"Salad Days" are here

By Marcia Z. Siegal

As the summer season gets underway, it brings a bounty of fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and your local grocery store.

According to the seasonal calendar  published by the PA Preferred agricultural program, cauliflower, broccoli, apples, sweet cherries, lettuce, mushrooms and peas and radishes are in season in June.  

Salads offer some very creative ways to incorporate fresh produce. Click on "Read more" for a recipe featuring Golden Delicious Apples.

“Golden Delicious Apple Salad with Spiced Pecans and Blue Cheese with Apple Cider Vinaigrette,” a specialty of Jack’s Firehouse Restaurant  in Philadelphia’s Fairmount section.

The restaurant’s owner Colin Houston describes as “a terrific relaxed yet flavorful salad that really brings some color and zest . . . Golden Delicious Apples are just hitting the market this time of year at their freshest,” he says.
 
Recipe for salad
2 Golden Delicious Apples, cored but not peeled, and sliced into matchsticks or sliced with a Japanese Mandoline
6 handfuls of Mixed Organic Greens from Lancaster or Mesculun, washed and kept chilly in refrigerator
1 cup of good blue cheese - like maytag
1/2 cup of spiced pecans (see recipe below)
Apple Cider Vinaigrette to taste (see recipe below)
Toss greens into bowl, add 90% of all the ingredients and coat evenly with dressing.  Place salad on cold plates and top off with remaining 10% of the ingredients
 
Recipe for Spiced Pecans
1 cup of pecans
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
4 tablespoons of butter
Fresh chopped leaves of one sprig of rosemary
 
Lay out pecans on sheet pan, season with kosher salt and toast pecans in 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
On the stove - heat butter and other ingredients until incorporated.
After pecans are toasted toss into pan with other ingredients and coat thoroughly
Place wet pecans back on sheet tray and bake for 10-15 more minutes until butter is bubbling on pecans.
Let spiced pecans cool and sprinkle on salad liberally.
 
Recipe for Cider Vinaigrette
3 cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup fresh cider (or apple juice)
2 table spoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of minced shallots
1 teaspoon of cherry juice
 
Blend all the ingredients other than the oil in a blender at high speed.
Lower speed of blender and slowly add oil in steady stream as dressing emulsifies.
Keep cool and shake regularly before adding to salad.