Fall Fattoush Salad with Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix

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Hello!

Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad consisting of toasted pita bread, fresh vegetables, greens, herbs and a lemony dressing. It makes a great side dish but you could also add cheese or your favorite protein source to make it a complete meal.

Traditionally, the fresh vegetables consist of tomatoes and cucumbers, which are easy to chop up and toss into the salad. But if it isn’t tomato season, that doesn’t mean you can’t make this salad. Simply swap out those items for some that are in season. Below, I have included delicata squash and kohlrabi but you can use just about anything you have on hand. I like the combination of a cooked vegetable (squash) and a fresh vegetable (kohlrabi).

You can also use any type of greens – here I used our Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix but you could also use kale, Swiss chard, arugula, spinach or a mix of your favorite greens. Same goes for herbs – parsley, mint, cilantro or basil would work for the herbal component.

PS – don’t be afraid to eat with your fingers on this one! I found it was easier (and more fun!) when a fork wasn’t involved.

Fall Fattoush Salad with Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix (Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)
makes about 4 side servings or 2 main servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 (8-inch) pita bread
  • 4-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 medium delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, then cut across into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchstick sized pieces (add the greens into the salad too!)
  • 1 bag of Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix or greens of choice
  • 1/4 cup chopped herbs of choice
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

  • Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Using kitchen shears, cut around perimeter of pita and separate into 2 thin rounds. Cut each round in half. Place pitas, smooth side down, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Brush 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over surface of pita. (Pita does not need to be uniformly coated. Oil will spread during baking.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until pita is crisp and pale golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. (Cooled pitas can be stored in zipper-lock bag for 24 hours.)
  • Whisk lemon juice, garlic, and 1/8 teaspoon salt together in small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12″ non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the squash and cook, stirring often, until spotty brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large salad bowl.
  • Once the squash has cooled, add the kohlrabi, lettuce, herbs, scallions, lemon juice mixture and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Crumble the pita into 1/2″ pieces and add to the bowl, tossing to combine. Taste, adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Weekly Farm Notes :: Oct 12th, 2016

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Hello,

We hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather! A couple announcements to share:

  1. The Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix is back! We know you love it 🙂
  2. Single shares will be available soon! You will get the same Powerhouse greens and veggies as our shareholders but you don’t have to commit to the entire season. Let us know if you are interested!
  3. Are you familiar with the ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) score? It’s a scoring system that ranks food from 1-1000 based on nutrient content. So the the higher the score, the more nutrient dense and therefore, healthier for you! We have included the ANDI score next to the veggies below (that we could find) for your reference.

Also, don’t forgot we will attending the Nutrition World Farmers Market every Saturday from 10am-noon. Stop by and say hey!

See you at market!

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October 12th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Awesome Asian & Lettuce Salad Mix {M/CSA}: the greens in this mix are so tasty you hardly need anything else to go with them; just a simple dressing will suffice. You really don’t need a recipe to make your own dressing as long as you know the ratio for oil to acid. It’s 1 part acid (lemon juice, red wine vinegar, etc) to 3 parts oil. Then simply add any of your favorite flavorings from there. I like to add a bit of honey and sometimes mustard, minced shallot and whatever herbs I have on hand. If you need more inspiration, check out our The Essentials Elements to a Satisfying Salad article.
  • Baby Red & Green Romaine Lettuce – 510 {M/CSA}: I love making making lettuce cups with romaine lettuce. There is no shortage of recipes out there but I really like using quinoa as a base. Check out our recipe for Quinoa & Chickpea Lettuce Cups!
  • Giant Red Mustard Greens – 1000 {M/CSA}: I need some new inspiration when it comes to cooking mustard greens and I think I found it with this recipe – Spicy Mustard Green Pesto!
  • Pak Choi – 865 {M/CSA}: I tried pak choi in a soup last week and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. The ribs give nice texture (as long as you don’t cook them too long) and the greens soften and add another flavor element. I added them to an Asian inspired soup with shiitakes and rice noodles and a broth similar to this recipe: Easy Vegetarian Pho.
  • Kohlrabi – 352 {CSA}: if you are looking for a quick weeknight dinner, look no further than our Kohlrabi Hash! Topped with a fried egg, it makes a complete meal that is ready in a flash.
  • Summerfest Asian Greens {CSA}: these greens are a great substitute for spinach, so why not try it in this Spinach Smoothie with Avocado and Apple. You can pick up apples from Wheelers Orchard while you are at the market!
  • Delicata Squash – 137 {M}: I love this type of squash because you can eat the skin! It is so easy to prepare and enjoy. Simply cut in half (remove the seeds if they are large, otherwise they should cook through well), cut into 1/2″ pieces and roast in the oven. Follow this recipe for more details.
  • Bell (371), Jalapeno & Habanero Peppers {M}: latkes (or shredded potato cakes) are an easy weeknight meal, but you need a little extra zing to cut through the carbs. I think this Potato Latkes with Jalapeno Dill Sauce sounds like a great combo!
  • Kale – 1000 {M}: how do you make this nutrient dense green even more healthy? Ferment it! Specifically, use this recipe for Kale, Cabbage and Fennel Ferment as cabbage and fennel are in season and can be found at the market!
  • Lemon Balm & Basil (475) {M}: have you tried our Lemon Balm Shrub yet? It is a sweet / sour drink that is really refreshing and can be used in a number of ways (but they are really good in cocktails!).