Golden Corn Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
The following recipe is intended to be adjustable to many tastes and preferences; the important thing is to use a dressing that accentuates the fresh ingredients you have selected. I prefer hazelnut oil, but that is only one of several good choices. Experiment with other nut oils to find your favorite. (By the way, the hazelnut dressing also is excellent over potato salad.)
Keep in mind that all varieties of corn salad are delicate, so add the dressing just before you serve the greens; otherwise the vinegar may cause them to wilt.
My list of optional ingredients is such that you can add one or two, or all of them, depending on how filling you want the salad to be.
Salad
Ingredients:
6 ounces (about 8 cups) golden corn salad, or a mix of golden corn salad and chopped spinach
Optional ingredients:
1 to 2 cups diced croutons (plain, with no extra flavorings)
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Dressing (see recipe below)
For garnish, 2 ounces thinly sliced ham or half a small Italian Sopressata sausage
Also, small pansies, violas or violets
Instructions:
Put the salad greens in a deep work bowl, add the croutons and toasted walnuts. Add the dressing and toss the ingredients gently but thoroughly. Put this in a serving bowl and garnish with bits of the paper-thin ham or Sopressata, and small, edible flowers from your garden.
I promise you, there will be no leftovers.
Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste, preferably coarse-ground
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
5 tablespoons hazelnut, walnut, sesame or peanut oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (a mix of chervil, chives and parsley works well)
Instructions:
Put the salt, pepper and vinegar in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the oil and fresh herbs, and whisk again until all the ingredients are emulsified. Then pour over the salad and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.