House Salad Recipe

Prepare syrup

In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves and liquid just comes to a simmer, about 2–3 minutes.

Add the cranberries to the hot pickling liquid, reduce heat to low and simmer gently 1–2 minutes until cranberries begin to soften and skins just split. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes). Transfer cranberries and pickling liquid to a jar and refrigerate. Will keep 1–2 weeks. Use chilled or at room temperature on salad.

Place 1 cup thinly sliced squash in a heatproof bowl or jar. In a small saucepan combine 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 tsp salt and optional 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes. Heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm but not boiling, about 1–2 minutes.

Pour the hot pickling liquid over the sliced squash, press so slices are submerged, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours) before using. Keeps 5–7 days refrigerated.

In a small bowl or jar combine 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, minced shallot and 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Whisk or shake to combine.

Slowly stream in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil while whisking (or add oil to jar and shake vigorously) until dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for brightness, or a pinch more salt. Keep refrigerated up to 5 days; bring to room temperature and re-whisk before serving.

Toss greens and shaved fennel: Place 6 cups mixed salad greens and 1 cup shaved fennel in a large bowl. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the mustard vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing as needed to lightly coat leaves.

Plate the salad: Divide tossed greens and fennel among 4 plates (serves 4). Evenly distribute 1/2 cup quick-pickled cranberries and 3 ounces thinly sliced pickled squash over the salads.

Finish and serve: Sprinkle each plate with approximately 3/4 ounce crumbled feta (total 3 ounces). Taste and add a final pinch of freshly ground black pepper or a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if desired. Serve immediately.