When Wilamette Valley farmer Wayne Chambers handed me a bag of Braeburn apples the other day, I had high hopes.
They were home grown, of course. As expected, their innards were everything I love in an apple: crisp and juicy, with a richness in flavor that makes apple lovers hoard their cache.
One of the first things I did with a few of Wayne’s Braeburns was to use them in a simple saute. It’s almost too simple to share. But if you haven’t discovered the sublime simplicity of sauteeing apples in butter, you’ll have to give it a try.
Next up was a salad approach. I cored and cut a few of the Braeburns into slender chunks, tossed them with a zesty but slightly sweet vinaigrette and piled them onto a bed of crisp young greens, along with some blue cheese crumbles and one of Wayne’s other loves in life (besides his wife Joanne), toasted Oregon hazelnuts.
It got me thinking of all the other winter salad combos featuring the fruits of the season that could dazzle during the holidays.
Such a lineup would include pears, of course, as well as juicy navel oranges and ruby red grapefruits, crisp Fuyu persimmons and ruby-toned pomegranates.
I’m providing my three favorite salad dressings that work well with fruity ingredients. Consider these snazzy dressings to be your starting point for creative salad construction through the rest of our winter months.
Saute of apples
Peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick chunks four apples (consider using two different varieties). Saute them very gently on one side in 4 tablespoons of butter for about 4 minutes, or until golden. Then turn with a spatula, and continue to cook the apples until they are nice and golden on both sides. Serve alongside grilled pork tenderloin or pork roast, or a skillet of sauteed pork chops or a roasted chicken.
Makes four to six servings.
Raspberry vinaigrette
1/4cup raspberry vinegar
1tablespoon packed brown sugar
2teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1finely minced clove of garlic
1/2teaspoon salt
Scant 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a bowl or pint-sized jar with lid, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.
Whisk thoroughly just before using. May be prepared ahead and refrigerated until needed (the olive oil will thicken in the cool temperature, so remove from refrigerator ahead of serving time to allow it to become liquid again).
Adapted from “The Big Book of Potluck,” by Maryana Vollstedt
Balsamic vinaigrette with sweet honey mustard
1/2cup red or white wine vinegar
2teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1teaspoon sugar
1teaspoon sweet honey mustard (I use the Inglehoffer brand made by Beaverton Foods)
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon vanilla
2/3cup canola oil (or a canola oil blend)
In a container, whisk together the vinegars, sugar, mustard, salt and vanilla. Whisk in the oil. Makes a generous 1 cup of vinaigrette.
Sesame and poppy seed vinaigrette
1/4cup red or white wine vinegar
1tablespoon sugar
2tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds
1tablespoon poppy seeds
1tablespoon coarsely chopped onion
1/2teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4teaspoon paprika
1/2teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor
1/3cup vegetable oil, such as canola
Place the vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until most of the sesame seeds are ground (stop the motor several times and scrape down the sides of the container). Scrape the contents into a small bowl, then whisk in the vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream.
Yields 3/4 cup.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Her blog is www.janrd.com.
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