Salads – Jim Drohman

Local asparagus with Dijon cream, chives and crispy jambon

Jim — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 21:10:58 +0000

This simple but delicious dish is featured on the Spring 2018 at Café Presse, but only as long as the local aspargus is in season. Washington State asparagus is so good, why eat anything else?

Warming the blanched asparagus with olive oil before serving brings out its rich, herby flavor.

Buttermilk fried chicken livers on bean and pea salad

Jim — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 21:29:34 +0000

Butter milk fried chicken livers on a salad of green beans, snow peas, peas and roasted shallot dressing

This dish is currently featured on the menu at Cafe Presse (summer 2016).

This recipe makes enough for 4 starter sized salads.

Note that the dressing recipe makes more than you will need for 4 servings but making a smaller amount is difficult (hard to use 1/2 egg).

Tahini and candied lemon vinaigrette

Jim — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 02:43:09 +0000

This is the vinaigrette we use for our falafel salad at Cafe Presse this summer (2013). Curly endive is tossed with cubes of summer melon and fresh figs, then dressed with this vinaigrette. The salad is then topped with crispy falafels and served with a side of our Sauce Blanche.

Yakima asparagus with pine nuts, scallions, and chevre vinaigrette

Jim — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:57:06 +0000

This salad, which is a favorite at Cafe Presse, is an easy way to make use of abondant asparagus during Washington’s short but sweet season.

Serves 4 as a first course

Buttermilk-fried pork tongue on carrot-cumin-current crudite

Jim — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 04:19:56 +0000

This salad has been a favorite at Le Pichet since we first served it in 2006. We recently brought it back to the menu this Fall. I slightly different version of this dish, but still featuring buttermilk-friend pork tongue, is currently on the Fall menu at Cafe Presse as well.

Don’t be afraid to try pork tongue…cooked this way, it is one of the richest, most flavorful cuts of pork you can imagine.

Salade Verte

Jim — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:47:07 +0000

Photo: The Stranger 2008

This version of the classic Salade Verte has been on the menu at Le Pichet and Cafe Presse every day that we have been open.

The salade verte is the ultimate expression of simple food, simply prepared. Because there are no tricks or gimmicks to hid mistakes, the quality of every ingredient is paramount. We use organic Hazelnuts from Holmquist Hazelnuts, who are located near Blaine Washington. They grow the Duchilly hazelnut, a skinless variety with great flavor and texture. For Bibb lettuce, our produce supplier, Frank’s Quality Produce, uses various organic growers to maintain a year round supply.

The other important element is making sure that the lettuce is absolutely fresh, cold and crispy. We tear our lettuce to order to avoid wilting or browning. And this salad should be served as soon as it is dressed.

Thanks to JP for requesting this recipe.

About 4 servings

Escarole salad with winter pears, cauliflower, capers-anchovy vinaigrette

Jim — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:03:01 +0000

This wintery salad was on the menu in the Fall of 2011 at Cafe Presse. Thanks to Becky St. Clair for requesting the recipe.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
10 anchovy filets in oil
1/4 cup toasted pinenuts
1 cloves garlic, peeled and germ removed
1 small shallot, peeled
1/4 teaspoon India Red flaked chili
1 dried fig, stem removed
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup yogurt
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
Escarole, cored and washed
Cauliflower, cored and cut into florets.
Winter pear, quartered, cored and sliced
Olive oil
Capers
Italian parsley, stemmed and roughly chopped

Preparation

Roast the cauliflower: Toss the cauliflower florets with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them on a sheet pan. Roast in a 400 degree oven until just tender, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
Make the vinaigrette: Put the mustard, anchovies, pinenuts, garlic, shallots, red chili flake, fig, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar and yogurt into the blender. Season well with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, use vegetable oil and a little of the anchovy oil to emulsify the vinaigrette until it is fairly thick but still liquid. Check the seasoning and correct with salt and pepper as needed
Toss together leaves of escarole, chopped parsley, pear slices and cauliflower in the ratio that you prefer. Dress lightly with vinaigrette and toss again. Mound on a serving plate. Top with capers and a drizzle of the vinaigrette.