Vermont Salad

I want to share a favorite salad recipe that I got from a friend a few years back. It's called Vermont Salad, but I have no idea where the recipe originated. I'm sure the name came from one of the ingredients in the dressing.

It is delicious, and also a crowd pleaser when you serve it to guests or take it to someone's house.

Enjoy!

1/4 Cup cider vinegar

1 Garlic clove

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. maple syrup (hence the "Vermont")

2/3 Cup olive oil

1/3 Cup vegetable oil

Mixed Greens (baby greens or mescalin mix)

Crumbled bleu cheese and walnuts

Method:

In a blender or processor, blend cider vinegar and garlic clove.

Strain, and discard garlic.

In a bowl, or food processor, add salt, pepper, mustard, and maple syrup. Whisk or process until blended.

Whisk in oils slowly in a steady stream.

(I did mine in the processor, and it did not separate for more than a week in the refrigerator).

You can use this dressing on any salad you like. It is delicious and goes well on anything. However, this recipe with the baby greens with walnuts and bleu cheese is a winner. I personally like to tweak it, like everything else I make.

Here are some variations. You can choose any combination.

Dried cranberries, fresh crisp diced apple, red onion, red bell pepper strips, toasted pine nuts, Gorgonzola or feta in place of the bleu cheese. I like the bold salty cheese with the sweet of the cranberry or apple. The onion adds a little kick, and cuts the sweetness.

It's a beautiful salad to look at, and makes a great presentation! Hope you like it!                                           

Winter Squash and Chicken Stew

As promised, the recipe for this wintry, warming stew. I cannot take credit for this recipe, and I will post it as written, but will also make side notes and suggestions.

I wrote this all out on Facebook the last time I made it, complete with pictures and notes, and then my browser crashed. I'm just getting around to doing this again.

Let's get started. According to my notes, this recipe is from Bon Apetit - November, 1995. Wow, I had been married a little over 2 years and was  3 months pregnant.  How time flies.

The Recipe:

2 teaspoons olive oil

6 chicken thighs - no skin (I like the flash frozen boneless and skinless. They work great)

1 1/3 Cup chopped onion

3 Garlic cloves, minced (diced, sliced, squeezed, pressed... it doesn't matter)

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 Cups peeled, cubed butternut or acorn squash. (I always use butternut, but it's a personal preference)

2 Cups peeled, cubed Russet potatoes (I use whatever I've got on hand)

1 Cup chicken broth

1 14.5 -16 oz can diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons cilantro (optional)

I used potatoes and onions from my summer garden, and I measured out

the spices ahead of time

 Method:

Heat 1 tsp oil in Dutch oven- Season Chicken with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides. (About 8 minutes) Transfer to plate

Heat remaining tsp. oil - add onion and garlic, saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin and cinnamon and stir one minute.

Return chicken to pot, add squash, potatoes, broth and tomatoes.

Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and liquid is slightly reduced, about 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper

Sprinkle with cilantro

This is a great recipe used just as written, but I find that it easily adjusts, and you can play with it. I don't measure out the potatoes or squash or onions either. I just use the entire squash because it's almost always more than 4 cups. Also, there is no law against using more garlic in my opinion!
I started using boneless chicken thighs simply because no one wants to deal with trying to get the meat off the bone in the middle of their soup bowl.
The same with my preference to Butternut, I find Acorn to be a pain to peel!
As far as tomatoes, I think I used stewed tomatoes last time. Sometimes I add more broth, water or tomatoes, depending on what is available and how much extra vegetables or chicken I'm using.
Go ahead and experiment. Sometimes I use more chicken...or less! You can't mess it up.
The only thing I do measure out is the cumin, curry and cinnamon. These are potent spices and can overwhelm a recipe if you have a heavy hand. I find this blend is perfect just as written. The cinnamon is a subtle surprise. I would never have thought of using it in stew before.

I love cilantro, but I won't make a trip to the store for 2 Tablespoons. I appreciate it when it's there, but don't miss it when it's not.

I hope you'll try this recipe, and share your thoughts and results.
I appreciate you when you're here, and miss you when you're not. Not like that silly cilantro!