We are proud and happy to say that Kitchen Table Food is featured in this month’s delicious.., a beautiful Dutch food magazine. For their Italian issue the magazine asked us for an Italian fish recipe (which we will post tomorrow: capesante al forno), but we also wanted to add something green, fresh, and crunchy. So we came up with this shaved asparagus salad – made with raw asparagus, oranges, and arugula – which goes very well with the capesante. And in case you didn’t know… yes, raw asparagus are very tasty. We shaved the spears into long, crunchy ribbons with a cheese shaver (yep, we’re Dutch), but you can use a vegetable peeler too. No need for an expensive mandoline.
Salad, serves 4
Action Time: 25 minutes
2-3 large juicy oranges (such as navel)
1 bunch of thick green asparagus, trimmed
about 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 handfuls of arugula
some basil leaves, torn into pieces
a handful of good olives
Extra: cheese shaver or vegetable peeler
1. Peel the oranges and remove all the white pith. Cut out the orange segments, leaving the membranes behind. Cut the segments into smaller pieces.
2. Use a cheese shaver or vegetable peeler to shave the spears into long, thin ribbons. Place a stalk on a cutting board in front of you, starting at the stem end, use a vegetable peeler to shave ribbons off of the stalk; try to leave the ‘heads’ intact (see picture below). Put them in a bowl.
3. In a little bowl mix the vinegar with some salt. Add the shallot, and slowly whisk in the olive oil until well blended. Season with freshly ground pepper. Drizzle over the asparagus and let stand for 5-10 minutes, until the asparagus are slightly softer.
4. Add the orange and arugula to the asparagus. Taste and, if needed, add a little more vinegar or salt. Divide the salad among plates en garnish with basil and olives. Grind some pepper over and serve.
TIPS
-You can prepare most of the salad ahead. Make the dressing, peel and cut the oranges, and you can even shave the asparagus one hour before serving.
-If you don’t eat this salad with the capesante al forno or another fish dish, slice over some Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.
