I recently heard that Seattleites own the most sunglasses
per capita than anywhere else in the US and I had to laugh. It’s not because we need them (le
duh), but because we lose them sometime during the seemingly endless season of
gray, only to snatch another pair up within a millisecond of that blinding yellow
orb peeking out from behind a rain cloud. No doubt, I own more than 6 pairs myself—not that
I currently know where any of them are.
Many a school field day, family camping trip and BBQ cookout
has been ruined by the ever looming rainclouds and yet, no one here carries an
umbrella. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that we are optimistic, but we certainly appreciate the appearance of the sun
more than anyone around.
The first day of spring in yesterday was uncharacteristically
beautiful. The cherry trees are blossoming and the daffodils have popped up out
of nowhere; I even wished I had dug out a pair of sunglasses to shield my tender
eyes from the sweet, sunny light.
Alas, the juicy strawberries aren’t here yet, but something
bright and fresh tasting was certainly in order. I had just picked up some fresh
turmeric and decided to whisk it into a bright yellow vinaigrette to celebrate
the season. Turmeric is the new “it-girl” of aromatics; with it’s almost neon
color and subtle earthy flavor, its best known as a key flavor in traditional Indian curry
powder, but is suddenly in the spot light as a trendy, health-promoting ingredient.
The fresh version is distinctly sharper and brighter than its
dry counterpart, with hints of ginger and citrus. It’s perfect in soothing tea, juices,
smoothies, stir fries, sauces, vinaigrettes and anything else where a bright
yellow color is welcomed.
Turmeric’s reputation as a powerful anti-inflammatory should
not be overlooked, as well as its other beneficial effects as an
antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-carcinogen. But there’s no need to get too
dry and scientific here, the benefits of turmeric as a flavor and color enhancer
are reason enough pick up a couple knobby fingers at your nearest ethnic market
or high end grocery store.
A decidedly winter-friendly slaw of crunchy shaved fennel,
paper-thin parsnips and sweet Fuji apples is given a springy update with the lemony
turmeric dressing, going from white and blah to sunny with a quick toss of the
tongs. Find your sunglasses people—spring is coming!
Fennel, Fuji Apple
& Parsnip Slaw with Turmeric
Any crunchy vegetables would work in the slaw, such as red
or green cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, radishes, celery, etc. and Asian pears
would make a delicious substitute for the Fuji apple.
Pro tip: freeze any extra turmeric, whole, in a zip-top bag
and grate as much as you need while it’s still frozen, then pop the rest of the
root back in the bag for later. This works for ginger and galangal too!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Turmeric Vinaigrette:
1 heaping tablespoon finely grated fresh turmeric (about 1 skinny,
two-inch finger)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh horseradish (or prepared
horseradish from a jar)
1 small clove finely grated or minced garlic
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
Sea salt to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Slaw:
½ large fennel bulb, thinly shaved (about 2 cups)
½ Fuji apple, julienned (about 1 cup)
1 large parsnip, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
Whisk together the
turmeric, horseradish, garlic, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice and a healthy
pinch of salt together in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil until
thoroughly combined and set aside. Alternatively, the dressing can be prepared
up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.
Toss the fennel, apple
and parsnip together in a large bowl, then drizzle on ¼ cup of the vinaigrette
and toss to coat. Taste the slaw for seasoning, add more salt if necessary,
then serve immediately. Alternatively, the prepared slaw ingredients can be
kept in ice water for a few hours before being drained, dried in a salad
spinner and dressed.
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