Il Giallo, a coastal Italian restaurant, will open this month in Sandy Springs with Jamie Adams, former executive chef of the defunct Veni Vidi Vici, running the kitchen. His Insalata Cruda features fall vegetables found in the Piemonte region of Italy, where Adams cooked for several years.
Ingredients for 4-6 servings
Juice from 4 lemons, divided
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 small fennel bulb
1 small to medium turnip or kohlrabi
2 small carrots
4 radishes
1 small zucchini
1 head escarole
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Small block of Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino Romano cheese for shaving
Instructions
In a large bowl, put juice from two lemons, a tablespoon of salt and about 8 cups water. Using a mandolin, thinly slice fennel, turnip, carrots, radishes and zucchini, and add to the water. Cut the bottom and the top off of the escarole, and the cut the head crosswise into 1-inch strips. Add to the water with the other vegetables.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, vinegar, juice from remaining 2 lemons and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil and taste and correct for salt.
Transfer the vegetables from the bowl to a salad spinner, and get them nice and dry. Return them to the bowl and toss well with the dressing. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Divide the salad among individual plates. Use a vegetable peeler to garnish each serving with a few shavings of cheese.
