Tag Archives: arugula salad

Gingerbread Crouton Fall Panzanella

Posted on by November 23, 2014

The inspiration for this Gingerbread Crouton Fall Panzanella comes from a spread I saw in a Williams-Sonoma catalog! quite some time ago, and I must say, I’ve never made the recipe as it’s written. I served it as the salad course on my Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu and it’s so good, it’s made it into my regular fall repertoire. I always make all dishes served at Thanksgiving vegetarian (except the main dish). When I have lots of guests coming, I try to make all of the food as accessible as possible, at least in terms of accommodating allergies and dietary restrictions, but tastes, not so much. It’s the Wild West in my kitchen and you just have to give it a try, right? When I decided to make the Gingerbread Crouton Fall Panzanella it was in no way an exception to the feed the vegetarians rule. The original calls for bacon, which I’m sure would be good, but I like it just fine without. The gingerbread croutons are very rich and when paired with pickled berries and onions, well, let’s just say there’s plenty going on. I will admit that I do salt the squash and even the arugula itself liberally, … Continue reading →

Red Grape, Blue Stilton Salad

Posted on by February 16, 2015

This Red Grape, Blue Stilton Salad came about when I needed a nice winter salad to serve with Boeuf Bourguinon. I was so focused on the main dish, that I forgot all about the salad. Fortunately, I had some leftover cocktail nuts on hand, so that’s where I started. Next up was the vegetable drawer. Since arugula is my favorite green, I usually have it in the house. The spiciness of the nuts and the arugula sent me to the fruit drawer. I definitely needed something a little sweet to balance things out. Thank goodness for these beautiful red grapes. Dried fruit would do in a pinch, too. Either cranberries or cherries would be perfect. Finally, I wanted to add a little cheese for some richness and I was hoping I had blue when I opened the cheese drawer. While the blue cheese I had on hand is English, not French, it turned out to be a perfect fit in the flavor profile department, and this delicious Red Grape, Blue Stilton Salad was bold enough to start of a meal as flavorful and decadent as Boeuf Bourguinon. … Continue reading →

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Posted on by November 15, 2015

It was finally HOT and humid in Philly today, which in my book means salad for dinner; if that salad is a Watermelon and Feta Salad, all the better. I love this salad. It’s gotten really popular in the last few years, but its trendiness doesn’t diminish its appeal to me. It’s o-so-simple and refreshing. This Watermelon and Feta Salad is a great way to stave off the heat and have and excuse to eat creamy French feta. Of course you can use any feta you like, but let me make my ex-cheese professional appeal for French feta. It’s less salty, and extra creamy. I love using different fetas for different dishes. Of the readily available fetas, the Bulgarian is the most strong with the saltiest brine. The Greek is what most people have most often in the US, it’s the middle of the road in terms of saltiness. But with a salad like this Watermelon and Feta Salad, where I want the herbs and the watermelon to really shine, I find that the French feta is really the way to go. And then I like to add my spicy jalapeño balsamic dressing to add just a touch of heat. The … Continue reading →