What do we eat in January? The reds of the summer and late fall have given way to orange and green. Citrus is pouring in from the farm box, from the market, from my sister-in-law’s orange tree. Lemons and limes are ripening in the yard. This week’s box from Riverdog Farm featured a red Kabocha squash (which is a deep shade of reddish-orange), two pounds of oranges, one and a half pounds of mandarin oranges, a couple of leeks, rapini, spinach, two celery roots and a pound and a half of potatoes.
First up, I stir-fried the rapini in olive oil with garlic and squeezed a lemon over that. We ate it with roasted delicata squash seasoned with ginger, lime and an apple cider reduction made from the last of a bottle of cider. We had a slice of heated up ham, which Mom splashed a little maple syrup on at the last minute. We each ate a slice of homemade whole wheat bread. I peeled a tangerine for dessert and Mom cut half an orange into quarters. I watched as her face puckered and volunteered to use the other half of the orange in salad dressing tomorrow.
I first saw this vinaigrette recipe in the farm newsletter, where it was reprinted from the Sun-Times. I have adapted it to use a variety of citrus and I’ll make it from now until citrus fruits fade out in the spring to be replaced by strawberries. While the original recipe called for canola or safflower oil I like to use peanut oil, which goes well with the Asian flavors of ginger, sesame, rice vinegar and tamari.
Orange Sesame Vinaigrette
Juice and zest 1 orange or 2 tangerines or 2 blood oranges or any combination into a bowl, bottle or cruet.
Add
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
black pepper to taste
minced chives, scallions or green garlic, depending on what you have
Whisk in
1/4 cup peanut oil (or add it to jar and shake vigorously).
Toast
2 Tbsp sesame seeds in a skillet
Now, make a salad of winter greens: spinach, arugula, lettuce, watercress — whatever you can get. If you can’t get fresh greens, you can slice up napa cabbage on a mandoline. Add slivered carrots, cabbage, sliced fennel, radishes. Throw in roasted peanuts or almonds if you like. Segment your favorite citrus fruits. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and reserved sesame seeds.
Food notes: You can also eat this vinaigrette on cooked greens or Brussels sprouts. If you are allergic to peanut oil, substitute another oil that you like. Tamari is a wheat-free soy sauce, not as salty as standard soy sauce.
Painting note: This painting is a little blurry because it is a photo of a photo — the original is in a private collection and is more vivid and well-defined.
January is citruslove month. Which makes sense in the Northern Hemisphere at any rate. There is a citrus love recipe posting project. The hash tag is #citruslove. More about it here.
Now, Lauren of PrinceProductions has kindly awarded me another blogging award, Food Bloggers Uncovered, just to make sure I start the New Year off right. She posted ten questions to answer:
1. What, or who inspired you to start a blog?
After struggling mightily over how to launch a website and what would be on it, I was talking to my friend Neola and she said, “Why don’t you just write about food? You could write about what vegetables you get and what you do with them.” Neola knows I am passionate about seasonal eating, that it actually pains me to see recipes containing basil and tomatoes in January.
2. Who is your foodie inspiration?
I have had the good fortune to eat at Greens in San Francisco, at Chez Panisse and Ajanta in Berkeley, and at Joseph’s Table and The Love Apple in Taos, New Mexico. The chefs at those restaurants, Alice Waters, Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” and Michael Pollan’s books have influenced me mightily. The produce from Riverdog Farm has forced me to stretch my cooking muscles, and increase my versatility and look for ways to render a variety of greens delicious.
3. Your greasiest, batter – splattered food/drink book is?
The old Betty Crocker Picture cookbook, which is where I go when I have a question about anything basic (substitutions, cooking methods, standard dishes). I like it that it has tabbed sections for yeast breads and pies as well as main dishes, meat, poultry. Read more about the cookbooks I use the most here.
4. Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?
It would have to be in Paris in the winter where I ate coquilles St. Jacques, a poached pear and the best white bordeaux I have ever tasted, perfectly matched to the food.
5. Another food bloggers table you’d like to eat at is?
I would like to dine with Susan Nye when she is cooking lobster, dine with anyone who likes to cook lamb, sit down to an Italian meal with John of the Bartolini Kitchens. Greg of Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide can make the pre-dinner cocktails and perhaps the bread pudding and you can all submit selections for the dessert cart. Are you listening, Linda? Get out the cheesecake! And I want to know what Christine of Angry Cherry is baking as well. Sally can bring the bread.
6. What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)?
We have a KitchenAid, but I would like the heavier-duty model, please.
7. Who taught you how to cook?
Mom taught me the basics, including the pie crust, and then I started collecting recipes and techniques and ideas wherever I found them: learned to cook a few Indian and Thai dishes from college roommates, copied flavors I had had in restaurants, watched people cook on T.V., and read lots and lots of cookbooks.
8. I’m coming to you for dinner what’s your signature dish?
It depends on the season. Turkey and apple stew, perhaps, or posole (without the kale!). Served with home-baked bread and a simple pudding or pie. Or green curry of anything. Or something Indian served with cucumber raita, whole wheat tortillas and chutney: chicken biryani or Indian-style black-eyed peas from the Ajanta cookbook.
9. What is your guilty food pleasure?
My secret love of these processed foods: Cheez-Its (original flavor), barbecue chips, and Golden Grahams, which they might as well call candy.
10. Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?
I refuse to eat a number of common foods: mayonnaise (I don’t care who makes it or if you call it “aioli”), avocado, hard-cooked eggs, most organ meats, tuna. I also refuse a number of delicacies: pate, sushi, oysters, caviar, Brie.
Finally…tag 5 other food bloggers with these questions…like a hot baked potato…pass it on.
No, no. We live in a democracy. Take it upon yourselves to answer these questions, or tell your friends about them. Alright, I nominate Granny Wise of Granny’s Parlour because I want to hear how she answers the questions. Who else? You know my favorites already. There’s Eva and Betsy and John, who doubtless have all been nominated for this before. I know, let’s give another award to Jane at ArtEpicurean. Done.
Love today’s post, Sharyn!
Thanks, Lisa.
Sharyn, if you bring the turkey and apple stew, I’ll bake the cheesecake! I enjoyed this post so much; these questions are pretty deep into your personality. Your cooking style is very similar to mine; fresh, quality seasonal ingredients! Even though I can grow fresh basil and tomatoes where I live, I still like to keep to the seasonal ingredients as I enjoy the variety and changes of veggies throughout the year. Your viniagrette sounds delicious, I could see it on a brussels sprouts salad just nicely!
Thanks, Linda. You and I live where the growing season is long and are lucky in that it is not difficult to eat with the seasons. Even so, I know many people who put imported tomatoes in salads in December and people who get excited about out of season strawberries. When I subscribed to the farm in 2007 I felt like I was tasting food for the first time again.
I’ve got to try this vinaigrette, Sharyn. It sounds delicious. Love your answers to the questions and will remember to hide the mayo when you come here for dinner, Thanks for the shout out. Now I’ve got to knuckle down and finish the answers to my list of 10 questions.
It’s so good, John, and bright-tasting. We had it on spinach yesterday with orange segments and a handful of Betsy’s almonds tossed in.
HI Sharyn, thanks for the shout out and award, and I enjoyed reading your answers to the questions. We have some similar inspirations, which is probably another reason why I enjoy your blog so much! This vinaigrette sounds light and refreshing and I love the idea of topping cooked greens with it as well as a lovely salad. Delicious! Must get to these questions now and thanks again!
You are welcome, Betsy. I’ll look forward to reading your answers. The vinaigrette would probably work on cold noodles, too — haven’t tried that yet, but I might.
Mmmm. I’ll bet that was really good with the almonds tossed on the spinach salad. Gotta try it!
Oh, Betsy, those almonds! I brought some to a singing session yesterday, a whole pound, and they all vanished! The almonds and David Lebovitz’s tomato tart might be my favorite new recipes of 2011. Oh, and I reduced the sugar by a tablespoon — it worked fine and I had less sugar to clean off the baking sheet.
I’ve bookmarked the vinaigrette, I love the flavour of seame oil, and what agreat combination this sounds alongside the citrus flavours.
another great read 🙂
Thank you, Claire. We eat this every year from January through March. I feel lucky to have found in it the farm newsletter.
What a terrific orange sesame vinaigrette! Must try it soon. Thanks for sharing the citrus-love with us!
Thanks, Elizabeth. I just took a look at your four-day marmalade recipe. Just reading about it makes me want to try it: I love the way it sits and marinates between each step.
Visiting from #citrus bloghop! First time visiting too! Lovely post. First of all I just love this vinaigrette dressing, this would be perfect with some steamed broccoli and rice. Congrats on your award and it was nice to get to know you! stop by to say hello sometime! 🙂
Hi Lisa — I will stop by soon: I was impressed with the range of recipes that I saw on the bloghop (right now I’m resting from my latest citrus concoction, a tangerine curd that I’ll blog about in a few days).
Impressive that you could use the heavy-duty Kitchen Aid as a gift!
I make bread a lot and the regular KitchenAid is a little light for large batches of wholegrain breads. Consequently, I wish for the larger one. But, as of tonight, I also want a new flour sifter (more on that in my next post).
sounds great.
Thank you, Sue.
Vinaigrettes are harder to toss than perceived. I love all the Asian inspired flavored here. Fresh ginger tamari perfect. New to your site through blog hop.
Thank you, foodwanderings. I’ll come visit you, too.
How very kind of you to nominate me for the Food Bloggers Uncovered award. I am indeed flattered that my blog is one of your favourites! Thank you kindly.
You are welcome, Eva.
Congratulations on your award! This vinaigrette looks fantastic! I’m so keeping this one – Thanks!
What a great name for a blog, Laura. Now I’ll come visit.
How fun to read the answers to the questions! I was glad to see you were inspired by Kingsolver’s book…I think Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is probably the read that first got me to begin thinking about food politics, eating locally and seasonally, for sure, and caused me to then be ready and eager for Pollan’s work. From them it all then began to web-out and influence so many of my choices! I hadn’t really been so aware of the citrus deluge, but now that you mention it, the lemon tree that overhangs our yard has been abundant! I’ll pay more attention, and I’d love to try the Vinaigrette. I always look forward to what you’re preparing! Debra
If you eat fresh, seasonal fruit, citrus fruit is it in January. Pineapples come in in February here on the West Coast, from Hawaii and Mexico. Sometimes there are some January pears, but other than that it’s frozen fruit, dried fruit, jams and chutneys.
What a wonderful vinaigrette recipe! Has all the flavors I love —
Also, I love the painting you did. The contrast between the cool outside colors and warm inside colors is fantastic!
Thank you so much for noticing the painting. The vinaigrette is a favorite of mine.
Hello! I just spent a while scrolling up and down your page because something caught my eye. It appears your color palette has changed. Is this coincidence, or perhaps a seasonal mood? Very interesting. I also forgot to mention that I listen to a radio station from Montreal that offers many very good interviews and when they talk “kitchen”, Chez Panisse is a name that comes up repeatedly, as well as interviews with Jean-Pierre Moullé. I always love these interviews because you can sense true passion in the voices.
You know, I don’t think consciously about my palette. To some extent it reflects the seasons like everything else about my life — right now everything in the kitchen is orange or green and I chose to do a predominately orange and green painting. Who knows what will be next (although I spent a whole day cooking today (soups, stocks, salad, granola, bread, so some of that may make it onto the blog).
So when do you find time to paint? Is this part of the “debriefing” time, after a busy day creating a feast?
No, I like to paint in daylight. I try to get two days in a week. Two blog posts. Two paintings. I often cook a lot of things at once and then don’t cook for awhile, giving me time to paint, particularly in the winter when days are short and cooking projects are long. Today I was using what needed to be used: oranges, fennel, potatoes, leeks, kabocha squash. Fennel fronds, tough leek greens and potato peelings become future vegetable stock…. Oh, the vinaigrette painting is an “old” one, painted last fall, which may explain some difference in colors — it’s also a reproduction of a reproduction because I sold the original before I had a photo of it.
Really enjoyed this post Sharyn! Fantastic insightinto your cooking and baking inspiration. thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you, Lauren. I hope you try the vinaigrette — I think you will like the Asian flavors and you can toss it over something healthy (greens, Brussels sprouts, fennel).
What a gorgeous mix of flavors! I still need to try blood oranges, plan on finally trying them this year:-) Take care, Terra
Thanks, Terra. I just looked at your chess pie, which I’ve never eaten, but I love lemon pies of all descriptions (and will post one before the month is out).
Sharyn – Many thanks for the mention. My dad is the lobster chef. He’s in Florida for the winter but will be back in a few weeks. You are welcome anytime. Take care, Susan