They call these the dog days of summer; I’m calling them the the salad days. It’s so hot where I am that I can barely consider eating anything warm, let alone cooked. I have been cradling Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenny (Gibbs Smith, 2008) and wandering through its pages, wishing Matthew himself were in my kitchen not-cooking some of the lovely recipes in his book.

But since he is not not slaving over my hot stove, I am going to have to tackle some of this myself. First up, salads. The book has some fantastic salad dressing recipes that I have added to my repertoire. Adding a “living” dressing to live greens boosts healthy enzymes and the fresh taste seems like the perfect fit for these dog days.

Note on ingredients: Nama shoyu is raw, unpasteurized soy sauce and can be substituted with regular soy sauce if it is unavailable near you. You can read about agave nectar in Care2’s Directory of Natural Sweeteners.

Spicy Almond Dressing
2 cups almonds butter
4 roma tomatoes
1/2 cup nama shoyu
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon miso
3-inch piece ginger
1-inch piece lemongrass
6-8 Thai chiles
1 teaspoon sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix, food processor or blender until completely smooth. Thin with water as needed. Makes one quart.

Ginger Miso Dressing
1/2 cup white miso
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cup chopped ginger

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix, food processor or blender until completely smooth. Makes one quart.

Creamy Sesame Dressing
1/2 cup nama shoyu
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1-inch piece ginger
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix, food processor or blender until smooth. Makes two cups.

Creamy Thai Dressing
3/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup nama shoyu
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 Thai bird chilis or 3 tablespoons red chili flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup chopped raw cashews

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Potato Salad Dressing
(Use this with diced raw jicama and other raw vegetables for a raw “potato” salad)
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon nama shoyu
1/4 teaspoon agave syrup
Pinch sea salt
Pinch chili powder

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix, food processor or blender until smooth. Dressing will be thick and will thin out when added to jicama. Makes two cups.