Small, yet flavorful additions to the usual salad (4.20.10)

Tuesday 4/20/10:

I thinly sliced some of the sorrel and red mustard greens and added them to some grocery store spring greens. I tossed the greens with a simple Dijon vinaigrette (see recipe below), sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and topped them with *roasted pepitas, cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese. Side salads are the vegetable of choice in my repertoire of home cooking- mainly because they are so easy to prepare. I try to make my portion pretty big because every time I finish one of these salads I declare that I could have eaten more. These side salads were served alongside some sort of main dish, but I can't recall what that was. Sorry, I'll take better notes next time.

*I save money by purchasing raw, unsalted pepitas in bulk at Whole Foods. I spray them with olive oil (good quality evoo poured into my favorite spray bottle) and sprinkle them with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then I roast them at 350 degrees until they are lightly golden in color. They will start to pop!

*This vinaigrette is très classique. It reminds me of when I studied in Grenoble, France, where walnuts are a specialty and have been awarded an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (just like fine wine). If you like it, double the recipe next time you make it so you can always have it on hand for a quick salad. I do not recommend the shake method described below. It does not work. For the smoothest consistency, I prefer to whisk in the oil, or use a blender.

Mustard Vinaigrette (Vinaigrette à la Moutarde)

(courtesy of "The Paris Cookbook" by Patricia Wells)

3 tablespoons French Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon best-quality red wine vinegar

Fine sea salt to taste

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup French walnut oil

yield: about 1 cup

The addition of walnut oil adds that perfect, slightly mysterious touch to a rather classic dressing. If you want to experiment, try substituting hazelnut or grilled peanut oil.

Place the mustard, vinegar, and sea salt in a bottle. Cover and shake to blend. Add the oils and shake to blend. Taste for seasoning. The vinaigrette can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several weeks. Shake again at serving time to create a thick emulsion.