shaved Brussels sprout salad + lemony Brussels sprout-spinach saute

I have such a crush on this salad. First  enjoyed while sitting in the company of a couple girlfriends outside at Cava, it was the one dish I craved over and over this past summer. I never had to think before I ordered: first their fresh Brussels sprouts with a small crispy risotto cake followed by a second appetizer of artichokes + ricotta salata + shaved onion+ jalapeños + some decadent aioli. And a glass {or two or three} of Gavi di Gavi. As Fall moves in, I miss those carefree al fresco dinners with dear friends, laughing on Cava's front patio, well into the evening...
And so, of course I wanted to recreate this deliciousness at home.
My local market, Walter Stewart's, is now carrying shaved Brussels sprouts, making this salad easier to make than you can imagine. Like, as in a two minute salad. I've also spotted bags of shaved Brussels sprouts at Trader Joe's. It is ridiculously simple to make, but the earthiness of the truffle oil gives it a sophisticated, rich taste. 4 cups (or 12 oz.) shaved Brussels sprouts1 or 2 lemons, zested and juiced1 Tablespoon black truffle-infused olive oilToss everything in a bowl. The heartiness of the Brussels sprouts make this a perfect make-ahead salad. It may be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. In fact, I think it's even better day two. 
So, then, let's say you make this salad on a Thursday, and come back from a whirlwind weekend on a Sunday. Not that excited to launch back into reality and go to the market, you open the fridge and find a small amount of this salad + a bag of organic baby spinach. This, my friends, is the beauty of this salad. While it's amazing cold... it might even be better warm!!

Lemony Brussels Sprout-Spinach Saute
(makes 4 servings)

about 1/2-3/4 cup Brussels sprout salad
about 2 cups fresh organic baby spinach, chiffonade (thinly sliced into strips)
optional: extra olive oil or lemon juice

Heat a fry pan to medium-high. Saute Brussels sprout salad and spinach for a few minutes until spinach wilts. Serve warm. 

favorite summer salad: chopped panzanella

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Is anyone else trying to squeeze the most out of the last days of summer?
I'll miss these long, lazy days. To capture the freshness and bright flavors of August, I have a fabulous new recipe to share with all of you. I originally wrote this recipe up for our local market, to take advantage of the local tomatoes that are plentiful this month. Hopefully tomatoes are widely available in your local farmer's or supermarkets too! This recipe is really easy, and perfect if you're hosting a crowd.
I made this recipe a few weeks ago, when we were in CT. It only requires a few ingredients (tomatoes, mozzarella, crostini or bread, English cukes, a red onion... and then the dressing is made with basil, lemon zest/juice garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper).
When I made the same salad out here in Idaho (where we are visiting my parents), the ingredients were similar. Really, the only thing missing were the store-made crostini I can get at home at our local market. Instead I bought a loaf of good hearty local bread, cubed it, and left it out overnight so it would dry out. Oh, and the supermarket here didn't have English cukes, but they did have small Persian ones, so I used those. And, you'll see that huge bags of basil are available out here, so I made extra dressing, which I frozen as a taste of summer later this fall. The dressing is so, so good!! The most recent time I made it, we had the salad alongside some grilled bison and grilled peppers here in Idaho.
Then, we enjoyed the leftovers the next two days, as post-hike lunches. In case you are wondering, my one son loved the salad, my other one picked the mozzarella and tomatoes out. Hey, you win some, you lose some....
Here's a link to the recipe, and here it is in pics so you can see how easy it is to assemble  this fabulous salad that makes a delicious side, or is hearty enough to be a summer entree!
Start by chopped up tomatoes and mozzarella. Some markets have teeny-tiny mozzarella balls, and you could use those too.
Then add chopped cucumbers.
Next comes either crostini that you crumble into bite-sized pieces (a good activity for kids) or cubes of dried (or toasted) bread.
Then chopped onions and capers.
I assemble the salad to this point, then let it sit until just before I am serving it, because I like my bread to still have heft. That said, we enjoyed the salad as leftovers, and the bread soaks up the dressing. It's wonderful either way, it really just depends upon your tastes!
So, right before serving it I drizzled it with the dressing. Then toss.
And voila! Again, here's a link to the recipe that I wrote up for Walter Stewart's Market. Hope you all enjoy this salad as much as my family does-- or that 3/4 of us do.

shaved Brussels sprout salad + lemony Brussels sprout-spinach saute

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota
I have such a crush on this salad. First inhaled enjoyed while sitting in the company of a couple girlfriends outside at Cava, it was the one dish I craved over and over this past summer. I never had to think before I ordered: first their fresh Brussels sprouts with a small crispy risotto cake followed by a second appetizer of artichokes + ricotta salata + shaved onion+ jalapeños + some decadent aioli. And a glass {or two or three} of Gavi di Gavi. As Fall moves in, I miss those carefree al fresco dinners with dear friends, laughing on Cava's front patio, well into the evening...
And so, of course I wanted to recreate this deliciousness at home.
My local market, Walter Stewart's, is now carrying shaved Brussels sprouts, making this salad easier to make than you can imagine. Like, as in a two minute salad. I've also spotted bags of shaved Brussels sprouts at Trader Joe's. It is ridiculously simple to make, but the earthiness of the truffle oil gives it a sophisticated, rich taste. 4 cups (or 12 oz.) shaved Brussels sprouts1 or 2 lemons, zested and juiced1 Tablespoon black truffle-infused olive oilToss everything in a bowl. The heartiness of the Brussels sprouts make this a perfect make-ahead salad. It may be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. In fact, I think it's even better day two. 
So, then, let's say you make this salad on a Thursday, and come back from a whirlwind weekend on a Sunday. Not that excited to launch back into reality and go to the market, you open the fridge and find a small amount of this salad + a bag of organic baby spinach. This, my friends, is the beauty of this salad. While it's amazing cold... it might even be better warm!!

Lemony Brussels Sprout-Spinach Saute
(makes 4 servings)

about 1/2-3/4 cup Brussels sprout salad
about 2 cups fresh organic baby spinach, chiffonade (thinly sliced into strips)
optional: extra olive oil or lemon juice

Heat a fry pan to medium-high. Saute Brussels sprout salad and spinach for a few minutes until spinach wilts. Serve warm.