Winter's Bounty

Most of our farmers markets run year-round and for good reason. We live in one of the most fertile and temperate areas of the world, and even in winter we can eat foods that are healthy, fresh, seasonal, and local. At this time of year, our fields are loaded with buttery avocados, all manner of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, dark leafy greens, root vegetables, crisp pears, kiwis, and a kaleidoscope of citrus fruits.

Given that we are all running out of cooking ideas after the holidays, we thought we’d turn to some of our local chefs and ask them how they embrace the bounty of winter. What dishes have they developed? Here’s the best of winter as interpreted by six of our finest restaurant chefs. Who needs asparagus and strawberries, anyway?

Gigi Pear Salad

Jeffrey Amber of Gigi in Lafayette says that this salad, which showcases crisp, juicy pears, is one of his most popular. He combines the fruit with spinach, ricotta salata (a dry, salted ricotta cheese available at specialty cheese purveyors), and almonds. The salad is light and refreshing, crisp and juicy, with the tangy ricotta salata balancing the sweetness of the pears. When possible, Amber sources ingredients for this salad from Alhambra Valley Farms in Martinez. The salad can also be prepared with tangerines, peeled and separated into segments.

1 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 shallot, peeled and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup slivered almonds
8 cups baby spinach, thoroughly washed and dried
3 ripe Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup shaved ricotta salata

Directions:
Put the oil, vinegar, shallot, lemon juice, and mustard in a blender, and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and process briefly. Set the vinaigrette aside.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Place spinach and pears in a large salad bowl, toss with the vinaigrette to taste. Try a dressed spinach leaf, and add more salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with a sprinkling of almonds and ricotta salata. Serves 4.

Gigi, 1005 Brown Ave., Lafayette, (925) 962-0882.

Caramelized Cauliflower Soup

Jerry Regester of the Restaurant at Wente Vineyards created this dish by combining two favorite seasonal recipes. One is a vegetarian entrée that brings together roasted cauliflower, garlic butter, and lime, and the other is French onion soup. He caramelizes the cauliflower along with the onions and finishes the dish in the broiler, as he would onion soup.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 bunch thyme, stems removed
1 tablespoon fine chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
2 cups Chardonnay
1 cup Madeira
1 cup veal or beef stock
2 cups heavy cream
4 crostini (lightly toasted slices of French bread)
1 cup grated Fontina cheese

Directions:
Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until almost caramelized, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar and salt over the onions and continue to cook, stirring, until they darken. Add the cauliflower and cook until it starts to fall apart and get brown. Add the thyme and garlic. Cook 5 more minutes.

Add the sherry vinegar, Chardonnay, and half of the Madeira to deglaze the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the stock and cream, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining Madeira.

Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls, top with the crostini and the Fontina. Place the bowls under a hot broiler until the cheese is bubbly. Serves 4.

Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, 5050 Arroyo Rd., Livermore, (925) 456-2450, www.wentevineyards.com.

Scallops with Spinach Tagliatelle

For Curtis deCarion of Café Esin, winter brings to mind the seafood stews of Provence, aromatic with fennel and saffron. It’s also a time to use winter greens. DeCarion’s wife, Esin, a master pasta-maker, purees fresh spinach to make a delicate spinach pasta. Curtis combines the pasta with day-boat scallops and caramelized fennel for a dish that is deliciously hearty and light at the same time. Rather than prepare your own tagliatelle, you can purchase fresh spinach pasta.

For tagliatelle:
2 cups packed fresh spinach
2 egg yolks, plus 1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For scallops:
2 tablespoons butter
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut
into matchsticks
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 large day-boat scallops seasoned with salt and pepper
1 shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut
into matchsticks
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pinch saffron threads in 1/2
cup hot vegetable stock
1 pinch dried tarragon
1/4 cup heavy cream
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
To make the tagliatelle, in a blender, puree the spinach with the egg yolks and whole egg until smooth. Combine the flours and kosher salt in a food processor. With the machine running, add the spinach puree and olive oil. Pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal with small pebbles. Remove the dough to a bowl, and, using your hands, form it into a ball. If the dough is too dry, add 1 or 2 drops of water. Do not let the pasta get too wet; it needs to be on the dry side so it can be rolled out and cut easily. Knead the dough for a few minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough as thin as possible using a rolling pin (or roll out with a pasta machine). Cut the pasta into strips about 1/2-inch wide. Cover with a tea towel and refrigerate until ready to boil.

To make the scallops, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the scallops, and cook until lightly browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Set the scallops aside on a plate. Add the cooked fennel, shallot, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Add the wine, deglaze the pan, and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the saffron-stock mixture and the tarragon, and continue cooking until reduced by three-fourths. Add the cream and simmer until the liquid has reduced by one-half. Season with the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain the pasta well. Toss hot pasta with the fennel mixture, and divide into four warmed serving dishes. Top each serving with three scallops. Serves 4.

Café Esin, 2416 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Ste. 140, San Ramon, (925) 314-0974, www.cafeesin.com

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Michael Baker of Piatti Locali lets the farmers markets be his guide in the winter. This is a time for root vegetables, and Baker likes to roast his to concentrate their flavors and bring out their inherent sweetness. He roasts the vegetables in duck fat, which gives them a depth of flavor, and then embellishes them with an apple cider dressing to add sharpness. The vegetables are served warm, tossed with endive and frisée, and finished with shards of parmesan. Baker encourages you to use whatever vegetables you see in the market, such as rutabagas, leeks, kohlrabi, or winter squash.

1/4 cup butter
1 bunch thyme, leaves picked off stems
1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
1/4 cup duck fat (or use olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium parsnips, peeled, halved, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium scarlet turnips, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled, halved, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup cipollini onions
1/2 cup Jerusalem artichokes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced red endive
1 cup coarsely chopped frisée
1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, thyme, apple cider, duck fat (or olive oil), and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until the butter and duck fat melt. Whisk to combine, and set aside. Place all the vegetables in a large roasting pan, and pour the melted butter mixture over them. Toss to coat. Roast the vegetables until tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the apple cider vinegar and the extra-virgin olive oil. When the vegetables are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables with the endive, frisée, and dressing. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Divide the salad among 4 large serving bowls. Top with the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serves 4.

Piatti Locali,100 Sycamore Valley Rd. W., Danville, (925) 838-2082, www.piatti.com.

Dungeness Crab and Avocado Lumpia

For Kelly Degala of Va de Vi, who grew up in Hawaii, winter meant the rainy season. As the rain forced the family inside, his mother was faced with keeping them fed and entertained. Every day she’d ask the kids what they wanted to eat. The answer was the same: lumpia, a dish that draws on the family’s Filipino heritage. The filling would change depending on what was available. Degala’s mother would fry up a big batch in the morning and leave it on the table for the kids to eat all day long.

Degala has adapted his childhood dish to suit what’s in season during our winter: crab and avocado. Recipes for two accompaniments, wasabi-orange cream and pickled cucumbers, are below, and Degala often serves the lumpia with a third condiment, furikake, a blend of dried seaweed and spices available at Japanese markets. At the same time, Degala says the fried rolls are also great simply dipped in soy sauce.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Dungeness crab meat
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce such as Tabasco or Sriracha
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
12 lumpia wrappers
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Cornstarch
Rice or vegetable oil

Directions:
Lumpia wrappers come either square or round, 6 or 8 inches, refrigerated or frozen. The squares are a little easier to roll up. Fresh are easier to work with than frozen. Save any torn sheets; they work well as a second wrap to cover tears. To prevent the filled rolls from drying out, cover them with a damp kitchen towel. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, crabmeat, bell pepper, and onion. Stir in the hot sauce, mustard, sea salt, and pepper. Add the mayonnaise and garlic, and stir to combine.

Carefully separate the lumpia wrappers, and lay them on a work surface. (If using square wrappers, arrange them so they look like diamonds, with a corner toward you.) Place 2 avocado slices in the center of each wrapper. Top with 1/4 cup of the crab mixture. Brush the beaten egg over the top half of the wrapper. Fold bottom edge over filling, and pull the filling toward you to compact it into a log shape. Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling and roll into a tight log. If the lumpia tears, reroll in a second wrapper. (Don’t add a third wrapper; the roll will be too thick.)

Pour cornstarch into a pie dish. Roll each lumpia lightly in cornstarch and place on a baking sheet. They may be refrigerated up to 4 hours, covered with a damp kitchen towel, before cooking.

Fill a deep fryer or Dutch oven with several inches of oil. Heat to 360°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches to avoid crowding the lumpia, carefully add them to the hot oil. Fry, turning the lumpia with tongs, until golden brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Serves 6.

Wasabi-Orange Cream
This creamy sauce can be served with spring rolls, egg rolls, and sushi, as well as lumpia, and is also wonderful with steamed or grilled fish. As an added bonus, it takes only 5 minutes to prepare. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon orange oil (available in the spice section at Whole Foods)
2 teaspoons wasabi paste, or to taste
Directions: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, orange oil, and wasabi paste to taste. Makes 1 cup.

Pickled Cucumbers
These easy-to-make pickles are a great accompaniment for spicy dishes. They are also terrific for snacking and for using in salads and sandwiches.
1 1/2 cups unseasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 English cucumber, very thinly sliced

Directions: In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir in the sliced cucumber. Make sure the slices are immersed in liquid (add more vinegar if they are not). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until the cucumber slices are soft. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Va de Vi, 1511 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek, (925) 979-0100, www.vadevi.com.

Ravioli Barbabietole e Ricotta

Gianni Bartoletti and Luigi Troccoli of Incontro Ristorante in San Ramon come from different parts of Italy (Bartoletti from Rivera in Piemonte and Troccoli from Bari on the Adriatic Sea), but both have strong memories of their mothers cooking dishes with beets in the winter. Inspired by these recollections, they created beet ravioli. You can purchase pasta sheets rather than make the dough.

2 large red beets
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup semolina flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten, plus 1 egg
1/2 cup butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and roast on a cookie sheet until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool. Peel the beets, cut each into fourths, and process in a food processor to form a paste. Add the ricotta and half of the parmesan, and season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Pulse several times to blend, remove, cover, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and pour in the beaten eggs. Using a fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the eggs in a circular motion. Once the mixture gets too stiff to continue with the fork, turn it out onto a lightly floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Use a pasta machine to roll the dough to the thinnest setting, less than 1/8 inch. Using a ravioli cutter or a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut 40 disks. Lay 20 disks on a lightly floured surface, and divide the beet mixture evenly among them. Beat the remaining egg, and brush the edges of the disks with the egg wash. Top each with a pasta disk, and crimp the ravioli with a fork to seal.

Boil ravioli for 7 minutes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Drain the ravioli, divide among 4 plates, and top with the remaining parmesan, hot butter, and black pepper. Serves 4.

Incontro Ristorante, 2065 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon, (925) 820-6969, www.incontrosanramon.com.

Dorothy Calimeris is a chef, caterer, and freelance writer who lives in Oakland.

Photography by Annabelle Breakey
Food styling by Karen Shinto

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