i just made & enjoyed the BEST salad...

[kiropa]

kale marinated in black mission fig vinegar, a splash of EVOO & sprinkle of salt.

topped with beautifully ripe avocado, diced figs & raw sunflower seeds. YUM!!!!!!

after i finsihed the kale -- i repeated the process with a cabbage/romaine mix. good -- but not as perfect as the kale.

i am definitely liking the sweet/salty/tangy 5-flavors thing.

[luna99]

what is black mission fig vinegar and where do you get it from? is it premade or do you make it yourself?

sounds delish.

[kiropa]

i bought it at a gourmet kitchen store (called chef central) -- so i suppose it may not be raw. it is deliciously flavorful & i needed just a splash.

[Ama]

Here is a nice sweet/tangy dressing for you to try. Crisyn posted this on www.goneraw.com and also on G Living (http://gliving.tv/community/comments.php?DiscussionID=695&page=1#Item_12)

I just made it last night and it's definitely going to be a favorite in my home:

Marriage Proposal Cilantro-Tamarind Dipping Sauce
My girlfriend swears that her fiance asked her to marry him because of this sauce. Maybe you will have similar results, maybe not, but I guarantee that you will find this sauce unbelievably tasty!

We use it for everything – as a dip, a dressing, a pasta sauce, etc. But our favorite way to use it is as a sauce for salad rolls – use a lettuce wrapper, and load up the ripe avocado, sliced red peppers, julienned carrots, sundried tomatoes, red onion, sprouts, etc., then slather on a generous portion of this sauce, roll it all up and serve.

This sauce keeps well for about a week, so you can easily double or triple the recipe if you find you like it.
Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
* 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, soaked and pits removed
* ½ cup raw honey
* ¼ cup olive oil
* ½ cup raw cashews
* ⅔ cup fresh cilantro
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled
* 2 green onions or scallions
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* ¼ teaspoon sea salt
* 1 pinch turmeric

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until combined. Keep refrigerated.

[Crisyn]

Kiropa, that salad sounds wonderful. You have inspired me to try figs on my salad for lunch today!
Thanks for posting the recipe, Ama! I didn't realize I had never posted it here. I am so in love with this sauce, and am so glad other people enjoy it too!

(PS - Ama, I have decided not to participate in the forums at G-Living anymore, but I'm glad I'll still get to see you around here!)

[RawVee]

Pray tell, what does tamarind pulp look like? I figure my Asian market has it, but I wouldn't know where to start!

[Crisyn]

The tamarind I buy comes in a large block - and looks kind of like pureed dates - thick, dark paste. I buy it at my local grocery store, but you could definitely find it at an Asian market - it is very common!

[Petals]

I love figs... that salad sounds yummy, and that sauce, ama, sounds fantastic. It would be wonderul over a shredded cabbage seaweed salad. cut and pasted. thanks!

[RawVee]

The tamarind I buy comes in a large block - and looks kind of like pureed dates - thick, dark paste. I buy it at my local grocery store, but you could definitely find it at an Asian market - it is very common!

Thanks, Crisyn!!!
:)

[Coonlie]

What kind of taste does Tamarind have? Sweet? Spicy? Salty? Can anyone explain it? I've never tasted it so am wondering what it adds to the sauce or if something I have on hand could be substituted for it.

Thanks!

[Crisyn]

Hmmm, tamarind is kind of a taste all its own. I don't really know how to explain it, kind of a sweet and sour tangy type taste? It is pretty unique, so I'm not sure you can substitute the flavor, but you can use dates for a similar texture. If you can't find it, I imagine that the sauce would be almost as good without the tamarind - it would still have lots of great flavor.
Hope this helps.

[Crisyn]

Oh, juleskess on Gone Raw suggested using mango and lemon juice in place of the tamarind. Could be worth a try!

[Ama]

Hiyya Crisyn... good to see you. Wondering where you've been.

I am totally addicted to this dressing. My SAD husband even likes it and he HATES all of the dressings that I make. If I could only pick one dressing that is my favorite, this would definitely be it. Someone once said that they thought tamarind tasted like sour patch kids. I have never tried making the dressing without it so I can't comment, not sure if mango and lemon would do the trick. I think, being that you've never tried the original it would be fine but if you tried it with the tamarind then tried to substitute, then it wouldn't be the same.

[Coonlie]

Thanks for the help. I guess I'll have to try to find Tamarind, since all the raving about the dressing has me needing to try it!