vegetarian

Heirloom Tomato, Nectarine and Arugula Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Heirloom Tomato, Nectarine and Arugula Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Yield: 4 servings

This is more of an assembly of ingredients than a recipe, which is exactly how I like to cook in the Summer. It's easy to pull together especially after a run to the Union Square Greenmarket, the largest farmers market in NYC. There's always so much to choose from, but I wanted to keep this salad simple. I like to marinate the tomatoes in the beginning to give them a garlicky touch. Letting them sit for 5 minutes or longer helps minimize the raw garlic flavor. Using a fine micro grater helps in that department too. (Grating is my favorite discovery, plus its faster than mincing!) Regardless the vinegar and nectarines will balance it out with just a touch of sweetness.  If you don't have a specialty vinegar use balsamic vinegar, it will still be delicious!

You could add some burrata to this to make this a light lunch with a crusty loaf of bread and salted butter.  A glass of rosé would be nice too.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound mix of heirloom and green tomatoes, in various shapes and sizes

1 garlic clove, grated on microplane

Flaky sea salt

5 ounces arugula

3 nectarines, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup diced red onion

Grapefruit balsamic vinegar such as The Filling Station vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut tomatoes in half or quarters. In a large bowl mix tomatoes with garlic and season with sea salt. Set aside for 5 minutes.

  2. In a large platter arrange arugula greens, nectarines, red onion and tomatoes.

  3. Drizzle with grapefruit vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Finish with sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Cinnamon Cashew Cream /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Cinnamon Cashew Cream

Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 cups

Curiosity got the best of me. I've been seeing cashew cream everywhere lately and really wanted to try it out. Let me tell you, it's pretty damn good. I'm sure it's a great dairy substitute, but I love it as is. It would be a great addition to any dessert or simply topped on a bowl of berries. Can I be honest? I might have eaten it straight out of the bowl by the spoonful, just like peanut butter, don't judge me. (I usually see this recipe made raw and vegan. My version isn't but try maple syrup if you'd like a vegan version).

My version came about because I was raiding my pantry and after several trips this year I wanted to try out a few things I had collected. The honey and sea salt made by Jacobsen Salt Co. were a gift after a trip to Portland or PDX as they say. Instant fan of their stuff. My friend Emily Elyse Miller of Trends on Trends curated the coolest trip with Visit Portland. I can't wait to go back, it has a killer local makers community. In January, a trip to Zanzibar resulted in a suitcase loaded with spices including cinnamon. Who can resist those spice markets? By the way, we stayed at the most amazing private villa Casadamare, I'll let the photos speak for itself, trust me, just GO. It was the perfect retreat after climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. 

When styling the photos I reached for my friend and amazing local NYC artisan, Jono Pandolfi's white ceramic bowl. Such a beautiful simple and clean design. I gave the scene a little French twist with some pretty patterned ceramic bowls I bought in Arles, France. Much more on that trip another time, but special thanks to my friend Armand Arnal a local and Chef from Arles but also a co-owner of one of my favorite cafes Maman in NYC. He made visiting a little town in Provence so special including a heavenly lunch at his restaurant La Chassagnette.

It turns out this 6 ingredient recipe takes me on a stroll through memory lane and around the world. I can't wait to travel again and see what I collect or get inspired by.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in filtered water 4 to 6 hours (minimum 2 hours) 

1/2 cup filtered water

2 teaspoons mild honey such as Bee Local by Jacobsen's

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, such Nielsen-Massey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or try cinnamon sticks ground in a spice grinder)

Pinch of flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen's

DIRECTIONS

  1. Drain and rinse cashews; discard soaking liquid. Add cashews and 1/4 cup filtered water to Vitamix or high powered blender. Pulse until just barely incorporated.

  2. Add balance of ingredients. Blend on low and increase speed. Add more water until you reach desired consistency.

  3. Transfer to a bowl and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve chilled.

Note: I like my sweets on the milder side, feel free to adjust the honey quantity to your taste. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garlic & Dill Yogurt Dip /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

The Judy Lab Garlic and Dill Yogurt Dip.jpeg

Garlic & Dill Yogurt Dip

Yield: Approximately 2 cups

Pretty sure I've never met a party dip that I didn't like, this is no exception. I make a version of this dip for almost every party I have. This is a great base that you change up easily by layering on additional flavors such as scallions, chives cayenne or even horseradish. Enjoy this for any gathering or holiday party full of friends and family. Excellent with seasonal vegetables from the farmers market. My all time favorites are carrots, fennel, a variety of radishes and those cute little baby cherry tomatoes when you can find them. It might be fun to make some baked root chips, but we all know potato chips will always be a winner.

Below I make mention to microplane the garlic, a trick I learned from my friend Mark Bello, owner of Pizza a Casa (rockin' pizza school in NYC if you haven't tried it). It's a genius trick I've not been able to stop using. Particularly great in recipes when you don't cook the garlic since it is probably the finest you will ever get the garlic and it's a huge time saver.  

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain whole yogurt

1 cup mayo, such as Hellmann's

2 garlic cloves, grated with a microplane or finely minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. If possible, make this a day ahead so that all the flavors have time to bloom.

  2. Serve chilled.

Suggest to add 1 teaspoon of French Vinaigrette herb mix from Penzeys Spices.