3248. KALE and GRAPEFRUIT SALAD with WARM BACON and WILD MUSHROOM DRESSING

makes four servings


1 to 2 bunches black kale (about 1 pound), washed, stalks removed, sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for massaging
3 slices thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
8 ounces wild mushrooms, thinly sliced (such as crimini and chanterelle)
1 medium shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 large ruby red grapefruit, cut into segments
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Place kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt and a light drizzle of olive oil. Begin massaging, squeezing fistfuls of the kale and rubbing between your fingers. Once uniformly wilted, set aside and prepare the dressing.

Place a medium saute pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring every now and then, until most of the fat has rendered and bacon bits are brown and just crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper-towel lined plate. Pour bacon fat into a measuring cup. If necessary, add enough olive oil to make 1/4 cup. Pour back into pan.

Add the mushrooms, stir to coat in the fat and spread in an even layer. Don’t touch them for 3 to 5 minutes. They will start to soften and sizzle. Now stir and cook, stirring often until they are golden brown around the edges. Stir in the shallots and cook until mixture is browned and aromatic.

Add vinegar, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the grapefruit juice and 1 tablespoon honey. Mix, taste for seasoning and adjust according to your palate.


bacon recipe source: Florida Department of Citrus, P.O. Box 9010, Bartow, FL 33831-9010; Miami Herald, February 20, 2014

2581. FLAGEOLETS with AUTUMN GREENS and FRESH BACON

serves six


1/4 pound fresh bacon
2 cups kosher salt mixed with 2 cups sugar
2 cups dried flageolet beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 carrot, halved
1 onion, quartered
1 whole head garlic, halved widthwise
1/4 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 dried ancho chile
About 2 tablespoons fino sherry vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A few leaves Tuscan kale
A few leaves black kale
A few leaves mustard greens
Good olive oil for drizzling

Pack the fresh bacon in the salt and sugar mixture, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Rinse and pat dry, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Combine the bacon, beans, carrot, onion, garlic, apricots, bay leaves, and chile in a pressure cooker and add cold water to come an inch above the beans. Fit the pressure cooker with the lid and raise the temperature to high until it starts to whistle. Reduce to the lowest setting and cook until the beans are creamy and cooked through, roughly 25 minutes. Remove the lid and adjust the seasoning with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Alternately, bring the ingredients to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the beans are thoroughly cooked through and creamy, roughly 1 3/4 hours. 

Remove the large aromatic vegetables, garlic, chile, and bay leaves from the pot and discard. They've done their flavoring job. Coarsely chop the greens or tear with your hands, then fold them into the beans. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the greens are tender.

Serve with warm crusty bread and a healthy dose of olive oil.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Seamus Mullen's Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better by Seamus Mullen