We are halfway through that time of year when we celebrate Days. You know what I mean; Mothers’ Day is coming up. That is traditionally one, if not the, busiest restaurant day of the year. Moms want to be pampered and treated like royalty, which means a trip to their favorite restaurant for brunch or dinner. It doesn’t really have to break the bank. They just want to be waited on.
Then, in June, we celebrate Fathers’ Day. The family will get together to honor their dad and yes, there is a meal plan for that day, also. Fathers’ Day is not really a huge restaurant day, but instead it is a day for the backyard cookout and a big juicy steak. The main difference between Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day is that unlike mom, who gets pampered, dad will usually end up doing the grilling himself.
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“The fruit will bring a salad up into the gourmet category and help the salad become an entire meal.”
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Before we can celebrate those days, we have one this month that needs attention. It is the first Day since March 17. This day is celebrated in both the northern and southern hemispheres and was originally celebrated on the first day of spring. It has since been moved to April 22 and is known as Earth Day (the Tahoe Truckee Earth Day Celebration takes place on April 16; see Events for details).
Is there a meal that is traditional on this day like there is for the others? Not that I have ever known about, but then I have lived a long time in the woods and it’s possible a few things slide by me. But if there is no traditional meal then what am I going to write about? That’s as easy to figure out as chocolate and roses for Valentines’ Day.
It is called Earth Day because it is a day to celebrate the earth and do whatever we can at least for that day to keep it healthy. With that in mind, you can walk down to the market and pick up the freshest fixings for a good salad you can find. What better way to celebrate the earth than with a bountiful meal of freshly grown fruits and vegetables and it is also healthy for you.
Start with a mix of baby greens, arugula, butter lettuce and a little chard. Add some vine ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and some sliced sweet onion and you have the beginnings of an awesome salad. The next ingredients are not usually thought of as salad fixings.
These are the fresh herbs and when included will add a new dimension to your salad. I will always use some fresh sweet basil and mint in a salad and add other herbs like cilantro if they are looking good. Rosemary and thyme are also good but be careful of twigs and chop the rosemary so it isn’t chewy.
Finally, I will add some toasted pine nuts for a little crunch and lots of fresh fruit. Mango, pineapple, plums and oranges are my favorite but look for whatever is fresh and in season. The fruit will bring a salad up into the gourmet category and help the salad become an entire meal.
Now that you have your Earth Day dinner set, there needs to be a dressing that is every bit as tasty as the salad it is going to top. As long as you have taken the time to create a masterpiece, you might as well use your brush a little longer and make your own vinaigrette.
Any time you make vinaigrette, there are a few ingredients that are almost always present no matter the final flavor. As a general rule there will be 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. There will be a little mustard, usually Dijon or powder, and there will be a type of sweetener. As a general rule, I will use Dijon as my mustard because I always have some on hand. The oil, vinegar and sweetener are the three things you can change to change the dressing.
Balsamic is the vinegar of choice these days for most people, but using raspberry vinegar for fruit dressings is a more complimentary way to enhance the fruit flavor without overpowering it. I also like to change the oil around at times to include macadamia nut oil, peanut oil, olive oil and sometimes vegetable oil.
The biggest thing you can change is the sweetener. I love to use frozen juice concentrates or maple syrup (of course, it has to be real maple syrup) instead of sugar or honey. Remember that ingredients such as vinegar and Dijon can lose a little zip over time so always adjust the recipe at the end to your liking. No matter what ingredients you choose, have a gourmet salad to celebrate Earth Day and enjoy.
Mango Macadamia nut vinaigrette
6 T macadamia nut oil
2 T raspberry vinegar
1 t Dijon
2 T frozen orange mango juice concentrate
1 clove garlic, fine chopped
8 toasted macadamia nuts, crushed (in place of the pine nuts)
4 sweet basil leaves, chopped
2 mint leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl except the oil, salt and pepper. Slowly wisk in the oil. Adjust any ingredients to taste adding a couple drops of water and the salt and pepper. Add to your favorite salad creation.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Smitty’s column, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at tmmsmitty@gmail.com or (530) 412-3598.
