Baby Kale, Arugula, Baby Red Leaf, Marigold, Annis Hyssop, Borage, Goldenrod, Red Shiso, Honey Crisp Apple, Figs, Roasted Porcini "Chips", Buttermilk Pudding, Cider Vinegar & Honey
If you follow my blog, Twitter or Instagram feeds you'll notice that I recently added a new addition to my plate collection. I thought it was time to step away from the all white from time to time so I picked up this big obsidian dish you see above (or part of at least). I wanted to show it off for the first time with something simple but with a ton of color to pop off the black background. So I did a really nice salad which straddles the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn including some beautiful edible flowers and spicy greens.
All of the greens and flowers were plated without any seasoning or dressing. The apples were simply sliced and tossed in some lemon juice to keep them from browning. One fig was sliced in two and the other left completely alone. All of these components were carefully arranged in a bouquet on the plate.
The porcinis were sliced very thinly with a sharp knife, tossed in olive oil and placed under the broiler for about five minutes til roasted and crisped like chips. They were also arranged nicely with everything else.
The only part of this dish that took any kind of effort were the two dressings. The buttermilk "pudding" was made by combining buttermilk, white balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and agar-agar in a sauce pot and heating until the solids dissolved. The liquid was poured into a dish and chilled completely to set the gel. After chilling the buttermilk was cut into small pieces and blended until smooth. This is what you see under the salad.
The other dressing was made by combining apple cider vinegar, raw honey and a little water with some soy lecithin and pulsed with a hand blender to form a foam. Using a foam in this manner not only looks cool but allows you to add just a little bit of acidity as opposed to dressing all of the greens in the vinegar.
Product:
Organic Marigold - Weaver's Way
Organic Borage - Weaver's Way
Organic Red Shiso - Weaver's Way
Organic Figs - Weaver's Way
Organic Goldenrod - Weaver's Way
Organic Annis Hyssop - My Garden
Organic Mixed Greens - Savoie Organics
All of the greens and flowers were plated without any seasoning or dressing. The apples were simply sliced and tossed in some lemon juice to keep them from browning. One fig was sliced in two and the other left completely alone. All of these components were carefully arranged in a bouquet on the plate.
The porcinis were sliced very thinly with a sharp knife, tossed in olive oil and placed under the broiler for about five minutes til roasted and crisped like chips. They were also arranged nicely with everything else.
The only part of this dish that took any kind of effort were the two dressings. The buttermilk "pudding" was made by combining buttermilk, white balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and agar-agar in a sauce pot and heating until the solids dissolved. The liquid was poured into a dish and chilled completely to set the gel. After chilling the buttermilk was cut into small pieces and blended until smooth. This is what you see under the salad.
The other dressing was made by combining apple cider vinegar, raw honey and a little water with some soy lecithin and pulsed with a hand blender to form a foam. Using a foam in this manner not only looks cool but allows you to add just a little bit of acidity as opposed to dressing all of the greens in the vinegar.
Product:
Organic Marigold - Weaver's Way
Organic Borage - Weaver's Way
Organic Red Shiso - Weaver's Way
Organic Figs - Weaver's Way
Organic Goldenrod - Weaver's Way
Organic Annis Hyssop - My Garden
Organic Mixed Greens - Savoie Organics