Asian Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Ever have one of those moments when you open the fridge hoping something delicious will be shining out at you like a beacon of light? Days when you don’t want to think too hard about what to eat but you want something really easy and satisfying?

I have them all the time. It’s a lucky day when I can pick out this and that and have it come together as brilliantly as this salad. Seriously, no extra shopping was required for this. That almost never happens.

Asian pears and beets from the CSA. Snow peas left over from a stir fry dinner. The ever present red onion and goat cheese. Candied walnuts—made last night just because I love them! And a lime vinaigrette sweetened with a little maple syrup. This is not your everyday salad.

It’s nice when all the planets align—good food in the fridge, the time & desire to experiment, and in the end a winning result. So, look in your fridge. See what you can create. You might be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

Asian Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

2 handfuls snow peas, lightly steamed

1 beet, roasted

1 large or 2 small asian pears

1 slice of red onion, diced

1/4 cup goat feta, crumbled

1/8 cup candied or plain walnuts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

salt and pepper

Peel and cut the beet into 1/4 inch slices and then each slice in halves again. Cut the pear in quarters & core the four pieces. Cut each quarter into three or four wedges. Dice the red onion.

Line the plate attractively with the snow peas. Top with the beets and asian pears. Sprinkle with the goat cheese, red onion, and walnuts. (I like Ellie Krieger’s Maple Glazed Walnuts.)

To make the vinaigrette pour the olive oil in a small bowl and whisk in the lime juice, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the salad.

Makes one large or two smaller salads.

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Maple Corn Fritters

I spent some time with Mother Nature this summer and she let me in on a little secret. If you eat local and in season, she gets to pick what’s on the menu. True.

Before being part of a CSA I bought whatever I fancied at the grocery store. My vegetable experience was only a little different season to season. Of course, I bought local tomatoes and corn in season but for the most part just availed myself of anything on the grocer’s shelves. This year was a new experience since the farmer and Mother Nature chose what veggies I’d be eating.

I’ve learned to cook and eat what’s ripe. You eat beets when you get them even if they’re availalble every week. (I won’t lie—I’ve given plenty of them to friends and neighbors because we can only eat so many beets.). For the past few weeks we’ve gotten zucchini, cucumbers, eggplants and other types of squash. We eat them grilled or in ratatouille. I’m freezing whatever I can’t eat now.

Right now the corn is ripe in New Jersey. There were three ears in this week’s bounty—three very pitiful ears of corn courtesy of our wet, rainy, sun-challenged summer. But, there was enough for a batch of corn fritters.

So that’s what you’re getting this week folks. Corn fritters. We had them for this morning’s breakfast sweetened with maple syrup—in the batter and drizzled on top. It made for a nice Sunday morning at our house.

Maple Corn Fritters

1 ½ teaspoons EnerG Egg Replacer

4 tablespoons warm water

2 tablespoons diced onion

Vegetable oil – canola or grapeseed work well

¼ cup sorghum flour

5/8 cup finely ground corn flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

½ cup coconut milk or alternative (soy, rice, etc.)

1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 to 1 ½ cups corn kernels

Make the egg replacer according to the directions on the box—mix 1 1/2 teaspoons egg replacer with two tablespoons warm water. Stir until smooth and let sit for a few minutes to thicken.

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add a tablespoon or two of the oil—enough to sauté the onions. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until translucent. Some of them will brown which is OK. You don’t want the onion to burn.

Remove the onions with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with a paper towel. Set aside. Add more oil, enough so there is about a ¼ inch in the skillet. Raise the burner to medium high to bring the oil up to temperature. Do not leave unattended.

Whisk the flours, salt, and baking powder and cinnamon (if you choose to use it) in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl combine the egg replacer, coconut milk, maple syrup and two remaining tablespoons of water. Add this to the flour and combine to form a batter. Add in the onions and the corn. Mix well.

Drop by large spoonfuls into the hot oil. Turn each after a few minutes—the underside should be nicely browned. When the second side is browned remove fritters to a dish and serve with maple syrup. Makes about 10-12 fritters.

A few notes:

I used fresh corn on the cob. Placed three ears in the microwave (with husks and silk still attached) for 3 minutes. Removed and cooled, then husked the corn and cut the kernels from the cob. Three small ears yielded 1 cup. Although this was enough corn for the recipe I would have preferred more so would increase it to 1½ cups next time.

You may need to add more oil about halfway through cooking. The fritters will have a tendency to burn if you do not keep the oil level high enough.

You can remove some of the residual oil from the fritters after they are cooked if you line the receiving plate with a paper towel.

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