Crème Fraîche Salad Dressing
Creamy, yet light, this dressing is fantastic tossed with greens and thinly-sliced radish.
Ingredients:
¼ cup crème fraîche
¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 scallions, white parts only finely-minced, or 1 shallot, peeled and finely-minced
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, olive oil, and honey.
2. Add the scallion or shallot, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk again. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, or a touch more vinegar if you prefer your dressing on the acidic side.
Escarole Salad with Grana-Dijon Dressing
A wonderful side salad!
Ingredients:
½ head escarole, tip and tail trimmed, sliced lengthwise and then thinly sliced crosswise
1 head radicchio, thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced radish
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup grated Grana-style cheese, plus more for garnish
½ cup olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine the escarole and radicchio in a large salad bowl. Toss in sliced radishes.
2. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, mustard, grated Grana cheese, olive oil, and black pepper. Shake well to combine. Pour over the salad and toss.
3. Grate more Grana on top and serve.
Variation: Excellent topped with grilled bread croutons for extra texture and crunch.
Shelled Pea, Red Spring Onion & Sweet Red Pepper Salad
A perfect summer side for grilled proteins and veggies, or even tossed with cold pasta!
Ingredients:
1 pound shelled peas
3 red spring onions, trimmed of ends and finely diced
2 sweet red Bell peppers, seed removed and diced
¼ cup combined chopped herbs, such as parsley, salad burnet, chives and basil
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Vinaigrette:
1 sweet red Bell pepper, roasted at 400° until blackened, then stripped of seeds and chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 small shallot
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prepare vinaigrette, purée the roasted red pepper in a food processor or blender as much as possible, then add the remaining ingredients and run the machine until the dressing is silky smooth. Adjust the vinegar level and seasonings to taste.
2. In a large bowl, combine shelled peas, diced onions and diced pepper. Toss with vinaigrette, then drizzle with the lemon juice. Garnish with the fresh herbs.
Grilled Garlic Scapes with Lemon & Thyme
Bright yet smoky from their time on the grill, these grilled garlic scapes are a lovely side dish.
Ingredients:
6-8 garlic scapes, trimmed of roots and tough outer ends, and rinsed
1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as oregano, parsley or thyme
½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat grill to high. Place the scapes on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the top then sprinkle with the pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Toss again to spread out the seasonings.
2. Grill the scapes until the root ends are soft and the tops are just brown. Remove from grill and squeeze a little more lemon juice over top and garnish with the fresh herbs.
