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| To match a Russian Feast... Carrot Salad Salat "Zdorov'ye" known as 'health salad' in russia, it has almost enough garlic - I n g r e d i e n t s - Carrots - 2 pounds, about 16 medium-small carrots Lemon - 4 tsp, preferably Meir's lemons Garlic - 16 medium cloves, minced Mayonnaise - 1/3 cup of Best Foods Fat-Reduced mayonnaise Salt - to taste Parsley - to Garnish - T o o l s - Knife, Cutting Board, Grater, Citrus Juicer Large Mixing Bowl, Rubber Spatula, Measuring Cup & Spoons A brightly colored Serving Bowl & Serving Spoon - T h e B i g P i c t u r e - The Russians call this 'Health Salad' because they believe that carrots thicken the blood, which is an asset in the cold coldness of the North. I've never heard that carrots do thicken the blood (worse for a stroke), but I have heard that lemon juice thins the blood (avoiding a stroke), so all in all, I'm leaving it up to the garlic to contribute the health benefit. This is one of the few recipes that is not better made the day before. If you do, the garlic gets kinda strong and very slightly rank. But it's a fairly simple recipe so you can make it the morning of the feast. It should be refrigerated, but two or three hours will be enough. I make a French version of this salad with the same ratio of carrots to garlic, 1 to 1, but I dress it with very high quality olive oil, salt, a little sweetness if the carrots aren't naturally sweet, and a blend of vinegars: mostly rice wine, followed by red wine, and a little bit of balsamic. It is a great hit ! ( for those that love garlic ) - T h e A s s e m b e l a g e - The morning of, get the Carrots ready by cutting off the tops, peeling them, and washing. The original recipe calls for grating them, but if you have to do that by hand, good luck. I cut them lengthwise several times and use the cuisineart and shredding attachment. If you want to stay true to the recipe, then pulse them a few times with the blade until they have that grated look. Place them in the large mixing bowl and add the 4 teaspoons of fresh Lemon Juice while you are tossing the carrots. Then while still tossing, the 16 cloves of minced Garlic and like about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt (less than what your taste tells you). Mix in the 1/3 cup of Mayonnaise and taste again for salt. Make any adjustments, but only use the ingredients mentioned for adjustments. Transfer this to your serving bowl and chill covered in the refrigerator for whatever time you have left. Garnish with little sprigs of curly or flat parsley. - T o T h e A p p e t i z e r T a b l e - This is an easy one... open the refrigerator, get the bowl and serving spoon, and get thyself to a party. We would like to thank Darra Goldstein The author of At the Dacha, Russian Home Cooking This book is out of print, and it must be loved because it's hard to find used ones, but she has others. Go to Amazon.com and type in Darra Goldstein in the search box. We have adapted her recipes here and there, but done under the watchful eye of Andy Zaharoff. Next Page |
