Today was meant to be a lunch salad day, but ended up being a dinner salad. I was fortunate enough to lead a workshop with 11 fabulous women this morning; discussions were had; ideas were planted; we certainly laughed a lot. As I was counting my lucky stars after the clean up, then driving off to do some errands (prepping for the KIMCHI CLASS I'll be hosting next Tuesday morning! Still spots left!), I started to think about what I would make with those lentils I set up to soak and hopefully sprout yesterday evening. See, at this house, I soak in order to improve the availability of nutrients in them there lentils (and nuts and seeds), and to make them easier to digest. I personally have compromised digestion, not sure to what extent, but just in the hopes of easing up on the digestive work this body o' mine has to do, I soak and sprout most all nuts and seeds and lentils and beans.
These be soaking puy lentils. In filtered water with kefir whey I keep on hand. The book from where I garnered such insights: Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions.
So following my class this morning, and errands this afternoon, I had a meeting to attend to around the supper hour. With a small window of time at home, I cooked up those pre-soaked lentils, roasted a sweet potato, and assembled a simple yet delicious salad for a supper that was going to be out of house. I also made an extra serving for my bestie, who was also attending said meeting. The simplicity of this dressing just makes this salad sing. In my opinion, that's the sign of a good salad. And a beautiful chorus it was.
This dressing is from one of my most-visited cookbooks: the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook from 2001, from Audrey Alsterberg & Wanda Urbanowicz, the two ladies behind the vegetarian restaurant in Victoria by the same name, Rebar. They have graciously sent the green light for me to post their recipe online. I promise to do the salad this dressing is usually paired with (Romaine & Gala Apple Salad) before the month of salads is through.
My salad fixings: greens. Today's version included arugula from the garden and spinach. Threw in a half roasted sweet potato per person, and about a half cup or more of the cooked puy lentils, and chopped about 2 tbsp worth for each serving of a purple cabbage/beet/radish/turmeric/ginger sauerkraut I had made at home a few months back. Ah, but that dressing:
CREAMY HONEY LEMON DRESSING
3 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon, minced
3/4 cup creme fraiche (I offer classes on making your own creme fraiche!)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all in a little glass jar. Pour liberally on salads.
Dressing. Made with creme fraiche (de maison) with honey gifted by a good friend
Thanks to Audrey & Wanda at Rebar for giving the nod. Link to their online presence below. And to my fawsome friend Eva for the gift of her father's honey. Bon appetit, les ami(e)s!