Dressings

Directions:

1. Place almonds in food processor, process until finely ground.
2. Add rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
3. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
4. Keep in refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Directions:

1. Place tahini, miso, and lemon juice in suribachi or mixing bowl. Using surikogi or pestle to mix until well combined.
2. Add water and mix until smooth. You may need to add more or less water to reach a desired consistency.
3. Stir in dill.
4. Use on any salad dish from noodle salad to bean or grain salads, and more.
5. Will keep in refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Directions:

1. Wash seeds, and lightly roast in a cast iron skillet. When roasted seeds should be slightly brown, puffy and should break easily between your fingers.
2. Add the roasted seeds to a blender or food processor and blend briefly.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Dressing should be thick.

Served over pressed salad, blanched vegetables or steamed greens.

Kale-Sunflower Seed Pesto

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, not peeled
3 cups kale, chopped
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons chickpea or white miso
1/2 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Toast garlic cloves in skillet over medium flame, shaking skillet occasionally, until softened and spotty brown, about 8 minutes. When garlic is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins and chop coarsely.
2. Meanwhile, toast sunflower seeds in now empty skillet over medium flame, stirring often, until golden and fragrant for about 4-5 minutes.
3. Bring water to a boil in a pot, add a few pinches sea salt. Blanch kale for a couple of minutes until colors brighten and kale is tender. Set aside to cool.
4. In food processor, place garlic, toasted sunflower seeds, blanched kale, chickpea miso, umeboshi vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper if using. Process until finely chopped, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.
5. With processor running, slowly add olive oil until well-incorporated. Transfer pesto to jar for storage. To prevent browning, make the surface of the pesto flat and cover it with thin layer of olive oil.

Chef’s note: It is better to toast garlic cloves in order to tame its sharp flavor and to bring up its sweetness. The pesto can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Before using, bring to room temperature. As a variation, use 2 cups chopped kale and 1 cup fresh basil leaves for a more herby Mediterranean flavor.

Directions:

1. Lightly sauté the garlic in 1 T olive oil.
2. Place all ingredients and ¼ cup water in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Add water to reach desired consistency.
4. Adjust the flavor with shoyu or tamari.

Directions:

1. Rinse the sunflower seeds and lightly toast in a cast iron skillet. You know the sunflower seeds are done when they break easily.
2. Place sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor and blend until finely chopped.
3. Add umeboshi paste, lemon juice, parsley and ½ cup water.
4. Blend until smooth. You may need to add more water until you reach the desired consistency. Dressing should be thick.

Served over pressed salad, blanched vegetables or steamed greens.