Even when midday temperatures soar, early mornings and evenings remind us that fall is here. As children anxiously await Halloween, adults prepare for shorter days and cool nights. At the farmers’ market, the bright kaleidoscope of summer produce also undergoes a welcome change of seasons.
After months of outdoor entertaining, my nesting instincts have kicked in. I find it impossible to leave the market without a bag of crunchy Asian pears and sweet grapes for snacking; a few glossy Hachiya persimmons to ripen at room temperature; an armload of pomegranates to pile onto a shallow delft platter; voluptuous pears to admire in a wooden bowl until they find their way into salads or desserts; and—of course—a family of pumpkins and other big, gnarly squash to decorate the porch. Beeswax candles and fresh flowers abound—now in ivory and shades of gold, rust, and sage. These are the transitional colors that dominate the next 6 weeks—at the farmers’ market, as well as at home.
My oven may be getting a workout on these chilly evenings, but as a native Californian I still can’t resist a good salad. Now that vine-ripened tomatoes are little more than a memory, it’s time to either get creative or return to the classics…and what’s more classic than a Caesar salad?
Even those who are normally spooked by anchovies cannot resist its charms. It’s something a lot of people don’t serve at home, however—the coddled egg and all that last-minute drama can be intimidating. Most bottled Caesar salad dressings—packed with emulsifiers, artificial flavors, powdered cheese, and cheap oil—make me say, “No, thank you.” when passed at the table. I came up with the following recipe during my catering days, and I’m still making it 15 years later. It’s easy as can be, and as practical for weeknight dinners as it is for entertaining and potlucks. In fact, the dressing actually needs to be made a day in advance.
This makes about a quart of salad dressing, which admittedly is enough for a small army—or at least 35 buffet servings of salad. Cut the recipe in half, if you prefer, but I usually make a full batch. (Old habits die hard.) You may be surprised by how many Caesar salads you can eat in a week…not to mention all the other uses you’ll find for the leftovers: to drizzle over veggies; to make the best 3-bean salad ever, or to thicken with a bit of sour cream and serve as a dip.
Packaged croutons are usually as dreadful as store-bought salad dressings, so I’ve included another D.I.Y. recipe. These are baked in the oven instead of fried—with no loss of flavor. Not only do these taste far superior to anything that comes in a box, making croutons is a thrifty way to use up odds and ends of leftover bread from the farmers’ market.
For a Halloween buffet, you may want to zip up this dressing with a generous pinch of chipotle chile powder. Instead of croutons, toss bite-size chunks of peeled sugar-pie pumpkin or butternut squash in olive oil, salt, pepper, and chile powder and roast until tender and lightly browned at the edges. Let them cool to room temperature, and add to the romaine along with the shaved Parmesan and some toasted pumpkin seeds. A guaranteed winner for boys and ghouls of all ages.
Caesar Salad for a Crowd
For the dressing:
3/4 cup best-quality store-bought mayonnaise
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 5 lemons)
1 (2-ounce) tin flat anchovy fillets packed in olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup California extra virgin olive oil
For the salad:
Crisp hearts of romaine lettuce, left whole if small, or cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces
Croutons (see below)
A chunk of Parmesan cheese for shaving
- In a blender, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, anchovies—including the oil in which they were packed—the garlic, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
- Add the grated Parmesan. With the machine running, slowly add the oil until the mixture forms a creamy dressing.
- Now, I cannot stress this enough: Do not even bother tasting it at this point; because the dressing will be WAY too lemony and out of balance. Just pour it into a quart-size jar, cover, and refrigerate. This dressing needs a full 24 hours in the refrigerator for the flavors to blend and mellow.
- Just before serving, in a large bowl combine the lettuce and croutons. Drizzle in enough dressing to barely coat the leaves—it’s better to err on the safe side and just add a bit of dressing before tossing; you can always add more. The leaves should be very lightly coated, never weighted down with dressing. (Leftover dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices from a chunk of Parmesan cheese, and scatter them over the salad. Serve at once.
Great Caesar’s Toast
4 ounces of baguette or other crusty artisan bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (3 to 4 cups)
3 to 4 tablespoons California olive oil or unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, crushed with the flat side of a knife
1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the bread cubes in a shallow baking pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, just until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Discard the garlic and drizzle the oil over the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat, then spread in an even layer.
- Bake, stirring once or twice, until the bread cubes are toasted and golden—about 10 minutes if using stale bread, or 15 to 20 minutes for fresh. Let cool completely. Use at once, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze for longer storage.
Variation: For cheesy croutons, add 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss before baking.
The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com.