A Stack of Dishes

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gluten free

Crisp Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Bleu Cheese

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This is a tremendously simple salad to make with a complexity of texture and tastes. Crisp juicy Granny Smith apples are thinly sliced and tossed with a lemony vinaigrette and garnished with chunks of strong bleu cheese and candied walnuts.

We get so busy with our lives that there are times when it’s important to make the simplest thing sublime. It takes just a few extra seconds to pull out the mandolin, make a salad dressing from scratch, and arranging a plate to look like a waiter has placed this dish before you as opposed to tossing things together next to the sink.

Preparing the nuts is the most time consuming part of this dish, but worth the effort. If it’s all too much you can just toss on toasted nuts. Though really, they are super easy to make as long as you keep and eye on the sugar so as not to scorch it. The batch yields a good 3 cups of candied walnuts- which are also a fantastic addition to any frozen treat bowl you got going on, as well as a terrific accompaniment to a cheese platter. Just store in an airtight container and dole out as needed for up to 6 months.

The vinaigrette recipe is absolutely my favorite. It uses lemon juice as the acid with the added touch of grated rind. Whenever I serve this dressing inevitably someone asks me for the recipe. You will love it and find it one of those “go to” recipes from here on out.

The crisp tart apples, with the earthy cheese, the sharp snap of the onion with the spicy vinaigrette and arugula is topped off with the sweet crunchy nuts. Heavenly…

Candied Walnuts
 
.25 c of white sugar
2T water
.5 c walnuts, either whole or pieces
 
Prepare a baking tray by greasing with butter. A silpat mat also works well.
 
In heavy small saucepan combine the water and sugar and put on medium high heat.
 
Cook the sugar slurry until it boils and turns golden brown. This can take 10 mins or so. Once the color starts to turn it will come up quickly. If you have hot spots in your pan as evidenced by one area turning darker before another, swirl pan to even out the heat.
 
The sugar will continue to deepen after it has been removed from the heat, so pull the pan off the flame when it is one step BEFORE the color you want.
 
Off the flame toss in the nuts. With a wooden spoon stir the nuts to evenly coat. Then pour mixture onto prepared sheet pan and spread out.
 
DO NOT be tempted to touch the nuts until they are COMPLETELY cooled. I know you’re going to want to, they’re beautiful, smell great and look innocent- but they can seriously burn you, so please-please, give it a good 10 mins to cool if not longer. 
 
Once cool you can break up the nuts into pieces. Store unused portion in an airtight container in a dark, dry, cool place. Not in the fridge.
 
 
Lemon Vinaigrette “Watson”
 
1-2 lemons
grated zest from one lemon
spoonful of Dijon mustard
1clove crushed and finely minced garlic
good quality olive oil
salt
 
The reason for the vague ingredient amounts is I base my proportions on the amount of juice that comes out of the lemon(s). 
 
Into a small bowl first grate the zest of one lemon. Then juice the lemon into the bowl. You will want at least 3T of juice, so if the first lemon is short, go ahead and juice the second lemon in it’s entirety. It’s ok to have more than you need.
 
Then add into the bowl one teaspoon of dijon for every 3T of lemon juice. It’s ok to eyeball this. Use more dijon if you like your dressing on the spicy side.
 
Next add garlic and stir all together just a bit to break up and combine the mustard. Err on the side of lesser garlic as this dressing will get stronger as it sits.
 
Either using a fork or a small whisk, slowly dribble in the olive oil while continuously stirring the lemon mixture. The ratio is 1:3 juice to oil approx. You will notice as you are mixing that the dressing will begin to emulsify.
 
I taste test my dressing as I go along. If I need more oil I add it. It’s done when you can sense a balance on your tongue. Add the salt.
 
It has also happened that I will go back and taste the dressing one more time before I use it and balance it again.
 
Store unused dressing in a tight lidded container in the fridge for a week.
 
 
Apple Salad
 
serves 2
 
2 medium granny smith apples
~.25c red onion
1c baby arugula leaves
1oz high quality bleu cheese
small handful of candied walnuts
lemon vinaigrette to taste
S & P to taste
 
Using a mandoline or slicing tool if you have one, slice apples very thinly. Alternatively use a very sharp knife. First take a small slice out of the apple and lay that side down on the cutting board for stability. They very carefully slice the apples as thinly as possible.
 
Toss the apples with a small amount of dressing.
 
Slice the onions the same as the apples.
 
On a serving plate arrange the apples in an attractive stack. Atop the apples add some of the sliced onion and then some arugula. More arugula can be place on the plate alongside.
 
Sprinkle the stack with the nuts and cheese. Then drizzle more dressing over the top to taste.
 
Add a crusty bread and a glass of Verdiccio and you’ve got a lovely first course.
 

Bleu Cheese and Apple Stuffed Chicken {w blistered tomato pasta}

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Ah the ubiquitous chicken breast- and the endless possibilities…
 
The Fall gets me thinking about earthier flavors. I am drawn to rosemary now like no other time of the year. The oven can be turned on without concern, or more correctly, with relish.
 
Making packages, anything individual, is so enticing. Turnovers, petite fours, cupcakes etc, are tidy delights. Little jewels that for that bit of time make one feel royal and deserving.
 
Making chicken into packages is simply a way to turn the mundane into extraordinary on a Monday. And why not feel royal on a Monday?
 
Plump breasts were filleted off the bone, then butterflied and each half pounded to evenness. Do not let this step faze you- it’s no brain, just brawn. If you haven’t a mallet, lay the side of the knife and with fist wrapped in a towel gently pound. Filled with a mixture of grated apples, garlic, onions, bread crumbs, bleu cheese and olive oil, then wrapped with gorgeous slices of prosciutto.
 
 
Once slid into the oven it’s quick work of the pasta and tomatoes. Easy and comforting.
 
The wine for this was a California Chardonnay. Acidic enough to balance the cheese and rosemary, but with enough body to hold it’s own to the richness of the dish. I might even have gone for a San Giovese with good fruit and lower tannin.
 
 
 
Blue Cheese and Apple Stuffed Chicken
 
1 large chicken breast filleted off the bone, skin removed
.5 c grated granny smith apple
1 clove minced garlic
.5 cup minced onion
1 c fresh bread crumbs
1 oz flavorful bleu cheese
1T Olive oil
S&P
rosemary leaves, fresh preferred, dried is fine
 
 
Holding palm down on the top of the chicken breast and gently pressing down, slice a knife through the center to butterfly in half
 
Pound each half into evenness on a cutting board under a layer of plastic wrap
 
In separate bowl combine the filling ingredients. 
 
Divide the filling between the two chicken pieces, then roll up tucking under any untidy ends
 
Oil roasting pan and place chicken into pan. Wrap each breast with one piece of prosciutto, once again tucking under any stray bits
 
Lightly oil the tops and add sprigs of rosemary
 
Roast in 350˚ oven for ~35mins
 
 
Blistered Tomato Pasta
 
.25 package of spaghetti
1 large clove of garlic minced
generous handful of cherry tomatoes
3T olive oil
2T white balsamic vinegar
S & P
 
Prepare spaghetti according to the package and drain
 
In medium sautee pan heat oil on medium heat and gently sautee garlic, taking care not to burn which can result in bitterness
 
When garlic is almost golden toss in cherry tomatoes and sautee, shaking the pan for ~3 mins
 
Splash with the vinegar, then toss in the pasta to reheat and coat
 
S & P to taste
 
 
The recipe may be doubled or tripled with ease. It’s a great meal for entertaining as much of it can be readied beforehand. Prepare the chicken in advance and then pop it into the oven when your guests arrive. The pasta may be cooked earlier and then reheated with the making of the tomatoes. Once the pasta is tossed with the tomatoes I suggest a quick splash of a tablespoon or so of water and covering the pan with a lid. This will quickly steam the pasta and bring it up to temperature. This is so much better than wielding great pots of boiling water when trying to entertain.
 
 
 

Easy Entertaining: Feta spread with Minted Tomato Salad

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Lazy Sunday afternoons are my favorite time to gather people together. I have some sweet memories of when I was a kid and my parents would sometimes pack up my brother and me and head over to a friends house. My Father was in the antique business for the better part of my growing up, and a lot of his friends were in the business as well. In those days the wives were housewives and stayed home and watched Julia Child in the afternoon and then prepared elaborate meals for the evening. Entertaining was a wife’s domain and her pride. Putting out a luscious spread was their art and career. Those were the type of homes that we would visit.
You could count on walking into homes that smelled of good coffee, where The New York Times was strewn about, and opera or classical music played in the background. On the cocktail table would be delights, such as cheeses or pastries, to nibble on while the grown ups chatted. I’ve always loved stinky cheeses and crusty breads, and to lay on couches and eavesdrop on my Father’s business chats with his friends was heaven. I’ve always loved business talk and I learned quite a bit from nestling in the corner of that couch while the other kids ran around the yard. I could play at home all I wanted, but I loved the language and the calculations and the camaraderie that the adults shared.
Of course this would later manifest in my going into my own businesses, and as a result it felt as natural as falling off a log.
Though when it comes to entertaining, I have learned that the less fussing the better. I mean, sure, fuss away before guests arrive, but once the gathering has begun, I like to visit and relax. I often keep things at the ready too. To look in my cupboard or freezer you would think that I had a family of 8 (and don’t think I haven’t heard a word or two about it), but at the drop of a hat, I can pull out this and that and make a meal or snack- AND make Julia proud.
One quick and wonderful snack is this one above, which is also one of those delightful combinations that is greater than the sum of it’s parts. The spread is feta cheese that is whipped into submission with a little milk and garlic then laced with the best olive oil in the house. The tomatoes are simply tossed with a little oil and vinegar, but it’s the fresh hit of mint that sets this all into balance. If tomatoes are not available, cucumbers or some other juicy vegetable can work to offset the saltiness of the feta.
Lastly, flat bread is brushed with some oil and toasted. This really brings this all to life. A crunchy bread giving way to a soft inside is the perfect platform for this dish. Pile up some prosciutto to add to the party and then sit back and relax.