This cured salmon has a lot of different flavors. Do not worry if you do not have all of the ingredients, they are not all necessary. The most important part about this is the salt/sugar cure, the alcohol, lime, and cilantro.

Adjust this cure according to whatever flavors appeal to you:

1 lb salmon fillet, skin on

3 oz kosher salt

3 oz brown sugar

Shot of cachaça or rum

1 cup packed cilantro, roughly chopped

2 T minced ginger

1 T honey

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 T of soy sauce

Dash of sesame oil

Dash of fish sauce

Zest of two limes

Juice of one lime

Combine the salt and the sugar.
Mix together the lime zest, juice, garlic, honey, and soy sauce.
Rinse the salmon and pat it dry.
Scatter a layer of the salt and sugar on the bottom of a dish that will fit the salmon snuggly.
Pour on the cachaça and garlic/lime mixture.
Cover the salmon with another layer of salt and sugar, then with the ginger and cilantro.
Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, then weigh it down with a heavy block and store in the fridge.
Check on it the next day.

Waldorf Salad was invented at New York’s Waldorf Hotel in
the late 19th Century.

It combines chicken with celery, grapes, walnuts, and apples, which are usually coated in mayonnaise. This version plays upon the Turkish dish of Circassian chicken, originally from Georgia, which is shredded chicken mixed with a walnut sauce. We use black walnuts, a strong and interesting nut native to New England, to make the delicious sauce that coats the chicken, opting out of the mayonnaise. Lucky for us the super sweet Conchord grapes coincide with apple season, and we are able to make this dish with some Fall fruits.

½ lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breast*

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup black walnuts (or substitute regular walnuts), toasted

About ½ cup stale bread (white or wheat), soaking in water

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup warm vegetable or chicken broth

1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves

4-5 mint leaves (optional)

¼ cup Conchord grapes, rinsed

½ cup green apple, small dice

1 celery rib, trimmed and thinly sliced

Shred the chicken breast with your fingers and place in a
bowl.

Pulse the garlic and salt in a food processor. Add the black walnuts and cumin and continue to pulse until the walnuts have broken down and are starting to form a paste, but are not completely smooth.

Remove the bread from the water and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Add to the food processor and continue to grind.

Add the broth little by little, to give more fluidity to the sauce. You might not use all of the broth, because you don’t want the sauce to be too loose. It should remain a bit coarse.

Add the cilantro and mint to the food processor and pulse to break up the herbs.

Add the grapes, chopped apple, and celery to the bowl with
the chicken, and pour over the black walnut sauce. Use a spatula to fold the sauce over the chicken and coat everything well.

Serves 6 people as a meze, and 4 as a sandwich filing.

This vegetarian nacho dish is delicious because of all of the flavors and colors present. We brush our bread with coconut oil and dust it with curry powder, but you can also just use butter, ghee, or olive oil.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon grated onion
2 tandoori naan
¼ cup grated mozzarella or another meltable mild cheese
2 tablespooons tamarind
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
½ cup plain yogurt (can be non-fat or whole)
1/3 cup chickpeas (sprouted or canned)
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño
1 medium tomato, cored and diced small
¼ cup grated carrot
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Melt the coconut oil in a small skillet. Add the curry powder and grated onion and cook on low for a few minutes until fragrant.
Brush the breads with the melted coconut oil mixture and then slice into wedges. Bake in a 300 F oven for 20 minutes, or until crisp.
Arrange the breads on an oven-proof serving dish and top with the grated cheese. Pop back into the oven to melt.
Mix together the tamarind with a few drops of water and the agave nectar, so that it is a bit looser than a paste, but still quite thick.
Top the Naanchos with the yogurt and drizzle over the tamarind.
Garnish with the chickpeas, jalapeño, tomato, carrot, and cilantro.
Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as an appetizer.

Morroccan Carrots with Carrot Green Chermoula

Carrots
1 bunch of local colorful carrots, with the greens still attached

Chermoula Sauce:
2 cloves garlic
1 packed cup of the leafy fronds from the carrot greens (not the stems)
¼ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 sprig of mint (optional)
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. paprika
Pinch of spicy pepper
Salt
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plain yogurt (can be non-fat)

6 glasses or Moroccan tea cups

Chop off the tops of the carrots, and scrub well. You can leave a little bit of a green tip at the top. Slice vertically in halves or quarters, depending on how big the carrots are.

Meanwhile, chop up the garlic to a fine paste. You can do this whole process quite quickly in a mini blender. Add the carrot greens and cilantro and keep blending. Add in the spices, a dash of salt, the olive oil and lemon juice, and blend until thoroughly combined. Add the yogurt and process a bit more.

Spoon the chermoula sauce into the Moroccan tea cups or tall glasses and then place a few carrots standing up in the cups.