I cook with wine…

I was tasked with bringing something healthy and vegetarian to a Super Bowl party this past Sunday. I had already planned a big trip to the farmers market on Saturday, so I also chose to stick with seasonally appropriate ingredients. Here were the delicious results of this quest. Apologies for the lack of pictures, I was running a little too late to take time to photograph.

Ingredients:

Salad

1 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets

2 large carrots, sliced into ½ inch thick disks

1 pound (approximately) Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced in half

5-6 medium-sized golden Yukon potatoes

2 bunches kale, cut into approximately 2-inch squares

Olive oil

Sea salt

Dressing

1 head garlic

Juice of three lemons

2 tablespoons sesame tahini

¼ cup grated parmesan

1 red onion, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the top off of the garlic, exposing the tips of the cloves. Place in a large enough square of aluminum foil to cover and pour a tablespoon of olive oil on top. Wrap foil around garlic and place in the oven. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until cloves are soft and light brown in color.

Meanwhile, toss the kale with approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few dashes of sea salt. Spread evenly over two large baking sheets and cook in the preheated over for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove kale from oven, place in a large bowl to cool.

Toss the rest of the vegetables with approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a few more dashes of sea salt. Spread evenly over the two baking sheets. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cauliflower begins to brown and potatoes are soft. Remove from over and let cool.

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Chop roasted garlic into very small pieces. Mix onion and garlic with lemon juice, tahini, and parmesan. Add salt and pepper and adjust any other elements of the dressing to suit your specific taste.

Combine vegetables and dressing in a large bowl and toss to coat. Serve with an additional sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if desired. Can be served warm or cold.

In my house, we use two flavor-enhancing elements so liberally, it puts San Francisco progressives to shame. Those two things are, of course, garlic and ginger. This recipe makes ample use of the latter and provides a fun wake-up call to your taste buds. I try to make a ginger-heavy side dish or soup whenever Kevin or I are feeling under the weather. Ginger is considered a “wonder herb” in some circles, and for good reason. Ginger has been used as a natural treatment for colds and the flu, as well as digestive illnesses. It can also help relieve migraines, heartburn, cramps, nausea and can boost your immune system. Now all that Canada Dry as a kid is starting to make some sense, eh? Anyway, these latkes are easy to prepare and super delicious. They would probably benefit from a sweet chili sauce or even some honey as well. If you figure out a good sauce, please let me know!

Ingredients:

½ cup grated fresh ginger

4 large carrots, grated

8 dice-sized cubes crystallized ginger, finely grated

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (you can substitute all-purpose flour)

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (you can substitute brown sugar)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs, beaten

Peanut oil for frying (you can substitute vegetable oil)

Directions:

Mix the first three ingredients together. Crystallized ginger tends to stick together; I try to break up as much as possible, but I wouldn’t stress about a few clumps. They turn into nice surprises in the final product. Combine the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and sift together until blended. Add the flour mixture to the carrot and ginger mixture. Stir until mixture has a consistent appearance. Add the eggs and stir until coated.

Heat a few tablespoons of peanut oil in a frying pan over medium-heat until hot. Drop the latke mixture in by large spoonfuls and flatter into a small pancake shape. Fry until brown, about 5 minutes for each side. Transfer to a paper-towel-covered plate to cool. I sprinkled on a little extra salt at the end, but you could bypass that step.