Potato & Asparagus Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette

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Potato & Asparagus Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette

I could start this post in exactly the same way as I began telling you about my lamb meatballs a couple of days ago: the weather always decides what I eat.  I finally had a day off work that coincided with day of sunshine, so I made plans to break out the grill and made a big potato salad to launch the start of outdoor dining season.

When it comes to making potato salads, I take the same approach I do with pasta salads: the starch to stuff ratio needs to be almost 1:1 and the dressing should (almost always) be a vinaigrette.  This spring version is made with fingerling potatoes, which I left whole, an entire bunch of asparagus, and a slick of black olive vinaigrette.  It’s at its best served a little warm and lovely aside a piece of grilled fish or a steak.

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Coriander, Fennel & Mint Lamb Meatballs

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Lamb Meatballs

It’s no secret, my eating habits are largely dictated by the weather and these meatballs are certainly no exception.  Last week, I found myself in my cozy kitchen seeking shelter from a spring slop-storm and immediately scrapped the “oh, I’ll just make a nice healthy salad for dinner” plan I’d originally had and made a big pile of meatballs for dinner instead.

And I’ve got to say, these meatballs were worth suffering through the bout of spring slush to experience.  They’re tender and fragrant, spiced with coriander and fennel, that have been simmered in a simple tomato sauce.  They’re speckled with black olives, spiked with fresh mint, and just the thing to put on your plate on a rainy night.

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Fennel, Orange & Black Olive Salad

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Fennel, Orange, and Olive SaladShaved fennel with orange slices and black olives is far and away my favorite winter salad.  It’s a very non-recipe recipe that I’m about to share, but it’s a combination that I adore, so I must sing its praises to you.  The flavors play so well off one another: the crunch of raw fennel is highlighted with sweet juicy citrus and cut with briny black olives.  It’s a salad that makes such a refreshing counter to heavy winter braises and roasts that I find myself making/craving this salad all the time.   

Side note–have you ever noticed how I’m constantly adding orange zest and strips of orange peel to dishes without ever touching the actual fruit?  Yeah, I can pretty much count on having 3 naked oranges in my refrigerator at any given time.  This salad is an excellent way to make use of the interior of the orange.

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Couscous Salad with Roasted Carrots, Mint & Olives

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Couscous Salad with Carrots, Mint & OlivesExcuse me for a moment while I shamelessly toot my own horn.

I’ve shared some pretty good food with you all in the last few months.  We’ve seen elaborate dishes like a caramelized fennel pork roulade, decadent gingersnap bread pudding, and painstakingly filled cauliflower ravioli.  You must think I always eat like a queen.

Well, I kind of do, but for every over-the-top concoction I share on the website, I make twice as many really easy, simple, big batch meals.  As much as I love to cook, I also love not having to cook.  When I work late and come home famished, sometimes all I want to do is walk through the front door, straight into the kitchen, and grab a bowl of something that’s all ready to go.

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you feel this way plenty of the time, too.  You want to eat well, you just don’t want to spend a lot of time working in the kitchen after you’ve already put in a full day elsewhere.  You don’t want to fuss, you just want to fill your belly, then kick your feet up and relax.

Making a big salad that will hold up well for a few days will let you do all that.  This couscous salad is packed with roasted carrots and onions, loaded with fresh mint, and jazzed up with olives and orange zest.  It’s supremely satisfying eaten straight out of the fridge on a giant serving spoon at midnight or beneath grilled lamb and eaten at a table like a civilized human.

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Salmon Tartare with Avocado, Olives & Tarragon

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Salmon Tartare with Avocado, Olives & Tarragon

I’ve been staring at my computer screen for far too long.  I’m supposed to be thinking of something clever to write about my latest rendition of salmon tartare, but my mind keeps wandering.

Looking at these tartare pictures, the only thing I can think about is when I’m going to make this again. Soon, it’s got to be soon.

This is my ideal salmon tartare.  It has enough going on to keep me interested, without overwhelming the delicacy of the fish.  This version has a luxurious base of creamy avocado and a spoonful of a tarragon oil to use as a garnish.  Bright lemon and green onions counter the richness of the salmon and a layer of minced black olives keeps the sweetness of the tarragon in check.  It’s indulgent, yet balanced, and, man, is it ever craveable.

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