This salad isn’t much short of a full meal served with the most loved items in my pantry: quinoa and sourdough bread. These are your everyday food — simple, wholesome and nourishing. They are not only good for the body, but the soul. Making sourdough breads, a tradition so ancient and universal, is what I firmly embrace as the essence and ritual in my kitchen.
This is the Memorial Day weekend, marking the arrival of easy summer living and with it, the glorious array of heirloom tomatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables. When tomatoes are sweet and delicious, not much is needed to dress them up for a salad dish like this. Ottolenghi put together this dish with a deft and restrained hand only he can muster.
There are a variety of fantastic sourdough recipes posted on this blog: overnight country blonde, Vermont sourdough and Tartine basic country loaf published by acclaimed master bakers around the country, Ken Forkish, Jeffery Hamelman and Chad Robertson, respectively. They are levain breads with very similar characteristics baked with 65-78% hydration dough and about 10% whole-wheat flour. I’ll be happy to serve up one of these artisanal breads to top off the salad bowl on any given day.
YO does have a way with combining vegetables and grains/seeds to make interesting meals! Love this substantial, yet completely healthy salad bowl!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely salad! I love using breads in salads. I have to pick up my courage to start on sourdough soon, have been thinking about it lately!
ReplyDeleteStart with the Vermont sourdough bread and you'd never go back. Happy baking!
DeleteThat looks like a nice summer salad and very nourishing. I share you love of sourdough bread.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful salad - such a great combination of textures and flavours and the perfect end use for some of your homemade bread. Vlad, my sourdough starter, resides in my fridge, gets fed periodically but, sadly, doesn't get out much these days. You've inspired me to revive him....
ReplyDeleteVlad will be happy to get out of the cold storage and I'll be happy to have you to bake along with. My no-name starter doesn't seem to care much of anything!
DeleteWhat a healthy and delicious salad! Great photo!
ReplyDeleteI am glad we are connected through this month's IHCC May Pot Luck!
Such lovely photos of this salad! Everything is so colorful and vivid in the pictures. It's practically jumping into my mouth:)
ReplyDeleteIt certainly looks as though you have perfected the art of making sourdough. The texture of the bread looks wonderful. A gorgeous salad perfect for ringing in summer,
I love the textures and colours of your salad. It looks so inviting. I want some!!
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