Spring Veg Salad

In this house, we believe that a salad, and only a salad, can be a main course. We believe that the oven and the stove should be used sparingly in the summer. And that dinner is best served outside on the back patio surrounded by friends and family. In this house, we believe that nothing beats seasonal local produce, the more colorful the better. We believe that crunchy and fresh and light but satisfying and mmmmmmmnnnnn are adjectives we strive for when we dig into that first bite. And most importantly, In this house, we believe that those who cook delicious meals every night for their entire families, do NOT have to clean. And those who clean definitely shouldn’t comment on how messy the kitchen is. I mean…hypothetically speaking of course. 

Yield: 4

Author: The Balaboosta Chef

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Spring Veg Salad

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Yes, this salad has a few prep steps like blanching and salting and icing that you’re probably not familiar with. But it's worth it, I promise!

Ingredients

Salad

• 3 cups cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and into ¼” thick half moon pieces (1lb)
• 2 ½ cups sugar snap peas, strings removed (¾ lb)
• 2 cups shaved fennel (on a mandolin)
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 - 2 cups baby arugula
• ½ small watermelon radish, thinly sliced and then julienned into strips
• 10 basil leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup toasted pepitas
• Shaved parmesan (optional)

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons coarse ground mustard
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• Lots and lots of ground pepper

Instructions

Dressing

1. Throw the lemon juice, garlic cloves, and mustard in a small food processor and grind until the garlic is fully broken down into the mustard. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and blend until well emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.

Salad

1. Place the half moon shaped cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Let sit in the sink for 5 minutes and then gently pat dry. This process removes excess water from the cucumbers, which prevents the salad from being too soggy.
2. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan to a boil and prepare a medium bowl filled with ice water on the counter next to it. Add the sugar snap peas to the boiling water and blanch for about 30 seconds. Transfer them to the ice water immediately to stop the cooking. Add the red onion to the ice water bowl and let them sit like that for 10 minutes before draining. This takes that “bite” out of eating raw onions that can lead to heartburn later.
3. Place the cucumbers, snap peas, red onion, shaved fennel and arugula in a large bowl. Toss well with the dressing and transfer to a large platter. Taste for seasoning, add more salt and pepper if needed. Top with the watermelon radish, fresh basil, pine nuts, pepitas and shaved parm (if using) and serve.

Equipment

Equipment:

• Hand mandolin
• Colander
• Medium saucepan
• Medium bowl filled with ice water
• Mini food processor
• Large serving platter

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