Salad with Warm Green Beans and Walnuts
Red Lentil, Wild Rice, Fennel and Blood Orange Salad with Citrus
Vinaigrette


The following salad recipe features blood oranges. They are available
from California harvests from November through March. I usually buy
quite a few and juice them each spring, then I freeze them for use
throughout the year. I love to use the juice for sauces with game birds
like duck and quail.

Red Lentil, Wild Rice, Fennel and Blood Orange Salad with Citrus
Vinaigrette

Makes 8 servings

Salad:

1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 cup wild rice
1 cup diced fresh fennel
1/3 cup minced red onion
1 cup celery, cut on a bias
1 1/4 cups finely slivered fresh basil
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons finely sliced shallots
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish:

tart apple slices
blood oranges
watercress sprigs
toasted pecan pieces, sliced
fennel

Cook lentils and wild rice according to package directions. Strain and
rinse in cold water. Combine lentils and rice with remaining salad and
carefully toss. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together, adjusting seasoning to taste and
set aside.
Arrange salad on chilled plates, arrange garnish attractively around and
drizzle vinaigrette over all.


Salad with Warm Green Beans and Walnuts

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Salad:

1/2 pound mixed winter lettuces, (such as red chicory or radicchio,
curly endive, arugula, and watercress
12 sprigs fresh chervil (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
radishes for garnish

Dressing:

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil (or a combination of the two)
3 tablespoons walnut oil


Wash, dry, and toss together the lettuces, chervil or parsley and
chives. Set aside.
To make the dressing, stir together the vinegar, mustard, garlic,
tarragon, salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk in the oils and mix
well.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and
blanch the beans for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the beans and rinse briefly
with cold water. Place in a bowl.
Just before serving, toss the lettuce mixture with 1/3 of the dressing.
Heat the remaining dressing in a saucepan and add the nuts. Stir
together and when the nuts are heated through, toss with the green
beans.

Place the dressed greens on individual plates and top with the warmed
dressed beans and walnuts. Garnish with radishes and serve at once.
To prepare ahead of time:
The lettuces can be washed and dried thoroughly a day in advance and
refrigerated in plastic bags. The beans can be trimmed and blanched a
day in advance. Reheat at the last minute by dumping them into boiling
water for a couple of seconds.
Drain and toss in the hot salad dressing with the nuts, as instructed in
the recipe. The dressing can be made a few hours before serving and held
in or out of the refrigerator.

Comments:

This is a wonderful winter salad with its warm green beans and slightly
sweet and nutty dressing. The dressing contrasts beautifully with the
bitter lettuces.

Source: Feasts and Fetes by Martha Rose Shulman


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