I’m a huge fan of salads. I could eat one everyday, particularly since we grow so many ingredients for them during the farm season. When I was on a restricted diet following my recent surgery (the first 10 days were liquids) what I missed the most was a variety of texture. God, just give me some crunch, something to chew!
Often times, when purchases from the farmer’s market are limited and the choice of lettuces from the grocery store are packed in plastic containers, picked over a week ago, you simply have to get out of the box. If you want texture you have to get beyond the Honeymoon Salad (lettuce a lone!) and look for more seasonal fare.
There are many veggies that work beautifully in the winter for salads. Try combining both fruit and vegetables like pear and butternut squash or kale, chickpeas and pomegranate seeds. Nuts such as almonds, pine nuts or pepitas, hard-boiled eggs and hard or soft cheeses also work. Try all kinds of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower or one of my favorites: Brussels sprouts.
Any type of cabbage pairs well with the smokey taste of bacon or pancetta. This gives you the option of making a warm dressing with some of the fat by adding something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar. Get creative! Seasonal winter salads can be warm or cold. They can be the center or side of a meal. You are only limited by your own imagination!
Brussels Sprout Salad With Warm Bacon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 generous tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 shallots, thinly sliced
6 slices bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and sliced thin using a mandolin or knife
3 ounces shredded Pecorino cheese
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in small Pyrex measuring cup. Add shallot, cover and heat in microwave for 30-60 seconds or until steaming. Stir, then cover and let come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Cook bacon in deep 12-inch skillet over medium-heat until crisp, stirring frequently. Drain bacon on paper towels. Add shallot mixture off-heat, stir until combined. Add shredded Brussels sprouts and toss with tongs until dressing is evenly distributed and sprouts are slightly wilted, about 3 minutes.
Transfer to serving bowl. Add Pecorino, dried cranberries and almonds and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6
“What a wild winter sound,— wild and weird, up among the ghostly hills…. I get up in the middle of the night to hear it. It is refreshing to the ear, and one delights to know that such wild creatures are among us. At this season Nature makes the most of every throb of life that can withstand her severity. ” –John Burroughs, “The Snow-Walkers,” 1866
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