Even though it may be wet and cold outside, winter offers some of my all-time favorite veggies and fruits! Combine them with the hot fire of your Bull Grill, and the savory notes and charred, crispy textures of this wintertime salad transform into a delicious side dish that will not go unnoticed!
A dash of seasonality, a hint of simplicity, and a spoonful of balanced flavors make this dish work. While the marinade for the grilled veggies seems simple, a high quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar transform the seasonal, bitter chicories into grilled, sweet, crunchy greens. The range of flavors in this salad – from tangy, sweet, slightly bitter, and salty – are beautifully balanced to create a one-of a kind salad!
On the menu this week, Grilled Winter Farmers’ Market Salad. The assortment of grilled, winter veggies – radicchio, baby asparagus, and fennel – are paired with creamy burrata cheese, winter citrus, and baby arugula. Finish with a pomegranate vinaigrette, and garnish with candied pecans and pomegranate seeds. YUM!!
Chef’s Notes:
- I like to use a vinaigrette to marinade my veggies before grilling. I often toss a little water into the mix to keep the veggies from burning.
- If radicchio is not available at the store, have fun intermixing other winter chicories for this recipe. Some of my favorites to grill are belgian endive, red belgian endive, and treviso endive.
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup pomegranate juice, bottled
- ¼ cup red-wine vinegar
- 2½ tablespoons honey
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
- Marinade for Grilled Veggies:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, good quality
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, good quality
- 1 tablespoon water
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Winter Farmers’ Market Salad:
- 3 heads radicchio, cut into halves
- 2 bunches baby asparagus, ends trimmed
- 2 large fennel bulbs, cut into quarters
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1 ball (8 ounces) burrata cheese, removed from liquid
- 8 slices Prosciutto di Parma, slightly thicker cut
- 2 each navel oranges, rind removed, cut into ¼-inch circles
- 2 each blood oranges, ring removed, cut into ¼-inch circles
- ¼ cup candied pecans, for garnish
- 1 lemon, cut in half, grilled, for garnish
- For the Pomegranate Vinaigrette: In a bowl, add the pomegranate juice, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside until ready to use. Make sure to whisk right before adding to salad.
- For the Grilled Veggies: Preheat Bull grill on medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Set the Bull Stainless Grid with Side Handles on one half of the grill to preheat. While the grill is preheating, cut and clean all the veggies. In a bowl, whisk together ingredients for the marinade. Using the Bull basting brush, add the balsamic marinade all over the surface area of the treviso, asparagus and fennel.
- For the Radicchio: Place the radicchio, cut side down onto the grill. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the edges start to brown. To finish, turn over, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 4 more minutes, until the radicchio halves are browned, wilted and tender. Remove from heat and cover with foil.
- For the Asparagus: Place the asparagus on top of the Bull veggie grid to cook. The grid keeps the asparagus from falling through the grill grates. It’s a great accessory to own! After 4 minutes, using the Bull tongs, turn the asparagus over to finish grilling, another 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with foil.
- For the Fennel: Cut the fennel into halves. Cut each half into quarters. Place the fennel down on the grill and cook for four minutes, until lightly charred. To finish, turn over and finish grilling for another 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with foil.
- To plate: Dress the baby arugula with some of the pomegranate vinaigrette. Place the dressed arugula down in the center of a large platter, forming a small pile. Arrange the grilled radicchio, asparagus, fennel, oranges, and prosciutto around the arugula. Place the burrata cheese on top of the dressed baby arugula. Drizzle the remaining pomegranate vinaigrette on top of the grilled veggies and oranges. Garnish with candied pecans and pomegranate seeds. Using a Bull knife, slightly cut the burrata in half and serve. Enjoy watching your dinner guests devour this salad!
♥ Chef Amy
