Cold weather favorites—hearty kale, earthy mushrooms and sweet clementines— anchored my latest dinner party, brightened by the onions and asparagus of early spring. Tweaking some of our favorite recipes made for a rich and satisfying late winter meal that ended with a platter of clementines and dates. The dates are sweeter than any sugar-based confection you can imagine and it doesn’t get any better or brighter than a perfectly sweet clementine. I confess that I gilded the lily by adding brownies. We had a chocolate lover I didn’t want to disappoint.
I’ve linked to all the recipes below. Enjoy!
xoxosl
First course
Ricotta tart made with caramelized leeks (instead of zucchini)
Main
Raw kale salad with currants, pine nuts and Parmesan
Mushroom risotto (made with mushroom broth instead of chicken)
Roast asparagus (seasoned with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 425°F until crunchy tender, 6-7 minutes)
Dessert
Coffee, clementines. fresh Medjool dates and Brown butter brownies
Katie
Thank you for sharing a bit of those DELICIOUS leftovers with me! I’ve been dreaming of the kale salad ever since…
Claire
I can’t wait to try that scrummy-looking tart, but I’ve never caramelized a leek before. Is there a trick to it? Do you caramelize them before putting them on the tart shell, or after? Help, please!
Sarah
@Claire. You caramelize the leeks exactly as you would an onion. Clean and thinly slice the white and light green parts only then saute them over medium-low heat in a little olive oil and butter, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize. A sprig or two of thyme will add delicious flavor during the caramelization process. Let cool slightly before adding to the top of the tart and baking. Let us know how it turns out!
@Katie,
so glad to see you two!
Eve
Yay for Clementine season! The tart recipe looks delish…
Sarah
@Eve, I thought of you when I took the picture!