Let’s wake up that palate

I LOVE a savory fruit salad. Good seasonal fruit is a balance of sweet, tart, and aromatic. I was snacking on an apple from last week's produce order when I realized it's fruit salad time. This week it's honeycrisp apples, ruby red grapefruit, tangerines, kumquats with their chewy little skins, like a shot of sunshine. I think we all need that this week. We're keeping it savory with goat feta from Decimal Place, shallots, radishes, basil, and radicchio.

In heartier news, Lentils and Dumplings are back! I threw this together last winter when I read that I could make mung beans into dumplings, and it's one of my favorites: a TON of flavor from tamarind and spices, including slow-roasted romas that are actually looking great from Florida right now. Gotta love our southern neighbor and their crazy backward seasons. I've got some blanched kale in there too, so you get your greens.

Chicken Chorizo Chili is getting winterized too: I'm turning up the spice just a little bit in the chili broth, and balancing it with sweet potatoes. The garnish will be crunchy-tender napa cabbage and cilantro because variety in texture is as important as flavor.

Finally, we've got a new pantry item: I fermented chopped kale stems with some ginger. Super-simple, but the stems keep their crunch better than greens, and it's got a lively, clean acidity, that I'm craving on most things these days. And yes, the brine is drinkable and yes, you will be happier for having done so.

Take care and stay warm y'all.