Citrus Salad

Here at The Greasy Skillet, our fruit bowl is always teeming with seasonal fruit. Lately our local grocery store has been carrying a variety of apple called Pinata. This is the first time I've ever tried a Pinanata which isn't surprising considering that there are a whopping 7,500 varieties of apples out there. My family likes the Pinata's sweet and tart flavor and crunchiness.

We've also been eating a lot of oranges and grapefruit. Usually we eat our fruit straight up, but sometimes we have our fruit co-star in a recipe like the following:

Citrus Salad

Vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
• 2 teaspoons finely grated grapefruit peel
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

***The key to this dressing is the grated citrus peel. It gives this dressing a bright flavor.

Salad:

• 1 bag of mixed greens
• 2 small pink or ruby grapefruits, all peel and pith cut away, segments cut from between membranes
• 2 oranges, with peel and pith cut away, segments cut from between membranes
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  

Preparation:

Vinaigrette:

Whisk vinegar, mustard, citrus peels, and honey in small bowl. gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Salad:

Place greens in salad bowl and add a little bit of dressing. Toss. Add more dressing until you have the desired amount. Plate salad and top with orange and grapefruit segments. Sprinkle feta on salad. Enjoy.

take care,

muddy

Roasted Vegetables and Pasta

At one time I was a stickler for following recipes. I'd make special trips to the grocery store to track down one ingredient for a recipe. Now I usually allow the ingredients I have on hand to determine the direction of a recipe, and as I get older, I find myself ditching recipes altogether. Some of you know that this is the best way to cook.This approach was handy during this recent bout of winter weather when going to the grocery store wasn't an option. The following is a recipe that I adapt to fit ingredients I might have on hand. I encourage you to do the same:

Roasted Vegetables and Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut up a variety of vegetables. Last week I used mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, onions (cut into wedges), zucchini , yellow squash, and garlic. Place the veggies in a roasting pan.
3. Mix 1/3 cup olive oil with 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
4. Pour olive oil-balsamic vinegar over the bowl of veggie mixture, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
5. If you want some meat with your meal, feel free to add it. I used Italian sausage this time. I just removed the casing, and cut the sausage into chunks. You could also use chicken or shrimp. If you use shrimp, I would add it the last 3-4 minutes. If you use meat, simply place it on top of the veggies.
   
6. Place roasting pan in the oven and roast for 30 to 45 minutes. I usually stir everything about half way through cooking.
7. Serve with cooked pasta and some Parmesan cheese.

The aroma of the vegetables roasting will make you very happy, and it might inspire you to knit a scarf. The taste will make you sound a barbaric "yawp over the roofs the world." Even if you choose not to add any meat to the dish, the yawp will be barbaric.

throw the map out the window and drive,

muddy

Culinary Souvenirs from Charleston

My mother collects rocks as travel souvenirs. My mother-in-law prefers acquires little teaspoons when she travels. My wife and daughter collect pressed pennies. I collect bumper stickers that I plaster on filing cabinets in my classroom, but I also seek out recipes as travel souvenirs.

There's no better way to relive a trip than by gathering around the table to enjoy stories and flavors from past travels. Each time my family gathers at the table to enjoy a meal of goulash and knedliky we're strolling down the streets of Prague without leaving Kansas.

While in Charleston, I encountered a lot of great food, so it was easy to pick some flavors that will help me conjure visions of the city's wrought iron fences, beautiful gardens, and eclectic architecture.

The following are five dishes that I'm going to attempt to replicate, so that I can get my Charleston fix without leaving the Sunflower State:

1. Bacon jam - I know this might seem like a misprint, but bacon jam is real. Go ahead and google it. At McCrady's I was served a small dollop of this jam with a roasted chicken. It's smokey, sweet flavor rocked my world. This is the recipe I'll be trying.
   
   


2. Caramelized pears: At Slighly North of Broad I ordered a salad that came with caramelized pears. The pears had a light candy coating on them à la creme brulee. I've already tried replicating this at home using the broiler in my oven, but I couldn't achieve the crunchy coating. I might need to buy a kitchen torch.


3. Creamed barley: At SNOB I had the sauteed flounder, and it was served on a bed of creamy barley. I liked the creamy texture and the crunch of the barley. It was more like a risotto.


4. Grits: Do I need to say more?


5. Hoppin' John: Hoppin' John is a simple Southern dish consisting of rice and black-eyed peas. About eight years ago, I made this dish, but at the time I didn't know how to cook rice, so it turned out lumpy and glumpy. After eating this dish at Poogan's Porch, I'm ready to prepare it again. I like their Hoppin' John because it contained a tinge of heat to it.


6. BBQ Au Jus: My flounder at SNOB was also served with a bit of BBQ au jus that paired well with the fish and barley. The au jus was smokey, sweet, and salty. It's convinced me that I need to do more with sauces in my cooking.
   



keep on the sunny side,




muddywaters