Recipe: Beekeeper's Salad

BEEKEEPER’S SALAD

(VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN FREE)

This salad features the work of some hyper-local food producers in our city of Boston: bees. Bees can be a thriving part of urban agriculture as well as a vital part of the food system—their work pollinating crops is essential for much of the food we eat as well as the food that feeds other animals in the food chain. This salad is both a celebration of bees and a study in contrasts, with the sweetness of honey against spicy, peppery greens and lightly bittersweet pops of bee pollen, all tossed with a cool, creamy yogurt dressing. There will be more dressing than you need for this salad; it tastes great on all things green and will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

INSTRUCTIONS

YOGURT DRESSING INGREDIENTS (MAKES 1 CUP)

2/3 cup (150 g) plain whole yogurt

1/3 cup (80 g) buttermilk

2 teaspoons (10 g) fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

SALAD INGREDIENTS

4 ounces (about 8 cups loosely packed) arugula, watercress, or other peppery greens

1/4 cup (25 g) crushed pecans or almonds

2 ounces (57 g) Manchego or aged cheddar cheese, shaved or thinly sliced

Leaves from a few sprigs of mint, chopped or torn

About 1 teaspoon (7 g) honey

About 1 teaspoon (8 g) bee pollen

INSTRUCTIONS

YOGURT INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. The thickness may vary slightly depending on your brand of yogurt—aim for a creamy, tangy dressing that’s thin enough to pour.

SALAD INSTRUCTIONS

Put the greens in a large bowl and pour 1/4 cup of the dressing on top. Using your hands, carefully scoop and flip the greens until they are fully coated in the dressing. As our sous chef Emily says: gently, gently, gently.

Transfer the greens to a wide, shallow bowl and sprinkle with the nuts, then scatter the cheese and mint across the top. Delicately drizzle the honey on top in a very thin stream—the idea is to let the honey bead up on the herbs like dew on plants in the morning. Dust with the bee pollen and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

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