TasteFood

As we head into the holiday season, it’s handy to have a few healthy appetizers and snacks up our sleeves for guilt-free meals and nibbling before and between festivities. Hot-smoked salmon salad should be on your list. It’s a healthy, elegant and seriously tasty salad -- served chilled, despite the name -- which is delightfully versatile and can be easily made in advance of serving.

The key to the recipe is to use hot-smoked salmon, not cold-smoked salmon. What’s the difference? While both methods rely on using super-fresh salmon, the main difference is the smoking temperature. Cold-smoked salmon is smoked at a lower temperature, approximately 80 degrees, which imparts a mild smoky flavor without cooking the fish. The result is a fresh, moist texture, which is similar to sashimi.

Hot-smoked salmon is smoked hotter, at 120 degrees or higher, which yields a drier, flakier fish with a strong smoky flavor. It’s this flaky texture and smoky flavor which are ideal (and addictively tasty) in this recipe.

Once the salad is prepared, it can be refrigerated for two days. When ready to use, spread it on bread for an open-face sandwich or tartine as a healthy lunch; wrap it in lettuce leaves for a gluten-free appetizer; or dress it up in a bowl and serve with tortilla chips or crostini for easy entertaining.

Hot-Smoked Salmon Salad

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes about 2 cups salad

12 ounces hot-smoked salmon, pin-bones and skin removed, flaked

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped chives

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon whole milk plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

2 teaspoons capers, drained, chopped

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix with a fork to thoroughly combine. If too dry, add additional yogurt or lemon juice. The salad should be moist but not too wet. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two days.

Hot-Smoked Salmon Tartines

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes 2

2 slices country-style or levain bread, about 1/2-inch thick

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large handful sturdy greens, such as spinach, arugula, baby kale or frisee

1/2 lemon

Sea salt

1 cup hot-smoked salmon salad

Chopped chives or dill for garnish

To make a tartine, lightly brush the bread with olive oil. Toast in the oven until lightly golden on both sides. Remove and cool slightly.

Place the greens in a bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. (The leaves should be lightly coated, not drenched.) Spread the greens on the bread. Spoon a layer of salmon salad over the greens. Garnish with additional dill or chives and a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.

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Early fall -- before the onset of the holiday crazies -- is a great time to relax and get cozy. Apples are at their peak, and rustic, uncomplicated desserts that naturally showcase their flavor and sweetness are par for the course. It’s time for a crostata.

A crostata is essentially a free-form tart. It’s easy to make, with no fuss in perfecting the shape. The filling is all about the fruit, coated in a shower of sugar and spice, then mounded in the center of the dough, which is then folded over the edges to frame and contain it. It’s simple and unadorned, and that is the attraction.

The dough can be prepared in advance and frozen if needed. Simply defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. When you get to the rolling stage, aim for a circle, but if the edges are uneven, you can smooth them -- or leave them as they are. Like I said, this is an unfussy and humble dessert.

Serve the crostata warm or at room temperature. Keep it simple, or serve it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. If you would like a wee bit of sparkle, sprinkle turbinado sugar over the crostata instead of granulated sugar. And if you’re making whipped cream, there’s nothing wrong with adding a splash of Calvados (apple brandy) to the cream -- it will help keep you warm.

Apple Crostata

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 10 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 6

Dough:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced

3 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

4 large apples, such as Gala or Granny Smith

3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of kosher salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar) for sprinkling

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is pea-sized. Add the 3 tablespoons water and pulse until the dough begins to clump, adding 1 more tablespoon water if the dough is too dry. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel, halve and core the apples, then slice about 1/4-inch thick. Place in a bowl and add the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the water to make an egg wash.

When ready to assemble, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface in a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Arrange the apples in a circular pattern in the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2- to 2-inch border clear. Fold the border over the edge of the apples, pleating as you go. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle the entire crostata with the turbinado sugar.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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A fluffy mashed or pureed vegetable side dish is always a crowd-pleaser, and the humble potato is often the star. This recipe gives the spud a rest and turns to the season’s bounty of root vegetables for inspiration.

Nutrient-rich roots are storehouses of energy and guaranteed to add an extra dimension of color and sweet, earthy flavor to the popular mash. Most roots, such as rutabaga, parsnip, carrot and celery root, are delicious when mashed or pureed. They can be used individually or combined for more nuance and balance in flavor. This recipe combines parsnips with mellow celery root, along with a dollop of roasted garlic. The celery root tamps down the parsnips’ sweetness, and the garlic adds buttery richness to the dish.

This is an unfailingly flexible recipe, and you can tinker with the ingredients and method to your taste and preference. For instance, there are several ways to prepare root vegetables for a mash or puree. The skins can be left on for a more rustic and chunky presentation, providing the bonus of extra nutrients. For a smoother and more elegant mash, the skins can be peeled, with silkier results. Roasting root vegetables in the oven coaxes out their natural sugars and delivers extra charred flavor. Simply boiling or steaming the vegetables yields a purer mash.

This recipe is a bit of a hybrid, wherein the vegetables are cook-steamed in a generous amount of chicken stock to add a subtle savory note. (For a vegetarian option, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.) Once the vegetables are cooked until soft, use a potato masher or blitz them in a food processor with additional ingredients, such as butter and cheese, for a flavorful puree.

Parsnip and Celery Root Puree

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: Serves 6 as a side dish

1 medium head garlic

Olive oil

1 1/2 pounds parsnips

1 medium celery root, 1 to 1 1/4 pounds

3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock, plus more as needed

2 thyme sprigs, plus leaves for garnish

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roast the garlic: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice off about 1/4 of the top of the garlic head. Place cut-side up on a piece of foil and drizzle the top of the garlic head with olive oil. Wrap the foil up over the garlic and seal. Place in a small ovenproof dish and roast in the oven until soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and cool to the touch, then squeeze the garlic out of the papery skin. Set aside 2 tablespoons for the mash and refrigerate any remaining garlic for another use.

While the garlic is roasting, peel the parsnips and celery root. Cut in 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces and place in a pot. Pour in the 3 cups chicken stock and add the thyme. Bring the stock to a boil, then cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. If the pan begins to dry out, add more stock or water to prevent the vegetables from scorching.

Discard the thyme sprigs. With a slotted spoon, transfer the root vegetables to the bowl of a food processor. Add the 2 tablespoons roasted garlic, cheese, butter, salt and black pepper and process to blend. If too thick or lumpy, add some of the reserved cooking liquid (or more stock) and process to your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper if desired. Serve warm, garnished with fresh thyme leaves.

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