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By MARY THERESE BIEBEL [email protected]
Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Page: 1D
Strawberries and spinach together?
The first time Nancy Carey of Wyoming heard about the combination, she was
skeptical. Then, like the characters in those old
“Hey-you-got-chocolate-in-my-peanut-butter” commercials, she came around.
In fact, when Carey’s friend Mary Jean, whom she was visiting two years ago
in Napa Valley, Calif., served a salad that tied spinach and strawberries
together with a sesame/poppyseed dressing, the local woman became an immediate
fan.
“My friend and I refer to it as The Salad because it became such a hit.
I’ve taken it to picnics, and I love to entertain,” said Carey, who is
executive admissions director at John Heinz Institute and an avid cook in her
own kitchen. “Everyone I make it for asks for the recipe.”
That recipe, which Carey submitted to the Times Leader Test Kitchen Salad
Contest, was likewise a hit with the top-secret panel of judges, who described
it as “very inventive” and declared it the winner.
After she found out she won, Carey agreed to mix up a salad so it could be
photographed.
“It’s easy, colorful, and it can be made in advance,” she said. But do hold
the dressing until just before serving. “Once you add the dressing, you have
to eat it or it sogs out,” she cautioned with a laugh.
Other entries in the salad contest sounded so good we just had to share
them with our readers, too.
Below you will find recipes for runners-up Gerri Leo of Wilkes-Barre with
Turkey Dandelion Divine, Charles Prohaska of Larksville with Endive Salad,
Corine Stewart of Wilkes-Barre with Tuna and Spring Mix with Dijon
Vinaigrette, Kelly Seymour of Dallas with Broccoli Salad and Charlotte
Hendershot of Hudson with Shrimp and Pasta Salad.
Bon appetit!
”
GERRI LEO’S TURKEY …….DANDELION DIVINE
4 cups dandelion greens
4 cups romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup grated onion
3 cloves chopped garlic
10 grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups chopped turkey breast (leftover or deli-style)
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese (Asiago or Provolone)
”
GERRI LEO’S DRESSING
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves or 2 tablespoon dried
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
(Optional) 1/4 cup soy nuts or toasted pine nuts
Wash greens well, pat dry. Tear into bite-size pieces. Add remaining
ingredients and toss together. Whisk ingredients for dressing in a small bowl.
Sprinkle soy nuts or pine nuts, if desired, on top. Dress your salad and
enjoy.
”
CHARLES PROHASKA’S ENDIVE SALAD
1 small bunch endive
2 medium potatoes, cooked with skins on
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 pound bacon
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
Oil
Vinegar
Rinse and cut endive into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and
sugar. Toss the greens. Peel potatoes and cube to desired size. Dice eggs, add
to salad with potatoes and toss. Cut bacon into bits and fry to crisp brown.
Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain. Reserve grease in frying
pan and add 1/8 cup oil to grease. Heat until it is sizzling, then remove
from stove and add 1/4 cup vinegar to hot oil mixture. Pour over salad and
toss. Add bacon bits and toss. Oil and vinegar can be adjusted to your taste.
CORINE STEWART’S SPRING MIX WITH DIJON
VINAIGRETTE
5-ounces or half bag of spring mix salad
6-ounce can tuna fish, drained
1 to 2 red, vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
Cracked wheat
CORINE STEWART’S DRESSING
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon good quality Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch oregano
Toss salad mix, tomatoes and red onion together. Spoon tuna fish on top of
salad mix; sprinkle to taste with cracked wheat. Combine vinaigrette
ingredients in a cruet and shake vigorously or mix well. Drizzle vinaigrette
over salad
KELLY SEYMOUR’S BROCCOLI SALAD
2 bunches fresh broccoli
8 slices crumbled bacon (or 8 tablespoons real bacon bits)
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Chop broccoli heads into bite-size pieces (discard stems), and put in large
bowl. Add bacon, cheese, onion and raisins to broccoli and toss. In a separate
bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar and mix until well blended. Pour
mayonnaise mixture over broccoli mixture and toss until coated. Refrigerate
until ready to serve.
CHARLOTTE HENDERSHOT’S SHRIMP AND PASTA SALAD
1 cup raw orzo pasta, cooked until tender and
drained
1/2 of 10-ounce box frozen peas, blanched one minute and drained
1/4 cup pitted black olives, thinly sliced
1/2 large red sweet bell pepper, minced
1/2 pound (or more) shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces (save three for
garnish)
1 cup minced red sweet onion
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or more)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cherry or grape tomatoes and sliced olives for garnish
In a large mixing bowl, toss together the drained orzo, peas, olives,
shrimp, red bell pepper and onion. Pour olive oil over salad, add the vinegar,
garlic and seasonings. Taste to adjust seasonings.
Spoon mixture into a 1 and 1/2 quart bowl large enough to just hold the
salad. Pack it down slightly, cover and chill overnight. Unmold on a plate
lined with shredded lettuce. Garnish with the tomatoes, olives and the
reserved shrimp, cut lengthwise.
2 baskets fresh strawberries
2 bunches fresh spinach, or use the triple-washed kind, about 1 and 1/2
bag.
Remove stems from spinach and tear into bite-size pieces. Cut into quarters
and combine with strawberries. Set aside.
”
NANCY CAREY’S DRESSING
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced onion
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Combine ingredients and mix well to dissolve sugar. Just before serving,
pour dressing over spinach and strawberries and toss to coat well. Serve
immediately.
