Hippie Nonsense
a surprising salad for Earth Day
If you’ve lived on Earth for some time now you know many of us take the month of April to celebrate the Earth, and Monday is the closest it gets to a birthday: Earth Day.
This celebration was started in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin who wanted to create a movement, similar to the anti-war protests of the 60’s, around pollution and the visibly worsening environment. The publication in 1962 of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and its massive success made environmental issues mainstream and Earth Day cemented that legacy. But until this week, I didn’t realize that Carson died just two years after the publication of her world-altering book and never got to celebrate Earth Day which is so linked to her work. While she was fighting chemical companies and finding a way to get us to care about DDT and the natural world, she was also fighting cancer. If that isn’t the shit legends are made of, I don’t know what is.
over at shared Carson’s field notes from when she was writing Silent Spring. It’s worth hopping over for a look. They’re cool as hell.
In celebration of Earth Day, I thought that I would send you all a salad that is simple to make and then you throw in something unusual. A lil twist to keep you on your toes. There’s nothing that screams hippie nonsense quite like eating tofu in a salad and Earth Day is the perfect time for hippie nonsense. I may have a soft spot in my heart for such things, but my tongue doesn’t. So trust me when I say that this worth making. Tofu is a divisive ingredient so when I call for it, I do it with my whole chest. Trust the process.
For this dish you pan fry the tofu to get a more toothsome texture then throw it in a briny, funky dressing that it absorbs like a sponge while it’s still hot. Let the tofu sit in the dressing for at least 15 minutes but you could even let it go overnight. The resulting tofu has a great, unexpected flavor, texture, and adds some protein to the finished dish. Think of it like fried halloumi but without all the added fat. My wife- a known tofu skeptic- ate several helpings and declared that no one would know it was tofu unless you told them. That’s a GLOWING review for tofu from her so hopefully any remaining skepticism has been quelled. You can serve this as a salad, alongside some grilled artichokes like I did, or you can throw it in a pita with a little bit of hummus spread. It would also be great alongside the fassolakia from Brave New Meal or as part of a spread with the yellow split pea dip and herbed flatbread from Hungry as Hell. A fancy Mediterranean vacation might not be in the cards for any of us this year, but at least with this Earth Day salad, we can pretend.
Fattoush Salad with Halloumi Tofu
Active Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Makes enough for 4 people as a side
2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
1 brick of extra firm tofu, pressed and sliced into bite-sized cubes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped capers
Juice from 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon agave
Salt and pepper
3 cups diced tomatoes, about three large tomatoes
2 cups diced cucumber, about one large cucumber
½ cup sliced green onion
¼ cup minced red onion
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped mint
2 tablespoons of your best extra virgin olive oil
1 cup broken up pita chips
Pinch of sumac, optional
In a medium nonstick pan, add the avocado oil over a medium high heat. Add the plain tofu with a pinch of salt and fry until at least two sides are crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and set it all aside for a sec.
In a large bowl, add the garlic, capers, lemon juice, dried oregano, dried basil, red wine, agave, and pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Toss in the fried tofu and make sure it gets completely coated in the dressing. While that sits and absorbs some flavor, cut up the rest of your veggies. You can even let this rest overnight with all the chopped veggies resting on top. Just wait to toss in all the fresh herbs etc. until it’s time to serve it.
When it’s time to make the salad, add the cut tomatoes, cucumbers, green onion, red onion, parsley, and mint and toss until everything is combined. Drizzle over the olive oil, another pinch of salt and pepper, and toss again. Taste and add more lemon juice or herbs, whatever you think it needs. Fold in the pita chips and sumac, if using, and serve right away.
I hope you all get a chance to enjoy this Earth Day and spend some time outside. It may be nicer than you remember.
xoxox,
Michelle Albanes- Davis
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