By: Ashley Arax for The Dirt
As the long-anticipated summer heat finally finds its groove, the desire to bake, broil, or air fry anything at all in our household hits its low point for the year.
In the past, pasta salad has done the trick, but this year I found myself looking for some inspiration. The Davis Food Co-op’s Teaching Kitchen was way ahead of me and had put together a class on the underappreciated art of the “main dish salad.”
Equal parts practical and piquant, the class was a revelation in reinventing salads as the star of the meal.
Before diving into the class, a bit about the space itself: the Davis Food Co-op’s mission includes a commitment to community education and training, and the existence of the Teaching Kitchen shows just how seriously they take this. Established in 2008, it has been promoting creativity and healthy eating in the kitchen with its group of gifted and dedicated instructors.
The classes are held across the street from the Co-op in a cheerful space that looks to have been a former residence. Something else that stood out to me was the number of people that knew each other from previous classes, showcasing how the Co-op provides more than just groceries by fostering a sense of community and friendship.
Our talented instructor Laura put together an all-star lineup showcasing some of the best ingredients the summer season has to offer. First up was a black bean, corn, zucchini and bell pepper salad which was coupled with a lime cilantro dressing containing jalapeno pepper and ginger. The salad was delicious and the dressing was an absolute game changer–tangy and spicy, with just the right amount of sweetness. Also, did you know that you can easily peel ginger with the back of a spoon?
Next was a quinoa and garbanzo bean salad with a vinaigrette dressing that successfully put me back into the quinoa loving camp. As it turns out, in addition to not making this excellent quinoa salad recipe, I had also not been giving quinoa a quick pre-rinse before cooking (removing its natural coating called saponin) to prevent a bitter aftertaste.
We ended with a comforting burger salad built, unapologetically, on top of a base of crunchy iceberg lettuce. The salad was packed with meat (alternative meat was used here), cherry tomatoes, avocado, and homemade croutons, and the “secret sauce” dressing with ketchup, mustard, relish, and sriracha would give our local fast food establishment a run for its money. It had all the joy and satisfaction of a burger, with none of the heartburn.
Overall the class exceeded my expectations, and I have recreated these salads at home with success.
I would recommend experiencing this all for yourself. If salads aren’t your thing, don’t be discouraged–this month the Teaching Kitchen is offering classes like “Summer in Madrid” for all the tapas lovers out there, “Summer Fruit Desserts” for anyone wondering what the difference between a crisp, and crumble, and a cobbler is, and for the under 12 audience, their very own sushi-making class.
Classes range in price and Co-op owners receive a 10% discount. Check out the full list of classes on the Davis Food Co-op’s website: https://davisfood.coop/event-calendar/