Sesame Tofu Dressing
This is a delicious dressing that was introduced to me by Chris Terlikar, a sous chef at Public restaurant, who brought it from Australia via London and Vancouver to our humble home in NYC. It has an interesting, yet slightly subdued flavor that allows the farmers market spring greens to do the talking.
One of the secrets to the success of this dressing is to use it with cooked green vegetables (asparagus, peas, edamame, green beans, fiddleheads) mixed with flavorful greens (watercress, rocket, etc), just a touch of shredded pickled ginger (aka sushi ginger), and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for a memorable market tribute.
Take the time to buy tahini, miso, and mirin — they are not expensive and have a decently long shelf life so why not give it a go?
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it reaches a smooth consistency.
Brad Farmerie
Brad Farmerie grew up in Pittsburgh in a food-loving family, where his mother exposed him to a variety of cuisines from a young age, always insisting on home baked bread and vegetables straight from the family garden. After a brief college hiatus spent exploring the cuisines and wines of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Antipodes, Farmerie followed his love for food to the UK and earned his "Grande Diplome" at Le Cordon Bleu in 1996. He further rounded out his education and technique at acclaimed restaurants Coast, Chez Nico and Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. Most influential to his own style was his experience working with Peter Gordon at the Sugar Club, and he went on to assist Gordon and Anna Hansen in opening the critically-acclaimed The Providores and Tapa Room in 1996. In 2003 Farmerie moved back to the States to help conceive PUBLIC, AvroKO’s first self-propelled restaurant. In the fall of 2008, Farmerie extended his culinary reach as executive chef of AvroKO Restaurant Group’s Double Crown and Madam Geneva, which takes as its inspiration the unique cuisine that emerged when the British colonized the countries of South Asia and the Far East.