Go Green

Look around the veggie tables at the farmers markets and green is the color of choice right now. Which doesn’t bother me in the least.

Lettuce, Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, turnips and turnip greens, spinach and arugula. As if we have a choice, I’ve been buying loads of greens and eating them every way I can think of.

Sauteed Swiss chard, sauteed spinach and way too many salads. Salads with radishes, homegrown tomatoes and vinaigrette is the current standard, though it changes based on what’s available.

We have been eating salad with every meal. Yes, I even eat it for breakfast with my eggs and Tuesday night’s dinner was—drum roll, please, you guessed it–salad.

So to break the monotony of “salads” and before David starts complaining and proclaiming, “No more salads!”, I dug up a recipe I have had well over a year that calls for fresh arugula and a few unusual items such as roasted red grapes, roasted shallots and pecorino.

And I have one bag of organic arugula left from Montesino Ranch in Wimberley, so here we go.

I think the colors of this salad will look wonderful on the Thanksgiving or holiday table. The green arugula, red grapes and white pecorino cheese will set the tone for a memorable and meaningful meal.

In honor of the three week countdown until Thanksgiving, buen provecho!

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Arugula Salad with Roasted Grapes and Shallot Vinaigrette

The distinctive colors, textures and flavors make this salad a winner! The peppery arugula, the way roasting the grapes intensifies the sweetness and the cool, bright fresh flavor of the pecorino are spectacular. The roasted shallot vinaigrette makes it even more special. Serve this salad on a holiday and you'll definitely get everyone's attention and create a delicious memory for all.

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword arugula, fruit

Servings 6

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet got this recipe from the October 1, 2008 issue, p. 68, of Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

• 6 medium shallots unpeeled
• 2 cups red seedless grapes washed well and dry
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 bunches or 3/4 lb. of arugula or watercress heavy stems removed
• 2 oz. pecorino cheese thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place the grapes on one half of the prepared baking sheet and shallots on the other half. Roast 20 minutes or until grapes are shriveled. Be sure to turn grapes every 10 minutes. When the grapes are done, transfer them to a bowl and set aside.

   

2. Continue to roast the shallots 20 minutes more or until tender. Transfer shallots to bowl and cool 10 minutes.

3. Cut off the root end of each shallot and squeeze pulp into blender. Add oil, vinegar and mustard and season with kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in fresh thyme.

   

4. Toss arugula with enough dressing to coat. Divide arugula among 6 plates (or less) and top with toasted grapes and pecorino slices.

   

5. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional Information Per Serving

158 calories; 6 g protein; 10 g Total fat; 3 g Saturated fat; 13 g Carbs; 12 mg Cholesterol; 278 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber and 9 g Sugar