Every year, when the last weeks of summer burst with an abundance of fruits and vegetables, I feel a bit like a squirrel. What can I save for the winter? What should I make now?
Each year I choose a handful of things to preserve and freeze, but I always feel like I’m being forced to pick a favorite child.
When it comes to this spicy cabbage and peach salad, there are many fruits and vegetables you could add. I love the combination of the spicy chile oil and a burst of sweet fruit, and because I had peaches, I used them. But next time, I would love to use plums, pitted cherries or nectarines. If you want to shift to a more savory salad, green onions, bell peppers, salad turnips, carrots, summer squash and cucumbers would all be great options.
I have swapped out ingredients for a Southwestern flavor, but the chile oil is inspired by the method used in making Chinese Sichuan chile oil. The technique is straightforward and results in loads of mouth-watering flavor. You start by infusing a neutral oil with spices, then strain this oil into chile flakes.
The recipe below is much more than you will need for the salad recipe, but having extra in the fridge for noodles, rice, veggies, eggs, bread, etc. will not disappoint. If you are able to make the chile oil in advance, this salad will take less than 10 minutes to throw together.
The salad is amazing paired with grilled meats and/or vegetables. But it's so full of crunch and flavor, you might not want anything else on your plate.
Spicy cabbage and peach salad
Makes: 4-6 servings; total time: 1 hour
For the chile oil:
12 dried red New Mexico chiles, stems removed
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large shallot, halved
1Â tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender (or around 4 fresh sprigs)
2Â tablespoon kosher salt
For the salad:
3 fire-roasted poblano peppers, seeded and sliced
6 cups sliced cabbage
3 ripe peaches, sliced
2 lemons, juiced
Spoon of chile oil, to taste
Salt and pepper
Fresh lavender flowers, optional for garnish
Make the chile oil: In a dry pot, add the chiles, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds and black peppercorns. Toast them for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant but being careful not to burn. With tongs, remove the chiles and set them aside. Add oil, garlic, shallot, oregano, lavender and salt to the pot of spices, and let cook on very low heat (the lowest possible) for around 30 minutes to infuse the flavor of the spices into the oil. While the oil is infusing, prepare the chiles. Once they are cool, open the chiles and remove anywhere from all to none of the seeds. For a mild oil, remove all of the seeds. For a spicy oil, leave all of the seeds. Put chiles into a very dry blender or food processor and pulse until you have small chile flakes. Pour these dried chile flakes into a heatproof glass jar, and when the oil is finished infusing, drain the oil through a fine mesh strainer into the jar with the red pepper flakes. Let cool and store in the fridge. You will have lots of extra oil you can use on other things.
Make the salad: In a large salad bowl, add the poblano peppers, cabbage, peaches, fresh lemon juice, and chile oil, salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss to combine. Transfer to a large platter or individual bowls and enjoy!
Marianne Sundquist is a chef, writer and co-founder of Stokli, celebrating nourishing goods from the high desert (stokli.com). Find her on Instagram @marianne__sundquist and email her at marianne@stokli.com.
The ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history. The collection also includes archival photo galleries.
