Many who know me well, will tell you that I do love a good salad. Salads are one of my favorite meals and side dishes, especially in the summer. They instantly freshen up any meal and add a green centerpiece to any plate. A variety of salads can also be a wonderful welcome if you’ve started on the diet train and can’t wait to jump off. By mixing up your salad routine you can avoid majorly falling off of the wagon.
The first time I had an iteration of this salad I was in wine tasting Temecula California. The second iteration was in an airport lobby where I was awaiting take off from Phoenix to Dallas. Upon my return from a business trip, I did not see anything like this presented in any restaurant and started trying different elements to get it just right. Even though I was working it reminded me of a mini retreat in the middle of a work week. It’s certainly a salad that should be reserved for Spring and Summer when the climate shifts and you can no longer eat another Caesar leaf. It’s as refreshing as it is delicious, and a welcomed change to your warm weather palate.
Coastal (Sonoma) Garden Salad
1 head Romaine
5-6 cherry Tomatoes
3-4 Yellow & orange medium beets, sliced
2-3 Dates
2-4 Roasted red peppers (jar or tin is fine)
¼ cup Goat cheese
¼ cup Blanched almonds
1 bunch Chives
Dressing ingredients
½ cup OJ or Mango juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TB honey
2 TB white vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Chop head of romaine and place in a decent sized bowl. Slice tomatoes in half, roughly dice yellow and orange beets, dates, roasted peppers, goat cheese, chives and almonds onto romaine lettuce. Whisk together dressing ingredients and drizzle over salad mixture. If you are feeling SUPER hungry toss on some shredded grilled chicken. Serve poolside with chilled Rose.
