Arugula Nectarine Salad

I've been feeling summery. Walking up and down Sacramento St. in sandals and skirt during today's sidewalk sale, enjoying live jazz music, a roving magician, and friendly purveyors of goods - all I could think about was a salad, but a special salad. I'd procured a beautiful, local finishing olive oil from March Pantry during today's festivities, and then picked up a bottle of chilled Grgich Fumé Blanc from Wine Impressions. I let these purchases inform my choices at the market. Some baby arugula - I knew just the dressing to make! - and a nectarine; even if they're not quite perfect, yet, my mood insisted. And I built from there.

Now I know plenty of anti-arugula naysayers, who claim the leaf is too bitter for a salad. To them I say two things: 1. BABY arugula, and 2. Dress it right. I used what I remembered from a Cook's Illustrated recipe for an arugula salad with oranges and radishes. It's a simple dressing with a lime juice base. The light tartness compliments the arugula to mask any bitterness. Pair that with the sweetness of nectarine and chevre, toasty pine nuts, and grassy olive oil - well, that's summer right there.

Arugula Nectarine Salad

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as a side salad. Multiplies well for a larger group.

4 cups baby arugula
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbs pine nuts
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 small dollop dijon mustard
3T high quality extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 nectarine, sliced thin
2oz. chevre or other mild goat cheese
Cilantro (optional)

Toast coriander in a small, dry pan over medium high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add to lime juice. Wipe out pan and return to heat. Toast pine nuts in pan for a couple minutes until golden brown, stirring often. Set aside. Into the lime juice and coriander, whisk dijon, salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, whisking constantly.* Toss arugula with the dressing and divide evenly between individual plates. Top each mound of greens with a portion of nectarine slices, toasted pine nuts, and dots of chevre. Sprinkle with coarsely ground sea salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and a few ripped up cilantro leaves.

*For me, the beauty of this combination is the tartness of the lime juice. If someone is overly sensitive to sour flavors (like the husband man), try whisking in a bit of honey to taste before adding the olive oil.

Smoky Kale Chips

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been having a lot of fun with other people's recipes (yes, mostly America's Test Kitchen, you know me so well) and playing with my new Blendtec the husband man gave me for my 30 birthday, so I just haven't had a lot of new creations to pass on. I'll start sharing some Blendtec recipes as I work them out, especially ones that can be created with a standard blender. But for now, how about a nutritious snack to hold you over?

Since my original Kale Edition post, I've only included kale in stir-fry and soup recipes on here. I thought it would be fun to introduce you to another use, one in the form of a crispy, salty snack (my favorite kind!) Kale chips are easy to make. All you really need is oil, salt, kale, and an oven. But, like potato chips, you can get creative with the seasoning to find your favorite flavors. Here's a combination I've been especially loving at the moment, but it does require a special ingredient.

I often infuse olive oil for an extra layer of flavor in any recipe. Well, I admit I'm currently hooked on a flavored olive oil I didn't make myself. The Smoked Olive has a whole range of oils infused with smoky goodness. I'm head over heels for the most intense in the line, Santa Fe. If I'm paying for it, I want FLAVOR. This is like a marriage between local foods I love and the southwest cuisine I grew up with. And others agree; it's won awards! It adds a warmth and depth to kale chips that I find utterly addictive.

Smoky Kale Chips

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and ripped into pieces, washed and THOROUGHLY dried
1 Tbsp The Smoked Olive Santa Fe Chili Smoked Olive Oil
1 Tbsp imported balsamic vinegar (stronger flavor than domestic)
1 tsp salt, more to taste if desired

Preheat oven to 300. In a large bowl, massage kale with oil until evenly coated. Add vinegar and salt and massage again until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Optionally, place them on a rack set inside the baking sheet to promote greater airflow.

Bake 30-40 minutes until crisp. Start tossing the leaves and checking for doneness at 20 minutes and again every few minutes after that to avoid burning. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional salt while hot, if desired.