Farro and Kale Salad

Last Year's Post:  Grilled Lobster Cobb Salad
Two Years Ago:   Lemon Polenta Cake

This salad works because of the balance of flavors and textures:  chewy farro, slightly bitter kale, sweet cherries, cool cucumber, toasty walnuts, and creamy goat cheese.  Farro is a perfect choice for a vegetarian meal because it's a great source of both fiber and protein so it's satisfying and filling. (Of course you could always add cooked chicken or turkey if you really want to.)  The kale adds nutritional benefits and, because you're using the slightly more delicate Tuscan kale rather than the sturdier curly kale, it doesn't even need to be blanched before adding to the salad.

The farro needs to be cooked and cooled before adding the other ingredients, so be sure to start an hour or so ahead of eating, or cook the farro the day prior and refrigerate.  Then it's a matter of simple, fast chopping and assembly so it makes a great and healthy weeknight meal.

If you're not familiar with farro, it's a rustic Italian grain with a nutty flavor and chewy texture.  You can generally find it at health food stores in a package like this, or the bulk aisle of your grocery store.

This particular brand is pearled, which means some of the bran has been removed so it will cook faster.  Although brands will vary in cooking time, this one only requires fifteen minutes of simmering.  Check your package when you make the recipe. Toasting the farro in olive oil prior to cooking enhances the nutty, toasty flavor.

I decided to partially peel the cucumber in stripes for fun, but you can choose to peel or not.  The kale gets washed, stemmed and shredded (or finely chopped) before adding to the salad.

Add in the cherries, veggies, walnuts and goat cheese, and you're good to go.

printable recipe

Farro and Kale Salad

Serves 4

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 small shallot, diced

1 cup farro, rinsed

2 sprigs fresh oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

Juice of 1 lemon, divided

Juice of ½ orange

5-6 steams Tuscan kale, stemmed and finely chopped

½ cup dried cherries or 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved

1/3 English cucumber, partially peeled, seeds removed and chopped

4 ounces goat cheese

  

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the shallot and cook, stirring often, until the shallots have softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the farro and toast in the olive oil, stirring often, for about 4 minutes.  Stir in two cups of water, the oregano and ½ teaspoon salt.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover and cook according to farro package directions, usually about 15 minutes.  Taste after 15 minutes – the farro should be tender but still chewy.  Remove the oregano sprigs and drain the farro. 

In a large bowl, whisk together half the lemon juice, the orange juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.  Add the warm farro and toss to coat.  Let cool. (May be refrigerated at this point.)

When the farro has cooled, add the remaining lemon juice, kale, cherries, cucumber and walnuts and toss to combine.  Crumble in the goat cheese, toss gently just to mix, and serve.

Roast Pork, Fennel and Green Bean Salad

Last Year's Post: Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches
Two Years Ago:   Pork with Fennel and Caper Sauce

As far as pork goes, the tenderloin tends to be my cut of choice because it doesn't dry out and become tough and chewy like larger pork roasts or pork chops often do.  Being a big fan of all things Costco, I particularly like their pork tenderloins because they're excellent quality, don't have any injected chemicals or liquids, and of course they're less expensive than anywhere else on the planet.  As a result, I tend to have several pork tenderloins in the freezer at any given time and am always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to use them.

Besides being delicious and healthy, this pork tenderloin salad has several other advantages: you can serve it cold or at room temperature (or theoretically hot, although that wasn't the original intent), you can prepare and serve it all in one day, or break the prep up into three days as I did.  If you're a planner/organizer, the three day approach works well because it's just a little bit of time each day and the pork is absolutely the best.  And this salad is all about the pork - the intensely aromatic garlic and herb seasoning gives the roast outstanding flavor, while roasting and refrigerating it afterwards ensure moist, perfect slices.  Although it makes a great entree salad, I could definitely see using it for a really outstanding sandwich. It's that good.

As I said, you can prepare the pork over three days by applying the rub on day one, roasting on day two, and slicing/eating on day three.  Or, you could condense it into one day by applying the rub in the morning and roasting at mid-day to refrigerate for a few hours before slicing.  It'll turn out great either way.

After the pork is ready, all you have to do is prep the beans and fennel, make a quick lemon salad dressing, and serve everything topped with walnuts and goat cheese.  (If you don't like goat cheese, feel free to substitute feta or blue cheese, or leave it out entirely.) For those who aren't all that familiar with how to trim, core and slice fennel, it's actually very easy.  Cut the skinny tops off the bulb, then cut the bulb in half.  Cut out the triangular hard core with a small knife, then place each half on its side and thinly slice it crosswise.

The beans and fennel add crunch and fresh vegetable-y flavor to the salad that contrasts nicely with the soft pork, creamy cheese and rich nuts.  And did I mention healthy?  A winner all around.

printable recipe

Cold Pork Roast, Fennel and Green Bean Salad

Serves 4

Note:  The pork should be seasoned at least a few hours in advance of cooking, or up to one day ahead.  After roasting, the pork should cool to room temperature before serving; it may be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

For the pork roast:

1 (approx 1.25 lb) boneless pork tenderloin

Kosher salt

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1.5 tablespoons roughly chopped fennel fronds, plus more for optional garnish

1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon roughly chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon roughly chopped sage

1 tablespoon roughly chopped marjoram

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the salad:

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces green beans, trimmed

2 small or 1 large head of fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced

½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Season the pork generously on all sides with salt.  In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings (garlic through olive oil) for the roast.  Pat and rub the mixture on all sides of the tenderloin, then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 400d.  Remove the pork from the refrigerator while the oven preheats.  Place a rack in a roasting pan.  Unwrap the pork, place on the rack, and roast for about 25 minutes until it registers 140d.  Let cool to room temperature before serving.  If desired, after cooling wrap and refrigerate the pork for up to 24 hours, then return to room temperature.

For the salad dressing, put garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk in olive oil.

Blanch beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and place in an ice bath.  Drain again and pat dry.  Put beans and fennel in a bowl, season lightly with salt and toss with some of the dressing.  Let stand for a few minutes to slightly soften the fennel.

To serve, cut pork into ¼” slices.  Arrange pork, fennel and green beans on each plate; top with walnuts and goat cheese.  Pass remaining salad dressing at the table. 

Spaghetti with Chicken, Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes

Last Year's Post: Pasta Primavera
Two Years Ago:  Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts

Spaghetti doesn't always come to mind as a spring or summer food, mainly because we normally associate it with a heavy red sauce and meatballs.  This dish is quite different - vibrant with herbs, lemon and fresh cherry tomatoes, it's actually best served at room temperature rather than hot or cold like a pasta salad.  There's something very summery and refreshing about lemon, herbs and tomatoes, don't you think?

I found the original recipe online and was attracted to it because it's so pretty.  I made some significant changes along the way - decreasing some ingredients, increasing others, and serving it at room temperature - to make more to my preference.  Before I made it, I thought it was going to need an additional ingredient or two - preferably crunchy and/or green - because it seemed too simple.....pasta, herbs, chicken, tomatoes.  I was happy to find out it doesn't need anything else at all.  But because it's a relatively simple dish, the quality and proportions of the ingredients are important.  Use the freshest herbs and freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and seriously consider splurging on the more expensive Parmigiano-Reggiano (rather than regular parmesan) because it's a important component in the finished dish. If you use regular parmesan it'll still be good, just not as good.

A couple of other key points make a big difference as well.  First, note that the chicken is marinated  so plan ahead - overnight is preferable for the best flavor.  And when you cook the chicken, let it saute undisturbed for a couple of minutes to develop a nice brown color - browning helps deepen the flavor.  But don't worry about browning the second side - if you do, the chicken will probably get over-cooked and dry.  Just be sure the chicken is almost cooked through before removing it from the pan, and let carry-over cooking take care of the rest.

The next tip is to use lots of fresh herbs, and add some of them right before serving when everything is at room temperature so the herbs don't wilt and lose their bright taste.  Parsley is a key (and often over-looked) herb here.  And finally, be sure to serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over everything - that bright hit of lemon heightens all the other flavors and makes it even more summery.

printable recipe

Spaghetti with Chicken, Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes

Makes 4 servings

10-12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus more to moisten the pasta)

½ teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

8 oz dry spaghetti

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

2 cups whole small cherry tomatoes plus more for garnish (Optional)

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup parsley, chopped, divided

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1 lemon, quartered

Add the thyme and next six ingredients (through black pepper) to the chicken pieces in a large zip-top bag and marinate refrigerated for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight (much better).

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions.  Drain well; drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to prevent sticking. Set aside to cool.

Drain the chicken pieces.  Preheat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add the chicken pieces; spread out into one layer and allow to cook undisturbed for approximately 2 minutes until golden.  Flip the chicken pieces and turn the heat down to medium low; continue to cook for approximately 2 more minutes until almost cooked through (they will continue to cook somewhat as they cool). Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

In the same sauté pan, add butter and olive oil over medium-low heat until the butter melts.  Sauté garlic until fragrant and soft, about 1 minute.    Add cherry tomatoes and cook until softened and slightly collapsed, 3-4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

 Add the chicken pieces to the tomato mixture, then toss with the cooked spaghetti.  Add the basil, half of the parsley and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to the dish and let cool completely to room temperature. Moisten with a little additional olive oil if the pasta looks dry after cooling.  Before serving, taste and adjust seasonings, then finish the dish with the remaining chopped parsley and grated cheese (serve extra on the side if desired).  Garnish with a few extra cherry tomatoes on top, optional.  Serve with lemon quarters for squeezing on top.