Salad Experiments: Carrot and Cauliflower

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I’m all about salads lately. But lettuce salads don’t excite me very much. They’re good when I have lots of good stuff to top them with, but usually I just feel like I’m eating diet food. So, I’ve been experimenting with other vegetable salads – ones that provide a little more substance, but are still nice and light.

So far, I’ve tried a couple of recipes that are definitely keepers. First up, Heidi Swanson’s carrot salad from 101 Cookbooks.

I used regular carrots instead of the baby variety, but it still tasted great. The unusual combination of cumin, citrus, honey, olives and feta cheese is amazing. Here’s the recipe.

Next, I tried a cauliflower, white bean and feta salad. Initially, I was a little disappointed when I received a head of cauliflower in my produce box this week. Not because I don’t like cauliflower – I do. But I’ve grown to love roasted cauliflower recently, and I’m already avoiding turning on the oven. It’s hot enough in my apartment already.

Luckily, this salad is a great warm-weather alternative, and saved me from resorting to bland, awful, steamed cauliflower. Seriously, never again.

Here’s the recipe (adapted from Epicurious):

• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 heads Belgian endive (I used a mix of red and white)
• 2 tablespoons scallions or green shallot leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Blanch cauliflower in boiling water for about 1 minute. Rinse under cold water, set aside.

Heat oil and rosemary in small saucepan for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, zest, salt and pepper.

Combine cauliflower, endive and beans. Add oil with rosemary, toss. Add vinegar mixture, toss. Mix in cheese and scallions. Chill or serve immediately.

Enjoy.

From the box: carrot and cauliflower, respectively

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