Off The Counter: Blood Orange + Pickled Shallot Salad

Citrus is at is best this time of year and my favorite is blood oranges. Their burgundy blush rinds make beautiful dishes. I’ve used them in salads for years but as of late my obsession with picked shallots has added a delightful twist to their sweetness.

Ingredients:

Blood oranges, fennel, fennel greens, pickled shallots, olive oil, white wine vinegar, sugar salt and pepper.

Instructions: (Mind you, I'm not one for measuring ingredients, so depending on the size of the salad and your preference as to just how much dressing is enough, your own judgement should come into play).

Quick Pickled Shallots: Thinly slice shallots, cover with white wine vinegar, add a tablespoon of sugar and let rest for an hour or the time it takes to prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Peel 2-3 blood oranges and cut into cubes. Thinnly slice the fennel and  arrange both in a large shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle oil olive (my new favorite it Madagascar Black Peppercorn from Amphora) and rice or grapefruit balsamic vinegar.

Garnish with trimmed fennel greens and slice citrus. Enjoy.

What are your favorite salad ingredients?

Off The Counter: Petite Peas and Meyer Lemon Salad

My mother in-law prepared this salad for us a little while back and it was so good that I felt the need to recreate it and blog about it.  The combination of the crunchy iceberg lettuce, the fresh sweet peas and the juice of a Meyer lemon makes for a refreshing end to a hearty winter meal.  Yes, she served this salad after an Italian sausage ravioli and Chateaubriand roast (with a brandied mushroom sauce) dinner.  Did I mention hearty?!

Salad ingredients and instructions below:

Ingredients:

Firm avocado, iceberg lettuce, fresh peas, parsley, Meyer lemon, olive oil and sea salt

Instructions:

Cook the peas for a minute and rinse with cold water.  Chop up the iceberg lettuce and place in a bowl.  Add a diced avocado and the cooked peas and toss.  Sprinkle with fresh, finely chopped parsley.  Drizzle the salad with olive oil and the juice of one Meyer lemon.  Salt and pepper to your liking (preferably with sea salt).

I keep lemon slices (and sea salt) on the side so one can season it to his/her liking.

Enjoy!

Off The Counter: Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

We've had a plethora of persimmons this season thanks to friends who must be farming them.  My usual approach to consuming these beauties is simple:  cut, peel and eat.  I haven't experimented mixing them with other fruits or vegetables until now.  Inspired by a salad I ate at Pizzaiolo, I combined bitter greens, roasted hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds with this divine fruit.  The combination creates a dish that's bitter-sweet, a little crunchy and seriously pretty.  A list of ingredients and instructions is provided below.  Take a look:

Ingredients:

2 Persimmons, 1 pomegranate, endive, radicchio, chicory, hazelnuts, olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, honey and sea salt.

Instructions:

Spread a cup or so of hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.  Peel and thinly slice the persimmons.  Halve a pomegranate and knock out the seeds with a wooden hammer.  Place torn greens in a bowl and top with the fruits and nuts.  For the dressing, combine olive oil and rice vinegar  and then slowly whisk in honey to your liking.  Drizzle it on the salad and sprinkle sea salt on top.

Enjoy!

For those who may be new to Cocoon Home's Blog Off The Counter feature,  I would like to warn you that I'm not one for measuring, especially when comes to a salad and its dressing.  I enjoy adjusting the ingredients to my own taste buds.  So to you I say:  go for it!

Off The Counter: The ABC Salad

Before the last long weekend of the summer comes to an end,  I'd like to share with you the avocado, beet and cucumber salad I've been obsessed with lately.  Combining salty cucumbers, boiled golden beets and firm avocados with a bit of fresh mint, this salad transitions perfectly from this season to the next.  Ingredients and instructions below.

Ingredients:

Golden beets, California avocados, Persian cucumbers, mint, salt, pepper, olive oil and seasoned rice vinegar.

Instructions:

Chop the cucumbers (peeled or not), salt and let stand while you prepare the remaining ingredients.  Trim the stems and leaves off the beets and boil till they're just slightly soft.  Run the beets under cool water and peel.  Once the beets are completely cooled, dice them and put in a salad bowl.  Add cucumbers and diced avocados.  Sprinkle in some fresh mint leaves.  Season with olive oil, rice vinegar, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!!

Off The Counter: A Summer Salad

I have this reputation as "the salad queen" that I haven't been living up to lately.  My obsession with kale (which I only like sautéed) may just be the reason.  While visiting family and friends back East, I was reminded of my once salad greatness.  When the first few people we visited asked if we were going to have one of "Debra's salads", I realized I needed to begin preparing them again.

Here's one that combines all my favorite summertime ingredients:  figs, tomatoes, peaches and fresh mozzarella.  Drizzled with honey and chives the salad takes on the fresh, sweet flavor of the season.  Ingredients and instructions below.

Ingredients:

Figs, peaches, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, honey, chives, olive oil,  rice vinegar and sea salt.

Instructions:  

This salad holds its pretty appearance best if prepared in individual bowls.

Cut the figs, peaches and tomatoes into generous slices.  Lightly salt the tomatoes prior to adding them to the rest of the fruit in the bowls.  Using your hands tear chunks of mozzarella into each bowl.  Drizzle all the ingredients with honey and lightly dress with olive oil and rice vinegar.  Top it off with chopped chives.

Enjoy!

Do YOU have a favorite salad?  If so, do share.

Many, many thanks to LB for her Cambridge hives honey!