Lemon-Cashew Dressing

The heat of summer can drive me away from using the oven and stove.  

I always appreciate this kitchen vacation. It frees up time for more reading.  And writing.  That's why I'm late posting again this week.  

I'm working on an article about honeybees.  The subject fascinates me.  Here are a couple things I found: this movie, this Australian honey beekeepers blog, this leaked document from the EPA, and this article about pesticides killing Canadian bees.  The pesticide industry and its supporters (see Forbes magazine)  seem to continually point to Canada and Australia, saying these countries didn't have colony collapse disorder and their bees are healthy.

Somebody didn't check the Canadians about the health of their bees.   I digress.   Back to the recipe.  It's all about the salad when it's too hot in the kitchen to cook. 

My Cooking Assistant has loved lettuce since he was a puppy.

Add anything in season.

My favorite English shelling peas.

Add a few edible flowers.  Yikes, it looks like someone was already eating them.  You can tell we never spray anything in our garden.  It's a feast for all.

This is the farm store at Gathering Together Farm in Corvallis, Oregon

A shameless plug.  I included lots of salad tips in my book.

This is what you need for this versatile dressing.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon Cashew Dressing

(Makes about 1 cup)

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup apple cider

2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon chia seeds

1 or 2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon minced sweet onions

1 teaspoon fresh dill

Sea salt and pepper

Water as needed to thin

Soak cashews in apple cider for a few hours or overnight.  Place cashews, cider, lemon juice, chia seeds, pressed garlic, onions and dill in a blender and puree until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Refrigerate for a few hours.  Add water to thin.