Winter fresh: brighten up January days with seasonal salads - Food

Sunset, Jan, 2004 by Kate Washington

When the urge for spring menus hits before spring vegetables do, use abundant winter produce--earthy beets, crunchy cabbage, tart apples, or sweet fennel--to make refreshing, light-tasting winter salads. Perfect for a casual weekend lunch or as the starting course of a simple dinner with friends, these bright flavors of winter will help lift your spirits until warmer days arrive.

Beet and Fennel Salad with Fried Capers

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: If desired, divide salad among plates before garnishing (step 5) and accompany with toasted slices of country bread spread with fromage blanc, chevre, or another soft, tangy cheese; fry an extra teaspoon of capers (step 2) and sprinkle a few over each piece of cheese toast. Salt-cured capers are sold in jars; their flavor is cleaner and less vinegary than that of brined capers, and they're crisper when fried. Look for them in specialty food shops.

  1 1/2 pounds beets (greens
        trimmed), rinsed
      2 tablespoons salt-cured
        or brined capers (see notes)
    1/4 cup olive oil
      3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
        Salt
      1 head fennel (about 1 lb.)

1. Place beets in an 8-inch square baking pan. Add 1/2 inch water. Cover with foil and bake in a 375[degrees] regular or convection oven until tender when pierced, 45 to 60 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut into wedges; place in a bowl.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2. Meanwhile, in a fine wire strainer under cold running water, rinse capers well, then pat dry with paper towels. Pour olive oil into a narrow 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add capers and fry, gently shaking pan occasionally, until buds unfurl slightly and edges turn pale brown and crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour into a fine strainer set over a 1-cup glass measure; transfer capers to paper towels to drain.

3. Measure 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil into a small bowl and stir in the vinegar and salt to taste. Pour over beet wedges and mix gently to coat.

4. Rinse fennel; chop and reserve a few of the feathery green leaves. Trim off and discard stalks, root end, and any discolored bits from head. Cut head in half lengthwise, then cut halves crosswise into thin, crescent-shaped slices. Reserve 1/4 cup sliced fennel; add remainder to beets and mix to coat.

5. Mix reserved fennel slices with remaining tablespoon oil. Arrange over beet mixture and sprinkle salad with fried capers and reserved chopped fennel leaves (see notes).

Per serving: 207 cal., 61% (126 cal.) from fat; 3 g protein; 14 g fat (1.8 g sat.); 20 g carbo (4.3 g fiber); 328 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad

PREP AND COOK TIME: 30 to 40 minutes

MAKES: 4 to 6 servings

      3 thick slices light rye bread (about 3 oz. total)
      1 tablespoon vegetable oil
      1 head (1 1/2 lb.) red cabbage
      2 slices thick-cut bacon (about 2 oz. total)
      1 red onion (8 oz.), peeled and thinly slivered
      6 tablespoons cider vinegar
      1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon regular salt
  1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1. Cut rye bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Pour oil into a heavy ziplock plastic bag or a plastic storage container with a lid. Add bread cubes, seal bag or container, and shake well, turning to coat bread evenly with oil. Pour into a 10-by 15-inch baking pan and bake in a 400[degrees] regular or convection oven until bread is crisp and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes (5 to 6 minutes in convection oven); shake pan to turn cubes halfway through baking. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, rinse, core, and finely shred cabbage. Cut bacon crosswise into thin strips. In a 12-inch nonstick frying pan or 14-inch wok over medium-high heat, stir bacon until crisp and brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to pan with bacon fat. Stir just until limp, about 3 minutes. Pour in 3 tablespoons vinegar and stir until liquid is reduced to a thick syrup, 1 minute longer.

3. Add cabbage to pan and sprinkle with salt and 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds. Stir until cabbage is wilted but still crunchy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar.

4. Spoon salad onto plates and top equally with rye croutons, bacon pieces, and remaining 1 teaspoon caraway seeds.

Per serving: 152 cal., 51% (77 cal.) from fat; 3.9 g protein; 8.5 g fat (2.4 g sat.); 17 g carbo (3.4 g fiber); 498 mg sodium; 6.3 mg chol.

Endive-Apple Slaw with Smoked Trout

PREP TIME: About 30 minutes

MAKES: 4 light main-course servings or 6 first-course servings

  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    4 heads Belgian endive (about
      1 lb. total), rinsed
    2 tart green apples, such as
      Granny Smith (about 1 lb. total)
    2 tablespoons chopped Italian
      parsley
    2 tablespoons walnut or vegetable oil
      Salt and fresh-ground pepper
    6 ounces smoked trout

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice into a large bowl. Trim off and discard cores and any discolored leaves from endive heads. Cut each head in half lengthwise, then cut halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. As you cut the endive, drop the strips into bowl and mix with lemon juice to prevent them from discoloring.