Cal-Asian Sesame Salad

We just returned from a trip to the central coast of California.

Cultural diversity is not the highpoint of a farm upbringing. I was exposed to plenty of the great outdoors, but not to many places, peoples or cultures. We did take family vacations, but my ideas about the world came primarily from TV and music. Yep, we’re talking some pretty skewed ideas given that sitcoms and LPs were the primary sources of influence… I drove my family nuts listening to the music of California bands of the time. Others of advanced middle age will remember relatively clean-cut boys cruising down Ventura Highway, in a little deuce coup, searching for a surfer girl, only to be waylaid and detained at the Hotel California… (My apologies to younger readers.)  

California seemed a foreign country, given the waves of new ideas, music and entertainment that slowly washed over the rest of the nation. While most midwestern types thought crazy originated in California, its cultural influence cannot be denied. And as concerns crazy, I’m pretty certain that these days, the feeling is mutual…

This was my second trip to the Golden State. My childhood image did in fact prove a bit twisted. To begin, this is a huge state, encompassing a multitude of landscapes and lifestyles. It is a unique place, vast and varied, from remote to uber-urban. I see the draw; from wind swept sand dunes to rocky hills to crashing ocean waves of the clearest turquoise, this place is awe inspiringly gorgeous.

Oops. I forgot- this is a food blog, not a travelogue…  lucky for me that decades of food trends have also emanated from California, from the 60’s “farm to table” movement to today’s wildly popular avocado toast. Spa cuisine, organic produce, local ingredients, Baja and Hispanic influence, fast food burgers, Asian flavors, fusion cuisine, and Cali-styled pizzas all come to mind. Oh! And don’t forget the wine. My local wine city store will miss me, given the number of bottles we brought home. 

I find that these trends most definitely have influenced the meals I prepare at home. I associate my Cal-Asian Sesame Salad with California, and I found variants of it on a number of menus. In some, it’s a slaw-like base, in others a mix of lettuces, with additional vegetables and either chicken or Ahi tuna slices. But what makes it irresistible is the sesame dressing. The flavors are simply addictive. My version is plant heavy, with lettuces, radicchio, edamame and steamed snow peas. Sesame sautéed brown rice makes it substantial, and while I usually include cubes of cooked chicken, it can easily be omitted to make a meatless salad entree. Toasted almonds provide the perfect crunch.

The heat of summer has already arrived in the desert. Cool, crisp, yet substantial salads are best in the heat. Add this one to my repertoire of satisfying summer dinners, for we’ll be serving it often.