Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing

Like many classic American dishes involving bacon, Germans settlers, specifically those settling New England and Pennsylvania, including the Amish and Mennonites, likely brought spinach salad to the Americas.  German immigrants brought a salad recipe which they served in springtime, composed of dandelion greens, bacon, vinegar and hardboiled eggs.  The dandelion salad later evolved into the more familiar spinach salad, which substitutes the dandelion greens for spinach, another spring green, and includes red onions and mushrooms.  Pennsylvania produces the greatest number of mushrooms, an industry started by the Quakers in the late 19th century and increases the likelihood the spinach salad has Pennsylvanian Dutch roots.  The mushrooms and onions can be added raw, but I like to slightly warm both ingredients before add them, so the spinach becomes even more warm and wilted when served as a salad.  Spinach salad is delicious with another German dish, potato salad.  

4 c spinach, roughly torn

½ red onion, thinly sliced

8 button mushrooms, quartered

2 eggs, hardboiled, peeled and roughly chopped

8 strips bacon, cut into 1" pieces

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

¼ tsp mustard

¼ tsp honey

salt and pepper

1. Place the spinach in a large bowl and set aside.  Combine the vinegar, mustard and honey in a small bowl, whisk and set aside. 

2. Heat a large pan over medium heat, add the bacon and fry until golden brown.  Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan and toss the bacon with the spinach.

3. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the onion and sauté until slightly browned.  Add the mushrooms and gently sauté with the onions until they are lightly cooked.  Turn the heat off and remove the onions and mushrooms and toss them with the spinach and bacon. 

4. Pour the vinegar mixture into the pan, whisk well pour over the ingredients in the bowl and toss well.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. 

Serves 2-4

Purple Cabbage with Bacon and Apple

I am not quite sure what the world would do without bacon, as it seems to be the ingredient of choice in a wide variety of culinary concoctions, including chocolate bars and ice cream. For those of us who do eat meat, and even some who make a bacon exception, it is a deliciously salty and smoky ingredient to add flavor and intensity to so many different dishes. Bacon, from Old French and Old High German, describing the buttock or ham of an animal, can be made from many different cuts of pork, using any number of various curing techniques. However, all bacon is first cured in salt, either brine or dry pack, before being served as fresh bacon, or further cured and dried. Cabbage cooked with bacon is particularly nice and is an easy dish to make and eat as a part of a meal or on its own and goes well with summer squash fritters and succotash.

Green cabbage may be used instead or in addition to purple.

For Jen, who loves bacon.

2 strips bacon, roughly chopped

1 small head purple cabbage, thinly sliced

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 small green apple, halved and thinly sliced

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

1. Place the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Fry the bacon until golden brown, stirring continuously. Once the bacon is golden brown, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the onion to the pan and fry in the bacon fat over medium heat until the onion begins to brown. Return the bacon to the pan along with the cabbage and stir well to combine. Pour the apple cider vinegar over the cabbage, cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low or low, so the cabbage is braising steadily. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and cook evenly.

3. Once the cabbage tender, gently fold in the apple and cover, allowing the apple to braise with the cabbage until it is soft, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Serve the braised cabbage warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Bacon and Broccoli Quiche

A quiche seems like one of the quintessential French dishes adopted by American cuisine during the 20th century, savory cream and egg custard filling in an open face pastry crust. However pastries filled with savory custard date back to at the Romans and the term quiche comes from the German word kuchen for cake, as the modern idea of quiche came about in medieval German cuisine. Any number of different meat, cheese and vegetable variations may be made into a quiche, though bacon and cheese is especially classic given the popularity of quiche Lorraine. I am fond of quiches with vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, leek, onion or mushrooms in addition to desired meats and/or cheeses.

The bacon and broccoli can easily be substituted for any number of alternative meats, cheese or vegetables depending upon availability and personal preference.

1 c flour

½ c butter, cubed

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp fresh herbs, finely chopped

cold water

3 eggs

1 c cream

1 head broccoli

2 strips bacon, thinly sliced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1. Combine flour, salt, pepper and herbs in food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until well combined with flour. Add water 1 tbsp at a time while pulsing until flour mixture just begins to hold together. Remove from processor, form dough into ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Place flattened dough in between two sheets of parchment paper and roll dough into a 12" circle. Place rolled dough on a 9" pie pan, gently press dough into the shape of the pan and form edge of dough as desired. Refrigerate the dough in the pie pan for 30 minutes before baking.

3. Place bacon in a medium frying pan over medium heat and brown bacon, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Once bacon has browned, combine bacon with broccoli and set aside. Whisk cream, eggs, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pre-bake crust until set and lightly golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Once crust has set, remove from oven, leaving oven on. Arrange broccoli and bacon evenly along the bottom of the crust. Pour egg mixture over broccoli and bacon. Return quiche to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until firm and clean to a knife. Remove quiche from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

5. Serve quiche warm, room temperature or chilled.

Makes one 9" quiche

German Potato Salad

Potato salad is classic dish in American cuisine brought by European immigrants; however, similar to coleslaw, it is often served with a thick and creamy dressing that creates a heavy side dish. German immigrants introduced a warm potato salad with a bacon, onion, mustard and vinegar dressing to the States in the late 19th century, which was referred to as hot German potato salad. German potato salad is a great alternative to the traditional American potato salad because it offers a similar style dish with different looks and flavors.

1 lb new potatoes

4 strips of bacon, thinly sliced

½ red onion, trimmed and diced

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

1. Steam potatoes until tender, 15-20 minutes. Once tender, remove from heat and set aside. Once potatoes have cooled slightly, quarter and place in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Place bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat. Fry bacon until golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring continually to cook evenly and prevent sticking. Remove browned with a slotted spoon, add to potatoes and set aside.

3. Add onions to remaining bacon drippings over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add mustard seeds and vinegar. Bring vinegar to a simmer, remove from heat and stir in scallions and parsley.

4. Pour mixture over potatoes and bacon in mixing bowl and thoroughly combine potatoes with other ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Braised Collard Greens

Collard greens can be found in cuisines around the world and are a long-standing staple of the cuisine in the southern States. Collard greens are a non-head forming cruciferous vegetable, so a member of the Brassica family originating as a wild cabbage in Asia. The term collard comes from the Middle English term colewort or headless cabbage. Providing numerous nutrients, collard greens are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber, as well as providing support for the body's detoxification, antioxidant and inflammatory systems. Collard greens are a versatile, milder dark green and though they are delicious prepared any number of ways, braised with bacon and onions might be my favorite. Braised collard greens taste delicious with pumpkin purée, braised lentils and smashed potatoes.

1 bunch collard greens, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, finely sliced

2 strips bacon, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick, two inches

water

salt and pepper

1. Place bacon in a Dutch oven or similar style pan over medium heat. Cook bacon until golden brown, stirring continually to prevent sticking, about 5 minutes.

2. Thoroughly wash sliced collard greens and add to bacon along with cinnamon stick. Cover pan, reduce heat to low and braise greens until tender. Braise greens until tender, 15-20 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent sticking, add slight amounts of water to maintain braising moisture for greens.

3. Once greens are tender, fold in onion and garlic and greens remove from heat.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3-4

Southwestern Stewed Pork and Beans

I first came across Christmas lima beans while shopping at a farmer's market in Tucson, Arizona. The Native Seeds Search was selling them along with many other beans and grains. I was drawn to their red and white color immediately and decided to bring them home to New York to cook with them. Christmas lima beans were popular in the South during the mid-19th century and have only recently resurfaced with the help of heirloom bean growers around the country. They have subsequently become one of my favorite beans. Though they can be difficult to find, I have been able to order them online and find them at specialty markets. Beet salad or marinated brassicas or beets and tangerines would make a nice starter or side to this stew.

Any variety of bean will work for this stew, such as a kidney, pinto or other lima bean.

½ lb pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 c Christmas lima beans, cooked

1 medium yellow onion, trimmed and diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 stalk celery, trimmed and diced

1 large red pepper, trimmed and diced

1 small waxy potato, peeled and diced

½ c corn, fresh or frozen

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp ground cumin

½ c beer

2 c stock

water

salt and pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven, or similarly heavy pan, over medium heat. Add pork, brown each side, remove pork from pan and set aside.

2. Keeping pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the potato and fry until golden brown. Next, add onion, carrot, pepper and celery, sautéing until translucent. Add cumin, chili and garlic and continue sautéing until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add beer to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Return the browned pork to the Dutch oven, add cooked beans and return ingredients to a simmer. Once simmering, add stock, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pork is tender, about 20 minutes. Add additional water if necessary to maintain cooking liquid.

4. Once pork is tender, remove stew from heat, add corn and water if necessary. Cover and set for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Serve warm with sour cream and cilantro or toppings of choice.

Serves 3-4

Mustard Green Soup with Ginger and Bacon

Dark leafy greens seem very fitting for winter, particularly where little green is to be found outside. I appreciate greens for the colors and flavors they offer to dishes made with them. Mustard greens are an especially flavorful variety of leafy greens and so are able to be watered down into a soup while maintaining their taste. I likely was inspired by Asian cuisine with the combination of mustard greens, bacon and ginger. Roasted bell peppers and sesame rice are great entrées with mustard green soup.

Bacon provides the most flavor, though butter or olive oil may easily be used as a substitute. A blender may be used instead of a food processor.

1 bunch of mustard greens, chopped

1 yellow onion, trimmed and chopped

1 medium carrot, trimmed and chopped

1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped

1 c chicken or vegetable stock

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

2 strips of bacon, thinly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

water

salt and pepper

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and brown. Once bacon has browned, add olive oil, onion, carrot and celery, sautéing vegetables until tender. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add garlic, ginger and mustard greens, continue simmering until greens are tender and brilliant green, 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from heat.

2. Next, combine ingredients from pot into food processor. Blend ingredients until smooth.

3. Finally, return ingredients to pot and add water ½ c at a time until desired soup consistency has been attained. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Serve the soup room temperature or hot.

Serves 3-4

Winter Wheat Berry Salad with Bacon, Corn and Arugula

I have found grain salads to be an excellent way to increase the use of whole grains in my cooking. There are many different grains to choose from and each one is unique in flavor, texture and appearance. Grains are easy to cook in boiling water, but generally take a few hours. I like to make grain salads throughout the year as they are versatile, a great addition to most any meal and delicious on their own. Wheat berry salad tastes good along side blue potatoes and fennel beet salad.

Other types of grain may be substituted for hard red winter wheat berries. Spinach would also work well, depending on availability and preference.

2 c cooked hard winter wheat berries

2 strips bacon, finely sliced

1 medium red onion, finely diced

1 c corn, fresh or frozen

2 c fresh arugula, roughly chopped

1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

salt and pepper

1. Place cooked wheat berries in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and brown, stirring occasionally. Once bacon has browned, add onions and cook until translucent. Add corn and rosemary, continue cooking until rosemary is fragrant and corn is cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Once ingredients are ready, remove the skillet from heat.

3. Next, add arugula to the skillet and stir to combine, allowing arugula to wilt slightly. Place all ingredients in the large mixing bowl with the wheat berries and gently combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Beer Stewed Pork with Apples and Leeks

Warm pots of stewed foods seem especially fitting for fall and the combination of leeks, pork and apples only enhances the fittingness for fall. I made this dish earlier in November, before the snow arrived in Montana and picked the apples from a tree in the yard, which seemed an appropriate way to spend time while the leaves were changing. Now a blanket of snow has replaced the colorful leaves, and a pork and beer stew seems even more appealing for the colder weather. Stewed pork may be served with many different dishes including brown rice fritters and chickpea flatbread.

Any variety of tart firm apple lends itself well to the pork and beer. I used new purple potatoes again because I love their color, but other new waxy potatoes are just as good. A light to medium beer is best, as dark beer tends to mask the flavors of the other ingredients.

1 lb pork chops, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped

2 c apples, trimmed and quartered or halved depending on size of apple

½ red pepper, trimmed and finely diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced

2 stalks of celery, trimmed and finely diced

2 c new potatoes, quartered

¼ c parsley, finely chopped

½ c water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 12 oz beer, light or medium

salt and pepper

2 c cooked sweet brown rice

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove pork from pot and set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tbsp olive oil to pot. Add the potatoes and brown slightly, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once potatoes have browned, add carrot, celery and apple and stir to combine.

3. Return pork to pot, add beer and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add water, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add leek and red pepper, stir to combine and continue cooking until leek is soft, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat once all vegetables are tender and stir in parsley.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm over brown rice.

Serves 3-4

Bacon Braised Chicken with Kidney Beans and Kale

Kale is a perfect fall green, beautifully hearty and readily available. A descendant of wild cabbage from Asia, the central leaves of kale do not form the head common to modern cabbages. Believed to have been brought to Europe around 600 BCE by the Celts, kale was subsequently brought to the United States by English settlers during the 17th century. The kidney beans I used for this recipe were grown by my dear friends in Maine on Six River Farm. Socca, brown rice fritters or creamy polenta make perfect grain sides for braised chicken.

I used lacinato or dinosaur kale for this dish, but any variety of kale may be used. Kidney beans add a nice rich color to the dish, but other types of bean such as white or pinto would work as well.

1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

2 strips bacon, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

½ red pepper, trimmed and diced

1 large carrot, trimmed and cut into ¼ inch cubes

1 bunch kale, trimmed and thinly sliced widthwise

2 c cooked kidney beans

½ white wine

1 c chicken stock

¼ c parsley, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a medium skillet, add onions and cook, stirring often until caramelized to a deep golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Once caramelized remove from heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the bacon, stirring often until barely done. Add the chicken to the bacon and brown both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Bring the heat up to medium, add the white wine, garlic and carrot, stir to combine and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine has been reduced to about half.

3. Next, add the red pepper, kidney beans, caramelized onions and chicken stock. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low, add the kale, stir to combine, cover and allow the kale to cook for 4-5 minutes. Once kale is tender remove from heat.

4. Gently stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Serves 3-4