April Fools Day Salad

Created by me

Mixed Greens
asparagus
shiitakes
leeks, sliced the long way
bacon
strawberries
goat cheese
walnuts (optional)
White wine or Apple cider vinegarette

Grill the following:
asparagus
shiitakes
leeks
bacon (put on foil)

Cut asparagus, leeks and bacon into 1 inch pieces.

Put mixed greens in individual bowls. Top with grilled veggies to wilt the salad. Add bacon, goat cheese, strawberries. Dress and serve.

Roast beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

For the salad:

2 bunches watercress, or baby arugula
1 lb beets
one 4oz log fresh white goat cheese
1 c walnuts, lightly toasted

For the vinaigrette:

1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Tb raspberry vinegar
6 Tb walnut oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. If using watercress, trim the base from teh bundles, give the greens a quick bath in a sink full of cold water, and spin them dry. Hold the greens in the fridge until just before serving.

2. Preheat the oven to 375. Wrap the beets in foil and roast them until they are fork-tender, 30 minutes to an hour. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the beets; the skins should slip off easily. Cut the cooked, peeled beets into large matchsticks about 1/2 inch wide by 2 inches long and set aside.

3. Make the vinaigrette. In a salad bowl, whisk together the shallot and vinegar and then, still whisking, drizzle in the walnut oil. Toss the beets with the dressing.

4. Distribute the watercress evenly among 4 salad plates, and arrange the dressed beet matchsticks on top. Drizzle any dressing left in the bowl over the greens. Crumble the goat cheese over the vegetables, then scatter the walnuts over all, and sprinkle each serving with salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato and cucumber salad

• From allrecipes.com, altered

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cup cucmbers, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 c cilantro, chopped

1/2 c basil, chopped

2 Tb garlic, chopped

2 Tb white wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix together all ingredients. Serve chilled.

Kale & Carrot Salad with Candied Walnuts

Adapted from a recipe in Every Day with Rachael Ray July/August 2013

1/4 c olive oil
6 Tb white wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
10 cups stemmed and torn kale
1 carrot, shredded
1 c store-bought candied walnuts (or make your own!)

In a large bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, honey and mustard. Add kale and carrot, toss and season. Let stand 10 minutes, toss again, then sprinkle with nuts.

Butter Bean Salad

By Me.

2 cups canned butter beans
2 Tb fresh oregano
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tb chopped fresh chives
1 shallot, minced
1/4 tea salt
1 tea Dijon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tb red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil

Make vinegarette:

Mix together shallot, salt, dijon, lemon juice, and vinegar. Add garlic clove, to be removed later. Let sit 20 minutes, remove garlic, add olive oil, set aside.

Make beans:

Warm beans on stovetop in olive oil. Remove from heat, add oregano, walnuts and chives and mix. Add vinegarette to taste. Enjoy cold or warmed.

Coleslaw

From blog.julesglutenfree.com - modified

1 lb. shredded green and red cabbage & carrots (precut bag okay)
1/2 cup GF mayo (dairy or non-dairy)
4 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs milk (dairy or soy)
1/2 Tb celery seed
1 1/2 Tbs sugar (to taste)

Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Add sugar in small amounts until it tastes as you like it.

Massaged Kale Salad

1 large bunch Dinosaur Kale, remove stems and cut into 1/2 inch ribbons
1/4 tea sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c olive oil
1 apple, cored and cut into chunks
1/4 c dried cherries or craisins
1/4 c sunflower seeds

Put kale into a large bowl, sprinkle with sea salt, oil and lemon juice. Using hands, massage kale for 2-3 minutes. The salt and lemon juice will wilt the greens. Toss in apple chunks, craisins and sunflower seeds.

Salad Nicoise

From William-Sonoma Salad
makes 6 servings

4 peeled hard-boiled eggs
1 lb small waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold, Yellow Finn or Red Rose
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 lb slender green beans
2 c mixed young salad greens
16 anchovy fillets
5 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into narrow strips
1/2 c oil-cured black olives
1 can olive oil-packed tuna, drained
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 Tb minced shallot
1/4 c olive oil

Quarter the hard-boiled eggs lengthwise, set aside.

Put the potatoes adn 3/4 tea salt in a large saucepan and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork, 20-25 minutes. Drain, rince with cold running water, adn , when just cool enough to handle, peel and cut into slices about 1/4 inche thick. Set aside.

Arrange the beans in a steamer basket and place over boiling water. Cover and steam just until tender, about 3 minutes. Lift out the basket and place under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Divid the salad greens among individual plates, making a bed on each. Divide the ingredients evenly, arranging the eggs, potatoes, beans, anchovy fillets, tomatoes, bell pepper and olives on each plate, with the tuna in the center.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, 1/2 tea salt and 1/2 tea pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to make a thick dressing. Pour the dressing over the salads and serve at once.

Sesame Vinegarette from Lucky Platter

Toast until golden: 1/4 C Sesame Seeds

Mix by hand all ingredients together in small bowl:
1 egg
3.175 oz rice vinegar
3 T honey
1/8 t salt
1 oz sesame oil

Romaine Lettuce Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese and Walnuts

From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen

for 6-8 servings

1 head romaine lettuce (or mixed greens)
5 Tb olive oil
1 Tb red wine vinegar
Salt
Black Pepper
1/4 lb. imported gorgonzola cheese, brought to room temp (or warmed)
1/2 cup shelled walnuts chopped coarse (or candied)

1. Pull off and discard any of the romaine's blemished outer leaves. Detach the rest from the core adn tear them by hand into bite-sized pieces. Soak in several changes of cold water, then spin-dry or shake dry in a towel.

2. Put olive oil, vinegar, salt and several grindings of pepper into a serving bowl. Beat them with a fork until the seasonings are evenly blended.

3. Add half the gorgonzola and mash it thoroughly with a fork. Add half the walnuts, all teh lettuce, and toss to distribute the dressing uniformly. Taste and correct for seasoning.

4. Top with the remaining gorgonzola, breaking it up over the salad, and the remaining chopped walnuts and serve.

Summer Cucumber Salad

From Everyday Food June 2009

1 Cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise
1/2 white onion sliced
1/4 c fresh cilantro
2 tea olive oil
2 Tb lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Let sit in the fridge for several hours so that the flavors blend and the onion mellows.