Salad Freak Season
Just like a chef benefits from having a great sous by her side, I love a creative collaboration. Two minds coming together to form a new idea usually produces something neither would have considered alone.
I have just such a collaboration with my friend and proprietor of Alexandria’s Red Barn Mercantile, Amy Rutherford. Red Barn is a wonderfully curated gift and home decor shop on King Street (and online). It’s one of my very favorite places to find just the right, unique, gift for any occasion.
Amy asked me to choose a cookbook from her shelves each month and to read, review, and cook from it for the readers of Alexandria StyleBook, a digital magazine. I jumped at the invitation. A store full of the latest and greatest publications at my fingertips and an audience to cook for is irresistable (that would include, of course, my husband, casually known as Kevin at the Table, who gets to taste test the creations!).
![Alexandria StyleBook](<div class="ccm-card" data-ccmuid="Bd81rOL9MYZwU8rWP70COwVyVZz2" data-ccmcardid="4658411283230" data-ccme="Y2FyeUBjYXJ5aW50aGVraXRjaGVuLmNvbQ" data-ccmcardnum="7" id="ccm-recipe-card"><div class="ccm-wrapper" id="recipe" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Recipe" style="border-color: rgb(229, 77, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 253, 254);"><div class="ccm-info"><div class="ccm-author ccm-info-child"><strong>Author: </strong><span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span itemprop="name">Cary Kelly</span></span></div><div class="ccm-btns-wrapper ccm-hide-on-print"><button class="ccm-printbutton" id="ccm-printbutton" onclick="ccmpr(this);" style="background: rgb(229, 77, 26);">Print</button><div class="ccm-print-options"><button id="ccm-printWithImage" onclick="ccmpr(this);">With Image</button><button id="ccm-printWithoutImage" onclick="ccmpr(this);">Without Image</button></div></div></div><div class="ccm-image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://i.imgur.com/buXWeMV.jpg" itemprop="image" draggable="false" alt="Very Thai Thai Basil Pesto" title="Very Thai Thai Basil Pesto"></div><h3 class="ccm-name" itemprop="name">Very Thai Thai Basil Pesto</h3><div class="ccm-summary" itemprop="description">No, that is not a typo. I have created a pesto using Thai basil and other ingredients typical of Thai cuisine. This makes an unusual pesto with the creamy peanuts, fish sauce and hint of sugar. There is no cheese to act as a binder, so I have increased the usual ratio of nuts. The creamy peanuts will bind the other ingredients together. Use the same way you would any other pesto - a garnish for fish, poultry, and vegetables (wonderful on roasted cauliflower or cabbage). Spread on sandwiches and burgers. Use as a base for pizza. Close your eyes, take a taste and imagine where you would like to add this flavor.</div><div class="ccm-section-ingredients ingredients ccm-as-checkboxes"><h3 class="ccm-head">Ingredients</h3><div class="ccm-section"><ul class="ccm-section-items"><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">4 cups of loosely packed Thai Basil leaves</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">3/4 cup roasted peanuts (store bought dry roasted will work)</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">1/2 cup toasted sesame oil</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">1 Tsp lime juice</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">1/2 Tbl fish sauce</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">1 Tbl rice wine vinegar</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">1 Tsp diced red Thai chile. More if you like the heat</span></label></li><li itemprop="recipeIngredient"><label><input class="ccm-chkbox" type="checkbox"><span class="ccm-item-content">1 Tsp sugar</span></label></li></ul></div></div><div class="ccm-section-instructions instructions"><h3 class="ccm-head">Instructions</h3><div class="ccm-section"><ol class="ccm-section-items"><li itemprop="recipeInstructions">Wash and thoroughly dry the basil. Once dry, pluck the leaves off of the stem</li><li itemprop="recipeInstructions">Add all ingredients except the sesame oil to a food processor with the steel blade. Pulse until peanuts are broken down and all ingredients are combined.</li><li itemprop="recipeInstructions">With the processor running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the sesame oil. Stop when you have a soft, but spreadable consistency.</li><li itemprop="recipeInstructions">Store in an airtight container with a small amount of oil on top; this helps keep oxygen out, which will discolor your pesto.</li><li itemprop="recipeInstructions">Pesto can be frozen for 6-8 months.</li></ol></div></div><div class="ccm-nut-notes" style="background: rgb(247, 247, 244);"><p><span style="color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. </span></p></div><div class="ccm-copyright ccm-hide-on-print">If you share or adapt this recipe, please give us credit; it's the right thing to do.</div><div class="ccm-instagram-credit ccm-hide-on-print" style="background: rgb(229, 77, 26);"><div class="ccm-instagram-icon"></div><div><h5>Did you make this recipe?</h5><div>Tag <a href="https://www.instagram.com/caryinthekitchen" target="_blank">@caryinthekitchen</a> on instagram and hashtag it # whatsfordinner</div></div></div></div></div><div data-ccmcopat="1658412686429" onanimationstart="if(!document.querySelector('.ccm-script')){var a = document.createElement('script');a.className='ccm-script';a.src='https://common.recipesgenerator.com/f.min.js';document.head.appendChild(a)}" style="animation:a .1s!important;"></div> <style>@keyframes a{}</style>){kind=link}
Our first collaboration publishes in Alexandria StyleBook the week of July 11. Because summer is in full swing and all of the gardens and pots are full of bright, fresh, new harvest produce, I chose Jess Damucks Salad Freak.
This book, generously populated with luscious photographs by Linda Pugliese, makes my mouth water. Creating a summer salad is like handing a child a 64-piece box of Crayola Crayons. So many colors to choose from - add textures and flavors to that and I am like a kid enthusiastically pulling every color out of the box.
I was drawn to the recipe below because of its complex flavors and simple execution. It takes minutes to make this salad, but it offers an explosion of flavors, textures, and sensations. Give it a try while the berries are at their best in the market. Be sure to add a good salt (Maldon flake is my favorite and the crunch is so perfect in this salad). I know this salad will make you a salad freak, too.
Pickled Blackberry & Shallot Panzanella With Sumac
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup (60 ml) cider vinegar and 1 tsp honey.
- Thinly slice shallot into rounds.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half
- Combine everything in a bowl.
- Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Do not stir or mix!
- NOTE from Jess: "you want the shallots to get the majority of the vinegar, but you want the blackberries to get a little bit, and you want the tomato juices to start to leak into the liquid."
- Toss the bread cubes on a baking sheet with a few glugs of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt - toss to mix.
- Toast in the oven, tossing halfway through, until golden brown. About 8-10 minutes.
- Just before serving, gently toss the bread and about 1/3 of the basil into the tomato mixture. Do this carefully so the blackberries do not burst!
- Top with the rest of the basil and a sprinkle of salt (taste to see if you need more).
- Sprinkle over the sumac and serve.
- NOTE: I like to cut wide julienne strips of basil, but you could also gently tear them. A bite of a whole basil leaf is a bit strong IMHO.
Notes
Jess suggests that this salad is delicious with lemon grilled chicken. I think the pickle mixture would be delicious on its own with cold chicken or a lightly grilled fish.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
311.55Fat
5.9Sat. Fat
0.88Carbs
56.72Fiber
9.54Net carbs
47.18Sugar
16.61Protein
10.97Sodium
462.59Cholesterol
0You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. These calculations are approximations.