Anyone who knows me and my television habits will tell you that the Food Network is my go-to channel. When nothing else is on TV but I need the white noise or company of the TV, my fingers automatically turn to channel 56. As part of my Sunday routine (more on that another time), I have the TV on in the morning while I catch up on e-mail, visit The Royal Realm and, currently, see what's new on Facebook. The Food Network, which has apparently revamped its schedule this weekend, was of course, on while I caught up with things on the internet. Fortunately for me, two new shows were on that I had never seen before. The first was Jaime Oliver's new series, Jamie Oliver At Home, where he cooks from his own kitchen. Someone had mentioned this series to me (for which, despite all my Food Network TV viewing I had never even seen a commercial for) but I didn't actually know when it was on. So I was glad to see it.
The second was called French Food At Home (I wonder if this is the "At Home" hour on the network?). It is hosted by a Canadian named Laura Calder, who actually began her career in journalism and public relations, but who trained at The Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver, Canada and at L'École de Cuisine LaVarenne in Burgundy, France.
Today's episode was called Stand Alone Salads, featuring salads that can be served on their own or as accompanients to other lunches and dinners. I was captivated by not only the simplicity of such salads but also by how rustic the presentation is. Calder's point starting up the show was that because salads are so "bare" and presented in their natural forms, you have to choose the freshest ingredients since the flavours of the ingredients aren't masked by much.
Endive Salad With Beets, Walnuts and Blue Cheese
Yield: 6
(This salad was my favourite, and which I will try first. Calder also had a good tip for not getting stained hands from the beets: Covering your hand with a plastic bag when holding onto the beets to cut them.)
A Summery Salad
Yield: 2
The second was called French Food At Home (I wonder if this is the "At Home" hour on the network?). It is hosted by a Canadian named Laura Calder, who actually began her career in journalism and public relations, but who trained at The Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver, Canada and at L'École de Cuisine LaVarenne in Burgundy, France.
Today's episode was called Stand Alone Salads, featuring salads that can be served on their own or as accompanients to other lunches and dinners. I was captivated by not only the simplicity of such salads but also by how rustic the presentation is. Calder's point starting up the show was that because salads are so "bare" and presented in their natural forms, you have to choose the freshest ingredients since the flavours of the ingredients aren't masked by much.
Endive Salad With Beets, Walnuts and Blue Cheese
Yield: 6
(This salad was my favourite, and which I will try first. Calder also had a good tip for not getting stained hands from the beets: Covering your hand with a plastic bag when holding onto the beets to cut them.)
4 x endives, quartered and cored
1 x medium beet, cooked, peeled and diced
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
5 ounces walnuts, broken up a bit and toasted if you like
1/2 cup walnut oil
2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to season
Separate the endive leaves and fan them out on a plate. Scatter over the beet, blue cheese, and nuts. Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Taste to make sure the balance is right. Season, taste again, then drizzle over the salad. Serve.
1 x medium beet, cooked, peeled and diced
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
5 ounces walnuts, broken up a bit and toasted if you like
1/2 cup walnut oil
2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to season
Separate the endive leaves and fan them out on a plate. Scatter over the beet, blue cheese, and nuts. Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Taste to make sure the balance is right. Season, taste again, then drizzle over the salad. Serve.
A Summery Salad
Yield: 2
1/4 English cucumber, peeled and diced
1 to 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 x roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced
1 x small purple onion, diced
1 x bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 x clove garlic, minced (optional)
A few spoonfuls of olive oil
A dash of red wine vinegar
A squirt of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Toss the diced vegetables with the chopped mint. (Vegetable sizes vary, so with this in mind, adjust quantities to suit your taste.) Season to taste at the last minute with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and garlic. Scoop the salad into bib lettuce “boats,” and serve. This is also good with goat cheese or feta cheese scatter on top.
Fennel Salad With Citrus Zests and Toasted Pine Nuts
Yield: 4
1 to 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 x roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced
1 x small purple onion, diced
1 x bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 x clove garlic, minced (optional)
A few spoonfuls of olive oil
A dash of red wine vinegar
A squirt of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Toss the diced vegetables with the chopped mint. (Vegetable sizes vary, so with this in mind, adjust quantities to suit your taste.) Season to taste at the last minute with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and garlic. Scoop the salad into bib lettuce “boats,” and serve. This is also good with goat cheese or feta cheese scatter on top.
Fennel Salad With Citrus Zests and Toasted Pine Nuts
Yield: 4
1 x large fennel bulb
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
3 Tbsps toasted pine nuts
olive oil, to taste
Fleur de sel (coarse salt) and freshly ground pepper to season
Cut the shoots from the fennel and discard, reserving a good handful of green fronds. Chop these and toss them into a bowl. Peel the fennel bulbs, halve, core, and slice paper-thin, using a mandolin if you have one. Add to the bowl. Grate over the zests. Squeeze lemon juice over, to taste. Add the pine nuts. Drizzle over oil, to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, taste and adjust the seasonings, and serve immediately.
Goat Cheese Salad With Laura's Basic Vinaigrette
Yield: 4
Vinaigrette
SaladZest and juice from 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
3 Tbsps toasted pine nuts
olive oil, to taste
Fleur de sel (coarse salt) and freshly ground pepper to season
Cut the shoots from the fennel and discard, reserving a good handful of green fronds. Chop these and toss them into a bowl. Peel the fennel bulbs, halve, core, and slice paper-thin, using a mandolin if you have one. Add to the bowl. Grate over the zests. Squeeze lemon juice over, to taste. Add the pine nuts. Drizzle over oil, to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, taste and adjust the seasonings, and serve immediately.
Goat Cheese Salad With Laura's Basic Vinaigrette
Yield: 4
Vinaigrette
1 x spoonful Dijon mustard
A spoonful of red wine vinegar
A drop of soy sauce
A splash of balsamic vinegar
olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to season
A spoonful of red wine vinegar
A drop of soy sauce
A splash of balsamic vinegar
olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to season
1 log of goat cheese, about 4 ounces (such as Chèvre)
4 x slices bacon
4 Tbsps pine nuts
4 handfuls mesculin mix
A few spoonfuls of vinaigrette, above
4 x slices bacon
4 Tbsps pine nuts
4 handfuls mesculin mix
A few spoonfuls of vinaigrette, above
Heat the oven to 450ºF/230ºC. Slice a log of goat cheese into four. Cut the log into four disks. Wrap each disk in a slice of bacon and lay on a baking sheet. Grill for about 5 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the cheese very hot.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan on the stovetop. Toss the greens with a little bit of dressing. Scatter over the nuts. Take the bacon-wrapped cheese from the oven and lay on the salad.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan on the stovetop. Toss the greens with a little bit of dressing. Scatter over the nuts. Take the bacon-wrapped cheese from the oven and lay on the salad.
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