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CREAMY ASIAN PEAR AND TEMPEH SALAD WITH WASABI DRESSING

SERVES 4

TIME: 35 MINUTES, PLUS CHILLING TIME

Light, refreshing, a little sweet, and piquant, this is an excellent salad during the dog days of summer. Asian pears (also called Korean pears) are very large, round, sand-colored pears with a unique, snappy crunch and a hint of fruity, white winelike flavor. Any pear can be substituted, but do try to make this just once with Asian pears. Look for them wherever Asian produce or groceries are sold. Serve with rice crackers or rice cakes.

➣Not all wasabi powders are created equal. Some are more flavorful than others; use a reliable brand (ask your Asian grocer which brand he or she recommends) or you might have to add quite a bit to properly season the dressing. Purists might also want to avoid brands that contain green artificial coloring.

➣We like the flavor of Silken Mayo Dressing for this salad, but you can also use you favorite commercially prepared vegan mayo. We’ve suggested using less of the prepared kind because it tends to be very rich. If you find it so, try watering it down it a little bit of soy milk or soy creamer before adding to the other dressing ingredients.

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, diced

½ cup small, sweet fresh or frozen green peas

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 scallion, sliced very thinly

1 Asian pear or other firm, crisp pear, pitted and cut into ½-inch dice (about 2 cups)

1 cup Silken Mayo Dressing (page 92), or ⅔ cup commercially prepared vegan mayo

1½-2 teaspoons wasabi powder

2 teaspoons lime juice

IN A steamer basket, steam the tempeh for 10 minutes. Add the peas and steam for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the peas are bright green and tender. Remove from the steamer, sprinkle with soy sauce, and toss into a large bowl with the scallion. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Crush the cubes of tempeh a little with your hands and toss in the diced pear.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Silken Mayo Dressing or mayonnaise, wasabi powder, and lime juice. Taste and adjust the spice level with more wasabi if necessary.

Pour the dressing over the tempeh mixture, stir to combine everything, and place in an airtight container. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight, to allow the flavors to blend.

PROSPECT PARK POTATO SALAD

MAKES A BOATLOAD

TIME: 50 MINUTES, PLUS TIME TO CHILL

The perfect potato salad for any family reunion or general food fight.The mustard gives it a cool yellow color, with little bits of green dill.We love how the cucumbers taste like pickles when the salad has been sitting around for awhile.This recipe really does make a lot, so if not taking to a picnic or family reunion, you might want to halve it.

5 pounds white potatoes, peeled and washed

1 seedless cucumber, sliced into small, thin pieces

1 cup Vegenaise

¼ cup Dijon mustard (whole-grain is best)

¼ cup olive oil

⅓ cup distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon dried dill

1 teaspoon turmeric

1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

1 large carrot, peeled

SLICE THE potatoes so that they are somewhere between ¼ and ½ inch thick. If very large potatoes, cut them into thirds lengthwise, then slice. If smaller ones, just cut them in half and slice. But it’s nice to have different sizes because small bits fall apart and become part of the dressing, while most maintain their shape.

Place the potatoes in a very large pot and fill with water, about 4 inches or so above the tops of the potatoes. Boil for about 15 minutes, keeping an eye on them. Check that you can pierce one easily with a fork, but be careful not to overcook them; you want them to be tender but still firm and not falling apart.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: In a very large mixing bowl (big enough to add the potatoes later on), mix the vegan mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, dill, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Whisk briskly. Add the cucumber and