July 6, 2024
It’s supposed to be hot this weekend and for me, warm weather is salad season. Just chop and toss and we are ready to go. Any reason to avoid turning on the oven or stove is fine by me. I do, however, tend to take issue with many of the salad bowls in my stash —and believe me there are plenty. Somehow most salad bowls never seem to be the right size for our family of four. They’re often too deep or so big that when I load the ingredients in they look like they’ve shrunk in the wash when I bring the bowl to the table. But yay, I had a Goldilocks moment at Hudson Grace (they were having a sale) and I found the perfect salad bowl! This one has just the right width to prevent spillage and is shallow enough to make the salad look overflowing. They call it a mixing bowl but don’t let the name fool you—it’s a salad bowl damnit and the best part is that you can whisk the dressing ingredients in it before you add the other items. I usually serve salad as a side dish, but on those hot nights when my daughters are giving me “maybes” for dinner, it becomes the main event. Those two daughters are off to college soon (cue ugly cry emoji) and I have a sneaking suspicion my serving bowls are going to start looking more like cereal bowls before I know it.
Find the recipe for our latest favorite Italian chopped salad with spicy vinaigrette below along with some summer standbys that are always in rotation.
QUINOA SALAD WITH ROASTED POBLANOS AND BLACK BEANS
LITTLE GEMS WITH RIDGEBACK SHRIMP
SPRING FARRO SALAD WITH FETA AND SUMAC VINAIGRETTE
BUTTER LETTUCES WITH PANCETTA CHIPS AND GORGONZOLA DRESSING
If you still haven’t had your fill, Jeanne Kelly (an awesome recipe developer that I worked with on Lush Life) has written two books on the subject .
This recipe was adapted from a recipe in the New York Times, but I kept tweaking adding more acid and veggies. I love the peperoncini and shallot mixed into the dressing—it adds a subtle kick. If you can get thick-cut slices of meat and cheese for a true dice that would be delicious.
For the Dressing:
2 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano blossoms (optional)
1 small shallot, minced
5 peperoncino, stems removed and minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
For the Salad:
1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed
1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, diced
1 Persian cucumber, diced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
3 artichoke hearts, cut in 6ths (optional)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 celery stalks, diced (reserve leaves for garnish)
6 slices provolone cheese, diced
6 slices salami, diced
For the Pita Chips:
3 pitas cut into wedges
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sumac
Mix up the dressing in a salad bowl and add the chickpeas so they can marinate and dice the other salad ingredients.
Align a cookie sheet with parchment and preheat oven to 400°F, toss cut pita wedges with olive oil on the parchment and sprinkle with sumac and sea salt. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp.
Toss the remaining salad ingredients in the bowl with the chickpeas and dressing. Serve immediately with pita chips.
