An Hour to Do What You Love

As I was thinking about this slaw and how and what to write about it, I realized that leaving you with a slaw for the weekend isn't very fun. This slaw goes very well with other fall flavors and makes a refreshing side to go with the heartier autumn dishes. Still, a slaw seems a bit stern and serious for the start of the weekend.

But, as I was thinking about how it would be better to leave you with a cake or something rich and savory, I remembered that we get a little extra time this weekend. At least, those of us in the United States and that observe day light savings get back the hour that we lost last spring. A whole hour to eat slaw or cake, rake leaves or run through them, find the sun or read a book under a blanket.

When this lost hour returns, I am reminded of the fall that I spent two months living in a tent in the Oregon woods. There was a straw bale house, too, and about 12 of us learning about many aspects of sustainable living, taking turns cooking meals, feeding chickens, milking goats, walking in the forest, and living in community. Somehow we had the right mix of people and circumstance to create the magical weeks that we shared.

On the weekend that daylight savings ended, a few of us traveled to Crater Lake. I remember the washed out blues, greens and sandy colors of the landscape. So many fir trees and and the turquoise water of the lake framed by the steep sides of the crater. We hiked, took pictures, cooked oatmeal on our rocket stove and stared at the clear, starry sky. In my memory they were simple and perfectly beautiful days. With few time constraints, we didn't bother changing the clock in the car when we started the drive home on Sunday. It wasn't until after we had stopped for lunch that we decided to use that extra hour. We reset the clock and despite the time we spent, the digital numbers showed that we hadn't stopped at all.

I treasure days with no agenda, with spontaneous adventures, with unplanned meanderings that are somehow perfect. Many weekends of my life have faded from memory, but this particularly one in Oregon is like a photo I keep tucked in my wallet and pull out to warm my heart. I always remember those close friends, the freedom we had to explore and the looseness of time on that weekend. Whether or not you set your clocks back, I hope you can find an extra hour to spend doing what you love. 

Kohrabi and Apple Slaw
This is a simple slaw that makes a crunchy, sweet and earthy side dish. The recipe makes enough to serve two to three people. If you have more kohlrabi and apples it is very easy to increase.

1 medium sized kohlrabi
1 medium sized apple
lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
a pinch of salt

Peel off the tough outer skin of the kohlrabi and the skin of the apple. Slice both into thin matchstick size pieces. You can actually cut them into any shape you want, but it is best if all the pieces are about the same size. Toss the sliced apple with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning

Combine the olive oil, mustard, honey, cider vinegar and salt with a whisk. Toss with sliced apple and kohlrabi.

Quinoa Chickpea and Summer Vegetable Salad

I'm sitting in the kitchen as I write this. It's raining a little bit outside and I have the kitchen window closed, maybe for the first time this month. When I got home from working on the farm, I took a shower and it felt so good to warm up in the hot water, a simple pleasure and a great luxury. More zucchini baked goods are in the oven and I still have over-large squash left in the refrigerator drawer.

There are apples near the other kitchen window, which is open, and they smell like everything good about fall. They are from my co-worker's neighbor's tree, but I haven't touched them since she gave them to me a week ago. I've been wanting to take in more summer fruit before I start on apples. There is a round, dark green watermelon from the farm on the counter, also untouched. With todays' weather apples would be the choice, but I know there are still more watermelon days to come.

Despite my ramble, I came here to share a salad with you. Fall may be hinted at here and there, but I assure you there are still fresh, summer salads in your future. This one is just right for the time when it is too hot or you are too tired to make much of dinner. You can easily throw it together, but the bright red tomatoes and shiny green cucumbers are dressed up by the quinoa clinging like jewels to everything in the bowl.

This salad originally featured grilled sourdough bread. After trying that the first time, I decided to replace it with chickpeas for something more nutritious that wouldn't get soggy if we didn't eat it all right away. The thing I love about this salad is that it isn't dressed, but mixed with chopped herbs, garlic and a bit of oil and vinegar. All of the ingredients add their own flavors and blend well together. I can't take credit for it, the recipe comes from Plenty but here is my version. 

Quinoa, Chickpea, and Summer Vegetable Salad
Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

1/4 cup quinoa
4 ripe medium tomatoes
1-2 medium cucumbers, unpeeled
1 cup cooked (or canned) chickpeas
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons chopped parsely
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, crushed and minced
salt and pepper

Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until the quinoa is tender. Rinse under cold water to cool.

Dice the tomatoes into 3/4 inch pieces. Cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and then slice across them at 1/4 inch intervals, to create many small pieces. Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, and red onion in a bowl.  Add the cilantro, mint, parsley, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Toss all of the ingredients to combine. Add salt and pepper as needed. 

Makes more than enough for 2 as a meal and plenty for 4 if you are serving it with other dishes.

Miso Ginger Salad Dressing

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while. I discovered it, somehow, through NPR and I've been waiting to share it until we get closer to true salad season. By that, I mean the time of year when you can eat lettuce and other vegetables that haven't traveled thousands of miles to get to your kitchen. We're getting there, although the local salad fixings are still somewhat limited around here.

I have been trying some different dressings lately. I really enjoyed Ashely's creme fraiche vinaigrette. But I was especially pleased to find this recipe for a carrot, ginger, miso dressing. This dressing is a very close replica of the delicious ginger dressing that I have enjoyed several times at a Japanese restaurant. I've also been wanting to incorporate fermented soy bean paste (miso is really good for you) into more meals.

At the restaurant, this dressing was always a little mysterious, differently textured than a thin vinaigrette or a viscous creamy dressing, but it has an amazing flavor. It certainly dresses up a salad, the miso adds a saltiness, the ginger is a bit spicy and the carrot is another layer of vegetable. When your salad is made from freshly picked vegetables, you might not need anything additional flavors, but this dressing could transform a bunch of greens into a salad in no time.

Miso Ginger Salad Dressing
Adapted from this NPR recipe
Miso can be found in natural foods stores (and probably regular grocery stores, too) the lighter the color, the more mild the flavor. It keeps in the fridge for a long time, but don't be afraid to try it out! The recipe calls for white miso, but I had red miso, so that is what I used. I usually thin the dressing with some water to make it more pourable.

1 medium sized carrot, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons white miso
Water, optional

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add small amounts of water to thin the dressing to the desired consistency. Keeps, refrigerated for several days.