TODAY IS THE DAY, folks! After months of sharing this newsletter, I finally get to share my first developed recipe with you all. AND it’s a banger! Major s/o to
who is guiding me and 100+ of my new best friends through a recipe development workshop this month. I can already feel her wisdom seeping into my cooking! SO, without further ado, I present:Crunchy Spring Veg & Herby Buttermilk Salad with Dates
Serving Size: 4 | Prep Time: 30 minutes
This salad was borne out of a deep-seated craving for crunch following a winter full of soups, stews, and broths. It’s big on texture; almost like a coleslaw in terms of crunch-factor, but lighter and with much more brightness, thanks to heavy-lifting ingredients like lemons (zest + juice) and fresh herbs (parsley + dill). For even more crispity bits, the toasted garlic-infused panko puts the humble crouton to shame. Inspired by my all-time favorite salad from Oakheart Social in Charlottesville, VA. Note: serve with rotisserie chicken or roasted chickpeas for a full meal.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 fennel bulb, with fronds (see Pro Tip for guidance on how to prep)
4-6 radishes (roughly golf ball sized)
1 apple (cored and quartered)
1 large carrot, trimmed
1 bunch flat Italian parsley (will use half)
1 bunch fresh dill (will use a third)
6 medjool dates, pitted
3 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup panko
2 lemons
1 cup buttermilk
⅓ cup mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper
Arugula
Instructions
Prep the veg:
Fill a large bowl just over halfway with ice and cold water, then salt generously (as you would boiling water for pasta). Using a mandolin, thinly slice the fennel, radishes, and apple to about ⅛ inch thickness (or slice as thin as possible with a knife). Soak sliced veg in ice water bowl to season and maintain crispness while you continue to prep. Peel carrots to create long, thick ribbons and place in ice water bath. Using about half of the parsley and a third of the dill, chop tender stems and leaves and set aside for dressing. Roughly tear dates into long, bite-sized pieces for finishing the salad.
Toast the panko:
Over medium-low heat, combine EVOO and garlic until fragrant and lightly toasted, 1-2 minutes. Add panko and season with ½ tsp salt, stir constantly until golden brown (another 2 ish minutes). Remove from heat.
Make the dressing:
Into a large bowl, zest and juice two lemons. Add the buttermilk and the mayonnaise, season with ½ tsp salt and a several hearty cranks of pepper. Whisk to combine, then add the herbs. Taste the dressing: does it need more salt? Pepper? Lemon? Herbs? It should be lightly creamy and very bright, as it needs to dress all that veg!
Toss and serve:
Using a salad spinner or kitchen towel & sieve, dry the veg. Add to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Add 3-4 big handfuls of arugula, toss. Sprinkle with dates and garlicky panko and serve.
Notes:
Herb preferences and/or availability can vary with no impact on recipe turnout — adjust as needed. The dressing can be prepped several days in advance. Veg can also be prepped and chilled in an ice bath a day in advance. Store the veg separate from the dressing, separate from the garlicky panko.
*Pro Tip: if this is your first experience working with fennel and you’d like some guidance about how to prep this funky vegetable, see below:
Trim base of the bulb as you would celery (just slightly to expose the bottom) and discard. Slice off any browned spots.
Separate the stalks from the bulb by slicing perpendicularly, where the white meets the green.
Stand the bulb upright, with the sliced base on the cutting board. Cut the bulb in half from the top, the long way. These halves of the bulb will be what you take to the mandolin, to create thin half-moon-like rings (similar to an onion).
For the stalks and their fronds (which look quite similar to dill), you can either carefully take them to the mandolin or roughly chop — personal preference. Don’t pick off the dilly-looking fronds though, they have flavor too!
Can’t wait to try this, Sammy, sounds delish, congrats! I’ve downloaded this recipe into Paprika for safe keeping!
I like your way of thinking pulling in the crisp and bright as we shift away from the soup and stew season. I'm sold!