Advertisement I had expected a challenging experience; I didn’t expect a life-changing one. The class, Healthy Flavors of Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean, was led by two instructors, chef Bill Briwa, who knows everything about food, and Connie Guttersen, a registered dietitian and author of “The Sonoma Diet.”
Connie had the most influence on me. Her approach to what we should eat is based on the Mediterranean style of eating a wide variety of the freshest, most nutritionally dense “super foods” on the planet and avoiding or
eliminating others that do not offer our bodies healthful benefits.
The class introduced me to new ingredients, such as banana blossoms, along with recipes for hrous, chermoula and harissa. The phrase most often used during the week was that a recipe was packed with “umami,” the fifth taste, or a more literal Japanese translation of “deliciousness.”
I have been reading Connie’s book and have applied the cooking principles and ingredient selection to our meals at home. I feel better, have more energy and have lost a few pounds. All of this without sacrificing flavor for the sake of health. It’s a baby step process to changing your diet, maybe forever, but the recipe I have for you today demonstrates just how wonderful eating for your health can be.
Shaved Vegetable Salad
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 to 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 celery stalks, trimmed
6 radishes, large, trimmed
1 summer squash, small, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, seeded, ribbed and julienned
3 fennel bulbs, stalks removed and split in half from top to bottom
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
Dressing:
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley,
chopped
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, vinegar and salt. Let sit for half-hour at room temperature. Whisk in oil and adjust seasoning to taste. No more than 2 hours before serving, slice the vegetables as thin (1/32 inch) as possible with a knife. You might have a food processor slicing disc of 1 millimeter that will work fine as well. Toss the fennel with the lemon juice mixture and seal in a plastic bag. Wrap the other shaved vegetables in a damp towel. Refrigerate the vegetables until needed.
To serve, toss all the shaved vegetables and fennel, and place on serving plates. Mix ingredients for dressing and drizzle over salad. A light sprinkle of salt is suggested, but optional. Sprinkle on parsley as a garnish before serving. Makes 6 servings.
Note: Substituting other vegetables with whatever you have in your garden or find at a farmers market is perfectly fine and highly encouraged.
John Haverty, a certified executive chef at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, writes a column every other week for the Food section. He can be reached at chefhaverty@yahoo.com.
