Good Taste: Arugula & Mint Salad with Ricotta Salata

Heather John — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:28:38 +0000

This recipe comes from one of my favorite chefs, Suzanne Goin, at whose restaurant Lucques in West Hollywood my husband proposed to me almost four years ago. But this salad isn’t just sentimental, it’s spectacular. I love how the saltiness of the cured black olives and ricotta salata (a firm, dried and salted version of traditional whey ricotta) balance with the fresh mint, orange segments and citrusy dressing. The original recipe calls for 4 large oranges (to serve six) but I’m not wild about too much fruit in a savory salad, so I scale back to two. When blood oranges are in season, all the better. I make this salad when I want to wow at a dinner party, or I’ll throw together an individual-sized portion for lunch. I feel virtuous saying “I’m having a salad for lunch,” but also a little bit smug when I take a bite.

Serves 6.

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

1 teaspoon orange-flower water

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced red onion (about 1/2 medium)

2 large oranges

1 5-ounce package arugula (about 10 cups packed)

1 cup fresh mint leaves (from about 2 bunches)

1/2 cup thinly sliced pitted oil-cured black olives

1 5-ounce piece ricotta salata (salted dry ricotta cheese), cut into 1 1/2-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick slices

To make the dressing whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.

To prepare the salad place onion in large bowl. Add 1/3 of dressing; toss. Let marinate 20 minutes.

Cut off peel and pith from oranges. Cut each orange crosswise into 8 slices.

Add arugula, mint, and olives to bowl with onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Add remaining dressing; toss. Divide salad among 6 plates. Tuck orange slices and ricotta salata slices into salads.

Good Taste: Rosemary Lemon Fizz

Heather John — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:37:00 +0000

It’s Friday—and if your work week went anything like mine, you are ready for a little reward. Here is a favorite recipe adapted from Gourmet that is every bit as delicious in its nonalcoholic form for an afternoon treat as it is with a splash of vodka for a more grown-up version at the end of the day. The herbal note from the rosemary makes this an excellent drink to serve with food—whether snacking on Marcona almonds drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt or sipping alongside a slow-roasted pork shoulder with herbs.

Rosemary Lemon Fizz

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1 large rosemary sprig, plus additional for garnish

2 tablespoons vodka (optional)

Chilled soda water

In a small saucepan, bring lemon juice, sugar and large rosemary sprig to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Simmer an additional two minutes and allow to cool completely, about an hour. Fill two glasses halfway with ice. Divide lemon-rosemary syrup among two glasses. Add vodka if using. Top off with club soda and garnish with rosemary sprig.

Herman Miller blog: Lifework » food

Good Taste: Arugula & Mint Salad with Ricotta Salata

Good Taste: Rosemary Lemon Fizz