Siam Orchid Ginger Salad

Okay...I know I just blogged about this salad a couple of days ago. But I made it again today and without the chaos of getting dinner on the table for company I was able to really appreciate it. This salad is so good it deserved to be singled out this time. The dried peas were a little tricky to track down - I eventually found something at Whole Foods that looked like it would work (and it was only peas, oil and salt instead of an impossibly long list of ingredients). I think avocado would taste great in this mix as well. This is something we will most definitely have again and again....
Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 cup fresh ginger, shredded

1/2 cup fresh lettuce, sliced into long, thin strips

1/4 cup carrot, sliced into matchsticks

1/4 cup red onion, sliced into thin strips

1/4 cup dried peas

2 tablespoons roasted coconut meat

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons roasted cashews

1 tablespoon chopped shallot, fried

Sliced lime, for garnish

Preparation

To make the vinaigrette, add the
olive oil, sesame oil, and brown sugar
to a small bowl and whisk vigorously.
Add cautiously, to taste, a bit of salt,
pepper, garlic powder, and rice vinegar.
Set aside.

To present the salad, arrange remaining ingredients in individual piles, adjacent to one another, on a large plate. Drizzle vinaigrette over each to taste and toss together, making sure to incorporate every ingredient. Add lime garnish (to squeeze on the salad).

Serve immediately. Serves 2.

From Diablo Magazine April 2005