Review copy provided by the publisher
PCC’s New Cookbook Serves Up Fresh Yet Familiar Takes on Seasonal Dishes
Celebrating its 65th anniversary, PCC Community Markets unveiled its first cookbook this week, COOKING FROM SCRATCH. Now the largest community-owned food market in the US, PCC spent the last couple of years evolving its marketing strategy, modernizing its store design and updating its visual identity. With the release of COOKING FROM SCRATCH, the message is clear: PCC is here to play with the bigger retailers.
The book is a polished compendium of 120 recipes including many favorites available in PCC’s deli department. Emerald City Salad, Tiger Mountain Chili and Walnut-Beet Salad are all in the book. (Pro-tip: buy a nub of blue cheese to add to the beets).
COOKING FROM SCRATCH covers every meal in the day, plus those in-between times. It even offers a section on Easy Weeknight Meals to get dinner on the table quickly. The book also has numerous vegetarian options, including: Linguine with Asparagus and Peas, Curried Lentil and Mango Wraps, Asian-inspired Steph’s Tofu, and Roasted Cumin Carrots with yogurt sauce.
Peach and Red Onion Salad in PCC’s new cookbook, COOKING FROM SCRATCH.
Sasquatch Books provided a review copy, so I’ve had time to test and shoot a few recipes myself. Many were previously on PCC’s web site, but Charity Burggraf’s gorgeous photos make every dish more inviting than the last. From Thai Steak Salad (recipe below) to Peach and Red Onion Salad to Asparagus Ravioli Salad, it’s definitely a book I’ll be cooking from through the seasons. Last night I cooked up the Creamy Winter Squash Fettuccini for dinner.
COOKING FROM SCRATCH is targeted at PNW’ers, but will appeal to any home cook seeking fresh yet familiar takes on seasonal dishes. If you loved Josh McFadden’s Six Seasons (review), check out COOKING FROM SCRATCH for a homier approach to fruit and vegetable-forward dishes, with meaty mains thrown in for good measure.
Active PCC Members (and those who live near a PCC location) should check their mail. A store coupon for 50 percent off the book, good from September 22 – October 1, showed up in my box last week.
PCC’s Lynne Vea will be at Book Larder September 20 at 6:30 p.m. for a book talk and demo.
Get COOKING FROM SCRATCH in-store at PCC, or on Amazon | Bookshop.org | IndieBound
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Thai Steak Salad
With the heat of fresh chili heightened with lime juice, this beef salad is sublimely refreshing on hot days and a welcome pick-me-up in the cooler months. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator, making for an excellent lunch of leftovers, and you can serve it with anything from a bowl of steamed jasmine rice to a pile of crunchy romaine leaves for lettuce wraps.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ pounds beef top round steak
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the beef
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small jalapeño pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup tamari
- 1⁄3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (both green and white parts)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Using a very sharp knife, trim any silver skin (the silvery- white connective tissue) and fat completely away from the beef, and slice the trimmed meat into 2-inch-thick pieces, going with the grain. All pieces should be about the same size so they cook at the same rate.
Lightly oil the beef and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the pieces on both sides until a caramelized brown crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the browned meat to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven, 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature taken with an instant-read thermometer reaches 130 degrees F. The pieces should be medium rare, with noticeable red to pink centers. Cool completely.
Slice the jalapeño in half. Set half aside with the seeds intact (to use in the dressing), and remove the seeds from the other half. Thinly slice the seeded half and set it aside for garnish.
In a blender or the work bowl of a food processor, com- bine two-thirds of the cilantro, the unseeded jalapeño half, the garlic, the sugar, the lime zest, and the red pep- per flakes and pulse about twenty times, until the mixture is a thick, slightly chunky paste. Drizzle in the tamari, lime juice, and oil; blend until smooth.
Slice the cooled meat across the grain very thinly, 2 to 3 inches long by ½ to ¾ inch wide. In a serving dish, toss the meat in the dressing. Garnish with the thinly sliced jalapeño, onions, and remaining cilantro. Let the salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Drain any excess liquid and serve chilled.
Notes
*(c)2018 From PCC Community Markets. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Cooking from Scratch by permission of Sasquatch Books.
