Chino Chopped Vegetable Salad

(Serves: 4; Preparation time 30 – 45 min)

Mustard Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup almond or safflower oil

salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup diced fresh artichoke hearts

salt

Freshly ground white pepper

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced green beans

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced radicchio

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced ripe avocado

1/4 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato

4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup mixed greens of your choice (curly endive, chicory, baby lettuce), cut or torn into bite-size pieces

Prepare the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oils. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. Whisk again when ready to serve. Prepare the salad: In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Season the diced artichokes lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until al dente, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Blanch the carrots and beans by placing in a wire sieve. Set the sieve into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain, cool, and add to the artichokes. Add the onion, radicchio, corn, and celery. When ready to serve, dice the avocado and the tomato and add to the other vegetables with the vinaigrette, sprinkle with the grated cheese, and toss again. Correct seasoning to taste. Toss the greens with the reserved vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste.

(From wolfgangpuck.com/recipes/salads/Chino-Chopped-Vegetable-Salads)

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Summer days in southern California are always better when enjoying Wolfgang Puck’s chopped vegetable salad. This is my all-time favorite salad. I love it! To be honest and true, it’s not only for summer days – any day of the year this salad is great.

As the recipe reads much chopping needs to be done – this is essential to the taste of the salad. Small pieces make all the difference. Each vegetable in the salad makes for a great taste sensation when combined. Diced bits are the right size; bigger pieces of vegetable will not give the same taste effect. Yes, it does take quite a bit of work to dice each vegetable to the right size. When I make this, I slide a dvd of a favorite movie, or a sermon into my computer and I start the chopping process. I usually double or triple the recipe and it lasts a couple of days. This salad is perfect for either a lunch or a dinner menu. Try it!

#chino #salad #Wolfgangpuck