Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Kale Caesar Salad

Photo by Alexandra Dawson.

By Alexandra Dawson | Edible DC Contributor

Overwhelmingly vibrant, understatedly grand, and impressive enough to warrant “main course” status, this seasonally inspired salad is not to be missed. Made with crispy baguette croutons, creamy tahini and Dijon mustard–based Caesar dressing, sweet Bartlett pears and nourishing Brussels sprouts roasted to near perfection, this vegan salad can also be topped with thick slices of avocado and extra croutons.

Brussels sprouts not only pack a huge (and, for some, an acquired) flavor punch, but also contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to contain anti-cancer properties, and are also a great source of belly-filling plant-based protein and fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C.

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS & KALE CAESAR SALAD 

Serves 8, generously

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Baguette Croutons

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, tough stems removed, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 mini day-old baguette (about ½ pound), cut into bite-sized cubes
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 425°, rack in the middle.

Toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper until well-coated on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and roast for 15 minutes or until sprouts are tender and browned. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Adjust oven heat to 400°.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss baguette cubes with garlic and olive oil until coated. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until croutons are dry and crusty. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Caesar Dressing

¼ cup sesame tahini
6 tablespoons filtered water
Juice of one lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon sea salt

In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.

To assemble theRoasted Brussels Sprouts & Kale Caesar Salad:

1 recipe Roasted Brussels Sprouts (see above)
1 bunch (about ¾ pound) red kale, tough stems removed, finely chopped
2 medium Bartlett pears (about ¾ pound), rustically cubed
1 recipe Baguette Croutons (see above)
1 recipe Caesar Dressing (see above)

In a large serving bowl, gently toss all ingredients until well combined. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Information [per serving = 2 cups]

270 calories, 36g carbohydrates, 12g fat, 9.6g protein, 7.7g fiber, 7.2g sugar

Alexandra Dawson is a Washington, D.C.–based wellness warrior, passionate vegan and yogi, studying to become a registered dietician. She writes a lifestyle and recipe website, InMyBowl.com, promoting plant-based nutrition, healthful and positive living, and #GoddessVibes. You can also find follow her on Instagram @TallulahAlexandra.

Drinks Issue Available Online

Our Winter 2015 digital edition is now available--Drinks, Winter Farm Markets, Daytripping to Middleburg--don't miss it! If you would like a hard copy of the magazine continue to follow us on social media for updates and check our distribution map.

Would you drink a beer that's 200 years-old? Bluejacket’s Greg Engert and Beer Historian Michael Stein set out to make some of D.C.’s first beers

By Tim Ebner, special to Edible DC Okay, so it turns out that a 200 year-old beer doesn’t taste so skunk after all. Not that you should ever try a beer that’s been aged for two centuries. But if we’re talking historic beers — replica ales brewed in a similar fashion as they first were made centuries ago — then turn to Greg Engert and Michael Stein for a sip.

Engert is the beer director for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (which runs Bluejacket brewery and other beer bars like Churchkey) and Stein is a local beer historian and homebrewer.

The duo share a passion for both history and brewing, and recently collaborated on a few beers made at Washington, D.C.’s first brewery.

Maybe you were one of the lucky few to taste these historic beers at a special tasting held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

During the event, Engert and Stein explained how they were able to recreate the beers, which would have been brewed around the time the District was burning to the ground during the War of 1812.

The Washington Brewery (which according to the history books is D.C.’s oldest brewery) began making beer in 1805 by the Washington Navy Yard. It’s nearly the same spot where Bluejacket is located today, and also where Engert and Stein brewed their reproduction ales.

Really, Engert calls his beers an homage to the original since there was no recipe to guide their process. Not having the recipe was part of the creative challenge, he says.

“It seemed at first problematic that we were without actual recipes, but this ended up being somewhat freeing, and more suitable in some ways,” Engert says. “All historically inspired beers are just that: inspired. We are still brewing on modern equipment, with modern ingredients.”

Instead of a recipe, Engert and Stein relied on newspaper clippings found by a local historian and D.C. beer authority, Garrett Peck. Peck is the author of Capital Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in Washington, D.C. and wrote a research paper that helped to inspire Engert and Stein.

One of the ads referenced the types of beer for sale at the Washington Brewery: table beer, strong ale, X ale and porter. And, a second ad, which is really a notice for the brewery’s sale in 1813, documents the supplies and tools that would have gone into beer making.

Using this historical information, Engert and Stein made beers in a style and profile similar to what early Washingtonians would have drank. These aren’t your specialty and craft beers produced today. You might order a DC Brau Corruption (IPA) or 3 Stars Pandemic Porter, but back then historic beers were lower in alcohol volume and tasted a whole lot funkier.

Engert describes the X Ale as a burly, old school English barleywine. And, since brewing techniques were less than perfect in those days, it would have been easy to sour a beer from naturally-occurring bacteria or yeast strains.

What’s funny is that if you close your eyes and sip Stein and Engert’s historic take on a porter, it actually tastes like many of the newer sour beers found on tap at breweries and brewpubs today. Maybe this is history repeated, but Stein says there are definite lessons to be learned from looking back on D.C.’s brewing past.

“This project was a great starting point for inspiration,” he says. “We got to our porter by doing a bunch of experimentation. It took eight separate times to figure out that blend, but basically we put a modern touch on an original.”

Tim Ebner is a contributing writer for Edible. In the January edition of Edible DC, he profiles Washington, D.C.’s local homebrewing scene. For more food and drink tips, follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ebnert

Gluten Free Super Bowl? Yes! Recipes from the Virginia Gold Cup Tailgating Competition Winner

Gluten Free and “Gettin’ Nauti” at the Virginia Gold Cup Tailgating Competition by Alexandra Mannino, special to Edible DC

Editor's note: Alexandra Mannino was the winner of this fall's Virginia Gold Cup Tailgating Competition. Edible DC served as one of the judges for that event, and fell in love with her winning recipes. We asked if she would share them and a recap of her adventure. We were so happy she agreed and said, "Many of your #superbowl party favorites are naturally gluten-free! Try a crowd pleasing chili, a mile-high stack of nachos with corn chips, or pair a beautiful cheese and charcuterie plate with some fruit." Her recipes are at the end of this article. Did we mention the candied bacon?

I was blessed to spend the summers of my youth in the waters of Virginia. My family’s long history of boating has evolved since my sister and I have grown up and moved, but my parents have kept their hobby alive since joining the Occoquan Yacht Club (OYC), and I’ve had a couple great “tag-along” experiences to spend quality time with my parents, both on, and off, the water. Ironically, however, one of my favorite events is actually not water-related. In 2011, my parents and I were first invited to the fall International Gold Cup by friends Pat and Christie, members of the OYC who own the tailgate spots. They have hosted this race for OYC friends since 2001.

Too often, because of my dairy and gluten dietary restrictions, I find social events challenging. My goal was to create a menu that everyone, regardless of diet, could enjoy. I started cooking on Friday morning and didn’t stop until after midnight. My sister Christina helped assemble some pieces for the tailgate, while my boyfriend Michael prepared the BBQ. After a late night preparing for the Gold Cup, we got moving early on Saturday; to calm my competition jitters, I headed into the kitchen to bake a batch of grain-free peanut butter muffins. When we arrived to the South Rail, cocktails were mixed, tables were set, and sternos lit. The finishing touch to the table décor was some ropes from a member’s boat.

About our theme: When I first attended, I noticed that our tailgate possessed many of the same qualities as being out on the open water. Instead of water, we were in a field. Instead of anchors, we had horseshoes. The sound of waves was replaced with running horses and cheering crowds. When I decided to enter the tailgating competition, I developed our theme, “Gettin’ Nauti at the Races,” because I wanted to bring some nautical flair to the OYC’s Gold Cup tradition. To convey this, I designed a custom wood logo that intertwined a horseshoe with an anchor and had them made from an Etsy supplier. I also incorporated the logo on menu identifiers. I wrote “S.S. Gold Cup,” on sailor hats for a cohesive group-look and had custom cups (which also doubled as a take-away gift) made from another Etsy supplier.

Set-up flew by and before I knew it, the judges were arriving. The roasted squash and apple soup, thickened with coconut milk instead of cream, was nearly gone after judging. The meatballs and candied bacon were a hit as well (Editor’s note: Edible DC’s publisher is still raving about that candied bacon!). Our signature cocktail, a rum punch, was served in the custom cups with anchor stirrers.

I was notified that I placed and immediately told Michael, my parents, Pat and Christie. I grabbed the nautical entourage, a rum punch to go, and we walked up Member’s Hill in our hats. It was an enormous honor to then find out that I had come in first this year. And although, somewhat jokingly, I said that if I came in first, we’d just have buckets of fried chicken next year (gluten-free, of course), I couldn’t help but start planning and daydreaming a menu and theme for next year as I exited the winner’s circle…

The Recipes

BBQ

Michael smoked 13 lbs. of pork shoulder, covered in a pork seasoning, coconut sugar (instead of your typical brown sugar) and smoked for 4 hours in the convection smoker made by Orion —super portable and a city dweller’s BFF. Here's the link: http://www.theorioncooker.com/

Candied Bacon

From Ina Garten

Gluten-free, Dairy-free

Ingredients

½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½ cup chopped or whole pecans

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne (I omitted)

2 tbl pure maple syrup

½ lb. thick sliced applewood-smoked bacon

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place a wire baking rack on top.

Combine brown sugar and pecans in food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground. Add salt, pepper and cayenne and pulse to combine. Add the maple syrup and pulse again to moisten the crumbs.

Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise and line up the pieces on the baking rack without touching. With a small spoon, evently spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is very browned but not burnt. If it is underbaked, the bacon won’t crisp as it cools.

While it’s hot, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool. Serve at room temp. Can be made early in the day and stored at room temperature.

Race Track Crack

adapted from Southern Living’s Graham Nut Clusters

1 box honey nut Chex*

1 ½ boxes Cinnamon Chex*

1x16 oz. canister of honey roasted peanuts

2 oz. of honey roasted pecans (or you can use normal pecans, the original recipe calls for 1 cup, if you do, coarsely chop the pecans)

½ cup almonds (I added these because I had them. The original recipe does not)

1 bag of pretzel sticks (I omitted these this year because I couldn’t get to the right store to get the gluten-free ones!)

2 bags M&Ms, I like using a mix of peanut and regular — to add extra flair, you can get the special colored ones if you have a theme.

*You can really use any type of cereal. The original calls for Golden Grahams. I bet Cheerios would be good, too. I chose Chex because they are gluten-free.

The good stuff caramel sauce:

I tripled this recipe to ensure I covered the cereal mixture, the original recipe didn’t yield enough of the good stuff.

½ c. butter (I always use unsalted)

1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ c. light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a sheet pan or cover sheet pan in foil and then spray with pam.

Combine cereal, peanuts, pecans, almonds (if using) in a LARGE bowl. (you may want to divide over two bowls to make less of a mess)

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Boil 2 minutes. Pour this mixture over the cereal mixture. Stir quickly to coat. Spread on greased/foiled sheet pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Transfer to wax paper (you can sometimes skip the wax paper step, I did this time and it turned out okay). LET COOL fully.

Break into pieces. Add the pretzels and M&Ms. This mixture holds really, really well and can be made up to two days in advance.

Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup with Roasted Apples

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan (optional), Make-ahead

2 butternut squashes (around 3 pounds, total)

1 acorn squash

2 apples (I used 1 Fuji and 1 Granny Smith) – sliced very thinly – you can leave skin on or off

Olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large leek (white parts only)

½ cup carrots, shredded

½ cup of white onion, diced

3-5 cups of water OR chicken stock OR vegetable stock (depending on how thick you’d like your soup)

1 can of full-fat coconut milk

Salt

Pepper

Cinnamon (optional)

Nutmeg (optional)

Ground ginger (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°. Slice butternut squashes in half, remove seeds, place on roasting pan face up. Slice acorn squash in half, remove seeds, place on roasting pan face up. Roast for 35-45 minutes, until the inside can be scooped out with a spoon. Place the thinly sliced apples on a separate roasting pan. When the squash is almost finished, add the apples to roast them until they are brown and softened up.

Scoop out the flesh of the squashes and place in a bowl with apples.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot to coat the bottom of the pan. Add garlic, leeks, carrots and onion. Soften but do not brown them. Add the squash and roasted apples. Stir to combine. Begin to add water (or liquid of choice) one cup at a time. In between additions, use an immersion blender to create a smooth soup, or remove a couple of cups at a time to purée in a blender and then return to the pot. When you are finished with the water additions, add the can of coconut milk. Blend well. Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg to your taste.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Adapted from Southern Living, December 1999

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Make-ahead

(this recipe yielded 79 meatballs, I counted!)

1 pound extra lean ground beef

3 pounds ground turkey

1 small onion, minced

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (if you can find Italian-seasoned, omit the next three ingredients)

1 heaping tbl. dried oregano

1 heaping tbl. dried basil

1 heaping tbl. garlic

Combine the breadcrumbs with the spices, if needed, before proceeding with the recipe.

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

Sweet and Sour Sauce

You can always use the same ratio for less sauce, I made a bit extra to keep the meatballs fresh for the tailgate and kept in a jar…taste as you go when making this sauce.

3 cups ketchup

¾ cup of white balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tbl. Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ heaping tbl. coconut sugar (the recipe called for regular)

½ tbl yellow mustard

1 tbl honey mustard

Combine first 6 ingredients; shape into bite-size meatballs.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan. Brown meatballs in batches in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from skillet.

Stir together sauce ingredients. Add to skillet (or dutch oven), bring to boil. Add meatballs, reduce heat to simmer 5 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink.

Note: These can be made one day in advance with the sauce and heated up prior to service. The original recipe also notes that the meatballs may be thoroughly cooked without sauce and frozen. Thaw and reheat with sauce.

Gold Cup Chili

Adapted from Jamie Deen’s award winning chili

Gluten-free (if omitting beer)

2 tbl olive oil

¾ cup white onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 lbs. lean ground turkey

4 hot Italian chicken sausages, casing removed and chopped

¼ cup chili powder

1 tbl ground cumin

1 tbl dried oregano

3-4, 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1, 4oz. can of tomato paste

12 oz. beer — optional*

15 oz. can of corn, drained and rinsed

32 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz. can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz. can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Add olive oil to large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onions and peppers, saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic until fragrant. Stir in the ground turkey and chicken sausages, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook until browned.

Drain the pepper/meat mixture through a colander — I feel like this step was important to the overall texture of the final product.

Add the pepper/meat mixture back to the Dutch oven and stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook it for about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; this will “toast” the chili. Add beer now, if using, and bring to a simmer.* Add the diced tomatoes, beans and corn. Simmer on medium-low for 2 hours, stirring on occasion to keep bottom from sticking.

* Editor's note: Alexandra did not add beer due to her gluten allergy, but there are gluten-free beer options available that might work.

DC to Host Top Thinkers on Food System at Food Tank Conference

Live Streaming Option—Mark Your Calendar

On January 21^st and 22^nd, D.C. will host a stellar group of luminaries from the world of food and agriculture at the 1^st Annual Food Tank Summit. Food Tank is a non-profit organization focused on finding sustainable solutions for our broken food system. The Summit, which is being held in partnership with The George Washington University, will bring together some of the best thinkers and innovators to discuss the current state of our food system and how it can be improved.

Researchers, farmers, chefs, policy makers, government officials, and students from around the world will be in town to participate. The Summit will include panels on food waste, urban agriculture, family farmers, workers in the food system, true cost accounting, democratizing innovation, and much more.

Brian Halweil, the editor in chief of Edible Brooklyn, Edible East End, Edible Long Island, and Edible Manhattan magazines as well as author of Eat Here: Finding Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket, will be there to talk discuss the importance of family farmers. “I’m thrilled to talk about the important role family farmers play in not just producing food, but preserving biodiversity, protecting natural resources, and increasing resilience in the food system,” says Halweil.

And Edible DC’s Susan Able will be co-hosting a reception with Food Tank at Farmers, Fishers, and Bakers. Able feels that this may be one of the most important food system conferences this year, and was honored to participate saying “Food Tank’s mission is in line with what we do at Edible DC—put a face and voice to the farmers, fishers, livestock keepers, and food artisans who produce the food we enjoy every day. We’re excited to partner with an organization who is telling stories of hope and success in the food system.”

Tickets for the Summit sold out months ago, but Food Tank is offering a free livestream of the event. You can sign up for the livestream on their website www.foodtank.com.

Food Tank’s reception will be held on January 21^st and will feature delicious and sustainable food from Fishers, Farmers, and Bakers. The dinner is sold out, but there are still tickets for the reception. Washington Post Food and Dining Editor Joe Yonan, Chef Jose Andres, and Farmers Restaurant Group Founding Partner Dan Simons will all be speaking at the event.   Tickets for the reception are still available for on Food Tank’s website www.foodtank.com

The Buzz on Local Food Artisans: Union Kitchen Vendor Showcase Connects Stories, Products, and Markets

By Rhea Yablon Kennedy, special to Edible DC

On January 9, Union Kitchen opened its doors for its first showcase of the year. More than 100 guests nibbled, sipped, and whiffed samples from 37 businesses that rent production space in the Northeast DC facility.

Among the industrial stainless steel counters and vault-like refrigerator doors, the business owners shared personal stories and original flavors.

Bonnie and April Wardlaw of Popcorn Queens represent one of the startups that the shared space has nurtured. For years, Bonnie (the mom of this mother-daughter team) made caramel popcorn at home to give as gifts, brushing off April’s encouragement to sell it. Then April added the popcorn to a catering menu she cooked up, and received a request for more of the confection.

"When I got the order, I felt like I had the evidence that we should go into business,” says April. So Popcorn Queens was born, and word of mouth got around. The business officially launched in September 2013. The two now churn out batch after batch of nine flavor options in Union Kitchen.

“It’s been unbelievable,” says Bonnie.

Not far from the popcorn royalty, a recent college graduate handed out velvety spoonfuls of gluten-free, vegan Slender Seven Cookie Dough, along with the tale of how it started with a business class project, then an online cookbook, and now this product. Next to her, a former embassy chef served up homemade rye crackers with Nordic spreads from the high-end menu of Chef Mikko Catering.

More novel samples and stories awaited upstairs in the bakery area, a room that smells so pungently of Undone Chocolate’s operation, you half expect to see an oompa loompa march by. There, Undone’s Adam and Kristen Kavalier served a tea made from the shells of cocoa beans. But that chocolate-scented tea is just a fraction of their background. Adam, who holds a PhD in plant science, spent years developing their main product: bean-to-bar chocolate that packs more antioxidants per serving than red wine.

Charlie Berkinshaw of Element [Shrub] passed samples of drinks using his tangy-sweet infused vinegars. Shrubs are an old-fashioned concept that recently found its way into mixologists’ arsenals. The path for Berkinshaw involved 400 pounds of urban crab apples and a pregnant woman’s quest for a nuanced virgin cocktail. Element Shrub will be one of the featured vendors at Edible DC’s upcoming Drinks Invitational on February 19^th.

But Union Kitchen tastings are more than a romp through genesis stories and tasty products, says Distribution Manager Chris Wren. The events make key connections with retail stores.

“They break down the barriers to entry for our members,” Wren explains, “because a market is much more willing (and generally very excited) to come in when they can see a number of potential products at once.”

That exposure clears the way to store shelves, a path usually strewn with paperwork and cold calls.

The kitchen environment, complete with those industrial counters and walk-in refrigerators, also plays a role.

The space shows “there is a program with the infrastructure and the technical logistics to assist in coordinating the production, fulfillment, and deliveries of products,” Wren says.

Glen’s Garden Market, Yes! Organic Market, Dawson’s, Whole Foods, and numerous other stores already carry Union Kitchen products. There's little doubt that shoppers will see more "Made in Union Kitchen" labels in 2015.

Rhea Yablon Kennedy teaches English at Gallaudet University and eats good food wherever she can find it. She has written for The Washington Post, Elevation DC, The Jewish Daily Forward, and Grist, as well as Edible DC's predecessor, Edible Chesapeake.