Recipe from 2011
Bob says: This recipe is an important fuel source on the farm. It powers the tiller, whipper snipper, hoe, trowel, shovel, broadfork, buckets, and my boots. I’d probably starve without it. A tasty timesaver. Off season, I use whichever organic leaves are freshest at Byward Fruit Market Co. In season, I use whichever leaves are ready for harvest – just to make sure that whatever I am harvesting is good enough to deliver. I call this Field Salad with tofu or eggs.
This recipe is from
Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. We always keep a jar of the dressing in our fridge. Instead of tofu, you can eat the salad with grilled chicken or hard-boiled eggs.
Salad Dressing
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
½ tsp. mustard
1 tsp. soy sauce OR Worcestershire sauce
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
Ground pepper
½ c. olive oil
Tofu seasoning
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 ½ tsp. dried sage
1 Tbsp. ground fennel seeds
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes OR cayenne
3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
1 cake firm tofu (16 oz)
1 head lettuce
Make the dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together.
Make the tofu: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and place them in a single layer in an oiled metal baking dish (use canola oil as olive oil tends to burn). In a small bowl, mix the tofu seasoning ingredients together. Add a little water if it looks too thick. Pour this marinade over the tofu and stir well to coat. Bake until the edges of the tofu are crisp and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 30 or 35 minutes. Stir the tofu once or twice during baking. If you suspect the tofu is going to scorch, pour a little hot water in the dish and stir it about (beware of steam clouds). Or add more canola oil.
If your metal baking dish is flimsy like ours, try lining it with extra-strength tin foil. The tofu cooks more evenly.
Make the salad: Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves, then tear or slice them into bite-size pieces. Just before serving, toss the lettuce with some of the dressing and top it with hot tofu and extra Parmesan. Enjoy.
Julia’s cautionary tale
I once poured water into a hot glass pie plate and it shattered all over the place. Don’t do that. We use a metal baking dish for the tofu.
