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mesclun

Peak-of-the-Season Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

“The holiday season for our farm family has come to mean celebrating local bounty. Enjoy my recipe for the most delicious, nourishing, seasonal salad for the winter holidays!” – Corinne Hansch

Recipe shared by Lovin’ Mama Farm
Serves 6-8
Prep & assembly time: 25 mins

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the vinaigrette:
● 1 1/2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
● 2 small shallots*, finely diced
● salt and freshly milled pepper
● 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
● 6 Tbs. roasted walnut oil or a mixture of walnut and olive oils

For the salad:
● Local, seasonal baby greens, such as baby lettuce*, radicchio*, arugula*, or mesclun*
● Microgreens* or shoots*
● Assorted radishes*, including watermelon radish, sliced
● grated carrots*
● sliced cabbage*
● crumbled goat cheese* (optional)

For the toasted walnuts:
● 1/2 cup walnuts
● 1 tbs butter*

Instructions
To make the vinaigrette, combine vinegar, shallots, and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the mustard, then add the oil. Whisk well until the dressing is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the toasted walnuts, warm a heavy-bottom skillet and melt the butter. Add the walnuts and stir until coated in the melted butter and slightly browned. Watch closely as they can burn easily!

Assemble the salad in the largest bowl you have. First toss the greens, microgreens, and shoots together, then top with grated carrot, sliced cabbage, and slices of radishes. Add crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts, then drizzle the dressing on top and serve!

Farmers’ Market Green Salad

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Adapted from the recipe featured in Cook’s Illustrated and shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the Salad’s Base:
● A handful of mesclun leaves*
● A handful of arugula*
● A handful of mustard greens*
● Add herbs such as parsley*, basil*, dill*, or other favorites*

For the Croutons:
● 5 cups of ¾ inch bread cubes from ciabatta or crusty rustic loaf*
● ¼ cup water
● ¼ teaspoon table salt
● ¼ cup olive oil

For the Vinaigrette:
● 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
● 1½ teaspoons very finely minced shallot*
● ½ teaspoon mayonnaise
● ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
● ⅛ teaspoon table salt
● 3 Tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
1. For the salad: Toss greens together in a large bowl.
2. For the croutons: Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with water and salt. Toss, squeezing gently so the bread absorbs water. Heat olive oil and soaked bread cubes in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. For the vinaigrette: Combine vinegar, shallot, mayonnaise, mustard, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until mixture looks milky and no lumps of mayonnaise remain. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture. If pools of oil are gathering on the surface as you whisk, stop the addition of oil and whisk the mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in a slow stream. The mixture should be glossy and slightly thickened with no pools of oil on the surface.

Notes
● Season croutons with favorite dried herbs and spices.
● Top with microgreens, veggies, fruit, crumbly cheese, seeds, or nuts.