China South of the Clouds

This is one of only two recipes in Cooking South of the Clouds that are inspired by foods of Yunnan instead of a being direct replications (with readily available ingredients). It is based on the many salads of bright greens I’ve had all across the province, especially in the eastern areas. These salads are usually made with foraged greens that are simply impossible to find in the U.S., but I love these salads too much to leave them out of the book entirely, so I replicated the idea using carrot greens, which are similar to a vegetable used in the area (a cousin of the carrot) and have a wonderful, bright flavor. The dressing for this particular version of the salad comes from a restaurant called Tusheng Shiguan in Kunming, as detailed below.

From the book:

“When Yang Lifen decided to open a restaurant, she had no experience with cooking professionally or running her own business, but she did have a mission: to help her parents and the farmers around them in Malong County, near Qujing, find a better way to sell their produce. With that goal in mind, Yang opened a small restaurant called Tusheng Shiguan, or “Native Foods Restaurant,” in Kunming that was modeled on the ideals of Community Supported Agriculture. She hired her brother, a restaurant cook, to oversee the food, and bought all her ingredients from her parents and other farmers in her hometown to give them an incentive to grow organic.

This salad is always on the menu in some form or other. In spring, it’s made with the tender, flavorful shoots of the Chinese toon tree, but it also works well with other foraged greens and even raw cucumbers. This recipe uses carrot greens as a stand-in for more traditional vegetables. Choose greens that are bright and hearty, and trim off the very bottoms of the stems. You can also make the dish with dark leafy greens such as chrysanthemum greens instead of the carrot tops; just start with a bit less vinegar and soy sauce, then increase the amounts to taste.”

6 cups packed carrot greens (1lb.)
5 tsp. Shaanxi vinegar
4 tsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. minced fresh Thai chiles

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the greens until the thick parts of the stems are tender and pliable, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the greens, rinse them with water until cool, then squeeze out all the excess water. Cut the greens into 1 1/2- to 2-inch-long pieces (you will have 1 1/2 to 2 cups of greens).

Transfer the greens to a small mixing bowl. Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and add more vinegar or soy sauce if needed, then transfer to a serving plate.

Photo: Georgia Freedman