Lemon Curd Cheesecake

Its been a while. I admit I got so caught up in the busyness of spring (and being in love) that everything else got moved to the back burner. There are so many recipes I want to post that I'm a bit overwhelmed. I thought I'd start with this cake I made my boyfriend for his birthday (admittedly, back in April).


My original plan for his birthday was to make a chocolate cake. I spent an entire day looking through cookbooks trying to find a great chocolate cake recipe. I know I had one once that a friend made with olive oil that was amazing, but sadly, I can't remember who that friend was (to my credit, I think I was about 9 when I had the cake).

I navigated the many chocolate cake recipes out there made with everything from mayonnaise to mashed potatoes (I kid you not) and finally decided on a recipe that seemed like a good candidate; it was titled "the best chocolate cake ever." I made the cake, but was thoroughly disappointed. It was ok, but sort of dull and dry, certainly not birthday worthy; certainly not "the best ever". So I abandoned the whole chocolate idea and went in the other direction. This is what I eventually settled on and it was perfect!

I got the recipe out of a fantastic new cookbook which is a compendium of Gourmet's best recipes from its 65 years of publication. It's really lovely, and I can't wait to make more of the recipes. I'll let you know if I find the "best-ever" chocolate cake recipe. In the meantime, the perfect one made with olive oil will have to live on in my head.


LEMON CURD CHEESECAKE

For the lemon curd:
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the crust:
1 1/3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour-cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
strawberries to top (optional)

Making the lemon curd:

Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan.

Add the butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk and the first bubbles appear on the surface, about 6 minutes.

Force the lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide shallow dish, scraping bottom of sieve, then cover the surface with wax paper. Cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Making the Crust:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make easier to slide cake off bottom), then lock on side.

Stir together crust ingredients in a bowl, then press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of the springform pan. Place pan in a shallow baking pan and bake 10 minutes, then cool crust completely in pan on a rack.

Making the filling and baking

Reduce overn to 300°F.

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla until combined.

Pour two thirds of cream cheese filling into crust, then spoon half of lemon curd over filling and swirl curd into filling with a small knife (to marble the surface). Avoid touching crust with knife to prevent crumbs from getting into filling. Repeat with remaining filling and curd.

Bake cheesecake until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center trembles when pan is gently shaken- about 45 minutes. Center of cake will appear very loose but will continue to set as it cools. Transfer the springform pan to a rack and run a knife around the edge of cake to loosen it.

Cool completely, about 2 hours., then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours. Remove side of springform pan before serving.

Top with fresh strawberries.

Artichokes!

In writing an essay on artichokes for my herbalism program recently, I reaffirmed my eternal love affair with this glorious vegetable. I really think they're the best part of spring (only potentially rivaled by asparagus.) My best friend Sophia loves artichokes so much she tattooed one on her leg!

We recently planted about 15 artichoke plants in the yard because they're one of the only things the deer won't eat. However, they haven't started really producing yet, so while I wait for my artichokes to grow I decided to share with you some of the history I discovered about artichokes, as well as some of my favorite ways to eat them. Artichokes have a long history as a medicinal food, and for this reason, I'll give you a little bit of that background.

The ancient Greeks and Romans both considered artichokes

a delicacy and a medicine. They were thought of as a "food for the rich" because they combat the illnesses that combat a "rich" lifestyle-excessive fats and alcohol. Studies today have shown that artichokes are excellent for the liver and are also one of the best sources of antioxidants. Because of their bitter nature, artichokes stimulate bile which helps your body break down fats, and helps your liver perform optimally.

Artichokes are also considered an aphrodisiac and have a long history as an "erotic" food. In the 1800's it was forbidden for French women to eat artichokes because they were believed to "warm the genitals" excessively. I also read a juicy story about the "artichoke wars" which happened in the 1920's, when a member of the New York maffia created a monopoly on the artichoke market by purchasing all the artichokes that were shipped to New York from California. He created a produce company and resold all of the artichokes at a higher profit. He then began terrorizing distributors and produce merchants; he even launched an attack on the fields in California- hacking down the plants with machetes in the dead of night! The mayor of New York, Fiorello La Guardia was forced to declare "the sale, display, and possession" of artichokes illegal. He then, however, publicly admitted that he him self loved the vegetable and after only a week he lifted the ban.

Choosing an artichoke

When buying artichokes you should look for fresh,

tightly bound leaves. A trick is to squeeze the artichoke and if it gives a little squeak it means it's fresh. It is very important to buy organic artichokes because conventional artichokes are heavily sprayed. Don't worry about the blackness that sometimes occurs on the leaves- this is just from frost and won't affect the taste in any way. The easiest way to prepare artichokes is steamed. Here is a basic recipe:

To steam an artichoke

First wash the artichokes in cold water. Next trim the end of the stalk (but leave it long if it’s still attached- this is almost as delicious as the heart). Use a sharp knife to cut ½- ¾ of an inch of the top of the artichoke- creating a flat top. This is helpful for steaming, as it allows the steam to more easily penetrate the leaves. It also removes most of the potentially prickly spines. Rub the cut parts of the artichokes with half a lemon. This keeps the artichoke from turning brown.

Place the artichokes in a steamer with water- stems face up. Add quite a bit of water. Add a little squeeze of lemon to the water and bring the water to a boil.

Steam, covered for 20-50 minutes, depending on the size of the artichoke. Keep checking to see if the artichoke is done by either poking the hearts with a sharp knife to see if it’s soft or gently tugging at one of the leaves (be careful not to burn yourself)- if it comes out easily, then the artichoke is done. Always drink your artichoke cooking water! It is delicious and filled with nutrients!

Artichokes can be eaten with a variety of sauces and condiments-different flavored oils, mustard, vinegar, garlic, tahini, etc. One of my favorite ways to eat artichokes is to dip the leaves in a sauce of tahini, olive oil, lemon and garlic. The raw heart and stem can also be eaten in salads.

Garlicky Roasted Baby Artichokes

Baby artichokes are great to eat because they don’t have chokes (the fuzzy inside) so once you remove the tough outer leaves, you can eat the whole thing!

Around 2-3 pounds baby artichokes- pick the ones with the longest stems (these are almost as delicious as the hearts!)

½ a lemon

¼ cup to ½ cup olive oil

10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped.

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Boil a large pot of water. Meanwhile, prep the artichokes by trimming any brown off the stems. Cut off the top touch part of the leaves- the top ½ inch or so. Then pull off the touch outer leaves- leaving the soft, lighter green inside. If they are fairly small you can leave them whole- if they are slightly bigger, cut them in half lengthwise Immediately place the trimmed artichokes in a bowl of lemon water to keep them from turning brown.

Simmer the artichokes for about 7-8 minutes, then drain.Toss the artichokes with the rest of the ingredients and put in a baking dish or baking sheet- single layer. Bake for close to 10 minutes.

Globe Artichokes with Angelica’s Sauce

(This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks- In Season by Sarah Raven. She proclaims this recipe as her favorite in the book- so while I have never tried it, I’m sure it’s amazing)

1-2 small artichokes or 1 large per person

Sauce:

4 large, hard cooked eggs- shelled removed

1 very large munch of soft green herbs- half flat- leaf parsley and the rest a mix of chives, fennel, dill and or cilantro- or any of these.

2 cans anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped

1 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

black pepper.

Cook your artichoke in boiling, slightly salted water for 40 minutes (reserve this liquid to drink later). Drain them and give them a squeeze to get out excess water.

Roughly chop the ingredients for the sauce. Mix everything together with the oil and vinegar in a large bowl. You won’t need much salt because of the anchovies but add plenty of pepper. Give everyone an artichoke or two on a plate with enough room for a good dollop of sauce.

According to an Aegean legend, the first artichoke was a beautiful young girl who lived on the island of Zinari. The god, Zeus was visiting his brother Poseidon one day when, as he emerged from the sea, he spied a beautiful young mortal woman. She did not seem frightened, and Zeus seized the opportunity to seduce her. He immediately became so infatuated with the girl, whose name was Cynara that he decided to make her a goddess so that she could be nearer to his home on Mt. Olympus. Cynara was excited at the prospect of being a goddess, and agreed to go live near him. Whenever his wife Hera was away Zeus would go to Cynara. But Cynara soon grew homesick and began sneaking back to the world of mortals for visits. When Zeus discovered she was sneaking away from him, he was furious. Enraged, he hurled her back to earth and transformed her into the plant we know as the artichoke- hence it's latin name Cynara scolymus.

To this day, Artichokes possess a divine, sensuous quality for many. Perhaps this sensuousness is because they are the only vegetable that is actually the bud of a flower. Or maybe it’s because the extra work of eating an artichoke makes them taste that much sweeter. Or maybe it is simply because they have hearts.

Kombucha cocktails

The other day I stumbled upon something delicious- herb-infused kombucha cocktails. I came about it purely by accident- I had some kombucha that was overly fermented- it was very tart and vinegary and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.

I recently began infusing my kombucha with herbs, upon inspiration from my friend Amy. The result is fantastic! I allow the kombucha to ferment as usual and then when it's ready I put it in jars with several tablespoons of various herbs for a few days in the refrigerator.

With this batch I put some rose petals in one jar, some fennel and elderflower in another, and burdock and dandelion root in the last. I let the jars sit for a few days in the fridge and they became deliciously infused with the herbs, but were still too tart to drink straight.

In wine glasses I mixed apricot juice and rose-infused kombucha and then topped the wine glasses with sparkling water. They were delicious and perfectly tart and sparkling sweet. I also experimented with adding a bit of creme de cassis, black currant liquor and I think you could probably explore the whole world of liquors as an interesting addition. St. Germain elderflower liquor would probably be delicious.

Kombucha is fairly easy to make. The hardest part is obtaining a "mother"- which is the thick, fleshy "mushroom" that converts the sugar and tea to a fermented beverage. You can look on craigslist to find one or ask a friend who has kombucha because once you are making kombucha you will have "babies" coming out of your ears.

Kombucha is a health-promoting, alkalizing beverage that is thousands of years old. It's history is vague- some say it originated in China around 200 BC and then spread along the trade routes to India, Russia and Japan where it was used by samurai to improve their health. Others say it originated in Russia. Wherever it began, it eventually became popular all over Europe, until World War II brought about a shortage of sugar and tea.

It is often thought of as a mushroom but it is actually a fermented yeast enzyme tea. I have read stories of "miracle mushroom" curing cancer, reviving the infirm, and being used as the "elixir of life". Personally, however, I think Americans tend to overdo it with kombucha. Traditionally a small amount, about 3-4 ounces was drunk with meals as a digestive stimulant. Because it is a yeast, which is grown on sugar, it has the potential to disrupt yeast levels in the body, so if a person is already susceptible to candida or other yeast imbalances, it is best avoided. The best approach is to just try it and see how your body responds after drinking it.

The kombucha sold in stores is much more carbonated and intense than homemade kombucha because it has been in pressurized jars and often over fermented. I find homemade kombucha much more mild and delicious, but even so, I only drink small amounts as a tonic.

Adding herbs to kombucha once it is fermented is a wonderful way to drink your medicine. Liver stimulating herbs such as burdock, sarsparilla, dandelion or yellow dock would be good spring tonic herbs. Floral herbs such as lavender, chamomile, rose and elderflower are lighter and more delicious though. The options are limitless.

Here is a basic kombucha recipe.

KOMBUCHA:

1 clean, dry gallon jar

thin cloth such as muslin or several layers of cheese cloth to cover

spring or distilled water

1 cup pure, unbleached white sugar

4 tablespoons unflavored, good quality black or green tea

1 kombucha "mother" culture

1 cup kombucha from previous culture (or store bought)

PREPARATION:

Fill a pot with 8 cups water and bring to a boil.

Turn off heat and add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the tea and let sit until cooled.

Once cooled strain the tea into the jar. Fill to the shoulder of the jar with more water.

Add the kombucha and the "mother". The culture may sit on the top, but it will likely fall down near the bottom- this doesn't matter. The kombucha will begin to form a new "mother" on top and the original will become a baby that you can give away.

Cover the kombucha with the cloth and secure with a rubber band. You want to keep it clean of any dust or outside particles which can cause mold to form on the culture.

Place the jar in a warm place, away from direct sunlight. Near a wood stove, or heater is good. Or sometimes on top of the refrigerator. The ideal temperature for kombucha is around 70 degrees. The colder the conditions the longer the fermentation will take. If the conditions are too warm unwanted yeasts and bacteria may grow.

Try your kombucha in about a week to see how it tastes. (Always use clean utensils so that the culture isn't introduced with bad bacteria.) Keep fermenting longer if it still tastes too sweet. If it ferments too long you can always make cocktails with it!

Once it tastes good, it's ready. You can pour the kombucha off into jars and refrigerate it, which will stop the fermenting process. At this point you can also add herbs. I add about a tablespoon or two to each quart.

Save a cup of the kombucha for the next batch. Take off any extra babies, but reserve one "mother" and start the process all over!

I usually have two jars fermenting at once so that they are ready at different times. Experiment with different teas, different herbs and different locations- it is a living thing, so it will vary depending on all of these factors.

Coconut Fairy Cakes

Last year my dear friend Sabeena and I would spend hours making fairy cakes of various flavors and colors and shapes out of sand at the park. For her 3rd birthday I decided to make as close as I could to edible fairy cakes- these are what I came up with. Although they are lacking the iridescent sparkles, the periwinkle filling and the rose petal glitter of true fairy cakes, she (and I think everyone else) loved them.

If you wanted to, I'm sure you could experiment with using partially whole-grain flour and less sugar- but once in a while I think it's better to just go for the whole sugar bomb and throw the rest out the window! These cupcakes are made with refined sugar and white flour, and I'm a firm believer that food feeds us on various levels and sometimes our soul needs a little white flour and coconut cream to be healthy!

A friend of mine who is an Ayurvedic doctor once said something that has stuck with me ever since:

"Anything can be medicine and anything can be poison- you just have to know what you need in any specific moment". So while I usually write about food that is healthy in the traditional sense, I couldn't resist sharing this wonderful recipe with you.

I used a recipe from the April 2009 issue of Bon Appetit. I rarely follow recipes exactly, but this one I did, and I was so happy with the results, I recommend doing the same. The cupcakes get their creaminess and intense coconut flavor from coconut milk which you reduce down and mix into the cake batter and the frosting.

INGREDIENTS:

2 13-14 oz cans of organic, unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs

seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (made with canned coconut milk above)

seeds from one split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut, lightly toasted (be careful not to burn!)

First reduce the coconut milk. (This will be used in both the frosting and the cupcakes themselves.) Bring the coconut milk to a boil in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. The milk will boil up high in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool completely. (This can be done up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge.)

Center rack in oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line 18 1/3 cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using an electric mixer (or egg beater or whisk- I hardly ever use electric mixers) beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add the sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Beat in the vanilla seeds or extract and remaining egg. Add half of the flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced, cooled coconut milk, mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake until tops spring back when gently touched- about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to a rack and cool 10 minutes, and then remove cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on rack.

For the frosting:

Using a mixer or egg beater, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from the vanilla bean and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.

Top cooled cupcakes with 2 tablespoons of frosting using a small spatula and leaving a slight border on the sides of the cupcake. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut.

Violet and Wild Green Salad

Recently, I woke up craving greens. I was out at my boyfriend Nathan's house on the Klamath river- far away from any grocery store, and we didn't have a vegetable in the house. Fortunately, he lives next door to the Pierce Family Farm- a farm that grows, among other things, the worlds BEST carrots.

To satisfy my craving, Nathan and I decided to

walk over to the Pierce's in search of vegetables. However, we didn't make it past the front yard before I had more than a salad's worth of greens for a salad. Inspired by the herbalism class I am taking, I had picked a huge handful of edible greens. His yard was filled with dandelions, chickweed, and yellow dock. Under his big chestnut I found the ground absolutely blanketed in violets! Their adorable little faces looked up at me imploringly and I set about picking the leaves and flowers.

We continued on to the Pierce's and found Pat- the farmer, outside bagging carrots-and cleaning up after returning from the farmer's market in Arcata. He sent us out to pick whatever we wanted. We wandered among rows of vegetables growing in the rich soil just above the river. We returned with a basket full of kale, parsnips, carrots, parsley, beets. Pat threw some kiwis from last fall in our basket before we left. We got back to the house laden with our bounty, but what I was most excited about were the wild greens I had gathered in Nathan's yard!

You can easily gather wild greens at this time of year. Wild greens are generally higher in minerals and vitamins than cultivated greens and they are tastier- probably largely because gathering them is so satisfying!

Here are a few of the common ones that you can eat in salads. Be sure that you have identified the correct plant before gathering and make sure you are gathering from a place that has clean soil and isn't near roads or other possible pollutants.

CHICKWEED:

Chickweed grows all over- even in unsuspected places. It is a true weed, but it is very nutritious and

delicious. It has a very mild, sweet flavor and can be cooked, although I prefer it raw. It is very high in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, silicon and zinc. It is high in calcium, chlorophyll, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin A and C.

Identifying chickweed:

It grows in thick clumps- at this time of year it probably won't be flowering- but when it does it has small white flowers. The entire plant can be eaten. Once you learn to identify it, you will see it everywhere.

The best way to identify it is by the small, oval leaves and white flowers. The plant has a distinguishing small line of hairs on one side of the stalk. For more details check out this video I found online -http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Identify-a-Chickweed-172493628

DANDELION:

I discovered yesterday at my herbalism class when we harvested dandelion to make tinctures, that what I have been eating several plants throughout the years that I thought were all dandelion, but aren't- Fortunately, they are all edible, although don't all contain the same nutritious properties that dandelion does.

Because of its bitter nature dandelion is very good for digestion and liver function.

Dandelion greens are high in vitamin A in the form of antioxidant carotenoid and vitamin C.

They also contain calcium and potassium. The root can also be dug and eaten raw or cooked into a tea- the root is very good for the skin, for the liver and for digestion as well.

Identifying dandelion: Dandelion grows profusely in yards and can be identified by a few, key features. It grows from the base- all of the leaves come out from the base. It is a rosette of green, toothed leaves that point back towards the center

.

Dandelions also only have one flowering stalk at a time. The leaves and the root can be eaten.

MINER'S LETTUCE:

Miner's lettuce is also known as winter purslane, spring beauty or Indian lettuce but is most commonly called miner's lettuce after the California gold rush miners who ate it to prevent scurvy. It tastes mildly salty and has a nice thick crunch. It usually grows in shaded areas and is only around in the spring time or early summer.

Identifying miner's

lettuce: Miner's lettuce is one of the easiest wild greens to identify. At the top of its slender stalks are round saucer-shaped leaves that completely encircle the stems, appearing to be one circular leaf. Small white flowers grow above the leaves. Oblong-shaped leaves grow near the base of the plant.

Wild greens are best in the spring. They are cleansing and refreshing to the system- are great for the skin, the liver and digestion. Enjoy!

Sophia's Candied Citrus Peel

My dear friend Sophia always makes candied citrus peel each year at around this time- and when we lived near each other I always looked forward to getting a little bag of the bejeweled bounty at Christmas.

This year she is in Mexico, but since I was craving candied orange

peel, I resigned myself to making it on my own. Sophia is an amazing cook that has always attempted and succeeded at making things I find completely daunting, so I was a little surprised to discover how easy it was to create something I value as much as gold!

Candied citrus peel is so appealing because it combines two opposing flavors- bitter and sweet. I like to candy mandarin, orange and lemon peel. I chop candied orange peel and add it to breads and cookies and scones. I add candied lemon peel to chutney and sauces or even fruit salads. Candied grapefruit peel can also be done, although I know one year Sophia made it and the pith was so thick that it was bitter and didn't last as long because of the higher moisture content- I would suggest boiling it a couple extra times before candying it. I've never tried candied lime peel- but it would probably be delicious as well. Candied citrus peel makes a beautiful gift and be sure to include the recipe, because once you get used to having candied citrus peel around you become pretty dependent!

Place a rack on a rimmed backing sheet. Several2 parts sugar to 1 part water- enough to cover the peels. To make mandarin tea simply add a tablespoon or so of dry peels to a tea pot and add boiling water. You can add black tea as well if you wish. For a more medicinal tea you can boil the peels for ten minutes or so or add some dried licorice root.

Thai Cabbage Salad

I took a break from the thesis yesterday evening and went to an amazing gathering of women. It was so nice to be around women in a celebratory space. Before getting massaged and hennaed we shared food. I brought this salad and the ladies loved it and asked for the recipe. We enjoyed it with mashed yams, brown rice, and a lovely quiche. The salad was a bright, fresh accompaniment.

Cabbage salads (or slaws) are so easy they almost beg you to improvise. This one I made in about 15 minutes with just what I had in my fridge. The trick is to use a sharp knife or a vegetable planer because you need to slice everything really thinly so the marinade softens the cabbage and the flavors blend. I was seduced by the kumquats at the market the other day but wasn't exactly sure how I was going to use them. This salad perfectly highlighted their jewel nature.

This salad is the perfect spring time dish because it contains many pungent foods such as ginger, garlic and radish which all have compounds which render them powerful antibacterial and anti infectious agents. In interviewing people about cold and flu remedies, I have found several that call for cabbage. Cabbage is a good cold immunity enhancer because it contains a ton of vitamin C (more than oranges even). The outer leaves especially are rich in calcium. And it is also known throughout the world to beautify the skin!

Daikon radishes are good for the digestion and the lungs- which may be a bit sluggish and congested from winter. Daikon cleanses the blood, promotes energy circulation and increases the metabolic rate (therefore helping weight loss). Daikon is also known in Chinese medicine as a preventative for respiratory infections. The reason for this is that it opens up and cleanses the lungs.

Look for daikons that aren't too big, but are heavy for their size and firm. They should also be pure white and organic. Fresh daikon has a sweet taste but when it gets old, it can get pithy and overly spicy. Also, daikon usually arrives at grocery stores with the leaves attached, and grocers then remove them. You can request these and use them in soups- they're delicious and have all of the health properties of the daikon. Cooking a daikon is easy- although I usually eat it raw. There is no need to peel it and you can use it any way you would a carrot.

Burdock (also known as Gobo) is also in this salad. I eat a lot of burdock in the spring because it is one of the best foods to cool and cleanse the liver. It is also simply delicious- it has a lovely nutty, grounding flavor. It's also good for shedding extra weight accumulated from a winter's worth of heavy foods. Look for roots that aren't too rubbery; you want it fresh because when it gets old it gets difficult to peel.

I used an entire bunch of cilantro in this salad because I never feel like you can have too much cilantro and it goes bad fairly quickly. If I had some thai basil I might use that as well, or perhaps some mint.

RECIPE:

1/2 a green cabbage,

1/2 a red cabbage

4 green onions

1/2 a large daikon

12'' burdock root

about 15 or 20 kumquats

1 bunch cilantro

Dressing:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste

1 inch ginger, grated

2 tbsps tamari

2 tbsps agave nectar

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp ume plum vinegar

1 meyer lemon (zest and juice)

3 tbsps olive oil

black pepper

6 calendula flowers for garnish

Thinly slice everything for the salad, or use a vegetable planer. For the burdock make sure to peel it first. I leave the cilantro leaves in tact but chop the stems.

Mix everthing in the sauce together well then spread over the salad. Mix well and top with the calendula flowers.