Mushroom & Orange Salad, Cumin Vinaigrette

 

Romaine lettuce, white mushrooms, orange sections, and red onion

It is a delicious, light salad that accompanies many kinds of meals well. I have also taken the mushrooms out and used avocado instead, depending on my mood and ingredients on hand. Enjoy!

Salad

• Mushrooms, sliced
• Orange, peeled and sectioned
• Romaine lettuce, chopped
• Red onion, sliced

Quantities? It all depends on whether you are serving this as a small side salad or as a main meal, doesn’t it? For a side salad, I use one orange and one large mushroom for every two people that I’m serving. One trimmed head of romaine per two people is more than ample.

Need help sectioning an orange? Here you go: Sectioning an Orange.

If your romaine isn’t as crisp as you would like it, wash it, then put it in a fresh bowl of water with some ice cubes for a few minutes.

Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Yields slightly more than a 1/2 cup of dressing. You will have leftover dressing.

Combine the vinegar, garlic, sugar, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. I generally make the dressing at least an hour ahead of use, so that the garlic has a chance to permeate the oil and vinegar. Refrigerate the dressing if you make it ahead, then whisk again before tossing the salad. The cold helps prevent the dressing from separating.

Ann Fisher

Mushroom and Orange Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

---

Thank you for visiting — for other articles on life and travel, browse the home page:

Mushroom & Orange Salad, Cumin Vinaigrette

 

Romaine lettuce, white mushrooms, orange sections, and red onion

It is a delicious, light salad that accompanies many kinds of meals well. I have also taken the mushrooms out and used avocado instead, depending on my mood and ingredients on hand. Enjoy!

Salad

• Mushrooms, sliced
• Orange, peeled and sectioned
• Romaine lettuce, chopped
• Red onion, sliced

Quantities? It all depends on whether you are serving this as a small side salad or as a main meal, doesn’t it? For a side salad, I use one orange and one large mushroom for every two people that I’m serving. One trimmed head of romaine per two people is more than ample.

Need help sectioning an orange? Here you go: Sectioning an Orange.

If your romaine isn’t as crisp as you would like it, wash it, then put it in a fresh bowl of water with some ice cubes for a few minutes.

Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Yields slightly more than a 1/2 cup of dressing. You will have leftover dressing.

Combine the vinegar, garlic, sugar, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. I generally make the dressing at least an hour ahead of use, so that the garlic has a chance to permeate the oil and vinegar. Refrigerate the dressing if you make it ahead, then whisk again before tossing the salad. The cold helps prevent the dressing from separating.

Ann Fisher

Mushroom and Orange Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

---

Thank you for visiting — for other articles on life and travel, browse the home page:

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad: Outstanding as a side dish, or a light main dish.

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad

• Watermelon, cut in chunks
• Tomatoes (MUST have flavor — see notes below)
• Goat cheese, simple, crumbled
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sweet basil
• Cashews, roasted, unsalted
• (Base quantities on the other things you plan to serve. If this is a side dish, a couple of slices of tomato and four small chunks of watermelon per person, or more — as desired).

Arrange sliced tomatoes and watermelon on plate. I like a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the tomatoes only. Be very light with the oil. Crumble goat cheese over the watermelon and tomatoes. Sprinkle on a few cashews. Then add basil. The little baby leaves are best for this — add three or four. If the basil leaves are large, cut them into smaller pieces.

**** It’s really imperative that the tomatoes have good flavor. I’ve had good luck with yellow heirloom tomatoes this summer. Campari tomatoes are typically pretty good. I have used small grape tomatoes in a pinch. And, if you cannot get good tomatoes, this salad with just the watermelon is still great.

The olive oil came from the Ornellaia vineyards in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany. Ornellaia makes extraordinary wine. I heartily recommend their Serra Nuove. The olive oil . . . well, you have to visit the winery in Tuscany. An excuse to return :-).

 

---

 

Thank you for visiting — for other articles on life and travel, browse the home page: