butternut squash salad with farro and pepitas from smitten kitchen.com

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup semi-pearled farro (see Note up top)
1/3 cup toasted pepitas (I used, and love, the salted ones)
3 ounces ricotta salata or another salty cheese, crumbled or coarsely grated (about 3/4 cup)(omit to make vegan)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel squash, then halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut squash into approximately 3/4-inch chunks. Coat one large or two small baking sheets with 2 tablespoons oil total. Spread squash out in single layer on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast until pieces are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Set aside to cool slightly.

While squash is roasting, cook farro in a large pot of simmering salted water until the grains are tender but chewy, about 30 minutes. (Since there are so many varieties of farro, however, if your package suggests otherwise, it’s best to defer to its cooking suggestion.) Drain and cool slightly.

While squash is roasting and farro is simmering, in a small bowl, whisk together sherry vinegar, water, 1/2 teaspoon table salt and granulated sugar until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in onion; it will barely be covered by vinegar mixture but don’t worry. Cover and set in fridge until needed; 30 minutes is ideal but less time will still make a lovely, lightly pickled onion.

In a large bowl, mix together butternut squash, farro, red onion and its vinegar brine, the crumbled cheese and pepitas. Toss with 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil, use the 4th one only if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings. Eat now or later. Salad keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Tomato Stew With Basil Dumplings from washingtonpost.com

  • FOR THE STEW
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Three 14-ounce cans chunky tomato puree
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • FOR THE DUMPLINGS
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small bits and chilled
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves, plus torn or ribboned basil, for garnish
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup whole milk

For the stew: Melt the butter in a large saucepan or small Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir the onion, bell pepper, salt, dried basil and black pepper; cook, 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomato puree, brown sugar and vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium; let the stew cook while you make the dumplings.

For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil.

Whisk together the egg and milk in a liquid measuring cup. Pour over the flour mixture and stir just long enough to form a soft, sticky dough.

Bring the stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a 1-ounce spring-release scoop or two soup spoons to drop golf-ball-size dumplings evenly over the surface of the stew. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dumplings are firm, fluffy and somewhat dry on top.

Uncover and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the torn or ribboned basil and serve warm.

Momofuku’s Ginger-Scallion Noodles with Tofu

  • 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced or shredded scallions (about 1 to 2 large bunches)
  • 1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably usukuchi (light soy sauce), divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
  • 1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1-inch wide planks
  • 1 pound Asian wheat noodles
  • Sriracha hot sauce for serving (optional)

    In a medium bowl, mix together the scallions, ginger, 1/4 cup of the oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, vinegar, and salt. Cover the tofu with the remaining soy sauce and set aside. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium until shimmering. Add the tofu and cook until golden, about 4 minutes total, turning the pieces once. Transfer tofu to a paper towel-lined plate, then cook noodles according to package directions.

    Drain the noodles and toss them with the ginger scallion sauce in a large bowl. Transfer to individual bowls and top with the tofu. Serve with sriracha, if desired.

 

Momofuku ginger scallion noodles

2 12 cups thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites; from 1 to 2 large bunches)
12 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
14 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 12 tsp. usukuchi (light soy sauce)
34 tsp. sherry vinegar
34 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed. Though it’s best after 15 or 20 minutes of sitting, ginger scallion sauce is good from the minute it’s stirred together up to a day or two in the fridge. Use as directed, or apply as needed.

Spanish chilled tomato soup (Salmorejo) from saveur.com

3 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
8 plum tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 baguette (about 10 oz.), cut into large pieces
12 small yellow onion
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 12 cups finely chopped Iberian ham or prosciutto (optional)

Place salt, tomatoes, garlic, bread, and onion in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain vegetables, reserving 1 cup soaking liquid; place in blender. Squeeze water from bread; place in blender with reserved soaking liquid, oil, and vinegar. Purée until smooth; season with salt and pepper, and chill. Pour into serving bowls; top with eggs, ham, and a drizzle of oil.

 

Farro salad with pan roasted carrots from the chew

  • 1/2 pound carrots (peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces on a bias)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 cups water or stock
  • 1 cup farro
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE:

  • 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

TO ASSEMBLE:

  • 1/2 cup pistachios (toasted, roughly chopped)
  • 1/2 cup parsley (roughly chopped)
  • 2/3 cup feta (crumbled)
  • Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  • In a large bowl, add the carrots and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, chipotle powder, and ginger, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the carrots on a baking sheet and place in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water and farro and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until tender but chewy, about 10 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid and set aside to cool.
  • For the Sherry Vinaigrette: In a mason jar, add the sherry vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and olive oil and shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
  • To Assemble: To a large bowl, add the farro, carrots, pistachios, parsley and feta. Drizzle with sherry vinaigrette and toss to combine.
  • Tip: To toast the nuts, place them in a dry saute pan over low heat and toast until golden and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Momofuku’s Soy Sauce Eggs

ec8e90c3-de92-4ac3-a706-108c38f82e74--17381949518_15079556af_b6 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 large eggs
Maldon or other flaky salt, for serving
Black pepper, for serving

 

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and sugar to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the sherry vinegar and soy sauce.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully put the eggs into the boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 50 seconds, stirring slowly for the first 1 1/2 minutes to distribute the heat evenly. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. When the eggs are done, transfer them to the ice bath.
  3. Once the eggs are cool (and the water isn’t uncomfortably icy), peel them (in the water—this will help them keep a perfect exterior). Transfer the eggs to the soy sauce mixture and marinate in the fridge for at least 2, and up to 6, hours, making sure they are completely submerged. If necessary, top the eggs with a small plate to ensure submersion.
  4. Remove the eggs from the sweet and salty solution. You can save the soy sauce mix for another round of eggs, if you wish. The eggs will keep, refrigerated in a tightly sealed container, for up to a month.
  5. To serve, cut the eggs in half lengthwise and season with salt and pepper. Or Cool Hand Luke them to impress your friends.

 

Charred Tomato Vinaigrette from the bittenword.com

6a00e55015ee52883301b7c7c0f901970b-650wi1/2 pound tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, cilantro or basil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Grill, turning, until blistered and lightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine the grilled tomatoes with the vinegar, lemon juice and mustard and pulse to blend. With the machine on, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Transfer the vinaigrette to a medium bowl, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes 1 1/4 cups