Rosemary & Dijon Pork with Arugula Salad

Tuesday. I gingerly slide out of bed when the sky is painted midnight black. The landscape has been washed in hues unrecogniable without the help of light. It feels like I slept two hours, even though that's not the case. By the time I'm ready to leave, lunch packed and coffee in hand, the roosters at rural farms are stretching. This is the beginning. 

This is the day of the week when time is a major issue. The day speeds along and I play catch up. I'm always a step behind and a faded memory waiting to happen. When I finally walk through the door at night I'm hungry and it's late. Sound familiar? We all face days like this. Long days and late nights and hungry. Starving.

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Orange & Mint Salad

Healthy. Refreshing. Flavourful. Did I mention healthy already? This is one of those salads that's incredibly easy and quick to make. Anybody can do this if they have five minutes. It's perfect as a starter on a warm spring day or can be served to cleanse the palate between courses. Either way, this salad is so simple to put together that I can see it making an appearance during the summer months when we want a quick snack. 

I've never been a massive fan of salads, much to my wife's chagrin. When it's colder out I choose soups to salads every day of the week. But when the thermostat starts to creep up, salads have a fighting chance. The options are endless, as can be seen with this variation, and they're usually refreshing and quick. Two terms of endearment in my kitchen. And, the flavours jump right off the plate.

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Baby Spinach with Pears, Spiced Pecans, Goat Cheese and Smoked Bacon

I have never been a big fan of the traditional green salad. Ask my wife. She's always telling me to "Eat your greens." I don't blame her for trying but maybe my refusal lies somewhere back in the day when salads were just uninspired and bland. Salads laden with unimaginative bottled dressing. Nobody is at fault but that's just the way things were back then.

Luckily, things have changed over time. As the seasons shifted from warm and sunny to cold and damp my salad preferences shift with them. The cool refreshing summer salads have been replaced by warm salads with texture. Hot bits of flavour with dressings that ooze great taste. Early winter salads that don't compromise. Now that's my type of salad.

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Lime Vinaigrette on Baby Arugula, Apple and Prosciutto Salad

My wife loves salad. She loves the taste combinations and the fresh, cool greens with a sweet and savoury dressing. Quite often she'll pass on something more substantial for a salad stacked with fresh seasonal flavours and topped with shaved Parmigiana Reggiano. And she'll definitely suggest salad whenever we're hosting a dinner party. I'm sure you get the point.

Over the years I've made countless variations on the standard "American" salad. I've also attempted new recipes and flavour pairings. It doesn't always work but when it does, it's like hitting gold. I've made the following, plus more: Red Leaf with Tarragon Vinaigrette, Heirloom Tomato, Classic Caeser, Avocado and Mango with Shrimp, Summer Citrus Chickpea, Frisee with Pears, Goat Cheese and Pecans, Shaved Carrot and Raisin.

I love making salads and building flavour from the bottom-up and, particularly, grabbing my whisk and making the dressing. My wife craves homemade dressing, and, at home, food is about simple and fresh. Luckily, I had just the right thing up my sleeve. My take on the stantard pork and apple pairing.  A Sweet Lime Vinaigrette on Baby Arugula, Apple and Prosciutto Salad.

This salad is quick and easy and balanced. It incorporates the sweetness in the dressing, the salty texture of prosciutto, the crisp acidic and sharp flavour of the Granny Smith apple and the spicy, peppery tones of the arugula. This salad is harmony in a bowl.

Apple and Prosciutto Salad:


Yields: 4

The Goods:
4 Prosciutto slices, rolled and sliced into ribbons
2 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced and cut into sticks
Arugula
1 lime, juice only
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Extra-Virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. honey
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

The Prep:
1. Combine mustard and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you whisk to create an emulsion. Stir in honey and and season with salt and pepper. Give it another good whisk to mix all the ingredients.
2. Wash the Arugula leaves. Place a handful in each bowl and top with prosciutto and apple sticks. Pour in a light coating of the dressing. Fold to combine.

Lemon-Garlic Potato Salad

I love a great tasting potato salad. Creamy, vibrant and utterly delicious. It is the perfect side and pairing for a summer picnic and barbecue. It's often paired with a crispy BBQ chicken or equally welcome with a stay-at-home sandwich. Comforting and pleasing. There are countless recipes and flavour options available and you can't go wrong whichever way you choose. Let me add one more to the argument.

I love adding a big spoonful of this recipe to the side of a plate and a sandwich on a weekend afternoon but I've always been known to throw a bowl of this on the table when I'm grilling up something zesty and spicy. I can make a bowlful and snack on this, which I do when I have a big bag of beautiful potatoes sitting around that are urging me to get to work.

The best thing about this recipe is the time it takes to bring it all together. If you have 30 minutes to spare, you can make this salad. 30 minutes and someone will be singing your praises and patting you on the back. Not bad at all. Just remember these three key points:

1. The kind of potato you use matters. Use high-moisture varieties like Russets or Red potatoes. 
2. Cook the potatoes carefully. Fork-tender and take it off the heat and drain right away.
3. Dress the potatoes while they're still nice and hot.

Whisk together the ingredients in a one bowl and pour off the tender potatoes in another. The real secret to a great potato salad is dressing the potatoes when they're hot. Potatoes are most-absorbent when they're hot, so season immediately and dress right away. After that, you're good to go. If you want warm potato salad you can serve it immediately, but you can cover and put it in the fridge to cool it down as well. Two options, both winners. The people you serve this to will demand you email them the recipe. They'll also make sure you bring this to every gathering in the future.

Lemon-Garlic Potato Salad

Yields: 4-6

The Goods:
1 lb. Russet potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 lemons, juice and zest
3 eggs, hard-boiled
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 tbsp. capers, drained
Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
4 cloves garlic, roasted and finely chopped

The Prep:
1. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and cover by 1-2 inches with cold water. Add 1 tbsp. of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until fork-tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
2. Combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the hot potatoes and mix well until fully coated.
3. Season again to taste before serving.

A hint of spice and crazy flavour!