Sesame Watercress Salad

This ones also a double-header (featuring two of our ingredients), and its for the gourmand who loves a little spice in her life:

 

Sesame Watercress Salad

 

 

Source?

 

Makes: 6 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

 

3 bundles watercress, torn into 1-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias

1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts, roasted and salted (approx. 3 oz)

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 Tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

 

 

In a large bowl, combine watercress, celery, and peanuts. In a small bowl, whisk sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and chili-garlic sauce to combine. Toss greens with dressing to coat. Divide dressed salad among plates and sprinkle with sesame seeds.?

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Soup er Mix

I dont know about you, but Im very much in the mood to do some preserving! This recipe comes to us courtesy of one of our all-time favorite canning books, The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin. So. Many. Good. Recipes. And this former-professional-canner-turned-cookbook-author knows her stuff, imparting knowledge while also turning food preserving into a pleasurable activity, rather than inducing a mild sense of terror that youll mess up in some subtle way and kill everyone you love. Not that I ever have that fear when reading American canning books. Ahem.

Anyway, as with most of her recipes, Corbin allows for substitutions; in this case her variations might include young turnips, shallots, celery, rutabagas, beets, or peppers, as well as many herbs. But the ingredients listed below form her suggested, go-to soup base (and just in case youre wondering, its filed under celery because we substitute celery root for actual celery). She also notes that youll want to use veggies and herbs that have the strongest taste and scent you can find.

Souper Mix

 

Makes three to four 8 oz. jars

 

9 oz. leeks

7 oz. fennel

7 oz. carrot

9 oz. celery root (or celery)

2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes

2 or 3 garlic cloves

3.5 oz. parsley

3.5 oz. cilantro

3/4 c. plus 1T salt

 

Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend together. The result will be a moist, granular paste. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal with vinegar-proof lids. Keep one jar of the mix in the fridge for everyday use, while the rest can be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place. Use within 6 months.

 

To use the souper mix, just stir about 1 teaspoon of it into 1 cup of hot water.

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