Soup and Salad

After the carnivore's menu, we needed something greener, healthier and most importantly lighter.

Soup and salad, with leftover whole wheat baguettes and water seemed like a great after the pig-out meal.

The Soup
Roasted Carnival Squash, Garlic & Arugula Soup
Cut up the squash, add a bit of beef stock and roast at 350° F until fork tender. Set aside.
Mince some garlic and quickly sauté it in some hot oil. Just as it starts to get a bit of color, add the squash and some beef stock. Let simmer a bit, then blend to a smooth consistency. Add cream to taste, salt, black pepper and chili flakes. Garnish with arugula.

The Salad
Raddichio & Arugula with Meyer Lemon Dressing
Wash the arugula, spin dry and set aside.
Quickly blanch asparagus spears, set aside. When cool, cut in half lengthwise.
Wash the radiccio, then slice from top to bottom into quarter to half-inch thick sections. Set aside.
Make the dressing with fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice, a bit of fresh lime juice and enough white wine vinegar to bring up the acidity. Add a pinch of salt and some black pepper and some new crop olive oil.
Place the arugula in the plates, then top with the radicchio. Add the asparagus spears as a garnish.
Drizzle with unfiltered, unrefined new crop olive oil.
Beat the dressing to temporarily emulsify it and drizzle it over the salad.

The acid in the dressing tones down any bitterness in the greens, and the asparagus adds a note of richness. Overall, it's still light and fresh, since the only fat in the dressing is itself a fresh-tasting olive oil.