Authors: Charlie Cascio

Esalen Cookbook (19 page)

GERMAN POTATO SALAD

This is a light variation on the classic German dish. Served hot or warm, it has the possibility of accompanying many more dishes than the cold American-style potato salad. Unlike traditional German-style potato salad that is loaded with bacon and bacon fat, this recipe has the bacon flavor without the bacon or fat. We serve this salad along with bratwurst sausages or Honey-Mustard Glazed Tofu for a hearty midday meal.

Serves 4 as a lunch

2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled
¼cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
⅓cup minced red onion
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1½ teaspoons sea salt
½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup minced celery
2 tablespoons Baco Bits
2 green onions cut in fine rounds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle
½ cup mayonnaise

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil on high heat, and then lower to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until done. The potatoes are ready when a knife goes into the potato easily but the potato is still firm. Don’t overcook the potatoes or they will have a mushy texture. When they are done, pour off the water and let cool for 5 minutes.

While potatoes are cooling, place the oil, vinegar, onion, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil; then cut the heat. Slice potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes and place in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot vinegar marinade over warm potatoes and toss very gently once or twice. Let potatoes marinate for 5 minutes.

In another mixing bowl, blend the celery, Baco Bits, green onions, parsley, and pickle. Add this to potatoes and toss gently another two times. Add the mayonnaise and gently toss until mixed. Be careful: if you overmix, it turns out to be mashed potato salad.

CUCUMBER RAITA SALAD

Raita is the most common form of salad in India and makes a great accompaniment to hotter and spicier dishes. This salad is an accompaniment to the South Indian Coconut Curry that we serve at Esalen. The raita is a cooling accompaniment that imparts an added flavor to the hot-spicy curry and should be eaten alongside the curry. At Esalen, we mix up about seven gallons of this salad for an evening meal.

Serves 4

2 medium-size cucumbers
1 teaspoon cumin
1½ cups yogurt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
4 green onions, sliced in fine rounds

Peel cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds with a spoon. Thinly slice cucumbers in a half-circle shape. Place the cumin in a dry frying pan and toast on medium heat until it has a pungent cumin smell. In a salad bowl, blend yogurt, sour cream, toasted cumin, and salt. Once this mixture is well blended, toss in the onions and cucumber slices. Serve with curries and other Indian dishes.

CURRIED TOFU SALAD

This is a great filling for sandwiches as well as a delightful high-protein vegetarian salad lunch. The crunchiness of the sunflower seeds and fresh vegetables and the spiciness of the curry makes this a light, tasty salad.

Serves 4

1 pound firm tofu
¼cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1½ teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2 green onions, sliced into fine rounds
½cup grated carrots
½ cup finely diced celery
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped kalamata olives
½ cup minced flat-leaf parsley

Drain and press tofu of excess water. Rough chop it in a food processor or crumble by using a pastry cutter. Place the crumbled tofu in a mixing bowl and set aside. Roast sunflower seeds at 450 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, soy sauce, curry powder, cumin, salt, and nutritional yeast. Add this to the tofu and toss. Then add the onions, carrots, celery, peppers, olives, roasted sunflower seeds, and parsley to the bowl and toss until well blended. This salad can be served on a bed of lettuce or spinach. It can also be used as a sandwich filling.

FRENCH LENTIL & COUSCOUS SALAD

At one time in my life I lived and worked with a wine farmer in Provence, near the city of Avignon, France. After working all morning in the vineyards, the farmer’s wife, Madame Ponsion, would bring lunch to us in the field. She was a great Provencal cook, and I learned many recipes from her. This is one that I loved and I brought along to Esalen, where it became a great lunch favorite.

Serves 4

1½ cups green french lentils
5 cups water
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 bay leaf
1 small branch fresh rosemary
or 1 tablespoon rosemary
4 teaspoons salt, divided
1½ cups couscous
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium Roma tomatoes, cored and
chopped into small dice
1 carrot, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 green onions, chopped in fine rounds
2 cups grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped arugula
1 cup chopped spinach

Tina Wehr

Check for stones in the lentils and remove. Rinse lentils well and cook in 5 cups water. Add the thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaf, rosemary branch, and 3 teaspoons of salt to the cooking water. Bring lentils up to a boil, and then reduce heat and let them simmer for about 20 minutes. Cook until the lentils are tender but firm. Don’t overcook. Drain; take out the rosemary branch and bay leaf and discard, and then let cool.

Place couscous in mixing bowl and rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the couscous with your hands. Add enough boiling water to the couscous to just cover by about ⅛ inch. Seal immediately with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap and let sit to cool. After the couscous has reached room temperature, gently fluff it with a fork until it is light and not compact.

Lightly mix lentils with couscous. Add the tomatoes, carrot, onion, green onion, cheese, and fresh basil to the mix. Mix the 1 cup oil, the vinegar, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt together and add this to the couscous-lentil mix; gently toss everything until well mixed. Cover the bottom of a platter with the arugula and spinach and then scoop the couscous-lentil salad over the greens. Serve at room temperature.

French Lentil & Couscous Salad

Oriental Buckwheat Noodle Stilad

ORIENTAL BUCKWHEAT NOODLE SALAD

The robust, earthy flavor of the buckwheat (soba) noodles blends perfectly with the roasted sesame oil. If you use 100 percent buckwheat noodles, they have a very strong earthy flavor; if you prefer a less strong flavor, buy the noodles that have a blend of buckwheat and wheat flours. The ingredient list may seem a bit long for this salad, but it is easy to prepare and will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon sea salt
½ pound dry buckwheat (soba) noodles
4 tablespoons toasted black or brown
sesame seeds
½ cup roasted sesame oil
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup fresh orange juice (from 1 large
Valencia orange)
5 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup diced red bell pepper
2 cups sliced bok choy (sliced in fine ribbons
and firmly packed)
1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup snow peas, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt to the water and slowly drop the noodles into the water as you stir. Cook the soba noodles for about 8 minutes or until the noodles are tender but not mushy. Take note that buckwheat noodles cook faster than semolina pasta. Place cooked noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside and let drain.

Place the sesame seeds in a heavy-bottomed skillet and roast over high heat until they have a sweet, toasty smell. In a small mixing bowl, add the oils, lemon juice, and orange juice. Whisk until blended, and then whisk in the soy sauce and maple syrup.

Place noodles in a bowl, add the sauce, and toss; then add the vegetables, mushrooms, toasted sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, and cilantro. Toss well and serve or refrigerate for later.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO

½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup warm water
2 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh basil, stemmed and
roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh oregano, stemmed and
roughly chopped
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Soak the tomatoes in the water for 10 minutes or until tomatoes become soft. Place tomatoes with the soaking water into a blender or food processor with a chopping attachment. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, olive oil, pepper, and salt; blend until you have a thick paste.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTS PASTA SALAD

This pasta salad can be served cold as a summer lunch or warm accompanying a main dish. If you use sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in olive oil, you can use the oil for making the pesto which will give it added flavor.

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium-size red onion, cut in ½-pinch dice
2 medium-size zucchini, cut in ½-inch dice
1 eggplant, cut in ½-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup pine nuts
2 cups dry orecchiette, shell, or penne pasta
1 recipe Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
1 cup roughly chopped arugula
1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

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