Satisfying and seasonal food in about 30 minutes from New York chef Missy Robbins
LIKE MANY CHEFS, when Missy Robbins isn’t cooking at her own restaurants, she’s dining at someone else’s. That adds up to many rich meals. “After a while, I need vegetables,” she said. “I really like them raw, in their natural state.” This winter-white salad, Ms. Robbins’s second Slow Food Fast contribution, delivers the freshness she craves as well as the depth of flavor she’s accustomed to. Parsnips, fennel, sunchokes and celery root, all shaved paper-thin, come to life when dressed in a piquant walnut vinaigrette.
The Chef: Missy Robbins
Melissa Hom
Missy Robbins
Her Restaurants: A Voce Madison and A Voce Columbus, both in Manhattan
What She’s Known For: Serving polished yet authentic and unaffected Italian meals to New York’s power set.
Though the entire recipe can be completed in 20 minutes, the vinaigrette can also be made up to a day in advance. The longer it rests, the more fully the walnuts infuse the oil.
A mandoline makes short work of slicing the vegetables, but a sharp knife gets the job done, too. Just be sure to wait until right before serving to dress the salad, to preserve its crunch. “It’s the best of winter,” Ms. Robbins said. Pale green celery leaves, scattered over top, bring a hint of color to the plate, like an early intimation of spring poking up through the snow.
—Kitty Greenwald
Shaved Winter Vegetable Salad
Total Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped into rough ¼-inch pieces
1½ shallots, diced fine
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more, to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, to taste
2 tablespoons walnut oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 small celery root, peeled, quartered and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 medium parsnip, peeled and sliced in 1/8-inch-thick rounds
5 small sunchokes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 bulb fennel, outer layers removed, halved and sliced 1/8-inch thick
½ cup pecorino Romano cheese shavings
½ cup celery leaves
What To Do
1. Combine walnuts, shallots, lemon juice, oils and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine all sliced vegetables and cheese shavings. Add vinaigrette and toss until well and evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon or oil if desired. Garnish with celery leaves and serve immediately.
We gave this a try with what we had on hand. The take away is – vegetables. Another Meals In Minutes experience. We can say give it a try, you’ll be glad you did.
