Recipe: Ginger-Spring Vegetable Salad
A shredded vegetable salad along the lines of Som Tum Thai green papaya salad.
Peel a large fresh ginger root then shred finely using a cheese grater or mandolin. You want about half a cup. Mince green garlic leaves to make 2 T. Toss ginger and garlic together and marinate with 2 T. lime or lemon juice.
Trim 1 bunch of asparagus and use a vegetable peeler (a 90 degree one works best) to make long thin curls. Cut the longest ones in half.
Grate or thinly julienne 4 carrots. Thinly slice 1 bunch of radishes.
In a small bowl, combine 3 T. rice vinegar, 2 t. sesame oil, 1 T. olive oil, and 2 T. soy sauce or Thai fish sauce. Add black pepper to taste.
Toss all the vegetables with the ginger and the dressing. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then toss again.
Toast 1/2 C. peanuts or cashews, then chop roughly. Add to the salad along with 4 C. spinach leaves and toss again.