Why do Mom and I like this one GEICO spot so much? Using all of her considerable psychological insight, Mom theorizes that it's because the camel ad was played over and over and over again during telecasts of Virginia basketball games this year (and we all know how that turned out—even Cassie, I think), so that this ad and the joy of UVA hoops are now hard-wired together in the pleasure centers in our brains. Whatever the reason, we do get a kick out of hollering "Guess what day it is?," "Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike," and "Hump Daaaay!" every Wednesday morning, even if Brad and Cass don't share our enthusiasm and wonder if the old folks haven't gone around the bend once and for all.
*********
I picked up some beautiful dinosaur kale from the Whisper Hill Farm stand at the City Market last weekend. This type of kale is also known as Tuscan or Lacinato kale, but I go with dinosaur because it really does resemble what I imagine scaly dinosaur skin was like:
Dinosaur kale is especially good for use in salads because it's more tender than curly-leaf or red kale, but even dinosaur kale needs some work before you can use it raw in a salad. That work consists of "massaging" the stemmed and sliced kale vigorously for 60 to 90 seconds, which is all it takes to "[break] down the cell walls in much the same way that heat would, darkening the leaves and turning them silky" enough to use raw, as America's Test Kitchen explains.
I had a bad run of recipe testing recently, turning out a lot of mediocre food trying to find some new and exciting vegetarian main dishes (that aren't pasta) to add to our repertoire. But the last few have turned out really well, and I'm happy to work Chickpea Quesadillas, Black Bean Burgers, and this kale salad into our semi-regular rotation. This is another winner from America's Test Kitchen, though I did have a very rare and utter failure trying to make pomegranate molasses using the ATK recipe.* After two aborted attempts, I finally turned to Alton Brown's recipe from Good Eats, which seems to be the internet standard, and it was simpler and turned out just fine. This dish was so good that, mirabile dictu, even Cassie, who normally shuns anything even resembling a salad, ate not one but two helpings.
---------
* Cook's Illustrated has since published another recipe that is faster and much less sweet than Alton Brown's, which I made and like and which I've added below.
Massaged Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
From America’s Test Kitchen via the Associated Press
Time: ~1 hour
Dinosaur/Tuscan/Lacinato kale is the easiest to stem and to break down using the massaging technique, but curly and red kale will work, too. If you use either of those varieties, increase the massaging time to 4 to 5 minutes. Baby kale won’t work.
Salad
1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces/340 grams dinosaur/Tuscan/Lacinato kale (see note)
5 ounces/142 grams (½ head) radicchio, cored and sliced thin (the linked video is for cabbage, but it’s the same technique)
33 grams (⅓ cup) toasted and chopped pecans (I use Trader Joe's Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces)
Parmesan cheese, shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
Vinaigrette
30 grams (2 tablespoons) water
30 grams (1½ tablespoons) pomegranate molasses (store-bought or recipes below)
1 tablespoon (~7 grams) minced shallot (½ of a small shallot)
21 grams (1 tablespoon) honey
15 grams (1 tablespoon) cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon (rounded) fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
53 grams (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1. For the salad: Place a rack in the center rung of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, coat the sweet potato pieces with the oil, then season with a good pinch of kosher salt and a few twists of black pepper. Spread the pieces evenly across the bottom of an 18-by-13-inch baking sheet (lined with parchment paper if you like). Roast until tender and slightly caramelized, about 25 minutes, stirring once after 12 minutes. Transfer to a large plate (this is easier with a parchment sling) and cool for about 10 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are roasting, stem the kale, then cut it crosswise into ¾-inch strips. In your largest serving or salad bowl, use your hands to vigorously squeeze and massage the kale until the leaves are uniformly darkened and slightly wilted, about 60 to 90 seconds.
3. For the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk the water, pomegranate molasses, shallot, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly.
4. To assemble the salad: Add the massaged kale, radicchio, and sweet potatoes to the large bowl with the vinaigrette. Using your hands, gently toss the veggies until they are evenly coated with the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to the serving or salad bowl. Sprinkle with pecans and shaved Parmesan. Makes 6–8 servings.
Tart Pomegranate Molasses
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated (Jan/Feb 2018)
Time: ~20 minutes
2 cups 100% pomegranate juice
½ teaspoon granulated white sugar
a pinch of salt
Place the juice, sugar, and salt in a heavy duty 12-inch skillet (not nonstick) over high heat. Bring to a simmer, then adjust the heat down as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until reduced to ⅓ cup, stirring and scraping the pan occasionally, about 15 minutes. The mixture will be thick and syrupy, and the spatula should leave a trail in the bottom of the pan. Cool slightly before storing in a small glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 month. Makes ⅓ cup.
Pomegranate Molasses
Adapted from Alton Brown via the Food Network (with video)
Time: ~1 hour or more
4 cups (1 quart/32 fluid ounces) 100% pomegranate juice
100 grams (½ cup) granulated white sugar
15 grams (1 tablespoon) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. Place the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a very energetic simmer, but not boiling over, until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, up to 1 hour or more. By then, it should be the consistency of a thick syrup and coat the back of a spoon.
2. Remove from the heat and cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar (that holds a little over 8 ounces) and cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 6 months. (Label the jar with a piece of masking tape on which you wrote the date you made the molasses.) Makes 1 cup.
No comments:
Post a Comment