or oven.
Cauliflower Gratin with Tillamook Aged Cheddar, Caramelized Onions & Applewood-Smoked Bacon
1 medium-large head white cauliflower (1 pound 2 ounces or 6 cups trimmed florets)
4 slices applewood-smoked bacon, fried or baked until crisp, drained, and crumbled
2 T. unsalted butter
1½ cups chopped onion (1 medium onion)
½ cup pale ale or dry white wine (or chicken stock and a tsp. or two of fresh lemon juice)
½ cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled, and pressed or minced
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
½ tsp. fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup cream
2 cloves garlic, peeled, and pressed or minced
2 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded Tillamook Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (or Tillamook Smoked Cheddar or other medium-firm aged cheese with good melting quality)
2 T. unsalted butter
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, peeled, and pressed or minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 T. chopped Italian parsley
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil and add the cauliflower. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the cauliflower has a bit of tenderness but is still decidedly crunchy. Drain into a colander set in the sink and refresh the cauliflower under cold running water until cool. Reserve. Prepare the bacon as indicated above. In a large sauté pan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the onions. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onions are softened but nicely caramelized, about 20 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the wine and chicken stock, and simmer briskly until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Toss and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add the cooked, crumbled bacon, toss, and transfer the mixture to a lightly buttered or oiled baking dish. Put the flour into a large measuring cup with a pouring spout and add a few T. of the cream, whisking to achieve a smooth paste. Gradually add the remaining cream, whisking to dissolve the flour. Add the garlic, season the cream with salt to taste, and then pour over the cauliflower mixture. Top the gratin with the cheddar cheese. To make the breadcrumb topping, in a small sauté pan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the fresh bread crumbs. Sauté, stirring, until the bread crumbs are lightly toasted. Remove from the heat and add the garlic. Remove to a small mixing bowl and combine with the parmesan. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the gratin. Bake, uncovered, in the upper third of the oven at 350º for approximately 25 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and is bubbling through the top edges. The top should also be nicely browned and the cheddar melted by this time. If not, broil the top briefly to brown the top and melt the cheese. Sprinkle the top of the hot gratin with chopped parsley and serve.
Seared Radicchio with Creamy Miso Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette:
3 T. mayonnaise
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed in a garlic press
1 T. white miso
Herbs, finely chopped (I like tarragon or thyme as well as chopped chives)
1 tsp. honey (optional)
For the radicchio:
2 T. olive oil
2 smaller heads of Chioggia, Verona or Treviso radicchio
1/2 c. roasted hazelnuts, crushed
To make the vinaigrette, combine the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Slice the heads of radicchio in quarters, leaving the core intact so the leaves will stay together. (The cores will soften while searing and be quite lovely.) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and place the quartered wedges cut-side down and sear until very dark brown (don’t worry if they look blackish…that’s good). Turn and sear the other cut side, then turn onto the back and sear. Remove to a serving plate and drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with crushed, roasted hazelnuts. Serve warm.
Crunchy Gochujang Fennel
1 large fennel bulb, stems and dark green parts removed
Kosher salt
1 ½” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
2 T. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 T. plus 1½ tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 T. honey
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1½ tsp. gochugaru (coarse Korean hot pepper flakes)
1½ tsp. toasted sesame seeds
Slice fennel bulb into quarters lengthwise through the core. Cut out core; discard. Slice bulb lengthwise ¼” thick. Cook in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just beginning to soften and turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Drain; pat dry with paper towels. Whisk together ginger, garlic, gochujang, vinegar, honey, oil, gochugaru, and sesame seeds in a medium bowl. Add fennel and toss to coat; season with salt. Do Ahead: Fennel can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Charred Shishito Pepper
1 T. safflower oil (or other high-heat cooking oil)
12 ounces shishito or Padrón peppers, washed and dried well
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, warm the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add peppers and cook, tossing frequently with tongs, until soft and blistered in many spots, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with lots of flaky sea salt and serve (with spicy mayo if you like).
Carrot and Daikon Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
2 medium carrots
1 daikon radish (use about a 1:1 ratio of carrot to daikon)
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 T. rice vinegar (see notes)
1 large garlic clove grated or minced
1 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 T. sesame seeds
Prep the veggies: Clean and peel the daikon radishes and carrots. Using a vegetable peeler, ‘shave’ slices of the radish and the carrots. This is easiest to do by pressing the vegetable against a cutting board and using the peeler to slice away from your body. Place these in a large bowl. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, vinegar, minced garlic clove, and grated ginger. Add some salt (1/4 – 1/2 tsp.) and pepper to taste. Combine the dressing with the sliced daikon and carrots, add the sesame seeds, and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Brown Sugar Glazed Onions
2 cups pearl onions fresh peeled or frozen
1/4 cup salted butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 T. apple cider vinegar
In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium low heat until it just sizzles. Pour in onions, add thyme and sauté about 4-5 minutes until they begin to brown. Add chicken stock and let simmer until about half. It should be a bit syrupy. Add brown sugar, and apple cider. stir and mix to coat well. Pour into small casserole dish and serve immediately, or cover with foil and set aside for later. To reheat place in a 350 oven, covered with foil for about 20-25 minutes. NOTES: To peel fresh pearl onions, trim off root end and place onions in a large heat proof mixing bowl. Bring enough water to cover onions to a boil. Pour over onions, and let blanch for about 30 seconds, using a slotted spoon transfer onions to a bowl filled with ice. With your fingers, pinch the root end of the onion, which should slip off the outer peel. If not, use a paring knife to remove it.