By Paul Main

This month, I want to share some recipe insights that incorporate locally grown produce in everyday recipes from one of the area’s talented and creative chefs, Executive Chef George Quilty of the Orange Blossom Junction (just east of the Exeter turnoff on Highway 198). If you haven’t discovered the originality of the Orange Blossom Junction and Chef Quilty, you need to check out the weekly specials like smoked pork chops with spicy apple butter, alligator tacos, or the smoked prime rib, and the daily vegetarian dishes. When you call, don’t forget to ask owners Doug and Luci Long what’s on the entertainment calendar for the day.

Chef Quilty has a way of taking an ordinary dish and creating something sublime. To give you an example, instead of using drab wilted field greens that spent more time in the back of a semi-truck than it did growing, Chef Quilty uses locally grown and picked greens from Thomas and Katrin Newman’s farm. Chef Quilty then brings out the greens’ vibrant earthy flavors by adding an avocado, green chili, and apple sorbet with a red pepper dressing.

Asparagus Salad with Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes and Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Note: Chef Quilty recommends getting your lettuces from Tom and Katrin Newman at the Visalia Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings. Tom and Katrin pick their lettuces daily for the market. In addition, the recipe calls for heirloom tomatoes. You can find different varieties year-round, but they may not be heirloom, so feel free to substitute with what’s available.

Salad Ingredients:

fresh salad greens—enough for 4 to 6 salads (carefully rinsed and cleaned)

2  bunches or about 1-1 ½ pounds of fresh asparagus (woody ends removed)

4  heirloom tomatoes (stem removed)

1  cup grated cotija cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

1  cup rice vinegar

½  cup sugar

1  cup diced red bell pepper (seeded and skin removed)

¼  cup Dijon mustard

2  cups olive oil

Method:

Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Remove and chill in an ice water bath (water and ice cubes placed in a large bowl) to stop the cooking process. When cool, drain and season with salt and pepper. Cut 4 Heirloom tomatoes into wedges and set aside.

In a blender, add rice vinegar, sugar, diced bell pepper, and Dijon mustard. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil to form an emulsion.

To plate, assemble assorted fresh greens in a salad bowl. Arrange tomato wedges on top of lettuces and alternate 2 asparagus spears between the tomatoes. Drizzle dressing around and over salad and garnish with grated cotija cheese and serve.

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