Summit Salad

If I had to guess which post on my previous blog had the greatest number of  hits over time, I'm not sure I would have guessed this particular salad. But this is it; the most popular post on that particular blog. Maybe readers thought it was a salad appropriate for a meeting of world leaders. Who knows? The photo isn't even that appetizing. (Bad photo).

There's something about this hearty salad, originally derived from a cookbook called Whitewater Cooks, that appeals. I was given Whitewater Cooks  by sisters who grew up in Nelson B.C. but attended university in Ontario. The cookbook contains recipes for the "pure, simple and real creations from the Fresh Tracks Cafe" at the Whitewater Winter Resort in the Selkirk Mountain Range, some 21 km. south of Nelson. (Ahhh, the summit). This is food that fit, healthy skiers eat. 

I made this gargantuan salad for a bunch of non-skiers and they seemed to consume it with vigour even though I forgot to add the sprouts. There wasn't enough room on the platter anyway.

Ingredients: ... for the salad

• 8 cups of mixed baby salad greens
• 2 cups of grated beets (raw)
• 2 cups of grated carrots (raw)
• 2 cups of chickpeas, drained
• 2 cups of crumbled feta cheese
• 2 cups of sprouts
• 1 cup of sliced sun-dried tomatoes

...for the vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• juice and zest of one small orange
• 3/4 cup of safflower oil
• 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
• salt and pepper to taste

Methods:

Whisk together the first 7 ingredients for the vinaigrette, then add the oil in a steady stream. Roast the sunflower seeds in a skillet over medium heat until they are lightly browned and add them to the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can either 'compose' the salad on individual plates, or put everything on a large platter as I have done, prior to spooning the dressing over the salad.