The perfect salad for a holiday dinner party...Winter Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Citrus Vinaigrette.

Plus, a bit of This & That.

The Happy Holiday Party Salad

Is the first day of November really tomorrow? What is happening? Why is time moving so fast? My mind is already swirling with all the things I have to get done before the end of the year...my trip to LA for the gifting season at Valleybrink Road, figuring out where to go and what to do in Rome when Andre's parents are in town for the holidays, shopping for presents for family and friends, and menu planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Luckily, I got a burst of inspiration today, so at least I can now check holiday party salad off the list! This recipe is filled with so many seasonal ingredients and flavors; it’s absolutely delicious. This is what I like to call a happy party salad. It doesn't get sad and soggy once dressed in its vinaigrette. It held up surprisingly well and was still perfect even after sitting on the counter for a couple of hours. Andre and I grazed on it all afternoon. The bright, beautiful colors of the juicy pomegranate seeds and sweet persimmon paired with the wonderful texture and flavor of the toasted, crunchy almonds and soft, roasted sweet potato make it one of those salads that you just keep wanting one more bite of. And yes, like all chopped salads, it's labor-intensive up front, but it's always worth it in the end. And you can do a lot of that chopping well in advance, so don't worry; just make sure to plan accordingly.

WINTER CHOPPED SALAD WITH APPLE CIDER CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Serves 6

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

• 1/2 small radicchio, core removed, leaves chopped

• 6 leaves of Lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves chopped

• 3 large handfuls of arugula (roughly chop if the arugula is long) 

• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

• 2 Fuyu persimmons, core removed, diced (making 1 cup of diced fruit)

• 3/4 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped

• Sea salt

• Black pepper

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS:

• 1/2 cup guanciale, pancetta, or bacon, finely diced, cooked until crispy and golden

• cheese of choice: blue, goat, pecorino, or parmigiano reggiano

• you could also substitute toasted hazelnuts for the almonds

APPLE CIDER CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

• 1 tablespoon shallot, minced

• 1 small tangerine, juiced

• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Sea salt 

• Freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the diced sweet potato with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Next, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small mixing bowl or tupperware container, place the shallot, tangerine juice, apple cider vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and some black pepper. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil if using a bowl or if using a container, add the oil, put the lid on the tupperware, and shake to emulsify. Set aside.

When you’re ready to assemble the salad, place the radicchio, kale, arugula, sweet potato, pomegranate seeds, persimmons, almonds, and, if you are using, the crispy guanciale, pancetta, or bacon into a large mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in some of your vinaigrette, a pinch of sea salt, and some black pepper. Toss to coat. Continue adding the vinaigrette until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. If you are going to add cheese, I would do it after adding the dressing, and do one final toss to mix it in gently. Enjoy!

---

This & That

• I was so excited to read that Nathan and Karen, the former owners of McCall’s Meat & Fish and two incredible humans, just opened a new restaurant in Montrose called Backbone. Read all about it in this Eater LA article.

• Discovered delish pancakes and french toast this week in Rome and am very excited about it.

• The Multi-Trillion-Dollar Wellness Industry Is Making Us Sick

• Just discovered this app called Yuka that lets you scan food and personal care products and see their impact on your health.

• All you readers out there, check out the awesome new app called Smashing, a community powered curation app that pairs with AI to match the best articles, blogs, and more based on your interests from trusted sources and friends. All the things you want to read in one place, vetted.