SPRING CLEANING FOR SALADS |
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Spring break, holidays, and the beginning of al fresco dining season means it's that time of the year, salad season. Get prepared by doing a little spring cleaning of your pantry: check expiration dates for spices and ingredients, make sure you are well stocked with the basics like oils, canned beans, grains, nuts and seeds, mustards and anchovies (for Caesars). Plus a few bougie items like fancy olives, pine and macadamia nuts, hearts of palm, fancy oils, flavored vinegars and Maldon flake sea salt to level up those salad recipes. Experiment with a new tool or two to create great salads all spring long. I use my food processor, citrus squeezer, microplane, garlic press and a beautiful wood bowl almost every time I make a salad. Here's a link to shop for my pantry basics and also the tools I love and use in the Salad Lab. |
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INGREDIENTS Whisk - Creamy Lemon Herb Dressing Toss 6 cups (1440ml) spring mix 2 cups (480ml) arugula 1 cup (240ml) blanched asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces 1 cup blanched fresh Peas 4 boiled Eggs 1/2 cup chopped bacon 1 cup Couscous 1/2 cup shaved watermelon radish or other radish ½ cup micro greens ½ cup avocado 2 tablespoons edible flower pedals - marigolds and snapdragon
INSTRUCTIONS Prep In a medium pot of salted boiling water add eggs, cover and boil 9-10 minutes. Remove eggs and submerge in icewater. Prepare couscous as instructed on package. In a pot of salted boiling water add asparagus and blanch for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and submerge in icewater. In the same pot of boiling water add peas and blanch 1-2 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and submerge in icewater. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and sauté bacon until crispy. Remove and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. In a beautiful large salad bowl combine oil, yogurt, lemon juice, dill, basil, parsley, mint, green onion, zest, honey, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined. In the same bowl add spring mix, arugula, asparagus, peas, eggs, bacon, couscous, radish, micro greens, avocado, and edible flower pedals. Toss and serve. Enjoy! I’m having it with Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc
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I recently participated in a live salad making demo at I Leoni in Petaluma, California. I created three salads for the crowd, demonstrated some new equipment, and answered a bunch of questions. I'm looking forward to being out and about even more, stay tuned ... |
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Be sure to follow me everywhere - enjoy! |
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