Oranges and Grapefruit with Crunchy Red Onion and Avocado, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Summer Salad of Watermelon, Feta Cheese and Mint, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Apple and Endive Salad with Parsley and Salted Almonds, Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
Warm Fennel Salad with Olives, Pine Nuts and Orange, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
There is fruit salad. And then there are salads with fruit.
The difference is critical. One is a combination of several types of fruit cut into bite-sized pieces to allow the flavors and juices to blend. That’s fruit salad.
But salads with fruit are a different idea altogether. With them, one single type of fruit gets to shine and show off what it can do when placed atop a bed of greens or in another nontraditional fruit setting.
Summer is here, and most fruit is at its absolute best — or it soon will be. Sure, you could mash it all together and wind up with a perfectly enjoyable fruit salad. Or you can make a salad with fruit and put a spotlight on a pear or let an orange sing.
I recently made six salads with five different kinds of fruit. They are a great way to feel good about what you are eating, while also enjoying Nature’s greatest bounty.
Let’s start with Warm Fennel Salad with Olives, Pine Nuts and Orange. As the name implies, it has a little bit of everything in it, but it is artfully combined in well-considered proportions.
Yield: 4 servings
The main attraction here is the fennel, which is first sliced and cooked for a few minutes. This step softens and subdues the assertive licorice flavor for which fennel is known, leaving a subtle warmth with a hint of anise.
Thus tamed, the fennel becomes a sounding board for the citrus spark of lemon and the sweetness of the signature orange. But what really makes the salad exceptional is the startling pop of brininess from the occasional olive.
Oranges and olives might not seem like a felicitous combination, but when served with lightly caramelized fennel, they are wonderful.
Just as delightfully intriguing is a Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pears and Walnuts. Here, the goat cheese is the stand-out ingredient because it isn’t just warmed, it is fried.
Yield: 4 dinner servings or 8 appetizer servings
With a crisp coating of golden breadcrumbs around a warm and creamy cheese that is almost melting, these discs are the ultimate garnish to any salad. They are an unbeatable accompaniment to the bliss of a perfectly ripe pear, its sweetness emphasized by the bitter crunch of endive.
Only I couldn’t find endive at the two stores I tried. So I improvised by combining leaf lettuce with a bit of radicchio for a colorful substitution that did justice to the salad.
I used the same trick for Apple and Endive Salad with Parsley and Salted Almonds. This amazing dish offer the ideal mixture of textures and flavors in a single salad.
Yield: 4 servings
It starts with the crisp bitterness of endive — or in this case, leaf lettuce and radicchio — pacified with parsley and cool mint. Then comes the impertinent sweet-tartness of a thinly-sliced apple and the fabulous crunch of toasted almonds, all dressed in a simple mixture of olive oil and lemon juice.
I next made a classic, so familiar a part of the dinner-party repertoire that you may have already forgotten it.
Yield: 4 servings
Spinach, Apple and Walnut Salad was all the rage in 1989, when it appeared three times (one recipe and two photos) in a cookbook I have from that year. It was big throughout the '90s, but has since gone the way of baked brie and molten lava cake.
Time to bring it back. This salad deserves another moment in the culinary spotlight because its primal combination of apple, toasted walnuts and spinach is like a love story: It will go on forever. Each element, in its own way, improves the other two.
The last two salads with fruit I made do not accompany a bed of greens. In both of them, the fruit is the whole point.
Summer Salad of Watermelon, Feta Cheese and Mint is familiar enough, but the version I made takes the standard recipe and improves it tremendously with a couple of deft ideas.
Yield: 6 servings
First is the extraordinary addition of a mild onion tang from two sources, scallions and chives. These create the dining equivalent of a low-frequency hum, a steady bass note to let the other ingredients soar higher.
Mint is a natural accompaniment, of course, and the tangy counterpoint of lemon juice is all that is needed to tie it all together.
My final salad with fruit was originally conceived as Blood Oranges With Crunchy Red Onion and Avocado. But the blood orange season is over (look for them in winter and early spring), so once again I improvised. I used a mixture of oranges and grapefruit.
Yield: 4 servings
The point of this salad is for the acid from the citrus to balance the richness of the avocado (which of course is also a fruit, but no one thinks of it that way). But while grapefruit makes a lovely presentation, it is a little too tart when paired with the avocado. Unless your grapefruit is particularly sweet, I’d recommend tossing the pieces in just a bit of sugar before using them.
The other factor in this salad is red onion — but it can be too assertive for a salad this subtle. To blunt this sharpness of flavor, all you have to do is slice it and let the pieces soak in ice water for several minutes. Not only is it milder, but it also develops a nice crunch.
The salad is gorgeous, with contrasting textures and ingredients that make the others even better. It’s everything you’d want from a salad with fruit.
Summer salads
Spinach, Apple and Walnut Salad
Spinach, Apple and Walnut Salad, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Yield: 4 servings
¼ cup broken or coarsely chopped walnuts
¼ cup walnut oil
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fruit-flavored vinegar, such as black currant
Salt and pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 red apple, cored but not peeled
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1. Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees.
2. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until evenly toasted and fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. Keep warm until serving.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together walnut oil, vegetable oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until blended.
4. Place spinach in a large salad bowl (tear into bite-size pieces if not using baby spinach). Slice apple as thinly as possible, sprinkle with lemon juice and add to salad bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat spinach and apples well. Divide among 4 serving plates and sprinkle each portion with toasted nuts.
Per serving: 305 calories; 32g fat; 13g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 3g protein; 4g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 2g fiber; 647mg sodium; 79mg calcium
Adapted from “Crabtree & Evelyn Cookbook”
Warm Fennel Salad with Olives, Pine Nuts and Orange
Warm Fennel Salad with Olives, Pine Nuts and Orange, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Yield: 4 servings
1 large fennel bulb
Salt (preferably fleur de sel) and pepper
¼ small red onion
½ cup small black olives
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1. Trim the stalks from the fennel, reserving a handful of green fronds. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise, then cut into lengthwise slices about ¼-inch thick. Heat a little olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat and, working in batches and seasoning with salt and pepper as you go, fry the fennel on both sides until golden and tender, about 3 minutes per side. As the fennel is done, arrange it on a serving platter.
2. Zest the orange over the fennel. Cut the skin from the orange with a sharp knife, taking care to remove all the white pith from the fruit. Cut between the membranes to section the orange, and arrange the sections over the fennel. Squeeze the juice from the membranes over the whole salad.
3. Cut the onion into paper-thin slices and arrange over the salad. Scatter the olives and pine nuts over the salad. Zest the lemon and squeeze over lemon juice to taste. Drizzle over a little more olive oil. Finally, scatter over the reserved fennel fronds, and serve.
Per serving: 181 calories; 15g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 3g protein; 16g carbohydrate; 6g sugar; 4g fiber; 736mg sodium; 49mg calcium
Adapted from “French Taste” by Laura Calder
Orange and Grapefruit With Crunchy Red Onion and Avocado
Oranges and Grapefruit with Crunchy Red Onion and Avocado, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Yield: 4 servings
¹⁄8 small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 small oranges and 1 grapefruit, preferably red, or 4 blood oranges.
1 avocado, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
Flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, poppy seeds or nigella seeds
¼ cup fresh cilantro, tender stems and leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1. Soak the sliced onion in a medium bowl of ice water for 10 to 20 minutes; this will soften the oniony bite and also make it crunchy.
2. Meanwhile, cut away the peel and white pith from the citrus fruits and cut fruit into supremes: Segment the fruit by carefully cutting it between the white membranes. If grapefruit is too tart, add a pinch of sugar.
Alternate slices of avocado and segments of fruit on a large serving plate, overlapping the slices slightly.
3. Drain the onion and scatter it on top. Drizzle with the lime juice. Season with flaky sea salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds and cilantro, and drizzle the whole thing with olive oil.
Per serving: 220 calories; 16g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 2g protein; 21g carbohydrate; 7g sugar; 7g fiber; 588mg sodium; 60mg calcium
Adapted from “Dining In” by Alison Roman
Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pears and Walnuts
Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pears and Walnut, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Yield: 4 dinner servings or 8 appetizer servings
1¼ cups breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 (11-ounce) log soft fresh goat cheese, cut into 8 rounds
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons walnut oil, divided
8 cups mixed baby greens
2 heads of Belgian endive, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces, see note
2 large ripe pears, peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch-thick pieces
¹⁄³ cup chopped walnuts
Note: If Belgian endive is unavailable, substitute 6 leaves of leaf lettuce and 4 leaves of radicchio, all torn into bite-sized pieces.
1. Mix breadcrumbs and thyme in a bowl. Sprinkle cheese rounds with salt and pepper. Dip rounds into beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs, coating completely. Transfer to plate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead).
2. Whisk vinegar and mustard in a small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in ½ cup oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Combine mixed greens, endive and pears in a large bowl.
3. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and sauté until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer walnuts to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add cheese rounds to skillet and cook until crisp, brown and warmed through, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Serve topped with 1 cheese round for appetizers or 2 cheese rounds for dinner. Sprinkle with walnuts.
Per serving (based on 8): 395 calories; 27g fat; 7g saturated fat; 41mg cholesterol; 14g protein; 27g carbohydrate; 7g sugar; 8g fiber; 390mg sodium; 182mg calcium
Recipe from “The Bon Appétit Cookbook” by Barbara Fairchild
Summer Salad of Watermelon, Feta Cheese and Mint
Summer Salad of Watermelon, Feta Cheese and Mint, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Yield: 6 servings
4 cups watermelon, cut off the rind and into 1-inch pieces, seeded
4 green onions, cut crosswise into very thin slices, both green and white parts
2 tablespoons minced chives
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
8 large mint leaves, sliced very thin
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 cup (4 ouncers) feta cheese, crumbled, divided
1. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, green onions, chives, lemon zest and half of the mint leaves. Pour the oil and lemon juice over, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper, and toss again. Sprinkle ¾ cup of the cheese over the salad; toss very gently to distribute.
2. Refrigerate until serving time. To serve, portion among 6 plates and top with the remaining cheese and mint. Drizzle very lightly with oil and serve immediately.
Per serving: 140 calories; 10g fat; 4g saturated fat; 22mg cholesterol; 4g protein; 9g carbohydrate; 8g sugar; 1g fiber; 624mg sodium; 134mg calcium
Recipe by Paula Lambert in “Cooking with Les Dames D’Escoffier”
Apple and Endive Salad with Parsley and Salted Almonds
Apple and Endive Salad with Parsley and Salted Almonds, Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
Yield: 4 servings
½ cup skin-on roasted almonds, or toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 endives, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise, leaves separated, see note
1 large tart apple, such as Pink Lady, cored and thinly sliced
1 small shallot, sliced crosswise into rings
1 cup fresh parsley, tender stems and leaves
½ cup mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce, optional
Note: If you cannot find endive, substitute 3 or 4 leaves of leaf or romaine lettuce and 3 leaves of radicchio, all torn into bite-sized pieces.
1. Combine the almonds and olive oil in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the endive, apple, shallot, parsley, mint, lemon juice and fish sauce, if using, in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Taste a piece or two of endive or lettuce and adjust with more lemon, salt or pepper, if needed.
3. Top with the salted almond mixture.
Per serving: 236 calories; 20g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 5g protein; 14g carbohydrate; 7g sugar; 5g fiber; 722mg sodium; 87mg calcium
Adapted from “Dining In” by Alison Roman
June 16, 2021 at 06:17PM
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