Cape Cod Chopped Salad

I've been craving a fresh tasting, crisp salad and Ina Garten's Cape Cod Chopped Salad fit my mood today. The dressing is sweet and tart, perfect for the salad ingredients and will last for a few days in the fridge.

Recipe

4 strips thick cut bacon
8 oz. baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, diced
1/2 c. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries
6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

DRESSING:
3 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 T. orange juice
2-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 T. pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2/3 c. olive oil

For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil until well incorporated. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. To make cleanup easier, line the baking sheet with a sheet of foil. Roast the bacon for 20 minutes until nicely browned. Cool, then chop in large pieces.

In a large bowl toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese and bacon. Toss salad with just enough dressing to moisten.

– Ina Garten, "Back to Basics"

Smoked Trout Salad with Horseradish Cream

A light but filling salad that I made for lunch today. You can find pre-packaged smoked trout in specialty grocery stores or Trader Joe, but my local market had fresh smoked "candied" steelhead so I thought I'd give it a go. I wasn't sure how the sweet flavor would go with the horseradish and other ingredients in this recipe, but it was a hit! Serve with a tasty pinot rose wine. Recipe below makes two good-size portions.

Recipe

8 oz. smoked Steelhead (or other trout)
1 hard boiled egg, peeled
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 to 2/3 c. pitted mixed olives (Kalamata, black, and green), cut in half or quartered for larger olives
1/4 to 1/3 c. chopped sweet onion
3 T. loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, or roughly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 Boston lettuce leaves

HORSERADISH CREAM
1/4 c. whipped cream cheese
1 T. bottled horseradish (I used horseradish cream)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Crunchy French bread for serving

Using an egg slicer, cut the egg into vertical slices, then pivot the slices at 90-degrees in the slicer and cut them again, or chop into squares. Put the egg, tomato, olives, onion, cilantro (or parsley), salt, pepper and oil in a bowl and toss gently.

For the horseradish cream, mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Divide the tomato mixture among two plates, creating a mound in the middle of the plate. Make a well in the center of each mound; using a spoon spread it out slightly to accommodate the lettuce leaf. Place the lettuce in the middle and put half the horseradish cream on the lettuce leaf. Arrange the pieces of trout on top of the horseradish cream and sprinkle with any remaining chopped cilantro.

Serve with slices of French bread and butter.

– Jacques Pépin, "Fast Food My Way"

Kale, Carrot & Sunflower Seed Salad

Fresh and crunchy with a creamy, vibrant dressing, this salad from New Seasons Market in Portland is a perfect lunch on a hot summer day. Massage the dressing into the salad so every kale leaf gets wet.

Recipe

1 bunch kale
2 large carrots, grated
1/3 c. sunflower seeds

DRESSING
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 T. soy sauce or tamari
1-1/2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 T. fresh ginger, minced finely
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt to taste

Wash kale, remove stems, and cut into bite-size pieces. Add grated carrots and sunflower seeds. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over kale. Massage well and season to taste with salt.

– New Seasons Market

Tall Greek Tomato Salad

A fun and elegant way to serve a traditional Greek salad, piled high in a sculptural form with tomatoes, cucumber, feta, red onion, fresh oregano, and assorted olives in a lemon olive-oil dressing. I served this with lamb burgers with feta (another fabulous recipe from Jacques Pépin!). To serve, I held on to the tower and using a serrated knife and cut down the middle, turned 90-degrees and cut again.

Recipe

LEMON OLIVE OIL DRESSING
5 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk.

TOMATO SALAD
4 tomatoes with stems attached
1 cucumber, unpeeled, cut into 1/4" thick rounds
8 slices red onion, 1/8" thick
Fleur de sel (I used regular salt)
4 oz. feta, cut into 1/4" slices, about same diameter as tomato (cut off square edges to try and make it roundish)
Mixture of about 24 olives (black oil-cured, kalamata, etc.)
2 T. fresh oregano (garnish)

Cut around the stem of the tomato so you can use it as a cap at the top; alternatively, you can cut out the stem and use a sprig of fresh oregano to stick out of the top. Cut a narrow slice from the base of the tomato so it will sit flat. Cut each tomato horizontally into 5 equal slices.

Place the bottom slice from each tomato in the center of four salad plates. Cover each slice with some of the cucumber slices and a slice of onion with a sprinkling of salt and a small spoonful of dressing. Put the second tomato slice on top and cover with feta slices and spoon a little of the dressing over the cheese. Add the third slice of tomato and top with cucumber slices, onion, and a little of the dressing. Add the fourth tomato slice and top with feta and a little dressing. Finally, add the last tomato slice.

Sprinkle the olives and some feta crumbles and any leftover cucumber on the bottom of the plate around the cucumber "tower" and a bit of salt and fresh oregano leaves. Drizzle dressing over the tomato tower, and around the plate and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Mushroom & Walnut Salad with Sour Cream Dressing

Fresh, light and perfect for lunch or a dinner first course. Button mushrooms, walnut pieces, scallions, lemon juice, sour cream, salt and pepper are combined and chilled in the fridge, covered, for an hour (or up to 5-6 hours). The perfect do-ahead meal. When ready to serve, spoon the mixture onto a few leaves of Boston lettuce and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, chives, or tarragon. Nice with a buttery chardonnay!

Based on Jacque Pépin's recipe in "Fast Food My Way."

Recipe

4 c. sliced mushrooms
3/4 c. walnut pieces
2/3 c. sour cream
1/2 c. minced scallions
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Boston Lettuce Leaves (about 2 to 3 leaves per person)
2-3 T. fresh chopped herbs (chives, parsley, or tarragon)

In a large bowl combine the mushrooms, walnut pieces, sour cream, scallions, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and put in the fridge until ready to serve (1 to 5 hours ahead). When ready to serve, arrange lettuce leaves in four plates or bowls, spoon the mushroom salad onto the leaves, sprinkle with fresh herbs, and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "Fast Food My Way"

Greens with Quick Cream Dressing

To accompany the main course of Stuffed Scallops on Mushroom Rice I made Jacques Pépin's Mother's recipe, Greens with Quick Cream Dressing. Just before you serve the greens (6 to 8 cups of torn Boston lettuce is nice with this), put 1/4 c. heavy cream, 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk vigorously for about 15 seconds, or until a little bit frothy. If it seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water. Stir in 1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar. Add the greens, toss briefly and serve immediately. Amazingly, this is low cal – 1 T. of heavy cream is 60 calories, while 1 T. of olive oil contains 120 calories – and it tastes wonderful!

Watch Jacques prepare this dish, and the others mentioned, on Amazon Prime, "Under the Sea" episode.