The idea for this salad all started the other night when, as I was drifting off to sleep, I was thinking about a bottle of blueberry balsamic vinegar that was languishing on my kitchen counter. I really wanted to do something fabulous with it. Something that was deserving of the fruity, smoky, tanginess of it. Something, something, something…then I woke up and next thing I know there’s this!
As I was making the vinaigrette I realized that I didn’t actually know what the ingredients were in the balsamic. There was no info on their website so I called the store, Evoolution in Edmonton directly to ask (I could have sent an email but I was in the mood to hear another human voice). I cannot remember the name of the lady (sorry) who answered the phone but she was a wealth of information. The vinegar comes from the Trebbiano grapes (the same ones used to make Muscat wine) which are grown in the Medano region of Italy. It’s aged for 18 years with a small amount of red wine added for the dark balsamic and whatever other fruit (in this case blueberries) to flavour it. After that explanation I just wanted to pour it into a port glass and sip it while leisurely leafing through my latest issue of Food & Wine.
As I was making this my husband pointed out that almost all the ingredients were not local. Yeah, I know. It’s January in Canada. I can’t exist on cabbage and potatoes for four months!
Author: Cassie Elliott
Prep time: 10 minutes Assembly time: 5 minutes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons blueberry balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 4 handfuls organic salad greens
- 1/2 Bosc pear
- 1/2 red apple
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1 avocado
- 1 small Clementine orange
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 hard cooked egg
- Pecans
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put first three ingredients in a bowl and whisk together or a jar with a lid and shake to combine. Set aside.
- Wash the greens, pear, apple, blueberries, and cherry tomatoes.
- Slice pear and apple in thin slices.
- Slice egg in half or quarters.
- Peel orange and slice crosswise.
- Using a sharp knife cut open the skin of the avocado. Remove pit and scoop out flesh with spoon. Slice.
- Put greens, fruit and vegetables in a large salad bowl. Give the dressing a quick stir and pour over salad.
- Toss and serve.
Leave a Reply