Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions

Ingredients

serves Serves 6 to 8, active time 1 hour, total time 1 hour 15 minutes

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 pound cipollini onions, trimmed and peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 1 pound button mushrooms, washed, trimmed, and cut into quarters
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon picked fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon

Procedures

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add cipollini onions, season well with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and cook, turning occasionally, until onions are a deep, caramel brown, about 45 minutes total.
   
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and run under cool running water until at cold. Set aside.
   
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they've released all their liquid and are browned, about 10 minutes total, reducing heat if oil starts to smoke excessively. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add shallots, garlic, thyme, and remaining tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce and toss to combine.
   
4. Add green beans, onions, and lemon juice to mushrooms and toss to reheat and combine. Serve immediately.

Glazed Pearl Onions

Note: Frozen pearl onions can be used in place of fresh. To use frozen onions, cook direct from frozen, skipping step 1.

Ingredients

serves Serves 6, active time 20 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• 2 pounds pearl onions (see note above)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Procedures

1. Using a paring knife, trim off the ends of each onion and score a light "X" into one cut side. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add onions and cook until outer layers are soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain onions and run under cool water until cold enough to handle. Peel onions with your fingers and discard peels.
   
2. Transfer onions to a large saucepan or high-sided sauté pan and cover with water. Add butter and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring and shaking pan occasionally, until onions are completely tender and sauce water has reduced and emulsified with the butter into a glossy glaze, about 25 minutes (if butter looks greasy or broken, add 2 tablespoons of water and shake pan to bring glaze back together). Season to taste with salt. Stir in parsley, and serve.

Creamed Pearl Onions

Note: Frozen pearl onions can be used in place of fresh. To use frozen onions, cook direct from frozen, skipping step 1.

Ingredients

serves Serves 6, active time 10 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 2 pounds pearl onions (see note above)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Procedures

1. Using a paring knife, trim off the ends of each onion and score a light "X" into one cut side. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add onions and cook until outer layers are soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain onions and run under cool water until cold enough to handle. Peel onions with your fingers and discard peels.
   
2. Place onions in a medium saucepan and add heavy cream, stock, and bay leaf. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering, then lower heat to maintain a very gently simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cream has reduced to a rich sauce, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, discard bay leaf, stir in parsley, and serve. If sauce breaks and turns greasy, stir in 2 tablespoons of water and shake pan vigorously over high heat until it comes back together.

Grilled Bread and Kale Salad With Red Onions, Walnuts, and Figs

This standout salad takes a turn from the ordinary by wilting the kale over heat before serving.

Suggested tweaks: You could fiddle with the fruit if figs aren't in season, using apples, pears, or even grapes instead.

Ingredients

serves Serves 2 to 4, active time 35 minutes, total time 35 minutes

• 5–6 ripe figs
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1 3-ounce piece Parmesan cheese
• 1 loaf ciabatta or sourdough baguette (fresh or day-old)
• 1 large or 2 small bunches (1/2 pound total) lacinato kale
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, cut in half and then into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• A handful or two walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
• Black pepper
• Lemon or lime wedges

Procedures

1. Stem the figs and slice them lengthwise into about 5 wedges per fig. Place them in a medium dish and sprinkle with the lemon or lime juice. Toss gently to coat and set aside.
   
2. Shave strips of Parmesan from the block of cheese, using a sturdy vegetable peeler. Lovely cheese ribbons will ensue. Set aside.
   
3. Slice the bread into approximately a dozen thin (as in almost see-through) slices. Larger slices from a ciabatta can be halved for easier handling and consumption. Set aside.
   
4. Hold each kale leaf by the stem and use a very sharp knife to release the leaf from the stem (it’s OK to leave the narrow part of the stem that blends into the leaf farther up). Make a pile of the leaves, roll them up tightly, and cut crosswise into super-thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water and swish around to clean. Spin very dry and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
   
5. Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the onion and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring and/or shaking the pan a little, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion becomes shiny and is still this side of tender.
   
6. Transfer the hot onion to the kale in the bowl and stir everything around a bit, then return the entire bowlful of kale-plus-onions to the pan. Stir-fry quickly—just for a minute or so—over medium-high heat until the kale turns an even deeper shade of green and wilts slightly.
   
7. Return it all to the bowl, tossing in the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. You can add some of the cheese at this point, if you’d like it to melt in slightly.
   
8. Remove the pan from the heat, wait a minute or two, then add the vinegar to the pan (stand back—it will sizzle), swirl it around, and pour what’s left of it into the kale. (It will mostly evaporate.)
   
9. Without bothering to clean the pan, return it to the stove over medium heat. Wait another minute, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the bread slices in a single layer and grill on each side until lightly golden and perfectly crisp.
   
10. Transfer the toasts to the kale, along with the figs and all their juice and the shaved cheese to taste. Toss quickly (no need to get things uniform), adding the remaining cheese and the walnuts as you go. Serve right away, passing a pepper mill and offering wedges of lemon or lime to be aimed straight at the figs.
    
11. Optional enhancements:
    Not a fig person? You can swap in a crisp fall apple, sliced thin and lemon juice-doused.
    Go in an entirely different direction and substitute slices or chunks of a very sweet ripe heirloom tomato or a few handfuls of very sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes.