This is a fantastic, fresh, light, vibrant salad that's perfect for late winter into early Spring when all of the ingredients are in season. The mélange of flavors and textures work together in perfect harmony.

For a recent recent dinner gathering with friends, we selected to bring the salad course. The theme of the gathering was "Farm to Table." I noticed what was in season on our weekly Farmer's Market visits. When I saw a salad in one of my Alice Water's cookbooks it matched up perfectly with what was available at the Farmer's Market. Our citrus vendor was getting close to finishing up with the blood oranges. Our vegetable vendor had plenty of beets and always has bags of arugula. Waters' salad called for endive but I did a trial run for some friends and decided to make a switch from endive to arugula. I also decided to use pistachios instead of walnuts. The addition of crumbled goat cheese was the perfect ingredient to give the salad a hint of creaminess.

Why use blood oranges when you can just use more common oranges? First, there's the deep red color that will be present in the fruit and the juice. While it may appear "blood-like," it's actually anthocyanin, a natural chemical compound. This compound is present in blueberries, blackberries, tomatoes, rhubarb, etc. The deep red color, along with the red beets, gives this salad an interesting color. Blood oranges also taste slightly different from other oranges. They are sweeter than regular oranges but also less tart making it a better choice for this salad. But, yes, you can use other oranges but if you can get blood oranges, go for it and give it a try. 

Serve the salad on one or two large platters and let your guests take as much as they want. 

Beets, Blood Oranges, and Arugula Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• Beets - 10 medium beets, mixed red and gold
• Blood oranges - 6, peeled with a knife
• Arugula - 5-6 oz.
• Avocados - 4, cut in half, pitted, and diced
• Roasted pistachios - 3/4 cup
• Goat cheese - 6 oz.
• Orange juice - 4 Tbsp., fresh is better but store bought will work
• Orange zest - from 1 orange (regular if using fresh oranges or use the blood oranges)
• Olive oil - 1/2 cup
• White balsamic vinegar - 4 Tbsp.
• Honey - 2 Tbsp. 
• Salt and pepper - to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º
2. Trim and wash the beets and roast them in a covered dish with just enough water to cover the bottom. Roast colors separately. 
3. Zest one of the oranges using a microplane. 
4. While the beets roast, use a knife to trim off the top and bottom of each blood orange. Pare off the rest of the peel and remove the pith.
5. 
   Slice the oranges crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds and quarter each slice. 
   
6. When beets are done and cool enough to handle, peel them and slice into rounds and quartered.
7. Make the vinaigrette by mixing the vinegar, orange juice, zest, and honey. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
8. To serve, place all beets in a large bowl and add a little bit of the vinaigrette and stir to coat. 
9. Cover the bottom of a serving platter with the beets. 
10. Place arugula, blood oranges, and pistachios in a large bowl. Slowly add the some dressing and stir to mix and allow the vinaigrette to break down the arugula ever so slightly. 
11. Distribute the salad mix on top of the plated beets. Top with additional pistachios and crumbled goat cheese.

Spinach & Arugula Salad with Nectarines and Chicken

It's stone fruit season here in California. Over the last few weeks we have been getting nectarines at our farmer's market and enjoying them whole and cut up in yogurt for lunch. We came home to some nectarines that were approaching over ripeness. So I got online to see what I could find about ways to incorporate nectarines into our dinner.

I found this salad as a starting point but I had to adapt it to what we had in the fridge. This recipe is pretty flexible and forgiving. You can substitute or try new ingredients which is exactly what I did.

Here's how it unfolded:

We had both arugula and spinach so I combined them for the salad. But if you could do this recipe with either or try some lettuce.

The online recipe called for blue cheese. We didn't have any but I substituted some shredded salty Manchego because that's what we had. I can imagine using crumbles of blue or Gorgonzola cheese or even goat cheese. But, you need a strong, salty cheese to counter the sweetness of the nectarine.

The original recipe also called for toasted pine nuts. In the interest of time, I skipped this step but I can imagine how a salty, crunchy nut would add some texture (and protein) to the salad. One could use chopped peanuts, cashews, or walnuts.

The original recipe did not include any chicken. But I went ahead and lightly browned some Tofurky Chick'n that I had described in an earlier post to top the salad in order to add that toothy component that meat provides. The Tofurky product is a really good chicken substitute. But if you eat meat, I can imagine pulling some shredded chunks from a supermarket rotisserie chicken on top. The warm meat (or "meat") is a nice contrast to refrigerator cold produce in the rest of the recipe.

The raspberry vinegar is also something you might not have in your pantry. I happened to have some because of a gift from a friend who lives in Sonoma County near the now-closed Kozlowski Farms. But, if need be, you can use your red wine vinegar.

Be creative!

Serves 2. 

Ingredients:

• Raspberry vinegar, 2 tablespoons
• Sugar, 1 teaspoon
• Olive oil, 3 tablespoons
• Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon
• Black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt, 1 large pinch
• Arugula or spinach, 4 cups (about 2-3 small handfuls of each)
• Nectarines, 2, each sliced into 8 sections
• Blue cheese, 4 oz.
• Rotisserie chicken, 1-2 cups shredded meat (if using Chick'n: about 4 oz. lightly browned in a small skillet).

Directions:

• In a small bowl combine the first six ingredients. Whisk together until well blended
• Place the arugula/spinach in a large bowl
• Prep the cheese and lightly brown the chicken in a skillet
• Pour the dressing over the greens and toss to coat (the greens will wilt once the dressing is on them).
• Add the cheese and toss to coat
• Plate the salad and top with nectarine slices and chicken

Chicken and Cucumber Salad with Parsley Pesto

This is a quick, easy, healthy, and tasty weeknight salad that I recently adapted from a Cooking Light magazine and I've made this recipe a few times now. Use this as starting point and tweak it to your liking.

I made a number of changes to the original recipe. But we picked this recipe to try because of one ingredient: roasted garbanzo beans!

Now the concept of roasting garbanzo beans is a new to us. We like them and there are always a few cans in the pantry. But roasting these things turns them into something dangerously addictive (in a good way!). They are THAT good. Suddenly, they are tasty nuggets that are meaty and chewy. They are utterly transformed and vastly improved. It's an amazing transformation.

We got introduced to the concept through a Blue Apron recipe. The roasting of the garbanzo beans seemed like an unnecessary step but I thought I would just follow the recipe. Once they cooled enough to try one I was hooked. It was hard not to keep stealing a few as they cool. They could stand on their own as a healthy snack food.

The recipe also includes some parsley pesto. I have a go-to recipe for traditional pesto with basil. I make batches of it during the summer months and then freeze them in ice cube trays to use throughout the year. I've also made pesto with other ingredients including parsley, carrot top greens, arugula, and cilantro. Parsley pesto is a nice, mild pesto and it's great to have some on hand frozen. Defrost a cube to add to eggs, fish, or chicken if you eat meat. So I have multiple bags of various types of frozen pesto cubes in the freezer at the ready.

Finally, the original recipe called for some pulled chunks of rotisserie chicken. Since we don't eat meat, we substituted Tofurky's tasty "Slow Roasted Chick'n." This has been another revelation. This chicken substitute is pretty dead on and it has opened up some new recipes for us to try.

Chicken and Cucumber Salad with Parsley Pesto

Serves 2

• Parsley - 1 large flat leaf bunch cleaned and dried with leaves pulled off
• Pine nuts - 1/3 cup
• Parmesan cheese - 1 cup grated
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves minced
• salt and pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

• Chicken - 1/2 - 3/4 of an 8 oz package of Tofurky Slow Roasted Chick'n or about 4 cups of  shredded rotisserie chicken
• Edamame - 2 cups, shelled and cooked
• Garbanzo beans - 1 15 oz. can drained
• English cucumber - 1, chopped
• Arugula - 4 handfuls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Parsley Pesto

Combine first five ingredients in a food processor bowl. While processing, slowly add olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. To preserve for the future, spoon pesto into oiled ice cube trays and freeze overnight. The next day, set out for a few minutes and then separate the cubes from the trays. Place cubes in freezer bags and store in the freezer for future use. For this recipe, use 3-4 frozen cubes of parsley pesto.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Drain and rinse the beans then place them in a single layer on a doubled paper towel. Cover with paper towels and let them dry completely. Transfer beans to a large bowl and add olive oil, salt, and pepper and stir to mix. Place beans in a single layer on a (parchment paper lined) cookie sheet and place in pre-heated oven for 20-22 minutes. Roll beans over halfway through the cooking time. Watch the beans closely during the last few minutes. Remove when done and let cool. 

Chicken

Place the chicken (in whatever form) in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until there's a some browning on both sides.

Assemble salad

In a large mixing bowl, combine arugula, edamame, roasted garbanzo beans, and cucumber. Mix in parsley pesto and stir to coat the ingredients with the pesto (it's actually better to mix by hand to get a nice coating on everything). Drizzle with some olive oil if you think the mixture seems dry. Divide the mixture between serving plates or bowls and top with the cooked chicken. 

Creamy Arugula Salad with Pistachios and Olives

During the recent Blue Apron/Hello Fresh epic week, we made a Blue Apron dish that had a very unique and satisfying side salad that caught our attention. It was only a side salad on this particular menu but we thought the salad really upstaged the main dish. The salad was interesting, unique, and a great mix of diverse ingredients. We saved the basic recipe and have made it a few times (both as a side and a dinner salad) since the first time. Personally, I'm still tweaking the recipe to get the right proportions but the basics are there.

One of the ingredients is roasted pistachios. I enjoy roasting my own pistachios. You can buy raw pistachios at higher end supermarkets. Roasting at home means you can control the amount of salt and you know they are freshly roasted. They keep in an airtight container for a good long time. Here are directions for roasting at home.

This salad is served already dressed. Which is a bit of a different approach to a typical weeknight side salad where each person grabs a bottle or carafe and dresses their own. But when serving a dressed salad, I've been learning the importance of getting your hands into the mix. Don't rely on salad tongs. When you use your hands, you are able to coat each leaf with dressing and the result is a more evenly distributed salad that has a consistent taste throughout.

Creamy Arugula Salad with Pistachios and Olives

Serves 2
Ingredients:

• Arugula - 2 handfuls
• Creme Fraiche - 2 tablespoons
• Castelvetrano olives - 10-12 olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• Roasted pistachios - 1/4 cup, roughly chopped
• White wine vinegar - 1-2 tbsp.
• Olive oil - to taste and texture
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Make the dressing in a bowl by combining the creme fraiche and the vinegar with a fork until mixed. 
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to mix and set aside.
• With the flat side of a knife, smash the olives and remove the pit. Roughly chop. 
• Roughly chop the pistachios
• In a large bowl, combine the arugula, pistachios, and olives and season with salt and pepper.
• Add enough dressing to coat the salad mixing by hand
• Let sit for a few minutes before plating the side dish

The pistachios and the olives tend to fall to the bottom, so when mixing by hand be sure to scrape the bottom and pick up the heavier ingredients and get them into the mix.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

We recently spent a getaway weekend with some good friends in Chicago. Our hosts nicely accommodated our pescetarian eating preferences. Because our days were full seeing the sights, we often made our lunches in the morning and enjoyed them later in the day picnic-style.

They had the fixings for these excellent smoked salmon sandwiches that we made each morning. One day, we enjoyed these sandwiches on the new 606 walkway; another day at Starved Rock State Park; and again on the shore of Lake Michigan. Since coming home, we have continued to make and enjoy these for those times you need a quick and easy dinner or a weekend lunch.

One of the key ingredients is the Trader Joe's Wasabi Mayonnaise. If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby you can Google the term and find some workaround recipes that you can make at home. It is worth it to take the time to have this ingredient in the sandwich.

If you have Trader Joe's and a Costco nearby you are set.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• Slices of smoked salmon
• Havarti cheese - sliced
• Arugula (or spinach)
• Trader Joe's Wasabi Mayonnaise
• Pesto
• Bread

One slice gets pesto. The other gets the wasabi mayonnaise. Add the smoked salmon to one side and top with cheese. Add a layer of arugula.

Arugula & Cilantro Pesto

There were lots of greens in our latest box (every other week delivery). In addition to the pea shoots, we got a large bunch of arugula and a bunch of cilantro. Not to mention the bag of spinach.

So I decided to make a pesto out of the arugula and cilantro. I looked at a few different recipes and came up with the following. It's not a finalized recipe. Just using what was on-hand at the time.

To make the pesto I made up the following recipe:

• 2+ cups of arugula, washed and dried
• 1 bunch of cilantro leaves, washed and dried
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• roasted pine nuts
  
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil, to desired consistency
  

Many recipes have you brown the garlic in its skin in a skillet. Let it cool and then peel. Since I began this project after dinner I didn't have time to do that.

I always keep roasted pine nuts in the freezer. Their high fat content means they freeze well and thaw quickly. Get a large amount of pine nuts, roast them, and keep them in your freezer in an airtight container. That way you can add them to salads or make pesto at any time.

I let this pesto recipe sit for a few nights until tonight when I used it on a homemade pizza with mushrooms, carmelized onions, garlic, sauteed pea shoots, and cheese. There's plenty more for future dinners.