Beet Carpaccio

The Minimalist: Vegetables for Thanksgiving, Served Natural and Raw (November 17, 2010)

2 pounds beets (about 4 large)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups arugula, watercress, mâche or other flavorful greens

2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if you like

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1 lemon, cut into wedges.

Peel the beets and slice them as thinly as possible with a mandoline or the slicing blade of a food processor. Spread the beet slices in a thin layer on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top with the greens. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil. Scatter the shaved Parmesan on top and serve with the lemon wedges.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
A version of this recipe appeared in print on November 17, 2010, on page D2 of the New York edition.

green bean slaw

Green Bean Slaw Recipe

I used a moscato from Trani, Italy here, but feel free to experiment with other sweet white wines. The one I used was about 14% alcohol - just the right amount of boozy for a salad like this. As far as advanced prep goes - you can make the dressing a day or two ahead of time if you like. And you can slice the green beans, and make the croutons a day ahead of time as well. I used a wood-fired oven spelt walnut bread for the croutons here, but use whatever good bread you have on hand.

2 small handfuls (about 1/2 cup) golden raisins
1 cup / 240 ml Moscato / sweet white wine

Dressing:

yolk of one hard-boiled egg
3 tablespoons creme fraiche or heavy cream
1/3 cup / 80ml extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
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1/2 a small cabbage, cored and shredded very finely
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 big handfuls green beans or haricot verts, very thinly sliced and cooked in a pot of boiling salted water for 20 seconds, drained (well) immediately, and cooled under cold running water.

A big handful of arugula, roughly chopped

2 handfuls (about 3/4 cup) toasted walnut halves

2 handfuls of torn rustic bread, pan-toasted until golden in a big splash of olive oil

A bit of shaved pecorino cheese

Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with the wine. Let soak overnight, or for at least a few hours.

To make the dressing, mash the yolk of the egg in a small bowl. Gradually mash and stir in the creme fraiche. Very slowly add the olive oil beating constantly. It should be smooth and glossy. Whisk in the vinegar and lastly the salt. Taste and adjust if needed.

When you're close to being ready to serve the salad, toss the cabbage and the vinegar together in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

Just before serving, drain the raisins and add to the cabbage. Add the green beans, arugula, and most of the walnuts. Toss a few times. Add about 2/3 of the dressing and toss gently, but well. Taste and add more dressing if you like. Add most of the croutons and most of the pecorino cheese, before tossing again. Serve topped with the remaining walnuts and pecorino.

Serves 6-8.

two fresh tomato recipes

Buy the best mozzarella you can find, and make a big platter of sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella slices, fresh basil leaves, drizzled good-quality olive oil, and the coup de grâce, some Malden sea salt.

Resurrecting the mozzarella is the key to making this dish work. Just about all the mozzarella found in the U.S. is refrigerated after it's made. Refrigeration causes mozzarella rigor mortis to set in, making the cheese dry, gummy, and rubbery. Don't despair, though. A mozzarella maker I know gave me foolproof instructions for reviving it. Gently poach the cold mozzarella in a bath of warm whole milk. It works every time.

Last weekend I bought some orange cherry tomatoes that were so sweet I'm sure some fancy-pants chef somewhere would use them in a dessert. I made a ridiculously easy pasta dish with them.

Cook some dried pasta for two minutes less than it says on the package, reserving a cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Put the cooked pasta in a big sauté pan, and add the pasta water. Toss in a cup of fresh mozzarella cubes, a half cup of fresh goat cheese, a tablespoon of capers, some grated Parmigiana-Reggiano (Romano cheese would also be a fine, a saltier alternative), and a cup of chopped arugula.

Cook on low heat for five minutes, long enough to reduce the pasta water by half. Just before serving, halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them into the pasta along with a little Malden sea salt.

creamy lemon shrimp

* 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
* 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 medium lemons
* 1 pound cooked shrimp (any size)
* 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 cups arugula
* 1 bag (8 ounces) tofu noodles, rinsed and drained (found in the Asian section of grocery store)

Preparation

Place yogurt, sour cream, chives, tarragon, garlic, mustard, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Zest lemons over bowl. Juice 1 lemon into bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add shrimp, broccoli, arugula and noodles. Toss to coat and serve with remaining lemon, cut into wedges, if desired.

roasted pear salad

Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese from The Barefoot Contessa's latest book.

The recipe is simple. Preheat the oven to 375; get a bunch of pears (Anjou pears, ripe but firm) one for every two guests you'll have. Cut the pears in half, scoop out the middle, cut a sliver off the back of the pear so it'll sit flat in a baking dish. Toss the pears with lemon juice so they don't turn brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish (or a few baking dishes, depending on how many pears you're roasting.) Now mix together 3 oz. crumbled blue cheese (like Stilton), 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts halves (using more of each in equal proportion for more pears; this recipe is for 3 pears) and stuff the pears with a ball of the mixture, just like you see in the picture above. Finally, mix together 1/2 cup apple cider, 3 Tbs port (I skipped the port, but if you have it, use it), and 1/3 cup light brown sugar--then pour over and around the pears. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until tender. Set aside and let come to room temperature.

Then just take a bunch of arugula, dress with lemon juice, olive oil, and some of the basting liquid from the pears. Mound on plates and place a pear on top; easy and beautiful. People will love it.