Not sure what to do with that head of lettuce or bag of salad greens? Want some inspiration beyond croutons and grated cheese? Fruit can go a long way toward helping your salad sing.
Everyday fruits such as apples, grapes, oranges and grapefruit, are excellent ingredients. But you can follow your palate and add anything from seasonal fruits to exotics such as star fruit. Here’s an easy yet absolutely delicious salad recipe:
Ingredients
1 bunch leafy greens (we love the flavor of mixed
microgreens)
1 sweet apple such as Fuji or Golden Delicious, sliced into matchsticks
Half fennel bulb sliced thin and soaked in water to retain crispness
Pinch salt and pepper to taste
Handful of sautéed grapes or 1 sliced orange
¼ cup walnuts or almonds chopped (optional)
¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
Favorite salad vinaigrette**We love 1 part yuzu mixed with 3 parts olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
Our fruit-accented salad pairs well with
baked or grilled proteins. Photo by
Jerry Deutsch | THE NIBBLE.
Preparation
1. Sauté grapes in a pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until the grape skins wrinkle.
2. Mix apples with grapes and any citrus fruits you’re including in the salad. The acid from oranges or grapefruit will keep the apples from oxidizing and turning brown. Otherwise, toss the sliced apples in some lemon juice, or wait until the last minute to slice them.
3. Stir all other ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Do not season with salt and pepper and do not dress until ready to serve.
4. When ready to serve, add fruit, season with salt and pepper and dress with your favorite vinaigrette. Toss and serve.
[1] One of the three shots in a deconstructed Margarita (photo courtesy Sauza).
For cocktail fun this weekend, try this deconstructed Margarita.
Deconstruction means taking something apart. In the case of deconstructed food, creative chefs and mixologists deconstruct a familiar recipe to present the ingredients in a new and exciting way.
In this recipe, the Margarita is deconstructed into three cocktail shots: a shot of reposado tequila, a shot of sweetened lime juice and a shot of citrus foam. You take a sip of each to “reconstruct” the drink.
Oops: National Gummy Worm Day, which was yesterday, flew by before we had a chance to post this recipe.
The dessert, “Dirt In A Box,” was created by Ruby Foo’s restaurant in Times Square, New York City. It’s a no-cook “dirt pudding” or trifle, decorated with Gummy Worms.
You can make the recipe more elaborate, or turn it into a dirt cake, by preparing it in a small casserole or cake pan. Our preference is to use a small, clean flowerpot (we ran ours through the dishwasher).
Get the recipe and plan to surprise your family. Just don’t wait a year until the next official Gummy Worms Day.
You’ll also learn the history of Gummy (Gummi) Worms.
When purchasing meat and poultry, you need a plan. Cook it or freeze it: Those are your choices with fresh chicken. Whether whole or in parts, the chicken should be cooked or frozen within two days.
While it’s difficult to throw out “good food,” if you’ve exceeded the two days, it’s best to err on the side of safety and dispose of raw chicken. If the chicken is cooked, the same two-day rule applies: You can safely freeze chicken within two days of cooking.
Cooked or raw chicken can be stored for six months in the freezer, properly wrapped in freezer paper and plastic wrap or in containers suitable for freezing.
Find our favorite chicken products and a coop full of recipes in our Gourmet Poultry Section.
Get one for yourself and one as a gift.
Photo courtesy Kuhn Rikon.
The most whimsical gift for the summer season must be this nonstick Melon Knife from Swiss premium cookware manufacturer Kuhn Rikon. Not only is it a conversation piece; it makes it easy to safely slice through thick melon skins.
With function and flare, this handy kitchen tool with an 11″ serrated blade cuts the largest of melons (and small ones, too) easily.
Made of high-quality Japanese carbon steel, the blade has a nonstick coating. The seed-shaped cut-outs prevent sticking and help the sliced melon slide off the blade easily. The ergonomic handle helps to maintain a firm grip while applying pressure to cut through tough melon skins.
The red safety sheath makes the knife easy to store and to transport to picnics.
