Appetite For Change at the Mill City Farmers Market

Michelle Horovitz, Executive Director of Appetite For Change, was at the May 12 Market dishing up a wicked Asparagus Salad and providing information on the work her organization is doing to promote positive community change through food.

Michelle founded Appetite For Change in 2011 as a way to combine her passion for food and dedication to racial and economic justice, and is committed to working with families and communities to use growing and cooking food as a vehicle for social change.

She is happy to answer any questions you have regarding Appetite for Change, and can be reached at michelle@afcmn.org, or 612-655-6791.  If you'd like to contribute to the program, you can donate securely through the Razoo link on their website.  Follow AFC on Facebook and Twitter.

YUM ALERT - Here's the recipe for the Asparagus Salad Michelle served:

2 cups Asparagus (one bunch)
6 cups Salad Mix*
1 small Shallot
¼ cup Lemon Juice
½ cup Olive Oil
½ tsp salt plus ¼ tsp
¼ tsp pepper
4 oz goat cheese

1) Blanch the asparagus: bring a pot of salted water to a boil and submerge the asparagus for 1 min only.  Have a bowl of salted ice water ready and immediately put the blanched asparagus into the ice water to “shock” or stop the cooking.  Cut asparagus on the bias into thin, ¼ inch slices and place in a large bowl. **If you want to slice the asparagus super thin, use a mandolin and shave the asparagus before you blanch it.  If shaving it, only blanch for 20 seconds.
2) *Use any combination of salad greens.  For the best flavor try adding arugula or water cress. Rinse and dry the greens and combine them with the asparagus.  Sprinkle the ¼ tsp of salt over greens and asparagus.
3) Thinly slice the shallots and put them in a small bowl separately from the greens and asparagus.
4) In an air-tight plastic container or glass jar, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, remaining salt and pepper.  Shake vigorously until the ingredients form a homogenous dressing. 
5) Add the shallots to the dressing and let that sit for at least 10-15 minutes.  This lightly “cooks” the shallots so they aren't too pungent. 
6) Drizzle a desired amount of dressing (about half is perfect) and toss to coat all the ingredients. 
7) Crumble the goat cheese and toss lightly before serving.  If plating salads individually, crumble some additional goat cheese on each plate separately for presentation.
8) For some added texture, toasted nuts (pistachio, pine nuts, or shaved almonds) would be delicious!