Ruby Red Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

As I sit in front of a very angry Pacific Ocean, (our weekend get-away rental is perched, literally, on top of the sea, where the weather isn't exactly cooperating with my idea of beach weather), I have decided to imagine that it's hot outside, (like it was last year), and that I will be eating this salad for lunch...

Yvette and I did this photo shoot ages ago and it kinda got lost in the shuffle, but what better time to share this beautiful salad with you as we could all use a reminder that spring is around the corner, and this salad is perfect for lunch on a warm day. With buttery avocados, crunchy hazelnuts, and juicy pink grapefruit segments, this bright, cheery salad is simply lovely. I like to serve it for brunch with a hearty veggie fritatta and bubbly mimosas.

Wild Rice and Apple Salad

One of my all time favorite salads! It usually begins with left over rice from the night before, (If I'm being smart, I will make extra rice for this very reason.). Since I always have apples in the fridge and an assortment of raw nuts in the pantry, this salad comes together easily. Throw whatever happens to be in the fridge, (parsley, dried cranberries, pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese this time), and you'll have a healthy and filling meal in mere minutes.

I have found that making wild rice with chicken or vegetable stock and a pat or two of butter really makes a world of difference. This salad can be made with any grain, try it with quinoa, brown rice, farro, etc. There are no rules for this salad - here's your chance to get creative and clean out that fridge all at the same time. Enjoy!

Wild Rice and Apple Salad

2 cups cooked rice

1 apple - I like Gala or Fuji

1/2 cup nuts, I like pine nuts or walnuts

1 TBLS (or more) chopped fresh herb such as parsley, mint, basil.

Handful of dried cranberries

Crumbled goat cheese, or feta - to you liking

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Combine everything in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil (or walnut oil) and fresh lemon juice - adjust to your liking. Serve over a bed of mixed baby greens.

Hail to the Farmer!

It's something - going to the Farmer's market. The seasons predict the bounty, and the farmers bring us the fruits, (literally), of all their labor. The beauty is that it's offerings are fleeting, there a few weeks, then gone for a year. It's kind of romantic, like a love lost, found again.

As I walked through yesterday, I had an idea of what I wanted, (usually I blank out completely, due to sensory over-load), but it is deathly hot right now and I knew that a salad was in our future. Passing by an organic heirloom tomato stand helped steer me in the right direction. As it happened, the next stand over had beautiful ears of corn which also caught my attention and then it was all over, a light bulb moment, I was finished. I picked up an herbed salad mix and basil from my favorite lettuce stand, Maggie's Farms, (out of Agoura Hills, CA. The "stellar mix", a combination of every possible herb, wild flowers and baby lettuces is so good, I eat it straight from the bag).

I have a particular fondness for the combination of fresh corn, summer tomatoes, goat cheese and basil - hopefully you will share my affection...

Farmer's Market Greens with Tomato-Corn Relish, topped with Goat Cheese Medallion

Serves 4

Bag of herbed mixed greens (the herbs really make this salad, so if you can't find an herb mix, buy some baby greens or arugula and add a variety of herbs - trust me, the more herbs, the better).

2 ears of corn, roasted and kernels removed

1-2 tomatoes, I used the Brandywine heirloom variety, chopped

Basil, chopped thinly

Scallions, chopped thinly

8 oz. goat cheese

1 1/2 cup panko-style Japanese bread crumbs

1 egg

Juice of 1 lemon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Goat Cheese Medallions

Prepping the medallions:

(Can be done up to one day in advance, covered and refrigerated)

Leave goat cheese out to room temp. Form 4 round and flat medallions, think hockey puck. Place on a plate and put in the refrigerator for at least a half hour, to harden.

Once hardened, whisk one egg in a bowl and place panko crumbs in a separate bowl.

Working gently, one at a time, roll medallions first in egg, then coat with panko crumbs. Once all 4 are coated, return to refrigerator until ready to prepare.

Cooking Instructions:

(This should be done just before service, with the rest of the salad components prepared).

Heat a heavy pan, (I use a cast iron), add olive oil, enough to fry in, about 1/8 cup), add medallions and cook for about 2-3 minutes, the crumbs should look nice and golden. Gently flip with a spatula, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Carefully remove from heat, again with a spatula, and let rest on a paper bag or paper towel to drain excess oil.

Step 2:

Tomato - Corn Relish

Heat cast iron skillet to med - high and place corn in it. Rotate every few minutes, it will char and cook nicely this way. You can also grill it.

Chop tomatoes, scallions and basil and combine in a bowl.

Add corn kernels and drizzle juice of one lemon and olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss gently and set aside.

Step 3:

Assembly

Place salad greens on a plate, with your hands, gently place tomato and corn relish over greens. Add hot goat cheese medallion to the top of relish, season freshly ground pepper.

Serve with a crisp white wine.

Wild Salmon Salad with Tzaziki

Wild salmon has reappeared in the seafood markets and this makes me really happy. Best to avoid the farmed stuff as it wreaks havoc among the natural fish population, and the salmon itself, is far less nutritious than it's wild counterpart. Here is a very simple and adaptable salad which features poached wild salmon. Everything else can be adjusted to your liking. I am writing this recipe loosely - all you need to do is poach the salmon, make the sauce and throw together a simple salad. I guess you could say it's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3 ....

To poach salmon, place fish (with skin side down) in a deep saute pan (at least 2") and add enough water, plus a about 1 cup of dry white wine in a large sauce pan, covering fish about 3/4. Add a bay leaf, salt and a few peppercorns. Bring water to a slow simmer, then cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. (Fish cooks at about 8 minutes per inch of thickness - so adjust your cooking time accordingly). I turn heat off and leave covered for another few minutes. The salmon will flake when it is cooked all the way through. Place salmon in fridge to cool completely - should take about an hour. ( The meat will easily pull away from the skin, discard it. Or give it to your doggie, he will be very excited).

While salmon cools, make tzaziki sauce:

Tzaziki Sauce (Yogurt/Cucumber Sauce)

1 cup Greek yogurt, plain

1/2 hot house seeded cucumber, diced

1 small shallot, diced

1 TBLS chopped fresh dill or mint

squeeze of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate.

To assemble the salad, I like to have a mixture of lettuces, (I am in love with this combo: butter, mache and watercress at the moment). Add fresh dill sprigs and thinly sliced cucumber, radish and celery. Top with crumbled salmon and tzaziki. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of a lemon.

Chop Chop

Making a chopped salad requires little more than imagination and a good ole knife.  There are no rules, no expectations, other than having everything chopped just so - to justify the name.  I like to always include avocado and hard boiled eggs - the rest varies depending on what's in the fridge or new at the market.  Consider a vegetarian version by using baked tofu or tempeh. Please, use this as inspiration for a summer time salad and get to choppin!

Chopped Salad

serves  4

2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup Persian cucumbers, peeled and chopped in 1/2" dice

2 hard boiled eggs, quartered

1 cup grilled or steamed corn

2 ripe avocados, cut into 1/2" dice

2 cups cooked Organic, free range chicken

1/2 cup cooked nitrate free bacon pieces ( I like Niman Ranch)

scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

In a large bowl, add romaine.  Place each component into a s

ection of the bowl.  Top with chicken and then bacon bits - garnish with scallions.  Toss with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing.

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup Organic plain yogurt

3 TBLS white wine vinegar

2 TBLS Dijon mustard

pinch salt and pepper

1/2 thinly sliced scallions

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (Roquefort is the best).

Combine first 5 ingredients.  Add scallions and cheese.

Celery, Radish and Hazelnut Salad

I absolutely love making this.  It's a beautiful, low maintenance salad meaning, you can make everything in advance and then throw it together at the last minute.  The secret is in the knife - get creative with your veggie chopping by cutting the celery at an angle and the radish in a way to get the longest julienne. I have found that the ingredients here all work wonderfully together and the texture is a nice change from your usual salad.  I particularly like to add pomegranate seeds for garnish, they are so good for you and have such unique bite.  The avocado helps balance all that crunch.

CELERY, RADISH, AND HAZELNUT SALAD

1 head butter lettuce (also known as Boston Bibb)

5 stalks celery ribs, cut on a long bias

5 - 10 medium size radish, any color, mix it up - julienned

1/2 cup raw or toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and grated on box grater, or use veggie peeler to make long strips

1 ripe avocado, cut into long wide slices

pomegranate seeds for garnish.  

Prep the celery, radish, carrots and hazelnuts and place in a bowl. Add the dressing, some salt and pepper and set aside. 

(Note: this can marinate for up to an hour.)

When you are ready to serve, place some lettuce on a plate, turning upwards like a cup, and fill with celery mixture.  Add a few avocado slices to each plate and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Dressing:

1/2 c Hazelnut oil, or olive oil

1/4 c Apple cider vinegar

1 TBLS Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a bowl, except for Hazelnut oil, slowly drizzle in while stirring until dressing is incorporated.  Adjust flavor to your liking.