hot salad & other stories: next-overs
(Archive from April 15, 2022) This week felt so long. To me, next-overs are the greatest thing if I’m having a busy week. It’s an upgrade to leftovers, it asks ‘what’s next?’ instead of eating the same thing on repeat. This week it was roasted golden beets, parsnips, and carrots that got used two different ways, and another I have on deck. I chopped the vegetables into large chunks. The beets were roasted on one sheet tray and the parsnips/carrots on another, only with a little olive oil and salt at 400F until they were soft on the inside and crispy on the edges.
NEXTOVERS
Version #1
Combine 1 cup yogurt with a number of spices, like harissa, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper of course. Spread it out over the bottom of a plate. Pile on warm or chilled roasted vegetables. Slice half a Serrano pepper, some parsley, and mint to scatter over top–herbs are really just vegetable sprinkles!! I like to add a little bit of granola sprinkled over the dish, too.
Version #2
Use your favorite long bun–a demi baguette, brioche, or bolillo roll. Cut it in half the long way, and spread a layer of mayo and mustard on either side. Layer in sautéed or raw greens, roasted vegetables, and house-made mixed pickles. Add thin slices of hard cheese, or crumble in feta or goat cheese. I like to splash a little fermented hot sauce over the whole thing.
Version #3 (daydreaming of toast)
If you don’t already crisp your bread with mayo on the outside instead of butter, I highly recommend changing that. Make mayo-crisped-toast by subbing butter for mayonnaise. In the same pan over medium-high, add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add sliced mushrooms and a handful of chopped parsley. When the mushrooms are crispy, add in some of the roasted vegetables and cover with a lid, heat off. Spread ricotta over your toast in a thick layer. Lay on a few fresh or fermented ramp leaves (see below). Pile on the warm mushrooms and vegetables. Sprinkle with flakey salt and fresh parsley. Drizzle with chili oil, if you want.
OTHER STORIES
Spring ramp kimchee: I made it once two years ago, and I am nowhere near the end of the jar. I picked a ton of the fresh ramps from my parent’s backyard ravine and turned them into everything I could think of. Ramp salt, ramp kimchee, ramp crackers, used them as a soup base… I made the kimchee with a grated carrot, chopped serrano chili peppers, minced ginger, sliced ramp leaves, and salt (a 4% salt solution based on the weight of everything else, really) I fermented it for about a month. The garlic flavor is intense and I use it sparingly but love the flavor when I do.
Grilled Lemonade: One of the drinks I’m looking forward to now that it’s getting warmer outside is an upgraded lemonade. Make a classic simple syrup with a 1:1 sugar to boiling water ratio, set aside to cool. Slice two to three lemons in half, lightly oil them and grill them cut side down until charred nicely. Once cool, squeeze the juice into a large glass jar. Fill it a third of the way with ice, and fill mostly with water. Add simple syrup to taste and enjoy your grilled sunshine.
I’m so happy we’re getting closer to spring and summer vegetables and thrilled to see some of the wild edible things I know popping up around town. Until next time!
