I have yet to meet a salad that I don't like. I am every old fashioned door-to-door salesman's dream: "You're selling books? Perfect. No, it doesn't really matter what they're about. Yes, I will take a full set." Thats how I feel about salads. I love the freshness, the crunching, the sharp tang of the dressing clinging desperately to the lettuce. Now if my husband asks for a second helping of a salad, that is cause to sit up and take notice. Larry tolerates leafy greens as a necessary part of his day, something to slog through to get to the good stuff.
Yesterday we were entertaining for lunch and I dreamed up this particular salad combination. It centered around the fact that I had grapes in the frig; actually the red ones looked fresh and crisp, but the green ones had that past prime wilt going on. I decided to disguise the wilt by grilling the grapes. Grilling fruit often enhances the sweetness and results in a whole new flavor. I had been gifted with some fresh, home grown lettuce, so that was the salad base, along with a handful of arugula. I studied my pantry and came up with dried cranberries, toasted sunflower seeds, and long shavings of fresh parmesan cheese. The vinaigrette needed to include meyer lemons, since I had purchased a bag of them to use in a mixed drink earlier in the week.
Time was short, and I needed to get a shower and dress. I asked piano-playing Larry if he could spare a few minutes and grill the grapes. After drizzling them with a bit of olive oil, my instructions to him were, " Just grill them for a few minutes per side, to get a bit of char going, but not enough to make them mushy." The grapes were clustered together in several vines; I meant for him to just place the whole bunch on the grill. Larry took my instructions literally and carefully sliced each grape in half, and then grilled each grape on both sides! He said that he kept losing those little suckers between the grates. What a trooper he is!
The salad combination turned out to be green goddess perfection, with every bite a balanced blend of crunchy, chewy, leafy, and sweet. I made the salad again tonight and the two of us shared it along with Ina Garten's recipe for Garlic and Herb Roasted Shrimp. Ahhhh it was a meal fit for kings. You will want to try your hand at grilling grapes to see what all the fuss is about. I can promise you will not be disappointed..
Grilled Grape Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
lettuces of your choosing (I used bibb and arugula)
several small bunches of green and red grapes
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. toasted sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. pecans, halved and lightly toasted
shavings of fresh parmesan cheese, made with a vegetable peeler
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 c. juice from meyer lemons (These beauties are a combination of regular lemons and mandarin oranges. If you choose to use regular lemons, start with only 2 Tbsp. juice, as the regular ones will be much more tart).
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt and pepper
Prep all the ingredients for the salad and assemble them in individual bowls, ready to turn into a masterpiece just before dinnertime. Drizzle the clusters of grapes with a bit of olive oil and grill for several minutes on each side. Remove from the grill; pull the stems off and slice the grapes in half. Toast the nuts in a nonstick skillet, roasting over medium heat for several minutes. Watch carefully as these burn quickly.
For the dressing, throw all the ingredients into a small jar with a tight lid. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. I like serving salad on a long, shallow platter, rather than a bowl. Place the lettuce first and sprinkle with a bit of salt and fresh pepper. Sprinkle on the dried cranberries, the toasted sunflowers, then the grilled grape halves, the toasted pecans, and finally, lay the shaved shards of parmesan on top. Drizzle the dressing over the top. you may not need to use all the dressing for your salad; refrigerate any leftovers.
