Here, we've created a scrumptious salad that is colourful and tastes delicious. Plus, the blue cheese provides tang, the pecans crunch, and the fresh herb dressing drizzle adds a fresh flavour that you will love.
Ingredients:
Makes 4 Servings
- 1/2 head Bibb lettuce
- 1/4 head escarole
- 10 leaves of arugula 21 g (3/4 oz.)
- 1/4 head romaine or cos lettuce
- 10 leaves of radicchio 21 g (3/4 oz.)
- 1/4 head chicory (curly)
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 125 mL (1/2 cup) halved pecans
- 120 g (4 oz) crumbled blue cheese
- 10-12 (organically grown) edible flowers
Fresh Herb Dressing Ingredients:
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil (extra virgin is best)
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) tarragon vinegar
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) Dijon mustard
- 2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) chopped fresh tarragon
- 2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) chopped fresh thyme (or chives, if you don't have thyme)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Wash the greens several times until free of all dirt. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. (If you are not serving immediately, place greens in a Ziploc® brand Double Zipper Vegetable Bag and refrigerate until needed.
- At serving time, make dressing (see recipe below).
- Tear greens into bite-size pieces and place in bowl. Add bell pepper.
- Pour dressing over greens, tossing until thoroughly coated.
- Sprinkle pecans and cheese over salad. Grind fresh pepper to taste over the top and serve.
Fresh Herb Dressing Directions:
- Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, herbs, and salt and pepper.
- Slowly whisk in olive oil until dressing is smooth and emulsified.
Variation:
You may substitute or add young spinach leaves, watercress, mustard greens, young dandelion greens (more bitter), and radicchio. Also try edible flowers, such as nasturtium, calendula, primrose, chrysanthemum, or sweet violet.
Diane’s Entertaining Tip:
For fun spring placemats, I pick clovers and other small flowers and press them in between two books. Then I tape them onto a piece of construction paper and have them laminated.
- Felicia, Cambridge, ON
