It is a cold, hibernate-worthy winter this year. I know, not as cold as my friends and family tell me the mid-west is, but none the less, cold for New York City (and snowy!). It is a winter where heaps of homemade pasta and roasted meats keep us alive, root vegetables warm us, and a special apple cider-maple syrup toddy is just the thing to end the night. All I need is a fire to keep my toes toasty.

Shortened daylight seems to mess with my realities of time and the amount I can accomplish in a day. But more is to come: More Sustainable Table pages are going up. I’ll post those shortly. Exciting information come Spring– a heads up and hint to check the Spring/Summer ICE (Institute of Culinary Education) curriculum calendar if you are in NYC or coming this way. All excuses to not be posting, so I wanted to share this dip. It is so simple. (Can I call this a dip? For some reason olive oil does not say dip to me.)

This dip is perfect because I usually have some combination of these ingredients around (and I think most people will too). I made this 4 nights straight it is so quick and easy to throw together. Alternately, one large batch can easily be whipped up and rationed and the flavors will come out more intensely.

With this dip, D and I re-discovered the glorious thing that is sage– It is going into the garden come Spring no doubt. Though any equally hearty fresh herb like rosemary or tarragon will work well. Don’t skimp on the fresh herb! I forgot the sage one night and it was not the same. Any citrus zest– lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, will do the trick, and if you like, omit the garlic.

Orange-Sage Olive Oil
Serving Size= 4 persons. Prep time= 4 minutes. Cook time= 0 minutes.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon loosely packed fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons (a dash) balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons orange zest (or other citrus)
1/4 teaspoon salt (can mash salt with garlic to form paste, if desired)
pinch of fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients briefly with a fork to incorporate. Eat with good crusty bread.

Homemade mayonnaise is my new favorite condiment. Forget the bleached out jellified gunk that can last years in the blue and yellow bottle. The homemade kind has a bright lemon flavor that will have you using it more like the star of your dish, rather than an extra. (The horrors of mayonnaise previously discussed here.) But the best part, once you’ve accomplished the basic formula, you can add all sorts of extra flavors, turning the seemingly blase item into something stellar:

The addition of garlic makes a fantastic topping for potatoes.

Add lemon juice and zest for a lobster dunk.

Fold in smoked paprika for shrimp.

And the list goes on. I had extra mayonnaise sitting around the other week, fried up an Ancho chile and pureed it with some mayonnaise. The result was a rich and complex mayonnaise with hints of dark chocolate and a lingering, yet not overwhelming spice. While sweet potato fries came to mind, I scratched it after a trip to the fish monger: fish tacos.

In the depths of winter we long for fresh vegetables, but fish always makes me happy. And because winter is the ideal time for some of my favorite catches (lobster and oysters– that’s right, simple pleasures) I can keep quiet until the buds break through.

Until then, fish tacos (or heck, lobster tacos with lobster prices so deliciously low) are a great way to trudge through these bleak months. Served warm or at room temperature, a little bit of spice mixed in will warm you inside out in no time.

Another taco bonus: storage vegetables make the perfect toppings. Don’t get stuck in the lie that all tacos should be topped with chopped tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream! A little cabbage tossed with lime zest and juice (forget that lettuce) and crisp baby turnips thinly sliced (instead of a spring radish) and of course, some ancho mayonnaise (instead of cheese or sour cream) provides a winning combination. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro or parsley before you seal the deal and bite in is a delicious accent that works wonders.

Fish Tacos w/ Ancho Mayonnaise & Winter Storage Vegetables
Serving Size= 2 persons. Cook time= aprx 10 minutes. Prep time= aprx 20 minutes.
For the Ancho Mayonnaise (recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking):
2 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon honey
1-1/4 cups olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Tacos:
4 mini flour tortillas
1/4 of a medium-sized red cabbage, sliced into 1/2-inch slivers
pinch of salt
juice of 1 lime plus zest
2 baby salad turnips, sliced thinly
1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
3/4 lb Preferred white fish (a flaky fish, like mahi mahi works well, as do meatier choices like monkfish or lobster)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Make the Mayonnaise:
Heat a pan on medium-high, add peanut oil and fry ancho chile on both sides to lightly blacken. Set aside to cool slightly and cut into 1/2-inch wide slivers. In a blender, combine egg, salt, cayenne, honey, ancho chile and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Blend until well combined. With blender on high, slowly add 1/2 cup more olive oil, then slowly add the lemon juice, then slowly add the remaining olive oil, stopping when a thick consistency is reached.
Make the Tacos:
Heat a dry pan on high heat. Add tortillas, scalding about 45 seconds on each side, until slightly browned and warm. Wrap in tinfoil and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high and prepare vegetables while pan cool slightly: Slice cabbage and toss with salt, lime juice and zest; slice turnips; chop fresh herbs, arrange all on a platter for toppings. Rinse off fish, pat dry, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to the pan and sear fish 3-4 minutes each side, until cooked through. Flake off bone, fold in 2 tablespoons of the ancho mayonnaise (or more if desired) and serve ingredients, assembling tacos with desired toppings as you eat.