Winter Salad

Winter Salad

I served this salad on New Year’s Day. It was a huge success. Easy to assemble and beautiful to plate with tangy cranberries, sweet apples and pears, and crunchy cashews all crowned with a delicious poppy seed vinaigrette.

Salad:
1 head Romaine lettuce
1 apple, diced
1 pear, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup cashews, lightly toasted
4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded

Dressing:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. onion, finely diced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Chill a large serving bowl in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Wash Romaine lettuce and dry completely. Tear into bite-sized pieces and place in cold salad bowl. Layer remaining salad ingredients on top of Romaine.

Prepare dressing in blender or food processor. Process lemon juice, sugar, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. Add vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream and continue processing until thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and pulse several times.

Pour dressing over salad. Toss and serve immediately.

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Wonderful salad for  family gatherings, carry-ins, or the holiday season.

      ½ cup white sugar

½ cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons diced onion

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil

      1 tablespoon poppy seeds

       1/2  small red onion, sliced thin (optional)

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (or mixed or red leaf)

4 ounces Feta or Swiss Cheese

1 cup cashews or pecans (roasted is best, sugared is even better!)

¼ cup dried cranberries

1 apple - peeled, cored and diced

1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced

In a blender or food processor, or with a hand mixer, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and process just a few seconds more to mix.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.