Raw Dinner

As much as I love cooking, sometimes I like not cooking just as much.

This salad was inspired by SusanV, who, probably a year ago, posted about eating corn on the cob by rubbing it with lime and sprinkling with salt.

Spicy Corn Salad:
2 ears of corn
1/4 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) chili flakes
Couples of shakes of salt to taste

Cut the kernels off the cob, mix with the spices and serve cold with a side of lime and dill.

I was going with raw lasagna, inspired by Nutshell, but I was missing a few ingredients so this is:

Tomatoes and Garlic Cream:
1 heirloom tomato cut into thirds
3 sprigs oregano
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1/4 cup water or oil
Chives to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the cream sauce first by pureeing the soaked cashews and 1/2 the clove of garlic, add enough water or olive oil to make it a smooth, creamy consistency.
Make an oregano pesto with the oregano, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper

Layer: 1/3 tomato, 1/2 of the cream sauce, 1/3 tomato, oregano pesto, 1/3 tomato, remaining cream sauce. Garnish with chives and cracked pepper.

Raw Lasanga

1/2 zucchini cut into very thin rounds
Less than 1/4 onion cut into very thin slices
1 clove garlic
2 roma tomatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped spinach.
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. thyme
3 Tbl. chopped basil
3 Tbl. raw tahinni
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dehydrated onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. As thinly as possible, slice the zucchini. Chop the garlic clove in half and gently rub on both sides of each piece of zucchini. Set aside.
2. Dice the tomatoes, a tiny bit of garlic, spinach, rosemary, and thyme. Mix together and add salt and pepper to taste
3. In a seperate bowl mix the tahinni, lemon juice and onion powder. Add 1/2 tsp. at a time until the mixture is light in color and isn't pastey or runny.

To assemble:
1. Lay zucchini down so they slightly overlap one another.
2. Layer the thinly sliced onion.
3. Spread half of the tomato mixture over this and 1/3 of the tahinni mixture.
4. Repeat the zuchinni layer.
5. Lay another around of onions or thinly sliced garlic pieces.
6. Repeat the remaining steps until you're left with the last third of the tahinni mixture. Pour this over thetop zucchini layer.
7. Cut and serve.

Taste:
oh man. I never expected this to taste as good as it did. The best part about it was the lingering taste it left after it was done. I thought the tahinni was going to be too much but the way it mixed with the fresh tomatoes and the garlic flavor was so wonderful.
Brian doesn't normally say how it tastes until after I ask him. But with this, after the first bite he started talking about how good it was. He asked if I wrote the recipe down to make sure I know how to make it again. I can't wait to serve this to other people to see what they say.

Notes:
Sharp knife is required for this recipe. When I say thin slices I mean less than 1/16". with the onion and garlic it becomes almost just the juices.
The zucchini might start to warp. They can be stored in a bowl with cold water and 1 clove of crushed garlic.