Monday, January 25, 2010

54 Degrees at 7:30 a.m.

That's right. Monday was a rainy, windy, surprisingly warm day here in the Hudson Valley. As I am on the morning shift for the dog's walk, it was nice for once not to be greeted by bitter cold air. With bitter cold air, though, it's easy to know what to eat: hearty sausage rice soup, creamy hot chocolate, spicy penne all'arrabbiata. What does one eat in January when the weather screams April but without the wonderful April produce (asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries)?

Salad. Not any salad will do. It's still January so something substantial is required. Sure there can be lettuce, but we need protein, and fruit, and cheese! Hooray for cheese!

The source of this formula, as it's not a recipe in a traditional sense, is my Aunt Nancy. Aunt Nancy is a wonderful person who has come to be more than an aunt. She's the complete package: best friend, sister, and mother figure (but only when I need a good swift kick in the pants). She has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. The only solid holiday tradition in my life is Easter spent at her sanctuary of a home on Long Island. It is such a peaceful, relaxing space. We play cards and Scrabble, and eat well, incredibly well.

This past Thanksgiving we had the good fortune to spend it with her, my wonderful uncle Jamie, and my cousin Abbey. We have such a good deal going...we show up, we eat, we drink, we lay about, and we leave. Don't hate us too much as we have to navigate New York City traffic to get there. If you think, as I thought, that driving on Thanksgiving Day would make for light traffic that would be a mistake. At least twice per year for the last three years, we've made the round-trip drive from the Hudson Valley to Long Island (hello Throgs Neck Bridge!), and the worst traffic we've encountered in all those years was this past Thanksgiving Day.

It was with relief we finally arrived at their house, and then joy when we saw all the wonderful food being manipulated in the kitchen. For the salad course, Nancy said she was inspired by Primo restaurant in Maine. She placed all the components in front of me, and I was tasked with composing the salads.


A base of mesclun mix supported nearly equal amounts of prosciutto, goat cheese, mango slices, and fresh fig slices.



Oh my goodness - I am licking my lips just thinking about it as it was that good! The salt of the prosciutto would hit you only to be eclipsed by a little sweet-tart punch from the mangoes that would then settle into the creamy earthiness of the interplay between goat cheese and figs. This combination calls for a mild dressing and so Nancy made shallot vinaigrette.

Again, this is more of a formula than a recipe, and in addition to Nancy's wonderful composition, I have come up with few of my own. Amounts will vary based on use. For a salad course, each item, except the lettuce, should be around one ounce. However, I encourage you to play around and decide what works best for you. Regarding dressing, use your favorite recipe or brand. I've posted to links to some recipes I like.

SALAD a la NANCY
Mesclun mix
Fresh figs, sliced (depending on size, you'll need 1/2 to 1 whole fig per salad)
Goat cheese, crumbled
Fresh, ripe mango, julienned
Prosciutto, sliced
Shallot vinaigrette (recipe)

SPANISH version
Mesclun mix
Manchego cheese, thinly sliced
Serrano ham, thinly sliced
Fresh figs, sliced
Marcona almonds
Sherry vinaigrette (recipe)

ITALIAN version
Mesclun mix
Pecorino Toscano, shaved
Prosciutto, thinly sliced
Fresh, ripe pear, thinly sliced
Walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted
Red wine vinaigrette (recipe)

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