Recipe & Pic From Loam Agrinomics
It may be fall, but this recipe proves that salad season doesn't have to be over just yet!
pickled grapes
4 C red seedless grapes
1 T peppercorn
1 T fennel seed
1 T yellow mustard seed
2 T kosher salt
¼ C sugar, coconut sugar or honey
¾ C red wine vinegar
1 C water
vinaigrette
1/3 C grape pickling brine
½ – ¾ C olive oil
4 sprigs parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 ts Dijon mustard
1 ts kelp or dulse powder (optional)
salad and assembly
6–8 oz thick cut bacon, strips cut in half
1 head broccoli
1 head frisée, leaves torn
1 small head other lettuce such as little gem, bibb etc leaves torn
4 small carrots, shaved into ribbons
1 watermelon or other radish, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ C goat feta, preferably Blue Heron Farms
¼ C pepitas, toasted
1/3 C pickled grapes, cut in half
pickled grapes
Place grapes in a glass jar or heat safe container.
In a small saucepan, combine the rest of the pickle section ingredients and bring to a boil stirring occasionally to dissolve the salt and sugar.
Carefully pour the hot liquid over the grapes and let sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature before transferring to the fridge. Pickles will keep for up to a month.
vinaigrette
To a blender, add pickling brine, parsley, garlic, mustard and kelp/dulse powder (if using).
With the motor running, pour in ½ cup olive oil and blend until creamy and combined.
Taste, and add up to ¼ cup more oil if the dressing is too punchy for your liking.
Add a pinch of salt (or more, to taste).
salad and assembly
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet over medium-low heat, cook your bacon WITHOUT stirring. After about 5-10 minutes when the bacon starts to look browned on the other side, flip your pieces. Cook until it looks deeply golden brown and crispy and transfer pieces to a paper towel. Reserve the bacon fat in your pan for the broccoli!
Cut broccoli into florets and then cut those in half lengthwise (or quarter lengthwise if some are a bit larger) to maximize caramelization. Add broccoli and a tablespoon of bacon fat (or olive oil if you’re not using bacon) to a sheet pan and toss to coat. Arrange the broccoli with as many cut sides down on the pan as possible and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are crispy and the bottoms are deeply browned where they were face down on the pan.
Put all your frisée and lettuces in a large bowl and toss with some (about 2T to ¼ cup depending on the size of your lettuce heads) salad dressing and top with roasted broccoli, shaved carrot, radish, feta, bacon, pepitas and pickled grapes. Drizzle more vinaigrette on top and serve.