Celery Salad With Dates, Almonds and Parmigiano

our favorite way to enjoy celery — delicious in any season!

Excerpted from “Six Seasons” by Joshua McFadden (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2017.

“This is one of my favorite dishes. It’s so simple, but the combination of ingredients creates a wonderful, intriguing aroma. Try to use really good olive oil for this salad.” — Joshua McFadden

Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes (excluding almond-toasting and celery-chilling) | Very easy

4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 celery stalks (leaves separated and reserved), tough fibers peeled off, sliced on an angle into 1/4-inch-thick pieces

• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted almonds (see below)

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved into shards with a vegetable peeler

• Extra-virgin olive oil

To prepare

1. OPTIONAL: Put the celery in a bowl of ice water and soak for about 20 minutes to heighten the crispness. Drain and pat dry, then pile into a medium bowl.

2. Add the celery leaves, dates, almonds, lemon juice, and chile flakes and toss together. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the Parmigiano and 1/4 cup olive oil and toss gently. Taste again and adjust the seasoning so you have a lovely salty, tart, sweet balance.

Serve cool.

Toasted Almonds

You can toast nuts and seeds a number of ways — in the oven, in a dry skillet, with high heat or low heat (or brined and roasted) — but your goal is to go from raw, bland, and soft to fragrant and crunchy. The color should be just a few shades darker than the raw nut or seed and should be even, not simply dark around the edges.

Quantity is up to you

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread the nuts on a pan in a single layer. For a small quantity, a pie plate is good; for more, use a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Bake until you smell the nuttiness and the color is deepening slightly, 6 to 8 minutes for most whole nuts.

4. When the nuts are done, transfer them to a plate so they don’t keep cooking on the hot baking pan.

Determining doneness can be tricky because the final texture won’t develop until they’re cool, so at this stage, you’re mostly concerned with color and flavor. To be safe, take them from the oven, let cool, taste one, and if not done enough, pop them back into the oven.

Recipe from “Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables” by chef Joshua McFadden

Eggplant + Cucumber Crunch Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Eggplant + Cucumber Crunch Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cook Time: 30 minutes    Serves: 4

This Recipe has been adapted  from an amazing CSA Farm in Orgeon  (Tumbleweed Farm) and their farm food blog Dishing Up the Dirt
Check out the link above for an amazing resource for CSA cooking! It's the best! 
 

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1 medium-sized eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch chunks

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

• 1 large cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch chunks

• 1 bunch of parsley, diced

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas-if canned rinsed and drained

• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare the quinoa by combining 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until quinoa has absorbed the liquid and can easily be fluffed with a fork.

2. Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together until smooth. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary.

3. Slice the eggplants into 1/4 inch chunks (no need to peel) and lightly salt them and set aside on a dish cloth.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the eggplant and chickpeas and continue to cook stirring often until eggplants begin to brown on all sides and chickpeas become lightly toasted. About 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and eggplant/chickpea mixture. Stir in the parsley and toss until well combine.  Drizzle with dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you go

Green Bean & Radicchio Salad

Green Bean & Radicchio Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, trimmed

• ½ head radicchio, sliced into strips

• Scant ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

• Honey Mustard Dressing, for drizzling

• 2 ounces goat cheese

• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

• ¼ cup tarragon

• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove the beans and immediately immerse in the ice water long enough to cool completely, about 15 seconds. Drain and place on paper towels to dry.

• Transfer the beans to a bowl and toss with the radicchio, onion, and a few spoonfuls of the dressing.

• Arrange on a platter and top with small dollops of goat cheese, the walnuts, almonds, and tarragon. Drizzle with more dressing, season to taste with flaky salt, and serve.

Curly Endive Salad with Bacon (or Mushrooms) & Poached Eggs

Curly Endive Salad with Bacon (or mushrooms) and Poached Eggs

Ingredients

A rather fancy salad for a special occasion— delicious. We recommend sourcing your bacon locally, or substituting with mushrooms.

• 4 cups 1/2-inch cubes good-quality white bread

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt

• Fresh-ground black pepper

• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips

• 2 small heads curly endive (about 1 1/2 pounds in all), torn into bite-size pieces (about 5 quarts)

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red- or white-wine vinegar

• 4 eggs

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

How to Make It

Step 1    

Put a large frying pan over moderate heat. Toss the bread cubes with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Put them in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the croutons from the pan.

Step 2    (Skip this step if opting for the vegetarian version! and instead, prepare as much avocado as you would like to eat with your salad)!

Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crisp. Remove and drain. Put in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl with the endive. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the fat from the pan.

Step 3    

Fill a saucepan two-thirds full with water. Add the 1 teaspoon vinegar and bring to a boil. Break each egg into a cup or small bowl and slide one at a time into the water. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Poach the eggs until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 4    

To the fat in the pan, add the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, the garlic, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Warm the dressing over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic barely starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and remove from the heat. Toss the dressing with the endive and bacon until the endive wilts slightly. Add the croutons and toss again. Put on plates. Top each salad with a warm egg

Fennel & Cabbage Slaw

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

A light, refreshing springtime slaw made with fresh fennel.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes

• Total Time: 15 minutes

• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium red cabbage, sliced (about 4 cups)

• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

• 3 green onions, sliced

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt (or Greek yogurt)

• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Toss the cabbage, carrots, fennel, and green onions in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make a dressing for the slaw. Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix well.

3. Serve on your favorite veggie burger, sandwich, or taco, or alongside your favorite main dish.

Mizuna and Choy Sesame Salad

Mizuna and Choy Sesame Salad

 This is warm salad that is quick, easy, and very delicious.  Make sure to include the stems of the mizuna and choi, they have great crunch and flavor. Other Asian greens like tatsoi can be substituted!

1 bunch (approx 1/2-3/4 lbs) Mizuna, Soaked in cold water, rinsed, and dried

1 bundle or head of Choy Soaked in cold water, rinsed, and dried

¼- ½  Cup Olive Oil or Salad oil

1 handful (~1/2-2/3 cups) Sesame seeds

To taste Sesame Oil

To taste Rice Vinegar

To taste Salt

Optional Garnish/Toppings:

Chopped Green Onions

Grated Carrots

Roasted Peanuts

More sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:
First Chop the mizuna and choy going against the stem into small ribbons. Include the tender pieces of stem.  Place in a heat resistant salad bowl

In a saute pan heat the the oil over medium heat and toast the sesame seeds.  When the sesame seeds are golden brown pour the mixture over the greens, it should sizzle a little.  With a pair of tongs scrap the pan with a portion of the greens and then mix the sesame seeds into the greens.  Dress with vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and serve.

Lemon juice, yuzu, or Umi Plum Vinegar (taste before adding salt) make great substitutions for rice vinegar.

Celery Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

Celery Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the apple vinaigrette:

• 1 medium Granny Smith apple (any other kind of tart apple works just fine)

• 4 sprigs fresh parsley

• 1 clove garlic

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

• 1 medium bunch celery (about 8 large and medium stalks)

• 1 medium shallot or a bug farms red onion

• 6 pitted dried Medjool dates

• 1/2 cup roasted, salted almonds

• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed

Instructions

1. Prepare the following, adding each to a large bowl as you complete it: Core 1 medium Granny Smith apple, then finely dice until you have about 1 cup. Finely chop the leaves and tender stems of 4 fresh parsley sprigs (about 2 tablespoons). Finely grate or mince 1 garlic clove.

2. Add 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and whisk to combine. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and whisk until all of the oil is incorporated. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

3. Prepare the following, adding each to the bowl of the vinaigrette as you complete it: Pick the leaves from 1 medium bunch celery. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough fibers from the outside of the stalks. Trim and thinly slice the stalks on a slight diagonal until you have about 6 cups. Thinly slice 1 medium shallot (about 1/3 cup). Coarsely chop 6 pitted dried Medjool dates (about 1/2 cup). Coarsely chop 1/2 cup roasted, salted almonds. Add 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

4. Toss to coat. Taste and season with more kosher salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with more Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese if desired

Fall Root & Apple Salad

Fall Root & Apple Salad
This salad is a bug farms classic-- easy, simple, and super flavorful. oh, and very flexible/adjustable. It's the only way I'll eat red beets raw! You've just got to give it a try.

Serves 2-3

2 medium raw carrots peeled
1 medium raw beet (red or golden or both) peeled
1 small daikon or watermelon radish peeled
1 or 2 Apples peeled
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
a little chopped parsley (optional)
sprinkles of  salt to taste
and toasted nuts or seeds to top (optional) -- we love walnuts or toasted sunflower seeds

Shred the roots and apples with a large size shredder. Toss together in a salad bowl with salt and lemon juice. top with some chopped parsley and toasted nuts or seeds and you've got a beautiful and delicious salad.