Grilled Kale, Plum, and Ricotta Salad

This is another salad combination that I got from bon appetit.  I just made this for the first time tonight and I think this is my new favorite salad.  Here's how I made it:

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon honey
2 plums, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
8 kale leaves
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and honey in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the plums and toss to coat.  Set aside

Heat a grill to medium.  Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the kale leaves and sprinkle with salt.  Grill the kale, turning once, until crispy and slightly charred at the edges, 2-4 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and remove center stems with a knife and coarse chop the kale.

Divide the ricotta between two shallow bowls.  Arrange the kale around the ricotta.  Toss the plums in the vinaigrette again.  Spoon the plums over the kale and drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the top.

2 servings

Roasted Beet Salad

Beets are so nutritious, but I always hated them and wished I didn't. I've been really into roasting vegetables lately. It's an easy way to make vegetables taste really good. It's not really quick, but I don't care. So, I was really excited when I saw a section in the October 2011 Food Network Magazine about roasting root vegetables. I used their ideas to come up with a really good salad which is heavy on roasted beets. I also have never liked gorgonzola cheese, but now I like both beets and gorgonzola cheese together in this salad.

8 beets

5 ounces mixed greens

6 - 8 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola

1/4 cup pistachio kernels

olive oil

red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Wash the beets. In a large bowl, toss the beets with olive oil and salt and pepper. Wrap each beet in foil and roast for about 45 minutes at 425 degrees. Let the beets cool until you can handle them. Peel the beets and cut into wedges.

Combine the mixed greens, beets, gorgonzola, and pistachios in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add a splash of red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss and serve. Makes 4 large servings.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

I just made this tonight and it was really good. It's from this month's Bon Appetit. I made a few changes, as usual, mostly because of what ingredients I had available and the time I had available. I couldn't get queso fresco at my grocery store, so I used feta instead. I didn't want to take the time to make the basil olive oil, so I didn't. And I don't like radishes that much, and it would have been days before they were pickled, so I left those out too. Here's my version of the grilled watermelon salad:

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped

3 1/2-inch thick slices seedless watermelon, rind

removed, each cut into 6 wedges for a total of 18

wedges

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 4-ounce bag of watercress

1/2 cup mild feta cheese

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Heat a gas grill to medium. Brush each side of each watermelon wedge with olive olive and grill about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.

Whisk remaining 1/2 cup oil, basil, lime juice, and honey in a small bowl until well blended. Toss the watercress with the dressing in a large bowl.

Divide the watercress into 4 bowls. Add 3-4 wedges of watermelon to each bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 of the feta cheese and 1/4 of the toasted pumpkin seeds over each bowl. Serves 4.