Make This Sunny Whole Kumquat Salad
In this season of sweets and common food, eating a vegetable is almost like a pleasure, especially if it’s raw vegetables. But if he’s not well dressed, eating a bunch of plant parts (also known as “lettuce”) can be a dull affair, so I’m thrilled to give you the good news about this whole kumquat dressing – a sunny, refreshing salad that will help restore your flavor. and calm the internal organs (which will allow you to return to eating cookies).
What I love the most about kumquats is how delicious they taste, without the rind and everything else. Just like the iconic (sour) fountains of the 90s, they have everything they love – sour-now-sweet-late, and that’s what I really like. Not only do they provide enough acid to eliminate the vinegar entirely, but they also make the dressing vibrant, citrusy, and the perfect addition to a pile of bitter leaves (or not-so-bitter leaves; any leaf will do, indeed). To cook enough for one large salad per person, you will need (scale if you want more):
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite salad oil (olive oil is fine, but I recently used pistachio oil).
- 5 washed kumquats, remove tiny stems if present
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Leaves of 4 sprigs of thyme
- A pinch of salt
Transfer everything to a blender and beat until smooth. There will be some noticeable bits of zest, but that’s ok – zest is good. Drizzle over the whole bunch of greens – or, if you’re using radicchio, purple – along with toasted walnuts, cheese cheese, and some onions (I recommend thinly sliced shallots).