Category Archives: Salads

WTF (WATERMELON, TOMATO, AND FETA) SALAD

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While grocery shopping over the Memorial Day weekend, these patriotic-looking Pop-Tarts caught my eye:

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But as I moved in for a closer look, I couldn’t help but think “WTF?”  I think the idea of a “different team on every Pop-Tart toaster pastry” is kinda clever:

poptart header

But here’s where they lost me:

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“Collect all 30 teams?”  In my estate sale adventures, I have seen all kinds of bizarre collections (like dismembered mannequins, for example).  But who in their right mind is going to collect toaster pastries?  I don’t even know how you would collect toaster pastries?  Do you display them on little acrylic stands with a dozen roach traps around them?  Encase them in lucite?  Take pictures of the toaster pastries and hang them on your wall?  Help me out here — how do you collect Pop-Tarts?  Why would you collect Pop-Tarts?

Yep, sometimes you just have to shake your head and say “WTF?”  And on this particular day, WTF means Watermelon, Tomato, and Feta Salad.  At this point, I’m guessing most of you have heard of, if not tried, a watermelon salad of some sort.  This one, with tomato slices alternated with watermelon slices, sprinkled with feta, and drizzled with a sherry vinaigrette, is a light, refreshing, and easy summer salad.  And besides, it’s fun to tell folks you made a WTF Salad.  😉

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WTF SALAD
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 or 5 firm ripe tomatoes
  • ¼ of a seedless watermelon
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Place the vinegar in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow stream and whisk until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use.
  2. Slice the tomatoes and watermelon into ⅜-inch thick slices. Trim the watermelon slices to approximate the same round shape as the tomatoes. You'll need an equal number of tomato and watermelon slices. Arrange the tomato and watermelon slices on a serving platter, overlapping slices of tomato and watermelon. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top with feta cheese. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

 

 Plated and ready to be dressed

For those WTF kinda days

SPRING MIX WITH STRAWBERRIES AND COCOA BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

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I had lunch today at Barnaby’s Café in the Heights.  One of my friends ordered the chicken burrito, and when the monster creation arrived at the table, we all just kind of stared at it and its bizarre garnish:

barnabys

Talk about food porn

Hello?  In the words of my friend Jannine, is that a burrito, or are you just happy to see me?  I’m just going to go ahead and say what I know you must be thinking and get it over with — it’s a jalapeñis.  It brought to mind the infamous banana candle, which I still can’t believe anyone would ever suggest as a healthy meal for children:

381767_1901344912375_918567386_n[1] Not gonna go there

While the burrito might suggest that sex is in the air, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I think more people are inclined to think that love is in the air.  One of the things that will definitely be on our Valentine’s Day dinner menu is Spring Mix with Strawberries and Cocoa Balsamic Vinaigrette. Chocolate and strawberries — it’s a no-brainer.  I’m way beyond cutting heart shapes out of beets and red peppers, and other such cutesy stuff.  This, on the other hand, is the salad that when you make it, your family will ask, “Are we having company?”  I admit that blue cheese, fruit, and nuts are nothing new when it comes to salad, but the vinaigrette — nutty from hazelnut oil, with deep cocoa notes and subtle sweetness from balsamic vinegar and golden syrup — makes this salad unique and memorable.  It’s a great way to say “I love you” this Valentine’s Day.  Definitely better than a burrito with a jalapeñis.

5 from 1 reviews
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SPRING MIX WITH STRAWBERRIES AND COCOA BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • For the Cocoa Balsamic Vinaigrette:
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch of ground cayenne
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup hazelnut oil
  • For the salad:
  • 8 to 10 cups spring mix
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • ½ cup glazed or sugared pecans (I prefer Fisher Glazed Pecans)
  • 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
  1. For the cocoa balsamic vinaigrette, in a medium bowl, whisk together vinegars, syrup, cocoa, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Slowly whisk in oils until smooth and emulsified. Transfer dressing to a serving container.
  2. Divide spring mix among 6 individual salad plates, chilled if possible, and drizzle with dressing, reserving any unused dressing for use at another time. Arrange strawberries, pecans, and blue cheese, decoratively on top, and serve.

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These are really, really good.  Really.

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<3 <3 <3 <3

Roses are red

Violets are blue

If you don’t like my salad

I’ve got a burrito for you