Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Hazelnuts

Fall has never been my favourite time of year. I know some people relish the cooling weather and changing leaves, but for me it signals the end of summer, beginning of winter, and end of most of my favourite produce. Of course, San Francisco lacks a real winter and our produce options are better than most year-round, so I'm trying to learn to embrace the change. Produce-wise, fall here means that raspberries, strawberries, and figs are replaced with persimmons and pomegranates. I had never really had persimmons before moving here and pomegranates always seemed exotic, but here the markets overflow with them in early October. The persimmons somewhat remind me of apples, so if you can't find them, I think you could get away with those as a substitute. I was completely surprised by how much I loved this salad. Crunchy, tangy, and just a little bit of sweet. It also reminded me of how much I love hazelnuts.

One year ago: Turkey and Sweet Corn Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce
Two years ago: Aromatic Green Beans with Pounded Garlic and Cardamom
Three years ago: Lamb Stir-Fry
Four years ago: Apple and Cheddar Scones
Five years ago: Mexican Rice

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Hazelnuts (from Sunday Suppers at Lucques)

Ingredients
2/3 cup hazelnuts
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp hazelnut oil, divided
1 tbsp finely diced shallot
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
3 tbsp fresh pomegranate juice (if you have pomegranate molasses on hand, you can cheat and use a bit of that watered down)
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 small Fuyu persimmons, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, for juicing
1/2 lb arugula

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Spread hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast 8 - 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Let cool, coarsely chop, and toss with 1 tsp hazelnut oil and a pinch of salt.
3. Place diced shallot, pomegranate juice, both vinegars, and 1/2 tsp salt in bowl. Let sit five minutes.
4. Whisk in olive oil and remaining 1 tbsp oil to pomegranate mixture.
5. In a large salad bowl, toss persimmons, sliced shallots, and pomegranate seeds with the dressing. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
6. Toss in arugula, scatter hazelnuts on top, and serve.

Tuna Sashimi Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Think of this dish as a deconstructed sushi roll. It combines all of your favorites - tuna, avocado, soy, and wasabi - without the effort of rolling things up into a roll and making sushi rice. The original calls for seared tuna which you could obviously do still, but we just found it didn't add enough to justify the extra work. The original also doesn't call for avocado, but we had one sitting around and I appreciated the creamy texture in there and tuna sushi always makes me think of avocado.

One year ago: Panfried Sea Bass with Harissa and Rose
Two years ago: Crumbled Cheese with Scallions and Tomatoes
Three years ago: Pork in Green Peanut Sauce
Four years ago: Cauliflower Gratin
Five years ago: Basic Risotto Recipe

Tuna Sashimi Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette (adapted from Avec Eric)

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp wasabi sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup radish sprouts (or other small greens)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, pitted and chopped
2 tuna steaks (approximately 6 ounces each), sliced into 1/4" pieces
3 tbsp canola oil

1. Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, and wasabi in a bowl to blend.
2. Whisking constantly, drizzle olive oil into lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Gently combine radish sprouts, cilantro, green onion, and avocado in another bowl.
4. Fan tuna slices in a pinwheel pattern on 4 plates.
5. Lightly dress salad with vinaigrette and place a small mound of salad in the center of each plate.
6. Drizzle more vinaigrette on tuna and salad. Serve.

Marinated Romano Peppers with Buffalo Mozzarella

Somehow with work travel, I seem to have missed most of the pepper season. Luckily, I managed to catch some beautiful looking peppers still at the farmers' market. Initially I was disappointed that my bag of lovelies wasn't all bell peppers, but then I stumbled across this recipe (and bonus we had leftover arugula and buffalo mozzarella in the fridge!). Thin skinned peppers such as romanos work great in this recipe since they aren't peeled. I think ghost peppers would also work very well here. The recipe calls for letting the peppers marinade for at least 2 hours, but mine probably had less than an hour of time marinating and we had no complaints about flavor.

One year ago: Cubed Pork with Potatoes, Yogurt, and Tamarind
Two years ago: Moroccan Carrots
Three years ago: Basil, Hazelnut, and Chocolate Cupcakes
Four years ago: Lemon and Cranberry Scones
Five years ago: Easy Buttermilk Cake

Marinated Romano Peppers with Buffalo Mozzarella (from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
6 romano peppers
120 ml olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp cider vinegar
100g arugula
200g buffalo mozzarella
coarse sea salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spread peppers on a roasting tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix and roast for 12 - 15 minutes until tender and beginning to color.
2. Meanwhile, mix together cilantro, parsley, garlic, vinegar, and 80 ml olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Put warm peppers in a bowl, pour marinade over them, cover, and leave at room temperature for at least 2 hours (if you have the time!).
4. To serve, lay peppers and arugula on a serving plate and spoon marinade over them. Dot peppers with chunks of the mozzarella. Drizzle with remaining oil and serve.

Avocado and Citrus Salad with Green Olives

The combination on grapefruit, avocado, and olives seemed like an odd choice, but I had faith and my faith was rewarded with a refreshing side salad. It was a little surprising how well the avocados and olives fit into everything. The full recipe below makes a lot of salad. Goin says you should aim for about 1/2 cup of citrus per person. For us, 1 grapefruit and 1 orange seemed the right amount for two people with about 1/2 of an avocado and other pieces scaled haphazardly. The original also calls for a mix of watercress and frisee, but I needed baby spinach for something else, so I decided to just keep things simple. I think it's fair to say this could work with any tender greens of your choice.

Two years ago: Bulgur Salad with Apricot, Radicchio, and Parsley
Three years ago: Dan Dan Noodles
Four years ago: Bolognese Meat Sauce

Avocado and Citrus Salad with Green Olives (adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques)

Ingredients
4 lbs mixed citrus fruit (grapefruit, oranges, clementines, tangerines, etc.)
2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1 bunch watercress, cleaned and tough stems removed
1 bunch frisee, cleaned

1. Zest citrus to get 1 tsp of zest.
2. Cut stem and blossom ends from fruit. Peel fruit and slice into segments, discarding seeds. Retain juice if possible. If not, that's okay too.
3. Combine shallots, 1/4 cup citrus juice from slicing (or just increase other acidic components), vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt in small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk in olive oil and zest to shallot mixture.
5. Place citrus segments and olives in a large bowl. Spoon 3/4 of vinaigrette over top and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Toss in watercress and frisee [or other greens of your choice].
6. For plating, you can plate on a platter gently adding in the avocado slices in between a salad sandwich or you can just gently fold the avocado into your salad bowl and serve as I did.

Dilled Celery, Asian Pear, and Hazelnut Salad

Celery in general gets a bad rap. It's a flavor base for stews and soups or a vector for peanut butter, but so rarely appreciated on its own. This salad manages to highlight the celery in a way that works so well that it's surprisingly bright and refreshing. While I was in Seattle for work, I was happy to be able to eat in Jerry Traunfeld's new restaurant and just as his cookbooks show, he is a master of mixing herbs and spices. He suggests this would be nice served alongside a wedge of blue cheese and I agree.

One year ago: Boneless Pork Cooked with Toasted Coconut
Two years ago: Spicy Greens Salad
Three years ago: Breakfast!
Four years ago: Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza

Dilled Celery, Asian Pear, and Hazelnut Salad (from The Herbal Kitchen)

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp whole-grain mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup hazelnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill weed
1 medium unpeeled Asian pear or Bosc pear, cored and cut into thick matchsticks
1/2 cup coarselly chopped toasted hazelnuts

1. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and salt in small mixing bowl.
2. Whisk rapidly as you slowly pour in oil.
3. Toss celery and dill with dressing in large mixing bowl.
4. Toss in pear and hazelnuts and serve.

Oyster Mushroom Salad

This salad is full of Thai flavor and rich earthiness.

One year ago: Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad
Two years ago: Grilled Sausages with Celery Root Salad and Hazelnuts
Three years ago: Vanilla Pudding
Four years ago: Red Pesto Penne with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Cheese

Oyster Mushroom Salad (from Seductions of Rice)

Ingredients
1/2 lb portobello mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb oyster mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1 - 2 tsp crumbled dried red chile or chile pepper flakes
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp finely sliced shallots
1 1/2 cups loosely packed mint, coarsely chopped
tender bibb or other lettuce leaves

1. Place 2" of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, partially cover, and cook until tender, 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Place garlic and sugar in mortar and pound to paste. Add chiles and pound to combine. Add lime juice and fish sauce and blend well. (You can also do this in a mini food processor.)
3. Place mushrooms in a bowl, add shallots, pour on dressing and toss.
4. Add chopped mint and toss. This may be made up to 2 hours ahead of time.
5. Line a serving platter with lettuce and mound salad on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Avocado, Quinoa, and Fava Bean Salad

I had plans to make this with the beans, but that plan fell through. Even without the beans though, this was a lovely side. The one thing I might change is considering cutting back on the cumin. It didn't work for me quite as well in the mix. I served this as a side to the chicken and haloumi, but it could easily stand on its own.

One year ago: Chicken with Chiles
Two years ago: Fettucine, Pine Nuts, and Cilantro
Three years ago: Fettucine Alfredo
Four years ago: Spinach Pomegranate Salad

Avocado, Quinoa, and Fava Bean Salad (from Plenty)

Ingredients
200g quinoa
500g shelled fava beans
2 medium lemons
2 small ripe avocados
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g breakfast radishes, halved lengthwise
50g purple radish cress (or small purple basil leaves or watercress)
1 tbsp ground cumin
75 ml olive oil
1/4 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper

1. Place quinoa in saucepan with plenty of water, bring to boil and simmer for 9 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and leave to dry.
2. Bring pot of water to boil, add fava beans, bring back to boil, drain, refresh with cold water, and leave to dry. Discard skins.
3. Remove skin from lemons and place in bowl. Juice lemons into bowl.
4. Peel, stone, and thinly slice avocado, adding it to the lemon juice.
5. Add dry quinoa to the bowl along with fava beans, garlic, radishes, cress, cumin, olive oil, chili flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve.

Fennel and Feta with Pomegranate Seeds and Sumac

We have an overabundance of pomegranate seeds right now thanks to a thoughtful dinner guest (some people apparently have backyard pomegranate trees??? I'm officially jealous!). This simple side salad is a bit on the sour side, but pairs beautifully with fish. The mix of sour sumac, lemon juice, salty feta, and sweet pomegranates is a winner.

One year ago: Pot Roast Studded with Almonds and Bacon
Two years ago: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Three years ago: Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart
Four years ago: Asparagus, Oka, Pine nuts, and Lemon Pasta

Fennel and Feta with Pomegranate Seeds and Sumac (from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
2 medium fennel heads
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sumac
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp tarragon leaves
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
70g Greek feta cheese, sliced (or crumbled)

1. Remove leaves from fennel, keeping a few for garnish. Trim base. Slice very thinly lengthwise.
2. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, and herbs (You can also add salt and pepper, but be careful with the feta).
3. Add fennel to oil and toss well.
4. In individual serving dishes, layer fennel, then feta, and then pomegranate seeds. Garnish with fennel leaves and serve.

Parsley and Barley Salad

This salad is bright and fresh. Everything you could want in a side dish to a Middle Eastern meal. The feta is the best part of course.

One year ago: Pan-Grilled Sea Scallops
Two years ago: Black Radish Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash
Three years ago: Mahogany Beef Stew with Red Wine and Hoisin Sauce
Four years ago: Basic Risotto Recipe

Parsley and Barley Salad (from Jerusalem)

Ingredients
1/4 cup, 40g pearl barley
150g feta cheese
5 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp za'atar
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
1/4 tsp ground cumin
80g parsley, leaves and fine stems
4 green onions, finely chopped (40g)
2 garlic cloves, minced
40g cashew nuts, lightly toasted and coarsely crushed
1 green pepper, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Place pearl barley in small saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 30 - 35 minutes until tender. Drain and transfer to large bowl.
2. Break feta into rough pieces and mix in small bowl with 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, za'atar, coriander, and cumin.
3. Chop parsley and place in a bowl with green onions, garlic, cashew, pepper, allspice, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and cooked barley. Mix well.
4. To serve, divide salad among 4 plates and top with feta.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms on Herbed Tomato Salad

This dish is a celebration of summer. It's a bit of work, but well worth it for warm goat cheese hidden in squash blossoms on top of a fresh tomato salad. My squash blossoms were on the small side, so I had to make the balls even smaller.

One year ago: Israeli Couscous with Fresh Corn, Tomatoes, and Feta
Two years ago: Spinach with Ginger and Green Chiles
Three years ago: Thai Shrimp and Spinach Curry

Stuffed Squash Blossoms on Herbed Tomato Salad (from The Herbfarm Cookbook)

Ingredients
Filling
4 ounces goat cheese
1 tbsp coarsely chopped basil
1 tbsp finely chopped marjoram
Salad
8 large zucchini blossoms, pistil removed
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered or larger tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp coarsely chopped marjoram
12 basil leaves, torn into 1/2" pieces

1. Stir filling ingredients together in small bowl. Form into 8 balls. Cover and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge 4 blossoms at a time into water and boil for 10 second. Remove with slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of cold water.
3. Heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully place ball of goat cheese filling in each blossom and close bloom (it may be easier to separate petals underwater. Place on baking sheet and brush with oil. (You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate covered.)
4. Bake blossoms until cheese is warmed through, 5 - 7 minutes.
5. Toss tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, marjoram and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and arrange on 4 plates.
6. Top each salad with 2 blossoms and serve.

Shaved Fennel Salad with Parmesan and Orange Zest

I'm not crazy about just eating cooked fennel, although I love the flavor it gives dishes. I was a bit suspicious of this salad, but decided to give it a shot. The crispy fennel worked great with citrus and chunks of hidden cheese. I substituted a bit of lemon for the orange because I had that on hand. Lime might also work well here. Feel free to play with the cheese as well (or omit it entirely). The author suggests that blue cheese would work well here too and I think that would be a fantastic substitute, but I love all things blue cheese.

One year ago: Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Sauce
Two years ago: Turmeric Rice
Three years ago: Pasta Pesto Salad

Shaved Fennel Salad with Parmesan and Orange Zest (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and outer layers removed
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces Parmesan

1. Cut each fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Using a mandolin or knife, thinly shave fennel. Transfer to bowl.
2. In small bowl, whisk together zest, juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in oil.
3. Pour dressing over fennel and toss well.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, shave cheese over salad, toss, and serve.

Roasted Pepper Salad with Butter Lettuce and Creamy Queso Anejo Dressing

While this salad doesn't scream Mexican to me, the roasted pepper and creamy dressing with crisp lettuce make a nice combination. Bayless also suggests using the pepper mix in tacos with a bit of chorizo which I think would work beautifully. The dressing proportions here makes a lot extra, so you may want to scale back if you don't want to keep it around for extra later.

One year ago: Cecina with Beets and Almond Sauce
Two years ago: Classic Key Lime Pie
Three years ago: Berry Pie Muffins

Roasted Pepper Salad with Butter Lettuce and Creamy Queso Anejo Dressing (from Mexican Everyday)

Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs large fresh peppers (mixture of poblano and red bell peppers)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 head Boston lettuce
Dressing
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup light vinegar (rice or champagne)
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/3 cup grated queso anejo or Romano or Parmesan, divided

1. Roast peppers over an open flame or below broiler until blistered and blackened.
2. Place in bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, combine oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, and salt in blender. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour dressing into jar and stir in 2 - 3 tbsp of cheese.
5. Remove skin and pull out stems and seed pods from peppers. Cut into 1/4" strips.
6. Place onions and peppers in bowl. Drizzle with 1/3 cup of dressing. Season with salt to taste.
7. Arrange lettuce leaves on individual plates. Top with pepper mixture. Drizzle a little extra dressing over lettuce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

Roasted Mushroom Salad with Spinach and Chorizo

I wasn't sure what to think of this salad, but decided to give it a go since we had leftover mushrooms and chorizo. When I think of Mexican food, the sides that come to mind are usually refried beans or rice, so adding something a bit more vegetable heavy to taco night seemed like a good idea. This salad actually worked surprisingly well. The lime juice brightens up what had the potential to be too heavy of a dish. You could serve this as a main dish, but it also works well as a side. If you don't have chorizo, Bayless suggests bacon as an alternative.

One year ago: Carrot and Cumin Salad with Coriander
Two years ago: Key Lime Meringue Pie
Three years ago: Chocolate Orbit Cake with Blackberry Cassis Sauce

Roasted Mushroom Salad with Spinach and Chorizo (from Mexican Everyday)

Ingredients
8 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed OR 8 thick slices bacon cut crosswise into 1/4" pieces
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (shiitakes, oysters, chanterelles, etc)
1 large red onion, sliced about 1/4" thick
8 ounces salad spinach, long stems removed (we used baby)
3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1. Heat oven to 425F.
2. Break chorizo into small clumps onto baking sheet with sides or scatter bacon.
3. Sprinkle mushrooms and onion onto meat and roast for 10 minutes.
4. Stir and resturn to oven until onion is browned and meat is fully cooked, 10 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place spinach in large bowl.
6. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp water. Heat in microwave if desired.
7. Sprinkle mushroom-meat mixture over spinach. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Serve.

Fattoush

This salad was something very different than what I've made before. I cut back a little bit on the buttermilk and would suggest doing the same as the salad is a bit moist otherwise. If you don't have buttermilk, he recommends substituting yogurt (1 cup) and milk (3/4 cup) and letting them mix together for at least 3 hours. I didn't have dried mint, so I left that out. My better half found the acid in this a bit much, but it didn't bother me. If you're less of a fan of acid, you might scale back the vinegar a bit.

One year ago: Braised Pork Should with Tomatoes, Cinnamon, and Olives over Polenta

Fattoush (from Jerusalem)
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
2 large stale Turkish flatbread or naan, torn into bite-sized pieces (250g)
3 large tomatoes (380g), cut into 2/3" dice
100g radishes, thinly sliced
3 Lebanese or mini cucumbers (250g), peeled and chopped into 2/3" dice
2 green onions, thinly sliced
15g fresh mint, coarsley chopped
25g parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dried mint
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sumac, to garnish

1. Place bread in large mixing bowl. Add buttermilk followed by rest of ingredients, mix well, and let rest for 10 minutes.
2. Spoon into serving bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with sumac.

Burrata with Asparagus, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins

One of the best parts of working from home is the flexibility it offers in cooking. For some reason, the boy wasn't nearly as excited as I was about the start of asparagus season. I decided to keep all the deliciousness to myself not subject him to the horror of asparagus by eating it for lunch instead. Some leftover mozzarella (purchased for a start of tomato season salad) was lurking in the fridge, so this seemed like a perfect option. The crispy bread crumbs add a nice crunch to the dish, so I would recommend not skipping them. The golden raisins (I used currants) added a touch of much needed sweetness, so I also wouldn't skip those. Who in their right mind with skip pine nuts? So I don't need to defend those. I think the dish would be helped by adding some prosciutto or you could do what I did and add a bit of vinegar to give it a little something extra as well.

One year ago: Grilled Cumin and Chile Veal Meatballs
Two years ago: Potato Latkes
Three years ago: Tex-Mex Comfort Food

Burrata with Asparagus, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins (from The Cheesemonger's Kitchen)

Ingredients
9 ounces/255g asparagus
2 tbsp golden raisins/sultanas
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
6 threads saffron
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup/30g bread crumbs
2 balls fresh Burrata cheese, 6 ounces/170g each

1. Cut woody ends off asparagus. Blanch in salted boiling water for 2 - 4 minutes or until tender. Shock in icewater, drain, and dry. Cut on angle into pieces resembling penne pasta.
2. Soak golden raisins in warm water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
3. In large bowl, combine asparagus, pine nuts, raisins, saffron, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat and add bread crumbs. Fry for 1 minute or until crisp and golden. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Cut Burrata balls in half and place on plates skin-side down. Divide asparagus mixture among plates and sprinkle fried bread crumbs on top.
6. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and serve cold or at room temperature.

Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad

This is a great winter salad, bright tasting with a punch of colour from the pomegranate seeds. The hazelnuts pull the cauliflower in nicely with the other ingredients and the raw celery adds a nice bit of textural contrast. The original recipe calls for roasting the hazelnuts in the oven at 325 for 17 minutes, but I went for frying on the stovetop.

One year ago: Grilled Sausages with Roasted Celery Root Salad and Hazelnuts
Two years ago: Vanilla Pudding
Three years ago: Red Pesto Penne

Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad (from Jerusalem)
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets (660g)
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large celery stalk, cut into 1/4" slices (70g)
5 tbsp (30g) hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1/3 cup (10g) parsley leaves
1/3 cup (50g) pomegranate seeds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Mix cauliflower with 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper. Spread in roasting pan and roast for 25 - 35 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to serving bowl to cool.
3. Once cool, add nuts, remaining oil, and rest of ingredients to cauliflower. Serve at room temperature.

Frisee with Chevre

The original recipe calls for dipping rounds of goat cheese in egg and then panko bread crumbs in frying. I know that would've been amazing, but we were in a rush so it was crumbled on the salad instead. The Dijon dressing worked great even without warm goat cheese and is worthy of a repeat.

One year ago: Sichuanese Roast Duck
Two years ago: Orzo with Everything
Three years ago: Tortellini and Walnut Mascarpone Sauce

Frisee with Chevre (adapted from The Cheesemonger's Kitchen)

Ingredients
225g goat cheese
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
6 tbsp walnut oil
1 head frisee lettuce, cleaned and separated

1. Place vinegar, mustard, and shallot in a salad bowl and whisk until combined.
2. Add walnut oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place frisee in bowl and toss to coat. Crumble goat cheese on top and serve.

Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad

This salad comes together quickly, but does require a bit of planning ahead as it should marinate at least an hour and preferably a day or more. This is a great alternative to standard broccoli dishes. The sesame flavour is quite pronounced, so menu plan accordingly.

One year ago: Penne with a Cashew Dill Sauce
Two years ago: Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
Three years ago: Tomato and Sausage Risotto

Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad (from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite)

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 heads broccoli, 1 lb each, cut into bite-size florets
3/4 cup olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp roasted sesame oil
large pinch red pepper flakes

1. In large bowl, combine vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine.
2. In large skillet, heat olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 minutes.
3. Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes to olive oil. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well.
4. Let sit for at least one hour at room temperature and up to 48 hours chilled.

Roasted Red and Golden Beets

This is a beautiful salad and a great mix of flavours. For the leaves, he gives three choices. I'd recommend going with a green with a bit of bitterness to serve as a nice contrast to the sweeter beets and maple syrup. If you don't have chervil, parsley will also work nicely in this dish.

One year ago: Paneer
Two years ago: Linguine with Roasted Tomatoes and Almond Pesto
Three years ago: Easy Buttermilk Cake

Roasted Red and Golden Beets (from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
500g golden beets (I just used all red)
500g red beets
80g sunflower seeds
90ml maple syrup
4 tbsp sherry vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
20g chervil leaves
60g baby arugula, chard, or spinach

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Wash beets and wrap in foil. Bake in oven until tender, 40 - 90 minutes.
2. Spread sunflower seeds out in an ovenproof dish and toast alongside the beets for 8 minutes.
3. Once they have cooled some, unwrap beets and peel. Cut into quarters (or smaller pieces if your beets are large).
4. Mix beets with rest of ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as needed.

Figs with Young Pecorino and Honey

This salad is an excellent mix of sweet figs and honey, salty pecorino, and peppery arugula. Don't be confused by the cheese. This recipe isn't calling for the hard cheese similar to Parmesan. It wants the young kind, a soft sheep cheese. You could probably also go with a soft goat cheese here or something similar.

One year ago: Celery Root and Apple Puree

Figs with Young Pecorino and Honey (from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
600g ripe green or black figs
300g young pecorino or similar cheese
80g arugula
10g basil
coarse salt and black pepper

1. Whisk together honey and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cut figs into quarters and tear cheese into chunks.
3. Arrange arugula, basil, figs, and cheese in layers on individual plates. Drizzle with honey dressing and serve.