Baby Arugula, Wild Mushroom, Mung Bean and Goat Cheese Salad
Robert Dautch—or BD, as he is known to everyone— has been farming for more than four decades in the Ojai Valley and Carpinteria. I have heard him described as an “organic alchemist.” And having cooked with his exquisite array of herbs, greens, edible flowers and vegetables for many of those years, I can attest that he and his hardworking crew, are masters of their craft. He is also a fountain of knowledge, and it was he, when he saw that I held a bunch of his Japanese globe turnips in my hand one market day, who said, “You know those are great eaten raw, Pascale.” I had not, up to that point, tried raw turnips, but dutifully went home and tried one. The texture and flavor were a revelation: sweet, delicate, with a hint of a mild radish on the palate, and the crunch of an Asian pear. They are terrific in salads. In this recipe they add a delicate yet crunchy contrast to the warmth of the sautéed mushrooms, the creaminess of the goat cheese and the pepperiness of the arugula.