Summer is in full bloom. All year I try to convince myself that the other seasons have their merits and they do, but this is the sweet spot. It’s that moment when you just know. The earth has burst back to life and the sun casts long shadows late into the evening leaving me looking for any excuse to be outside.
It’s the time for summer salads and days spent on a lake– the only armor against the weather being lemonade and sunscreen. And last week Darya came to visit! We had all intentions to make an actual recipe and we still do, but we decided after a trip to the farmer’s market that a perfect salad would suit us just fine until next time. It started out as a typical French salad– Darya being from France and all– then we derailed into this satisfying and unique combination. We served it with some turkey sausages, rosé and whiskey. Dessert was baklava and heart-healthy chocolate ice cream–part of my heart healthy dessert experimentation.
Going to the market with Darya was the adventure I had expected. She’s willing to try anything and she indulged my questions like, “What do you think this is?” with an encouraging, “Why don’t we taste it?!” One of my favorite things about Darya’s cooking is her adventurous use of greens. When we happened upon a pile of nasturtiums, I recalled a photo she had posted on her Instagram, a salad of these strange greens. I had to look up on Wikipedia whether this was the same nasturtium as the flowers I knew and to see if they were edible. We bought a few bunches and decided this is where we would start. When I tried just one of these spicy, peppery greens, my eyes watered. We had to temper these beauties to make them palatable.
Combining them with more neutral mixed greens did the trick. We used only the leaves to keep it mild, but the next day I cut up the stems and used them too. Darya asked me to soak chickpeas overnight and to make sure I had cashews on hand for this salad. For heft and flavor we browned them both separately in a little olive oil and threw them in. To balance the bitterness of the nasturtium leaves Darya (hard at work below) cut up some sweet snap peas (at a beautiful angle) for texture. We added a chopped scallion and fresh cucumber, which lent depth to the flavor. Finishing it with a simple vinaigrette and a dab of mustard, this was one of the best green salads I’ve ever had.
What a wonderful thing it was to yield my kitchen to someone else for a bit, to watch Darya handle my knives, use my grandma’s cutting board and take inventory of my (lack of) space, pans and light. She fit right in. Having her here felt like home. She even captured me at work (below). I didn’t have to fuss –never mind the furious cleaning we did before she got there, not just a “throw it all in the closet” cleaning, but actual, belated spring cleaning. We talked and ate well into the evening, the attenuated light fading into the dim glow of streetlamps overhead and we all felt what it means to really have a guest.
I hope you’re enjoying the longer days!
SUMMER SALAD W/ CHICKPEAS, ROASTED CASHEWS & NASTURTIUMS
INGREDIENTS:
For the Salad:
- One bunch nasturtiums, stems removed (about a few handfuls of leaves)
- 2-3 cups neutral mixed greens of choice
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chickpeas (soaked overnight)
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup snap peas, chopped
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
For the Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
For the Salad:
Combine all of the greens in a salad bowl.
Drain the chickpeas from the water. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium flame and add the chickpeas. Cook until brown, tossing every now and then for an even cook and color. Remove from pan when done, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and add the cashews. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned, about 7-10 minutes. Set aside when done and let cool.
When cool, add chickpeas and cashews to the salad bowl.
For the Vinaigrette:
Combine all of the ingredients and whisk until incorporated.
To Serve:
Add the vinaigrette to the salad, toss it all together until well-combined.
It’s so great to have a kindred spirit to shop and cook with – I wish I could do that all day long.
You’ve got a very interesting looking salad bowl there… 😉
It’s a very rare thing to actually be able to cook and walk around with a kindred spirit. You’re right, MD. It’s funny you mention the bowl because Darya asked me if I had other bowls and pans. I do but I had put them all away to make space so we did the best we could 😉 do you have any trips to Spain planned this summer?
I probably won’t be in Spain until the fall, though I have just had the most amazing foodie weekend. I helped out for two days at the Soho Food Feast, where top London restaurants sell small portions of their best dishes in aid of a local school. It’s a bit like a small village fête but in central London. I’ve blogged it 3 times before and was a bit too busy for that this year. The best food I tasted was gnocchi in cheese sauce with masses of shaved truffle, an old fashioned steamed pudding containing lamb and kidneys, octopus with allioli, coq au vin and a Thai soup that made my throat numb. There was a stage set up for a band, post food on Sunday and when local Suggs (Madness) turned up I expected Baggy Trousers, however his band turned out to be Roxy Music (minus Bryan Ferry), so the music was quite a mixture of great songs.
On Monday I went to the annual trade drinks show, where the show stoppers (for me) were Butcher’s Gin, tasting quite meaty and Lobstar Marine Gin made with real lobster!
That sounds so awesome!! And Roxy music!!! Shaved truffles. Lobster gin?! Seriously it doesn’t get better than that. So glad you had a great time.
Thanks Amanda – it was all so exciting I could hardly sleep afterwards!
Aww I love that!
Aw Amanda, thank you so much for this beautiful post. I loved going to the market and grocery shopping, and just improvising this salad with you. It was a lovely day. We should do it again!
I came to the city for one crazy day yesterday, I ate and drank and ate and drank all day. It was tons of fun but soooo hot. Now it’s back to the Catskills for another week of cooking! See you soon!
Wow that’s a lot. I’m actually in DC till tonight so I would have missed you anyway. Glad you enjoyed and had good cocktails. I hate summer in the cities. It really gets very hot and I long for upstate. We’ll definitely do this again! Xo
I’m glad I didn’t miss you then. I came with my cook-friend, and we just wanted to try so many things, it was terrible. I’ll definitely be back again soon (not next week though), and let you know. I need to think of a recipe we could blog together, but I must admit that these days I’ve mostly been thinking about the restaurant menus! See you soon.
We can make something you invent for the restaurant. So glad you’re enjoying!
Darya je m’en vais a Lille cette prochaine semaine. Tu me manquerás lá! Mais ton voyage c’est fantastique et la prochain fois tu me peut dire tout. And my written French must be atrocious lol.
Oh Sofia, I am sorry I’ll miss you in Lille. I hope you get nice weather and have a fun time with H’s family. Your French is not atrocious, and writing is good practise! See you soon-ish, maybe over the Christmas holidays! Bises
Oh what (delicious) fun!
So fun. Thanks, Michelle. Xo
Amanda , what a great salad recipe, thank you for sharing, it is great for me as a vegetarian
Thanks, Cornelia. I’ve been experimenting with more plant based recipes lately and really enjoying the process. There should be more great stuff to come.
Yes I find Darya to be very curious, and thus extremely knowledgeable about food! I’m not a green salad person usually, but this looks amazing. I’m a chickpea and nut “salad” person so this is perfect, and the nasturtiums and peppery taste sound great. Have a fantastic weekend.
I completely agree with you on all points. Ever since this salad I’ve been over night soaking chickpeas and trying to find things to make with them. It’s a new found love. Thanks for your messages in both languages 😉 you’ll have to leave a Spanish one soon too ! Have a great weekend xo
Amanda, just use them any way you would use canned chickpeas! Curries, tajines, hummus, soup, chunky puree, salad, roasted…
Great ideas. Thanks! I actually didn’t use a ton of chickpeas before because I hated them growing up. Now I love them. Funny how that works.
Just look at the salad that you two created! I know it’s cliché but it really is a feast for the eyes. Love seeing al of the components together and your simple vinaigrette allows their individual flavors to stand out. Love it!
Thank you, John! I hesitated to post a salad but when it’s that good, you just have to share! Welcome home BTW!
This sounds (and looks) like a really lovely salad! I like to use chickpeas for some great protein, so I love that you added them in here. And cashews – hello, they’re good in and on everything. Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Thanks so much, Rachel. I’ve been making this salad all week now and it’s so satisfying. I’m always looking for new ways to use chickpeas and cashews. It’s a fun experiment. Be well!
How wonderful! The primal bonding experience – foraging in the market together before working together and then talking and eating into the fading light. So fun to see Darya in your kitchen. Such a beautiful and straightforward salad too. Love the first shot of Darya photographing the salad in the window. ♥
Thanks, Lindy! She’s the first person I met in person from the blog world. It’s been nice to have her near during the summer. A change up. I make a similar salad every night now. She has so much kitchen knowledge!