Summer Slaw with Smoky Peach Dressing

The Smoky Peach Dressing is really the highlight of this dish.  Yes, eat your veggies and all that. But the dressing...wow. It's versatile enough to keep around as a dipping sauce, sandwich dressing, marinade, etc. The Chattanooga Market is celebrating the season with it's annual peach festival this week, so we thought we'd join in the fun with this dish. Also, who could pass up using a dash of smoky Alchemy Spice Proud To Be American blend in honor of independence day?

Smoky Peach Dressing:

2-3 Medium peaches, quartered and pits discarded

5 Garlic cloves

1/4 Cup olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lime

1-2 tsp Proud To Be American spice blend by Alchemy Spice

1 tsp Lime Fresco Salt by Alchemy Spice

Slaw:

Cabbage

Kohlrabi

Daikon radish

Fennel bulb

Summer squash (any variety)

Green onions

Kale

Juice from one lime

Kosher salt to taste

Method:

For the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth and they emulsify into a creamy dressing.  Refrigerate until ready to use. If you have extra, place in a squeeze bottle and use as a dressing for sandwiches, grilled vegetables, hot dogs, and basically anything that tastes good with the addition of some spicy-sweetness.

Slaw is basically a quick salad of vegetables that are shredded or julienned, mixed together, and dressed.  It's not complicated. It's the stuff that picnics are made of...less time in the kitchen, and more time outside having fun.  The list of vegetables above are the ones in this week's CSA box, but you could substitute anything you like eating raw.  Grate, chop, slice and julienne the vegetables and mix together in a large bowl.  Toss the grated vegetables with lime juice and some kosher salt. Let rest a few minutes, then pour off any excess liquid. The vegetables will absorb a lot of the flavor of the peach dressing, so you may want to dress each portion of the slaw individually as it's served.

Osaka Mustard Greens With Sweet Sesame Dressing

Mustard greens have a soft texture that is suitable for a wilted or fresh salad. The flavor is strong with a spicy hint of horseradish, so they pair well with beef or fish, add zing as a stuffing for sushi, complement a rice bowl, or taste delicious on their own.

Ingredients:

1-3 bunches of Osaka Purple Mustard Greens

1 tbs Toasted Sesame Oil

1 tbs Olive or Canola Oil

1 tbs Rice Vinegar

2 - 3 tsp Mirin Sweetened Sake

2 Tbs Sesame Seeds, white or black

Kosher Salt, to taste

Method:

Wash greens and dry with a salad spinner or absorbent towel. If desired, remove leaves from stems, discard stems and chop the leaves. If you like the added texture, keep the stems intact and chop all together.  For a milder flavor, place the greens in a large mixing bowl. Add the sesame and olive oils and a pinch of kosher salt. Rub the oils into the leaves until they soften and turn dark green.  Then add the vinegar and mirin and toss until evenly coated. For a crunchier salad with a bolder flavor, do not massage the leaves with oil; add the oils, vinegar and mirin at the same time, then stir until coated.

Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet and warm over medium heat, keeping them in motion so they do not burn. Remove from heat when the sesame aroma blooms (about 2 minutes or so). Add the toasted seeds to the salad and toss.  Season with Kosher salt to taste.

Broccoli Rabe & Roasted Radish Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccoli rabe

1 bunch Easter egg radishes, sliced into wedges

1/2 head red leaf lettuce, leaves torn

3-5 spring onions, chopped

1/2 lime

Olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil

Vinaigrette

 

Method:

Remove leaves from the broccoli rabe, then wash and spin them dry in a salad spinner. Place in a large bowl and set aside. Snip the tender flowering tops along with a couple of inches of tender stem from the stalks. Rinse and pat dry.  The stems and stalks of the broccoli rabe plant are also edible, but sometimes somewhat woody and fibrous.  If so, use in stock or chop and add to soups.

Place the rabe tops and chopped radishes on a baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown.  Check halfway through and remove the broccoli rabe tops first if they cook more quickly. When the vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

While the radishes and rabe flowers are cooking, pour a little Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil on the rabe leaves and massage or rub the oil vigorously into the leaves until they soften and turn dark green. Season with a little kosher salt. Toss with red leaf lettuce, chopped spring onions, and the cooled roasted radishes. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette and garnish with roasted broccoli rabe flowers.

Raw Kale Salad with Spicy Apple Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Curly Kale

Olive Oil

Juice from 1/2 Lemon

Kosher Salt

1 bulb of Fennel, shaved or sliced thinly

2 Purple Sweet Peppers, sliced

1/2 Apple, shaved or sliced thinly

toasted Walnuts

Apple Vinaigrette:

1/2 Apple, core removed

1 clove of Garlic

1/2 fresh Yellow Cayenne Chili Pepper, seeds and stem removed (use whole if you like a lot of heat)

1/4 cup Canola Oil

2 Tbs natural Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tsp of juice from a fresh Lemon

1-2 tsp local Honey

pinch of kosher Salt

dash of Cinnamon (optional)

Method:

Wash kale and remove stems and ribs.  Tear the leaves into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice, a couple of pinches of salt, and a few tablespoons of olive oil onto the kale.  Massage the kale until the leaves turn bright green and wilt to your desired tenderness.  The longer you massage, the softer it will become.

For the vinaigrette: Put all vinaigrette ingredients in a high-power blender and puree until smooth.  For lower-power blenders you may need to chop the apple, garlic and chili pepper before blending.

Combine the salad ingredients and toss with salad dressing. Alternately, arrange ingredients on individual plates and drizzle dressing over the top.

Zesty Grilled Vegetables

Grilling or cooking over a barbecue is perhaps the oldest and most primitive cooking method.  It does not have to be complicated, but getting to know your fire-source is probably the the most important step.  It can be as simple as building a wood fire, letting the logs burn long enough to turn into hot, white-ash covered coals, and sticking a cast-iron or metal barbecue grate over the top.  Using charcoal briquettes can be even more simple than a wood fire, and gives a distinct flavor that is desired by many. However, many backyard barbecue enthusiasts prefer the instant heat of a gas-fired grill.  Whatever your preference, once the grill is nice and hot, it won't be long until you have deliciously grilled vegetables ready for your favorite meals.

Ingredients:

(Any of the following vegetables, or whatever you have on hand)

Eggplant, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices

Zephyr or Pattypan Squash, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

Sweet Peppers, seeded and cut in half or into thick strips

Green beans, stems trimmed

Delicata squash, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch slices

Canola oil

A good quality lemon-pepper seasoning blend (like The Alchemy LP)

(or a mixture of fresh lemon zest, minced garlic, thyme, freshly ground black pepper, and kosher salt)

Method:

Wash, trim, and slice vegetables.  Place in a large bowl and drizzle enough canola oil on them to lightly coat the vegetables.  Too much oil can cause oil drips and flare-ups on the grill, not enough oil will leave the vegetables too dry.  Generously season with the lemon pepper mixture.

Heat your barbecue to a high heat (about 500-550 degrees).  If using charcoal, let coals burn until they are white, smokeless, and very hot.  If cooking over a wood fire, follow this method from Oliver Schwaner-Albright.

Place the vegetables on the hot grill.  Resist the urge to move them around a lot.  Let the first side sear long enough to make dark brown or black grill marks before turning to cook the other side.

When the vegetables have seared on both sides, remove from the grill and return to the bowl.  Toss in the remaining oil and seasoning before serving.  Garnish with fresh herbs, like basil, parsley, or cilantro if desired.  Serve hot or cold.