The Food in Jars Kitchen
Page 6
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Acidic relishes and garlicky dill pickles shine here.
RUSSIAN DRESSING
MAKES 2 CUPS/480 ML DRESSING
For a large measure of the twentieth century, my family ran a Russian tea room in Philadelphia’s theater district. While I don’t claim that we’re the reason this concoction is known as Russian Dressing, I can tell you that back in the day, this combination of ingredients was the restaurant’s house dressing. It was used there on salads, to dress batches of coleslaw, and slathered on sandwiches. Creamy, tangy, and a tiny bit spicy from the horseradish, it’s darn good.
1 cup/240 ml mayonnaise
¼ cup/60 ml ketchup
¼ cup/60 ml pickle relish
¼ cup/60 ml bottled prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon finely minced yellow onion
1 garlic clove, grated or pressed
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
In a small bowl, stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, horseradish, onion, garlic, and salt together until well combined. Leftover dressing will keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Tangy pickle relish, or finely diced sour pickles
YOGURT TARTAR SAUCE
MAKES 1½ CUPS/360 ML SAUCE
Years ago, I started making tartar sauce as a way to use up an overabundance of relish. Eventually, I resumed making relish because I needed to keep making tartar sauce. It’s the perfect accompaniment for the Crab Cakes (here) and is excellent served as a dipping sauce for the Pickle-Brined Chicken Tenders (here).
¾ cup/180 ml full-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup/60 ml finely diced relish or pickle
2 tablespoons grated yellow onion
1 to 2 tablespoons pickle brine, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Stir the yogurt, relish, onion, brine, parsley, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl until well combined. Taste and add additional brine, if needed. Leftover sauce will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Acidic relishes and garlicky dill pickles are good here, as are finely diced pepperoncini.
HOT BURGER SAUCE
MAKES 1 CUP/240 ML SAUCE
Whether it’s made of beef, turkey, or black beans, no burger is served in my house without an offer of this sauce. It hits all the right burger condiment notes: creamy, sweet, tangy, and spicy. And don’t be put off by the use of powdered garlic and onion. Most of the time, I use the fresh versions in my cooking, but this one just tastes better to me when made with the dried ones (must be all the McDonald’s I ate in high school!).
½ cup/120 ml mayonnaise
¼ cup/60 ml ketchup
2 tablespoons pickle relish
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sriracha, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and cayenne together in a small bowl until well combined. Spread on burgers. Leftover sauce will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Use a savory pickle relish. I like classic, unsweetened hot dog relish, but use what you’ve got.
JAM VINAIGRETTE
MAKES 1 CUP/240 ML PRESERVES
This vinaigrette is one of my favorite tools for using the last of a jar of jam and is so easy that I feel almost foolish offering a recipe for it. If you want to wing it, use equal parts olive oil and vinegar and just enough jam to bring sweetness, but not so much that it tastes of nothing but fruit. A pinch or two of salt and you’re ready to dress greens.
⅓ cup/80 ml olive oil
⅓ cup/80 ml cider vinegar
2 tablespoons jam
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Place the oil, vinegar, jam, and salt in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine. Remove the lid, taste, and adjust the balance of flavors as needed. Use on salads, grain dishes, or even as a garnish for a puréed soup.
PEACH BASIL VINAIGRETTE
Combine ⅓ cup/80 ml of olive oil, ⅓ cup/80 ml of white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of peach jam, 2 teaspoons of dried basil, and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt.
MUSTARDY BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE
Combine ⅓ cup/80 ml of olive oil, ⅓ cup/80 ml of cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of blueberry jam, 1½ teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt.
TOMATO JAM VINAIGRETTE
Combine ⅓ cup/80 ml of olive oil, ⅓ cup/80 ml of red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of tomato jam, 1 tablespoon of grated yellow onion, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
I like using apricot, plum, or raspberry best, but marmalades and even fruit syrups can be delicious. If you have a jar of homemade shrub in your fridge that needs using, omit the vinegar and use the shrub to bring both sweetness and acid to the vinaigrette.
SALADS AND SIDES
When I was in my early twenties and brand new to Philadelphia, I was invited to join a book club. We met once a month over dinner, rotating among our various houses and apartments. The first time I hosted, I was desperately nervous to cook for my new friends. I made teriyaki-marinated chicken legs, a big green salad, and a warm potato salad that was generously seasoned with chopped dill pickles. The meal was a hit, those dishes are still part of my working repertory, and I’m still friends with a number of the women who shared my food that night.
Home cooks have been using pickles and preserves as reliable flavor boosters for as long as the kitchen has been around. This works particularly well when we’re talking salads and side dishes. The handful of recipes in this chapter are the recipes I personally turn to over and over again when I need to feed friends, bring a dish to a party or cookout, or just want to eat something fresh, flavorful, and zippy.
Skillet-Size Potato Pancake
Quinoa Salad with Pesto Dressing
Crab Cakes
Salmon Salad
Potato and Pickle Salad
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Homemade Pizza
Peach Jam, Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza
Concord Grape Butter and Camembert Pizza
Strawberry Basil Pizza
Marmalade, Olive, and Feta Pizza
Simple Green Salads
The Basic Salad Technique
Baby Arugula with Goat Cheese and Pickled Onions
Spring Mix with Avocado and Pomegranate Seeds
Butter Lettuce with Walnuts and Goat Cheese
SKILLET-SIZE POTATO PANCAKE
SERVES 4 TO 6
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time frying individual potato pancakes for various Hanukkah celebrations. The end result is delicious, but both you and the stovetop are inevitably covered in a thin sheen of oil by the time the work is done. These days, when I crave a latke, I make this skillet-size potato pancake instead. It uses less oil, requires less attention, and you can easily build a whole meal around it.
3 large eggs
¼ cup/25 g grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds/900 g russet potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, green onion, dill, salt, and pepper.
Peel the potatoes and shred them coarsely on a box grater. Place the potatoes in a thin tea towel and twist tightly over the sink to wring out the liquid. The po
tatoes will start to discolor, but it won’t impact the finished pancake. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture and fold together until well combined.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch/30 cm ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the potato mixture. Spread it out so that there is an even layer across the skillet and then use a fork to rough up the top, so it will get brown and crunchy when it’s under the broiler.
Cook the pancake on the stovetop for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the bottom is starting to brown and the pancake is beginning to set. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. When the pancake seems cooked through, switch to the broiler setting and broil until the top is golden brown and crunchy, 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pancake from the oven and let it cool in the skillet for a few minutes. Once it’s no longer piping hot, run a spatula around the sides and under the bottom to loosen, and slide it onto a cutting board. Cut it into wedges, and serve.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Traditionally, latkes are served with sour cream and applesauce, and you’ll never go wrong with this combo. Other good toppings are ricotta and cherry preserves, slices of smoked salmon and slivers of preserved lemon, or a pile of baby greens, dressed with some Tomato Jam Vinaigrette (here).
QUINOA SALAD WITH PESTO DRESSING
SERVES 8 TO 10 AS A SIDE
When Scott and I got married, our wedding meal was potluck. Our friends and family brought platters of sandwiches, vast dishes of cut fruit and veg, and more salads than we thought possible. Among those bowls of greens and grains were four different quinoa salads. Over time, that number of quinoa salads became shorthand among our family and friends for the kind of wedding we’d had: one that was happy, homemade, and totally appropriate for a girl from Portland, Oregon.
2 cups/345 g uncooked quinoa
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups/680 ml water
4 ounces/120 ml pesto
¼ cup/60 ml cider or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup/240 ml diced sour pickles
1 (15-ounce/425 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 ounces/170 g feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Pour the quinoa into a fine-mesh sieve or very fine colander and rinse under running water. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the wet quinoa. Cook, stirring continuously, until the quinoa smells toasty and all the water is evaporated. Add the 3 cups/680 ml of fresh water, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once the water boils, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is fluffy and all the water has been absorbed. When the quinoa is finished cooking, spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet so that it will cool quickly and won’t become gummy.
In a spouted measuring cup, combine the pesto and vinegar. Whisk the vinegar into the pesto to loosen it. Still whisking, stream in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed.
Place the red pepper, onion, pickles, chickpeas, feta, and parsley in a large bowl. Add the pesto vinaigrette and stir to combine.
Once the quinoa is cool enough so that it won’t immediately wilt the parsley, stir it into the salad. Taste and add salt, if necessary.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Every September, I make big batches of pesto with whatever herbs are available, pack them in small jars, and freeze them. If you have a similar freezer stash of pesto, use it here. If not, store-bought is fine, as is a quick fresh pesto made from basil, kale, or parsley.
CRAB CAKES
MAKES 16 SMALL CRAB CAKES
The summer my mom turned seventy, my sister and I coordinated our schedules, brought both our spouses on board, and got everyone to the Oregon coast for a long weekend to celebrate. We rented a house right on the beach, took the kids down to the water every day, and ate lots of ice cream. My dad, sister, and I also snuck away for a morning of crabbing in a rented boat on the bay and caught a baker’s dozen of legal Dungeness crabs. The first night, we had a crab feast; and the second, I made these crab cakes. We’re still debating which of the two nights was the better meal.
1 pound/454 g cooked crabmeat
3 large eggs, beaten
¾ cup/40 g panko breadcrumbs
3 celery ribs, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, minced
¼ cup/10 g chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons finely chopped pickle (cucumber or green bean are good choices)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the crabmeat, eggs, breadcrumbs, celery, onion, cilantro, pickle, salt, and pepper. The mixture won’t look like it’s going to hold together to form cakes, but it will.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, filled generously, or a ¼-cup/60 g measuring cup, portion out 8 crab cakes and put them into the pan, spacing them about 1 inch/2.5 cm apart. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, using your spatula to gently flatten and shape the cakes. Carefully flip the cakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the second side, or until they are evenly browned and hot all the way through. Repeat with the remaining oil and crab cake mixture.
Serve hot or warm, with Yogurt Tartar Sauce (here).
Note: If crab is too dear for your budget, these also work nicely with canned salmon. Use two (15-ounce/425 g) cans, discarding any skin and bones (see Salmon Salad directions, here).
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Make these with a really finely diced dill pickle and serve them with the Yogurt Tartar Sauce (here).
SALMON SALAD
SERVES 6 TO 8
This simple salad is the thing I make for dinner when we’re running low on more exciting groceries. I try to always have a few cans of salmon in the pantry, and I typically have celery in the fridge and onions in the basket. And I always have pickles. We eat this heaped on salad greens if there are any in the fridge, or even more simply, on toast.
2 (15-ounce/425 g) cans pink salmon, drained
3 large celery ribs, trimmed and diced
1 small red onion, minced
1 cup/240 ml well-drained and finely chopped pickles
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Tip the contents of one of the drained cans of salmon out onto a plate. Remove any skin and bones and place the salmon meat into a bowl. Repeat with the second can.
Add the celery, onion, pickles, and mayonnaise and stir until well combined. Add the salt and pepper, stir to incorporate, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. I sometimes add a splash of pickle juice if it needs brightening.
This salad will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Note: If you can’t deal with the canned salmon that needs to have the fish skin and bones removed, you can buy the smaller cans where the manufacturer has done the work for you. They’re more expensive, but are far less bother.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
I particularly love this salad with some chopped pepperoncini in the pickle mix, but just about any sharp, tangy pickle will do.
POTATO AND PICKLE SALAD
SERVES 8 TO 10 AS A SIDE
This is my house potato salad and it is a pickle lover’s dream. The secret is in how you treat the potatoes before you combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Once they’re cooked, you return them to the hot pan and let the heat of the stove steam away the surface water. Then, you add the vinegar to the still-hot
pan so that it vaporizes into a fog that the potatoes can absorb. Finally, you dress them with olive oil to seal in the flavor. They’re delicious with just a dusting of salt, but when you mix them with the rest of the ingredients, they’re downright magical.
2½ pounds/1.1 kg small red or Yukon gold potatoes
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more for potato water
¼ cup/60 ml cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups/360 ml well-drained chopped pickles
2 large celery ribs, trimmed and chopped
½ cup/30 g minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup/25 g minced fresh chives
Rinse the potatoes thoroughly and cut them into bite-size pieces—no need to peel. Place them in a large pot and cover them with water. Salt the water generously, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Once the pot boils, lower the heat to medium-high and remove the lid. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 18 minutes.