A chill has arrived in the air. It's crisp and harsh on the nose. Extra layers of clothing and warm, fluffy socks go on before heading out. The pace of our walks has turned brisk. I look forward to a mug of coffee or tea, as hot as I can get it without burning my tongue, which I'll make as soon as I get home. Maki doesn't seem to want to spend extended periods of time outside either. As soon as we get inside, she immediately curls up on her bed, as if to say, "Ok, I don't need to go out there for a while!".
We're gearing up for our first Friendsgiving dinner in our house. The menu is coming together: a slow-cooked brisket, smoked on the grill and then transferred to the oven for eight hours, and herb and garlic roasted fish. The side dishes are coming along as well. One that will be gracing our table is this cauliflower salad. Or maybe it's a slaw. Whatever you want to call it, there are some great textures and bright flavors in this side. And pomegranate adds a bit of tartness and, of course, that pop of color that makes this so striking to look at.
Cauliflower, Fig + Walnut Salad with Tahini Dressing
Servings: 4-6 as a side
Ingredients 1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (some bigger slices are fine) 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 4 Turkish figs, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup arils from a pomegranate 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons tahini 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons turmeric 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Instructions
1. Place the chopped cauliflower into a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the tahini, honey, lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and olive oil.
3. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and mix with a spoon. Let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Add walnuts, figs, pomegranate and parsley to the cauliflower and mix to combine. Season with additional salt before serving.
