It's funny how some ingredients gravitate towards one another. Or maybe it's me that gravitates towards them. Either way, it's nice to meet up with refreshing ingredients.
Such as Butter lettuce. I enjoy its soft, delicate taste. And even though it is mild, it's not too precious that it can't handle some zing and crunch.
Which is why I paired it with orange segments for the zing and seeds for the crunch, and blueberries just because. Well, not just because. Everything should have a purpose, and these certainly do. They provide yet another flavor level, adding the tart/sweet level to be exact. I've made this salad a bunch of time (using nuts) but the blueberries are a recent addition, as this salad hit the big time, this go around.
Straight up sunflower seeds
Bursting with a tart bite blueberries
This is not a complicated salad, yet it is complex in flavors and textures that all mingle beautifully with a variety of proteins for the main meal. Such as steaks, grilled or roasted fish, pork or chicken. Its flavors are mild enough so as not to compete, but bold enough to say 'I'm crisp and refreshing, so don't pass me up." What more can you want from a simple salad? I, dare say, not much.
So, when during my recent internship at a prep kitchen in Miami I was tasked with making a salad for family meal (that's when the entire staff eats lunch together), I thought this salad might fit the bill. I've always enjoyed it, and was hoping that my new found friends would like it, too. What I didn't expect was that head Chef MJ liked it so much she decided to offer it at the café for a lunch special the following week. If you could see my face you would see joy and pride, and a sense of ultimate validation. I guess this little salad of bold flavors and subtle notes from a delicate lettuce got its star on the big screen stage of eateries.
The line up.
Ingredients
(Serves 6 as main or 8-10 as a side salad)
2 heads Butter, Bibb or Boston lettuce
3 oranges, segmented
1 pint blueberries
1/4 cup pecans, roasted, chopped or sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 scallions, sliced
Dressing
5 t orange juice
4 t lemon juice
4 t lime juice
2/3 c olive oil
2 T cilantro, minced
1 T ginger, grated
2-3 crushed garlic clove
salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
Wash and completely dry the lettuce. Gently tear it into bite size pieces. If you are using pecans, place them in a 300 degree oven for 5-8 minutes to lightly toast. Or you can toast them in a pan on the stove. If you are using seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin, you can toast them or not. Segment the oranges over a bowl so you can catch all the juices and use for the dressing. Toss together the lettuce, scallions, onions, ⅔ of the orange segments, ⅔ of the pecans or seeds reserving the remainder to decorate the top of the salad. Whisk together all the ingredients and lovingly pour over the salad and mix well. Do not over dress the salad. You just want it all lightly coated. Then using the rest of the oranges and nuts decorate the top.
You may notice some radicchio in this closeup shot. At the last minute, I added some to bulk up the salad because we had another person joining for lunch.
This is a wonderfully, refreshing summer salad. Or anytime salad. I think it will brighten any BBQ. Pair it with spicy ribs. Pair it with grilled meats or sausages. Pair it with whole roasted fish. Go ahead, pair it with anything.
