Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook - Nourishing Recipes Inspired by Our Ancestors (16 page)

CHAPTER 8
A SALAD, PLEASE!

MY DEFINITION OF PERFECTION? Hearing the screen door slam shut as I take off toward the garden—basket hooked on my arm and my dog at my heels. After collecting a heaping pile of greens, beans, tomatoes, and herbs, I toss them with a bit of grass-fed cheese and a simple drizzle of oil and vinegar—that’s perfection to me. That’s abundance. It makes me feel rich, regardless of my bank account. Grow food and eat it—that’s the good stuff of life.

Classy Chicken Salad with Dates & Walnuts

The first bold soul to combine fruit, chicken, and mayo should get a mighty high-five. Our homemade Simply Mayonnaise recipe (
page 178
) is an easy and valuable nutritional upgrade from store-bought, as it allows the cook to control the quality of oil used (and leave out the preservatives). Perfect for a gourmet sandwich or salad, crisp bacon and the deep flavor of dates take this classic dish over the top.

3 cups (420 g) medium diced precooked chicken (
page 32
)

6 ounces (168 g) bacon, roughly chopped, cooked until crisp, and drained

1
/
2
cup (90 g) finely diced Medjool dates

1
/
4
cup (25 g) thinly sliced scallion, both white and green parts

1/3 cup (30 g) finely sliced celery, cut on the diagonal

1 cup (150 g) seedless red grapes, halved

1 cup (225 g) Simply Mayonnaise Sweet Variation, chilled (
page 178
)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1
/
2
cup (68 g) crunchy macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (
page 49
)

Place the chicken, bacon, dates, scallion, celery, and grapes in a medium-size glass mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Pour the mayonnaise on top and sprinkle with the sea salt. Toss to combine, making sure to coat all ingredients well. Refrigerate until chilled, adding the nuts just prior to serving, but after the salad is chilled (to keep them crunchy).

YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

RECIPE NOTES

• Freeze bacon for 30 minutes before chopping and cooking. This allows a sharp knife to slice through the meat easily.

• Chilling the salad causes some of the mayonnaise to be absorbed. You may have to “refresh” just prior to serving with a dollop or two more mayo. This is common and easy, and worth the effort.

Raw Chopped Salad

We tire quickly of carrot and celery sticks, don’t we? This raw salad is a wonderful and convenient solution. Before you begin, though, know that small, consistent dicing adds to the allure of this dish. And if you can find unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, buy it! Don’t fear the pasteurization omission, which allows the “culture” (probiotics) to grow. Probiotics found in organic and raw foods help give the digestive system a much-needed boost.

FOR DRESSING:

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) unrefined flax oil

1 tablespoon (10 g) crushed garlic

1/3 cup (20 g) fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley

1
/
2
teaspoon poppy seeds

1
/
2
teaspoon sea salt

1
/
4
teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

1
/
4
teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

FOR SALAD:

1
/
2
cup (80 g) finely diced sweet onion

1
/
2
cup (75 g) finely diced red bell pepper

1
/
2
cup (60 g) finely diced celery

1
/
2
cup (50 g) sliced green olives

1
/
2
cup (50 g) sliced sun-dried black or kalamata olives

1 cup (130 g) finely diced carrot

1 cup (120 g) finely diced zucchini

1 cup (120 g) finely diced yellow squash

1 cup (75 g) thinly sliced fresh snow peas

1
/
2
cup (50 g) small cauliflower florets

TO MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small-size glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all the dressing ingredients. Shake well. Set aside, and allow the flavors of the dressing to marry while chopping the vegetables.

TO MAKE THE SALAD: In a large-size mixing bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. With a large-size spoon, stir well. Pour the dressing over the top and mix until thoroughly combined.

Chill in a covered glass container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Caesar salad brings the controversy of raw egg into the equation. This recipe takes it back out! With the option of using raw egg or Dijon mustard, the cook can make the choice based on the company being fed and the ingredients available. When I have eggs from a farm I know and trust (such as Apricot Lane Farms!), I love the creaminess and decadence of the nutrient-dense raw egg version. And when I don’t, Dijon mustard it is!

FOR CROUTONS:

3 tablespoons (42 g) butter

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence

3
/
4
teaspoon sea salt

1
/
2
teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

3 cups (150 g) 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide cubed Rustic Sourdough Bread (
page 186
)

FOR DRESSING:

4 anchovies

2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 raw egg yolks, or 2 tablespoons (22 g) Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1
/
2
cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1
/
4
cup (20 g) shredded Parmesan cheese

1
/
4
teaspoon sea salt

1
/
2
teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

TO MAKE THE CROUTONS: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).

In a small-size pot over medium heat, combine the butter, herbes de Provence, sea salt, and pepper and heat until the butter is completely melted. Spread the sourdough cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the melted butter mixture over the cubes and toss to coat, using your fingers to gently ensure each cube is covered with butter.

Bake for 10 minutes without turning or flipping. Remove the croutons from the oven and allow to cool. When completely cooled, store in a glass container with a lid until ready to use. If the croutons are not fully cooled when stored, they become soft. If this happens, re-toast briefly.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING: In a blender or food processor, combine the anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks, and garlic. Blend until the anchovies and garlic are incorporated. If necessary, scrape down the sides with a spatula. With the motor running, drizzle the olive oil through the opening. Turn off the blender and add the cheese, sea salt, and pepper. Pulse several times until incorporated.

FOR SALAD:

6 cups (330 g) romaine lettuce cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces

1
/
2
cup (50 g) shaved Parmesan cheese

Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

TO MAKE THE SALAD: In a large-size bowl, combine the romaine and croutons. Add 5 tablespoons (75 ml) dressing to the bowl. Toss and taste. Continue adding more dressing to suit your palate. The Dijon-based dressing will typically require more dressing than the egg-based version. Pour into a large-size serving bowl. Sprinkle the greens with the shaved cheese and freshly cracked pepper.

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

RECIPE NOTES

• To shave Parmesan cheese, use a vegetable peeler to peel the cheese into long, flat pieces, just like at a fancy restaurant.

• Be sure to zest your lemon before juicing—it is impossible the other way around! Also, choosing organic becomes very important when using the zest of a fruit, as a stronger concentration of pesticides is found on the skin.