Warm Mushroom and Pine Nut Salad

 

As the fall sets in, summer salads fade as does the warm nights. No longer do I find myself craving the bright, crisp salads of summers bounty, but a warming, hearty, and earthy salad. This salad is the perfect balance between umami, sweetness, acid, and spice to warm you from the inside while keeping it light and healthy. 

Make a big batch of mushrooms and keep them as a garnish for steak, salad, soup, or even eat them by themselves. 

Serves 8

Ingredient

Arugula - 1 bag (about 6 handfuls)
Shitake Mushrooms - 1/4 lb
Honjimeji Mushrooms - 1/4 lb
Thyme - 2 sprigs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Shallot - 1 each minced
Red onion - 1/2 each minced
Balsamic Vinegar - 1/4 cup
Honey - 1 tbsp
Walnut Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Lemon - juice of 1/2 
Toasted Pine Nuts - 1/4 cup
Chives - 2 tbsp
Pecorino Cheese (optional)

Method

Prepare mushrooms by cutting them into bite sized pieces. Place a saute pan over medium high heat. Add oil, and once hot add the mushrooms. Let sit for 90 seconds and then shake the pan. Lower heat, add thyme. Remove the mushrooms from the pan. Add shallot and red onion and sweat for  a min. Then add the balsamic vinegar and honey and let reduce till it is a light glaze. Add the mushrooms and pine nuts and walnut oil back to the pan, season with salt, pepper, lemon and herbs. 

Lightly toss the mushrooms with arugula and taste. The Arugula should lightly wilt from the heat of the mushrooms. 
 

Warming Up Your Spring Salad

This dish came out of necessity. Really, it did. I had a few ingredients laying around and I decided to toss them together with a variety of techniques. I have to admit, I surprised myself. The result was a beautifully balanced and textually magnificent warm salad. Put a piece of fish on top and you have an impressive dish that will delight your awaiting taste buds. 

Charred Edamame, Pine Nut, Pea Shoot and Shallot Salad

Ingredients

Pine Nuts - 1/8 c
Edamame - 1/4 c (shelled)
Shallot - 1/2 each (sliced)
Pea Shoots - 1 small handful
Lemon Zest - 1/4 tsp
Honey - 1/4 tsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Lemon - 1/4 each
Parmesan Cheese - 2 tsp (shaved)

Method

Start off by toasting your pine nuts over medium heat and roll the pine nuts around until they become golden, beautiful, and aromatic. Empty the pan and reserve these on the side (we will use them in a moment). While your pine nuts are working, slice the shallot. 
Next turn the heat up and add some oil - toss the edamame into the pan and let it sit for a min or so. We want these little guys to get a char. Give the beans a few stirs so they are nice and toasted, lower the heat and add the remainder of oil, honey, shallot, and lastly, the pine nuts. 
Cook over medium heat for a minute. Right at the end, toss in the lemon zest and the pea shoots. Now take the pan off the heat and with a spoon gently fold all the ingredients together. 
Finish the dish with a bit of grated parm and your favorite finishing oil. 

Serve and enjoy.