1 corn cob, husk and silks
removed
2 thin-skinned cucumbers
such as Persian or
Lebanese, halved
lengthways and sliced
into half-moons about
5mm thick
60 gm purslane leaves
(see note)
1 cup (firmly packed)
watercress, tough
stems removed
1 ripe plum, halved, pitted
and cut into 16 thin wedges
2 tbsp crème fraîche, at
room temperature
30 gm Gorgonzola, preferably
Gorgonzola dolcelatte,
frozen for at least 3 hoursCucumber, plum and Gorgonzola salad
SERVES 4
“This salad came about because I love dill pickles,” says Menashe.
“The celery, dill and turmeric are a play on classic pickling spices,
and the Gorgonzola has the same effect as the blue cheese dip that
sometimes accompanies Southern-fried pickles. In summertime,
the markets here have a huge variety of cucumbers, and we use a
mix of different kinds to add complexity to the salad.”
1 Preheat a cast-iron frying pan
or a barbecue to high heat.
Place corn directly on pan
and sear, turning as needed,
until evenly charred on all
sides (7-8 minutes). Transfer to
a cutting board and let sit until
cool enough to handle, then
slice off the kernels with a knife.
2 For turmeric vinaigrette,
combine lemon juice, vinegars
and shallot in a bowl and set
aside for 10 minutes. Add salt
and ground and fresh turmeric,
then slowly drizzle in olive oil,
while whisking, until emulsified.
3 In a large bowl, toss
cucumber, corn kernels and
purslane by hand to combine.
Add 2 tbsp vinaigrette, season
to taste and toss to coat.
4 In a separate large bowl,
lightly dress the watercress with
remaining 1 tbsp vinaigrette.
Season to taste and toss well.Celery leaves and small
dill sprigs, to serve
Pinch of dill or fennel pollen
(optional), to serve
TURMERIC VINAIGRETTE
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Champagne vinegar
1 tbsp calamansi vinegar
(see note)
1 tsp minced golden shallot
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
1⁄2 tsp grated fresh turmeric,
or 1⁄2 tsp plus 1⁄8 tsp
ground turmeric
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) extra-virgin
olive oilThis extract fromBestia: Italian
Recipes Created in the Heart
of L.A.by Ori Menashe,
Genevieve Gergis and Lesley
Suter with photography by
Nicole Franzen (published by
Ten Speed Press, an imprint of
Penguin Random House,
$59.99, hbk) has been
reproduced with minor
GT style changes.5 Pile the cucumber salad into
a large shallow serving bowl
or on a platter and top it with
dressed watercress. Season
plum with salt flakes and
arrange on top of the salad.
Whisk crème fraîche with a fork
a little to loosen the consistency,
then drizzle on top. Grate the
frozen Gorgonzola over the
salad and top with celery leaves,
dill and dill or fennel pollen, and
serve.
NotePurslane is available
from select greengrocers.
Calamansi vinegar is available
from select delicatessens; if it’s
unavailable, simmer the juice
of 1 lemon and 1 orange (about
100ml total) in a saucepan over
high heat until reduced by half
(5 minutes). Add to vinaigrette
to taste.●