Hi everyone. Please remember to click on the title of this post to read the entire blog post.
A few things: I bought an amazingly sharp Cutco knife and I want to pass on the salesman’s info: “My email is mike_cali91@hotmail.com. My name is Michael Grajales, I’m a freshman going to Seton Hall, Please know that the actual Cutco Knife presentation is fun and interesting and the most important thing is that there is NO PRESSURE TO BUY ANYTHING! ” Email him-he is great!
Today,my Graphic designer friend Lauren of my fabulous logo-fame, had cookies cooling on the windowsill (what an image, huh?) and a squirrel scratched through the screen to get at them! We need that recipe! She was able to chase it out of the house, thankfully.
I also want to respond to some questions that came from the last blog post:
“What do you think of Produce bags?”
Answer: I have never used them so don’t know . Does anyone want to comment on these bags?? Here is a site about them:
https://www.greenbags.com/?cid=407756
” When you say 5 leaves, do you mean small leaves or large, normally big leaves (for the Vegetable shakes i make with Kale or Collards)? ”
answer: Big leaves-just add more sweet fruit if it tastes too vegetabl-y
“How long will the veggies stay fresh in the plastic baggies, and can they be frozen and thawed for even longer use?”
answer: It totally depends on the veggies but sturdy greens can be frozen and thawed. I would say a week in the fridge if wrapped properly. If they have been previously fozen, I would use within a day or two after they are thawed.
YOU are the best judge of food going bad-does it look wilty, discolored, bruised, bugs flying on it? If so, take note of when it started to get that way after you bought it.
“Are you supposed to freeze before cleaning vegetables? Must they be wrapped in paper towel before freezing, too? Thanks for the fab tips and fab shoes and earrings!”
Answer:Don’t clean veggies if they will retain the moisture before freezing-wash after you thaw them if they are not sturdy. Some believe it is better to wrap in tin foil before freezing but I have never tried it. The bottom line is to make sure the produce is as dry as possible before freezing so that the water on them does not turn to ice.
“Great video Thanks again. When I bring my lettuce etc home from the market it is wet and I try to dry them with paper towels. They still are wet and I usually leave them in the open air to dry. What is the best way to do this?”
Answer: I would cover in paper towel or a dishcloth on the counter and dab but there is just so much you can do. A salad spinner (not a salad shooter) is a GREAT tool for removing water from leafy greens.
Also, here’s a good site with more answers on how to store produce:
http://www.pastrywiz.com/storage/produce.htm
Back to my blog post…I was having lunch with my two young daughters at Toast, a local breakfast place, when the owner, Amy, sat down to chat about an amazing salad she had as a special last week, a shrimp waldorf salad. I have no shame and immediately asked her for the recipe and was pleasantly surprised when she shot up to copy it for me! You have to love that in a restauranteuse-no sneakiness or secrets about her recipes. It makes me want to patronize her all the more!
I love the idea of a Waldorf salad because it reminds me of my first mother’s day when my husband got me a night away from him and my then 6 month old only child at the Waldorf (priceline, of course). I had a great time going to the GAP by myself, watching TV, and then ordering a Waldorf salad. Sad to say, the salad was horrible AND horribly overpriced. I remember regretting that I hadn’t ordered Chinese Food from a local restaurant which would have been delicious and very reasonably priced.
Anyhoo, here’s the recipe and thank you, Amy, for sharing the deliciousness. P.S. You can halve this recipe or even quarter it:
Shrimp Waldorf Salad:
2 lbs large shrimp (20-24 shrimp in a lb)
2 fuji apples (or any kind if you have them)
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
5 stalks celery, diced
1/2 bunch chives (you can also use scallions which are a little stronger)
Walnuts to taste
Butter Lettuce (or Romaine)
Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have Buttermilk, you can add 1 TBSof white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of whole milk and let it sit for 5 minutes-now you have buttermilk!)
1 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
kosher salt and pepper
Mix all dressing ingredients together and add salt and pepper
In a bowl, place the shrimp , apples, celery, and walnuts.
Toss with the dressing to coat.
Place on a bed of lettuce leaves or put leaves on the side so your guest can spoon the salad into a leaf and roll it up to eat out of hand. Enjoy! Serves 4-6 people, depending on whether or not it is a side or if the diners eat a lot or a little…This is a great brunch item, lunch or dinner…
2 Responses
Regarding the green bags. I believe it was consumer reports that tested them and found that they DO NOT work..in some cases, the food actually went bad more quickly. Save your money.
Here’s a buttermilk tip from fly-over country. There is a product in our local supermarkets in Virginia (and elsewhere — but I never saw it when I lived in NYC) called Saco Buttermilk Powder. It is a dehydrated buttermilk product that you can keep a long time in your fridge and then just add water to. It’s great for baking — and any other kind of recipe that calls for buttermilk (like this salad dressing). I’m sure you tri-staters can find a place to order it from (or maybe even a store that carries it — here, it’s in the baking aisle).