Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Mustard Seeds

4 slices bacon, sautéed until crisp and crumbled, fat reserved

1 tablespoon golden mustard seeds

1 medium onion, sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut in ¼-inch-thick slices

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 medium head red cabbage, cored and shredded

½ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

        In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the mustard seeds in 2 tablespoons bacon fat.  When the seeds begin to pop, add the onion and the apples to the pan.  Sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in the brown sugar and the balsamic vinegar and cook a minute or so to dissolve the sugar. 

            Add the cabbage to the skillet and stir to combine with the onion-apple mixture.  Combine the wine and mustard in a measuring cup or small bowl, and stir it into the cabbage mixture.  Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the bacon, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm. 

            Makes 8-10 servings.

Wild Rice with Pecans

Every year at Christmas I have the great good fortune to receive a pound of wonderful wild rice from my aunt and uncle in Minneapolis.  This is my favorite wild rice recipe, from a 1987 Minneapolis Junior League cookbook. 

1 cup uncooked wild rice        

5 ½ cups chicken broth         

1 cup golden raisins                   

1 cup pecan halves, toasted    

4 scallions, thinly sliced          

Grated zest of 1 orange  

1/3 cup orange juice    

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

        Place the rice in a strainer; rinse thoroughly under cold water.  Transfer the rice to a medium-size heavy saucepan.  Add chicken broth; heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 45 to 60 minutes, until rice is tender.

       Drain the rice and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss gently.  Let stand at least 2 hours for flavors to develop. 

        Serve at room temperature or heat gently before serving.

        Makes 6-8 servings.

Tangy Buttermilk Slaw

1 medium Savoy cabbage (about 1 ½ pounds), bruised outer leaves removed, cored, and cut

into eight wedges

3 large carrots, peeled and shredded

1 small sweet onion, very thinly sliced

Kosher salt

1 clove garlic

1/3 cup buttermilk

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice; more to taste

2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ teaspoon celery seeds

Freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice the cabbage in a food processor using the 4mm slicing disk, or slice by hand. Put the cabbage in a large bowl. Add the carrots and to the cabbage, along with the onion and 1 tablespoon of  kosher salt and toss. Pack the slaw into a colander. Lay a plate that fits inside the colander on top of the slaw and set a heavy can or jar on top of the plate. Drain the slaw in the sink or over a bowl for 2 hours.

Coarsely chop the garlic. Sprinkle the garlic with a large pinch of kosher salt and mash it into a paste on a cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife. In a small bowl, mix the mashed garlic, buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice, chives, parsley, celery seeds, and a few grinds of  pepper.

Turn the slaw out onto a clean dishtowel or some paper towels and pat it thoroughly dry. Transfer the slaw to a large bowl, toss with the buttermilk dressing, and season to taste with kosher salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Mint

       

        Trim 2 pounds of sugar snap peas.  Warm a large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon canola oil, then the snap peas.  Season generously with salt and pepper and cook about 8-10 minutes, tossing frequently, until crisp tender.  Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, toss to blend, and serve.  Serves 4-6.