Having graduated from NGI's Chef's Training Program in the late 2000s, Alissa Wagner is a successful restaurateur in New York City. Along with friend and business partner Sabrina De Sousa, Alissa co-founded , a hip, vegetable-forward eatery in Chinatown.
The Southern California-influenced restaurant started out as a small 18-seat space but relocated to bigger digs, on Canal Street, this past spring. Check out these recent features about the talented NGI alum:
Way to go, Alissa!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 English cucumber, peeled
- ½ bunch asparagus (about 8 ounces), trimmed
- 3 radishes, sliced paper thin
- 1 medium carrot, peeled
- 2 oz hard cow’s milk cheese, shaved (optional)*
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sumac
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- Few grinds of black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss chickpeas with olive oil and salt until evenly coated. Roast until slightly crisp, about 20 minutes.
- Using a peeler, peel cucumber into long strips, avoiding the seedy center.
- Slice the flowering tips off asparagus and halve on a diagonal. Using a peeler, peel asparagus stalks into long strips.
- Using a peeler, peel carrots into long strips.
- In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, sumac, salt and pepper; while continually whisking, slowly stream in olive oil. Add cucumber, asparagus, carrots and radishes and toss to coat evenly.
- To serve, divide salad among 4 plates and top with chickpeas and cheese, if using.
*We used Alpha Tolman, a raw cow’s milk cheese from Jasper Hill Farm, which is available at the Union Square Greenmarket.
This post was originally published by the Natural Gourmet Institute. Learn more about today's Natural Gourmet Center.