This post, and the travel described therein, was created in partnership with Earthbound Farm, who is committed to the betterment of the planet through growing delicious organic produce.
This fall I had the pleasure of traveling to a few of the farms that make up the Earthbound Farm network of organic growers here in California. What I discovered was a profound community of earth servants, committed to producing extraordinary organic fruits and vegetables while doing everything possible to heal the environment and make their goods accessible to all. Click here to read more about my trip with Earthbound, and read on for a perfect winter salad that utilizes their new Rosé Blend and their Baby Red Butter Lettuce greens.
This salad is the perfect combination of fresh winter crunch—sweet and bitter lettuces (baby red, oak, and butter, and a splash of radicchio), hearty apples and persimmon—with satisfying crispy shallots and toasted seeds. With a salty, tangy cheese finish (pick goat, feta, or even a hard cheese like cheddar), it’s the perfect salad to bring to dinners and parties all season long.
Earthbound Farm’s lettuce blends were a major time and flavor saver—not only did I get to skip all the lettuce selection, but the greens also come pre-washed. That means absolutely zero prep from opening the box to getting peak deliciousness in my salad bowl. I finished the perfect leaves with a light stoneground mustard vinaigrette, but any vinaigrette would be lovely. And don’t forget to keep an extra close eye on the shallots as they fry—they’ll quickly go from golden brown to burned.
Happy winter salad season!
And don’t forget to read up about why choosing organic matters in the age of global warming.
WINTER CRUNCH SALAD WITH APPLE, PERSIMMON, AND TOASTED SEEDS.
Ingredients
WINTER CRUNCH SALAD
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- generous 3/4 cup very thinly sliced shallots
- pinch sea salt
- 1 5 oz. container Earthbound Farm Rosé Blend lettuce or 5 oz. lettuces of choice, washed and dried, including some radicchio
- 1/2 large apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 medium Fuyu persimmon, trimmed and sliced
- 3 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
- 3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese, feta cheese, or diced cheddar
STONEGROUND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
- 1/3 cup olive oil use remaining olive oil from above, plus whatever more you need
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons stoneground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon honey or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
WINTER CRUNCH SALAD
- In a medium frying pan over medium heat, warm olive oil. After about a minute, test the oil with a droplet of water. When it sizzles, add thinly sliced shallots. Distribute evenly and swirl in pan as the shallots begin to brown.
- Stir gently with a silicone spatula to bring any quicker-cooking shallots to the center of the pan for an even cook. Once they turn a golden brown, remove from heat and quickly drain oil into a bowl to use for salad dressing. Set crispy shallots aside in a separate bowl.
- In a large salad bowl, make a bed of the lettuces. Add the sliced apples and persimmons, the toasted seeds, and the cheese. Finish with the crispy shallots.
STONEGROUND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
- Mix all ingredients in a small jar and whisk vigorously—or seal the jar and shake—to combine.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving—no sooner!
