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every day of the week.
Gluttonous doesnt even begin to describe my relationship with Tahini dressing. I eat it, no joke, every day of the week. I never tire of it, I dont even come close and to be frank, the opposite actually occurs- I grow more and more fond of it. Sick eh? See, most days I get home from school and Im ravenous. Yeah yeah, Im surrounded by food in the classroom but the bites I take of what we have prepared hardly constitue a meal. So, I get home, head into the yard and retrieve a mound of greens & veggies from the garden. Chop chop, slice slice, sometimes a roast (if I can stand waiting Ill usually roast some veggies) and before long I have a large (believe you me, its immense; the salad pictured is not it- mine requires a bowl roughly the diameter of a hubcap) fresh bright tasty salad. I give it a pour of tahini, toss and eat.This is the best Tahini Dressing recipe I have ever come across and it is the one I follow week after week. Hand to God, it is damn perfect- creamy with a lovely nuttiness and a mellow nod of garlic. It can be found (along with a ton of other fantastic recipes) in Vegan with a Vengeance by the lovely Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
(makes 2 cups)8 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup tahini
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
several dashes of black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh parsley
1/2 cup cold water
1. In a small saute pan, heat the garlic in 6 teaspoons of the olive oil over very low heat for a couple minutes, just until its fragrant.
2. Place the heated garlic and all the other ingredients (except the parsley) in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the parsley and pulse until the parsley is finely chopped but not pureed.
3. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes in an airtight container before serving.
Posted on July 19, 2010 ()
Seattle is home. It has a lot to offer- grocery co ops, inviting cafes, charming bookstores, friendly folk....
My time is spent... Horseback riding- a big passion of mine. There's nothing like a day at the stables and the bliss of a good long solo trail ride.
Running- a lot. I also maintain a regular yoga practice.
Writing, reading...some of my favorite books- Welcome to the Machine (Derrick Jensen), I Know This Much Is True (Wally Lamb), East of the Mountains (David Guterson), Whores and Other Feminists (Jill Nagle), Cunt (Inga Muscio).
I am drawn to...
The Southwestern portion of the US- cacti and desolate dry sprawling earth.
Photography- pictures of people mainly, black and white.
Music- country, bluegrass, folk, etc. And of course, anything that I can dance to.
Foods that I never tire of- blueberries, figs, squash, radicchio, avocado, red grapes, salmon, mussels, heirloom tomatoes, tahini, olives, walnuts, asparagus, barbecue chicken, pulled pork, eggplant, cherries, kale, apple butter, pears, mango, mushrooms, melon, brussels sprouts, collard greens, peaches...
I abhor factory farming. To know my food is of utmost importance-where its been, how it was raised...I respect the earth and myself too much to plead ignorance. The family farm is collapsing under the weight of big business. I want to take responsibility for my food and I feel our current system fails to do that. I fully applaud those folks that are still living off the land and providing for their families. Having worked on small farms in the past and seen firsthand what sustainable farming (animal & vegetable) looks like- its apparent that our current conditions are far removed from the original respectable idea. It shows in our tasteless food, our declining health, our damaged environment.
I'm a fan of spicy foods- Indian and Thai cuisine.
My drinks- red wine, dark beer and a good gin neat.
Dessert- nice dark chocolate in small amounts, a fresh piece of fruit. I don't have much of a sweet tooth.
Coffee- good ol' fashioned drip, an espresso or an americano...always black.
Cooking, eating, interviews, road trips and photographs- I share my adventures here. I feel fortunate as hell and immensely grateful for the opportunity to visit farms, sample restaurants and meet the truly lovely folks behind it all.
Questions/comments? Email me at: cherie@cheriepicked.com
