Farro, Kale & Squash Salad

Farro

• ¾ cup farro
• 1½ cups water
• Pinch of salt

Squash

• 4 cups cubed butternut squash (½-inch)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Kale

• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 5 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
• 1 bunch kale (about 8 ounces)
• 1¼ cups water, plus more as needed
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup toasted pepitas

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

To prepare farro: Toast farro in a medium saucepan over medium heat until lightly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1½ cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the farro is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain, if necessary; fluff with a fork.

To prepare squash: Meanwhile, toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

To prepare kale: Combine 6 tablespoons oil, vinegar, garlic, shallot, mustard and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Separate kale leaves from stems. Slice the leaves crosswise into strips and add to the bowl. Massage the dressing into the leaves until the volume is reduced by half.
5Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale stems and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add ¼ cup water, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Repeat four or five more times, each time adding ¼ cup water and steaming for 2 minutes, until the kale stems are tender. Transfer to a cutting board and slice on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces.

To assemble: Stir the farro and squash into the kale salad; arrange on a platter. Serve topped with the kale stems, feta and pepitas.

Serves 6; 372 calories.

VERDICT: I should have made this in January/February, when the magazine came out--in May, it was a bit hot to have the oven on and farro and kale steaming away.  It turned out well enough, but was a fair amount of chopping and roasting for a Thursday night.  Keep for winter weekends?

Edamame Pasta Salad

• 12 ounces gemelli or other short pasta
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking pasta
• 1 12-oz. bag frozen shelled edamame (about 2½ cups)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, seeds removed
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 ounces baby arugula
• 4 ounces crumbled feta (about 1 cup)
• ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions, adding edamame during the last 4 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium-high. Add lemon wedges, cut side down, and cook until well blistered, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate.

Reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid, drain pasta and edamame; transfer to a large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil; set aside until cool, 5 to 10 minutes.

Whisk together salt, vinegar, pepper, reserved cooking liquid, and remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Add to bowl with pasta and edamame along with arugula, feta, and walnuts; toss well. Squeeze seared lemon wedges over pasta.

Serves 4; 744 calories.

VERDICT:  This was also meant for the blizzarded-out dinner with Jen and Beth. It is nearly instantaneous (especially if you skip grilling the lemons, which I would in future) but a little underwhelming.  The pasta turned a weird gray color, and "serves four" seemed wildly inaccurate--I ate this forever.  Toss.

The Witty Comeback

• 2 ounces rye whiskey (preferably Old Overholt)
• ½ ounce Averna amaro
• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
• ½ ounce ginger simple syrup
• Orange twist (for serving)

Combine rye, Averna, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup in a cocktail shaker; fill shaker with ice. Shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass or a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with orange twist.

Ginger Simple Syrup

• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup chopped peeled ginger

Bring sugar, ginger, and ¾ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let sit 20 minutes. Strain into a jar, cover, and chill.

Yield: 1 drink.

VERDICT:  These were meant for dinner for Jen and Beth, which got blizzarded out--they turned out to be the perfect drink for a snowy day.  John and I drank them until the Old Overholt ran out (not as long as you'd think).  Keep!

Orange Orzo Salad with Almonds, Feta and Olives

• 8 ounces whole wheat orzo pasta (I used DeLallo brand)
• ½ cup raw almonds
• 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• ½ cup chopped green onion
• ½ cup raisins, preferably golden
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• ¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (from 1 to 2 oranges, preferably organic)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, reserve roughly ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain, and immediately rinse the orzo under cold running water until the orzo is no longer warm. Drain well.

Toast the almonds in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and turning golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a cutting board and chop them.
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked orzo, chopped almonds, parsley, olives, green onion, raisins, and feta (if using).

In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt. Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, and whisk until blended.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. It might seem like too much dressing at first, but don’t worry. Season with pepper, to taste.

Let the orzo salad rest for at least 10 minutes (or up to several hours in the refrigerator) so it has time to soak up the dressing. Season to taste with additional salt, if necessary, and serve. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Yield: 6 side servings.

VERDICT:  I made a double batch of this for a potluck at work--I had a million oranges to use up, and almonds and raisins from making granola--and it was just right.  Leftovers were good for a few days.  Keep!  From Cookie and Kate.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Parsley-Chive Swirl

• 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets 
• 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 3/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoons ground pepper, divided
• 1 1/4 cups fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh chives
• 6 cups low-sodium no-chicken or chicken broth
• 2 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.

Toss cauliflower and leeks with ½ cup oil and 1¼ teaspoons each salt and pepper in a very large bowl (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Divide the vegetables evenly between the prepared baking sheets. Roast, switching the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway, until soft and browned on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place parsley, chives and the remaining ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a blender; pulse several times to chop, scraping down the sides once or twice. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining 1 cup oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and rinse out the blender.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large pot and add broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in vinegar. Serve with some of the herb sauce swirled on top.

To make ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Serves 6; 329 calories.

VERDICT:  This reminded me strongly of our family spinach dip, which I think comes from the black pepper.  It's a fair number of dishes, but few enough ingredients, one of which is the ever-present chive!  We made this with the first chives of the season--just before they started to flower.  Keep.