purple potato & brussels sprout salad

the best thing about having a csa this year is that i have found so much new produce to cook with (hello, kohlrabi rocks!).  i only blog about one tenth of the things i make.  seriously, if you are in kansas city and are looking for a quality produce csa, i urge you to check out greeley gardens.  every saturday i jaunt down to the city market for pick up and rush home to start plotting and scheming what to make with all the goodies in my bag.  purple potatoes have been in my crop a few times, and i whipped up this tasty little salad a couple weeks ago.

• 6-8 small purple potatoes
• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

caper dressing:

• 1½ tablespoons earth balance, softened
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1½ tablespoons jarred capers
• 1½ tablespoons vegan mayo
• 1¾ tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon caper brine
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, minced

cut up the potatoes and steam for approximately 15-20 minutes.  while they are steaming, slice brussels sprouts into halves and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. arrange them on a foil-lined cookie sheet and broil on low for 5-7 minutes on each side.

while potatoes and brussels are cooling, mix caper dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend well.  toss brussels sprouts and potatoes with caper dressing until well coated and sprinkle with vegan parmesan.  serve slightly warm.

purple potatoes!

creamy kamut salad

my dearest brother, aka 'produce boy', recently brought me an exciting foodie gift - 28 pounds of fresh asparagus. yes, i said 28 pounds. needless to say, i have spent the past several weeks cooking and eating asparagus a variety of ways - roasted, grilled, baked, steamed, boiled... i even made asparagus guacamole (not bad!). i thought this dish was perfect for a potluck, as a twist on the traditional pasta salad.

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked kamut (3 cups cooked)
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  
• 1 pound of asparagus, cut to bite size
  
• 1- 2 tablespoons olive oil
• about 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped/shredded
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
• 1 batch of buffalo mostarella cheese**
**with modifications
• 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke

basically, you could try any vegan dressing. i wanted one that was a little cheesy flavoured so i tried the buffalo mosteralla from the ultimate uncheese cookbook. however, i omitted the agar and halved the onion powder and cornstarch in the recipe because i wanted it to be thick, but not set up like a cheese. i also added half a tablespoon of liquid smoke. if using this recipe, put all your dressing ingredients in a blender for 1-2 minutes (until the mixture is smooth). pour into a saucepan and heat on medium for about 4-5 minutes... until it starts to thicken. put in a 4-cup pyrex container (or anything glass really) and put in the fridge to cool overnight.

once you are ready to make your salad, pull your dressing out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature. steam the asparagus, quarter your tomatoes and cook your kamut. after your kamut has cooked, drain and combine w/ the dressing in a large bowl. because the kamut will still be warm from cooking, the dressing should soften up and coat the grain very well. add in the tomatoes, asparagus, basil and olive oil. toss a couple more times. i added a couple dashes of lemon juice at this point because i thought it needed it.... but that just depends on the dressing you use.

serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.