Sunday’s Cadence, Wednesday’s Song

I love a cozy Sunday supper, even when the weather is (supposedly) turning warmer. I really love a hearty salad, even when the weather is (supposedly) staying cooler. Salads are a wonderful way to use leftovers that cannot quite stretch for a full-blown meal. Just yesterday evening I whipped up a colorful plate of greens to eat with a pizza dressed with pesky leftover butternut squash that had been sitting in my freezer for almost 2 months.

Peppery baby arugula teamed with a diced Pink Lady apple (one-quarter hungrily devoured by yours truly), two tablespoons of toasted walnuts, and half of a leftover pork chop, sliced. Sweet and tangy maple dressing brought out the grassy undertones of the arugula, and is there any kind of pork that does not work well with a good douse of both apple and maple flavors? Thick slices of butternut squash, caramelized onions, and goat brie pizza flecked with fresh thyme accompanied the light salad, and I can now relax knowing I’ve successfully cleaned from my fridge and freezer lingering leftovers.

However, at times I purposefully make more than enough meat, vegetable, etc. at one meal just so I can whip up a “leftover” salad later in the week. In this respect, chicken is a salad chameleon. Not only is it standard for walnuts/pecan, raisins/grapes/apples/, green onion/red onion, curry/traditional, mayonnaise-based chicken salad. Chicken also stars in club salads, Cobb salads, and, in its processed counterpart, chef salads.

Starting with a base of baked chicken, boiled potatoes still in their skins, and romaine lettuce, I let my refrigerator’s contents strut their stuff in this part chef, part chopped, all tasty salad. Here are the ingredients that made the final cut:

3 boiled red-skinned potatoes, whole, in their skins
1 six to eight ounce cooked chicken breast or thigh, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
5 radishes, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped (good for optional crunch, however, I’m not allowed to use celery in Shane’s salad)
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola
¼ cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 ½ bunches romaine lettuce, finely chopped

Dressing (from Gourmet February 2008):

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 teaspoon mild honey (*I used 2 teaspoons)1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut potatoes into 1 ½ inch cubes and roast in 425 degree oven until browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Mix dressing ingredients, and add salt and pepper to taste. Once potatoes have cooled a bit, mix the remainder of the salad ingredients together and dress with 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey mustard dressing. Serve immediately.

It's a Man-Eat Salad World

Yes, that's my Shane, clad in his stocking cap and happily eating my Winter Harvest Salad. Why the stocking cap? Does it give the illusion of a day of skiing in the Alps only to take a break to feast on a medley of leafy greens, crispy croutons, and blue cheese? Not so. It was below the 20 degree mark outside and a mere mere 59 degrees inside our apartment due to our landlord’s not turning on the heat. Perhaps I should decorate the dining room in a fall landscape and invite people in to enjoy the crisp weather, beautiful scenery, and hot apple cider. Or perhaps I should just pair this salad with a piping hot bowl of butternut squash soup and save on extra traffic in my dining room.

The "symphony of flavors" Winter Harvest Salad was an excuse to use the leftover cornbread muffins from Sunday. After a few (wary) bites of the salad, Shane gleefully described the taste and texture of the salad as a symphony. Should I rename it Symphony Salad? Regardless, it doesn't take much effort to pull this vegetarian salad together. Adding a bit of crumbled bacon and/or smoked chicken will satisfy those who must have meat, although it's hearty enough without. The following served two of us as a main dish. When served as a side, there should be enough for 4 people.


Winter Harvest Salad

Maple Vinaigrette:

The Maple Vinaigrette will be more than you need for this amount of greens. Store remainder in the refrigerator for up to a week.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Warm the oil and syrup. Put vinegar and mustard into a medium bown, and whisk in warmed oil and syrup until mixture is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dressing can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving (or gently heat), and whisk to emulsify.

Croutons and Toasted Walnuts:
1/4 cup walnuts
2 -3 leftover cornbread muffins or wedges

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Dice cornbread into 1 inch squares. Arrange on a cookie sheet. Spread walnuts on a separate sheet. Bake walnuts until toasted, 10-20 minutes, but watch closely so they don't burn. Bake cornbread squares 20-30 minutes, until crispy. Walnuts can be toasted ahead of time and stored in the fridge for several weeks. Croutons can be make ahead and stored in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, peeling optional
2 shallots, quartered
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
Pinch of hot pepper flakes (optional)
Olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes and shallots with the rosemary, pepper flakes and olive oil. Arrange on a cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Salad:
4 oz leafy greens (I used a spring greens mix)
Roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted shallots
3 oz blue cheese such as Stilton, Gorgonzola, or Maytag Blue
Toasted walnuts
3 - 4 tablespoons of Maple Vinaigrette
Cornbread croutons.

Toss greens, sweet potatoes, shallots, blue cheese and walnuts with vinaigrette. Top with cornbread croutons. If you must, crumble a little smoked bacon to top the salad alongside the croutons.