By David Tanis, The New York Times
Seasons change. The sun sets early, and the evening temperatures are cool, even if afternoons are sunny. It’s nice to settle into autumn menus.
Salad is still an important player, but it may be about that time for sturdier leaves to step up. Chicories, with their slightly bitter flavor, make a pleasant seasonal alternative to tender greens.
Long cherished in Italy, they aren’t an uncommon grocery item in the United States these days. Ruby-red heads of radicchio are the most familiar style available, but others — like Belgian endive, curly endive (frisée) and escarole — are also obtained relatively easily. Even rarer kinds, like speckled Castelfranco and other colorful varieties, are showing up at farmers’ markets now, too.
Mix and match them, or stick with one kind. All come together for a satisfying salad, whose bitterness is offset by the sweetness of pears and candied walnuts. You may want to employ a bit of sweet vinegar, such as sherry or balsamic, or consider a touch of fragrant walnut oil in the dressing.
As for pears, firm Red Bartletts are a good choice and can be sliced without peeling. Other fine choices are ripe Comice or D’Anjou, and I find that peeling them shows off their succulence to better advantage.
To follow, a piping-hot polenta torta, layered with mozzarella, Parmesan and Gorgonzola, and baked in a springform pan, is an excellent option.
It’s best to prepare this torta well in advance, at least several hours ahead of serving or preferably the day before. This allows it to firm up, which, after reheating, makes it easier to cut into attractive wedges. In addition, there’s no last-minute stress.
This torta is very good served with roasted mushrooms, specifically ordinary white or button mushrooms, or wild if you happen to have them. These are best made while the torta is getting its second bake. For a final boost in flavor, toss the mushrooms with a gremolata mixture — chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest — just before serving.
For dessert, a platter of cookies is always welcome. Chocolate amaretti, made with almond flour, cocoa, egg whites and a dash of almond extract, are easy to prepare. The only admonition is: Don’t overbake them. They need a soft center. Once done, these almost beg for an espresso, or a small glass of dessert wine as accompaniment. But they’re also fine alone — ready to become a new favorite. With their crisp exterior and chewy interior, what’s not to love?
Recipe: Radicchio Salad With Walnuts and Pears
By David Tanis
Chicories, with their slightly bitter flavor, serve as a pleasant seasonal alternative to tender greens in this autumnal salad. Use a single kind — ruby-red radicchio, Belgian endive, curly endive (frisée) or escarole, or stick with one kind. All come together for a satisfying salad, whose bitterness is offset by the sweetness of pears and candied walnuts.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the Walnuts:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups walnut halves
- Salt
- Ground cayenne
For the Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon walnut oil
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 medium head radicchio, leaves torn into 1-inch strips
- 1 medium head chicory leaves, preferably Castelfranco, radicchio or Belgian endive, torn into 2-inch strips
- 2 firm, ripe pears, preferably Bartlett, Comice or D’Anjou
Preparation
1. Make the walnuts: Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and simmer until you have a dark caramel glaze, about 2 minutes.
2. Add walnuts and stir to coat well. Cook until fragrant and crisp, another minute or two. Dump walnuts onto a sheet of parchment. Let cool, then break apart any nuts that are stuck together. Sprinkle with salt and a good dash of cayenne to taste. Set aside.
3. While nuts cool, make dressing: Whisk together red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, walnut oil and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Make the salad: Put radicchio and Castelfranco in a salad bowl. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Peel the pears, if you wish, and slice 1/4-inch thick. Add to bowl along with dressing and toss well to coat. Top with a handful of candied walnuts. Serve immediately.
Recipe: Baked Polenta With Roasted Mushrooms
By David Tanis
A hearty polenta casserole makes a wonderful meatless centerpiece. Here, it’s layered with mozzarella, Parmesan and Gorgonzola, and baked in a springform pan, then paired with roasted mushrooms brightened with a quick-to-make gremolata. Plan to prepare the polenta well in advance, at least several hours ahead of serving or preferably the day before, to allow it to firm up. And, better yet, to avoid any last-minute stress.
Yield: 6 servings
Total time: 2 hours, plus at least 2 hours’ cooling
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups polenta
- Salt
- 5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for greasing pan
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 ounces Gorgonzola, in 1/2-inch cubes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound cultivated large button mushrooms, cut in quarters
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
Preparation
1. Make the polenta: In a heavy pot over high heat, put polenta, 2 teaspoons salt and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat, whisking well as the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and let polenta cook, whisking occasionally, for 20 minutes until grain has swelled. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform baking dish. Using a rubber spatula, add polenta and smooth the top.
3. Sprinkle polenta with Parmesan, dot with Gorgonzola and top with mozzarella. Bake on the middle rack until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Turn the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Cool for about 2 hours at room temperature or refrigerate up to overnight to set.
4. Before serving, reheat the polenta and prepare mushrooms: Heat oven to 400 degrees.
5. To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and half of the mushrooms, cut-side down. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes until browned. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
6. Transfer the mushrooms to a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 10 minutes. (Use this time and temperature to reheat the polenta in the oven. You may need more time, depending on whether you cooled your polenta at room temperature or chilled it in the refrigerator. If reheating from chilled, cover with aluminum foil.)
7. In a large bowl, combine parsley, garlic, lemon and crushed red pepper, and, using your fingers, combine. Add roasted mushrooms and toss to incorporate. Serve on a dish next to the polenta, if you’d like, or on top of the casserole.
Recipe: Chocolate Amaretti Cookies
By David Tanis
A platter of cookies is always a welcome sight, and these chocolate amaretti, made with almond flour, cocoa, egg whites and a dash of almond extract, are so simple to prepare. These almost beg for an espresso as accompaniment, or a small glass of dessert wine. With their crisp exterior and chewy interior, what’s not to love?
Yield: 48 cookies
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 cups/195 grams almond flour
- 1 cup/224 grams granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Powdered sugar, for rolling
- Blanched almonds (optional)
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Stir together almond flour, granulated sugar, cocoa and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl, put egg whites and almond extract. Beat with a fork until frothy.
4. Add egg white mixture to almond flour mixture, and stir well with a large spoon or spatula to form a sticky dough.
5. Use a teaspoon to scoop a walnut-sized blob of dough. Gently roll between palms into a 1-inch round. Toss lightly in a bowl of granulated sugar, then generously in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat well. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Place on parchment paper 2 inches apart; there should be 12 cookies per sheet. Push a blanched almond in the center of each cookie.
6. Bake on the center rack until a thin crust has formed and the surface is crinkly, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake — the goal is a chewy center. Repeat with the rest of the dough until all of the cookies are baked. Let cool, and serve.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Originally Published:
