République Date Butter Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Los Angeles Times
At République, the menu listed the dish as “roasted yams,” but it’s actually made with sweet potatoes. True yams have tough, brown bark-like skin and starchy flesh similar to yucca; they’re also hard to find. Sweet potatoes, including the confusingly named Garnet yams, are readily available at markets where they’re often labeled yams.
Although Thao Family Farms’ sweet potato season is over, you can make this recipe with the ones sold in supermarkets year round. We tested this recipe with orange, purple and white sweet potatoes and they all taste great when roasted with Manzke’s date butter and topped with his bright salad. If you’re cooking for only one or two, make the full batch of sweet potatoes to enjoy all week long, tossing the cold salad fresh each time you eat it or using any leftovers to bake sweet potato bread.
The contrast of hot caramelized sweet potatoes with cold lemony arugula, radicchio and fennel makes this the ideal salad. It’s both warming and refreshing, and the savory shaved Parmesan on top ties it all together.
6 sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), scrubbed and halved lengthwise
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 sprigs fresh thyme
16 Medjool dates, pitted and cut into ¼-inch rings
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 head of radicchio, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise
5 ounces wild baby arugula
2 Mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Shaved Parmesan, to serve
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Toss the sweet potato halves with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper on the prepared sheet. Arrange in a single layer, cut sides down, spacing about an inch apart. Scatter the thyme evenly over the sweet potatoes. Roast until cut sides are browned and a paring knife slides easily through a sweet potato, 45 to 55 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine one quarter of the sliced dates with ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the dates have absorbed all the water and are soft enough to smash, about 15 minutes. (If the pan dries out before the dates are soft, add another tablespoon or two of water.) Use a fork to smash the dates into a coarse paste. Add the butter to the saucepan and smash until evenly mixed. It’s OK if the butter melts in the process.
4. Place the radicchio in a large bowl and cover with ice-cold water. Let soak for 10 minutes to temper the bitterness. Add the fennel to the bowl, submerging it in the water and adding more water if needed to cover. Let soak together for 5 minutes to crisp the fennel. After soaking, drain both the radicchio and fennel in a colander, shaking well to dry. Refrigerate both in the colander until ready to serve.
5. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and carefully flip all the sweet potatoes cut sides up. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Divide the date butter among the cut sides and gently spread evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to the oven and roast until the date butter caramelizes on top, 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the radicchio and fennel to a large bowl and add the arugula, Mandarin oranges and remaining sliced dates. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Drizzle the lemon juice over the salad and toss to coat again.
7. Divide the sweet potatoes among serving plates and top with the salad and Parmesan shavings. Serve immediately.
Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Vegetables With Burrata
New York Times
A colorful platter of soft, grilled vegetables in a sweet and spicy sauce can be the centerpiece of a light summery meal; just add some creamy cheese for richness and crusty bread to round things out. This recipe is extremely adaptable. You mix and match the vegetables, increasing the amounts of your favorites (or the ones you can get your hands on), and skipping anything you don’t have. And if your grill is large enough, you can make several different kinds of vegetables at the same time. Just don’t crowd them so they cook evenly.
Ingredients
For The Sweet-And-Spicy Sauce:
¼ cup chopped raisins, preferably golden, or dried apricots
⅔ cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar (or a combination)
2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce or colatura (optional)
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Pinch of fine sea salt
For The Vegetables (Use Any Or All):
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 bell peppers, quartered, stems and seeds removed
1 to 2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick
1 small eggplant, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick
2 to 4 ears yellow corn, shucked
8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered
1 bunch thick asparagus, ends snapped
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, preferably still on the vine
For Serving:
2 small burrata or fresh mozzarella balls, or 2 cups fresh ricotta
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil or mint leaves, for serving
Crusty bread slices
Preparation
1. Make the sauce: Put raisins or apricots in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, honey, fish sauce or colatura (if using), red-pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the mixture reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour over the raisins and let cool. Taste and stir in a little more honey if the sauce is too harsh. (Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)
2. Prepare the vegetables: Oil the grill grate and light the grill. Have a serving platter at the ready.
3. Grill the peppers, zucchini, eggplant and corn directly on the grate, in batches if necessary, and turning them as needed. Move them around the grate so they cook evenly. Cook until they are lightly charred, watching them carefully, 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the vegetable.
4. To grill the mushrooms and asparagus, place them in a grilling basket if you have one, or put directly on the grill. (Arrange the asparagus perpendicular to the grates so they don’t fall through.) Grill, turning as needed, until charred all over, 6 to 10 minutes. Grill the cherry tomatoes, using the vine as a handle if possible, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they start to burst and char slightly. Transfer all the vegetables as they cook directly to the serving platter.
5. Add the cheese to the platter next to the vegetables. Immediately drizzle everything with some of the sauce, stirring it up to get the raisins, and with olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper and scatter the herbs generously on top. Serve the extra sauce and the bread alongside for making crostini with some of the vegetables and more of the tangy sauce.
Risotto with Smoked Turkey, Leeks, and Mascarpone
Food and Wine
The mascarpone gives this risotto its delectable creaminess. If you like, you can make a close substitute with 2 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature, and 7 ounces of heavy cream. Whir them in a blender just until smooth; don't blend the mixture too long or it may curdle. Also, you can use a large onion in place of the leeks.
Ingredients
5 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock, more if needed
1 cup water, more if needed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt
1 6-ounce piece smoked turkey, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup mascarpone cheese
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1-1/2 pounds leeks (about 3), white and light-green parts only, cut crosswise into thin slices and washed well
How To Make It
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and water to a simmer.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir until it begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the wine and salt to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until all of the wine has been absorbed.
4. Add about 1/2 cup of the simmering broth to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the broth has been completely absorbed. The rice and broth should bubble gently; adjust the heat as needed. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time and allowing the rice to absorb the stock before adding the next 1/2 cup. Cook the rice in this way until tender, 25 to 30 minutes in all. The broth that hasn't been absorbed should be thickened by the starch from the rice. You may not need to use all of the liquid, or you may need to add more broth or water. Stir in the turkey, cheese, and pepper.
Japanese-Style Tuna Noodle Salad
New York Times
Here’s a simple udon salad I picked up from the chef and entrepreneur Bart van Olphen, who elevates canned tuna to the heights of deliciousness. Van Olphen dresses the noodles in what he calls wafu dressing, which translates roughly as Japanese-style: a sweet-salty vinaigrette of soy, sesame oil, mirin and rice vinegar. I add a little sweet miso for texture and taste, and increase the amount of seaweed in the salad as well. Garnish with sesame seeds or furikake, the Japanese seasoning blend, and you have a superior tuna casserole. It is as good served cold as hot.
Ingredients
For The Salad:
¼ cup cut dried wakame seaweed
8 ounces dried udon noodles (or whatever noodles you have on hand)
1 to 2 tablespoons furikake or sesame seeds
10 to 12 ounces tuna in oil, drained
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
For The Dressing:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sweet miso
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high, and set the wakame in a small bowl. Once the water comes to a boil, ladle or pour enough over the wakame to cover it by 2 inches; let the wakame soak for 10 minutes. Transfer the wakame to a colander to drain and cool; set aside.
2. While the wakame soaks, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk to combine the sesame oil, canola oil, rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy sauce and miso; set aside.
4. In a small skillet, lightly toast the sesame seeds, if using, over medium-low heat until fragrant; set aside.
5. Drain the cooked noodles in the colander, then transfer to a wide, shallow serving bowl. Add the wakame and about 3/4 of the dressing, and toss to coat. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top each portion with tuna, drizzle with the remaining dressing, then sprinkle with the scallions and furikake or sesame seeds. Serve hot, cold or anywhere in between.
