Looking back fondly on the days when holiday gatherings exceeded 25 guests. Serving that many people requires borrowing chairs and lots and lots of variety, since many of our friends and family are vegetarians or vegans or celiacs or any combination of the above. I created this salad for an event in New York. I was searching for an addition to dino-kale salad (which I actually love) but not nearly hardy enough on its own to sustain 5 hours of celebrating around the table. So now this protein rich salad is part of my repertoire for large dinner parties.
Fair warning - this is an exercise in blanching.
BT's Very Green Salad With a Touch of Red
Ingredients:
For Salad:
1 cup (140 grams) shelled edamame
1 cup (140 grams) fava beans (or limas)
12 spears thin green asparagus
2 medium green or yellow zucchini
20 french green beans
10 pods medium sized okra
2 stalk celery
12 mini (3 medium Israeli/Persian) cucumbers
6 scallions
1 small bunch fresh fenugreek (or mache or purslane)
1 red jalapeño chili
For Dressing:
1/2 cup (112 ml) olive oil
2 lemons - juiced
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
12 mint leaves - rough chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper
Directions:
For Salad:
Wash all vegetables thoroughly
Reserve fenugreek (or any wild green)
Clean scallions
Slice zucchini lengthwise into 4 pieces
Remove hard portion of asparagus spears
Remove ends of french beans
Trim okra pods so that the stem is still attached but just a stub
Bring medium pot of filtered water to boil
Add edamame to the water
Blanche 1 minute and remove using slotted spoon
Drop blanched vegetables into a separate bowl containing ice water
Remove vegetables after 1 minute in ice water
Reserve
Repeat blanching process with fava, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, celery, and scallion
Remove outer skin of fava beans
Slice zucchini quarters into bite size pieces
Slice asparagus into small rounds and add to bowl
Slice green beans into small rounds
Slice celery into small pieces
Slice cucumbers into small rounds
Slice scallions into small rounds
Slice jalapeño into paper thin rounds - seeds and veins included
Add edamame, fava, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, celery and scallion to salad bowl
Add chili to bowl
Mix together all dressing ingredients and pour over vegetables
Let marinate 30 minutes
Taste for salt and pepper
Right before serving, add fenugreek and toss lightly
Serve in a beautiful bowl!
Note: Peas, snow peas, green apple can all be added or in place of one of the other ingredients
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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