A spicy, warm/cold salad with fresh, herbal flavors to usher in a summery weekend.

Continuing our multi-part series, “Unusual Grain Salads”, this one is based on this recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  I loved the depth of flavor that the roasted scallions added, and because I also found ramps at Whole Foods, I lightly roasted those too.  The citrus-parmesan vinaigrette was a winner, too – I used a combination of citrus that I had on hand, so this time, that included minneola, meyer lemon, lime, and orange juices.  I think it would work with just about any combination, though.

Like lunch at Ikea, without the drive.  And with waaaay more Norway.  And allspice.

Pink dressing for all!

This is a homegrown recipe I’ve been playing around with – I brought this salad and dressing to a potluck dinner at a friend’s house, where someone else had brought salmon with Seattle’s Tom Douglas’ “Rub with Love”.  I really loved the combination, both in the flavors and the visuals, so I’ve been fine-tuning the recipes for the spice rub (brown sugar, smoked paprika, thyme, and kosher salt) and the vinaigrette (blackberries macerated in champagne vinegar, shallots, dried shallots, dijon mustard, honey, walnut and olive oils, and salt and pepper) until I came up with this.  I’m pretty darn happy with the combo.

Complex vegetarian – adapted from this Epicurious recipe.  The crepes were delicious but a bit temperamental – I had to thin the batter a bit as the wild rice made them a bit bulky at first.  I added shredded fontina cheese to the mushroom filling, and the roasted red pepper sauce had a bit of balsamic vinegar for an interesting counterpoint.

Served with asparagus in shallot-dill butter.

Love these fresh-tasting Vietnamese sandwiches, made with shredded poached chicken and pate,  quick-pickled mixed vegetables, lettuce, cilantro, and chile peppers.  Served with a cilantro-dressed slaw.