Summer Harvest Salad
I’m sure you all know by now, we’re huge fans of salad in my house. We usually have one large salad dinner per week, and sometimes twice a week. I do mean large--like complete meal salads packed with mix ins for wonderful texture and “chew.”
Do you remember my post a while back on Olivia’s Organics? Yep-still love their salad greens! They’re amazingly fresh and there are so many blends to choose from. Olivia’s Organics is sponsoring a recipe contest for…salad, of course! The winning recipe will snag you a $500 Williams Sonoma gift certificate, and your recipe featured on their site. Nice, right? This salad is my entry in the contest.
In celebrating the “flavors of the season,” I came up with this recipe for Summer Harvest Salad. I’m in love with it! I usually just throw salads together, tossing in whatever is fresh and looks good at the moment. This time, I actually gave it some thought! I brought together some of our favorites, and I think, created a wonderful salad that celebrates some of summer’s freshest fruits and vegetables.
There are the tender greens, ranging in flavors from sweet to bitter. The crunchiness of the fennel, pear and pistachios. The fresh soft figs, and let’s not forget the bite of the dried cherries, cheese cubes and bacon! We’ve also got some sweet and sour action happening in the vinaigrette, with the honey and orange playing off of the tangy vinegar. The salty bacon is an excellent contrast to the dressing.
Summer Harvest Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
serves 2 for a main course
1 large container of Olivia's Organics Asian Salad Blend
a handful of torn Romaine lettuce leaves (feel free to add more greens)
1 small fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
5-6 fresh figs, halved, then each half cut into 4 pieces
1 medium red pear, cored and thinly sliced
2-3 oz. Gouda, cut into chunks or sliced
a handful of dried cherries
a handful of shelled pistachios
a handful of crumbled bacon
Orange Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
makes approx 1 cup
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp honey
about 4 tbsp fresh orange juice
zest of half an orange
1 tbsp poppy seeds
pinch of salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
In a bowl, whisk everything except the oil.
While whisking, pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisk until emulsified.
Assemble the salad:
In a large bowl, gently toss the greens, fennel, figs, and pear with some of the vinaigrette to taste. Remember, less is more--and you can add more if you need to, but you can't take it away once it's in there. Taste for seasonings, add a touch more salt and pepper if needed.
Divide the salad between the plates, and top each serving equally with the Gouda, dried cherries, pistachios and bacon. Serve immediately.
Go check out the contest, and think about submitting a recipe of your own! You may discover a brand new salad that will become a family favorite.
Elle | Print Article | Share Article | Email Article | 15 Comments tagged Gouda, Olivia's Organics, fennel, fresh figs, new england, orange, pear, pistachios, poppy seed, recipe, salad, vinaigrette
Reader Comments (15)
Another excellent idea, Elle. I, too, love salads. This looks like a fun one to try. The figs are fresh and in abundance right now so it is the perfect time to make this.
Thank you so much, Jen! It is very fresh tasting, especially with the orange vinaigrette.
Figs, fennel, pears, and gouda, omg! This looks like an amazing salad!!
that's such a beautiful looking salad Elle - now I'm craving a great big salad full of wonderful things...
Thank you so much, girls!
Thank you, Doreen!
I wish I was this creative in the kitchen. Thankfully there are great people like you coming up with recipes for folks like me who can't make anything without one! LOL This looks like a winner, Elle!
Oh, what a wonderful combination of flavors! I think I will be in sensory overload when I make and taste this salad in person (I can already taste the flavor combo in my head now as I read the ingredients!)
Aww shucks, April--thanks so much!
Thank you so much, Andrea! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Now that salad is a meal, beautiful
Thank you, Kathy!
What a lovely salad Elle, and those fresh figs look divine. Either I'm shopping blind in the grocery store, or else we just don't get fresh figs very often here in North-of-Portland-Maine. I'm terribly jealous.
Also, interested to hear how the recipe contest turns out for you. I've been tempted to try one before, but never got up the gumption. Have you entered many?
Take care, and happy cooking!
I hope you win, Elle! Your salad is GORGEOUS!
This both looks and sounds beautiful Elle; and so in keeping with salads I love. I've begun enjoying fruit so much in mixed green salads; I can't remember the last time I had one with onions and tomato...hmm, sounding a bit like my pizzas too!
The orange vinaigrette would be great on so many things! It's a keeper.
Oooh hope you win! Love the salad! And you've got me wondering why I don't jazz up my salads with nuts and dried or fresh fruits? This looks like heaven!