Sweet and salty. It’s a big thing in cuisine nowadays. Savory dishes have an added sweet component while desserts have a salty bite to them. I thought I would get on that bandwagon with this sweet/salty/savory salad that’s sure to please all taste buds.
It’s so pretty, too. A testament to the gorgeous produce at the Larchmont Farmer’s market: strawberries, organic and luscious from Frecker Farms. Fresh crisp, baby kale, arugula and chives, all organic, from Country Fresh Herbs. Organic walnuts from Nicholas Family Farms.
I also added richness to the vinaigrette dressing by using walnut oil instead of my usual EVOO. It pairs perfectly with the strawberries and walnuts. I highly recommend adding walnut oil to your pantry. It’s delicious as well as being nutritious. You can read more about that here from WebMD. Feel free to use a mild, buttery olive oil if you don’t want to invest in a can of walnut oil or in case of nut allergies.
The tangerine balsamic vinegar is thick and sweet. This one is from Monterey Olive Oil Company. The Sunday market has a wide variety of flavored vinegars as well. If using a more pungent balsamic, add more maple syrup to the dressing.
Himalayan pink salt in a grinder is another favorite pantry staple item to add crunchy saltiness to salads.
Using baby kale vs. the large bunches of kale makes the prep much easier, as you don’t need to de-stem the leaves. I still massaged the leaves with my fingers to break down the fibrous texture. Mixing it with Arugula added a nice peppery bite.
This salad was a light lunch for my husband and myself. It would easily serve 4-5 as a side dish.
Strawberry, Kale and Arugula Salad
5 cups baby kale, washed and massaged
3 cups baby arugula
¼ cup chopped chives
½ cup toasted walnuts
1 overflowing cup sliced strawberries
Walnut vinaigrette
Himalayan pink salt
Toss the kale, arugula and chives with ¼ cup of dressing (or to taste). Add the toasted walnuts and strawberries and gently toss again. Taste for dressing amount and seasoning. Plate. Top with a few good cracks of Himalayan pink salt. Enjoy!
Toasted Walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes, stirring midway. Watch that they don’t burn.
Walnut Vinaigrette
¼ cup tangerine or orange balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp dark amber maple syrup (more if using a pungent balsamic)
½ cup walnut oil
Whisk vinegar and salt until salt is dissolved. Whisk in mustard and black pepper. Whisk in maple syrup. Slowly stream in walnut oil while whisking. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.
