There’s an ice cream stand not too far from our house that has the most amazing selection. My standard order is one scoop of cajun strawberry and one scoop of horchata on a chocolate cookie cone. It’s so good – but what else would you expect from an ice cream place that literally serves six different varieties of vanilla? They definitely understand the nuances of flavor.

We usually associate vanilla with sweet recipes, but it’s warm, musky flavor is just as suitable for savory dishes. When Nielsen-Massey challenged me to create a side dish featuring vanilla, it didn’t take me very long to brainstorm a whole page of ideas. I finally settled on this simple salad topped with vanilla vinaigrette. It would be lovely on your Thanksgiving table or as part of your holiday meal, or you can add prosciutto and serve it as a light lunch.

Vanilla is featured throughout this recipe – it’s in the butter that I used to roast the pears, on the spiced nuts, and in the vinaigrette. Although bourbon vanilla (what you probably have in your baking cabinet) would be fine for this salad, it’s a great reason to try out a different variety. I chose to use Nielsen-Massey’s Mexican vanilla, which has a deep, earthy flavor and a slightly spicy undertone similar to cloves. It’s delicious in sweet recipes, but it really shines in savory recipes (try adding a splash to your favorite tomato soup!)

The pears and spiced pecans in this salad contribute a sweetness that makes the vanilla seem warm and familiar, but spicy greens, creamy cheese, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper keep thing firmly on the savory side of the flavor spectrum. I like to serve it on mâche (also known as lamb’s lettuce), a tender green with a mildly spicy, nutty flavor. You could also use a mild lettuce, like butter lettuce, mixed with endive.

Print

Winter Salad with Roast Pears and Vanilla Vinaigrette

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• ½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla Extract
• 2 firm pears
• ½ cup halved pecans
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 8 cups mâche or other tender salad greens
• 2 ounces soft goat cheese crumbled
• 2 ounces prosciutto optional

Instructions

• Heat your oven to 400ºF.
• Add the butter to a small baking pan and place it in the oven for a minute or two, until melted. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Cut each pear into 6 sections; remove and discard the stem and seeds. Place the pears, cut side down, into the melted butter. Roast 10-15 minutes, or until the pears are soft and begin to brown at the edges. Use a slotted spatula to remove the pears from the pan, reserving the vanilla butter.
• Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and roast for 6-8 minutes, or until toasted. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the vanilla butter and stir to coat. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper, coating the nuts evenly. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, toss the salad greens with 1/4 cup of vinaigrette. Divide among four plates. Top with pear slices, spiced nuts, and cheese. Top with prosciutto, if using. Serve with remaining vinaigrette.

I created this recipe for my client, Nielsen-Massey. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen and help bring you creative new recipes. 

Ratatouille is one of my favorite summertime dishes – the richly layered stew of vegetables is a great way to take advantage of the abundant produce that’s available this time of year. It’s simple to make and incredibly versatile: toss it into pasta, serve it over soft polenta, stir into an omelet, or pile it onto a pita for an impromptu pizza.

Serving ratatouille in a crêpe is something I never would have thought of on my own – the whole concept of savory crêpes is pretty new to me – so you can thank Sara Moulton for this one.

Sara is going to be the keynote speaker at the Food and Wine Conference later this month and this week the #SundaySupper crew is sharing recipes inspired by hers. (I unfortunately can’t attend the conference and I have to admit that I’m a little jealous of my friends who will be there – Sara is one of the first chefs I remember watching on television and I love her straightforward, simple style of cooking.)

Instead of cooking the ratatouille on the stove, Sara came up with the idea of roasting the vegetables. Roasting them concentrates their flavor and makes the ratatouille extra delicious. Plus, you get to add roasted garlic to it, which doesn’t even compare at all to regular old garlic. Although it only takes a few minutes of actual work, roasting the dish does mean that this take a little longer than normal to prepare. Luckily, it’s easy to split to work over two days by making the ratatouille one night and filling the crêpes the next.

If you don’t like goat cheese, try it with feta or mozzarella!

Print

Ratatouille Crêpes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant stem end cut off
• 2 medium zucchini trimmed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 large plum tomatoes quartered
• 1 large red bell pepper quartered
• 1 large onion quartered
• 1 head garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• ½ cup shredded fresh basil
• 4 ounces goat cheese chrevre, crumbled
• 6 prepared crêpes 9-inch

Instructions

• Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes and the zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons salt and place in a large colander. Set a plate on top and place the colander inside a large bowl or in the sink. Set aside at room temperature and drain for 30 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
• Heat the oven to 450°F. Add the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion in a shallow roasting pan large enough to fit all of the vegetables in one flat layer. Cut a 1/4-inch slice off the root of the head of garlic and place the garlic in the center of a large square of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring up the corners of the foil and crimp to seal tightly. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables and add the thyme; season with salt and pepper and place in the oven with the wrapped garlic on the oven rack next to the roasting pan. Roast, stirring often, until the onions are browned around the edges and the peppers are crinkly, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large bowl and cool. Unwrap the garlic and cool. Finely chop the vegetables; stir in the basil. Pull the garlic apart and squeeze the pulp from the individual cloves onto the vegetables; stir well. Crumble in the goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon about 1/2 cup of ratatouille into each crepe. Serve at room temperate or place on a baking sheet and crisp in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.