Pacific Northwest Recipe
Fresh watercress, kale, mizuna greens, pickled onions, white aged cheddar, dried blueberries, apricots, roasted hazelnuts with cranberry-thyme dressing.
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Ingredients
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Greens & Salad Base
Pickled Onions
Cheese & Fruit
Nuts
Cranberry-Thyme Dressing
Method
Pickled Onions
- 1
Place thinly sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl or jar.
- 2
In a small saucepan combine 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- 3
Pour the hot pickling liquid over the onions, press down so they are submerged, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (better if 1–2 hours). Drain before using.
Nuts
- 4
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast 8–10 minutes, shaking once, until fragrant and skins blister. Remove and let cool slightly.
- 5
If nuts still have skins, rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove loose skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
- 6
Optional glazing: return chopped nuts to the baking sheet, toss with 1 teaspoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon maple syrup and roast 3–4 minutes more until just glossy. Cool completely.
Cranberry-Thyme Dressing
- 7
If using dried cranberries that are very chewy, soak 2 tablespoons dried cranberries in 2 tablespoons warm water for 5 minutes to soften, then drain (reserve liquid).
- 8
In a small blender or using an immersion blender, combine the softened cranberries, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or honey), 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- 9
Blend until smooth or slightly textured to preference. If dressing is too thick, add up to 1–2 teaspoons of the reserved soaking liquid or warm water to thin to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Greens & Assembly
- 10
Wash and thoroughly dry watercress, kale and mizuna. Remove tough kale stems and slice kale thinly so leaves are bite-sized.
- 11
In a large bowl, combine the watercress, sliced kale and mizuna. Toss gently to mix.
- 12
Add pickled onions (drained), dried blueberries, julienned dried apricots and shaved aged white cheddar to the greens.
- 13
Drizzle about two-thirds of the cranberry-thyme dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing to taste, up to the remaining amount.
- 14
Scatter the roasted hazelnuts over the top. Finish with a few extra thyme leaves or a light grind of black pepper if desired.
- 15