LEFTOVERS – RECIPES FOR THE COMING MONTH

“Maybe you think you don’t want to work on vacation. But when you’re staying at Babylonstoren, tucked in the Cape Winelands outside Cape Town, you’d be wrong. To start, you can play farmhand on the hotel’s 1,400 breathtaking acres: Gather produce – peaches, mulberries, stuff you’ve never even heard of (loquats!) – bake bread early in the morning, press olive oil from the 8,800 olive trees, harvest honey with the resident beekeeper. Then head back to your room, stylish whitewashed quarters inspired by centuries-old farm cottages, and cook your bounty in the room’s glass-cubed kitchen. Open a bottle of wine from the property, and wonder why making dinner doesn’t feel this magical at home.” (Excerpts and Recipes from “Eat, Drink, and Garden Your Heart Out at Babylonstoren,” in the May 2015 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. // Recipes by Maranda Engelbrecht).
 
Yellow Salad with Citrus-Date Vinaigrette
 
“The color-coded salad is one of Babylonstoren’s signature dishes and always features a mix of fruits and vegetables on the same plate. Maranda Engelbrecht, Babylonstoren’s head chef, says produce that looks good together tastes great together, too, and she’s developed specific vinaigrettes to complement the red, yellow, and green options. The dates act as both a sweetener and an emulsifier in this citrusy, mustardy vinaigrette.”
 
Makes 3/4 Cup Vinaigrette
 
Ingredients
 

1. 2 Medjool dates, pitted
2. 1/4 cup olive oil
3. 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4. 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
5. 1 Tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
6. 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
7. Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
8. Mixed yellow and orange raw fruits and vegetables (such as corn, Sun Gold tomatoes, golden beets, apricots, clementines, and pineapple), halved, sliced, and/or cut into wedges

 
Directions
 

1. Process dates, oil, lemon juice, orange juice, mustard, and cumin in a food processor until smooth. Thin vinaigrette with water to a pourable consistency; season with salt and pepper.
2. To serve, spoon some vinaigrette into a shallow bowl and arrange fruits and vegetables of choice on top. Season with salt and pepper.

 
          Do Ahead of Time: Vinaigrette can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
 

 
“The most sacred moments, the ones in which I feel God’s presence most profoundly, when I feel the goodness of the world most arrestingly, take place at the table.” (Shauna Niequiest, Bread and Wine)