Fennel, Celery, Blood Orange and Pistachio Salad

Today was Open Door Weather at the office and I have zero complaints.  It is sunny, surprisingly warm and the sky is without a single cloud.  Birds are chirping.  I know this sounds like a big fuck you to my east coast sisters, but y'all just had a few Snow Days to tromp through freshly fallen snow and go sledding and have an excuse to drink spiked cocoa and binge eat all the snacks whilst watching every episode of Friends.  I have no excuses.  I HAVE to go outside and go to work and NOT wear all my pretty knit scarves and sometimes it gets too hot in my office and the only solution is to open all the doors, which are extremely tricky to lock again.  I guess I have a few complaints.

Apologies, that was extremely annoying.  I'm done.  Let us enjoy that sunshine.

BUT it is Winter Salad Season and despite the midday warmth, evening temperatures dip cold enough to merit chucking the fresh greens and going for something slightly heartier.

Cue fennel and the oh-so-seasonal blood orange, which are two of the greatest lovers in culinary history.  These ingredients are paired in endless variations, but in this salad here, I stay classic.  No frills, nothing too fancy.  Essential: the madonline.  Slice that fennel really thin.  Ooo la la.

We paired this salad with oven roasted trout, which was excellent, but any mild white fish would be welcome if you'd like to make this into a full meal.  To drink: Copain's 2013 Tous Ensemble Chardonnay.  We often drink Copain as Daniel worked there for nearly two years, but it never gets old.  The newest vintage of their Tous Chardonnay was the perfect pairing for this meal - vibrant and lemony, but with enough floral and stone fruit notes to feel balanced and food friendly.  Lemon verbena, peaches, and sunshine.  Such a gem in this unseasonable season!

FENNEL, CELERY, BLOOD ORANGE and PISTACHIO SALAD
serves 2

1 medium fennel bulb, sliced very thin (keep the fennel fronds for garnish)
4 stalks celery and leaves, sliced thin, leaves chopped
1 medium scallop, sliced thin
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 blood oranges
1 tablespoon olive oil
handful pistachios, toasted
10 - 12 mint leaves

Slice the fennel very thin with a mandoline.  Put in serving bowl.  Slice celery and shallot and add to bowl.  Add lemon juice and stir to coat vegetables.

Cut the rind and pith off the blood oranges.  Slice the fruit into rounds and add to bowl.  Squeeze the rinds over the bowl to get as much blood orange juice in the salad as possible.   

Gently toss with pistachios, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Just before serving tear the mint leaves and add to bowl.  Garnish with more mint and fennel fronds.

Happy Winter Solstice!

Fork.  The shortest day of the year may come as a dismal reminder that winter is upon us, promising many cold nights and crisp days.  Snow and ice and doom and gloom.  I can't say I'm thrilled by the low temperatures, but the darkness of the season certainly begs for cozy evenings and slow cooked meals.  So don't despair!  As you're lamenting the absence of August blueberries and September tomatoes, turn to the bright tang of December citrus to brighten your day.

Paired with red wine and balsamic vinegar, orange juice is a zippy braising liquid for gamey lamb chops.  Add dried apricots, olives and fennel and you have a wonderfully rich winter dish sure to be a optimistic reminder of the season.

Solstice Braised Lamb

orange, balsamic, fennel, apricot, olive

2 lamb shoulder chops

1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and finely ground

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup orange juice (preferably fresh)

a good handful of dried apricots

a good handful of cured olives, pitted

2 bay leaves

zest of 1 orange

1. Trim your lamb chops and season with ground fennel, salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large, high-sided ovenproof skillet over high heat.  Sear chops until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. 


2. Add wine and vinegar.  Boil until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.  Add orange juice, apricots, olives, orange zest and bay leaves.  

3. Braise lamb in oven, covered, for 45 minutes.  Uncover and continue cooking until meat is very tender and falling off the bone, about 45 minutes more.  Baste often.  

4. Reduce braising liquid on the stove until thickened and saucey.  Serve lamb with sauce. 

With kale salad and roasted butternut squash.

Glass.  Do eat this meal with a hearty red wine.  The orange sauce is intensely flavorful and demands a wine that is full-bodied and rich.  Lamb always seems to pair beautifully with the wines of Northern Rhone, and most favorably with Syrah.  All dark and earthy and black olivey.  Deep purple, warm spices.  We chose a new world Syrah, made with the Rhone Valley in mind.  Copain's 2007 Baker Ranch Syrah is all sorts of roasted fruit, black pepper, and bold olives.  The orange sauce popped and the meat sang.  And we reveled in winter cheer.

Play.  Long nights and short days are perfect excuses for cozy couch sessions with forgotten movies.  This tiny gem, which many have seen but only once, promises to bring a delightful warmth to the coldest of evenings.  Little Miss Sunshine is the charming story of a quirky family road trip, complete with hi-jinks, revelations, and dancing.  As the title suggests, the scenery is bright with the Southern sunshine and the main characters radiate an honest mix of melancholy, passion and joy.  Simply put, you'll feel happy when the credits roll and on the darkest of days, that's all we need.