Category Archives: Salads

GARBANZO AND FENNEL SALAD

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Spring has sprung here on the Gulf Coast, and what a show it’s been!  The redbuds, with their pink-flocked branches, were among the first to awaken:

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They were soon followed by Japanese magnolias:

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and azaleas:

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and loropetalum, also known as Chinese fringe flowers:

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The fragrant blossoms popping into bloom on the citrus trees bring the promise of an abundant fruit crop (well, hopefully more than the 3 lemons I was rewarded with this year):

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This time of year is great at the farmer’s market, too.  There’s been loads of gorgeous produce, including cabbages big and small:

010007 (2)A crazy riot of carrots:

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Easter egg radishes:

003 (2) And whopping fennel bulbs:

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I used the fennel to make Garbanzo and Fennel Salad.  This salad has a lot going on, with a strong bite from the garlic, red pepper, and blue cheese.  It’ll awaken any hibernating taste buds!  Happy Spring!

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GARBANZO AND FENNEL SALAD
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Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 15.5-ounce cans garbanzos, rinsed and drained
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
  • ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leafed parsley
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, pepper, salt, thyme, and red pepper. Place garbanzos, fennel, and garlic in a medium bowl, pour dressing over, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese an parsley. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

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SMOKED DUCK, MANGO, AND BLACKBERRY SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE

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012I found this cute little vintage wooden duck bowl on ebay.  I liked the decorative carving around the edge and on the tail.  The bowl part is only about 4″ in diameter, and  I can think of a lot of uses for it.

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It’s a little hard to see, but carved on the bottom are the words “Handmade in Yugoslavia.”  (Yugoslavia broke up into Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia in the early 1990s.)

Did you ever wonder why we say “duck” when you want to warn someone to put their head down?  According to my interwebs research, the word duck referring to the bird, came from the verb “to duck,” meaning to bend down.  This is because many members of the duck family feed by “upending.”  In Dutch, the word “duiken” means “to dive.”  Many languages have words for “duck” and “end” that are similar– such as the Dutch “eend” for “duck,” and “eind” for “end.”  So the next time you are at a cocktail party and run out of things to talk about or people to make fun of, you can bore everyone with the origin of the word “duck.”  One step closer to being Cliff Clavin.

No one, however, seems to know the origin of the phrase “just ducky,” generally used to mean something is fine or wonderful.  I think “just puppy” might be a more appropriate description of something great.

Inspired by the little wooden bowl handmade in the country formerly known as Yugoslavia, I made Smoked Duck, Mango, and Blackberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.  The smoked duck breast comes fully cooked and frozen, and because it can be elusive to find, I will buy it and freeze it when I come across it.  You can also order it online.  It tends to be somewhat pricey, but a little goes a long way, and it’s really worth it for this special salad.  This salad really is just ducky.

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SMOKED DUCK, MANGO, AND BLACKBERRY SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • For the raspberry vinaigrette:
  • ½ cup raspberry vinegar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup grapeseed oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 tablespoons honey
  • For salad:
  • 6 cups mixed field greens or baby lettuces
  • 1 smoked duck breast, fat trimmed, and thinly sliced
  • 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
  • ½ ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
  • ½ cup fresh blackberries
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios
Instructions
  1. To make vinaigrette, whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer to serving container.
  2. To assemble salad, divide greens among two salad plates (chilled, preferably). Arrange duck and mango slices decoratively in a spoke-like fashion on top of greens. Arrange blackberries decoratively among mango and duck slices. Sprinkle pistachios over salad. Drizzle with vinaigrette, reserving unused dressing for another use.

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Smoked duck breast — the beginning of a great salad

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Spoke-like!

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Just ducky!

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Mad as a wet hen?  How about mad as a dirty duck?