Sorrel Dressing with Anchovies and Capers + Spring

It's May and I need to do some serious spring cleaning.  Suddenly the house feels cluttered and dusty.  The countless jars of dried beans and pastas and bizarre flours that I'm never going to use are starting to make me claustrophobic.  The piles of books that I've been meaning to read teeter dangerously amongst a winter's worth of New Yorker magazines and countless volumes of Vogue - I was suckered into a subscription after a blurry red-eye trip.  2 dollars an issue?  How could I afford not to?

And this little pocket of culinary adventures has been completely ignored throughout the winter.  Don't worry, we've been eating and drinking and playing with enthusiasm, but the writing bit has been difficult.  I have plenty of excuses (and pretty good ones too!) - my computer blew up, my job has been extraordinarily demanding, and when I come home and it's already dark I just don't want to.  I'm an adult and I do what I want.

Nevertheless, winter is well in the past and I've got spring invading my kitchen.  Green, green, green and more green.  Peas and artichokes and favas galore!  Asparagus for miles.  That first taste of fresh spring produce is as delightful as that first sip of rose or the pretty flowered dress I'm wearing today, which hasn't seen the world since September.  Welcome back sun!  Welcome back pretty dress!  Welcome back me!

To honor the season with one of the ultimate spring ingredients, I've made the most delicious dressing.  Or maybe it's more of a pesto?  Could be a dip.

We have sorrel growing in the herb garden and I've lagged on how to use it.  The leaves are bright and zes-ty.  Some (maybe me at one point) would probably call them "too intense" but these people would be wrong.  Their lemony bite is an incredible addition to vinaigrettes, sauces, and even raw in salads.  It perks up the dish, pairing exceptionally with seafood, salmon, cream and eggs.  Here, I wanted something with a pungent tang to dress up earthy kale and roasted vegetables, so I combined sorrel with anchovies and capers for a saucy little salad dressing.  It wakes up your palate and clears away those winter cobwebs in one bite.

*If you don't have the luxury of growing your own sorrel, it can often be found at farmers' markets.  In a pinch, peppery arugula could be substituted - the dressing will be different, but still delicious.*

Spring Salad with Sorrel-Anchovy Dressing and a Soft-Boiled Egg
Serves 4

For salad: 

1 lb kale, center stalks removed, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 8 cups)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into two inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, pith and seeds removed, cut into one inch strips
1 avocado, pit removed, cut into chunks
4 - 5 radishes, thinly sliced
4 eggs
parmesan for serving
6 anchovy filets, chopped (optional)
olive oil, salt, pepper

For dressing: 

1 cup sorrel, chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed
6 anchovy filets
1 heaping tsp capers
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup (or more) olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Toss carrots and red pepper with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on separate trays in oven, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred and cooked through (about 20 minutes).  

To prepare dressing, pulse all ingredients together in a food processor (or use an immersion blender) until smooth.  Add more olive oil if a thinner texture is desired. 

Massage the kale with a few tablespoons of dressing - use enough so the kale is coated and beginning to soften. 

On each plate, place a heaping pile of kale.  Top with roasted carrots, peppers, avocado and radishes.  Add chopped anchovies, if using (do it!).  

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  When water is at a rolling boil, gently lower eggs into the water.  Set a timer for 6 minutes.  When cooked, remove eggs from the pot and run them under cold water.  Carefully peel the eggs and immediately place one on each salad.  Top with grated parmesan and a few spoonfuls more of sorrel dressing.  

A Tart Little Tart

What a beautiful thing a blood orange is.  Deep garnet in color and exquisitely tart in flavor, these gems can brighten anybody's rainy February day.  As a fanatic for fruit, I'm especially taken with them during these lean months.  The colder it is outside, the more my body craves a good jolt of citrus.

A few weeks ago my friend at http://butterdate.blogspot.com/ cooked us a wonderful multi-dish meal that ended perfectly with an orange tart.  Delighted,  I devoured quite a few pieces, and then a few more the next morning.  Gorgeous splashes of citrus are nestled in an indulgent almond cream (one really cannot go wrong when almond cream is involved) and baked atop a flaky, buttery crust.  Pure winter tart heaven.  And quite handsome to boot.

My only mistake was not immediately begging her for the recipe, which is from the beautiful Big Sur Bakery cookbook.  Instead, when the craving hit,  I scanned multiple versions online and finally made sense of the full recipe by taking bits and pieces from each.  Every step was attempted with a little trepidation - I only had so many oranges and going to the store in the rain was not an option - but in about two hours flat I had a dazzling blood orange tart that was deemed wonderful upon the first bite.  Nothing like a tart little tart to perk up your Tuesday.

BLOOD ORANGE TART 

Adapted loosely from Big Sur Bakery

Serves 4 - 8

For Almond Cream: 
1/3 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
3 tbsp salted butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp + 1 tsp all-purpose flour

For Tart Dough: 
3/4 cups (12 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes  
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
grated zest of one orange 
5 - 6 tbsp orange juice

For Assembling the Tart: 
1/3 cup orange marmalade (or any marmalade you fancy)
3 - 4 mixed oranges, or more if needed
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Spread almonds on a baking tray and toast until fragrant and just browning, about 7-8 minutes.  Be careful not to burn them.  When they are cool, chop them coarsely.

Prepare your tart dough: in a medium sized bowl, combine butter, flour, sugar, salt, and zest.  Using your fingers, cut the butter and combine it with the dry ingredients until the butter is crumbly and the size of small peas.  Add the orange juice a few tablespoons at a time, mixing as you go until the dough is forming a ball and staying together.  It should be just a little sticky.  Turn out onto a well-floured surface and kneed until a smooth ball forms, about a minute.  Cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until very cold. 

Make the almond cream: combine softened butter, powdered sugar, almond extract and salt using an electric hand mixer until well blended and fluffy.  Slowly, add the egg yolk and then the flour.  Mix until well combined.  Fold in the chopped almonds.  It should be almost the consistency of peanut butter.   Keep at room temperature. 

Set your oven temperature to 375 F. 

On well-floured parchment paper, roll out the tart dough.  Don't worry about it looking rustic and misshapen, that's half the fun!  Transfer to baking tray.  Using a spoon, top with the marmalade, leaving a one inch border around the edge.  Cover the jam with a layer of almond cream.  Fold in the edges creating a crust to prevent the jam from oozing out.  Put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Prepare the citrus: using a paring knife, cut off each end of the orange.  Following the curve of the fruit, cut off the pith and peel.  Slice the oranges into thin rounds, removing seeds as you go.  

Assemble the tart: remove it from the refrigerator.  Top with citrus rounds.  Brush crust with beaten egg and sprinkle the whole thing with sugar.  Dot the oranges with butter to avoid burning.  

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until the crust and almond cream are a toasty golden brown.  Cool before serving.  Fabulous for breakfast the next day. 

And every good morsel deserves a delicious sip of something, don't you think?  In this case, I went with color - because why not - and popped some Loire Valley pink bubbly.  I was feeling all sorts of celebratory and knew that a little sparkling rose would do the trick.  This particular bottle is one of my favorites.   From biodynamic Clos de la Briderie, the Purete de Silex Brut Rose is made from Pineau d'Aunis, Pinot Noir, Grolleau Gris, and Groslot Noir - major players in the Loire Valley.  It is smashingly bright pink, the color of the day!  Ripe strawberry, zest, hints of cranberry, a subtle toastiness.  Best sipped while dreaming of spring's promise of sunshine or relishing in winter's citrus bounty.  And for under $20, this bottle is a complete steal.  All smiles.