I'm not sure about you, but there are some days when my body is asking for something light, but delicious. I mean, not just some leaves thrown together, but a dish with dimension, texture, tanginess and crunch. Something not overly complicated either.
These are the days that I make this simple green salad. It's very plain and zen, but the dressing is what elevates it to Friday Night Date Night at Home level. Wholegrain mustard, good, fragrant olive oil, and a drop of sweet honey to compliment the sharpness of the English mustard. This is my show-off dressing, the one I whip out when I want to impress.
INGREDIENTS (serves four, as side portions, or two for mains)
Salad:
- 300gr bag of baby spinach
- small bunch of kale, torn into small pieces
- a small mixed amount of various tomatoes
- cranberry infused brie (here we have a fantastic, crumbly cheese called White Rock)
- a quarter of soft Camembert, sliced into small bits
- few slices of a good, country style loaf.
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 T wholegrain mustard
- 1 t English mustard
- 1 t honey (to taste)
- 1 t balsamic vinegar
METHOD:
In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the olive oil, the two mustards, the balsamic dressing and a bit of salt and pepper. This is where you need to taste the dressing, see what these flavours do for you, and then add the honey. Tasting dishes before you add specific ingredients is a great way to understand what a certain ingredient does to a recipe. Now, add the honey, and see how you feel about the contrast. The dressing should be smooth, from the olive oil, a little sharp, but not unbearably so from the English mustard, and slightly round and sweetened, yet a little earthy from the honey. The wholegrain mustard adds a slight tanginess.
Heat the oven to quite a high heat, and tear the bread into bite sized pieces. Dress with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and toast until golden, but still with a soft centre.
Now, in a large serving bowl, toss your greens with some of the dressing. Add the cheese, and toss again, to ensure the cheese is fully incorporated.
Once the bread is toasted, add it and the tomatoes to the salad.
Serve with the dressing on the side, your guests will definitely want to douse the salad in more dressing!
If you are serving this dish as a main, I would suggest to add some fatty, strong salami, like a cervelat.
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