Vietnamese Salad

(recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's blog, GOOP)

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce (I left this out)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
2 Tbsp. finely diced red onion or shallot

Mix everything together.

Salad:
4 large bok choy leaves, rough bottoms discarded, stems cut into 1/4" bias and leaves shredded
4 big Napa cabbage leaves, shredded
1 bunch watercress, thick stems discarded, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
the leaves from about 8 stems each basil, mint, cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 small cucumber, thinly sliced on the bias
1 red Thai chili (or more... or less), thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped (I also used walnuts to good success)
grilled fish, shrimp, tuna, chicken, or tofu for serving (optional) (I used tempeh)

Toss the bok choy, cabbage, watercress, carrot, herbs, cucumber, chili, and 1/4 cup of the peanuts together with enough dressing to coat.  Serve sprinkled with the remaining peanuts and whatever protein you like.

(This is my new favorite salad.  So good!  Amazing flavor.)

Summer Tomato Soup

(Recipe from a magazine, I'm not sure which one.)

Serves 8

3 lbs. tomatoes, peeled and seeded (I neither peeled nor seeded)
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped (I only peeled, not seeded)
3 large stalks celery, without tops, ribs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. tarragon vinegar
10 small basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 c. vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste


Put all ingredients except stock and salt & pepper into a blender or a food processor and process to a rough texture.  Pour into a large bowl and stir in stock (if soup is too thick, add a little extra stock).  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Serve either at room temperature or slightly chilled.

(I made this for Justin.  It's a delicious gazpacho!  No cooking!  I used heirloom tomatoes.  Make sure you like tarragon.)