Nalewka (Lemon Honey Polish Cordial)

From Dish Amelia:

Nalewka (Pronounced Nah-Lef-Kah) is a Polish cordial or aged homemade alcoholic tincture. This variety happens to be lemon and honey but you could make it with nearly anything. It is meant to be sipped and is even regarded as having a medicinal purpose; whether to calm the stomach or make you sleep soundly (heh). I got curious about this concoction when my favorite tall Pole described it to me as a popular traditional project. Then messages had to be sent, many questions asked, and a loose recipe transcribed and then tested. Looking through a variety of recipes, I would say this is a Polish version of Limoncello, perhaps. I now want to make a cherry and a ginger one. You know, for medicinal purposes.

1 bottle Spirytus (This is grain alcohol which is scary stuff. One reason this is so easy to make is that you can dilute the alcohol as much as you choose, and a bit at a time) Start with this amount and it will go quite far.

10 lemons, juiced. (The Pole noted to keep at least a seed or two, and as much pulp as possible, as this is a homemade product and this helps to signify this.)

water (You must do this to taste. We started with 1:1, but this was too strong, so we added 200 more ml. (When you make this drink you have to use the metric system.)

a bit more than 1/2 cup honey. (Also to taste)

Pour the honey and a bit of water into a saucepan and heat, so the honey dissolves into the water. Let this cool a bit or put it in an ice bath. Mix all of the ingredients, pour into bottles, shake, and store in the freezer. Serve in tiny glasses and sip.

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Kohlrabi & Kale Salad (with sour cherries & lemon)

From Dish Danielle:

What’s a dish to do with the ugliest character in her winter CSA share!? Eat ‘em fresh! I personally had never been confronted by this mysterious German turnip before, and I will admit, that I left it abandoned in my fridge’s crisper for far longer than I should have… Once I finally worked up the nerve to peel, slice, and sample this crunchy orb, I found it surprisingly mild in flavor and still very fresh considering it’s relegated hibernation…ahem. A fresh winter salad recipe is below. This is loose so feel free to add/subtract & riff on it to create the perfect winter salad for you:

Ingredients:
-1 medium Kohlrabi, peeled
-1 medium bunch Lacinto Kale, destemmed and chiffonaded.
-1 bunch of dill, rough chopped
-1 c dried sour cherries
-grated zest of 1 lemon
-4-6 tbsp, fresh squeezed lemon juice
-few splashes of olive oil
-a squeeze or two of honey
-2-3 garlic cloves, minced
-S&P to taste
-1c alfalfa sprouts (if you’d like)

Peel the kohlrabi and cut into thick matchsticks that are 1/4″ wide & 2″ long.

Place all ingredients, (minus the sprouts if you’re using them), into a medium sized salad bowl. Get in there with your hands and massage the mixture–this allows the lemon to soften both the kale & kohlrabi just a bit. Let the salad sit for about 10minutes.

*chef’s note: I only had 1/2 a bunch of kale, so I used a mixture of kale and added 2 large handfuls of my CSA mesclun salad mix, which was great!

Add the sprouts and mix once more–making sure to separate the threadlike bundle and incorporating thoroughly. Now’s the time to taste and adjust the salt/honey levels if needed. If you find a puddle of dressing at the bottom of your salad bowl, using tongs, lift the salad and place into another bowl leaving the juices behind.

Happy crunching!

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Croque Madame

From Dish Rachelle:

I love brunch but on a chilly January Sunday, sometimes I love lounging in my sweatpants even more. What’s a Dish to do?

The answer’s surprisingly obvious: if you can’t bring the people to the croque madame, bring the croque madame to the people. To be honest, this isn’t my go-to brunch order (I’m more of an omelette or pancakes kind of girl) but I recently saw two internet recipes that inspired me to give this gourmet ham, egg and cheese another shot.

The first is this breakfast sandwich post from Ideas in Food, one of my husband’s favorite cooking blogs. He sent it to me because he knows there’s a special place in my heart for “Egg in the Bread” aka “Toad in the Hole” because my parents used to make it for me when I was little and I still cook it for us every once in a while.

The second is Ruth Reichl’s grilled cheese recipe from her How to Make it Better series for Gilt Taste. I incorporated many of her suggestions here and as promised, my sandwich was better for it.

I’m not going to get overly precise in my measurements here because seriously, it’s brunch – if we can’t be laid-back before noon on a Sunday, then really, when can we be?

Also: do you know how to make ANYTHING better? Add cats.

Ingredients (serves two)

4 slices country bread

butter for spreading

shredded gruyere cheese (start with about a cup – if you need more, go for it)

1-1 ½ tablespoons chopped shallot

black pepper

2 slices of ham

mayo for spreading

more butter for cooking

2 eggs

Diet food, this isn’t:

Start by layering one slice of bread on top of another and creating a hole in the center using a cookie cutter. Extra points if it’s cat-shaped. Repeat for second sandwich.

Mix together the grated gruyere with the chopped shallots and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Butter the inside of each slice of bread. If the butter’s too cold and/or the bread’s too delicate, warm it in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Butter side up, sprinkle a healthy amount of the cheese mixture on two slices of bread (one for each sandwich). Avoid the hole in the center.

Cover the cheese with a slice of ham, tearing it into pieces if necessary to arrange it around the cat.

Sprinkle just a bit more cheese over the ham and then close the sandwich, lining up the holes. Spread a thin layer of mayo on the outside of the bread and flip, carefully, to repeat on the other side.

Once both sandwiches are closed, melt a tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Carefully place your sandwiches in the hot butter and crack an egg in the center of each one.

Cook on one side until golden brown, about 4 minutes, and then flip. Cook until bottom side is golden brown and the egg has reached a desired level of doneness.

Serve immediately, with a nice helping of dressed greens, Brooklyn brunch style.

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