Winter Brussel Sprout Salad

My little garden is a constant source of inspiration for the dinner table at our house. Being able to watch my food grow has made seasonal produce take on a whole new meaning. I grew my own tomatoes last year and the intense aroma of fruit ripening on the vine, still glistening with early morning dew, is absolutely incomparable to the 'fresh' product available in supermarkets. 

The unfortunate reality is that people want their food to be perfect in shape and completely blemish-free, which leads to large supermarket chains buying foods that store and travel well. Just take a look at the rock-hard and under-ripe avocados, and watery, white strawberries when you see them in the shop next and you'll know what I mean. It's great if you want a salad bowl full of fruit on display for three weeks but not so great if you're after real flavour.

Andrew Swallow, graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (the college of my dreams) and author of 'Mixt Salads' (a vibrant book jammed with seasonal salad recipes, some beautiful photography, tips on how to eat sustainably and create your own exciting salads!) inspired me to put a winter salad together.

I combined Brussels sprouts, crisp white icicle radish (you could of course use red radishes instead) and smoked bacon that I pan-fried until crunchy and caramelised with a horseradish dressing and some kvarg. Let's be honest, what doesn't taste better with smoked bacon in it? I really love the sharp, zingy flavour of kvarg here too as I think it works well with the bite of horseradish. The dressing is light and creamy, slightly sweet but mainly acidic.

Winter Brussels Sprout Salad

58 g Brussels sprouts, leaves only

21 g white radishes, thinly sliced

30 g smoked bacon, rind removed

30 g kvarg

Separate the Brussels sprout leaves by cutting off the stem and pulling it apart layer by layer. 

Cut the inner core into quarters.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.

Blanch Brussels sprout leaves into water until just cooked.

Remove and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process.

Drain and dry the leaves.

Slice the bacon into small, bite-sized pieces.

Pan-fry until crispy.

Reserve the rendered fat for the dressing.

Toss together the Brussels sprout leaves, sliced radish and smoked bacon.

Transfer onto a plate and dot around small amounts of kvarg.

Horseradish Dressing

3 g horseradish cream

3 g light syrup

7 g apple cider vinegar

1 g smoked bacon fat

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Add a small pinch of salt and taste.

Drizzle over the salad.

Cathy Xiao Chen

Rhubarb Crumble

A few days ago I caught up with someone who was once a very special person in my life. Years have gone by since we last conversed but she's still the same striking, unconventional, deeply intelligent and self-possessed woman that I remember. It's strange - even after so much time apart we met again with the same comfort and ease. Amidst the frantic pace, I'd resigned myself long ago to the thought of never seeing her again. Together in the silences, sitting close enough to trace her hands, her face, her lips; I wanted so much to cast off my remaining inhibitions and blurt out "I've never stopped loving you".

Somewhere on the journey home I realised that occasionally a taste is required to remind ourselves of the things that we've always loved and momentarily forgotten.

After a long leave of absence, rhubarb crumble made a reappearance at the dining table to much delight, and perhaps, even a little surprise. It's been a while since I've given a humble crumble the time of day. I've come to consider it as a "fallback dessert" - possible to whip up with minimal ingredients and the most meagre of tools.

Baked in the oven with a sprinkling of light brown sugar sugar for a boost of extra caramelisation and served while still warm with a zealous dollop of cold and tangy yoghurt, some old loves are truly worth pining for.

Rhubarb Crumble

half a dozen stems of rhubarb 
1 apple
2 small mandarins, zested and juiced
white sugar
butter
vanilla extract
flour
a sprinkling of salt flakes
muscovado sugar
lots of yoghurt

Give the rhubarb a rinse and dry.
Finely slice stems and place in a pot.
Dice the apple into small cubes and add to rhubarb.
Add mandarin juice to pot and cook over medium heat, stirring every now and then until apples have collapsed.
Add white sugar to taste and cook for a few minutes until jammy.
Stir through mandarin zest and spoon into a ceramic dish.
Rub about half a cup of diced cold butter with a large pinch of castor sugar, a small pinch of salt,
vanilla and enough flour to form a clumpy, breadcrumby consistency.
Sprinkle this over the rhubarb in a thick layer.
Sprinkle a little rapadura sugar over the crumble topping.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180ºC or until golden and bubbling.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving with a generous amount of yoghurt.

Cathy Xiao Chen

Beet salad

Seasonal eating means enjoying the produce (and fish) that is currently available in your region, and avoiding foods that have to be grown in greenhouses or shipped from far away when not in season. Eating seasonally is a great way to save energy in food production and to enjoy foods on a deeper level: fruits and vegetables taste better when they are in season! This blog is written in Sweden and therefore, at this time of year, eating seasonally means enjoying many root vegetables and winter greens.

It's late winter here in Sweden and happily it's possible to enjoy fresh beets at this time of year. Beets are a winter crop and can either be stored to last throughout the cold season, or left in the ground, insulated by a blanket of straw and snow, and harvested when needed.

This salad is a great way to enjoy the earthy flavour of beets. The sharp dressing is an excellent foil for the slight sweetness of beets. Polka beets, if you can find them, are perfect in this recipe. They are slightly milder than red beets, and their red-and-white interior fades to a lovely peach when cooked.

Beet salad - adapted from Modern fransk husmanskost by Yvan Cadiou

Serves two

4 smallish beets or 2 large ones (raw or boiled until soft)
one small red onion or half a larger one
1 1/2 tbsp of white wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil (or slightly less, to taste)
salt and peppar
1/2 tbsp dried parsley

• Scrub the raw beets, if using, but do not peel them. Boil until soft (at least twenty minutes, depending on the age and size of the beets). Drain and allow to cool. 
• While the beets are cooking, prepare the dressing: whisk together the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Slice the onion thinly and arrange in a serving bowel. Pour over half the dressing and blend well with the onion. Doing this while the beets are cooking will give the onion time to macerate and become milder in flavour. 
• When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim and peel them and cut into good-size pieces. 
• Mix the beets, parsley and the rest of the dressing with the onions. Let stand an additional twenty minutes before serving to give the flavours time to develop. Excellent on its own, or serve on green salad leaves. 

Dawn Anthony

Jerusalem artichoke soup

Seasonal eating means enjoying the produce (and fish) that is currently available in your region, and avoiding foods that have to be grown in greenhouses or shipped from elsewhere during the winter, for example. Eating seasonally is a great way to save energy in food production and to enjoy foods on a deeper level: fruits and vegetables taste better when they are in season! This blog is written in Sweden and therefore, at this time of year, eating seasonally means enjoying many root vegetables and winter greens.

It's very much still winter in most of northern Europe, which can make seasonal eating seem like a chore at times. I for one long for the first fresh vegetables of spring, but for now there's still lots that can be done with seasonal winter vegetables!

Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes, are not related to the artichoke, but rather to the sunflower! They have lovely, small roots with pinkish skin and a light, slightly nutty taste. Add them to root vegetable bakes, boil and serve whole like potatoes, mash them by themselves or as part of potato mash, or try this soup:

 

Jerusalem artichoke soup

Ingredients
300 g Jerusalem artichokes
1 large or 2 smaller shallots
1 vegetable bouillon cube
about 1 dl of cream or non-dairy cream
a splash (.5 - 1 dl) or dry white wine (optional)
1/2 tsp tarragon
salt and pepper
butter or oil to fry

1. Scrub the Jerusalem artichoke, cut them into smallish pieces so they will cook quickly. Drop them into a bowl of cool water to prevent discoloration. If the skin seems particularly rough, thick or hard to get clean, peel them first.
2. Finely dice the shallots and saute them in the butter or oil in a pot until they are softened but not browning.  (If you are using the wine, add it now to deglaze the pan, loosening any tasty bits of shallot and butter that may be clinging to the pot).
3. Add the Jerusalem artichokes, vegetable bouillon cube and 3 dl of water to the pot. Simmer over medium heat until the Jerusalem artichokes are soft, 10-15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup. Thin to taste with the cream. Add tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Warm gently through.

Serve with toasted French bread and a green salad. Recipe serves two, add another 300 g Jerusalem artichokes or 2 medium potatoes to serve more.

What are your favourite uses for this versatile root?

Dawn Anthony

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