Veeegs: April 2007 Archives

Anyone who giggles at the abbreviation "pot salad" hasn't worked in a commercial kitchen where space is so tight, and time so scrunched, that to write out "potato" on your masking tape-Tupperware label would be unthinkable. Suffice it to say neither of us much misses reaching an arm, all the way up the elbow, into a veritable Tupperware keg of squishy mayonnaise-y potato salad to refill the mise en place.

Now that "making lunch" is a leisurely weekend hobby where we get to painstakingly craft a sandwich for ourselves half naked, instead of a lightning-paced, rent-paying necessity, we love to labor on things like potato salad. Here's a recipe that changes mildly every time it gets made, but always makes use of the same killer staples: strong mustard, vegan mayo, sweet pickle brine and fresh garden herbs.

Pot…ato Salad

1 Tbs. sea salt
8 purple potatoes
1/8 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast (optional)
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup Dijon or whole grain mustard
3 Tbs. pickle juice (bread & butter pickles)
1 tsp. pickle jar gunk (fennel, mustard seeds etc.)
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
2 Tbs. fresh thyme
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary
Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and toss in the potatoes. Lower to medium heat, cover and let cook for 8-10 minutes.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine vegan mayo, nutritional yeast and garlic and whisk thoroughly. Once fluffy and uniform, add mustard, pickle juice and whatever pickle jar spices you can dig out, and continue whisking. Set aside

3. Check potatoes by forking them: potatoes should give way without falling apart. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Let sit another 10 minutes before cutting them. Cut into rough dices.

4. Add cut potatoes to mixing bowl and toss with dressing and leftover ingredients. Coat thoroughly. Let chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let flavors develop.

Soundtrack: Air's Premieres Symptomes
Beverage: St. Bernardus Tripel

When our dear hooligan friends The Nodzzz blew through L.A. on a little lightning tour recently, we had the pleasure of test running some dishes for them. After our recent manifestation of a French celery root remoulade hit our stomachs and hearts so hard, we though or refitting celeriac for a cross breeding of two Thai favorites: Som Tam and PadThai . What post-Ramones-gutter-twee gang wouldn’t love celery root noodles dressed with a coco-peanut chili sauce, carrot ribbons, and fistfuls of cilantro?

Salad:

2 Celeriac roots
2 Cups Spanish peanuts
6 Smaller carrots
1 Bunch cilantro

Sauce:

1 Cup smooth peanut butter
½ Can coconut milk
2 Tbs. sambal olec
1 Tbs. honey

1. Prepare the celeriac as you would for our recent version of celery root remoulade.

2. While you wait for the water to boil for blanching the roots, heat a medium sauté pan on medium heat and dry roast the peanuts for about four minutes. Agitate them in the pan often to avoid burning.

3. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot into fettucine-esque ribbons, then place ‘em in a bowl of cold water. Pick the cilantro of all its leaves, and add to the carrots.

4. Toss the toasted peanuts, cilantro, blanched and cooled celery root, and carrot noodes with the coco peanut cream.

Serve with sriracha and sprouts.

If you do a good job, follow all our instructions, and are lucky enough to have a spit-master like Sean Paul Presley eating from your table, you'll elicit a reaction something like this:

Beverage: Reutberger Klosterbier St. Josefi-Bock (made by nuns)
Soundtrack: The Nodzz. Playing in your backyard, on your roof, or under your bed.

In Creole cuisine, Remoulade is the pride of the Po’Boy: a veritable catch-all sauce of ketchup, mayo, mustard, Louisiana Mirepoix, and spices. In France, the sauce is a bit more refined, and its classic accompaniment is celery root. The basic formula for a remoulade in both the motherland and southland milieu is: mayo, something pickled, herbs, and spices. Our recipe is a vegan take on the French version and we used it as a platform for a classic bistro salad of celeriac. Not familiar with this brute of a root? Don't be surprised when you go from grocer to grocer praying you can avoid a run to Whole Foods for these glorious dirt bombs. You will fall in love with this dish.

Alex’s Boss Nicole used to eat a similar treat as a child in the Loire Valley. When her Père whipped up a batch he’d let it sit for a day before serving. If you’ve got the time and savoir faire you should do the same and skip the blanching of the root for a more authentic version.

Vegan Celery Root Remoulade

1 large celeriac (about 2 lbs)
3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 minced shallots
1 tbs. diced tarragon
1 tbs. diced parsley
2 tbs. chopped capers
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tbs. Dijon mustard or prepared horseradish
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tbs. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs. diced chives

Set a large pot of water to boil. With a pairing knife skin the root completely. Depending on the equipment you’ve got you have two options: mandolin or cheese grater. If you have a mandolin, slice the root lengthwise into thin sheets, and then slice into thin matchsticks. No mando? Just shred the root on the larges eyelet set of a cheese grater. Now blanch the shredded or sliced celeriac very quickly: throw it in the water, count to ten whilst stirring and then remove. Rinse under cold water until cool and dry with towels of your choice.

Combine every other ingredient in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Toss the celeriac with the remoulade sauce and garnish with freshly ground black pepper, and chives. Serve on top of lightly cooked asparagus or your favorite veggie burger.

Beverage: Foret Organic Ale
Soundtrack: Stereolab's "Dots and Loops"