This weekend I picked up my first CSA delivery of the season, a bag of
radishes, spring onions, and delicate salad greens. The reappearance of
edible plants has me dancing around the kitchen and daydreaming about
salad. This one, light and fruity, highlights the gently-flavored
vegetables you'll find this week at your local farmers' market.
For the tofu-phobic, this salad makes a tempting gateway recipe. It's easy, good-looking, and surprisingly substantial. Humble bean curd, curiously pale and jiggly out of the package, gains density when broiled. Sugars in the apricot glaze caramelize under high heat, giving the tofu a sweet, smoky flavor. Broiled tofu happily accommodates your favorite flavors, and is delicious in sandwiches or as a snack on its own. Here, it makes a meal of crisp local salad greens, sharp radishes, and spring onions.
Spring Salad with Apricot Glazed Tofu Apricot Glazed Tofu Slice the tofu into 16 triangles (if possible, delegate this task to a fourth-grader who is studying fractions): first slice the tofu horizontally through the middle, to get two rectangles half the thickness of the original block. Next, cut each rectangle into four squares. Finally, cut each of these squares in half diagonally. Mary Lake is a writer, teacher, columnist for MF&L, and vegetarian blogger: Mitten Machen
6-8 scallions or spring onions, sliced
8 large radishes, sliced
16 apricot glazed tofu triangles (recipe below)
Optional: sesame seeds, slivered almonds, or sunflower seeds
½ cup apricot preserves
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
