Watercress And Persimmon Salad With Champagne Vinaigrette Food

WATERCRESS AND PERSIMMON SALAD WITH CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, shallot, zest, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
• Peel persimmons and cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges. Toss watercress with persimmons and enough vinaigrette to coat, then season with salt and pepper.
• Do Ahead
• Vinaigrette can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.

SIMPLE GREEN SALAD WITH CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine the cherry tomatoes, onions, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, bell peppers and cucumbers in a large salad bowl.
• In small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. Gradually whisk in the oil to emulsify. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Toss the salad with vinaigrette and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND WATERCRESS SALAD WITH CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once halfway through, until the squash is just tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cover to keep warm.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallots, lemon zest and ginger. While whisking, slowly add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil in a slow, steady stream until the dressing is thickened and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, in a large mixing bowl, toss the watercress, warm squash and pomegranate seeds with the vinaigrette until coated; transfer to a serving platter.
• Serve while the squash is still warm.

WILTED WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss watercress and onions; set aside. In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble and add to watercress mixture. To the drippings, add brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Pour over salad and toss to coat; serve immediately.

PERSIMMON AND POMEGRANATE SALAD WITH CRUMBLED RICOTTA AND POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the watercress, frisée, persimmons, and shallot. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, tossing with your hands to dress the salad lightly and evenly. Divide the salad equally among chilled plates. Top with the ricotta and pomegranate seeds.
• Pour the pomegranate juice into a small pot and set over medium-low heat. Cook until the juice has reduced to 1/4 cup and is thick and syrupy, roughly 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a small mixing bowl or mason jar, combine the cooled pomegranate syrup, champagne and balsamic vinegars, and olive and canola oils; season lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk or shake to blend and dissolve the salt.
• Persimmons
• Persimmons are one of those fall fruits people often don't know what to do with. It's important to understand there are two kinds of persimmons: Fuyu (the kind you can eat right away), which is small and somewhat squat, and Hachiya (Japanese), which is shaped sort of like an acorn. Beware; if Hachiya persimmons are not completely ripe, they make your tongue do funny things! For this recipe I use Fuyu, which you can eat when firm, are crisp and sweet like an apple, and are really easy to work with. The shiny, pumpkin-colored fruit ranges from pale golden-orange to rich reddish-orange. Generally, the darker the color, the sweeter the taste.

WATERCRESS SALAD WITH RED ONION AND CHOPPED EGG VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Vinaigrette: Mix together the vinegar, capers, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Whisk in the olive oil.
• Add the chopped onion and chopped egg and stir just to mix.
• The vinaigrette can be made up to two hours ahead of serving time and left at room temperature.
• Salad: Heat the oil in a medium, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
• When quite hot, add the bread cubes and cook, stirring, until crisp and golden, 3-4 minutes.
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• The croutons can be made 2 hours ahead of serving time
• cover loosely with foil and leave at room temperature.
• Place the watercress in a large bowl and toss with enough of the dressing to coat the sprigs lightly.
• Season with salt to taste.
• Arrange 1/4 of the watercress on each of four salad plates.
• Sprinkle each serving with some croutons and drizzle lightly with additional vinaigrette.
• Season each salad with some freshly ground black pepper.

WATERCRESS & ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine watercress and oranges. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat.

PERSIMMON, BEET, AND CITRUS SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap beets in parchment-lined foil (each color in a separate packet). Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until knife-tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, rub beets with paper towels to remove skins. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
• Remove peels and pith from citrus fruits with a sharp knife. Working over a small bowl to catch juices, carefully cut between membranes to remove segments. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl.
• Arrange beets, citrus segments, persimmons, endive, and watercress on a platter. In a bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons reserved citrus juices and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad just before serving.

WATERCRESS SALAD WITH PERSIMMONS AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together shallot, orange juice, vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in oils until mixture is emulsified; season with salt and pepper.
• Add red endive and watercress to bowl with dressing; lightly toss. Add hazelnuts and transfer salad to a large chilled platter. Place persimmon wedges and cheese around edge of platter; serve immediately.

CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

Steps:

• In bowl, whisk vinegar, honey and mustard. Gradually add oil and whisk until emulsified. Season with salt & pepper.