Mizuna Salad / Roman Bread: More Recipes

Some friends over on Facebook requested specifics for the photos I tantalizingly placed of last night's front-porch supper, so recipes follow. As the summer kicks into high gear, produce starts to ripen, and meals utilizing both our CSA box and local gardens need to accommodate large amounts of food that might not last through the night before succumbing to both the heat and their own juiciness. Last night's creation used a healthy clump of vine-ripened tomatoes from a neighbor and a bag of fresh mizuna courtesy of the farmer's box. The idea was to create what I've dubbed a "sort-of salad" - all the major ingredients of self-respecting salad, but deconstructed, so to speak. For those not yet acquainted with mizuna, this tasty green is a Japanese delight, a little less zesty than arugula (which would make a fine substitution) and pleasantly leafy. The pesto dressing was made far in advance - Jane makes large batches and pours the mixture into ice cube trays to freeze, leaving us with perfect little dollops that we transfer to containers in the freezer. They quickly defrost and can be added for flavor weeks and even months down the line.

Mizuna Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto

3-4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
1-2 tablespoons pesto
1 large bunch mizuna or other peppery salad greens
juice of 1/2 lemon
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Slice the tomatoes into large chunks and place in large mixing bowl. Slice artichoke hearts and add to bowl. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons pesto, and stir to coat. Add salt and pepper and leave to sit.

Wash mizuna and clip off extreme stem ends, then dry. Create vinaigrette using olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and seasonings, then pour over mizuna. Toss to coat.

Layer tomato-artichoke-pesto mixture on one side of serving dish, and the mizuna greens on the other. Season if necessary.

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The other part of the equation last night was a gorgeous loaf of Jane's homemade bread. Since she first stumbled upon the recipe for "Roman Bread" (based partly on my desire for some kind of flat loaf with dinner), it's become a favorite. It's amazing how something consisting of such basic ingredients - flour, sugar, salt - can prove so overwhelmingly good. This recipe utilizes a bread machine for the first section, so adjust accordingly based on skill and / or bravery.

Roman Bread

makes 2 pound loaf

(for dough)
1 1/2 cups water
4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon SAF yeast
OR
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon bread machine yeast

(for topping)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons rosemary (dried or fresh)
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

1) To make the dough, place the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions. Program for the Dough Cycle; press Start.

2) Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil (very important, prevents sticking). When machine cycle ends, press Stop and unplug machine. Immediately remove the bread pan and turn dough out onto the baking sheet. With oiled fingers or rolling pin, press and flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick oval. Cover with plastic wrap (or not - we tend to leave it uncovered) and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.

3) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (if using a baking stone, place on the lowest rack and preheat to 425 degrees).

4) Slash the top of the dough with a knife into a tic-tac-toe grid, 1/2 inch deep. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the rosemary over. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. After removing from the oven, sprinkle with the salt. This bread tastes best immediately after being removed from the oven.

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The mizuna salad was purely my own creation. The Roman Bread is courtesy of Beth Hensperger's "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook," and apparently hails from the Casa Vieja restaurant in Tempe, Arizona. The wine in the photo was a 2008 Sauvingon Blanc from Frog's Leap in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and I'm afraid I don't have the recipe for that one.