u/joross31

The Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees have been sending out their spring growth here. I love their scent and when I learned they are edible, I knew I wanted to make something with them. I did a couple of infusions with them, one in oil and one in syrup to make a couple of dishes. For this one, I used the infused oil in the dressing for this salad of mixed citrus (tangerine, grapefruit, Cara Cara orange, and Meyer lemon), burrata, pickled shallots, fresh mint, fresh fir tips, and edible petals. In the end, I also added some fried shallots and chopped roasted pistachios.

Made this last month in the middle of a heatwave and it was nice and refreshing so thought I’d share what I did. A lot of things can be prepped ahead for this. It would also be delicious with some fried tofu in place of the shrimp and vegan fish sauce to make it vegetarian. Also included a pic of how it was photographed - outside on a bench in natural light.

Ingredients:

Pickled Carrots and Radishes:

1 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup sweetener (I use allulose for lower carb)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 carrot, sliced thin

6 small radishes, sliced thin

Shrimp:

1 pound shrimp pre-cooked

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sweetener

1 clove garlic minced

Peanut Dressing:

1/2 cup crunchy natural peanut butter (or smooth if you prefer a smooth dressing), or almond butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce, or 4 tablespoons coconut aminos

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, one lime

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sweetener

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon sriracha, omit for nightshade-free

water, as needed

Salad:

1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup radish sprouts

6 ounces bean threads

5 ounces snap peas, sliced thin

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 cup basil leaves

1 cup mint leaves

1 Fresno chile, sliced thin

3 green onions, sliced thin

roasted salted peanuts, chopped

8 ounces shirataki noodles (or rice noodles cooked according to package directions - I used shirataki to keep it lower carb)

Instructions:

For the Picked Carrots and Radishes:

Combine vinegar, salt, and sweetener. Add the sliced vegetables, ensure they are submerged, and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to one week.

For the Shrimp:

Combine shrimp with fish sauce, sweetener, garlic, and pepper. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator while the vegetables are pickling.

For the Peanut Dressing:

While vegetables and shrimp marinate, make the peanut sauce. Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth. Adjust consistency as desired with water and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside (can be made up to 1 week ahead, refrigerated).

For the Salad:

Combine all salad ingredients except the noodles in a large bowl. Add the noodles to the marinating shrimp and toss to coat. Top the salad with the noodles and shrimp. Drizzle with the peanut dressing and serve immediately.