Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [263]
If using dried beans: Time their cooking, following the directions, so that they are still warm when you put together the salad.
2. If using radicchio: Detach the leaves from the head, discarding any blemished ones, shred them into narrow strips about ¼ inch wide, soak in cold water for a few minutes, drain, and either spin-dry or shake dry in a towel.
If using endive: Discard any blemished leaves, take a thin slice off the root end, then cut it across into strips ¼ inch wide, washing it and drying it as described above.
3. Drain the beans and put them, while they are still warm, into a serving bowl with the radicchio or endive. Add salt, toss once, pour in enough oil to coat well, add a dash of vinegar, liberal grindings of black pepper, toss thoroughly, and serve at once.
Asparagus Salad
WHEN ASPARAGUS is at its seasonal peak, the most popular way of serving it in Italy is boiled, as the salad course. It is served while it is still lukewarm or no cooler than room temperature. A little more vinegar than usual goes into the dressing. To keep the asparagus fresh, see suggestion.
For 4 to 6 servings
2 pounds fresh asparagus, peeled and cooked as described
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Extra virgin olive oil
Choice quality red wine vinegar
1. Cook the asparagus until tender, but still firm, drain, and lay it on a long platter, leaving one end of the platter free. Prop up the opposite end, to allow the liquid shed by the asparagus to run down toward the free end of the platter. After 15 to 20 minutes, pour out the liquid that has collected, and rearrange the asparagus, spreading it out evenly.
2. Add salt and pepper, coat generously with oil, and drizzle liberally with vinegar. Tip the platter in several directions to distribute the seasonings uniformly, and serve at once.
Green Bean Salad
For 4 servings
1 pound green beans, boiled as described
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Choice quality red wine vinegar OR freshly squeezed lemon juice
Drain the beans when they are slightly firm, but tender, not crunchy. Put them in a serving bowl, add salt, and toss once. Pour enough oil over them to give them a glossy coat. Add a dash of vinegar or lemon juice, as you prefer. Toss thoroughly, taste and correct for seasoning, and serve while still lukewarm.
Baked Red Beets
THE VERY BEST WAY to cook beets is to bake them. It concentrates their flavor to an intense, mouth-filling sweetness that is to swoon over if you have never had them before. No other method compares favorably with baking in the oven—not boiling, not microwaving, certainly not buying them in cans. It takes time, but it doesn’t take watching and it leaves you free to do whatever else you like. Sliced baked beets seasoned with olive oil, salt, and vinegar is one of the most delicious salads you can make.
One of the bonuses of buying raw beets is getting the tops. Both the stems and leaves are excellent when boiled and served as salad. Look for the tops that have the smallest leaves, an indication of youth and tenderness. The spindly red stems strewn among the lush green leaves are delightful to look at, and delicious is the contrast between the crunchiness of the former and the tenderness of the latter.
For 4 servings
1 bunch raw red beets with their tops, about 4 to 6 beets, depending on size
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Choice quality red wine vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Cut off the tops of the beets at the base of the stems and save to cook as described in the recipe that follows. Trim the root ends of the beet bulbs.
3. Wash the beets in cold water, then wrap them all together in parchment paper or aluminum foil, crimping the edge of the paper or foil to seal tightly. Put them in the upper part of the oven. They are done when they feel tender but firm when prodded with a fork, about 1½ to 2 hours, depending on their size.
4. While they are still warm, but cool enough to handle, pull off their blackish skin. Cut them into thin slices.
5. When ready to serve, toss with salt, liberal quantities