A Colorful salad for the Holiday Season

Salad often tends to get overlooked this time of year.

As our temperatures drop our garden offerings are not exactly in abundance. And even though you can buy tomatoes and other summer produce year round it just doesn’t taste the same. So why not make a salad that reflects the season?

As the weather cools we do often tend to prefer foods that are warmer and heartier. I love a good crispy Brussel Sprout or Roasted Cauliflower as much as the next person - if not more - but sometimes I don't want to spend the time (or have the time) to cook and prep. Salads are simply so easy.

I find that if I wash and chop/tear/shred my lettuce in advance and store it in the fridge so that it’s all ready to go, salad making then takes just minutes. I keep shredded carrots on hand, and I love the organic multi-colored variety you can now find in grocery stores everywhere. Toss in some feta and chopped dried cranberries and voila, you have a beautiful seasonal salad ready to go with a myriad of complementary flavors. Serve this with a nice piece of fish such as seared tuna or grilled salmon, some chicken or meat or enjoy it on its own.

My kids don’t love radicchio - they find it much too bitter - so I do leave it out for them. But the natural sweetness of the carrot and the cranberry, along with the briny saltiness of the cheese really all play so well together. All the flavors become even more heightened with my citrus vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

6 cups of Romaine (shredded)
1 cup of Radicchio (shredded)
1 cup of shredded multi-colored carrots
1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries*
1/2 cup of good crumbled Feta
Citrus Vinaigrette to taste (recipe below)

* You can substitute equal amounts of pomegranate seeds for the cranberries

Dressing:
Equal parts freshly squeezed lemon juice and orange/clementine/blood orange juice
Equal parts olive oil to both juices combined
A dash of salt
A spoonful of honey if desired - optional. (I do not add.)

Directions:
In a large bowl place all your ingredients and add vinaigrette just prior to serving. Toss well.

Serve this salad during the holidays whether entertaining family or friends, or bring it to a potluck - It travels beautifully!