Little Gems and Cabbage with Pickled Turnips and Lemony-Tahini Dressing by Alison Roman

What takes a salad from good to excellent? I have the same theory about excellent salads as I do about excellent granola: it’s all about an X-factor. An unexpected element that stops you mid-chew to say, “oo what’s that?” 

This salad has two X-factors: 

1. Pickled Turnips. I admit to making pickled turnips for this salad, twice. The first time was in June. I thought I’d make this salad *at some point* this summer. And every time I thought about making it, I only had half of the veggies needed to complete the recipe on hand. By the time August rolled around, it was time to pack up our apartment to move to Chicago. When I cleaned out the fridge and unearthed my oft forgotten turnips, I realized I’d need to try this one again. (Note to self: don’t buy/prep ingredients for something if you don’t have a date on the calendar to make it.)

   The first time I pickled turnips, I made two mistakes. I pickled three of them, AND I chose to quarter them before pickling. That’s frankly too many turnips in too bulky of shapes. Last week, I bought only one medium-sized turnip and thinly sliced it before pickling. Why not slice it into its final form before pickling to make things easier? 

   Pickled turnips are kinda funky, and I don’t want them on everything I eat. But I do love their earthy, vinegary, pop of unexpected flavor in a salad like this. 

2. Lemony-Tahini Dressing. There’s nothing very new or extraordinarily innovative about this dressing; it’s just reliably good. Lemon juice, salt, tahini, olive oil, garlic and water. Tangy, nutty, and smooth. Everything you need to unify a verifiable mini garden of vegetables (little gems/romaine, cabbage, cucumbers, scallions, parsley, preserved lemon, and turnips).

My in-laws were over for dinner that night, and they finished off the entire plate of salad. I got as many compliments on it as I did Alison’s Low and Slow Rib Roast with Rosemary and Anchovy - which is saying something! 

Here marks another successful All-Out-Alison Meal: 

1. Little Gems and Cabbage with Pickled Turnips and Lemony Tahini Dressing

2. Leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes

3. Low and Slow Rib Roast with Rosemary and Anchovy 

4. Sheet Cake with Mascarpone and Coffee 

One of my favorite combinations to date. 

177 recipes cooked, 48 to go.

Spicy Red Cabbage with Sweet Onion and Lime by Alison Roman

I’ll say it right out. I was disappointed with this one. Not with the recipe, per se, but with the stubborn flavor of raw red cabbage. I had hoped that Alison’s additions of lime juice, sweet onion, honey, jalapeño, red pepper flakes, and sumac would bring this cruciferous vegetable to life. The ingredients certainly helped some, but I didn’t get the same soft, thoroughly tangy effect of a good ole coleslaw that I wanted. Partially, I think it’s because red cabbage is more… difficult than green cabbage. It’s more rigid in structure and prominent in cabbage-y flavor. And unlike most coleslaws, this recipe didn’t call for anything creamy like mayonnaise to soften things up.

Alison says she hates the word ‘coleslaw’ and is adamant that this is a SALAD recipe. So you see where the tension lies. Alison delivered on a salad with a strong cabbage flavor and little resemblance to a slaw. It’s just that that’s not what I was craving. If I make this again, I’ll try it with green cabbage, and add a 1/4th cup of mayonnaise. Sorry, Alison. 

66 recipes cooked, 159 to go.