Where have I been, people want to know. I’m flattered, really. I’ve been here all along, home on my computer, doing actual work. And when that work is done, the last thing I want to do is spend time at home on my computer doing leisure. Yes, I consider the website a leisure activity! I love it. The moral of this story is that I’m still trying to create a productive and fulfilling routine for myself here in Philadelphia, and I promise to do better. Starting with this crisp and refreshing summer slaw that I served to my family when I finally invited them over for brunch and a tour of our house. My aunt is the salad queen, and she liked this one, so I consider it a keeper. The veggies are crunchy and bright, and the dressing itself would be delicious on just about anything.
To make the dressing, get your blender ready. Peel a 1-inch piece of ginger, and throw it in. Add in 1/2 clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons of white or yellow miso, 2 tablespoons of tahini, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Blend the dressing very well until all of the chunks are broken up and combined and the whole thing is smooth. Taste the dressing. If you’d like it to be a bit spicier, add the second half of the garlic clove, and blend again. You’ll have more dressing than you need for this salad, which is a very good thing, so store any extra in a jar in the refrigerator.
Next, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and salt it well. Boil 1/2 pound of whole sugar snap peas for 2 minutes until they are bright green and a little bit tender. Drain the peas, and submerge them in an ice bath to cool.
While the peas are cooking and cooling, thinly slice 1/4 head of green cabbage into thin ribbons, and add them to a salad bowl. You should have about 3 cups of cabbage ribbons. If you don’t love green cabbage, use whatever kind you like. Cut 4 radishes into matchsticks, ideally using a mandoline. Thinly slice 3 entire scallions. Add all of these vegetables to the salad bowl. Then, drain and dry the sugar snap peas. Trim off any stems, and slice them on a diagonal into thin slices. Add the peas and 2 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds into the salad bowl. Drizzle the vegetables with half of the salad dressing, and toss it well to combine. Top the slaw with 2 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds (black ones are especially pretty here). Set out that salad bowl, and dig in! You should have enough slaw as a side for about 6 people, but you could easily double this entire recipe if you need more.
This recipe is adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
Shopping list:
For the dressing-
- Ginger- 1 inch piece
- Garlic- 1 clove
- Miso paste- 2 tablespoons
- Tahini- 2 tablespoons
- Honey- 1 tablespoon
- Rice vinegar- 1/4 cup
- Sesame oil- 2 tablespoons
- Vegetable oil- 2 tablespoons
For the slaw-
- Sugar snap peas- 1/2 pound
- Cabbage- 3 cups, sliced
- Radishes- 4
- Scallions- 3
- Sesame seeds- 3 tablespoons
Your aunt says it’s the best salad she ever had. Amazing