23 Jul Special of the Day: Simple Summer Salads to Love
Spinach Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, Red Onion Ribbons and Fennel Seed Croutons
If you’re anything like me, summer’s sizzling temperatures make you think twice about firing up the stove. When it’s too hot to cook, think simple summer salads for lunch or dinner.
Starting with high quality ingredients will set you up for success in the salad making department, so don’t be afraid to splurge on superior olive oils, grapeseed oils and flavored vinegars for your homemade dressings. Shop locally at Wines by Wednesday and Pizazz for gourmet flavored oils and vinegars.
Two of my favorite accoutrements to dress up a salad are candied nuts and seeded croutons. Making candied nuts is as easy as melting a thin layer of sugar in a heavy nonstick saucepan and stirring nuts into the mix, then allowing them to cool on parchment paper. They can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Seeds will adhere more readily to your croutons when cubed bread has been dipped in an egg wash and then rolled in seasonings and seeds before crisping up in the oven.
Beat the heat by tossing up some sensational salads with this week’s Special of the Day: Simple Summer Salads to Love and recipes for Micro Mesclun with Mixed Berries, Blue Cheese and Candied Almond Slices and Wilted Spinach Salad with Red Onion, Egg and Crispy Prosciutto. Enjoy!
Recipes and food photography by Sydne George
Micro Meslun Salad with Mixed Berries, Blue Cheese and Candied Almond Slices
Micro Mesclun Salad with Mixed Berries, Blue Cheese and Candied Almond Slices
(serves four)
Make the candied almond slices:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup sliced almonds
Heat a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar evenly over bottom of pan. Allow to melt, without stirring. As soon as sugar is melted, sprinkle almonds over melted sugar and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until golden. Remove from heat and transfer candied almond slices to parchment paper to cool.
Make the Lemon-Raspberry Vinaigrette:
2 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon grapeseed oil (or lemon olive oil)
½ tsp. honey
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
Make the salad:
2 cups mesclun (mixed greens)
½ cup fresh raspberries
½ cup fresh blackberries
4 thin slices blue cheese, cut into small triangles
Kosher
Freshly ground pepper
Toss mesclun, and berries with vinaigrette.
Divide salad among four salad plates.
Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Arrange cheese on top of each salad.
Top with candied almond slices.
Enjoy!
Spinach Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, Red Onion Ribbons and Fennel Seed Croutons
Spinach Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, Red Onion Ribbons and Fennel Seed Croutons
(serves four)
Make the crispy prosciutto:
2 tbsp. roasted garlic grapeseed oil (or garlic olive oil)
½ cup thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into small strips
Heat oil in medium sauté pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally until crispy. Remove crispy prosciutto from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
Make the Fennel-seed Croutons:
3 slices sourdough bread, cut into small cubes
1 egg
1 tsp. water
2 tbsp. fennel seed
Kosher salt
Garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk egg and water in small bowl. Add bread cubes and stir to coat.
Transfer to shallow dish. Sprinkle bread cubes with fennel seed, salt and garlic powder and stir to coat all sides.
Transfer croutons to baking sheet brushed with garlic olive oil.
Lightly drizzle croutons with additional garlic olive oil.
Bake in preheated oven about 12 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Make the dressing:
2 tbsp. roasted garlic grapeseed oil (or garlic olive oil)
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
Add 2 tbsp. oil to sauté pan and return to heat.
Add vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Make the salad:
2 cups fresh spinach
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
¼ cup red onion, sliced into thin ribbons with a mandolin
Toss spinach with dressing. Top with egg, crispy prosciutto and croutons.
Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Enjoy!
Sydne George is a food journalist specializing in recipe development, food writing and food photography. She can be reached at sydnegeorge@hotmail.com . Sydne’s recipes from “Special of the day” are archived at http://sydnegeorge.com/blog/.
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