Pastor Phil’s Salade Parisian

This French themed salad was a big hit and many of the café patrons wanted to know where we got it. So here’s my confession. When I do the menu for the month I often make up a name for a dish without actually having a dish to name. That means this Tuesday when I went shopping I walked through the produce section asking myself ce qui dans le monde est dans une salade parisien? if there were such a thing. I figured at the least it would have to be more sophisticated than Iceberg lettuce and shredded cabbage. Baby Field Greens and Spinach with some shredded Romaine to increase the quantity was the starting point. Sam’s® had some beautiful Strawberries and I had some Gala Apples left from a previous café. Candied Pecans added a sweet crunch, though I always have to buy extra because the café crew and Janelle can’t keep their hands off them. It wouldn’t be a French salad without fromage (cheese) and while Feta is not the obvious choice this particular Feta (from Sam’s®) is mild and creamy so as to not over power the fruit. The final ingredient was to make croutons from a loaf of Sourdough Bread. My Basil Honey Vinaigrette was the obvious choice for the dressing. So there you have it, Pastor Phil’s Salade Parisian. Que c'est délicieux !

Our salads are made by our Salade Chef De Partie (shef day partee) Cathy in a bus tub, or kitchen sink as one of regulars has named it. I’ve listed the ingredients for I think would serve 6 - 8.

• 1 bag Baby Field Greens
• 1 bag Baby Spinach
• 1 ct. Strawberries – sliced
• 2 Apples – we used Gala – diced and tossed in a little lemon juice
• 1 bag Pecans – candied recipe follows
• 4 slices Sourdough – cut into cubes and dried in oven (200°)
• Feta Cheese – crumbled
• Honey Basil Vinaigrette – recipe follows

Toss ingredients in dressing and add croutons and serve

Basil Vinaigrette

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup honey
• Leaves from one bunch of Basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced in garlic press
• Salt & pepper to taste

Put vinegar, honey, basil, and garlic in a food processor. With processor on add olive oil in steady stream until emulsified. (Fancy culinary term for mixed well) season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Candied pecans

• 8 oz shelled pecans
• ½ stick butter
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup water

Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat

Mix in brown sugar until smooth

Add water and mix well

Add pecans and toss to coat

Increase heat and cook until water evaporates stirring occasionally

Remove pecans from pan with slotted spoon and spread on a non-stick cooking sheet or on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (spread evenly otherwise pecans will stick to each other)

Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt – add your favorite pepper mixture for a spicy pecan

Bake in a 250ºoven until pecans are dry.