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Menu Plan for Winter I: Week 13, Saturday

Winter Salad of Endive and Savoy Cabbage
Braised Veal with Garlic
Gnocchi
Parmesan Sunchokes Slices

Cooking time:  60 minutes for menu       Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

     The gnocchi only cooks for a minute or two so do them after the salad. If you can't find veal for braising you could use lean pork.

Winter Salad of Endive and Savoy Cabbage

Total time: 15 minutes 
    The cabbage and endive are sautéed briefly to warm and soften, then finished Mediterranean style.  

 Ingredients:

• 1 medium endive  Belgian Endive
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Savoy cabbage, about 1/4 head
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 10 Greek dry-cured olives
• 1 tbs capers
• 2.5oz (75gr) feta cheese
• 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs good olive oil

 Instructions:

• Vinaigrette:
• In a small bowl mix vinegar and mustard.
• Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly until well combined.
• Salad:
• Trim endive.  Cut in half the long way, then slice thinly across the leaves (the short way).
• Cut a slice of cabbage, avoiding the core. Lay flat, cut into 3 or 4 wedges, then thinly slice the wedges.
• Pit olives if needed and roughly chop.
• Heat 2 tsp olive oil in medium skillet.
• Add endive, cabbage and sauté until just barely starting to wilt. Remove from heat and put into a bowl.
• Add capers, Greek olives, crumbled feta and vinaigrette. 
• Toss well to combine and serve.

Braised Veal with Garlic  

Total time: 60 minutes 
     Mediterranean cuisine uses a lot of garlic.  The Spanish like it raw, rubbed on bread.  The French like it whole, cooked to a beautiful, smooth creamy purée, which is what we are doing here.  I peeled the garlic cloves... but it's really not necessary.  Just pinch the cooked garlic out of the skin to eat.. As is so often the case, this will be enough for 4 persons or 2 meals.

 Ingredients:

• 16oz (480gr) veal, suitable for braising - stew meat, shoulder
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs dried bread crumbs
• 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) dry white wine
• 1 head of garlic, 12 - 16 cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 15oz (450gr) whole tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
• 8oz (240gr) fresh gnocchi

 Instructions:

• Cut veal into 1 1/2 inch (3.75cm) cubes. 
• Separate garlic head, peeling cloves if you like. 
• In a deep, heavy pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.   Add half of the veal and brown on all sides. 
• Remove and brown the other half.  Remove. 
• Add the bread crumbs, wine and stir well, scraping up the browned bits.
• Chop tomatoes, reserving all juices. 
• Return veal to pan, add garlic cloves, tomatoes with juices and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.  
• Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 45 minutes. 
• Cook gnocchi according to package directions.  Drain.
• Turn the heat up under veal and uncover.  Give the cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the pan a little at a time until thickened to your liking. 
• Spoon meat, garlic and sauce into a bowl and serve with gnocchi.

Parmesan Sunchokes Slices

Total time: 35 minutes 
     Sliced, coated with oil and baked. Simple, delicious.  They don't get crispy, like potatoes so be a bit careful when taking them off the baking sheet. A nonstick baking sheet will work best. Sunchokes discolor quickly so keep in water after peeling if not preparing immediately.

 Ingredients:

• 3 - 4 sunchokes, aka Jerusalem artichokes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs Parmesan

 Instructions:

• Mix olive oil and Parmesan in a bowl.
• Peel sunchokes, cutting each sunchoke into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Add slices to oil / Parmesan as you work, stirring to coat.
• Lay on a nonstick baking sheet with a lip. 
• Put in a 400F (200C) oven and bake for 25 minutes. Serve. 

Cooking Schedule: 60 minutes for menu Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, medium nonstick skillet, 2 medium bowls, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven with lid, pot and colander for gnocchi, baking sheet Cut veal into cubes Brown half of veal Prepare garlic, peel Turn veal Open tomatoes, chop Remove veal to plate, brown other half Slice cabbage, set aside Trim, cut endive, set aside Remove veal, add crumbs, wine, stir Return veal, add garlic, tomatoes, bay, cover, simmer      15 minute break Turn oven on, 400F (200C)

Heat water for gnocchi Grate Parmesan Mix oil, Parmesan Peel, slice sunchokes, adding to oil mix as you work Arrange sunchoke slices on baking sheet, bake Sauté endive, cabbage Chop olives, crumble feta Dissolve cornstarch in water for sauce Make vinaigrette Make salad, serve Done? Uncover veal, increase heat Cook gnocchi Thicken sauce for veal Drain gnocchi, put in bowl Remove sunchokes Spoon veal into bowl Serve

 

Need help planning dinner?  Do you have a garden?   A CSA for fresh veggies?

  Try our Weekly Menu Plans: Healthy Gourmet Dinners;  Quick, Easy Recipes.
Each week carefully planned to reduce waste and use a lots of fresh, seasonal veggies. 

By Katie Zeller
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