Salad Olivieh

750g waxy potatoes (fingerling, yukon gold)

1 roast chicken, meat finely shredded

300g brined pickles, finely diced

2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced

8 eggs, hard boiled and chopped

1 large bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

150g fresh or frozen peas, boiled quickly and drained

4 tbsp mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lemon

6 tbsp Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

Boil potatoes, don't overcook, ice water them to stop cooking. Chop into 1 inch chunks. Combine potatoes, chicken, pickles, scallions, egg, cilantro, peas, and lightly toss. Make the dressing with mayonnaise, lemon juice, yogurt, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix everything, refrigerate 1hr+ before serving.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Piyaz

Turkish white bean salad

 

2 14oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 red onions, cut in half and thinly sliced

1-2 tbsp Aleppo pepper

40g parsley, roughly chopped

1 big garlic clove, crushed

Juice of 1-2 lemons

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

 

Mix beans, onions, Aleppo pepper, and parsley. Mix dressing, mix everything.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Radish orange blossom salad

200g radishes, thinly sliced

1 cucumber (peeling and scooping seeds optional)

2 small red onions, halved and thinly sliced

70g pine nuts, toasted

1 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp orange blossom water 

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

40g mint leaves, coarsely chopped

salt and pepper 

 

Mix the radishes, cucumber, onions. Mix the dressing, add to the salad, add the pine nuts.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Peach salad

1/2 red onion, soaked in ice water

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp honey

1-2 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

6 peaches, sliced

1/2 cup walnuts

1/4 cup basil

1/4 cup mint

 

Mix the onion, vinegar, honey, mustard, olive oil. Mix everything.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/peach-salad-3764779

Bread salad

1/4 cup quinoa

4 slices sourdough bread

1/3 cup olive oil

salt

4 ripe tomatoes

3 small cucumbers, unpeeled

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

4 tbsp cilantro

2 tbsp mint

2 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 small garlic cloves, crushed

black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Cook quinoa.

Brush bread with olive oil and salt, bake 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Break into chunks.

Dice tomatoes and cucumbers, add everything.

Source: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Caesar salad

4 anchovies or 8 filets

3/4 cup basic mayonnaise (or 3/4 cup olive oil and 1 egg yolk; whisk olive oil into egg yolk very gradually)

1 garlic clove

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp white wine vinegar

3oz chunk parmesan, grated (about 1 cup)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

A bunch of lettuce, like romaine, little gem, kale, chicory, endive

Croutons: toast bread chunks with olive oil for like 20 min

 

Mash anchovies and garlic in mortar and pestle as well as possible. Stir together everything in the dressing. Combine lettuce, croutons, and dressing.

 

Source: Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Fennel Apple Almond Chaat

1 tsp fennel seeds

5 tbsp oil

1 cup flaked almonds (alas, it is important that they're flaked; whole almonds don't work)

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp honey

salt 

1 lemon

2 fennel bulbs

3 sweet crispy apples

1/2 a cucumber or one or two Persian cucumbers

A handful of mint leaves

1 tsp garam masala

 

To make the almonds: coarsely grind fennel seeds. Heat oil in pan, fry almonds for a couple minutes until pale gold, then add fennel seeds, ginger, honey, and a little salt. Stir fry for a minute until caramelized.

 

Make the salad by thinly slicing fennel, apples, cucumbers, and mint. Make the dressing with 3 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, garam masala, and 1/2 tsp salt.

 

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Caesar Salad

1/2 loaf bread (sourdough or something bakery-like)

Greens: romaine, lettuce, chicory, endive, kale, and/or shaved Brussels sprouts

4 anchovies or 8 filets

3/4 cup mayonnaise (or 3/4 cup olive oil and 1 egg yolk) 

1 garlic clove, grated or pounded

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp white wine vinegar

3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

about 1 cup grated Parmesan (about a 3 oz chunk)

black pepper

Tear the bread into pieces, toss with olive oil and salt, bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until toasted into croutons.

Make mayonnaise by gradually whisking olive oil into the egg yolk.

Pound anchovies into a paste. Stir together with all the other dressing ingredients. Adjust salt and acid. Mix with the croutons and greens.

Source: Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Quinoa sourdough salad

1/4 cup quinoa (or more if cooking such a small amount seems crazy)

4 slices sourdough bread

1/4 cup olive oil plus extra to brush bread

salt

4 medium tomatoes, diced

3 small cucumbers, diced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

4 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tbsp chopped mint

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Preheat oven to 350. Cook quinoa (boil 9 min).

Brush bread with olive oil and salt. Bake slices for 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until dry and crisp. Cool and break into croutons.

Mix everything.

Source: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Hill station salad

1 fennel bulb

1 red onion

3 mixed bell peppers

half a cucumber

A handful of cilantro

1 tsp salt

1 tsp nigella seeds

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 green chile

1/2 cup greek yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

Cut all the vegetables into 1/4 inch dice. Add finely chopped cilantro, salt, nigella.

Chop mint and chile as finely as possible, mix with yogurt, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix into the salad.

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Beet, orange, and black olive salad

5 small or 2 large beets
2 oranges
1 treviso (red chicory) or endive or whatever bitter leaf
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp parlsey
5 tbsp black olives, pitted and halved. (book says Greek wrinkly ones.)
3 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp orange flower water (or orange juice? I don't know)
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

Boil beets for 1-2 hours or until a knife goes in smoothly. Cool. Cut into small bits similar to like half the size of an orange segment.
Segment the oranges. Chop them in a couple pieces.
Cut the chicory into 1/2 inch slices.
Combine everything.

Source: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw

1 lb kohlrabi (about 4 medium bulbs), peeled and grated
2 medium-large carrots, grated
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. sour cream
1/3 c. olive oil
4 c. wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Mix everything from kohlrabi to garlic. Then in a separate bowl mix everything else. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Source: Farmer John's Cookbook by John Peterson

Som Tam 2

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp red and green chilis
5-6 one-inch cut pieces of green bean (optional)
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp roasted cashews or peanuts
1 lime's juice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sugar water
Grated or matchstick-size green papaya (ideal) or carrot, cucumber, beet, or green mango

Smash the nuts, garlic, and chilis in a mortar and pestle.  Add the green beans and tomatoes, mix a bit.  Add the lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar water, mix well.  Add the papaya or whatever and mix well.

Source: May Kaidee's Thai vegetarian and vegan restaurant and cooking school, May 2010

Isaan

Isaan, which is like Larb.  From NE Thailand/Laos area.

Chopped carrot, onion, vegetables, tofu, and vegetarian sausage
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp TVP (optional)
1/2 tbsp roast rice powder
1/2 tsp Tom Yum paste
1 tsp lime juice
extra chili powder (optional)
1 tbsp cilantro
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp finely chopped kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp finely chopped lemon grass
mint (optional)

Pour a little water into a bowl.  Add vegetables, tofu, and vegetarian sausage.  Cook until nearly dry, then turn off heat.  Add everything up to the chili powder.  Add everything else.  Eat with sticky rice, hot or cold.
Dan's note: you can use mushrooms instead of the TVP and vegetarian sausage.  Half wood ears and half king oysters works pretty well.

Source: May Kaidee's Thai vegetarian and vegan restaurant and cooking school, May 2010

Som Tam

Som tam (papaya salad)

50 g. papaya, carrot, or cucumber, shredded or matchsticks
10 small garlic cloves
1-3 chilies
1/2 tomato, cut quarter
1 chinese long bean, in 1-inch slices (or green beans)
20 g. peanut
2 tbsp. fish sauce (or 1 tsp. salt)
1-2 limes, cut quarter
1 tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
optional: anchovies, fermented crab claws

Tenderly pound garlic, chili, and Chinese long bean.  Add palm sugar, lime, fish sauce, and pound until the palm sugar is dissolved.
Add the papaya and tomato, mix well.  Top with peanuts, serve with fresh vegetables.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Shishito Ninjin Sunomono

Japanese Green Pepper and Carrot Vinegared Salad

5 shishito (Japanese green peppers) or 2 bell peppers
1 large carrot, peeled, sliced into rounds
1 tsp white miso
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
pinch of shichimi

Steam the peppers over boiling water for about 3 minutes, plunge into ice water, and drain. Pat dry with a towel. Slice peppers into thin spears, place in a bowl. Add the carrot.
Mix miso with sugar, add everything else. Mix well, pour over vegetables, and serve.

Source: The Art of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking, by Max Jacobson, p. 48

Acar

Cucumber and potato salad

4 large potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb)
1/2 c. peanut or corn oil
5 hard-boiled eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/2 c. smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c. water
3 c. peeled and thin-sliced cucumbers

Peel and slice potatoes into long, thin pieces. Fry in oil until brown and soft. Drain well, set aside.
Make the sauce by mixing egg yolks, peanut butter, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and water.
Slice egg whites, mix with cucumbers, potatoes, and sauce. Serve at room temperature.

Dan's note: This was mostly great, but a few times I'd get a bit of something that was really bitter and metallic and bad. I don't know what it was. ... look out for that.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo, p. 185-186

Warm Potato Salad in Basil Cream

2 1/2 lb. small new potatoes
1/3 c. olive oil
10 basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 c. whipping cream
salt and pepper
1 tsp capers

Peel potatoes, cook in salted water, drain and cut in half while still slightly firm.
Put olive oil, basil, and garlic in a medium pan, heat, mashing basil with a spoon. When the leaves look wilted, turn off heat and steep for 10 minutes. Remove leaves, reheat oil, add vinegar, cream, and seasoning. Mix, add potatoes, stir while cream simmers. When sauce thickens, taste for seasoning, serve with capers and/or small basil leaves.

Squash and Lemon Salad

6-8 zucchini/yellow squash
3 firm tomatoes
1 small tomato half
2 lemons
1 1/3 c. dry white wine
2/3 c. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tsp thyme or lemon thyme
salt and pepper

Slice squash into 1/4 inch rounds, tomatoes into wedges, arrange in concentric circles with a small tomato half at the center.
Skin 2 lemons, cut into wedges, remove seeds, scatter over squash. Add everything else. Bake for 25 minutes at 350. Taste to make sure it's still a little firm/crunchy. Serve cool, but not chilled, with fresh bread.

Source: Summer Food by Judith Olney, p. 88

Spring Panzanella

Spring Panzanella Recipe

The bread I used also had walnuts and dried cranberries in it, but I think I'd prefer a seeded whole wheat version. Use whatever you like.

1 lb loaf of hearty, day-old, whole wheat bread into 1-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme - just pluck leaves from the sprig
a couple pinches of salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, cut into segments
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
4 handfuls spinach
1/4 cup small basil leaves

In a large bowl toss the bread with the garlic, shallot, thyme, salt and olive oil. Turn the bread out onto a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes - or until they are nice and golden and crunchy.

In a cold skillet pour in a splash of olive oil, a splash of water, and a couple pinches of salt. Dial up the heat and when the water starts to bubble stir in the asparagus. Cover, wait about twenty seconds, now add the peas. Cover, wait a few seconds, now add the spinach. Cover and cook just a few more seconds until the spinach starts to collapse just a bit.

Put the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Now pour the asparagus and peas and all the pan juices over the top of the bread.

Give it a good toss, add the basil leaves and toss again. Serve the salad family-style on a big platter.

Makes about 6 - 8 servings.

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spring-panzanella-recipe.html