Smashed Raspberry and Feta Salad
Cue your tastebuds…Slow Press Chardonnay wine creates an entrée salad, as beautiful as summer itself.
Sweet & tender leaves of butter lettuce are tossed with Slow Press Chardonnay Wine Raspberry Mustard Dressing (Chardonnay, olive oil, grain mustard, fresh smashed raspberries, honey, seasonings), ribbons of sugar snap peas, fennel, matchstick carrots, salted sunflower kernels, sweet bites of fresh (raw) golden corn and creamy feta.
Prep Time:
15-20 minutes
Portions:
1 salad
Serving Size:
4 servings
Ingredients:
¼ C + 1 Tbsp – Slow Press Chardonnay wine
¾ C – extra virgin olive oil
14 each – raspberries, fresh, whole
2 Tbsp – honey
2 tsp – whole grain mustard
to taste – coarse ground black pepper
to taste – sea salt
2 heads – butter lettuce, cored, hand torn into large leaves (washed & dried)
1 C – sugar snap peas, fresh, sliced into thin bias cut ribbons
1 small bulb (1 C) – fennel bulb, fresh, tops removed, cored, sliced into thin strips
1 ear (1 C) – golden corn on the cobb, fresh, shucked and sliced into raw kernels
½ C – carrots, matchstick
¼ C – sunflower kernels, salted & toasted
½ C – feta cheese, crumbles
Method:
Prepare the Slow Press Chardonnay Wine-Raspberry Mustard Dressing:
Place the Slow Press Chardonnay wine, olive oil, whole fresh raspberries, honey, grain mustard, black pepper & salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to evenly combine, (breaking up the raspberries into tiny pieces), approximately 2 minutes. Reserve at room temperature.
The dressing can be prepared in advance, refrigerated and used as needed – or throughout the week (lasts 4 days).
Makes 1 ¼ C – see tips & tricks section for ways to use any extra dressing.
Place the lettuce leaves, sugar snap pea ribbons, fennel strips, raw corn kernels, carrots, sunflower kernels and feta cheese crumbles in a mixing bowl. Add the half of the reserved dressing and gently toss to evenly combine all the ingredients.
Add more/less dressing as desired.
To serve: Equally divide the salad between 4 chilled salad plates, artfully mounding the ingredients. Serve immediately & enjoy!
Tips and Tricks:
Use the Slow Press Chardonnay Wine-Raspberry Mustard Dressing for multiple kitchen uses: a marinade for chicken/pork, dressing for a chilled pasta salad or to flavor vegetables & canned beans, or puree the dressing and use as a dip for crudité. It can also be used to create other salads, like a BLT Salad – the dressing, crispy smoked bacon, butter lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh corn kernels, chunks of avocado & feta crumbles.
Use Slow Press Chardonnay wine to create your other favorite, signature seasonal salad dressings; from vinaigrettes to creamy dressings.
You could also puree the dressing ingredients in a blender or use a hand held immersion blender/stick – to create a creamier texture and light pink color.
A touch of Greek yogurt could be added to the dressing for a touch of tartness and to make it a creamy dressing.
Using whole hand torn leaves (vs. chopped) creates an elegant yet rustic salad presentation. Make sure to check your lettuce and remove any browned spots or wilted sections.
Butter lettuce is also known as Boston or bibb lettuce.
Try other varieties of lettuce in the recipe: romaine, spring mix/mesclun, spinach, green or red leaf, arugula and more.
Chopped walnuts or pecans could be used in place of the sunflower kernels.
Smashing fresh raspberries gives the dressing an artisan appeal and rustic texture. Fresh strawberries or blackberries could be used in place of fresh raspberries.
Dijon could be used in place of grain mustard; however the rustic texture, color and flavor of grain mustard adds additional appeal.
Slices of grilled chicken breast or salmon filet could be added to the salad, to make it a meal.
Chopped fresh herbs could be added to the salad for additional brightness and flavor – cilantro or thyme would be wonderful.
Substitute crumbles of queso fresco or cotija (a semi-firm Mexican cheese sold in small round wheels; it easily crumbles) for feta. Chopped fresh buffalo mozzarella or wide shavings of parmesan could also be substituted for feta.
Experiment with other fresh, raw, thinly sliced vegetables in the recipe: tri color bell peppers, seedless cucumber & more.
The salad is positioned as an entrée salad, but could easily be a side salad to your favorite meals.
Serve the salad in the mixing bowl family style, in the center of your table – for everyone to serve their own portions.
This post is sponsored by Slow Press Wines who provided the recipe.
