Locanda Salad Recipe

Prepare lettuce

Wash butter lettuce leaves thoroughly under cold water to remove grit. Spin or pat dry and tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large chilled mixing bowl.

Prepare radish

Trim ends from the watermelon radish. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, slice radish paper-thin into rounds. If desired, stack slices and cut into half-moons for easier eating. Add to the bowl with the lettuce.

Prepare oranges

Cut off top and bottom of each navel orange, then slice away the peel and pith with a sharp knife. Over a small bowl (to catch juices), hold the orange and cut between membranes to remove segments (supremes). Reserve any juices to add to the vinaigrette if you like. Add orange segments to the salad bowl.

Prepare artichokes

If using jarred marinated artichoke hearts, drain lightly and pat with paper towel to remove excess oil. Quarter larger hearts if needed and add to the bowl.

Toast almonds

Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add Marcona almonds and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3–4 minutes. Remove immediately to a plate to cool so they don’t continue to brown. Roughly chop when cooled and set aside.

Crumble goat cheese

Crumble the goat cheese into small pieces with a fork and set aside for finishing the salad.

Just before serving, add half the toasted chopped Marcona almonds to the salad bowl and toss gently with enough champagne vinaigrette to lightly coat the leaves (see vinaigrette directions). Taste and add more vinaigrette if needed. Transfer salad to a serving platter or divide among plates. Scatter remaining almonds and crumbled goat cheese over the top. Finish with a light sprinkle of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Finely mince the shallot (about 1 tablespoon). Place the minced shallot in a small bowl or jar with the champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. Whisk or shake to combine and let sit 2–3 minutes to soften the shallot and mellow flavors.

While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil to emulsify into a smooth vinaigrette. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If you reserved orange juices from segmenting, whisk those in now for a brighter flavor.

Taste and adjust: add up to 1 tsp more honey if you prefer sweeter dressing, or up to 1 tsp more vinegar for more acidity. The final vinaigrette yield should be about 3/4 cup — enough to dress the salad lightly.