Elizabeth Barrette
Yule is the longest night of the year. The cold and the dark are at their strongest. The light and heat of summer lie far away. So we gather and celebrate to create our own brightness.
Holiday Ham and Bean Soup
This is a quick recipe using hearty ingredients like ham, beans, and vegetables. Red and green bell peppers provide a festive topping and contrast with softer ingredients.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Servings: 10
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 freezer package (16 ounces) mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cans (15 ounces) black-eyed peas
2 cans (15 ounces) navy beans
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
In a large soup pot, combine 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf. Turn on high.
Add 2 cups cubed cooked ham and 1 package thawed mixed vegetables. Open the 4 cans. Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas and the navy beans. Stir them into the soup.
Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Dice 1 red bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper. Mix the bits together. Top the soup with the peppers.
Winter Solstice Salad
Salads are thought of primarily as a summer food. However, some greens and other produce reach their peak in winter. This salad combines winter leaves with red and green leaves, plus a few toppings for interest.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 (2-cup) main salads or 12 (1-cup) side salads
Salad
3 cups kale, shredded
lemon juice
salt
3 cups spinach, torn
1 cup radicchio, shredded
2 cups baby beet leaves or red chard
3 cups red lettuce
1 cucumber
1 pomegranate
1 cup green grapes, halved
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup aged white cheddar cheese shreds
Note: Availability of salad leaves in winter can vary, so be prepared to improvise. It is important to include a mix of red (baby beet greens, such as “Bull’s Blood,” radicchio, red endive, red frisée, red oak leaf lettuce, red Swiss chard) and green leaves (arugula, bok choi, green endive, green frisée, green oak leaf lettuce, kale, mizuna, Romaine lettuce, spinach, tatsoi).
Rinse and dry the kale. First, tear out the big tough veins, leaving the sides of the leaves in large pieces. Mix together a splash of lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt. Massage the leaves with lemon and salt, squeezing and crushing them, to break down the fibers. Then press the leaves into a roll and use kitchen scissors to cut them into fine shreds. (Baby kale or microgreens do not need this tenderizing, but they are harder to find.) You need about 3 cups of shredded kale. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
Rinse and dry the spinach. Tear away the big veins. If the leaves are large, tear them into smaller pieces. You need about 3 cups of torn spinach. Add them to the large mixing bowl.
Remove any wilted outer leaves from the radicchio. Slice and chop the head until you have 1 cup of shreds. Add them to the large mixing bowl.
Add 2 cups of baby beet leaves or red chard and 3 cups of red lettuce to the large mixing bowl. Gently toss to mix all the leaves together.
Rinse and pat dry the cucumber. Dice it and put the bits in a small bowl.
Cut around the middle of the pomegranate, through the rind but not into the seeds. Gently pry it apart and work the peel off the segments, using the knife to separate segments if necessary. Remove all the red seeds and put them in a small bowl. Discard the white pith and rind.
Remove green grapes from the stem. Cut them in half. You need 1 cup of green grapes. Put them in a small bowl.
Measure 1/4 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup hazelnuts into a small bowl.
If you are using block cheese, shred it until you have 1/2 cup of aged white cheddar. However, it is easier to use pre-shredded cheese for salads because it doesn’t cling to itself as much.
To assemble the salad, you need a large salad bowl or punch bowl. Put in enough leaves to cover the bottom. Then add a small amount of each topping. Cover with a handful or two of leaves, then add more toppings. Repeat this process until you have used all the leaves, ending with a layer of toppings. Building the salad this way, without tossing it, distributes the ingredients evenly so heavier ones don’t fall to the bottom.
Dressing
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red peppercorns, crushed
1/4 teaspoon Hawaiian jade green bamboo salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet marjoram flakes
a pinch of ground mustard
6 tablespoons full-flavored extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
You will need a container to make your salad dressing. Ideally, use a 6- to 8-ounce glass jar with a wide mouth and screw-on lid that will stay secure when shaken. You could also prepare the salad dressing in a mixing bowl if you prefer to blend it with a whisk or mixer.
Wash and pat dry the lime. Zest the lime into a small bowl. To mince the zest, you can either use scissors in a bowl, or a chef knife on a cutting board. You need flake-sized pieces that will distribute in the dressing.
Cut the lime in half. Juice the halves into the bowl of zest.
Measure 1/4 teaspoon red peppercorns. Crush them in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Add them to the bowl of lime juice.
Add 1/4 teaspoon Hawaiian jade green bamboo salt, 1/2 teaspoon sweet marjoram flakes, and a pinch of ground mustard to the lime juice.
Pour the spiced lime juice into your salad dressing jar. Add 6 tablespoons full-flavored extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon honey. At this stage, the different liquids will float in separate layers. Close the jar tightly and shake until the salad dressing emulsifies. It should become a smooth, unified mass with a creamy yellowish color. If it starts to separate the moment you stop shaking, it’s not done yet. Keep shaking until it holds together.
Winter Mint Tea
The tea is hot, but the herbs are cooling. They evoke the chill of winter. This soothes nerves and stomachs that may be overstimulated by the holidays.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: about 10 minutes
Servings: 6
6 cups water
2 teaspoons dried peppermint
2 teaspoons dried spearmint
1 teaspoon dried raspberry leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon pure wintergreen extract
Boil 6 cups water.
In a large teaball, put 2 teaspoons dried peppermint, 2 teaspoons dried spearmint, 1 teaspoon dried raspberry leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon dried sage. Steep for at least 5 minutes.
Remove teaball. Add 1/4 teaspoon pure wintergreen extract and serve.