Recipe: Harry's Roadhouse Hippie Salad with Vidalia Onion Rings

HARRY'S ROADHOUSE HIPPIE SALAD WITH VIDALIA ONION RINGS AND SESAME OR GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

"I love to make this salad in mid-summer, when there is a lot of fresh produce from the farmers market. Feel free to play with this recipe and come up with your own combination of fresh vegetables. The onion rings are an extra step, but they really make the salad special. We can never decide whether this salad is better with Green Goddess Dressing or Sesame Dressing, so we have included recipes for both."

FOR THE SALAD:
1 ear corn
2 medium beets
2 cups summer green beans
1 avocado
2 tomatoes
2 small heads or 1 large head Bibb lettuce
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup radish sprouts
1 Vidalia (or sweet) onion made into Onion Rings
Magic Mushroom Powder (recipe follows)

FOR THE VIDALIA ONION RINGS:
1 Vidalia onion
1 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
Salt to taste*
1/4 teaspoon pepper

FOR THE SESAME DRESSING:
8 ounces tahini
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sambal sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

FOR THE GREEN GODDESS DRESSING:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons tarragon
2 tablespoons basil
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1 tablespoon lemon balm
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

TO PREPARE THE VEGETABLES:
Roast the corn and remove kernels. (To roast the corn, sprinkle a little water on unhusked corn, wrap in foil and roast on coals about 20 mintues or sprinkle water on unhusked corn, place on a sheet pan and roast in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes - you do not need to wrap in foil.)

Boil beets, and then peel and cut into wedges. Blanch green beans in boiling water and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cut tomatoes into wedges, and dice avocados last.

TO MAKE THE VIDALIA ONION RINGS:
Cut onion into very thin rings (1/2-inch or thinner). Soak onion in buttermilk for at least 2 hours or overnight. When you are ready to cook, drain onions in a colander. Heat about an inch of oil in a cast-iron skillet. Mix together flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss drained onion rings in mixture until they are thoroughly coated. Shake off excess coating and fry the rings until they are crispy and golden. Drain on paper towels. These onion rings may be fried up to half an hour in advance.

IF MAKING SESAME DRESSING:
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. If it is too thick, add a little more water to get the proper consistency.

IF MAKING GREEN GODDESS DRESSING:
Combine all ingredients and puree in a blender.

TO SERVE THE ROADHOUSE HIPPIE SALAD:
Place lettuce on salad plate and top with corn, garbanzos, avocados, tomatoes, beets, and green beans. Drizzle with dressing; then top with sprouts and Vidalia Onion Rings. Sprinkle with Magic Mushroom Powder.

*A NOTE ON SALT:
If you are making the Vidalia Onion Rings as a topping for the salad, use 1 tablespoon salt. If you are serving them as a side, cut the salt down to 2 teaspoons.

MAGIC MUSHROOM POWDER
In Santa Fe, we are blessed with a large variety of all kinds of edible mushrooms which have a variety of tastes and other qualities. When making this salad at home, I would choose direction from one of my heroes (Emeril, Baba Ram Dass, Martha Stewart, or Mario, depending on my mood). At the Roadhouse, we, of course, comply with all of the USDA and DEA regulations, so we use dry porcini mushrooms, ground with a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder reserved for spices. A little of this sprinkled on top of the salad adds an earthy aroma and can take your dining experience to a new level of consciousness.

Source: Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook by Harry Shapiro and Peyton Young