3 Fresh Recipes for Outdoor Dining

After a long winter spent eating hearty soups and comfort food, you might be in need of a palate-cleanser once the warm weather starts to roll around. For us, that palette-cleanser takes the form of fresh-tasting, green-filled foods with hints of citrus and tropical flavors. To help you give you that much-needed kick in the taste buds, our pal Gabriel Cabrera is sharing 3 tasty recipes for summer entertaining that are tasty, easy, and above all—fresh! Cheers!

Green Papaya & Yuzu Salad
Serves 1

For the salad

1 bunch Lacinato kale, chopped up
1 bunch Baby spinach
1 bunch microgreens (any kind you like)
1 Watermelon radish, sliced
1 bunch of pansies (make sure they are edible!)
1 avocado, sliced

For the green papaya

1 small green papaya, washed
2 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp chili flakes
¼ cup yuzu juice (you can buy it bottled at a japanese store)
1 handful fresh mint, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ponzu sauce
¼ tsp sesame oil
1 tsp maple syrup
3 tbsp olive oil
Pepper to season

Start by macerating the kale: add a splash of lemon juice and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, toss (making sure all leaves are coated) and let it sit for 10-15 min.

Add the seasoned kale to a bowl and add all the other salad ingredients except for the avocado.

Shred the green papaya using a box grater or food processor. Add the sesame seeds, child flakes, yuzu juice, mint, salt and pepper and toss. Let it sit for a few minutes to infuse flavour.

Mix all of the dressing ingredients, taste for sweetness and adjust if needed (shouldn’t be too acidic).
To serve, toss some of the dressing over the mix of greens, season with salt and pepper then add the shredded papaya in a bundle on top. Place the sliced avocado on the side.

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Jackfruit Carnitas Bao
Serves 2

1 tsp minced garlic
½ onion
1 can jackfruit in water (make sure it’s not in syrup! You can find them at most asian markets)
½ cup beef stock
¼ cup oyster sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander

Toppings

Shredded pickled veggies (grab a few from the store, we recommend daikon radish, onions, and carrots)
1 bunch of cilantro
Crushed peanuts
Limes
Chili oil

In a pan, sautee the garlic and onions on medium low heat until they start to brown a bit (without burning the garlic).

Drain the can of jackfruit and rinse it. Pat it dry with a paper towel, add to the garlic and onion mix, add the stock and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until liquid is almost gone.

Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook on low heat for another 10 ish minutes until jackfruit is soft enough to shred. Once done, shred the jackfruit with a fork, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

To serve, steam or heat the bao buns (if you heat them up in an oven, place a clean damp towel over them so they don’t dry).

Add a some of the jackfruit carnitas, then add the as many toppings as you want, squeeze some lime and dig in!

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The Herbalist Mocktail: Green Juice, Cold Brew Green Tea Syrup, Shiso and Lime Leaf.
Makes 4

For the green tea cold brew syrup

1 cup sugar
2 cups water
4 shiso leaves
1 lime leaf (magrut lime leaf)
3 green tea bags

For the fragrant garnish, a bundle per cocktail of the following

1 little bunch of mint
1 shiso leaf
1 branch fennel tops
1 chunk of pomelo or grapefruit

For the body of the cocktail

4 cups of your favorite green juice (we used pineapple, spinach, kale, and cucumber juice)
Lots of ice and a straw to serve

Start by making a simple syrup: combine the sugar and water and place them in a small pot over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and cool down completely. Place the cool syrup in a glass jar or infusing bottle and add the shiso leaves, lime leaf, and green tea bags. Let it steep for 4 hours, remove the tea bags (otherwise it goes a bit bitter), then steep for another 3 hours with just the leaves. Note if you want an intense syrup let it steep overnight. Strained syrup and keep cold.

Prepare a glass with plenty of ice, then add a few ice cubes to a shaker. To make each cocktail, add about ½ cup of the green juice, ¼ cup (or less if you don’t like it too sweet) of the infused syrup and shake it like a polaroid until shaker gets frosty on the outside. Pour contents in the glass with ice.

Slap the the bundle of mint, shiso, and fennel tops to release their aroma (seriously, slapping works!), then place of the drink with the pomelo and enjoy!