Salads




 

Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese and Roasted Fresh Figs Wrapped in Pancetta

 
This recipe is my version of a salad I had while dining at a restaurant in North Beach in San Francisco. 
 




Ingredients

  • Arugula
  • Fresh Mission Figs
  • Pancetta
  • Blue cheese, crumbled or Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese (pictured above)
 

For the Dressing:

  • Juice from one lemon
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • A little bit of lemon zest
  • olive oil
 




Instructions

 
Step 1: For the dressing: whisk first 5 ingredients together.  Then stream in olive oil to taste. The traditional method uses 1 part acid to 2 parts oil.
 
Step 2: To roast the fresh figs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Wrap pancetta around figs. Use a toothpick if needed to secure pancetta around fig.  Place on cookie sheet. Roast in oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
 
 
Step 3: To assemble the salad: Toss dressing and arugula. Place a portion of the arugula in serving bowl, place figs around arugula and sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese.




Arugula Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Pistachios





Ingredients

  • 8 cups arugula
 

For the Breadcrumb Topping:

  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup ground pistachios (roughly ground)
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped mint
  • Zest from one orange
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • Kosher salt
 

For the Dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • Kosher salt
 




Instructions

 
Step 1: For the breadcrumb topping: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Toast breadcrumbs until browned and crunchy.  
 
Step 2: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet and add ground pistachios to toasted breadcrumbs.  Toast pistachios but be careful not to burn.   Add mint and orange zest to the toasted bread crumbs and pistachios while they are warm.
 
Step 3: For the dressing: Combine orange juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, pepper and salt until mustard is fully incorporated.  Whisk in olive oil and then taste.  Adjust flavor by adding more salt and pepper if needed.  Add more olive oil if dressing is too “tart" or add more red wine vinegar if it needs more acidity.  The best way to test the dressing flavor is to dip an arugula leaf into it. 
 
Step 4: To assemble the salad: Place arugula in a large bowl and add pepper and salt.  Add a small amount of dressing and toss salad—add more dressing as needed.  After salad has been tossed, top with the breadcrumb mixture right before serving.   




Dorie Greenspan's Crab and Grapefruit Salad

 
 
Makes 4 to 6 servings
 




Ingredients

  • 1 ruby red grapefruit
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked through for shells and cartilage
  • 1 Kirby cucumber or a 2-inch piece of seedless cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/2 red or orange bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1/4 inch dice
  • 2 small or 1 fat scallion, white and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 to 1 small chile pepper, very finely minced
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Dash or two of Tabasco
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
 




Instructions

 
Step 1: At least 2 hours in advance - cut grapefruit crosswise in half and carefully cut out the half-segments slicing along the membranes to release the fruit. 
 
Step 2: Squeeze the juice from the hollowed-out halves and keep it covered in the refrigerator (discard rinds). Put a double layer of paper towels on a plate or cutting board and arrange the grapefruit segments on the paper. Cover with another double layer of towels and pat the segments lightly. Discard paper towels, arrange the fruit on a new layer of paper towels , and cover again. Let the segments sit for at least 2 hours, or for as long as 6 hours; if the towels are wet, change them again. 
 
 
Step 3: When you are ready to make the salad, drain the crabmeat if necessary, turn it out onto a double thickness of paper towels, and pat it dry. Put it in a bowl and add the cucumbers, bell peppers, scallions, and chile.
 
Step 4: Cut the grapefruit segments into very small pieces, add them to the bowl, and using a fork (or your fingers), gently toss the ingredients together. Don't overdo it. You want the crab to stay in large pieces.  
 
Step 5: Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 tablespoon of the reserved grapefruit juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper and a couple of shakes of Tabasco. Taste the salad and decide what you'd like to add. You may need to add a bit more oil.  
 
Step 6: Stir in mint and serve.




Frisee Salad with Oranges, Goat Cheese and Pecans





Ingredients

  • 6 cups of frisee lettuce
  • 2 oranges segmented
  • 4 ounces of goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup of toasted almonds or pecans
 

For the Dressing:

  • Juice squeezed from leftover oranges after cutting out segments (approx.
  • 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 jalapeno, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Generous pinch of Kosher Salt 
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • Olive oil
 




Instructions

 
Step 1: For the dressing: Add first six ingredients and whisk until the honey is dissolved into the mixture.  Whisk in olive oil to taste.  If you prefer a tangier dressing, use less olive oil.  
 
Step 2: Toss the frisee with the dressing and another pinch of salt and pepper.
 
 
Step 3: Plate the frisee and top with oranges, goat cheese and nuts.  Add a
small sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper on the top. 




Insalata Caprese

 
This recipe is a family favorite. When we were growing up, my Mom and Dad never added the fresh mozzarella - probably because it wasn't as readily available as it is today. Leave out the fresh mozzarella if you don't have any - the salad is just as delicious. When I make this salad, I always think of my brothers and me fighting over who got to dip their bread in the tomato juice remaining in the serving bowl.
 



 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoons kosher or sea salt (or season to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 to 5 medium tomatoes, preferably compari cut in quarters (2 to 2 1/2 cups total)
  • 8 ounces mozzarella di bufala
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons basil leaves (cut chiffonade), plus 3 basil leaves for optional garnish 
 



 

Instructions

 
Step 1: Cut tomatoes and mozzarella into bite-size pieces; place in a medium bowl. 
 
Step 2: Add salt and pepper to taste. When ready to serve, add the chiffonade of basil and olive oil.  Add fresh basil leaves as garnish, if desired. Serve at room temperature in bowls with crusty Italian bread.
 
 
 

Variations to the recipe:

 
To add a nice kick, you can also add 1 to 2 thinly sliced hot banana peppers and some thinly slice purple or sweet onions.
 
 



 

Insalata Pomodoro

This is our family's famous insalata pomodoro.  We've had this salad at almost every family gathering since I was born.  In fact, I can't remember any family gathering without this salad. True to form, my mom, dad and I made and served the family's insalata pomodoro at my brother's wedding reception in July 2011.  My brother's wife loved it so much that the tomato salad inspired her to publish a poem about it.  The salad is truly inspirational and I think this poem by Kathy Fagan says it all.

Reception

 
By Kathy Fagan
 
For the Romans, a barbarian
Was someone who wore trousers, had a beard, and ate butter.
Everyone else ate tomatoes.
 
From the Nahuatl tomatl, meaning swelling
Fruit it must have reminded the Aztecs of the viscera
They witnessed at rituals of human sacrifice.
 
Nahuatl also gave us the names for chocolate, coyote, chili, and omelet.
The tomato's Latin name, Lycopersicon esculentum, means
The edible wolf’s peach.
 
Like all nightshades, the tomato contains poisonous alkaloids
Grown strictly as an ornamental in England, a 1753 encyclopedia
Describes it as a fruit eaten only by “Spaniards,
 
Italians, and Jew families.” An alternative name, love apple,
Is a probable misreading of the Italian name pomodoro.
Tomato is also recorded to mean an attractive girl.
 
For our wedding, we combined mouthful-sized
chunks of heirloom tomato, roughly sliced Hungarian wax pepper, 
Ribbons of purple onions,
 
Torn Italian basil, extra virgin
Olive oil, coarse kosher sea salt, and freshly ground pepper,
To make the family’s Insalata Pomodoro,
 
A side dish for our guests. It was a summer in Ohio;
Tomatoes were just coming on.
Four hundred miles southeast in 1789, Secretary of State
 
Thomas Jefferson had introduced the tomato
To the U.S. as part of a national nutrition program. The fruit
Wasn’t commonly eaten, however, until decades later.
 
Our love salad was eaten by everyone in attendance. 
Both children and adults sopped up the juices with fresh-baked breads;
They tilted their bowls to their wet mouths.
 
But before they were sliced and eaten,
The tomatoes had looked as livid as hearts,
And bore names like the roses I’d arranged at each table:
 
Brandy Wine, Black Prince, Ananas Noir,
Abraham Lincoln, Paul Robeson, Julia Child,
Lemon Boy, Flamme Orange, Green Zebra,
 
Marvel Stripe, Genovese Jewel, Chocolate Amazon,
Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter, Buttery Azoychka, Gold-Shouldered Planet,
Purple Dog Creek, Bloody Butcher, Sweet Ocelot.
 

Fagan, K. (2014). Reception. In J. Cognard Black and M. Goldthwaite (Ed.) Books that Cook, The Making of a Literary Meal (2014) (pp. 242-243). New York University Press, New York and London 

 




 

Ingredients

 
  • 4 to 5 medium tomatoes (when tomatoes are not in season, I use Compari cut in quarters — 2 to 2 1/2 cups total)
  • 1 to 2 hot Hungarian wax peppers, thinly sliced and seeds removed
  • 1/2 small sweet onion (or red onion), thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons basil leaves (cut chiffonade)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (or season to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
 



 

Instructions

 
Step 1: Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces; place in a medium bowl. 
 
Step 2:  Add the slices of Hungarian wax peppers and onions.
 
Step 3: Add salt and pepper to taste. When ready to serve, add the chiffonade of basil and olive oil.  Serve at room temperature in bowls with crusty Italian bread.
 



 

John Besh's Heirloom Salad

 
Makes 4 servings



 

Ingredients

  • 1 large Cherokee Purple tomatoe
  • 1 green Zebra tomato
  • 1 Black Prince tomato
  • 1 Pineapple tomato
  • 2 Snow White tomatoes
  • 2 green grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 pint yellow or red currant or pear tomatoes
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 to 2 anchovy filet, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Smallest leaves from 1 branch fresh basil
  • 2 ounces ricotta salata cheese
  • 4 pieces very thinly sliced prosciutto
 



 

Instructions

 
Step 1: Wash the tomatoes and core all but the smallest ones. Then, depending on their size, slice, quarter, or halve the tomatoes or leave them whole, slicing the larger ones thickly (about 4 slices each).
 
Step 2: Arrange them in one big serving bowl. Season the tomatoes with a touch of salt and pepper.
 
Step 3: Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, anchovies, sugar, pepper flakes, and a pinch or two of salt in a small bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the tomatoes and scatter basil leaves on them.
 
Step 4: Finally, coarsely crumble the cheese over the tomatoes, then arrange the slices of prosciutto on top of and around the tomatoes.



 

Shaved Fennel Salad with Blood Oranges, Pecorino, and Pomegranates

 
Adapted from Mario Batali: Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home
 




Ingredients

  • 2 large round fennel bulbs, trimmed, and several fennel fronds set aside
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 large blood oranges, peeled and segmented
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • An 8-ounce chunk hard pecorino, such as sardo or toscano, for shaving
 




Instructions

 
Step 1: Using a mandoline or other vegetable slicer, shave the fennel crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
 
  
 
Step 2: Place in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the blood orange segments, pomegranate seeds, and fennel fronds and toss gently to mix. 
 
 
 
 
Step 3: Season with salt and pepper.
 
Step 4: Arrange the fennel salad on four individual plates. Shave the pecorino in long shards over each plate, and serve.




Sicilian Orange, Fennel and Red Onion Salad

 
On a recent trip to Siracusa, Sicily, I had this amazing salad in a cooking class with Fiora Piccione (http://www.siciliandemocooking.com/). If you are ever in Siracusa and want to take a cooking class, I would highly recommend a class with Fiora. She is a wonderful chef and great teacher, and this salad was spectacular. The Italian name for this salad is Insalata di Arance e Finocchi alla Siciliana. I had several different versions of this salad during my stay in Sicily but Fiora's version was the absolute best.  The citrus fruits from the island are plentiful, delicious, and I found, are enjoyed in both savory as well as sweet dishes. This particular salad is savory and refreshing served either by itself or before or after a meal.   
 
Makes 6 servings
 



 

Ingredients

  • 8 small blood oranges, or other oranges
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 3 to 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or Kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped fresh
 



 

Instructions

 
Step 1: With a sharp, thin-bladed knife, shave off the peel and pith of each orange completely, exposing the flesh of the fruit. Slice the oranges into rounds about 1/3-inch thick (you'll have about 4 cups of slices in all). Handle them gently so they remain intact. 
 
 
Step 2: Peel the onion and slice it into very thin rounds. Slice radishes.
 
Step 3: Slice one bulbs of fennel as thinly as you can (use a mandoline if you have one).
 
 
Step 4: Add oranges, red onion slices, fennel, and radishes to a large bowl. Add some of the fennel fronds, parsley, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of vinegar to taste. Toss and serve.