Arugula and Celery Salad with Lemon-Anchovy Dressing

I am loving my produce box.  Every week is like receiving a gift.  Except of course that I pay for it, but for some reason, it still feels like a surprise every week that I get it.  Something about the thrill of your buzzer ringing and a box with your name on it, maybe that's how I became a member of not just one but four wine clubs at one point in time.  Who wouldn't like receiving a wine shipment on a monthly basis?  Until you look at your credit card bill and realize you are paying quite a bit more than the $5.99 price point you usually target at the grocery store.  Still, I've managed to trick myself.  It doesn't feel like money spent on groceries, but more like money spent on fun.  I guess I've always been that way, overly excited into receiving mail.  When I was young and there was a commercial that gave the option to "call for a free information packet" followed by a 1-800 number, I always called it.  It could be a knife set, hearing aid, motorized wheelchair, it didn't matter as it was just a reason to rush to the mailbox and receive something.  I'm thinking now maybe I was in need of a maybe a pen pal or something.   In the end the mail thing wore off though, I think it was getting older and realizing that the main thing coming in the mail was bills.  So for now I've switched my excitement to fed-ex deliveries, or even better, the guy with my produce box.

I love receiving it every week but have to admit that my culinary skills are tested.  My trusty sites that I always turn to for recipes don't always turn up numerous recipes for things like wild ramps, green garlic or white turnips.  But for some things I know exactly what I will make when I get the email announcement.  (Yup, an email too, it's like double the fun... I know, I'm easily amused.)  Like, for example arugula.

I tend to fall in love with a recipe that I will make over and over until I get borderline sick to death of.  My old arugula one was a barefoot contessa recipe that is basically just a simple lemon vinaigrette with shaved parmesan.  (Delicious and I still use it, just have slightly overdone it.)  It was perfect as it required minimal ingredients and was something I could always whip up pretty quickly as I always have lemons, olive oil and parmesan on hand, but it needed a bit of updating to keep me interested.  I found this recipe and since it reminded me of my old favorite I knew I would love it.

They are both very similar, but I guess I would say this one is a bit more spiffed up.  My new favorite arugula salad has a few more ingredients than just the arugula.  It also has celery, parsley and a topping of almonds and the dressing is much more complex.  And unbelievably good.  The Barefoot Contessa lemon vinaigrette is just a clean, fresh flavor whereas this one has a bit more of a salty bite from the (don't be scared) anchovy.  Does that weird you out?  I think maybe it used to weird me out, but I got over it.  If you've ever had a caesar salad (and seriously, who hasn't) you've most likely had it since almost all caesar salad dressing recipes call for it.  The flavor doesn't come off as fishy, just saltier.  The parsley is in both the salad and the dressing which also adds an additional bit of freshness.

I know you will love it.  I brought it over to a friends and she immediately demanded the recipe.  What are you waiting for, the arugula to be delivered to your door?  (Cause we can make that happen you know!)

Trish's Tips:  This dressing keeps beautifully.  I made it for a friend as a side dish to lasagna and made it hours in advance.  I always toast nuts in a dry skillet, then store them in the freezer.  If you don't eat them soon enough the oil can become rancid.  That and the fact that my kitchen does not have a pantry makes the freezer a good spot for them.  What do do with the rest of the anchovies?  I put them in a little jar and cover with olive oil, then the next time I make this recipe (or another) I will pull it out to allow it to come to room temperature and take what I need.  I use the same trick for tomato paste and chipotle chiles in adobo as I never seem to use the whole can of any of these, but hate to just take a bit and waste the rest.  You will have extra dressing here so please don't overdress your salad.  According to Alice Waters if you have dressing pooled in the bottom of your bowl you used too much, and I have to agree.  (She is an expert after all.)  Use the leftover dressing to top grilled chicken or veggies.   

Arugula and Celery Salad with Lemon-Anchovy Dressing

Adapted from Cooking Light April 2009

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Dressing:

2-3 TBL fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

3 TBL water

2 TBL fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1-2 garlic cloves depending on size and your preference

3 TBL extra-virgin olive oil

1 canned anchovy fillet, rinsed

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:

6 C arugula

2-3 stalks diagonally cut celery

1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

shaved parmesan for topping.

Directions:

Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a blender or mini food-processor.  Taste and adjust as needed.  Combine arugula, celery and parsley with enough dressing to coat in a large serving bowl and toss to mix.  Top with almonds and parmesan and serve.  

Salmon in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree

I promised you some spring recipes, and as we are approaching the end of May I guess I should get you some before it is no longer spring.  I have summer fever.  I know, I just wrote that I have spring fever, but I am always thinking twelve steps ahead.  Like for example it's May, I'm now thinking about the menu for Christmas... we must... decide... now.  Okay, I'm not that bad, but almost.  The Memorial Day weekend menu was (just! last minute!) put together this past weekend.  Plus there's hardly a spring here anyway so no wonder I'm antsy for summer.  In Chicago it mainly goes melting snow, cold day/warm day/cold day, April showers, sunny weather that makes everyone want summer, then official summer.  So regardless of the 75 degree weather here today I guess we'll call it spring for the last couple of weeks here because Memorial Day is definitely the unofficial start to summer and I've got some spring recipes to squeeze in.  Like this one, that's been on my blog list (yes I can make lists for days) since winter.

It screams spring because of the peas, but seeing as you use frozen peas you wouldn't necessarily have to make it in the spring.  Salmon... love it or hate it?  I find people fall into either category.  Well regardless of which one you fall into the salmon is really not the star of the show here.  (And I have been known to sub chicken in for a salmon hater.)  It's the pea puree... and the lemon brodetto.  You're intrigued aren't you?  Doesn't it just sound so fancy?  Yet, the secret is, it's quite effortless.  Granted there are three separate parts to the recipe, but most can be done in advance, just imagine you invite someone over for dinner and they ask what you're making and you just proclaim, "oh I don't know, just some salmon with pea puree and lemon brodetto".  You know, just something I whipped up.

Besides the bragging possibilities the other reason I love this recipe is it has two sauces (TWO SAUCES!) and you all know how I feel about sauces.  The pea puree is basically a pea pesto, and the lemon brodetto is almost like a sauce you would just lightly pour over the top, like one step up from a squeeze of a lemon over fish.  But the two sauces with the salmon combined are perfect, just perfect.

Most of my 35 cookbooks or so fall into the 'fancy/entertaining' category, although I have to say I don't really do all that much in the fancy or entertaining bucket.  Most falls into the 'weeknight wonders' category.  Okay, not really wonders at all, just weeknight sorta special dinners.  This recipe falls into both buckets.  Great for entertaining because most can be prepped in advance, and it of course has the wow factor, but the truth is I've only ever made it on a regular old school night.  (I've been out of school for 10 years, but still feel the need to call it that, weekday just doesn't do the trick.)  So no excuses school night or not.  Give it a shot.

Trish's Tips:  The salmon could also be grilled, like I wrote above, the salmon really isn't the star, it only has olive oil, salt and pepper in it so you could prepare how you like.  I like to cook it as it is written here with a nice crust.  Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork although some like to cook salmon rare.  I'm not one of those people.  The two sauces could be prepared in advance.  Reheat the lemon brodetto over low heat and bring the pea puree to room temperature before serving.  Peas are naturally sweet and it is written here to be a bit that way.  But I'm not a sweets person; I prefer it less sweet and more salty.  I've adjusted the parmesan a bit from the original recipe to achieve that but left the salt because you should make it how you want it.  Add more salt if you don't like it as sweet.  The lemon brodetto should also be modified to your liking.  Although I love citrus, I dialed the lemon back quite a bit.  Taste as you go and add more if you like.  Make it your own, this is just my adaptation.

Salmon in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
serves 4

Lemon Brodetto
2 TBL olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1/2 lemon zested and juiced
2 C low-sodium chicken broth
1 TBL chopped mint leaves

Pea Puree
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Salmon
1/4 Cup olive oil
4 (4-6 oz) salmon fillets
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 
To make the lemon brodetto, warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the shallot and saute until tender about 7 minutes.  Add the lemon zest and juice, and the broth.  Bring to a simmer, cover and keep warm over low heat.

To make the pea puree, combine the peas, mint, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and puree.  With the machine running add the extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream.  Add the parmesan and pulse to combine.  Taste and add more salt, pepper, olive oil, mint or parmesan to your liking.  It should be a very flavorful thick pesto.

To make the salmon, warm the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat.  Season the salmon pieces with salt and pepper.  Sear the salmon on one side until a golden crust forms about 4 minutes.  Flip the fish and continue to cook to your liking.

To assemble the dish, stir the tablespoon of chopped mint into the lemon brodetto and divide among 4 shallow bowls.  Place a large spoonful of pea puree in the center of each bowl.  Place a salmon piece atop each mound of pea puree and serve immediately.