Ingredients & Directions
Salad Ingredients
Jicama
Tomato
Avocado
5 Lettuce Leaves
12 Dandelion Leaves
Lacto Fermented Cucumber Pickle
Parsley or Cilantro to garnish
Walnut Miso Sherry Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 heaping tsp Miso Paste
3 Tbls Sherry Vinegar
2 Tbls Walnut halves or pieces
Dash Honey
Dash Tamari or Soy Sauce
½ - 1 Lemon or Meyer Lemon squeezed
¼ inch piece of fresh Ginger grated
½ cup Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Mix all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or magic bullet device and blend until totally pureed. The dressing will be rather thick. Set aside. This will keep quite well refrigerated for a week stored in a glass jar. Bring to room temperature before using again.
To make the salad, use only the freshest ingredients. Peel your jicama then slice into ½ inch slices. Turn on flat side, cut into squares. Put into your salad bowl. Cut up the avocado in similar size pieces, same for the tomato. If you have some homemade lacto fermented pickles such as cucumber (this flavor works best) chop them also into small pieces, throw into salad bowl. Wash your greens, dandies and lettuce and dry. Then chop into desired size & add to bowl. Then dress with vinaigrette & garnish with a piece of parsley at each serving.
This dish was born one weekend after going to the local farmer’s market and seeing that all of the Hispanic & Asian vendors were loaded with jicama, a delightfully sweet tasting tuber from Central America.
Jicama has a reputation as a great dieter’s food and has a real satisfying crunch. Not only is it a low calorie vegetable but it’s one which really satisfies hunger cravings, or at least that’s been my experience. Add in the rich creaminess of an avocado, this awesome dressing and you'll soon be addicted to this healthy balanced treat.
I wonder if it isn’t because of the inulin which is contained in jicama. Curtis thinks it’s so satisfying because it has all the major ‘taste’ groups in it: avocado & jicama and honey are all sweet; miso & tamari provides the salty taste; tomato, lemon & vinegar give us the sour taste and dandelion provides the bitter flavor. Add in delicious creamy walnut miso sherry vinaigrette & this one will be a staple of your autumn meals!
*Note: I've included links above to my favorite supplier of traditionally fermented Miso Paste & Tamari Sauce from our old neighbors in Massachusetts. They ship all over the country and I highly recommend their products. It's my favorite secret ingredient in any and all brown rice and vegetable dishes we serve. It adds that umami flavor you'll not find anywhere else! So check out our favorite miso supplier, South River Miso. And lucky for you, they now make more of their scrumptious tamari sauce so you can order more than one bottle at a time! It's been a staple of our pantry since 2005!
Jane Sherry, one of the Founders of Satya Center is a Reiki practitioner/teacher, spiritual counselor, creator of healing art talismans, healing gardens & loves to cook! She has a background in the visual arts before moving into the healing arts and has been a longtime lover of herbs & spices & cooking. She newly resides in Boca Raton, Florida, about one hour north of Miami. She works the Satya Center healing practice with co-founder and husband, Curtis Lang and co-operates the Satya Center Crystal Gallery and web portal. New gardens are being birthed now, here in the Florida sunshine, well watered by lots of tropical rains. You will always find crystals in among the herbs, flowers & vegetable gardens!