Continuing with our menu for the ancient holiday dinner we present to you the side dishes, which are unique, flavorful and make a pleasing presentation. The first is kale with coriander sauce and the second is poppy turnips. Both recipes are found in The Philosopher’s Kitchen by Francine Segan.

Cato the Elder, a Roman statesman, wrote a book called On Agriculture. Cato wrote: “Of the medicinal value of the cabbage: It is the cabbage which surpasses all other vegetables. It promotes digestion marvelously…Dislocations will be healed quickly if they are bathed twice a day in warm water and a cabbage poultice is applied…Cabbage can be used as a poultice on all kinds of wounds and swellings… If you wish to drink deep at a banquet and to enjoy your dinner, eat as much raw cabbage as you wish…it will make you feel as if you had not dined, and you can drink as much as you please.

Our first side dish is kale with coriander sauce. Kale is a member of the cabbage family so we think Cato would approve of its addition to the menu. With its dark green leaves kale retains its color beautifully as long as you do not overcook it. If it is overcooked it will look dark and have hints of purple. For a festive table strive to cook the kale perfectly so that it looks beautifully green.

The second side dish is poppy turnips. This recipe will surely make you a fan of turnips should you think them a blah, tasteless winter vegetable. The ancient Greeks and Romans had quite a variety of foods at their disposal, but the fact remains that they did not have refrigeration. They ate, largely, according to what was seasonal, making the best of foods, even those as unappealing as the turnip.

The best thing about these two side dishes is that they are inexpensive, easily made in large batches and, of course, taste like a winter touched by summer.

An Ancient Holiday Dinner

1. Seared Beef with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraiche
2. Kale with Coriander Sauce
3. Poppy Turnips
4. Etruscan Foccacia
5. Hazel-Walnut Honey Custard

Kale with Coriander Sauce

Ingredients

3 large shallots, minced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ cup muscatel or sherry vinegar
2 tbs honey
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound kale, chopped
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Sauté the shallots in the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat until shallots are translucent. Add the muscatel (or sherry vinegar), honey and coriander. Bring to a boil.

2. Add the kale and sauté until tender, about 2-5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Poppy Turnips

Ingredients

3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 white turnips, julienned
3 tbs raspberry or fruit vinegar
3 tbs honey
Salt and pepper
2 tbs poppy seeds

Directions

1. Sauté the shallots in the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until shallots are translucent

2. Add the turnips, vinegar and honey. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the turnips are tender.

3. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and serve.

Continuing with our menu for the ancient holiday dinner we present to you the side dishes, which are unique, flavorful and make a pleasing presentation. The first is kale with coriander sauce and the second is poppy turnips. Both recipes are found in The Philosopher’s Kitchen by Francine Segan.

Cato the Elder, a Roman statesman, wrote a book called On Agriculture. Cato wrote: “Of the medicinal value of the cabbage: It is the cabbage which surpasses all other vegetables. It promotes digestion marvelously…Dislocations will be healed quickly if they are bathed twice a day in warm water and a cabbage poultice is applied…Cabbage can be used as a poultice on all kinds of wounds and swellings… If you wish to drink deep at a banquet and to enjoy your dinner, eat as much raw cabbage as you wish…it will make you feel as if you had not dined, and you can drink as much as you please.

Our first side dish is kale with coriander sauce. Kale is a member of the cabbage family so we think Cato would approve of its addition to the menu. With its dark green leaves kale retains its color beautifully as long as you do not overcook it. If it is overcooked it will look dark and have hints of purple. For a festive table strive to cook the kale perfectly so that it looks beautifully green.

The second side dish is poppy turnips. This recipe will surely make you a fan of turnips should you think them a blah, tasteless winter vegetable. The ancient Greeks and Romans had quite a variety of foods at their disposal, but the fact remains that they did not have refrigeration. They ate, largely, according to what was seasonal, making the best of foods, even those as unappealing as the turnip.

The best thing about these two side dishes is that they are inexpensive, easily made in large batches and, of course, taste like a winter touched by summer.

An Ancient Holiday Dinner

1. Seared Beef with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraiche
2. Kale with Coriander Sauce
3. Poppy Turnips
4. Etruscan Foccacia
5. Hazel-Walnut Honey Custard

Kale with Coriander Sauce

Ingredients

3 large shallots, minced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ cup muscatel or sherry vinegar
2 tbs honey
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound kale, chopped
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Sauté the shallots in the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat until shallots are translucent. Add the muscatel (or sherry vinegar), honey and coriander. Bring to a boil.

2. Add the kale and sauté until tender, about 2-5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Poppy Turnips

Ingredients

3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 white turnips, julienned
3 tbs raspberry or fruit vinegar
3 tbs honey
Salt and pepper
2 tbs poppy seeds

Directions

1. Sauté the shallots in the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until shallots are translucent

2. Add the turnips, vinegar and honey. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the turnips are tender.

3. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and serve.

Let the countdown begin. It is December 7th and with Christmas 17 days away thoughts of holiday foods swirl in our heads. Who-pudding and roast beast; sugar plums, roast geese. We may not be able to share recipes for these foods from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Twas the Night Before Christmas and Scrooge, but we can help you prepare for your Christmas feast.

Over the next 17 days we will maintain our regularly scheduled posts: Tartlicious Tuesdays, Worldly Wednesdays and Fudofinds Fridays. However, on the other days we will bring to you the recipes to create three separate Christmas menus. Our first menu brings the ancient world to our tables for a winter feast.

In the book The Philosopher’s Kitchen by Francine Segan you will find menus for various occasions. We loved the winter buffet menu, but shortened by omitting two of the meat dishes so that it is manageable and carefree. While this menu wasn’t necessarily one that the ancient Greeks or Romans prepared during their winter holidays, these foods are a perfectly suited for your holiday celebration. You will find the ingredients seasonally appropriate and fairly inexpensive. This menu is light, yet satisfyingly rich in flavor.

An Ancient Holiday Dinner

1. Seared Beef with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraiche
2. Kale with Coriander Sauce
3. Poppy Turnips
4. Etruscan Foccacia
5. Hazel-Walnut Honey Custard

Let’s begin with the seared beef with lemon-herb crème fraiche. The original recipe calls for sirloin, but in the spirit of frugality and ancient resourcefulness we used a portion of a beautiful London broil that we happened to have on hand. If you have a thick cut of beef follow the recipe, sear the beef and finish it in the oven. This recipe is very easy to double.

Seared Beef with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraiche

Ingredients

4 tsp McCormick dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbs Bertolli extra-virgin olive oil
1 boneless sirloin about 1 ½ lbs
Salt and pepper
½ cup crème fraiche
1 tbs whole milk
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Etruscan foccacia

Directions

1. Combine 3 tsp of oregano, garlic and oil in a small bowl. Season the beef with salt and pepper and firmly press oregano mixture on both sides. Set aside while you make the sauce.

2. Mix the crème fraiche, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining tsp of oregano and ½ tsp salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Head a non-stick skillet over medium –high heat. Sear the meat until cooked to the desired doneness, remove from skillet and let rest for 10 minutes. (If you have a thicker cut of beef sear for about 4 minutes on each side and finish in the oven. When beef is done remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.)

4. To assemble, slice meat into thin slices. Slice the foccacia into 1 inch this slices. Spread crème fraiche mixture on focaccia and top with a slice of steak. Serve immediately.

Entertaining Tip: Making your guests comfortable is important. And, while you cannot cater to each guest’s personal tastes you can make it easy for them to enjoy a meal to their liking. For this recipe we suggest that step #4 be optional. You can serve the beef on a platter separately from the foccacia and crème fraiche mixture which will allow your guests to either eat it as step 4 indicates, or in a manner to their liking as some may prefer to omit the crème fraiche mixture or some may not want the foccacia.

Let the countdown begin. It is December 7th and with Christmas 17 days away thoughts of holiday foods swirl in our heads. Who-pudding and roast beast; sugar plums, roast geese. We may not be able to share recipes for these foods from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Twas the Night Before Christmas and Scrooge, but we can help you prepare for your Christmas feast.

Over the next 17 days we will maintain our regularly scheduled posts: Tartlicious Tuesdays, Worldly Wednesdays and Fudofinds Fridays. However, on the other days we will bring to you the recipes to create three separate Christmas menus. Our first menu brings the ancient world to our tables for a winter feast.

In the book The Philosopher’s Kitchen by Francine Segan you will find menus for various occasions. We loved the winter buffet menu, but shortened by omitting two of the meat dishes so that it is manageable and carefree. While this menu wasn’t necessarily one that the ancient Greeks or Romans prepared during their winter holidays, these foods are a perfectly suited for your holiday celebration. You will find the ingredients seasonally appropriate and fairly inexpensive. This menu is light, yet satisfyingly rich in flavor.

An Ancient Holiday Dinner

1. Seared Beef with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraiche
2. Kale with Coriander Sauce
3. Poppy Turnips
4. Etruscan Foccacia
5. Hazel-Walnut Honey Custard

Let’s begin with the seared beef with lemon-herb crème fraiche. The original recipe calls for sirloin, but in the spirit of frugality and ancient resourcefulness we used a portion of a beautiful London broil that we happened to have on hand. If you have a thick cut of beef follow the recipe, sear the beef and finish it in the oven. This recipe is very easy to double.

Seared Beef with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraiche

Ingredients

4 tsp McCormick dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbs Bertolli extra-virgin olive oil
1 boneless sirloin about 1 ½ lbs
Salt and pepper
½ cup crème fraiche
1 tbs whole milk
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Etruscan foccacia

Directions

1. Combine 3 tsp of oregano, garlic and oil in a small bowl. Season the beef with salt and pepper and firmly press oregano mixture on both sides. Set aside while you make the sauce.

2. Mix the crème fraiche, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining tsp of oregano and ½ tsp salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Head a non-stick skillet over medium –high heat. Sear the meat until cooked to the desired doneness, remove from skillet and let rest for 10 minutes. (If you have a thicker cut of beef sear for about 4 minutes on each side and finish in the oven. When beef is done remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.)

4. To assemble, slice meat into thin slices. Slice the foccacia into 1 inch this slices. Spread crème fraiche mixture on focaccia and top with a slice of steak. Serve immediately.

Entertaining Tip: Making your guests comfortable is important. And, while you cannot cater to each guest’s personal tastes you can make it easy for them to enjoy a meal to their liking. For this recipe we suggest that step #4 be optional. You can serve the beef on a platter separately from the foccacia and crème fraiche mixture which will allow your guests to either eat it as step 4 indicates, or in a manner to their liking as some may prefer to omit the crème fraiche mixture or some may not want the foccacia.