A HARTE APPETITE: SPICE UP WINTER WITH WARM SALAD

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco," Mark Twain once quipped. He must have forgotten what winter can be like in Missouri.

Though our winters are relatively mild when compared to the likes of those in Michigan or Minnesota or the Northeast, it can get cold here. And when it does, we naturally enough turn to certain foods to help warm us up -- foods like chili and hot chocolate.

It's hardly surprising that the seasons have an influence on the foods we crave. In the first place, some foods simply aren't available year round but are only at their peak at certain times. Thus, tomatoes and strawberries are always best in summer and asparagus, though available at other times, is not only more affordable in spring but seems to taste better then too.

But more important than mere availability is the impact of the season on how we feel and, in turn, what we feel like eating. Thus, though there is a carton of ice cream in my freezer right now, I must confess it has been sitting there for some time. I just don't hunger much for ice cream in February. In summer it's hard to keep the stuff in stock. (I suspect Baskin-Robbins can relate to that.) Similarly, this time of year we eat lots of piping hot soup at our house. But in warmer months we prefer gazpacho and other soups that are designed to be served cold. Likewise, we drink our tea hot in winter and serve it over ice in summer. All of which goes to show that Paracelsus, a Swiss physician of the Renaissance period, was onto something when he proclaimed, "The Summer diet is not fitting for Winter, nor the Winter diet in Summer. Each diet has its own time. . . ."

So in view of this relationship between the temperature outside and our appetites inside, you may think it strange that this week's column features recipes for salads. But salads don't have to be consigned to summer and spring for maximum enjoyment. They can be winter warm up food too when served "wilted" by a hot dressing.

A warm or "wilted" salad, one in which a hot dressing partially cooks the greens, can be a perfect light meal on a chilly winter day. Descended from the classic old-fashioned spinach salad with hot bacon drippings, they are a splendid way to fortify yourself against winter temperatures. And if you are interested, they can be made right at the table in a wok or electric frying pan for a dramatic presentation. So when cold winds blow and snow is in the forecast, consider one of the following recipes for making salad a "hot" item at your table.

Hot Spinach, Apple, and Sausage Salad

This is an excellent salad I first ran across some 15 years ago in an issue of Sunset Magazine. It's quick, easy, and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1 large red onion, sliced and separated into rings

2 large red apples, cored and thinly sliced

1 pound tender spinach leaves

Directions:

Remove casings from sausage and slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook in wok or electric frying pan on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Discard all but 1/4 cup fat. Add vinegar, sugar, nutmeg, and mustard and stir to blend. Turn heat to high. When mixture boils, add onion and apples and cook and stir for 1 minute. Add spinach and turn off heat. Lift and turn greens with two forks or spoons until coated with dressing. Salt to taste and serve. Serves 6.

Warm Salad with Seared Scallops

This sophisticated salad from Gourmet Magazine makes an elegant first course.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound thin French green beans, trimmed

1 pound sea scallops

1/3 cup olive oil

3 yellow bell peppers, cut into strips

3 orange bell peppers, cut into strips

2 large shallots, minced

3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons walnut oil

4 heads radicchio, outer leaves only

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped

Directions:

In boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender. Drain and refresh in cold water. Pat dry. Remove tough muscle from side of each scallop if necessary. Halve scallops horizontally, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until hot but not smoking and saute scallops until golden. Transfer to bowl with slotted spoon. Add another tablespoon olive oil to skillet; heat. Saute bell peppers until crisp-tender. With slotted spoon transfer to bowl with scallops. Add another tablespoon olive oil to skillet and cook shallots over moderate heat until softened. Add vinegar, sugar, walnut oil, remaining olive oil, and salt to taste and simmer 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Divide radicchio among 8 plates. Add beans and vinaigrette to scallop mixture and toss gently. Divide among plates and sprinkle with walnuts.

Steak Salad with Warm Mushroom Dressing

This recipe from Good Housekeeping magazine makes a substantial supper dish.

Ingredients:

12 cups packed assorted salad greens

1/2 pound medium-size shiitake mushrooms

1/2 pound medium-size button mushrooms

1 beef top round steak, 1 inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sugar

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Tear salad greens into bite-size pieces. Cut tough stems from shiitake mushrooms and leave whole. Trim and slice button mushrooms. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper and cook in skillet in olive oil over high heat until browned on both sides. Reduce heat and cook until desired doneness (8 to 10 minutes longer for rare). In same skillet over medium-high heat, add additional tablespoon oil and cook both kinds of mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt until golden and liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. In small bowl mix vinegar, mustard, sugar, 3 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup water. Stir into skillet with mushrooms. Remove from heat. Slice steak into 1/8-inch thick pieces, add along with mushroom mixture to salad greens and toss well. Serves 6.

Got a recipe you'd like to share with our readers? Are you looking for a recipe for something in particular? Send your recipes and requests to A Harte Appetite, c/o The Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO., 63702-0699 or by e-mail to tharte@semovm.semo.edu.

~Tom Harte is a professor at Southeast Missouri State University and writes a food column every other week for the Southeast Missourian.