My Favorite Salad

It just happens. On those rare occasions that I relinquish the kitchen to my husband, I'm always called back to make the salad dressing. He even forewarns me - "I'll make dinner, but you have to make the dressing." Despite preconceived notions people have about chefs, we really do love to eat meals prepared by others. It doesn't have to be gourmet or fancy. Just the fact that someone else is is doing the work and I can kick back with a nice glass of wine is such a beautiful thing! But, it never fails... I'm often called on to make the dressing for the salad. 

Visiting my brother-in-law is always a treat. He's a great grill man and always does an awesome job pulling together a delicious meal. But, he always saves the dressing for me. I honestly don't mind at all. I take it as a compliment and secretly love to play a small part in the meal preparation. Same with my friend Jules - especially after our last week-long visit to her home. I think we had a salad just about every night we were there!

But, why don't more people make their own dressing? Maybe they think it's too hard or time consuming. I'm not quite sure. But, what I do know is that it is so simple and delicious to toss a beautiful salad with a freshly made dressing. No preservatives or that weird bottle-dressing taste.

Included in this post is my latest favorite salad recipe. (I write "latest" because around here, things are always changing. It's a running joke in our family that I never make the same thing twice, especially if everyone likes it!)  That being said, this salad has been gobbled up many many times by friends and family alike. It is also a very versatile salad. You don't have to include all the ingredients and you can substitute your own favorite vegetables, fruits, nuts and cheeses. 

In my experience, a great salad has all the flavor combinations and textures going for it - sweet, salty, bitter, crunchy and creamy. Most important, a salad is only as delicious as the quality of its ingredients.  We all know that a Connecticut grown tomato plucked from the vine in August is light years ahead of the sad tomato that was picked too early and stuck on a truck for days even before it arrives in the grocery store.  That tomato will never have the "taste of summer." 

Good olive oil and vinegar also make a world of difference. I don't typically use extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe (I find it has too strong of a taste to counterbalance the plethora of other flavorful ingredients).  However, sometimes it is wonderful and appropriate to have that fresh, slightly bitter and robust olive oil taste (I used an extra-virgin oil in my last post with the bibb lettuce salad with parmesan and cherry tomatoes). As for the balsamic vinegar, you can find salad dressing quality balsamics in the supermarket. One of my reliable sources (Cooks Illustrated) recommends the Monario Federzoni of Modena brand.  I would definitely not waste my money on a traditional balsamico whose price tag can run you up to a couple of hundred dollars! These balsamicos are crafted like a fine wine and should only be used for drizzling to finish a dish.

I did not include amounts for any of the salad ingredients. It's really up to you and the number of people you are serving. I hope you enjoy my favorite salad!

MY FAVORITE SALAD

Ingredients:

Baby Arugula or Mixed Greens

Cherry Tomaotes (halved if large)   

Carrots, peeled and grated 

Cucumber, cut into half moons 

Ripe Avocado, peeled, pitted and diced 

Scallions, chopped

Dried Cranberries 

Roasted Sunflower Seeds  

Caramelized Nuts 

Fresh Goat Cheese, crumbled

optional: Crunchy Onions (I like "Lars" brand - usually available at New Morning in Woodbury or Trader Joe's)

Balsamic Dressing

1 cup Olive Oil1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

In a medium bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard and shallots until combined.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl toss the salad ingredients with the salad dressing (use as much or as little dressing as you'd like to suit your personal preferences).

Serve immediately. 

Note: Salad ingredients and dressing can be made a day ahead and tossed the day of serving.