Winter Appetites

Salads often get neglected during the cold months but why not assemble a bright and fresh plate of greens and fruits embracing the hearty survivors of winter? Cafe Drake adores a seasonal salad of escarole, sliced pears, toasted pecans and leeks stewed in cream. Dress it all with a quick champagne vinaigrette sweetened with maple syrup and spiked with grainy mustard.

Making the Most of Winter Produce: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Anjou Pears and Red Onions. Serve as a side dish or as a starter salad course, topped with crumbled bleu or feta cheese.

Bring some heat into cold kitchens with a South Indian twist on pasta! Soak 1/2 a package of rice noodles in hot water, drain and rinse well under cool water. Set aside. Now heat 3-4 T. of vegetable oil in a large skillet and fry some black mustard seeds until they pop. Add a T. or so of urad dhal (split gram beans available at all Indian grocers or online - you can prepare the dish without these if needed) and 3-4 dried red chilies and saute for 1-2 minutes or until all brown. Throw in some cumin seeds, cook for another minute then add noodles to skillet. Moisten with enough water to keep noodles from burning and cook covered on a lower heat for a minute or two. Add salt and a sprinkle of turmeric and cook another 3 minutes. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and some of the zest, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm. Great with cooked cabbage and tomato chutney as above.

Everyone loves French Onion Soup. We mean everyone. But sometimes the 2-inch thick mass of melted and chewy cheese on top can be overwhelming (not to mention a choking hazard!) In Cafe Drake's version above - served to Jen Ruske one insanely cold January schoolnight - the broth takes the leading role in an interpretation which lets its complexities shine while making the overall dish more heart and waistline friendly. Of course you can't do without the cheese and bread, so try creating nifty little cheese toasts rectangles and float above a soup slow-cooked and carefully tended to bring out the deep, rich flavors of the stewed onions and beef broth.

A vegetarian main-course soup so flavorful in its basic ingredients that it doesn't require the use of any stock is Cafe Drake's Indonesian Root Vegetable Bisque with Peanuts and Ginger. The recipe (as such) is below but please note you will need to adhere to the part about cooking the onions separately. Although this process dirties two pans instead of one it is essential to not have the onion mixture overwhelmed or diluted by cooking alongside the other vegetables. No worries as it's fairly effortless to make as is and only needs bread and a salad to create a meal worthy of any guests - vegetarians or not.

Peel and chop in small cubes: 1 large onion, 2 small parsnips, 2 carrots, 3-4 sweet potatoes and about a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add some salt and crushed red chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover; simmer for about 30 minutes or until veggies are quite tender. Cool slightly then puree in batches and return to pot.

While the root veggies are cooking, in another pan saute another onion for 15-20 minutes until soft and slightly brown. Add a clove or two of garlic and a large handful of chopped cilantro. Add 1 cup of water and also puree in blender. Add to root veggies.

Stir in about 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter, a couple of teaspoons of soy sauce and let it all simmer gently for 5 minutes. Adjust for salt and pepper and then squeeze half a lemon into the pot.

Stir and serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro and/or peanuts if you choose.

A few of the components of The D P Chutney Collective's newest addition to their line of superlative condiments: Tomatillo Conserves