Fast, Fresh & Green (20 page)

Serves 6

Super-fast and refreshing, this recipe is my version of a salad that shows up in Greek and Indian cuisines. I’ve taken cues from both, but mine relies on the wonderfully thick Greek-style yogurt that you can now get in many groceries. (I like Fage Total brand.) If you haven’t tried this type of yogurt yet, I think you’ll like it. It’s luscious and delicious on its own with a little honey, and it also makes a good substitute for sour cream on baked potatoes.

With yogurt, cucumbers, and limes on hand, you can put this salad together in about 15 minutes. I don’t recommend trying to make it ahead. The cucumbers and yogurt tend to weep as they sit. If this happens, carefully drain away the excess liquid. The toasted pine nuts are an optional garnish. The nutty flavor and textural contrast is nice, but the clean, bright flavors of the salad are lovely without them, too.

Serve this cooling salad with something spicy—on a weeknight, that might be spice-rubbed lamb kebabs, and on a weekend perhaps a curry or another spicy stew.

2 MEDIUM CUCUMBERS
(1¼ to 1½ lb/ 570 to 680 g total)

¹
/
₃
CUP/20 G THINLY SLICED SCALLIONS
(white and light green parts; 3 or 4 medium)

¾ CUP/165 G GREEK-STYLE YOGURT
(full fat)

2 TBSP CHOPPED FRESH MINT, PLUS 1 OR

2 FRESH SPRIGS FOR GARNISH

¼ TSP PACKED FINELY GRATED LIME ZEST

1 TBSP PLUS 1 TSP FRESH LIME JUICE

2 TSP HONEY

¼ TSP GROUND CORIANDER

¼ TSP KOSHER SALT

2 TBSP COARSELY CHOPPED TOASTED PINE NUTS
(optional; see tip on
page 36
)

1
Trim the ends off
the cucumbers and peel them. First cut them in half crosswise into two shorter pieces for easier handling. Then cut each half in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Slice the cucumbers across into thin half-moons. Put the cucumbers and the scallions in a mixing bowl.

2
In a smaller bowl
, whisk together the yogurt, chopped mint, lime zest, lime juice, honey, coriander, and salt. Spoon the mixture into the bowl of cucumbers and scallions and gently fold and mix with a silicone spatula until the ingredients are well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the mint sprigs and toasted pine nuts (if using).

Serves 4 to 6

This salad is easy, very easy. When I was working on this chapter, for a while I thought that there just wasn’t going to be a carrot salad. That seemed like a shame, since good, sweet carrots are delicious raw. The problem was that I hated the texture of grated carrots—too mushy. But once I got my hand-held julienne peeler, it was easy to make quick little carrot strips. The tool can be a bit awkward on thin carrots, so I’d stick to medium-thick or larger for this recipe. (You can, of course, use a mandoline, but the peeler is much more finger-friendly.) Munch on the small pieces that are left after peeling.

I love lemon and ginger with carrots, but I wanted something just a little different here, so I used minced crystallized ginger in the dressing. Delicious! The little bit of sugar melts into the lemon and orange juices and mellows the tart lemon zest and the sharp ginger. It’s perfect with the carrots. Be sure to start with good, sweet (preferably organic or locally grown) carrots, as old carrots turn bitter and will affect the taste of the salad.

I wanted this recipe to be super-quick, so it only makes 3 servings; but you can easily double it. Try serving the carrots scooped into Bibb lettuce leaves, or rolled in rice paper.

8 TO 9 OZ/225 TO 255 G MEDIUM OR LARGE CARROTS,
preferably organic, peeled

1 TBSP PEANUT OIL

2 TSP MINCED OR FINELY CHOPPED CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

2 TSP FRESH ORANGE JUICE

2 TSP FRESH LEMON JUICE

½ TSP FINELY GRATED LEMON ZEST

½ TSP MINCED OR FINELY CHOPPED SHALLOT

¼ TSP KOSHER SALT

2 TBSP COARSELY CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY
(or cilantro, if you prefer)

1
Trim the ends
of the carrots and lay them on a cutting board. Peel each one into thin julienne strips with a hand-held julienne peeler. It’s easiest to prop the carrot against the cutting board while peeling and to alternate peeling halfway from one end and then halfway from the other end. Continue peeling until you cannot peel any more. The strips will be inconsistently sized for this salad, and that’s okay. You can even use the thinnest, most shredded pieces. Put all of the carrots in a medium bowl.

2
In a small bowl
, whisk together the peanut oil, crystallized ginger, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, and shallot. Let sit for a few minutes so the shallots soften and the ginger disperses, and whisk again. Sprinkle the salt over the carrots and drizzle and scrape the dressing over them. Toss and mix well, and let sit for about 5 minutes (10 to 15 minutes at the most), tossing occasionally. Mix in the parsley and serve the carrot salad with a slotted spoon.

Serves 3

Sometimes I get a craving for avocado, so I slice one up and season it with salt, pepper, a squirt of lemon juice, and a little extra-virgin olive oil. I stand at the kitchen counter and savor every bite. It’s then that I’m reminded that an avocado isn’t just a salad or dip ingredient—it’s wonderful in its own right. And it’s the perfect thing for a simple but delicious side dish for a summer dinner. So I offer this basic recipe—with a few flavor choices—for dressing and serving an avocado as a reminder not to forget about these amazingly nutritious, colorful, and satisfying fruits. (Yes, technically, it’s a fruit.) You can vary the flavors of the dressing as you like by choosing either lime or lemon juice, mint or cilantro, scallions or ginger.

For a side dish, I think half of an avocado is a good-size portion, so the amounts I’ve suggested below are enough to dress one half. Obviously you can double or triple this recipe, or whatever you like, to serve bigger portions or more people. I like to slice the avocado and fan the slices, but if your avocado is a bit overripe, cutting it into large dice will be easier. Either way, if you arrange the avocado with a bit of Bibb lettuce or mâche, you can disguise messy cutting and make the presentation a little fancier at the same time.

Avocado’s a natural with shrimp (seared, grilled, or even poached), but I bet you’d love one of these with a grilled chicken breast and some sliced ripe beefsteak tomatoes on a summer night.

1½ TSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

½ TSP FRESH LEMON OR LIME JUICE

½ TSP COARSELY CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY, MINT, OR CILANTRO

½ TSP MINCED SCALLION
(white and light green parts; optional)

¼ TSP GRATED FRESH GINGER
(optional)

½ TSP FRESH ORANGE JUICE
(optional)

½ AVOCADO,
halved lengthwise and pitted, but not peeled (see tip)

KOSHER SALT

FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1 SMALL INNER LEAF BIBB LETTUCE,
or a few leaves of mâche

1
Whisk together the olive oil
, lemon juice, and herbs. If desired, add either the scallions or the ginger and whisk again. (Add the orange juice, if desired, just before serving.)

2
To serve the avocado sliced:
Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice through the avocado half crosswise at ¼-in/6.5-mm intervals, cutting through the skin almost completely. Turn the avocado half over on the cutting board and peel away the skin. Slide a knife under the avocado and transfer it to a very small plate (or the side of a dinner plate). Fan the slices out as neatly as possible. Season the avocado with a generous pinch or two of salt and a little bit of pepper. Arrange a few leaves of Bibb lettuce over or to one side of the avocado. Drizzle all of the dressing over the avocado and lettuce and serve.

To serve the avocado diced:
Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice through the avocado half crosswise at ¾-in/2-cm intervals and then lengthwise in thirds to create large dice. Remove the dice from the skin and transfer them to a small bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Put the Bibb lettuce in small bowls and arrange the diced avocado in it and serve.

Serves 1

Tip:
For easier cutting—and peeling—trim a sliver off each end of the avocado before cutting it in half lengthwise all the way around.

I call this kick-slaw because it’s got kicky flavors—ginger, garlic, lime, and sesame. I used to make a version of this when I cooked in the kitchen of a gourmet market in Newport, Rhode Island, years ago. We sold lots and lots of it in the summertime to folks on their way to the beach. It’s not only refreshing but colorful, too, with the red cabbage, orange carrots, and green snow peas. I’ve included this recipe, along with another slaw in this chapter, because I’ve never been a fan of ordinary mayo slaws.

Don’t be daunted by the long ingredient list—yes, there’s a little slicing and chopping to do, but then you’re done. (As you can see by the length of the directions, this ain’t hard.) The flavors hold up well, so it could be made ahead. But I think the texture suffers some, so I recommend assembling it pretty close to serving time. Put this out for any summer buffet, or use it as a bed for grilled flank steak or swordfish.

½ SMALL HEAD RED CABBAGE (
about 9 oz/255 g
),
cored and thinly sliced

5 OZ/140 G SNOW PEAS,
tails trimmed, each cut sharply on a diagonal into 3 pieces

4 OZ/115 G CARROTS,
shredded
(
use the large holes of a box grater
)

½ TSP KOSHER SALT

2 TSP MINCED GARLIC

1 TBSP FINELY CHOPPED FRESH GINGER

1 TBSP FRESH LIME JUICE

2 TBSP ORANGE JUICE

2½ TBSP HOISIN SAUCE

1 TBSP SOY SAUCE

½ TSP SESAME OIL

1½ TBSP PEANUT OIL

¼ CUP/15 G CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO

1
In a large mixing bowl
, combine the cabbage, snow peas, and carrots. Sprinkle with the salt and mix well.

2
In a small bowl
, combine the garlic, ginger, lime juice, orange juice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil. Mix well and pour over the cabbage mixture. Mix thoroughly, add the cilantro, and mix again. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4 or 5

This big, green, fresh salad is a cross between a salad and a slaw. Baby spinach leaves and shredded Napa cabbage play the leafy roles here, and sliced snow peas and slivered Granny Smith apples do the crispy-juicy thing. Roasted cashews add crunch, and the sesame dressing has a surprise ingredient—apple cider—that makes this sweet and tangy at the same time. Altogether, this feels like a close cousin to the popular Chinese chicken salad (but without the chicken!).

This recipe yields a lot, so make it when a crowd is coming. You can make the dressing up to a day ahead, and you can prep the rest of the ingredients an hour ahead. I think you’ll want to toss close to serving time, in order to keep the salad fresh looking. However, like many slaw-type salads, this actually is tastier after it sits for a bit. So if you don’t mind the spinach wilting, make it 10 to 20 minutes ahead and toss it every so often. Either way, this will be delicious on the first helping—or the second. Serve it with a big platter of sliced, grilled pork loin coated with a Chinese five-spice rub.

2 TBSP PEANUT OIL

2 TBSP APPLE CIDER

2 TSP LOW-SODIUM SOY SAUCE

2 TSP FRESH LIME JUICE

2 TSP HOISIN SAUCE

1 TSP SESAME OIL

1 TSP BALSAMIC VINEGAR

½ TSP GRATED FRESH GINGER

½ TSP DIJON MUSTARD

6 OZ/170 G BABY SPINACH LEAVES

10 OZ/285 G THINLY SLICED NAPA CABBAGE

4 OZ/115 G SNOW PEAS,
tails trimmed, each cut on a sharp diagonal into 3 pieces

1 GRANNY SMITH APPLE,
unpeeled but cored, and cut into matchsticks

²
/
₃
CUP/100 G COARSELY CHOPPED SALTED, ROASTED CASHEWS (
see
page 36
)