cunchy salad

Say what you want, so maybe you do move to California and somehow become human veg-o-matic.

At least to some degree, maybe its true. Maybe its because its the vegetable haven of the country, farms & gardens flourishing in every nook & crannie of this state.

Maybe when I left the land of meatpacking innovation and sprawling grasslands, maybe I left a part of my ruminant loving belly behind. And, then again, maybe I didn’t.

I do still firmly believe that encasing a meat is the most brilliant, effective & tasty way to present a meat. Sausage. Yes. Hot Dog, yet another sausage. Bratwurst, bring it. However. I have always & will always love my veggies.



They are so pretty, so versatile, so tasty. And I am not gonna lie, it has zero to do with calorie counting, I love a good salad. I love the crunch, I love the variety of flavors & textures. And, yes, I will throw a piece of meat on top in a heartbeat.

I made up this particular salad in honor of decidedly summer outings. Perfect for camping, picnics & no heat meals. There is about a solid month left of great summer outings before school starts and vacation weather dwindles, so I wanted to share this little morsel with you.



Of course, even as I say that, I don’t see why good weather and outdoor excursions should define the time-frame for a great crunchy salad. I love them. And so should you.

I make them year round, it’s just that the elements change up some. It’s corn season, so this one has corn, but in the winter when there’s no corn to be found, I’d make the same salad, just with grated celery root or grated golden beets.



This is the sort of thing I make fairly regularly, especially when I know I am going to be busy and keep in a big container to dole out throughout the week. It is meant to be eaten cold though it can also be sautéed as a hot side dish. We tossed it with vinaigrette one day and rolled it up in a flat bread with white bean spread for a hiking trip. We tossed it with a creamier salad dressing and had it along side some grilled meat another day.

The basic ingredients that you can find year round, that are, however, so decadently sweet and lovely during summer, are green cabbage, cauliflower and kale. For the summer kicker, there’s Blue Lake green beans and the sweetheart of summer, fresh corn on the cob. Blanching is a simple technique that renders great texture, taste & color. In this one I experimented with, for your pleasure, blanching the kale as well. I decided I liked it better left raw & sliced thin. The green beans & corn absolutely come to life with a little love session in boiling salted water, so definitely, do that.



This is a yummy, pretty, easy & satisfying presentation. I love that it’s something you make in advance & that can keep well, a salad that will stay crunchy all day for your picnic & camping pleasure. It is also something that you can dress up quickly to add some fresh vegetables to your evening after a long hot day out or at work.

p.s. you will notice that this recipe doesn't have hardfast amounts, because it really is a formula more than anything & it reflects the fact that you can make it any time of year, the only things I always use is cauliflower, kale & cabbage.

crunchy salad

for 4 main dish sized salads or several side dishes

ingredients
half a small or quarter of a large head of green cabbage
several leaves of green kale
half a small or quarter of a large head of cauliflower
large handful of fresh green beans
one ear of sweet corn

suggested garnishes & dressings:
-a handful of toasted slivered almonds
-a handful of fresh chopped herbs, like basil, parsley, chives &/or chervil
-tasty salad dressing, i like a simple lemon & garlic vinaigrette or creamy green goddess

what you need:
stock pot for blanching
large bowl

how to make it:
-fill a stock pot with cold water & salt until it tastes like diluted sea water, bring to a boil
-snap the fibrous end off of the green beans & pull the fibrous thread from the spine of the bean, if it will come, otherwise, don't worry too much
-clean corn husk & silk -when water comes to a boil, dunk green beans in & cook for about 2-3 minutes, until bright green. remove with a slotted spoon & run cold water over. you can also fill a bowl with ice & cold water & dunk the beans in that, drain well once cool

[caption id="attachment_195" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="dunk in boiling salted water"][/caption]

-once the water returns to a boil, add the corn cob, dunk gently & occasionally roll the cob in the water so it gets even heat, cook about 2-3 minutes & run immediately under cold water, drain well once cool
-take clean leaves of kale & pull stem off by pulling away from you up the length of the leaf, try to get any fibrous stem away from the leaves. lay them on top of each other flat & roll up like a cigar. cut evenly down the length about 1/8"- 1/4" ribbons
-toss in a large bowl
-carefully cut cauliflower into manageable florettes, slice each florette lenghtwise in 1/8"- 1/4" slices
-toss in a large bowl w/kale
-cut 3-4" wedges of fresh green cabbage into 1/8"- 1/4" ribbons from top to core
-pat dry if needed then cut green beans into 2"-3" pieces
-toss in a large bowl w/other veggies

- cut kernels away from the cob,gently break up any big chunks & toss in bowl with others
~*at this point you can either store or serve



to serve:
-season all with salt & fresh cracked pepper
-drizzle over with dressing while tossing until evenly coated
-add coarsely chopped nuts &/or herbs & toss evenly to coat
-check seasoning & adjust